Chapter 257: Battling Garp Again

"So that's how it is—using Life Return to lock the blood flow in the entire body? No wonder it can counter the blood-sucking ability of the Seven Star Sword!" 

The next moment, as Li Yuan observed the pale muscle around Garp's wound, he realized that Garp had used the technique of Life Return to lock and divert the blood around the area.

By reducing the blood flow at the wound site to a minimum, the Seven Star Sword couldn't absorb much blood.

This was something only possible with advanced Observation Haki and profound mastery of Life Return.

"Hahaha, I've figured out how to counter the blood-sucking issue of your Seven Star Demon Sword over the past two years. This time, you'll die under my iron fist!" Garp laughed, seeing Li Yuan's surprised expression. Even injured, his mood remained unaffected.

For Garp, such minor injuries were inconsequential; under Life Return, he could recover quickly.

Once again, his iron fist swung toward Li Yuan's abdomen.

"Hmph, small amounts add up. You won't succeed every time, and even if you do, it consumes your stamina!" Li Yuan sneered, using the Seven Star Sword to block Garp's punch.

Using this method to avoid the sword's blood-sucking demands a high level of skill—something perhaps only Garp could achieve worldwide.

But it's not without cost. First, Garp's Observation Haki must always accurately predict the sword's trajectory.

Second, even if the sword absorbs minimal blood each time, enough strikes will still accumulate significant absorption.

Third, every use of Life Return to achieve this consumes stamina. If used excessively, Garp's stamina will deplete far more than Li Yuan's.

"Let's see who lasts longer!" Garp was unfazed by Li Yuan's words, striking harder with his other fist.

Garp knew Li Yuan was right, but there was no alternative. To avoid the sword's blood-sucking, unless he could dodge entirely, his Armament Haki alone couldn't fully block the sword's edge. This was the only method to prevent the sword from draining his blood.

Otherwise, as before, excessive blood loss would lead to severe stamina depletion later.

"Of course, you'll tire first. The final victor will be me, Li Yuan!" Li Yuan said confidently, a smile on his lips.

"Boiling Blood!"

Suddenly, Li Yuan's blood began to flow faster and boil, emitting wisps of steam from his pores, enhancing his strength, speed, and reflexes dramatically.

As a vampire, Li Yuan could manipulate blood—not just others', but his own.

By controlling his blood, he entered a state similar to Luffy's Second Gear from the original story, strengthening himself beyond his normal capabilities.

With precise control, this state had no side effects for Li Yuan, consuming only a trivial amount of stamina.

Under the combined effects of Life Return's limb reinforcement and Boiling Blood, Li Yuan's power increased significantly.

"Blood Burst Step!!"

In the next moment, Li Yuan's speed surged, so fast that Garp struggled to react.

Despite Garp's Observation Haki detecting Li Yuan's movements, his body couldn't keep up, leaving him to defend himself by placing his iron fist in front of his chest.

With a single slash, even Garp's iron fist couldn't withstand the Seven Star Sword's edge. The force drove Garp's fist into his chest, causing intense pain.

"Boom!!!"

Caught off guard, Garp was sent flying over a thousand meters by the slash.

Like a streak of blood, Li Yuan pursued Garp, moving even faster than Garp was flying.

Yet Garp, true to his reputation, remained unfazed by Li Yuan's superior strength and newfound power, quickly stabilizing himself and dodging Li Yuan's follow-up strike, regaining his composure.

"Hahaha, I didn't expect you to have another enhancement method besides the initial Life Return boost. But such enhancements must drain your stamina rapidly!" Garp laughed, wiping blood from his mouth, as if he wasn't the one on the back foot.

"Want to find out? Then try and see if you can last until I'm exhausted!" Li Yuan smiled enigmatically and charged again.

Li Yuan was now significantly stronger than before, surpassing Garp in speed, attack, and defense.

Despite Garp's fighting spirit and excitement, he was still being pressed by Li Yuan's relentless assault.

Their battle was intense and furious. Garp's strength was indeed formidable—at 51, he was in his prime. No matter how strong Li Yuan was, Garp was unafraid.

In the past, he hadn't feared Rocks, who was much stronger than he was then. Now, stronger than ever, he certainly wouldn't fear Li Yuan, who was weaker than Rocks. He only felt an exhilarating fighting spirit.

Similarly for Li Yuan, he was fighting with nearly all his strength, save for some Devil Fruit powers.

The fierce battle spirit emanating from him spoke to his deep dedication to combat and growth. He relished the fierce clash with Garp, one of the few who could match him at this level.

Their battle was so intense and massive that no one dared approach within ten kilometers.

The frequent violent collisions caused the entire island to shake, demonstrating the battle's ferocity.

After Li Yuan ascended to the naval fortress, the other officers of the Infinite Pirates followed, with Barrett directly challenging Sengoku!

"Hahaha, Admiral Sengoku, let's finish the fight from two years ago!"

Barrett, in his beast-human form, stood before the Buddha-form Sengoku, blocking his path.

"Admiral, attack!!"

Hermes joined Barrett against Sengoku.

Sengoku was Hermes' first major opponent, and he had been humiliated. Revenge was a must!

Over the past two years, Hermes had been constantly fighting among the giants and with other officers of the Infinite Pirates, his strength increasing significantly. He was no longer the person Sengoku could easily swat away with a slap.

Sengoku knew that unless he defeated these two, he'd be held back, so he said nothing. As he raised his Buddha palm, he combined his shockwave with Conqueror's Haki.

"Buddha Impact!!"

The powerful shockwave rushed from his palm toward Barrett and Hermes.

"Gravity Punch!!"

Barrett didn't dodge, using the Eight Impact Fist with gravity imbued, striking to meet Sengoku's shockwave head-on.

As the two fierce forces clashed, the massive shockwave tore the ground apart within a hundred-meter radius, rocks shattering into dust, and smoke billowing like a dragon.

However, Sengoku was still Sengoku. Even though Barrett's gravity impact combined with the Eight Impact Fist matched his shockwave, Barrett, who hadn't mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion, was not Sengoku's match.

Sengoku's Buddha Impact overwhelmed Barrett, causing intense pain and knocking him back dozens of meters.

But Barrett wasn't surprised, instead excited. Two years ago, he suffered worse and was pushed further back by the same move. Now, he could withstand this, proving the gap between him and Sengoku was closing!

As Sengoku engaged Barrett, Hermes also attacked. Over the past two years, his battle instincts had sharpened immensely.

In his giant form, Hermes stood nearly as tall as Buddha-form Sengoku.

"Eight Impact Fist Secret Art: Double Heavy Cannon!!"

His massive fists, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, struck toward Sengoku's waist with extreme force.

Sengoku, having just unleashed a shockwave, blocked Hermes' attack with his other Buddha palm. But Hermes' immense power and impact forced Sengoku back ten meters.

"These pirates have grown much stronger!"

After just one encounter, Sengoku assessed the difference between their strength now and two years ago, realizing it was significant.

Two years ago, the Infinite Pirates needed at least three officers to hold him back. Now, Barrett and Hermes alone sufficed!

Despite his massive Buddha form, Sengoku remained agile, using Soru with extreme proficiency. Combined with his shockwave power, his burst speed was formidable. In a blink, he vanished and reappeared behind Hermes.

"Buddha Palm Thrust!"

The shockwave in his palm became more concentrated and compressed, not releasing immediately but instead focused on his palm. As Sengoku thrust it forward, its power increased significantly.

Whereas the Buddha Impact was an area attack, the Buddha Palm Thrust was a single-target strike, deadly against individual opponents.

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