Jin's eyes were fixed on the front, his breathing steady, but his heart was like a taut bowstring, ready to strike back at any moment.
Blackbeard's dual Devil Fruit abilities were among the most complex and difficult powers he had ever faced.
These two abilities—the Dark-Dark Fruit's absorption and the Nika Fruit's freedom—seemed born to dominate the battlefield.
It was not only a suppression of power but also a manipulation at the level of rules, almost impossible to counter with conventional combat methods.
Blackbeard's laughter echoed like a haunting specter across the shattered battlefield.
"Zehahaha! Jin! Do you already feel despair?"
Blackbeard grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, his eyes filled with fanaticism and bloodthirsty glee.
His figure moved like a distorted black shadow, moving rapidly through the air, each step carrying a heavy tremor, as if the entire earth would crumble with it.
"Despair! Because the next attack will make you truly understand what helplessness means!"
Blackbeard roared, his hands flung wide, and the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit erupted instantly, plunging the surrounding space into a bizarrely distorted state once more.
Jin immediately felt a strong gravitational pull pressing in on him from all directions, as if to tear his body into pieces.
At the same time, the power of the Nika Fruit was like an invisible spring, turning this dark space into a giant battlefield cage, trapping him no matter how he moved, making it difficult to escape.
Jin's expression changed slightly as he gripped his long sword, struggling to maintain his balance.
Despite the oppressive gravity making his movements incredibly heavy, he still stood tall, his eyes unwavering.
"That bastard..."
Jin cursed inwardly, his eyes quickly scanning his surroundings for any possible breakthrough.
Blackbeard's two Devil Fruit abilities combined seamlessly, one being ruthless absorption and suppression, the other being unpredictable freedom and elasticity.
This combination forced him to expend several times the effort for every action, and a slight misstep would put him under Blackbeard's control.
"Boom!"
A loud bang interrupted Jin's thoughts as Blackbeard's figure lunged forward.
His fist was raised high, accompanied by the Dark-Dark Fruit's dark aura and the Nika Fruit's elastic burst, smashing towards Jin.
That punch carried a world-destroying momentum, tearing the air and even cracking the ground.
Jin had no time to think, quickly raising his long sword to block in front of him.
"Clang—!"
The moment the blade collided with the fist, a huge shockwave spread like a hurricane, and Jin was knocked back dozens of steps, each step leaving a deep footprint.
His arm felt numb from the enormous recoil, and his tiger's mouth even cracked open, with blood dripping down the long sword.
"Ha! Is that all you've got?"
Blackbeard laughed wildly, throwing another punch, as if not planning to give Jin any chance to breathe.
Jin took a deep breath and quickly turned, trying to avoid Blackbeard's attack.
But just as he dodged, the power of the Nika Fruit seemed to predict his movement, and Blackbeard's arm stretched like rubber, instantly catching up with him and slamming into his shoulder.
"Bang!"
This blow struck Jin solidly, and his body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing hard into a boulder, shattering it into pieces.
Jin coughed up a mouthful of blood, a trace of pain flashing across his face, but his eyes remained resolute.
"Damn it..."
Jin gritted his teeth softly, struggling to his feet, his gaze fixed on Blackbeard not far away.
"Zehahaha! What's wrong, can't go on?"
Blackbeard walked slowly towards him, the dark aura on his body growing thicker, each step seeming to announce Jin's defeat.
His expression was ferocious, his eyes filled with mockery and ridicule, as if he had already secured victory.
"I must say, you are indeed stronger than those wastes."
Blackbeard sneered, pointing his finger at Jin,
"But this battle should end here! Kneel down and admit that you are inferior to me!"
However, facing Blackbeard's provocation, there was no surrender in Jin's eyes.
He slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the hand gripping the long sword was as steady as a rock.
Although his aura was weak, it still burned with an unyielding fighting spirit at this moment.
"Blackbeard, do you think you've won for sure?"
Jin's voice was low and powerful, like a heavy hammer striking the battlefield.
His eyes became brighter, and an irrepressible fighting spirit burned in those silver pupils.
Blackbeard was startled by this gaze, and the smile on his face faltered slightly.
He didn't understand why Jin could still show such determination under such pressure.
"I will not lose."
Jin said in a low voice, then steadied his feet, raised his long sword again, and the surrounding air seemed to tremble slightly because of his movement.
"Is that so? Then let me see what else you can do!"
Blackbeard roared, his arms flung wide, and the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit erupted again, plunging the entire space into endless darkness.
Jin took a deep breath, gripped his long sword, and the power within his body gradually converged.
He knew that he had to go all out this time, because this battle allowed no retreat.
Jin gripped his long sword and slowly stepped forward.
Although his figure was slightly tired, and his clothes were covered with blood and traces of battle, his back was still straight, like a volcano that could erupt at any time, exuding an aura that made people dare not approach.
The long sword dragged on the ground, the blade scraping across the broken earth, making a harsh friction sound and splashing sparks.
His eyes were fixed on Blackbeard in front of him, and an unyielding fighting spirit burned in his silver pupils.
He knew that Blackbeard now had the upper hand, but he would not back down because of it.
Each of his steps seemed to use all his strength, yet it was so firm that the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
However, just as he was concentrating on locking onto Blackbeard, a cold killing intent quietly surged from behind him.
Imu's figure approached Jin's back like a silent ghost.
Her movements were light and quick, her footsteps making almost no sound, as if fused with the air.
Her cold gaze was locked on Jin's back like a blade, her face devoid of expression, only a godlike indifference and condescending majesty.
"Foolish mortal."
Imu snorted coldly in her heart, looking at the two enemies in front of her who represented chaos and order respectively, the corners of her mouth raised slightly, revealing a disdainful sneer.
"You all deserve to die."
She did not distinguish between friend and foe, because in her eyes, Jin and Blackbeard were just two obstacles that had to be removed.
Her only goal was to crush these two completely, and let them feel their insignificance in pain and despair.
Her slender fingers were slightly raised, and the black energy between her palms began to slowly condense, as if to gather the power of the entire world in one place.
