A massive meteor pierced through the clouds, hurtling toward Maude and his group with an overwhelming force.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Law looked up at the meteor, his pupils contracting sharply. The ability to casually summon a meteor with a single slash of the sword was something he had neither seen nor imagined before.
Gaya and Lafitte also wore expressions of shock. What astonished them wasn't the falling meteor itself but how easily Issho had summoned it without even breaking a sweat.
"Law, get ready to redirect the force."
Among the group, Maude, who had anticipated such an event, was the first to act.
He threw a curt warning to Law before glancing quickly at Issho, who stood motionless. Harboring some doubt, Maude ascended into the sky with Geppo (Moonwalk), heading toward the descending meteor.
Hearing Maude's words, Law paused momentarily but quickly grasped the meaning of "redirect the force."
Once again, Law couldn't help but marvel at Maude's deep understanding of the Op-Op Fruit. His expression turned serious as he focused intently on the incoming meteor.
Before the meteor could collide with the ground, Law had to deploy his Room and swap the meteor's position with another object. This would nullify its kinetic energy, rendering it harmless upon landing. However, given the current size of his Room, he wasn't entirely confident he could pull it off.
Even so, Law wasn't worried.
Watching Maude ascend toward the meteor, Law understood his role clearly.
As Maude soared into the air, Armament Haki erupted from his palms, wrapping tightly around the blade of his Chidori sword.
Hidden Blade Style: Pecks of Water!
With veins bulging in his arm, Maude swung his blade, unleashing a series of slicing waves that resembled splashing water.
As he sheathed his sword, the scattered water-like slashes converged into a single deep-blue strike, which shot straight toward the meteor.
Screech!
The deep-blue slash struggled through the meteor, eventually slicing it cleanly in half.
Following Maude's attack, slashes from Gaya and Lafitte arrived in quick succession, further splitting the meteor into four pieces.
The combined attacks not only divided the meteor into fragments but also reduced its descent speed.
"This makes things much easier!"
A gleam of determination flashed in Law's eyes as he activated his Room and enveloped the four meteor fragments.
Shambles!
The meteor fragments, which were plummeting toward the ground, suddenly vanished into thin air. In the next moment, the flaming chunks reappeared gently resting on the ground, their momentum completely nullified.
Having dissipated the meteor's impact force using the Op-Op Fruit, Law let out a sigh of relief. If not for his intense training over the past weeks, this maneuver could have easily ended in disaster.
"Nicely done, Law."
Maude landed gracefully and turned his attention to Issho, who still stood unmoving.
"Something's off…"
After summoning a meteor with his gravity powers, Issho could have easily launched a follow-up attack or at least harassed them further. Yet, he did nothing.
"And there's more…"
Maude recalled their initial clash. When their swords met, he hadn't been able to resist the overwhelming force of Issho's gravity, leaving himself wide open. Yet, Issho hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity to strike a decisive blow.
"Could it be…"
A thought crossed Maude's mind, and his expression subtly changed.
Now that he reflected on it, since Issho first appeared, all he had done was apply pressure, keeping them on edge as though they were facing a dire threat. However, despite the oppressive gravity-like atmosphere, there was no tangible malice in his actions.
Raising his sword defensively, Maude fixed his gaze on Issho and asked, "Are you holding back?"
Issho's response came in the form of another horizontal slash imbued with gravity. The invisible force carried a powerful gale, once again sending Maude and his group flying.
Despite the dramatic display, the attack caused no real harm.
This time, however, Issho didn't pause. Before Maude and the others could recover, he launched a follow-up attack.
Infernal Voyage!
A massive gravitational force descended from above like an invisible, crushing wall, slamming Maude and his companions to the ground.
When Issho abandoned his previous measured, turn-based approach, the overwhelming disparity in strength became painfully apparent.
Struggling against the oppressive gravitational force, a deep sense of helplessness took root in everyone's hearts.
The man before them was far beyond their level. This was the power of an Admiral.
Images of Aokiji flashed through Maude's mind. These top-tier combatants were monsters, each and every one of them.
If they went all out, Maude's current strength wouldn't last more than a few exchanges.
Despite his frustration, this was the harsh reality. He was still far from being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with powerhouses like Fujitora or Aokiji.
"Still too weak…"
Maude gritted his teeth. Since entering the Grand Line, he had seized every opportunity to grow stronger. Yet, even so, he was powerless against someone like Issho.
How vast was the gap between them?
Maude couldn't see the end of it.
With Maude's group pinned to the ground by Infernal Voyage, Issho seemingly reverted to his earlier pattern, pausing rather than delivering a decisive blow.
"Frustrated?"
Through his Observation Haki, Issho sensed Maude's emotions. He closed his already-narrow eyes.
"But you're still young, aren't you… boy."
He kept the thought to himself and began striding toward Maude and the others.
Suddenly, Issho's expression shifted slightly.
At that moment, several thin white lines shot toward Maude's back with bullet-like speed. Even before they reached him, Maude felt a chilling sense of danger.
Through Observation Haki, he received a clear message: if he didn't dodge, he would die.
However, under the crushing weight of Issho's gravity, Maude's attempt to evade was a fraction too slow.
Maude's heart sank.
In the critical moment, Issho moved. He appeared behind Maude in a flash and swung his blade, generating a gravity field that smashed the incoming white lines into the ground.
Boom!
The ground cracked and shattered as if sliced by a giant blade.
"Fufufu…"
A low, sinister laugh filled the air, brimming with murderous intent.
Hearing that signature laugh, both Maude and Law, who were facing away from the source, stiffened in recognition.
Issho turned his gaze toward the newcomer. Despite his blindness, he immediately identified the man.
"The Warlord of the Sea… Doflamingo."
Doflamingo strode forward with his characteristic arrogance, his cold gaze fixed on Issho, who had just sheathed his sword.
"Why did you block my Bullet Strings? Aren't they your enemies as well?"
Issho, calm and composed, held his sheathed sword horizontally before him.
"Enemies?"
His steady voice carried no malice. "I do not consider them my enemies."
Doflamingo couldn't help but find the statement absurd.
Not enemies?
You summoned a meteor, for heaven's sake.
And now you're telling me they're not your enemies?
Law and the others shared Doflamingo's incredulous reaction.
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