The moment Claude finished speaking, his figure flickered again, vanishing abruptly.
Bai Ye, not to be outdone, shifted his shoulders and disappeared from his spot.
In the next instant, both were gone without a trace. Only afterimages continued to appear throughout the cafe, and the surrounding objects exploded one after another.
Glass jars displayed behind the counter shattered one by one, spilling coffee beans. The tables and chairs around them let out loud noises before being torn apart.
Suddenly…
Boom!
After a tremendous roar, countless cracks appeared on the ceiling, and then, a massive crystal chandelier fell, smashing to pieces upon impact.
After about two to three minutes, the cafe was in ruins. A large section of the ceiling had collapsed, leaving hardly any space to stand. Following this, Bai Ye and Claude reappeared at the cafe entrance.
They locked eyes again, and then…
Bang!
Bai Ye stomped his foot, launching forward and sweeping a kick towards Claude.
Claude grunted, "Tekkai!"
Claude's skin turned black and incredibly hard. Bai Ye's kick landed as if striking a block of iron.
"Do you only know Soru?" Claude sneered, "It seems you truly aren't from my world. CP9 learns all the Rokushiki. Other Marines, to train their bodies, will also practice them to a certain extent. Although most won't master all of them, they'll at least learn three to four!"
As Claude spoke, he abruptly raised his leg.
"Rankyaku!"
Bai Ye rapidly evaded backward, but to his surprise, Claude's technique wasn't a common kick. The kick stirred the surrounding airflow, forming a wind blade that lunged at Bai Ye.
However, Claude's aim seemed a bit off. The wind blade missed Bai Ye, grazing past him and striking the adjacent wall.
With a roar!
The wall instantly shattered and collapsed.
Initially, Bai Ye and Claude's battle hadn't drawn much attention or panic. At most, pedestrians would consciously make way and distance themselves.
In the "City of Sin," where a straightforward lifestyle prevailed, gunfights were a daily occurrence. What was a street brawl?
But as Claude kicked through the wall, the surrounding pedestrians realized something was wrong, screaming and scattering in all directions.
They finally understood that this was no ordinary fight; this was life-threatening. That kick was more terrifying than any gunfight.
Meanwhile…
Seeing his Rankyaku miss, Claude suddenly reached forward.
"Stardust Bullet!"
This wasn't an ability Claude brought from his own world but one he acquired on the World Battlefield, a magic from a magic zone!
Instantly, countless tiny stardust-like glimmers appeared before Claude's palm. As Claude pressed his hand forward, the silver-white radiance transformed into silver-white orbs, each the size of a fist, flying towards Bai Ye.
Bai Ye immediately used Soru again, sprinting rapidly to the side.
Boom, boom, boom…
The Stardust Bullets continuously struck the ground or surrounding buildings, emitting deafening roars, shattering the ground, and collapsing walls.
While running, Bai Ye glanced at Claude. It seemed this guy was furious.
Although Claude's words were calm, Bai Ye could tell this fellow genuinely wanted revenge for the three he had eliminated.
As a chosen one of the Order faction, Claude shouldn't be fighting so recklessly.
Because…
It would endanger innocents!
The pedestrians on the street were fine; they had already fled. However, people were hiding in the surrounding buildings, yet Claude attacked without hesitation, unconcerned about harming them!
This indicated Claude's attitude: as long as he could kill Bai Ye, nothing else mattered.
He didn't care about losing Order Points or facing punishment for too many evil deeds.
Bai Ye sighed, suddenly stopped, raised his fist, and punched back!
"Feng Yan!"
As Bai Ye threw a punch, searing flames instantly enveloped his arm and then erupted forward with his strike, forming a pillar of fire that collided with the Stardust Bullets.
Boom, boom, boom!
In the next instant, as the attacks met, a massive sound erupted.
The pillar of fire consumed the Stardust Bullets, but the Stardust Bullets exploded within the flames, shattering the fire pillar.
Bai Ye no longer dodged, drawing his famed sword, "Shi Xue" (Bloodthirst), and charging towards Claude.
Direct confrontation!
Claude didn't care about Order Points, but Bai Ye did!
After defeating these guys, those Order Points would be converted into Sin Points for him in a certain proportion. How could he let the opponent waste them like this?
On the other side, seeing Bai Ye draw his sword, Claude also produced a pair of bronze metal gauntlets and put them on.
"Qing Gang Quan" (Azure Steel Fist)!
The moment Bai Ye reached him, Claude decisively threw a punch!
The Qing Gang Quan collided with the famed sword Shi Xue, emitting a crisp ringing sound. Then, Claude swept another kick towards Bai Ye.
"Rankyaku!"
Bai Ye didn't retreat. He hooked his finger, and the Ning Shuang Sword (Frost Condensation Sword) hanging on his back unsheathed, falling into Bai Ye's hand. He then slashed forward, shattering the incoming wind blade and continuing his strike towards Claude.
"Tekkai!"
Claude grunted, his entire body turning black again, entering the Tekkai state.
The Ning Shuang Sword struck Claude's body, producing a sharp clang and even sparks of gold, yet it did not wound Claude in the slightest.
Claude smirked triumphantly, but…
It lasted only a moment. Claude could no longer smirk.
Purple venom seeped from Bai Ye's face, and with a sudden shake of his head, the venom was flung onto Claude's face.
"Ugh…"
Claude grunted, then clutched his face and rapidly retreated. He then looked at his hand, which was emitting white smoke. Even in his Tekkai state, the corrosive venom was still eroding Claude's body.
"Doku Doku no Mi?" Claude took a deep breath, "You're a Devil Fruit user!"
"Is that something so strange?" Bai Ye asked, "On the World Battlefield, you can find anything from your world."
"Makes sense!"
Claude extended his arms, removed his jacket, and tossed it aside, revealing his well-defined, muscular physique.
Claude's expression had clearly become more serious.
This was because Claude was well aware of the power of the Doku Doku no Mi!
He had even witnessed the terror of the Doku Doku no Mi before!
…