Chapter 684: A Serious Slash
Frantically absorbing blood resulted in a massive blood sphere floating beside Arest. Knowing full well that Arest was brewing a big move, Ian had no intention of stopping him, because he was well aware of his own situation—he still had plenty of power in reserve.
Ian wondered how this newly promoted Marine Admiral, Arest, compared to the veterans like Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji. However, he found that dealing with Arest was far more effortless than when he had faced Akainu back then! This was partly because Arest's abilities were countered by his own super-speed regeneration, limiting his full potential, and also because Ian's strength had grown significantly since the Battle of New Edd War.
One card represented a new realm—this wasn't just talk. Take Ian's current Super Saiyan state, for example. While it couldn't compare to the original Super Saiyan's power, the boost this card gave him was unparalleled. Before obtaining this card, Ian would have needed to use Final Release on Thousand Cherry Blossoms to fight a Marine Admiral, but now he didn't need to do that at all.
This was because the Super Saiyan state not only granted him a 100% boost to all attack effects but also provided a continuous full-attribute enhancement as long as the state was active. In other words, there was no time limit like with a Zanpakutō's Final Release! The benefits of this state were self-evident—it was like having a built-in Final Release effect, a classic example of one card equating to one realm.
The diversity of cards allowed Ian to use different abilities against different enemies, and powerful cards were his greatest guarantee of combat strength. Although the appearance of the new Marine Admiral Arest surprised Ian, he realized this was a perfect opportunity to hone his fighting skills.
During his battle with Arest, Ian vaguely felt that he was on the verge of a breakthrough. This breakthrough referred to his swordsmanship skills. So far, the only basic skill Ian had broken through to the Master level was Nen Training; his other swordsmanship and physical combat skills were still stuck at the Expert level. But while fighting Arest, Ian had a premonition: if he could defeat Arest with his sword, he might break through this bottleneck! This was an intuition derived from his own path of the sword.
Using a Marine Admiral as a sacrificial sword was more than enough! So Ian let Arest do as he pleased, watching as he, after absorbing a vast amount of blood, fiercely clawed at his own chest, leaving himself bloody and raw. Then, Arest plunged his blood-covered hands entirely into the massive blood sphere!
A strange scene unfolded. The enormous blood sphere, tainted by Arest's blood, began to writhe as if alive, like a giant slime or jelly, enveloping Arest's entire body within the blood mass.
"Is this... an awakened ability?" Ian thought, casually dropping the blade of Thousand Cherry Blossoms to the ground. "Scatter! Thousand Cherry Blossoms, Final Release..."
After Final Release, Thousand Cherry Blossoms transformed into countless dancing petals, shimmering with hazy light, gathering on Ian's back and hands. Beneath the black Flame Wings, a second pair of wings appeared! Similarly, a larger blade materialized in Ian's hand.
Final Scene: White Emperor Sword!
At this moment, Ian felt surging power throughout his body, flowing endlessly into his limbs, his body, and his mind, giving him a sensation of blood rushing and adrenaline pumping. With the Super Saiyan's 10x boost, the Zanpakutō's Final Release 8x boost, and the Black Dragon Wave's 3x boost, Ian's current state was 21 times his original power!
Almost everyone could feel Ian's immense, rising aura. This aura made Katakuri's pupils contract sharply, realizing that when Ian fought him yesterday, he hadn't been using his full strength! However, to the confusion of many, keen observers noticed that Ian's soaring aura seemed to be gradually contracting! It wasn't weakening—it was being concentrated onto that radiant longsword in his hands!
Ian stood motionless, holding the White Emperor Sword with both hands, the blade upright before him, pouring all his spirit and energy into the sword. In truth, he didn't know what the Master-level swordsmanship realm was like. Everything he did was instinctual, following his feelings and his understanding of the sword's path.
A gust of wind blew, and the onlookers, who had been staring blankly at the two combatants, looked up in terror. They saw a massive vortex forming in the clouds above Whole Cake Island, with its center pointing directly at Ian, who stood sword in hand!
"N-Not good!" Katakuri shouted, "Everyone, retreat as far as you can!"
