Zephyr did not retreat. Instead, he advanced.
His arm shot out with pinpoint precision, locking onto Gawain's elbow and intercepting his strike.
Shing!
A dazzling arc of silver-white flying slash shot past Zephyr's shoulder, carving a deep trench through the desert as far as the eye could see.
For a brief moment, Gawain's expression showed shock.
And in that instant, Zephyr's other fist, wrapped in a dense layer of Armament Haki, came crashing down.
It carried even greater power than before!
Boom!
After a muffled sound, Gawain flew backward like a cannonball.
Before he landed, Zephyr's attacks followed one after another, and the dense offensive even made Gawain unable to raise his head.
He had no choice but to take Zephyr's punches and barely forced him back.
… … …
"Oi, oi, oi..."
"Did that really just happen?"
Kizaru and Aokiji, who stood aside and saw everything that happened just now, also expressed doubt about life.
Kizaru's signature sunglasses had even slipped down his nose, but he was too stunned to notice.
Previously in East Blue, although Zephyr suffered from the loss of intelligence, even facing Gawain, who had just entered the gold level, he was not an opponent in terms of hard power alone.
But now Zephyr can suppress Gawain, who is much stronger than in the East Blue?!
"If I remember correctly, Gawain's Observation Haki has been cultivated to the point where he can predict the future."
"Even facing such an opponent, can Zephyr-sensei accurately intercept his attack? How did he do it?"
"Who knows?"
Aokiji couldn't help but curl up a smile but still couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
He and Zephyr had fought several times along the way. In terms of physical skills, the one who was suppressed was not Zephyr but him.
But he never thought that Zephyr had recovered to this extent now.
"Zephyr-sensei's recovery isn't just about Haki."
Aokiji's expression became more serious.
"His body has gotten stronger too. His mind has cleared, and with it, his physique has been reborn."
Kizaru exhaled. "Now I understand why you are so confident in Zephyr-sensei."
"But against that monster… this is far from enough."
On the battlefield, Zephyr let out a deep breath, feeling his entire body heating up.
"Haaah..."
"I really miss it. The last time I was so excited was a long time ago."
"The monsters I fought were either imprisoned in the Impel Down or disappeared after a series of battles, died, or retired."
After sighing a few times, Zephyr raised his head and looked at Gawain with a confident smile on his lips: "A level of Observation Haki that can foresee the future?! That is indeed quite an impressive talent."
"Observation Haki, among the three types of Haki, is the one most focused on perception. It is also the type with the most variations, influenced by an individual's combat style and personality."
"Some can use it to predict possible future events based on perceived information."
"Some can sense all living beings within a vast range, even detecting their intent, whether good or evil."
"Some can hear the voices of all things, peering into realms beyond human comprehension."
"And some have trained it to such an extent that they completely integrated it, turning it into pure instinct, allowing them to subconsciously make the most accurate decisions."
Zephyra looked at Gawain, who had also stopped in the distance, with blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, looking quite embarrassed: "In such a short time, you can reach this step. I can't find the right adjective to describe this talent."
"I only know that in the hundreds of years of history of the Marines, no one can grow at your speed."
"Not even one."
"Even those who are about your age and have become admirals have spent more than ten or twenty years to reach this step."
"The gap between you and me is not the gap in combat power, but the gap in combat experience."
"If you can only do this, you are not my opponent!"
As his voice fell, the battlefield fell into silence.
Only the howling wind grew louder, stirring up clouds of sand and lifting strands of Gawain's hair.
He did not immediately answer Zephyr's question. Instead, he tore off his shirt, revealing his well-defined upper body while the grip on his sword tightened.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Fighting is fun only when you face an opponent stronger than yourself!"
While speaking, the corners of Gawain's mouth gradually widened. The pain from Zephyr's punch still throbbed faintly.
But he once again felt the excitement he had when he fought Hawk Eyes in the Baratie.
How much experience in Conqueror's Haki could he gain from this fight? Would this battle push him further, allowing him to fully master the Conqueror's Haki entanglement…? None of that mattered to Gawain at this moment.
All he wanted was to fight Zephyr.
To fight with everything he had.
A pair of dragon wings unfurled behind him, and fine crimson dragon scales grew across his skin like a second layer of armor.
The twisting dragon horns atop his head intertwined, forming a shape resembling a crown.
A long, slender dragon tail swayed restlessly behind him in the air…
Demon Form!
As Gawain becomes more and more proficient in using the Celestial Being feature, his Demon Form has shed its previous savage and overpowering aura; now, he exudes an inexplicable sense of harmony.
"What the hell is this?!"
Everyone looked at Gawain, whose appearance had changed drastically, and was a little confused for a while.
This form is very different from the three forms of the Zoan fruit in their cognition.
"He has draconic features, but his body size hasn't changed much. Is this a Human-Beast form?!"
"No, that's not right!"
"A normal Human-Beast form should be bulkier and more ferocious, not like this..."
A marine couldn't help but exclaim: "Damn, I even sense a bit of sacred presence in him!"
The discussion gradually rose, and everyone's attention was focused on Gawain's new form.
They didn't know what this form was, but no one doubted the powerful aura that was enough to make people tremble.
"Is this… a derivative form?!"
With his extensive experience, Aokiji immediately grasped the essence of Gawain's transformation.
"That's right."
Kizaru nodded, showing a pained expression as he explained: "Gawain calls this form the Demon Form. Judging from the previous fight with him, this special form has the powerful physical capabilities of the Human-Beast Form, but it will not affect his own swordsmanship."
"To a certain extent, this is his all-out form, and in this state, his most terrifying thing is not his attack power."
"What is that?"
Aokiji was stunned, and the next moment, he understood why Kizaru had such a standard expression: "Defense, comparable to, no, better than the defense ability of the Lunarian tribe."
"Have you fought with him?"
"Many times."
"What was the result?"
"I can win, but it's frustrating. Also, can you stop asking such rude questions next time?"
Kizaru sighed.
Aokiji already understood what he meant. He suddenly turned to look at Zephyr, who stood on the battlefield, his eyes no longer carrying the confidence from before.
One thing was crystal clear to him. If even Kizaru struggled to break through Gawain's defense, then for Zephyr, the situation would be even more difficult.
This battle… was going to be tough!
"Mythical Zoan?!"
Zephyr took a stance; his hands were entangled by Armament Haki. At this moment, he almost felt an illusion, as if he had returned to his prime.
Back then…
He was also like this, fighting with Silver Axe, Captain John, and even Silvers Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, and even facing monsters like Shiki and Whitebeard head-on.
The countless fierce battles he had experienced flashed before Zephyr's eyes, each one filled with blood-boiling intensity, whether victory or defeat.
After twenty years... Has he finally felt this feeling again?!
"White Knight Gawain, the most righteous pirate in the East Blue, I recognize you!"
"Come!"
"As you wish!"