NOVEL WEB Chapter 277: 277 Beat up the ancestor!
"I don't want to!"
"Ancestor, he's my friend!"
The Empress stretched out her hand, blocking Lynch.
Lynch grew anxious what was this girl doing? She was usually smart, so why was she suddenly acting stupid?
Then, in the next moment—
Oh, it was just his imagination.
"Perfume Femur!"
The Empress deliberately lowered the black shadow's guard, closed the distance, and launched a sudden kick.
Beat up the ancestor!
BAM!
Her kick landed on the shield, but the black shadow didn't budge. The shield showed no signs of petrification.
In an instant, the shadow sent her flying.
"So strong..."
The Empress got back up, rubbing her sore ankle, shocked.
A shield from thousands of years ago had withstood her full-force kick without even cracking. And the black shadow's strength and speed surpassed her own.
"But... it didn't seem like it wanted to hurt me?"
Thinking back on what just happened, she was even more surprised.
The black shadow had merely thrown her aside without harming her.
Did that mean it had a mind of its own?
Could it be reasoned with?
Before she could think further, the black shadow lunged forward, thrusting the Sky Thorn Spear like a striking dragon, its target: Lynch!
Whoosh!
"Why are you so gentle with Hancock but so ruthless with me?"
Lynch's eyes flashed. In an instant, Dragon Slayer was unsheathed. He used a sweeping sword technique to deflect the incoming spear.
As the saying goes, ten sword strikes aren't as deadly as a single spear thrust.
On the battlefield, you might survive ten slashes, but a well-placed spear strike could be fatal. Lynch had no intention of getting stabbed by that eerie, black short spear.
Clang!
A sharp clash rang out as sparks burst from the impact.
This strange Sky Thorn Spear didn't break under Dragon Slayer's blade. Judging by its durability, it was at least as tough as one of the Great Grade Blades.
Despite its formidable weapon, the black shadow was still weaker in raw strength. Using his advantage, Lynch knocked the short spear aside.
Seizing the moment, he lowered his stance. As the enemy left its center wide open, he gripped Dragon Slayer with both hands black flames erupted along the blade and stabbed forward!
Clang!
The black shadow's shield hand twisted unnaturally, as if it had no bones, bending at an eerie angle to block Dragon Slayer's strike just before the blade could pierce its body.
Yet, even after the impact, the Sky-Moon Shield remained flawless, no dents, no scratches.
Then, something strange happened.
The silver crescent moon on the shield glowed in the darkness, emitting a soft silver light. In an instant, it absorbed all the black flames from Dragon Slayer.
As the flames vanished, the crescent moon slowly shifted into a waning moon.
"This thing can absorb energy too?" Lynch's eyes gleamed like a predator spotting prey.
The stronger the artifact, the better. After all, it would be his sooner or later.
Still, he had no intention of letting that waning moon become a full moon. Who knew what would happen then?
Even though his attack was blocked, Lynch didn't seem bothered. Instead, he chuckled.
"I was already watching out for your shield," he said with a smirk. "Guess where my other sword went?"
He exposed his waist—only the scabbard remained in place.
Shlkk!
At some point, Demon Cutter had found its mark. The blade had silently pierced straight through the black shadow's back, glowing with an eerie light.
The grimacing face on Demon Cutter flickered, as if pleased with its successful sneak attack.
But the black shadow refused to go down without a fight.
Suddenly, the Sky Thorn Spear reacted one of its spikes shot out, extending seven to eight meters in an instant!
A sharp warning rang in Lynch's mind. He instinctively tilted his head, but the black metal spike still grazed his cheek, leaving a fresh wound.
It all happened in a flash.
0.5 seconds.
That was all the time it took.
The black shadow, with Demon Cutter still embedded in its back, slowly collapsed. Finally, it fell to one knee motionless.
"Lynch! Are you okay?"
The Empress rushed over, eyes filled with worry, carefully inspecting his injuries.
Lynch wiped the blood from his cheek, looking surprised.
"This thing is sharp. It cut through my skin so easily."
But within a second, the wound sealed itself leaving no trace behind.
As he thought about it, something clicked.
In the real story, the Kuja Pirates from thousands of years ago were on par with the Rocks Pirates.
How could weapons left behind by such a monstrous force be ordinary?
Most Supreme Grade Blades probably weren't even as terrifying as these two ancient weapons.
Aside from Dragon Slayer, Lynch had never seen a short spear as weird as the Sky Thorn Spear.
It could freely extend its spikes kind of like Spandam's sword that ate the Elephant Fruit in the future.
So… could this spear and shield have eaten Devil Fruits too?
"I'm fine," Lynch said, grabbing the Empress' hand. Then, he frowned.
"Why is this black shadow still here after being stabbed?"
The shadow hadn't disappeared it was just temporarily immobilized.
The Empress casually suggested that Lynch finish the job.
Lynch gave her a look.
"You're a real good one, huh?"
If her ancestor knew what she was thinking, he'd probably be moved to tears.
A truly devoted descendant.
But then, something clicked in Lynch's mind.
His expression shifted.
"No… don't kill her. Take away her weapon first."
A sudden realization sent a chill down his spine.
Fortunately, Hanabi Shadow could take a beating.
If the people of Amazon Lily naturally possessed Armament Haki because of this black shadow's influence, then what would happen if it were destroyed?
Would future generations lose their ability to awaken Haki on their own?
And what about their physical strength?
The women of Amazon Lily were far stronger than women elsewhere. But if their strength also came from this shadow's presence, then killing it could weaken their entire lineage.
Without its influence, Amazon Lily might collapse within a hundred years, wiped out by the outside world.
Compared to that, having only daughters and resenting men seemed like a minor issue.
"I get it," Lynch said.
The Empress didn't fully understand why he held back the final blow, but she didn't question him. Instead, she obediently went to pry the shield from the black shadow's grip.
Since Demon Cutter's core wasn't in Lynch's hands, he couldn't see what was happening.
But at that moment
Among the ninety-one coffins, countless stronger spirits than before began emerging, swarming toward the black shadow's body from all directions.
"Pop~"
After finally prying the Sky-Moon Shield from the black shadow's grip, the sudden force sent the Empress tumbling backward, landing flat on the ground.
At that moment, the black shadow lurched forward, effortlessly sweeping the startled Empress aside with one hand.
Meanwhile, the black skeletons from the ninety-one coffins crumbled into dust.
"Why does this keep happening…?"
Hancock sat on the ground, still clutching the Sky-Moon Shield tightly against her chest.
Other than the sharp pain in her backside, she was unharmed.
But she felt weak, helpless, and furious.
So humiliating!
She was the Empress, after all didn't she deserve at least a little dignity?
The black shadow hadn't even tried to hurt her… or worse, it hadn't even acknowledged her presence.
Thrown aside again, Hancock clenched her fists in frustration.
This was just an accident!
Yeah, an accident!
If she got serious, she wouldn't be knocked down so easily.
That's right! Next time, she'll be ready!
The black shadow rose once more, realizing that not only was one of its weapons missing… but there was also a sword lodged in its back.
Reaching behind, it gripped Demon Cutter and began pulling it out slowly, inch by inch.
.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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