"Rankyaku of the Rokushiki... not bad."

"But using that move in front of me... isn’t that a bit too bold?"

Zephyr snorted and swung his right arm. The massive Battle Smasher created a gust that blew away the lingering dust. He had been the Chief Instructor of the Navy; he was the one who taught the Rokushiki. Since when did pipsqueaks get to show off in front of him?

Zephyr stepped forward, leaving a deep footprint in the sand as his muscular frame lunged forward, dragging the heavy Smasher.

"Rokushiki: Rankyaku!"

Zephyr kicked off the air, rising into the sky. He flipped mid-air and snapped his leg out. His muscles contracted violently, generating massive kinetic energy that exploded against the air.

SHINK—!

A massive air blade, over ten meters wide, tore through the sky with a high-pitched screech that made the eardrums vibrate.

"Hey, are you kidding me?" Aeridar was startled. To produce a slash of that magnitude with just a kick... this old man’s physical strength was terrifying. He didn’t try to block it; he used his teleportation to vanish instantly.

KABOOM—!

The massive Rankyaku traveled hundreds of meters, slicing clean through the forest at the foot of the mountain. Dust and debris filled the air as the wind pressure flattened the surrounding trees. When the dust settled, the forest had been cleaved in two by a 200-meter-long, bottomless trench.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! POW! POW! POW!

On the dunes, Zephyr and Aeridar engaged in a ferocious martial art exchange. Every collision of fist and foot caused the air to ripple, creating a localized hurricane of force.

"Smash Tornado!"

The front of the Smasher began to spin rapidly. Zephyr slammed it into the ground.

THOOM—!

The ground shattered. The impact caused the earth to heave, and flames erupted from the Smasher, riding a shockwave that swept outward in every direction.

"Zephyr, you bastard!" Veins popped on Aeridar’s forehead as he shielded his eyes from the grit, flying backward to escape the blast. He hadn’t expected the old man to be his equal in martial art. If Zephyr were in his prime, he’d understand, but Zephyr was supposed to be a decaying, asthmatic relic.

The reality was the opposite. The man before him fought like a healthy titan, displaying monstrous physical prowess. And so far, not a single sign of asthma.

That Seastone Smasher was incredibly heavy, yet Zephyr swung it with total fluidity. Combined with his high-level Observation Haki, he was predicting Aeridar’s movements no matter how fast he went.

"Hahaha! What’s wrong, brat? Losing your cool already?" Zephyr laughed, aiming the barrels in the center of the Smasher’s claws forward.

"Let me tell you one more time, I am Z!!!"

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

A barrage of high-caliber explosive rounds erupted from the Smasher, tearing up the ground like an autocannon.

"High-explosive rounds! One hit would turn a normal man into mincemeat!" Aeridar flew at high speeds just above the ground, dodging the fire with ease, glancing back at the craters left in the sand.

Nearby, Ain and Binz watched the duel with grim expressions. They were thrilled their teacher’s health was restored, but his opponent was no pushover. Furthermore, the rest of the Chris Pirates were still waiting on the ship. The Neo Marines on Secon Island stood no chance if they joined in.

"That monster, ’Blue Haired’ Arlan, is there too. We have to recall the main fleet, or we can’t win this!" Binz whispered to Ain, casting a fearful glance at Arlan on the deck of the Chris.

"You’re right, but the timer is almost up. we need to find a way to leave!" Ain said, her face taut. She remembered the disaster at Alvis Island.

Binz frowned, looking at the darkening sky.

After a pause, Ain added, "The main fleet needs to be close. Golden Ring Aeridar can make ships fly. Even if Secon Island is destroyed, they’ll be fine. They’ll just intercept us at sea. We need the fleet for backup!"

Binz nodded. "Fine. Let’s signal the fleet and prepare for extraction!"

While Ain and Binz made their plans, the battle on the dunes grew even more intense.

"Impact Wave!!!"

Aeridar roared, throwing a punch into the air. Terrific force pushed the atmosphere forward, forming a massive, ring-shaped shockwave that rolled out like a tidal wave. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

RUMBLE—!

The sand dunes groaned as a semicircular trench ten meters wide and a hundred meters long was carved out. The wind pressure lashed the surroundings.

"An Impact Wave just like Sengoku’s!"

Zephyr stood at the end of the trench, his Smasher braced in front of him. His feet were buried deep in the earth, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

Whoosh—

Zephyr twisted his hips, swinging the Smasher violently to his left.

DONG—!

Aeridar appeared instantly in front of the Smasher, his fist colliding with the metal. The collision of two immense powers caused the air to shudder. A ring of white vapor exploded outward. The sand beneath them was blown away by the pressure, revealing the solid, cracked sandstone basin below.

"Hmph. It’s useless, boy!" Zephyr growled coldly. "I’ve already placed the Dyna Stones on the hot spring peaks. They’re about to blow. You can’t stop my plan!"

Aeridar launched a kick, slamming his foot into the Smasher.

THUD—!

Zephyr felt a surge of force and was knocked back several steps.

They faced each other five meters apart. Aeridar’s expression didn’t change; instead, he let out a savage laugh. "Is that so? Heh heh heh... then wait for the timer to run out. Let’s see if those ’Dyna Stones’ actually explode!"

"What? What do you mean?" Zephyr narrowed his eyes, confused. Had the kid dismantled them? No, there wasn’t enough time. Some were hidden deep in rock crevices, and it had taken Zephyr ages to set them.

"You probably don’t know this, but your ’prized student,’ former Admiral Aokiji Kuzan, is also on this island!" Aeridar sneered mockingly. "By now... every single Dyna Stone should be frozen solid. And the timers attached to them? Well, I’d bet they’re frozen broken!"