Of the five Guardians, one had betrayed them and died, and then two more had fallen in battle. That left only two Guardians still standing. While they were reinforced by hundreds of reactivated sentinels, the tide of battle had clearly turned against them.
A violent shockwave blasted out from the clash, ripping through the air like a cyclone. The sheer force split the ground beneath into a web of deep cracks.
'Wolf' struck with both hands shaped into claws, coated in Armament Haki. His strikes were powerful enough to tear through steel, but even so, against Vito, a Mythical Zoan user, he was clearly on the back foot.
Vito's entire body was armored in tough scales, crackling with lightning. His claws, sharp enough to leave gouges in steel with ease, and his newly grown muscular tail made every one of his attacks dangerous enough that Wolf dared not take them head-on.
Still, Wolf had the support of three indestructible metal beasts, which made things complicated.
Even with Rock fighting at Vito's side, the two of them were struggling.
As the wielder of the Cannon–Cannon Fruit, Rock specialized in long-range bombardment, he could offer covering fire, but not much else in close combat.
The result was a stalemate, at least for the moment.
Oliver's blade slammed down onto the metal maw of "Rhein," halting its charge by brute force. A second slash followed, striking the same spot. Though the edge of his blade only left a shallow scratch, the sheer impact sent Rhein flying.
"What the hell is this thing?! It's like cutting granite!"
Rhein shook its massive head and climbed back to its feet, seemingly unfazed. Oliver frowned deeply. His swordsmanship could cleave through steel like paper, yet here it barely scratched the surface. That meant serious trouble.
Suddenly, the half-torn remains of a metal knight crashed into Rhein, pinning it to the ground for a moment.
Oliver's eyes narrowed.
The knight hadn't been sliced or smashed, it had corroded. And there was only one person with that power: Diego Backan, wielder of the Rust-Rust Fruit.
"I'll... see... if it... rusts."
The voice came in its usual halting rhythm, two words at a time.
Oliver turned and saw him: a towering man over three meters tall, built like a fortress. He wore premium leather armor, his body a sculpture of raw muscle. A two-meter axe was strapped to his back, and he glared with massive ox-like eyes.
"Then give it a shot. Your ability's the natural enemy of this thing."
Oliver nodded. He had faith in Backan's strength. After all, there wasn't much he himself could do against that walking chunk of iron.
Though Backan was usually left behind to guard the ship, he was far from a mere sentry.
Born with monstrous strength, he had joined Aeridar's crew and been personally trained in both types of Haki.
His Observation Haki was weak, but his Armament Haki had progressed rapidly.
And with the Rust-Rust Fruit, he was a metal destroyer incarnate. Backan's ability had evolved to the point that he could corrode even living metal and flesh. In terms of raw power, he was easily a cut above Otto.
With Oliver's approval, Backan didn't even bother reaching for the massive axe on his back, he charged in barehanded.
Rhein let out a bellow, flinging away the half-body of the rusted knight. Like a tireless beast, it stormed forward once again.
It was like two monsters colliding. The impact shook the air. Backan gripped Rhein's jaws with both hands, stopping them from snapping shut. The cords of muscle along his arms bulged like twisted roots, veins pulsing with effort. Beneath their feet, the ground cracked under the crushing power of their struggle.
"Metal... Corrosion!!"
Backan roared, and activated his ability.
Rust bloomed across his hands, spreading outward. In a matter of heartbeats, the brownish stain had spread across Rhein's entire head.
"It's slow... but, did it work?!"
Oliver's eyes widened as he watched.
Sensing danger, Rhein began thrashing wildly. Even Backan started to lose his grip.
Backan knew he couldn't hold it down any longer. With a sharp grunt, he slammed "Rhein" into the ground, then followed up with a brutal kick that sent the creature flying.
"No... good," he muttered, face darkening. "That metal... it's got... anti-corrosion... properties."
Sure enough, Rhein jerked its head violently, then scraped it against the ground. Flakes of rust scattered off, revealing clean, untouched plating beneath. It looked like only the surface had oxidized, barely a scratch.
"The hell is this thing? Even the Rust-Rust Fruit didn't work?" Oliver was practically jumping with frustration.
"No, it... did work," Backan replied, slow and halting as ever. "That thing's... at least a few... hundred years old. It has... natural resistance to rust. My power... isn't developed enough... to fully corrode it."
Oliver groaned. "Can you please stop talking like that? Your choppy speech is giving me a headache!"
Backan cast him a sideways glance. "I am... trying to improve."
"...Seriously?" Oliver twitched. "That's your improved version?"
A piercing shriek split the air.
A colossal shadow plummeted from the sky, slamming into the earth like a meteor. The ground shuddered, buckling beneath the impact. A crater nearly ten meters wide tore open on the spot, shockwaves exploding outward like a hurricane, flinging debris and dust into the air in a blinding storm.
"Damn thing nearly broke my foot," muttered Arlan, landing with Geppo after three flips in midair. "Backan, your ability's useless?"
"They've got built-in corrosion resistance," Oliver replied before Backan could. "Backan's Rust-Rust Fruit just isn't developed enough. Unless we can tie them down and let him corrode them slowly, it won't work."
"Tie them down?" Arlan's brow twitched. "You want the captain doing grunt work now? Pass."
A gust of wind blew away the lingering dust cloud.
"Rhein" stood atop a shattered boulder, roaring into the sky.
"Ikou" beat its wings furiously in the air, screeching in tandem.
"No matter what, we need to stop them now."
"Then we go together!"
Oliver brandished his twin blades, eyes flashing with menace.
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