Chapter 348 Feast of the Night
Amid Hughes' intense internal struggle, he suddenly felt a strange power.
This was… Armament Haki!
Overjoyed at sensing this power, Hughes quickly got the hang of it.
No matter what, saving someone was the priority now.
He could feel Andre's life force weakening.
"Blade Flourish: Triple Spin"
In an instant, Hughes' legs transformed into the shape of frog legs, and the freshly awakened Armament Haki hardened around his blade.
Then, with a burst of stored energy, he exploded forward at a speed invisible to the naked eye, his figure completely vanished.
In just a fleeting moment, a sharp blade gleam flashed by.
That terrifying speed and piercing blade light perfectly demonstrated what it means that speed is power.
All the black hands reaching for Andre were severed at their roots by Hughes. This side-slicing method was something even the resilient black hands couldn't withstand.
Of course, even if they were cut, the Dark Night could reconnect them.
And the only reason Hughes could act so boldly was because the Dark Night hadn't interfered with him.
"Roar!"
As those black hands were severed and dissipated into the air, Andre felt the icy, powerless sensation in his body rapidly fade.
He let out a loud roar.
But at this moment, he didn't press the attack, because his vision remained pitch black.
Had his eyes really lost sight?
If Andre could see his own eyes right now, he'd notice they were completely black, as if dyed with ink.
Even without looking, he could sense the severe damage to his eyes. Eyeballs are an extremely fragile part of the body.
Having been invaded by such a force, he didn't believe he could come out unscathed. Did this mean he was likely to be blind from now on?
At the thought of this possibility, Andre's emotions surged uncontrollably.
But even if he was truly blind, he didn't feel regret or anything like that. He only felt his own weakness.
Weak people couldn't control their own fates, and right now, he was the weak one.
In this moment, he deeply realized this truth—and it infuriated him.
With such feeble strength, when would he ever surpass 'That Man'? How long would he have to keep playing at this childish pirate game?
With such pitiful power, he was nothing but trash!
He needed more—more battles! To become stronger!
Boom!
A powerful aura erupted, and Conqueror's Haki swept out in all directions.
Some of the nearby crew members fainted instantly.
"Is this the Conqueror's Haki of a human…?"
A young yet raspy, peculiar voice rose up.
The Dark Night watched as this towering figure, even after being assaulted by his ghostly hands, not only maintained his fighting spirit but grew even more intense.
And then there was this explosive aura—it felt strikingly similar to the Conqueror's Haki described in newspapers and intelligence reports.
This kind of power was something they took seriously. After all, their Demon God possessed such a force.
And among humans, that Sun God also wielded this power—and it was utterly terrifying.
"Since that's the case, I might as well respond."
He looked at Andre in Sarcosuchus form and Hughes in front of him and said in a low, deep voice.
"Next, I will unleash the ultimate power that even most of the highest-ranking demons have not comprehended. Witness it, humans!"
Hearing this usually silent demon suddenly speak like this, everyone on the pirate ship became alert, even fearful.
Though they didn't understand what this so-called ultimate power was, they clearly knew that even under normal circumstances, they were no match for him.
Now, with the enemy adopting this stance as if about to unleash a trump card, their hearts sank.
Hughes stood beside Andre, gathering strength to prepare an attack.
He couldn't just let the enemy use his ultimate move.
"You'd better not act rashly, or I won't hold back."
Just as Hughes was about to charge forward, Dark Night suddenly appeared behind him.
A strange force pinned Hughes down, as if he was paralyzed by a ghost.
Since Dark Night was positioned behind Hughes, Andre's perception merged their two presences together. With his massive body, Andre couldn't accurately target either one.
"Domain Expansion."
Hughes listened as the enemy muttered slowly.
He watched helplessly as a vast darkness spread out from behind him, covering everything.
The sky was obscured, the deck flowed with a darkness like water, and the entire ship was enveloped.
The already limited visibility in the Demon Fog Sea became even more impossible to penetrate.
As the darkness sealed everything, everyone lost their sight, plunged into pitch black.
The air carried a chilling, eerie sensation.
If they could see, they would notice countless bizarre, ghost-like figures beginning to drift around them.
"Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
At this moment, Hughes had completely lost his vision. Eerie, cold wails started echoing around him.
His body was free to move again, but instead of relief, he stared in shock at the pitch-black scene surrounding him.
His Observation Haki could sense many strange presences nearby.
Ethereal and uncanny, they sent shivers down his spine.
The pirates enveloped in darkness felt their minds flooded with chaotic thoughts. A terrifying, sinister feeling spread, and they shouted in panic, trying to bolster their courage.
"Aaaah!"
Someone began screaming in terror.
A ghostly figure clung to their back.
The cold, sticky sensation and the flood of dreadful emotions in their mind became unbearable, driving them to scream and attempt to flee in a frenzy.
But their legs felt as if filled with lead, refusing to obey.
"Let the feast of the night begin!"
At this moment, Dark Night's voice distorted, shifting between that of a child and an elder, a man and a woman, becoming hollow and ethereal.
As his voice rose.
The entire dark scene erupted with screams of terror, accompanied by eerie, chilling chants that made scalps tingle.
Sounds of gnawing and slurping emerged from the depths of the darkness, sparking the imagination.
On the other side,
The battle with the Red Hair Pirates was nearing its end.
Only Shanks and Beckman remained standing in the entire crew; the rest were down.
Clang!
Winter wielded a massive ice blade, slashing downward at Shanks, who blocked it with his sword.
A deafening clash rang out. The deck beneath Shanks' feet shattered and caved in from the force, the entire ship was trembling and stirring up waves.
The overwhelming power began to overpower even Shanks.
Bang!
While Shanks struggled to hold his ground.
Beckman fired his gun.
The bullet sped toward Winter's forehead, but Winter pulled back his giant blade to block the attack.
With a spinning strike, he sent Shanks flying like a swatted mosquito.
Then, a storm of ice spikes engulfed Beckman.
But he didn't press the attack further. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Andre's ship on the other side.
( End of this Chapter )