Click—

Rhodesheard the ominous crack fromHuazhou. Though a fine blade among the 50 Good Swords, known for its sharpness, it lacked the hardness for the sheer force he was unleashing. Even with a portion of hisHakireinforcing it, two consecutive uses ofHegemonyhad pushed Huazhou to its breaking point.

"Hahahaha! I am invincible! You can penetrate my golden giant once, twice, or more times. However, no matter how many times you penetrate me, I will recover again and become even stronger!"Tesoro'smaniacal laughter echoed as the gold surged, instantly filling the shattered cracks in his colossal form, theGolden Giantre-emerging more formidable than before.

"And you! You are just a flesh-and-blood person. If I knock you down once, you will be completely defeated!" Tesoro's laughter intensified as countless golden tentacles rose around him, twisting and condensing into a massive, missile-like golden pillar. With a wave of the Golden Giant's hand, it launched, all of Tesoro's powerfulHakiinfused within. "I am God!!" "Gold, God's punishment!"

"God?" Rhodes's red hair whipped around him, revealing sharp green eyes that gleamed with an arrogance even greater than Tesoro's. He watched the terrifying golden pillar descend, his ownHakisurging, instantly re-blackening the already-straining Huazhou. "God doesn't exist at all!"

Buzz—

A piercing roar erupted, followed by an even more terrifying shockwave than before. The force of the impact shook the very air, and its roar momentarily stunned evenNeruand his combatants.

Boom!!!The colossal shockwave slammed into the golden pillar. This time, it didn't instantly shatter and pierce through.

"Domineering, I have it too!" Tesoro's face twisted into a grim smile, seeing his "divine punishment" withstand the initial shockwave.His position as the new king of the underworld, having turnedDoflamingofrom enemy to ally, wasn't just due to wealth; it was due to his strength.

"But, domineering and overbearing are different!" Rhodes's eyes widened, and a surge of even greater power andConqueror's Hakierupted from him. In Tesoro's horrified eyes, the already immense shockwave thickened, its unparalleled force tearing through the golden pillar and transmitting directly to Tesoro.

"No!!" The terrifying shockwave thenpierced Tesoro's ultimate move, slamming into the Golden Giant's chest, creating a massive hole that almost split the giant in two.

"Huazhou can't do it anymore." Rhodes lowered his head, seeing stark cracks marring the blade of his beloved first famous sword.Though only a 50-grade sword, it held immense significance. One moreHegemonyattack, and it would likely shatter completely. This made the giants' forging skills all the more remarkable, perhaps due to their larger, more durable weapons.

The Rise of "Haki Fist"

"Hahahaha—cough cough—haha!" A maniacal laugh echoed again. Rhodes looked up to see Tesoro clambering out of the golden ocean, covering his mouth and laughing, blood dripping through his fingers, staining the gold.

"Your weapon is no longer effective." Tesoro crowed. "What you just used should be a sword technique that can only be performed with a weapon. However, your weapon is no longer useful. I saw that your sword is already full of cracks." "That means you can no longer use the sword skills you just used." As Tesoro spoke, the golden ocean surged, engulfing his body and forming a smaller, yet no less menacing, Golden Giant before Rhodes.

"I told you, my power is invincible!" Tesoro's voice grew arrogant once more. "Even if it can break me once or twice, gold will make me stand up again. And you, if I knock you down once, it's Game Over!" With a hysterical laugh, the Golden Giant stepped back, lowered its waist, and prepared a massive punch. "Golden Hellfire Bomb!!"

"Really." Rhodes shook his head, looking at the recovered giant and hearing Tesoro's taunts. "Have you forgotten that I am better at fists and feet than swords?"

He calmly sheathed Huazhou, embedding the scabbard into the ground. Rhodes shifted his stance, lowering into a deep horse stance, and covered his right hand with his left palm. "Besides, if you don't have a sword, you can't use sword skills? Swords are such inconvenient things!"

Though the oncoming golden fist was smaller, its power was undiminished. While "Judgment of the Golden God" had showcased the raw power of theGold-Gold Fruit, Tesoro's "Golden Hellfire Bomb" represented the pinnacle of his skill, combining gold's immense weight, molten explosions, and his fullHaki.This was Tesoro's ultimate, strongest attack, designed to defeat Rhodes now that his weapon was compromised.

The wind from the approaching fist whipped Rhodes's hair back, revealing his face etched with unwavering confidence.In his battle with theDemon Spider, Rhodes had comprehended theHakiboxing technique,Sky Splitting. He then self-taught theSix Powerssecret art,Six Kings Gun, by combiningNeo's "Youth Training Manual"and his understanding ofLife Return. In his fight withZephyr, he successfully integratedHakiand the Six Kings Gun into hisSix Kings Gun: Haki-infused Version.From the two giant uncles, Rhodes had learned the principles ofHegemony, a technique that gathers all bodily strength andHaki, compresses it to a point, and instantly explodes it. As a combat skill, there was no reason it could only be released through weapons!

Rhodes clenched his right fist, accumulating a terrifying force, and swung it fiercely to meet the incoming golden fist.

"Haki Fist!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rhodes's repeated use of Hegemony severely damages Huazhou, his beloved sword, yet he manages to pierce Tesoro's ultimate "Golden God's Punishment" attack. Tesoro, despite his shock, boasts of his infinite regeneration and taunts Rhodes about his now-damaged weapon, believing Rhodes to be disarmed of his most powerful techniques. However, Rhodes dismisses his weapon's state, asserting his true strength lies in his fists and feet. As Tesoro unleashes his strongest, most refined attack, "Golden Hellfire Bomb," Rhodes counters with a newly revealed, devastating technique: Haki Fist, demonstrating that his most potent skills are not reliant on conventional weaponry.

With both combatants launching their ultimate attacks, the clash between Rhodes's "Haki Fist" and Tesoro's "Golden Hellfire Bomb" will undoubtedly decide the outcome of this high-stakes battle. What will be the true extent of "Haki Fist's" destructive power, and can it finally overcome Tesoro's seemingly endless golden regeneration?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com