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The Strongest Frost Loli (119)
🕑 Added 2024-09-09 17:00:05 +0000 UTCChapter 119 - The Woman Who Commands Lightning
A lone woman sat upon a throne within the God's Shrine. With her lightning-infused body and exceptional Observation Haki, she could easily eavesdrop on every conversation within the airspace surrounding Skypiea. Yet, she consciously ignored them all. Kanata's arrival was all that mattered. Everything else was a mere triviality. Uninterested in any other developments, she remained immobile and focused solely on her objective.
She had warriors from another Sky Island called Birka, but even they were nothing more than servants to her. Their lives or deaths held no significance.
The woman on the throne – Octavia – slowly opened her eyes, and looked at the woman who had entered the shrine.
“–You’ve come.”
She stood up, grabbing the spear that was leaning against the throne.
Undeterred by Octavia’s imposing presence, Kanata approached her with unwavering determination. Octavia sighed.
“You couldn’t even offer a greeting after all this time?”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
Kanata had been inconvenienced by Octavia countless times, but never helped. The disadvantages of being Octavia’s daughter were immeasurable. She had no intention of letting her escape now that they had finally met.
“You’re a relic of a bygone era. Disappear!”
“Words are meaningless. Show me what you can do.”
They both raised their spears and clashed.
The colliding Conqueror’s Haki reverberated through the air with a deafening roar, and the God's Shrine crumbled into dust by the sheer force of their attacks.
***
Feiyun looked up at the sky. She could sense the collision of Conqueror’s Haki. Users of Conqueror's Haki were common in the New World, but very few possessed a Haki as powerful as Kanata’s. The battle between Kanata and Octavia had begun. It was too dangerous to stay here.
“Are we ready to depart?” she asked.
“The ship's ready. There’s some damage to the cargo, but no casualties among the crew.”
“Then board the ship. George and the others will be here soon.”
Feiyun could carry the ship, but it would be better to use George's ability. She was specialized in destruction and wasn't skilled in delicate tasks like transporting a ship without damaging it.
As she pondered, she sensed several presences approaching.
“Why can’t you just stay put?!”
“Hehehe, you think I’d be able to relax on such an interesting island? Don't be ridiculous.”
“Teach and Kaie are with him. He’s not injured. I understand your concern, but aren’t you being a little overprotective?”
“I wouldn't mind if he got hurt, but he always drags us into trouble.”
“Zehahahaha! What a way to describe me!”
“You’re no different, Teach,” Kaie scolded him.
They had met up while heading back to the ship. Kuro, Teach, and Kaie were now returning together with George and Caterina. Kuro, apparently exhausted, was being carried by Teach, and Caterina was riding on George’s back.
Their Observation Haki told them what was happening above. A battle between Kanata and Octavia would inevitably cause widespread damage. It would be best to leave the island as soon as possible.
George lowered Caterina from his back and stared at the ship with surprise.
“Whoa! It’s completely beached! Is the ship okay?!”
“It’s fine. I checked it.”
“I see… Thank goodness, Feiyun. What about the others? Are they alright?”
“Yes. We were attacked by a strange man, but he was weak. I defeated him easily.”
There had been no significant damage, aside from a few trees flattened by Feiyun.
Caterina boarded the ship and prepared for departure. Izo had already confirmed the safety of Hiyori and Kawamatsu and seemed relieved.
The others boarded the ship one after another. Teach received treatment for his injuries. George, Feiyun, and Kaie discussed their next move.
“We need to leave the island. It’s too dangerous to be near Kanata and Octavia’s fight.”
“Shouldn't we stay on the outskirts of Skypiea? I don't think Kanata will lose, but if something happens, we need to be ready to rescue her.”
“But if she can’t defeat her… then there’s no way we can fight her either. The best we can do is to avoid getting in the way… What do you think, Feiyun?”
“…We should leave the island. I think we’ll just be a burden if we stay.”
They could feel the shockwaves from the clashing Conqueror’s Haki.
The constant collision of those two powerful Haki was having a significant impact on the island.
They could sense the animals fleeing from the center of the island. It would be best to leave the island before they were caught in the crossfire.
***
BBOM!
The lightning followed the trajectory of the spear, a split second behind. The spear attack was blocked, and the lightning deflected by a shield of ice. Octavia’s attacks were fierce, but Kanata effortlessly countered each one, showing no signs of weakness.
