Hearing Katakuri declare that the next strike would decide the winner,
Taro instantly unleashed the remaining pure Internal Energy from his five viscera and six bowels.
The Internal Energy refilled his Meridians, slightly easing his exhausted body.
"Mochi Chant!"
Katakuri roared, stepped back, and thrust out his right arm forcefully. Immediately, dozens of donuts appeared beside him.
From each donut, a Mochi-enhanced arm extended, immediately coated with Armament Haki.
"Zzzzt"
Red lightning crackled; this was the effect of Haoshoku addition.
Following that, these dozens of arms swung out so fast that they left afterimages in the air.
Beneath the swath of afterimages, it seemed as if countless fists were being thrown simultaneously.
Attacks rained down on Taro from all directions like a fierce storm, every fist carrying explosive power.
The moment he launched his attack, Taro also mobilized all his Internal Energy, compressing it back into his internal organs before letting it surge out again.
"Second Gear!"
"Air Quake!"
"Armament Haki Coating!"
"Conquerors Haki Infusion!"
"Gum-Gum Jet Gatling!"
Two bluish-white pressure shields instantly wrapped around Taro's arms as he slammed them toward his sides.
"Crack, Crack"
With two sharp sounds, space shattered.
The air seemed to freeze instantly, only to be torn apart by immense vibrational force.
"Rumble~"
The air vibrations caused continuous roars to explode above the island, startling countless birds.
The great Earthquake shook, and rocks fractured.
Kilometers away, the sea surface surged, whipping up terrifying waves.
The Mochi fists attacking from the side were all shattered, yet the vibration continued to intensify.
After unleashing the Air Quake, Taro crouched down, pulled his arms back to his sides, and then delivered continuous, fierce strikes.
Both arms instantly turned dark blue/black, coated in Armament Haki, accompanied by flickering bluish-red lightning.
Countless Internal Energy-solidified fists rapidly and accurately blasted out, meeting the continuously incoming Mochi fists.
Taro held nothing back, pouring all the Internal Energy in his body into his fists. Even the Internal Energy required for Observation Haki had ceased being supplied at this moment.
Since this was the final blow, he would give it everything!
Katakuri clearly had the same idea; he mobilized his full power, sustaining the relentless attack of the Mochi fists.
In the dozens of meters separating them, both sides launched hundreds of fists within a second. Fist met fist, stirring up howling winds, cracking the earth, and seeming to split the sky.
"Boom boom boom boom boom~"
"Ah~"
Taro gritted his teeth, keeping his head down and continuously mobilizing his Internal Energy to maintain the offensive.
"Hngh~"
Katakuri, opposite him, likewise clenched his fists, pushing his ability to the extreme.
"Pfft~"
A muffled sound, lightly disturbing the air.
"Hmph, cough!"
Taro instantly felt a sharp pain in his side, groaned, stumbled, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and veered to the side.
As his body fell, the continuously swinging Internal Energy fists also slowed down.
Someone launched a sneak attack!
Taro was suddenly startled, but in this life-or-death moment, he didn't have time to think further.
He hastily withdrew Internal Energy to wrap around his core and simultaneously coated his chest with Armament Haki to protect his vital points.
And in that instant, Katakuri's fists slammed into him.
In just one moment, dozens of fists simultaneously struck Taro.
"Clang clang clang, thump thump thump~"
The "clang clang" sound, like hammering iron, was the sound of fists hitting the Armament Haki armor,
while the muffled "thump thump thump" was the sound of strikes hitting Taro's limbs, causing violent fluctuations in his Internal Energy.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Internal Energy shields are inherently less effective against blunt force than they are against blades and swords.
The tremendous power of Katakuri's fists caused Taro to cough up several mouthfuls of blood consecutively.
His body was instantly knocked off the ground, sent flying hundreds of meters, crashing through an entire stretch of forest before finally smashing into a massive boulder.
Katakuri had actually noticed Taro's abnormality immediately and stopped his attack,
However, in that split second of reaction, dozens of attacks had already been launched.
The sudden change during the decisive battle filled Katakuri with burning rage.
His gaze instantly turned ice-cold as he turned his head toward the sea.
Several miles away on the sea, a merchant ship was bobbing up and down with the waves.
"Flying Shigan"
Stussy's right hand still held the posture of firing a gun, and her lips moved slightly.
Then, she retracted her smoking index finger, lightly blew on it, her eyes full of coldness, and her tone contemptuous,
"Tsk, I missed. These damned waves. I clearly aimed for his head!"
"Taro, I told you that one day you would try my ultimate skill. Are you satisfied now?"
Behind her, a man wearing the unique mask of CP0 pondered for a moment before speaking,
"Lucci and the others should still be on the island. Should we go over?"
Stussy retracted her finger and chuckled softly,
"Eliminating Taro is excellent news for the World Government and the Celestial Dragons."
"As for Wan Luo, leave him for Lucci to handle!"
The man hesitated and said gravely, "Katakuri clearly discovered us. If he finds out about Lucci's relationship with us, Lucci might..."
Stussy's expression was cold,
"They are just rookies in CP0, like Spandam. If they can't even handle this much, what use are they?"
Saying this, she paused, then shook her head gently,
"Don't worry. How dare pirates easily provoke the World Government and the Celestial Dragons? If Lucci is smart, he won't die!"
The CP0 man felt a chill in his heart and dared not speak again.
Katakuri's face was so dark it looked like ink was about to drip from it. Watching the merchant ship turn and sail away, his rage was immense, and the knuckles of his fists cracked audibly.
Finally, he let out a few heavy breaths and started walking in the direction Taro had been sent flying.
Taro, who was smashed into the boulder, moved slightly, and several fragments of rock tumbled down.
"Hiss~"
The pain radiating from his body made him suck in a cold breath.
He forced his eyes open, only to find his vision somewhat blurry.
Immediately, the severe pain from his left eye socket made him realize he had taken a solid punch there.
He took two gasping breaths, coughed up another mouthful of blood, and then moved again.
"Crack, Crunch~"
The crushed rock loosened, and Taro fell out with a "thump," hitting the ground.
By the time he struggled to his feet, Katakuri had already appeared in his line of sight.
Taro gripped his right wrist with his left hand, struggled to pull out thunderstorm, and propped himself up with it, his right eye warily fixed on Katakuri.
Then, he touched his left ribcage with his elbow.
"Hiss~"
Taro's cheek twitched in pain, and he sucked in another cold breath.
He raised his arm to look and saw that the area around his elbow was covered in blood.
There must have been a bloody hole between his ribs, still gushing blood.
He mobilized his Internal Energy to seal the Meridians around the wound, stopping the bleeding.
Katakuri stopped about 10 meters in front of Taro, his cold voice carrying barely suppressed anger,
"Our battle isn't over yet!"
Taro released his wrist, tightened his left fist, and spoke weakly,
"Then, let's go again."
...
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