No one was foolish; they understood Katakuri's warning. The upcoming clash between these two would be extremely dangerous, and their current distance wasn't safe. Reacting quickly, they scrambled backward in panic. Even Big Mom was alarmed. She could sense that Ian's current state resembled the power application of Elbaf Spear: Country, suggesting that Whole Cake Island would soon face a earth-shattering slash.
"Damn it! I didn't expect Ian to be this strong. What if he destroys Whole Cake Island?" Big Mom thought, quickly instructing Perospero and the others to find a way to reinforce the island. However, she hadn't forgotten the wedding cake and ordered Long Bread and the other chefs to push it away as well.
Like a mass evacuation, the scene emptied in an instant, leaving only one person in the original observation area: Caesar, still bound with Seastone handcuffs. Sniffling, Caesar sucked back his snot, finally snapping out of it and scrambling to run backward, crying out, "Help! Someone, get these cuffs off me!" But he tripped, face-planting on the grass and sliding a long way, bruising his chin. He didn't dare waste time, pushing himself up with his hands.
"Huh? What's this?" As he got up, Caesar's hand accidentally grabbed something. Picking it up, he found a small box with an antenna-like protrusion and a red button in the middle. "Never mind, gotta run!" Caesar hesitated, then clutched the object and sprinted forward.
By the time only Ian and Arest remained at the wedding venue, Arest had completed his awakened ability. The massive blood sphere, now infused with his blood, had transformed into a blood-red armor on his body. This armor was solid, looking like it was made of red crystal. On the back of the armor, a pair of wings extended straight out, making Arest look like a cross standing there.
Blood Cross Holy Armor! This was Arest's final trump card. Somewhat similar to Golden Emperor Tesoro's golden giant form, the crystallized blood offered unparalleled defense, while his hands were equipped with sharp, blood-red crystal claws that gleamed with a sharp light. The frenzy and ferocity on Arest's face had vanished, replaced by a calm solemnity. His lips moved slightly, as if reciting a prayer.
Similarly, Ian stood opposite him, equally calm, with a serene expression. Contrasting their expressions was the increasingly intense cloud vortex above Whole Cake Island.
Suddenly, Arest's moving lips stopped—his prayer was finished. The next second, a massive explosion rang out as the ground beneath Arest's feet shattered, and with the tremendous burst of power from his launch, Arest's figure vanished! At this moment, Arest had also broken through his speed limit, appearing instantly before Ian, his right clawed hand thrusting straight for Ian's heart!
But at that moment, a slash of light that pierced the heavens appeared! Ian swung the White Emperor Sword with a deceptively slow yet fast motion, delivering a vertical slash at Arest. This straight downward cut produced a blade of light that shot from the ground into the sky, as if all the sword energy surged upward. It not only soared into the sky but also broke through the center of the swirling cloud vortex, blasting a hole in the clouds that had been gathering!
This dazzling slash, piercing the sky, came and went in an instant, but everyone on Whole Cake Island saw it. Arest froze completely, his right claw pressing against Ian's chest, just touching his skin, but unable to advance any further.
Ian maintained his downward-slashing pose, but the White Emperor Sword in his hand was gone, having dissolved into countless shimmering lights. Straightening up, Ian looked at Arest, who was right in front of him, and waved, "Bye-bye. Go find your lord in hell!"
With that, Ian walked past Arest. As he passed, a cracking sound came from Arest. The Blood Cross Holy Armor began to disintegrate, quickly covered in countless cracks, then shattered with a crash into countless small red fragments. Beneath the armor, Arest's entire body was instantly covered in countless wounds, and all the blood finally found a release, gushing out all at once!
Ian's slash appeared to be just one strike, but the White Emperor Sword was made of countless cherry blossom petals. This attack had driven all the power into Arest's body, then exploded outward. The number of wounds on Arest's body must have been in the tens of thousands! He instantly turned into a blood-soaked figure, then fell straight to the ground, devoid of any life in an instant.
This newly promoted Marine Admiral, Arest, was slain by Ian with a single slash. Perhaps as a chain reaction from Arest's fall, it was only then that a massive tremor shook Whole Cake Island. The ground where Ian had stood cracked like a spiderweb, spreading in all directions for tens of kilometers, only stopping near the island's edge. The entire island shook as if hit by a massive earthquake, and the churning, upturned ground swallowed Arest's corpse, giving him a burial place.
At this moment, one had to wonder where his so-called lord was...