บท 229: 228 ‘Phoenix’ Marco vs ‘Diamond’ Jozu
Marco and Jozu stood facing each other, each side preparing for the upcoming fight.
"Jozu, I didn't expect you to be my opponent. Pops really knows how to make it interesting"
Marco face Jozu with a hint of excitement.
He is well aware of his strengths and weaknesses, and he's also very satisfied with his father's arrangement.
More importantly, he has never had a good fight with Jozu.
Now, it's time to put his training to the test and see how effective his previous efforts have been.
Jozu was equally excited. He believed that among the four of them, Marco was likely the most challenging opponent for him.
"Hmph, Marco, it's not going to be easy to defeat me. Today, I'll show you just how strong I am"
Jozu declared with a touch of arrogance.
"Haha, you're quite motivated, but that's okay; it will only make it more exciting"
Marco laughed.
As the battle began, Marco immediately transformed into a phoenix state, with blue flames enveloping his entire body.
Jozu did not neglect his defense either. He quickly covered his entire body in diamonds and then charged towards Marco.
His entire body covered in tough diamonds, Jozu's strength made this impact truly formidable.
But Marco made a slight leap, and his figure floated into the sky.
Jozu wasn't surprised; this was all part of his expectations. In a fight against him, Marco would inevitably fly to the sky.
After Marco took to the sky, it became difficult for him to defeat Marco.
However, Jozu remained composed; he wasn't concerned that Marco wouldn't launch an attack.
As long as he retaliates during that moment, he can inflict damage on Marco.
Things unfolded exactly as Jozu had anticipated. After hovering in the sky for a while, Marco swooped down swiftly.
The cyan flame sparked in the air due to the tremendous velocity impact.
The cyan flame burned even more intensely, yet Jozu showed no fear. He faced Marco's direction and even took the initiative to meet him.
Despite Marco utilizing his speed and gravity, it proved to be a disadvantage against Jozu.
Jozu could easily dodge this blow, but he realized that avoiding it would mean missing an opportunity.
If he could withstand Marco's attack, he could seize the opportunity to counterattack.
The diamonds covering his entire body were instantly shrouded in a layer of pitch black. Armament Haki rendered the already sturdy diamonds even more resilient.
Marco descended like a blazing meteor, and Jozu crossed his hands in front of him in preparation.
In no time, Marco collided with Jozu.
Boom!
A deafening rumble echoed for an instant, shaking the ground beneath them.
In response to the fluctuations in their offense, Whitebeard's eyes flickered. He raised his hand to create a vibration barrier on the ground.
Thanks to the vibration barrier, the aftermath of their clash was contained, preventing the surrounding ground from collapsing.
"It looks like breaking through your defend isn't as simple as I thought"
Marco remarked with a sigh.
"Hmph, the good show is yet to come."
Jozu couldn't help but sneer.
He swiftly grabbed Marco, grabbing hold of his foot with a burst of speed, and then forcefully slammed him down.
Marco was pulled forward, and Jozu charged forward, delivering a powerful blow with his massive fist.
Marco quickly regained his composure but couldn't completely evade Jozu's powerful punch.
The impact penetrated Marco's fiery form, showcasing the immense strength behind Jozu's attack.
Fortunately, Marco's cyan flames swiftly regenerated, restoring themselves shortly after Marco soared back into the sky.
"Well, you've seen my skills," Jozu said with pride.
Though it may seem simple, it demonstrates his keen understanding of battle timing.
"It's something, but don't celebrate too soon"
Marco said casually.
While Jozu's punch didn't cause a serious injury, Marco found himself consistently on the defensive during this exchange.
Therefore, Marco adopted a more cautious approach, realizing that against an opponent like Jozu, getting hit would undoubtedly result in a disadvantage.
As Marco descended once again towards Jozu, the latter flashed a smile and remarked, "Come on, it seems you haven't had enough to really feel the pain."
This time, Jozu was prepared to exert even greater force to inflict damage on Marco. Even as a Phoenix, there were limits to the damage he could endure.
Jozu doubted that Marco could withstand his relentless onslaught at this level of intensity.
Caught off guard, Jozu was surprised as Marco suddenly changed direction while diving through the air.
Marco circled around behind Jozu, concentrating the phoenix flames all over his fist.
"Behold my new move—I've given it a special name."
Marco's fists, surrounded by a cyan flame that perfectly enveloped them, struck Jozu, sending him flying through the air.
The cyan flame on Marco's fist surged like an air wave, its speed was extremely fast.
"Indestructible Phoenix Fist!"
The twin flames struck Jozu's back like bullets, inflicting massive damage in an instant.
Furthermore, not only did Jozu endure instantaneous damage, but after he reacted, he continued to suffer from the relentless assault of the cyan flame.
The original Phoenix flame isn't just an ordinary fire; it also possesses a healing effect.
Under Whitebeard's guidance, Marco adeptly utilized the cyan flame to execute a long-range attack with a burning effect.
However, this burning effect is still part of the fruit's regenerative nature, as the cyan flame persists for an extended period after being emitted.
If this cyan flame comes into contact with individuals without Devil Fruit abilities, it will have a repelling effect, complementing Marco's original techniques.
It induces a lingering burning effect, causing sustained damage to the target and hard to extinguish. Marco simply refers to it as the burning effect.
"This lad has a good grasp of his abilities"
Whitebeard remarked with admiration upon witnessing Marco's skill.
Whitebeard initially believed that Marco would require at least a month to master and master this technique.
He surpassed expectations. While there's room for improvement in its application, his performance has been commendable.
Facing this kind of continuous injury, even Jozu felt a little pain, and it couldn't stop it.
Even when Jozu extinguishes the cyan flame with Haki, a lingering trace of the flame remains.
While this trick may not be enough to defeat Jozu, it's enough to give him a headache.
.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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