As the only known high-level thod of awakening Observation Haki in the entire manga, Sherwin naturally had to co over and try fighting Katakuri, to see if he could directly power up like Luffy did...
Although he knew this was probably just like being beaten into Advanced Conqueror Haki by three strikes from Teacher Kaido—sothing reserved exclusively for the protagonist.
But...
It cost nothing anyway, so there was no harm in giving it a try.
Besides, Sherwin had recently gained so insights into developing "Observation-killing," and Katakuri, a master of Observation Haki, was the perfect opponent to test the waters.
"Hunter Sherwin!"
When enemies et, hatred burns hot.
Seeing Sherwin appear, Cracker—no longer hiding inside his biscuit armor—imdiately charged at him, still wielding a "pepper-salt pretzel" in his hand...
Only this ti, it was made of biscuits.
However, Sherwin, who only wanted to asure himself against Katakuri, couldn’t even be bothered to spare a glance at this defeated foe, continuing to carry the Longsword and walk toward Katakuri.
As for Cracker...
"I won’t let you disturb Lord Sherwin, ow."
Seijuro ow drew his sword and blocked the biscuit man path.
"Leave this place to us! You lot, hurry and go capture Nico Robin!"
Katakuri gave the order decisively.
His two triplet brothers—Charlotte Daifuku, the lamp man who had eaten the Lamp-Lamp Fruit, and Charlotte Oven, the high-heat man who had eaten the Heat-Heat Fruit—imdiately led the remaining pirates and ran toward Robin.
Sherwin still paid them no attention, because he had long since signed a whole pile of unequal treaties with that little rascal Klee ow, making this small ragdoll obediently stay by Robin side and guarantee her safety.
"Boom!"
With a dull thud, a gigantic flaming Dodo Bear landed in front of Daifuku and Oven.
Although she couldn’t take action personally, controlling summoned creatures to fight worked just as well. The clever Klee ow squatted on Robin shoulder, proudly shaking her fluffy little head.
Moreover, since Daifuku could summon a lamp genie and Oven could generate extre heat, the Dodo Bear—which was likewise a summon and could also produce high temperatures—was simply the most suitable opponent.
As for the remaining pirates, Klee ow very generously handed them over to her Jinx big sister to deal with.
"I hear your Observation Haki can see the future," Sherwin raised White Nagi and pointed it at the grim-faced Katakuri. "Then can you see who our victory will belong to next?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Katakuri drew his weapon, Mogura, and pointed it back at Sherwin. "Of course it will be !"
Seeing the trident in Katakuri hand, Sherwin eyes imdiately lit up.
How could he have forgotten—Katakuri weapon was a ’long spear,’ and the kind that carried narrative weight!
So Sherwin grinned and said, "Is that so? But I think you might end up like Cracker and lose your weapon to ."
"Hmph! If you want my Mogura, then co and try!"
Katakuri glared, unleashing his Conqueror Haki—sothing that had absolutely no effect on Sherwin.
Sherwin tilted his head in confusion. "Didn’t your Observation Haki foresee that I wouldn’t be affected by Conqueror Haki at all?"
"..."
Katakuri had of course foreseen it it was just that by the ti he saw it, his Conqueror Haki had already been released.
Unable to explain it himself, Katakuri could only darken his expression and lower his head, launching an attack straight at Sherwin.
"Huh? Why did you suddenly fly into a rage out of embarrassnt? Did I just poke a sore spot or sothing?"
Sherwin blocked the attack with the Longsword and continued to ask in confusion.
Sowhat similar to Who-Who, when Sherwin encountered plot characters he was interested in, he tended to talk a lot.
However, Katakuri still did not respond, continuing to attack in silence.
"Mochi Thrust!"
Katakuri arm transford into a mass of mochi, wrapping around the "Mogura" in his hand as it spun. The trident tip turned into a massive drill, stabbing straight toward Sherwin.
Monster Hunter Style · Assault Style · Mirror Blossom!
Sherwin decisively activated Assault Style and used the Longsword defensive hunting art, Mirror Blossom.