While Octavia should be faster, Kanata was keeping up with her.
“Your Observation Haki is already superior to mine. And your Armament Haki is impressive.”
“You’re too relaxed. Don’t underestimate me.”
Kanata launched a counterattack. She used every skill she had honed over the years, relentlessly striking at Octavia, aiming for a fatal blow. But Octavia wouldn't be defeated so easily.
Her Armament Haki was incredibly tough, and her fighting style shifted constantly, making it difficult to predict her movements. One moment she was defending, the next she was attacking. It was as if she had multiple personalities.
(Seven… No, eight.)
Kanata estimated that Octavia had eight distinct fighting styles and she switched between them to confuse her opponents. However, it was only effective against those weaker than her.
Kanata had already adapted and could counter each style. She had even incorporated them into her own fighting style.
“Fufu… You inherited my sharp eyes.”
Octavia, too, was adapting to Kanata’s spear techniques. If their skills and physical abilities were equal, then the deciding factor would be their Devil Fruit abilities – and more importantly, their Haki. But Kanata wouldn't be outmatched so easily.
“You’re good at manipulating Haki, but… you’re still lacking.”
“…You’re saying I’m still lacking, even though I can perfectly wield both Armament and Observation Haki? Are you hiding some kind of magic trick?”
“Don’t you know? There are many who possess it, but very few who can truly wield it.”
Octavia’s spear was enveloped in black lightning. Kanata raised her spear to block Octavia’s attack, but –
“Guh?!”
Her arm creaked under the strain.
Their spears hadn't even touched. They had clashed from a distance, and the impact had sent Kanata flying through the air.
(What was that?! She attacked me without even touching me!)
It was possible to attack from a distance with Armament Haki, but this was different.
With Armament Haki, one could only create a small gap, about the width of a finger. It was an external application of Haki, and Kanata could do it as well. The damage wasn't significant if both sides used it.
But Octavia’s attack had been different.
To put it simply – it had depth.
It wasn't just Armament Haki. Something else was layered on top of it.
(Here it comes again!)
Octavia was pursuing Kanata, launching another attack. She hadn't been able to understand it with just one hit. Perhaps she could grasp its nature if she received another attack.
She focused her senses, carefully observing Octavia’s movements.
Black lightning crackled.
“Block it – I’m not holding back.”
“–!!”
They clashed in mid-air.
There was a clear difference in their power. The impact sent Kanata crashing to the ground. This time, she had been prepared for the powerful blow.
“…That was… could it be?!”
She saw it.
She had a vague understanding of the nature of Octavia's attack. But she had no way to counter it. It wasn't something she could simply replicate by moving her body differently.
As she frantically searched for a solution, she sensed a clear killing intent from above.
“1 Billion Volts –”
Octavia aimed her right arm, transformed into a bolt of pale blue lightning, at Kanata.
Damn it. Kanata reacted instinctively.
“–Indra!”
The concentrated lightning pierced through Upper Yard, descending towards the White Sea below.
Six more followed, each a different color – red, green, purple – but possessing the same devastating power. They rained down on Kanata.
“What a crazy woman!”
She narrowly dodged each attack, relying on her superior Observation Haki. She couldn't counterattack like this. She had a glimpse of the nature of Octavia’s attack, but she didn't know how to replicate it.
She needed more time.
“What's wrong? Are you just going to run? Don’t disappoint me, Novem!!”
Realizing that her long-range attacks weren't working, Octavia descended to the ground, slashing through the trees as she pursued Kanata.
Kanata, dodging the lightning bolts, approached Octavia and swung her spear, reinforced with Armament Haki.
The weapons clashed with a deafening clang, but the attack hadn't reached Octavia. She couldn't even touch her. She had no choice but to keep attacking, hoping to gain some understanding of Octavia’s power.
“Don't call me… by that name!!”
The colliding Conqueror’s Haki shook the surrounding trees.
It wasn't just the spear attacks. Kanata had to create ice shields to block the lightning bolts that occasionally struck from her blind spots. It was the first time in a long time that she had been so thoroughly outmatched.
She couldn't afford to hold back. She had to find a way to weaken Octavia.
“–Niflheim Silver World!”
To create an environment that would hinder her opponent, Kanata launched a counterattack.
