Chapter 99.1 : King Punch!!

A massive shockwave instantly swept through everything in front of them.

It felt as if the entire earth was about to be split in half, with the coastline ruthlessly carved out, creating a deep trench.

Behind them, the sea was directly sliced, and a gigantic rift tore open across the water.

The rift continued forward, only healing once it reached a distant point, accompanied by the gradually dissipating shockwave.

"Eh!!"

Due to the immense force, Law, blown onto Jack's back by the wind, was stunned, staring at the violent shockwave in disbelief.

What is this?

Are people from the New World this powerful?

Is it common to encounter such skilled individuals in every country here?

No wonder this is the strongest sea in the world!

But of course, even someone like Elizabello's performance is quite rare, even in the New World.

At least, Babanuki was left dumbfounded.

"Who is this guy?"

It's hard to understand. How could such a small country hide such a formidable expert?

"Whoa!"

Even Yamato couldn't help but exclaim, "So impressive!"

Even she couldn't pull off a move on this scale!

No way!

I have to get stronger too!

Otherwise, every time we face such a powerful opponent, Ian ends up taking the spotlight!

The girl silently swore in her heart.

While swearing, she didn't forget to swing her iron rod to block Kyros' downward slash.

At the moment when the two-handed sword clashed with the Takeru No. 2 of Yamato, Kyros' expression suddenly changed.

From the blade of his sword to his hands, everything was completely frozen by the solid ice, and the ice continued to spread towards his shoulder.

"You're able to use Observation Haki, but you can't use Armament Haki?"

Yamato raised her foot and directly kicked Kyros, who had no way to avoid it, flying out. "Then, you'll never be able to defeat me."

There was no way to resist her freezing ability; he didn't even have the qualifications to face her.

Kyros rolled over and secretly gritted his teeth.

Both of his hands were completely frozen and he couldn't move them at all.

What incredible strength… This little girl is completely beyond what I can handle!

At the same time...

"Ha—Ha—"

Elizabello was breathing heavily.

This punch was the result of an hour's worth of effort!

Ian the Skyfire, can you handle this?

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

Law's forehead was dripping with cold sweat.

From Elizabello's starting point, a huge rift stretched all the way to the coast, and above the sea, the water was churning, sending wave after wave of towering giant waves.

Ian wouldn't have been killed by that punch, would he?

"Don't say stupid things. A punch like that wouldn't even harm a single hair on Brother Ian."

Jack just snorted coldly.

"You're calling this level of attack 'that level of attack'?"

Law's lips twitched slightly.

"Impressive."

A faint voice rang out.

Law quickly turned his head.

Ian, walking on air, soared in from the sea and lightly landed on the shore under the wide-eyed, astonished gaze of Elizabello.

He had already reverted to his human form. Raising his right hand, he gently pinched his thumb and index finger together.

"Just a little more, and you would have been able to hurt me."

Elizabello's punch was indeed powerful, sending Ian flying like a baseball.

However…

If this punch were said to be enough to take down Kaido, then it was truly a joke.

From a professional standpoint, this strike could be compared to Diamond Jozu's punch in terms of power.

A disaster-level force.

Quite impressive.

But, you should know, Elizabello's true strength isn't even as good as Babanuki's. The fact that he could land such a punch was already pretty over-the-top.

What an interesting technique, right?

One that allows a person to land a punch far beyond their actual strength.

Though, to land such a punch, you'd need an hour to warm up, which makes it nearly useless in a fight.

Still, being able to deliver an insanely powerful punch at the start of a battle isn't a bad idea, right?

Plus, Ian thought, with the exaggerated defensive power of the Winged Dragon's Sphere Mode, wouldn't it be possible to absorb the opponent's attack while warming up?

"Impossible—"

Elizabello the Second's face turned pale, staggering backward.

How could his ever-victorious King Punch possibly fail?

This shouldn't be happening!

His punch could destroy even a fortified stronghold, it could pierce through towering city walls.

If Ian knew what Elizabello was thinking, he'd probably say, "A mere stronghold? A mere wall? The power's too low."

Ian stepped in front of Elizabello, smiling kindly.

"Interesting technique. I'm quite curious. Teach me."

"What are you talking about!?"

Elizabello yelled angrily, "There's no way I'd teach you!"

That technique was the forbidden secret of the Elizabello family!

Anger turned into power, and Elizabello swung a punch at Ian from behind.

However.

Black lightning crackled around Ian.

"Ugh!!"

Elizabello's body trembled, and he weakly fell to his knees.

"You still want to fight me?"

Ian kindly reminded him. "Elizabello's family? Your country shouldn't be too hard to find, right?"

After getting off Jack's back and approaching with the others, Law's eyes twitched upon hearing Ian's words.

Back on Onigashima, Ian had been so kind that Law almost forgot—this guy was an extremely dangerous pirate.

Elizabello's face turned pale.

Right.

This guy was a high-ranking member of the Beasts Pirates. With a single thought, he could bring catastrophic disaster to his own country.

He was close friends with King Riku. Based on the principle that like attracts like, it made sense. Elizabello, who also cared about his people, finally lowered his head in defeat. "I understand. I will teach you."

"Great."

Ian nodded in satisfaction.

Regardless of whether this technique would come in handy, as the old saying goes, "It never hurts to learn more techniques," right?

Then, Ian turned his gaze to King Riku, who was frozen in place by Yamato's ice. This man's expression was equally grim. Clearly, the power Ian and the others had displayed left him feeling nothing but despair.

"King Riku," Ian walked up to the man and said, "Can you do me a favor?"

King Riku's face was full of sorrow. "I don't think there's anything I can do to help you."

"No need to belittle yourself. Everyone has their own moment to shine," Ian said, "Even a piece of toilet paper, or a pair of underwear, has its use. Let alone a person."

"And now, my friend, it's your moment to shine as a hero."

"Hero's moment?"

King Riku licked his lips. "What exactly do you want to do, Ian? As long as you don't harm my country, I can agree to anything."

"Good."

Ian appreciated King Riku's weakness. It was actually easier to deal with someone like him—if he had encountered a stubborn person, it would have been troublesome. 

"You don't need to worry. I have no interest in your country, and what I want from you is very simple."

"Gather your soldiers, King Riku."

"Soldiers?"

King Riku was stunned for a moment.

"Then," Ian raised his hand and pointed at the nearby forest. "Attack this forest."

King Riku's eyes widened suddenly.

He realized something.

"Or rather," Ian's lips curled into a smile. "Attack the small country inside the forest."

King Riku's eyes bulged. "What are you trying to do?"

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