'g!'

  At that moment, sparks flew, and waves of heat rippled through the air.

  El’s fming, lightning-covered fist—infused with both Armament and queror’s Haki—collided with Saint Howard’s ornate saber without even making direct tact. The sheer force from the impact sent Saint Howard flying backward like a onball, his hands torn and dripping with blood. The strength was overwhelming, leaving him stunned and pale.

  “Damn it—”

  Hearing Steelbone Kong’s call, Saint Howard didn’t hesitate. He turoward Franca Isnd, surging forward with powerful fps of his wings. He wasn’t a fool; he uood that, with Steelbone Kong—a powerful Navy Admiral known for his strength—sharing the burden, they could at least hold out until Wover reinforts arrived.

  But with El’s unique Observation Haki, he had already sensed Saint Howard’s iions, ensuring he wouldn’t let him retreat to the isnd without a fight.

  With a powerful sweep of his four wings, El accelerated instantly, intercepting Saint Howard and blog his path. “You’re staying right here!”

  “Get out of my way!” Saint Howard shouted furiously. Shining with intense holy light, he swung his bde wildly, fighting with everything he had.

  “Holy Light Ssh!”

  Oer another, radiant sshes of holy light tore through the atmosphere, b El with relentless force.

  “Pointless struggle…” El’s face was calm, his gaze id filled with lethal i. His four wings, surrounded by storm winds and powerful lightning, beat fiercely. “Silver Reination Burst!”

  'Whoosh—'

  A colossal whirlwind charged with wind and lightnied outward, tearing through the air with unimaginable force.

  The o roared and ed as massive waves rose, drawn into the violent silver tornado, creating a swirling maelstrom.

  The tornado, vast as a storm itself, carried endless spinning wind bdes and crag bolts of lightning, tearing apart everything in its path. Fish, sea creatures, and anything in its way were instantly shredded to bits, leaving only a mist of blood in its wake.

  'Boom! Boom!'

  In a fsh, the powerful tornado, bristling with destru, cshed with Saint Howard’s holy light sshes. It tore through them effortlessly, dev the holy energy as it pressed toward the now-frantic Saint Howard.

  “Triple Holy Shield!”

  'Boom! Boom!'

  But the unstoppable tornado crashed through three yers of radiant holy shields in succession, eae shattering as Saint Howard struggled to keep his bance, shrouded in Armament Haki as he desperately resisted the assault. Overwhelmed, he was finally engulfed by the fierce lightning-charged whirlwind.

  “Aaaah!”

  'Boom! Boom!'

  Saint Howard’s blood sprayed as his battered form barely escaped the swirling chaos, only to be met by an immerough carved deep into the sea where the tornado had cleaved through.

  “Saint Howard!”

  Witnessing this, Steelbone Kong, still on the shoreline, seethed with anger and dread. His mouth glowed as he gathered energy and unleashed a powerful beam of lightning toward El’s distant figure. “Multiple Thunder Roar!”

  'Crack! Crack!'

  A barrage of deadly lightning bolts sped toward El, but with his Observation Haki, El effortlessly anticipated the assault. He dodged each beam with ease, his movements swift and unbothered.

  “Mamamama… you won’t be interfering again!” Linlin’s voice rang out like a devil’s taunt as she desded, her massive sword raised to strike down at Steelbone Kong.

  “Mighty Nation!”

  The air trembled uhe force of her strike, and a powerful wave of sword energy surged forward.

  Steelbone Kong’s expression shifted as he barely mao evade the ining blow, his senses heightened as his hairs stood on end.

  'Boom! Boom!'

  The o roared and sprayed water everywhere, leaving a massive tren its surface that refused to close for a long time.

  Steelbone Kong’s interference had indeed bought the heavily injured Holy Knight Supreme ander Saint Howard a brief moment to catch his breath.

  “Cough... damn it…”

  At that moment, the prestigious Supreme ander of the Holy Knights looked battered and bloodied, with tless burns and deep, jagged wounds across his body, some reag down to the bone. His appearance was dreadful, his once-pristine angeligs now tattered, with the left wing torn and bloody.

  And that was despite Howard c himself in Armament Haki and desperately dodging and defending. Otherwise, he might have been shredded by the endless bdes of wind within El’s devastating storm.

  “Haah… haah…” he panted, blood dripping tinuously as he stood, disheveled and looking like a beggar. Gritting his teeth, he activated his Devil Fruit ability again. “Holy Restoration!”

  Blinding holy light surrounded him, healing his wounds visibly. However, though his injuries closed rapidly, his wing didn’t regee.

  'Whoosh—'

  Just then, El moved like lightning, surrounded by fshes of thunder and a violent storm, closing the dista incredible speed.

  “Hmph—” With a fist covered in Armament and queror’s Haki, bzing with electricity and fmes, he struck relentlessly.

  'g!'

  Howard barely mao block the powerful punch with his bde, but the force tore his hand, sending him flying backward, blood dripping from his injured grip.

  'Whoosh…'

  Immediately, El’s four wings fred, and he vanished again, reappearing right behind Howard like a ghost. Howard’s instincts screamed as his eyes widened in terror. “Holy Shield!”

  'Boom! Boom!'

  'g! g!'

  The two cshed in mid-air, with El’s overwhelming speed and power f Saint Howard into a defeance. If it weren’t for his Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit’s angelic powers, allowing him to resist and heal himself tinuously, El would have torn him to pieces by now.

  Clearly, the gap in strength between them was not something easily bridged. If they were on solid ground, Howard might have sted longer. But in the sky, El had the advantage. His natural Lunarian abilities bined with his Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit powers made him nearly unstoppable in aerial bat, outpag Howard’s flight speed and agility.

  'g!'

  As time passed, more blood fell.

  Saint Howard’s sword cshed against El’s relentless blows, but the loss of blood and his tinuous healing were exhausting his strength. The earlier injury to his wing further impaired his agility.

  'Bang!' With one powerful strike, El nded a brutal blow on Howard’s body, sending him hurtling through the sky, vomiting blood.

  'Whoosh—'

  In a fsh, El appeared behind him with terrifying speed, grabbing hold of his remaining wing.

  'Rip!'

  “Aaaah!” Howard screamed in agony as blood spattered everywhere; both of his wings were ripped off pletely.

  Already weakened and uo heal in time, Howard’s anguished cries filled the air as he swung his sword furiously at El.

  'g!' Sparks flew, but El remained unfazed. His mane of fmes fred up behind him as he stood unyielding against Howard’s desperate, weaketack. His Haki-enhanced senses and readiness kept him invulnerable, while Howard’s hasty terattacks failed to even stagger him.

  El’s face twisted with deadly i as he cwed his hands into Howard’s shoulders, restraining him effortlessly despite his frantic struggles.

  'Whoosh—' With immerength, El uhe defeated ander down toward the o below.

  “Get down there!” he roared.

  “Damn you, Fallen Angel El!” Howard’s bloody form plummeted through the air, screaming defiantly, yet powerless to stop his dest.

  'Boom! Boom!'

  Bleam