I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 317 "Cold Flame Form"

"This is……"

Among everyone present, besides Uchiha Hikaru, the first person to notice Esdeath's change in aura was Shanks.

He had assumed that the outcome of the battle was already decided once "Divine Evasion" was used, and he was even sheathing his sword when he suddenly sensed something was wrong. His mind jolted, and he abruptly opened his eyes wide, staring at the opposite side a hundred meters away.

—Conqueror's Haki?!

Actually, Conqueror's Haki isn't that rare. After all, in the New World, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of people who possess it. And they are basically all powerful pirates who can shake the World Government. In fact, the main crew members of the Rocks Pirates and Roger Pirates back then all had Conqueror's Haki.

but……

How could someone with the potential for Conqueror's Haki only awaken it when their strength has reached a level comparable to that of a Yonko? Shouldn't this kind of thing usually happen in childhood?

and……

The intensity of this Conqueror's Haki... isn't it a bit too high?

Under the red-haired man's Observation Haki, he only "saw" a column of ice-blue air that was invisible to the naked eye, rising into the air directly in front of him, tearing through the clouds nearly a thousand meters high in an instant, and then soaring even higher!

At the same time, the altitude is rising rapidly.

This column of energy spread outwards, with a force no less powerful than the previous "Divine Evasion," indiscriminately crushing everything in its path!

Even Shanks himself admitted that he was inferior to this level of Conqueror's Haki!

Thoughts drifted by.

He drew his sword again and slashed at the oncoming shockwave!

This scene is practically a replica of the battle between Shanks and Whitebeard in the original work.

Can……

The aura that both Shanks and Esdeath unleashed at this moment was even more astonishing than the red and white attack in the original timeline!

In an instant, it shattered the clouds that had split open a thousand meters in the sky, and then stirred up a huge storm that spread for several kilometers and even further with the force of a level twelve gale!

……

"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"

The white-bearded man standing on the dock suddenly threw a punch, activating the power of his Devil Fruit to form an invisible spatial barrier that held up the coastline.

Uchiha Hikaru, with a thought, activated the Blood Jade Barrier, enveloping Bulma and the others on his side and isolating them from the outside world.

This action drew a glance from Whitebeard and the others.

There is no concept of "magical artifacts" in the world of One Piece.

The shape of the "Blood Jade Coral" didn't resemble a Devil Fruit or a technological creation. Even someone as knowledgeable as Whitebeard could only connect it to the "Sky Island Clam" he'd seen before, assuming it was some kind of magical species salvaged from the deep sea. Out of politeness, he didn't ask any further questions.

the other side.

Some passersby who had initially been curious and wanted to stay and observe the battle all turned around and ran away.

It's great to see battles between Royal Teams, but if the price is your life, then it's not worth it at all.

Several minutes passed.

The typhoon on the sea gradually subsided and dissipated.

Although the ice and water were still churning, Esdeath and Shanks had reappeared.

At this moment.

Redhead held "Griffin" in one hand, the blade angled in front of him, breathing slightly heavily.

After the impact, his long black cloak was whipped up by the wind, and his white shirt underneath was also showing signs of tearing.

On the other side, Esdeath was enveloped in a semi-transparent, ice-blue humanoid aura. Her military uniform also had several tears, revealing the white silk vest she wore underneath.

The so-called "silk vest" was actually a close-fitting protective gear that Uchiha Hikaru wove from the hair of the East Sea Cloud Dragon that he had collected. Because the process was complicated, only a few sets were made, one of which was worn by Esdeath.

Because of this layer of protection, Esdeath's torso was not injured, only a few thin bloodstains on her cheeks and arms, from which blood beads were seeping out.

"spit!"

Esdeath licked the drop of blood that had slid from the corner of her mouth with the tip of her tongue, spat it out casually, and then raised her head, letting her long hair dance freely without wind. As the corners of her lips curled up, an indescribable sharpness shone through her icy blue eyes.

"Are you still able to fight?"

"..."

When confronted with the question, the redhead did not respond, but merely tightened his grip on the sword hilt.

next moment.

The two leaped forward simultaneously, colliding head-on at an even faster speed than before, and then immediately engaged in a fierce battle!

The winds are rising again!

This time, a massive eye of the typhoon has suddenly formed here, spreading outwards as Esdeath and Shanks battle, clearly a sign of impending natural disaster!

……

This battle lasted for quite a while.

It's clear that Esdeath had a great time.

Although the Dimensional Pirates had encountered two Yonko since arriving on this sea, and had fought against both of them, one was a mess left behind after Uchiha Hikaru finished the first half of the battle, and the other was a sparring match that Esdeath, being old and sick, could not fight for long. Only today did Esdeath finally experience a truly exhilarating battle.

—It wasn't as comfortable as the fight against Uchiha Hikaru, but it was still a high-quality battle.

With the final head-on confrontation.

Esdeath's sword snapped in two with a "crack," and one half of the blade flew far away.

The red-haired "Griffin" was completely thrown away, leaving only his left hand, which was cracked and bleeding profusely.

"it's over."

"You're not bad."

Esdeath nodded slightly, leaving Shanks with a comment, then made a gesture of sheathing her sword and turned back towards the "Dimensional Pirates".

To be precise, it returned to the location where Uchiha Hikaru was.

By this point, her sharp edge had gradually softened, and her expression was much gentler than during the battle.

"How is it?"

"good."

Uchiha Hikaru nodded, assuming that the military princess was seeking praise, and thus gave her a word of approval.

"...That's what I meant."

Esdeath pursed her lips, then gestured with her chin towards herself.

At this moment, she had not yet released her "Conqueror's Haki," and the icy blue aura still emanated from her body, like a flame in cold water, flickering eerily around her, giving people a strange feeling that was both cold and hard yet full of vitality.

"The way this aura surrounds you is quite similar to your 'Flame Form,' isn't it?"

"what?"

(End of this chapter)