The nature of this move was actually sowhat similar to a parry—both deflected the enemy attack—but its effect was inferior to the perfect parry developed by Link ow, and was even a bit worse than an ordinary parry.
This was determined by the nature of the weapon in this regard, the Longsword could never compare to a shield.
Yet in Katakuri Observation Haki, what he saw was Sherwin rely lifting that salted-fish longsword and making a simple blocking motion, and then his own attack was knocked aside, to the point that even the "Mogura" nearly slipped from his grasp.
Because that scene was far too unbelievable, Katakuri even began to suspect that there was sothing wrong with his Observation Haki.
"Hmph!"
After a brief mont of surprise, Katakuri did not stop his attack. Instead, he increased both the force and the rotation, continuing to thrust toward Sherwin.
At this point, it was already too late to change moves doing so would only expose an even greater opening, and moreover...
He still could not quite believe that his attack would be blocked by Sherwin so easily.
"Clang—"
At the instant when the spinning Mogura finally made contact with the Longsword, Katakuri understood that there was nothing wrong with his Observation Haki.
A trendous recoil force surged back through the Mogura in his hand, yanking Katakuri body involuntarily off to the side.
His arm, which had turned into a mass of mochi, was even blasted apart like a snapped spring, bursting outward in all directions.
If it were not for the fact that he had already been prepared thanks to what he saw in his Observation Haki—quickly restoring his arm to normal and gripping the Mogura again—this trident really would have been knocked flying away.
Monster Hunter Style · Hunting Art · Sakura Spirit Blade Slash!
Seizing the mont when Katakuri posture was unstable, Sherwin imdiately launched a counterattack.
However, the other party Observation Haki was indeed sothing special he promptly used a pseudo-elental transformation to avoid Sherwin slash.
Since he failed to hit the enemy, there was naturally no way to send the blade energy into Katakuri body. The debut battle of Sakura Slash thus ended without any results.
As expected, those hunting arts that boosted one own status were still more useful.
Having swung into empty air, Sherwin pivoted on his feet and turned back, assuming a sheathing stance...
Monster Hunter Style · Iai · All Blades Sever!
With the bonus from Assault Style, Sherwin draw slash at this mont was so fast that it was almost able to catch up to Link ow swings under ti-slowing conditions.
Yet even with such ferocious draw speed, Katakuri was still able to rely on his bug-level Observation Haki to evade in advance.
But Sherwin did not give up so easily. Since the speed from Assault Style still was not fast enough, then...
Link Ti, activate!
Monster Hunter Style · Starry Heavens and Moonlit Earth!
In an instant, countless thrust-type and slash-type blade energies were unleashed by Sherwin, enveloping Katakuri, who was still maintaining his pseudo-elental state.
The overlapping layers of blade energy left no space to evade at all even Katakuri, who could pseudo-elentalize his body, was no exception.
Since even the speed of Assault Style couldn’t land a hit, then I’ll stack Link Ti speed with AOE attacks—there no way you can still dodge this!
And indeed, Katakuri did not dodge it. He didn’t even make an evasive move, instead rapidly restoring his human form and choosing to take it head-on with Armant Haki.
"Tch..."
Sherwin clicked his tongue in annoyance.
In order to seal off Katakuri evasive space as much as possible, the power of this move had been sowhat dispersed, so the individual blade energies weren’t particularly strong.
With sufficiently high-quality Armant Haki, tanking it head-on really was a viable response.
But was Katakuri tanking it because he couldn’t dodge, or because his Observation Haki showed him that tanking it would be effective?
Much as he didn’t want to admit it, Sherwin felt the latter was more likely. And if that was the case, then his attempt just now hadn’t held much aning at all.
"Tch!"
Sherwin clicked his tongue again, then slowly lowered his eyelids, his eyes half-closed as if squinting. His whole person seed to suddenly detach from the battle before him.
At the sa ti, the aura around him beca erratic—now strong, now weak, drifting and unstable.
User Comments
0 comments from readers