Even with grievous wounds, Jin An's pace didn't falter in the slightest.
He rapidly increased the distance between himself and Blackbeard with an almost nimble gait, his eyes burning as if to say:
"No matter what you do, I can handle it."
He took a deep breath, the long blade in his hand tilted slightly upwards, and his body's potential was quietly unleashed at that moment.
Blackbeard's pupils constricted, and a sense of unease rose in his heart.
His judgment of Jin An had never been so inaccurate.
All along, he had thought Jin An was just an opponent who relied on a combination of luck and strength, but now, he realized that Jin An was much more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.
At this moment, Jin An suddenly darted, quickly rushing towards Blackbeard's flank.
Blackbeard hurriedly used both hands to release a dark vortex, sucking the surrounding air into it, forming a powerful gravitational pull, trying to drag Jin An into it.
But Jin An had already anticipated this move, his figure instantly crouching down, the blade sweeping across like thunder.
Blackbeard only had time to parry with his sword, but Jin An's strength far exceeded his expectations, the intense impact making Blackbeard slightly strained.
"You brat..."
Blackbeard roared angrily, increasing the output of gravity with both hands, the power to devour everything in the darkness becoming even more terrifying.
Jin An's footsteps were noticeably slowed down, but he didn't panic. As the force pulled, his figure leaped slightly using the effect of the gravity, his right hand gripping the long blade tightly, slashing towards Blackbeard's chest.
This strike was fierce and swift, the blade seeming to condense all his anger.
A look of surprise flashed in Blackbeard's eyes. He reacted quickly, instantly turning the power of darkness into a hard shield, blocking Jin An's blade.
Despite this, he could still feel the enormous power contained in the blade, the force shaking his arms numb and blurring his vision.
A cold smile appeared on Jin An's face.
"Your Dark-Dark Fruit is powerful, but it's only limited to this."
His blade had already slipped past Blackbeard's shield, breaking through Blackbeard's defense, and was aimed directly at Blackbeard's chest.
Although he was forcibly pushed away by the power of darkness, that moment of breakthrough was enough to make Blackbeard feel extremely threatened.
At this moment, a hint of astonishment appeared on the corners of Blackbeard's mouth, but immediately, his face was replaced by a cold smile.
He retaliated fiercely, the dark vortex in his hands erupting with intense energy fluctuations again, trying to pull Jin An back into the center of the vortex.
Just as he made his move, Jin An's eyes became even more fierce. He suddenly stomped hard on the ground, using the force to leap up, his body like a tiger pouncing, fiercely lunging towards Blackbeard with a gust of wind-like momentum.
"You think you can defeat me like this?!"
Blackbeard roared, his eyes filled with ferocity and anger.
The dark vortex rapidly expanded, instantly engulfing the surrounding space.
But at this moment, Jin An's figure disappeared from his sight again, as if suddenly turning into a blur, leaving only a gust of wind rushing towards him.
The next second, Jin An was already standing behind Blackbeard, the blade raised high.
Blackbeard felt the aura behind him, and a strong sense of danger immediately surged in his heart. He desperately turned around, trying to defend with darkness once again.
But it was too late.
Jin An didn't give Blackbeard any chance to react, the blade slashed down fiercely, the thunderous force directly bombarding the protective shield on Blackbeard's back.
Blackbeard's power of darkness was strong, but the current Jin An was no longer what he used to be.
That one strike seemed to shatter all of Blackbeard's defenses.
A trace of unwillingness and anger flashed in Blackbeard's eyes. He knew that he had been suppressed, trapped in Jin An's continuous offensive, and his entire aura gradually declined.
And Jin An, although seriously injured, had a firm light flashing in his eyes.
He knew that he couldn't give in in the slightest, because if he took a step back, Blackbeard would definitely use the darkness again to devour him, or even reverse the battle.
Now, Jin An was not afraid of Blackbeard. He knew that no matter how strong Blackbeard was, he was just a beast struggling in the darkness, and he could already see the beast's fragility.
On the battlefield, smoke still filled the air, and rubble was everywhere. Jin An stood with his blade, his eyes like lightning, staring intently at Blackbeard opposite him.
His aura was steady, but not to be underestimated, even though he was covered in scars, he had no intention of retreating.
Blackbeard stood not far away, the smile on his face had long disappeared, replaced by a gloomy cunning.
His hands trembled slightly, sweat slid down his forehead. Although he tried his best to hide it, that trace of panic had already been exposed.
"Jin An..."
Blackbeard gritted his teeth and called out the other party's name, his tone containing more anger and unwillingness.
He took a deep breath, the haze on his face eased slightly, and then he curled up a cold smile full of threat, his voice low and dangerous:
"Im is locked in my dark space.
You don't want to face that guy again, do you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the air seemed to become heavier.
Blackbeard's words were like a knife, piercing straight into Jin An's heart.
His eyes became more cunning, like a beast forced into a corner, trying to use this last trump card to reverse the situation before him.
Jin An's brow furrowed slightly, and a cold light flashed in his silver pupils.
He didn't respond immediately, but stared coldly at Blackbeard, his eyes seeming to see through everything about the other party.
At this moment, Blackbeard felt an invisible pressure coming towards him, causing him to involuntarily take half a step back.
He gritted his teeth, trying hard not to show any timidity, and continued in a cold tone:
"You know her strength. We almost got solved by her when we joined forces just now.
If I let her out, how long do you think you can last?"
Jin An still didn't speak, his hand gripping the long blade tightly, the blade still bearing traces of battle, the sharp cold light making people afraid to look directly at it.
His silence made Blackbeard feel uneasy. He didn't know what Jin An was thinking, but this silence made him feel more uncomfortable than any counterattack.
Blackbeard tried to break the silence, his voice becoming more gloomy:
"Jin An, you should know that the battle between us can end.
As long as you put down your weapon and agree to cooperate with me, I can keep Im sealed in the darkness forever...
Otherwise, hum, I won't show mercy."
Hearing this, Jin An finally moved.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes so cold that they seemed to freeze the air.
The corners of his mouth curled up in a faint cold smile, a smile full of mockery and contempt.
"Blackbeard, do you really think this kind of threat will work on me?"
His voice was low and calm, but every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting Blackbeard's heart.
Blackbeard's face changed, forcibly suppressing the unease in his heart, barely squeezing out a smile:
"Humph, I'm not threatening you, this is the truth!
Do you really want to face that monster and fall into despair again?"
