One Piece: The Avengers

Xu Ruogu's eyes were wide with shock.

While others were confused, Xu Ruogu, a transmigrator with a deep understanding of physics, could not possibly not realize what was happening. This was clearly the precursor to breaking the sound barrier! In other words, the speed at which this minor character was moving right before his eyes was at least 200 to 300 meters per second.

Despite the fear surging in his heart, Xu Ruogu's reflexes did not slow. He immediately shifted in the opposite direction.

Having narrowly escaped danger, Xu Ruogu suddenly felt a chill on his face. Reaching up, he discovered a thin, long, and neatly cut wound on his right cheek.

Wasn't this just the force of a punch? Not even a sword's qi [energy], just the wind from a fist! This was too terrifying!

Shanter, who was in the midst of his berserk state, didn't care about Xu Ruogu's thoughts. Though berserk power was overwhelming, the aftereffects were significant. The scene may have seemed like an overwhelming victory for Shanter, but if he didn't manage to severely injure or kill Xu Ruogu within the limited time of his berserk state, once it ended, he'd be left with no choice but to leave obediently.

However, this was the first time Shanter had used his berserk state, and even he had not anticipated the power it would unleash. He had lost control of it for a moment. Despite the brief encounters they'd had before, Shanter was gradually getting better at harnessing this almost incomprehensible power.

Similarly, Xu Ruogu was beginning to feel increasingly powerless against the now more adept Shanter.

After each space shift, Shanter was almost instantly upon him. Xu Ruogu had no choice but to use his shaving technique, which required him to push off the ground multiple times to reach high speeds, just to avoid the devastating fist and foot wind. Shanter only needed one move to close the distance. In the end, Xu Ruogu was continuously pressured and beaten down by Shanter.

Xu Ruogu had considered using space concealment, but in that state, his movements were extremely slow, and he could hardly dodge at all. If Shanter struck in the place where Xu Ruogu had disappeared, the consequences would be too much to bear.

"How the hell is this guy's explosive power stronger than Luffy's Gear Second?" Xu Ruogu narrowly dodged a kick from Shanter, but a tree, thick enough for two people to embrace, was shattered into debris by the force of the kick, falling apart into countless fragments.

Xu Ruogu had greatly underestimated the berserk state. In his previous life, in the Central World, Shanter's berserk efficiency had always hovered around 300%, resulting in an explosive power increase of more than tenfold. Of course, back then, Shanter was able to ignore the tremendous physical strain of the berserk state due to his incredibly powerful source energy. He could even use it long-term, as easily as eating or drinking. But now, he had to rely on the War God Fruit to barely maintain it.

However, berserk states weren't unique to Shanter in the Central World. There was a humanoid race called the Trolls, whose adult warriors all entered a berserk state, though with a much lower efficiency of around 80%. In fact, it was the Trolls who had invented the berserk state, and it was Shanter who gained fame for it in the Central World.

The Central World, being the center of the multiverse, was home to many who could use berserk states or even stronger explosive techniques, such as the multi-phase berserk of high-tier berserkers or the soul burning of necromancer lords. After all, the strength density and diversity in the Central World far surpassed that of a mere pirate world like this one.

In truth, pure speed and strength alone were not inherently impressive. But when speed and strength surpassed their limits, resulting in a qualitative change from sheer quantity, it was a completely different matter.

"Except for speed and strength, I have nothing. But because of speed and strength, I have become stronger." This quote, spoken by an unknown philosopher, was always regarded as a classic by Shanter in his previous life.

But I digress—let's return to the matter at hand.

Seeing that his attack had failed, Shanter used the nearby tree to slow down his momentum, changing direction and once again charging toward Xu Ruogu.

The power from berserk state was so overwhelming that Shanter didn't even bother drawing his sword, Huang Tian. Whether or not he used Huang Tian, a single hit from him would be enough to disable Xu Ruogu. Moreover, if he used Huang Tian, it would only hinder his ability to change direction at high speed.

Xu Ruogu, experienced in both of his lives, knew better than to try to resist head-on. He turned and used a shaving technique, flying backward over ten meters. Just as Shanter closed in, Xu Ruogu disappeared with another space shift.

But this time, Xu Ruogu made a mistake. While he was anxious, Shanter was even more concerned. After all, nearly 1/5 of the berserk time had passed, his body was already beginning to ache, and he hadn't landed a single effective hit yet. Continuing like this would be suicidal!

The moment Xu Ruogu reappeared, Shanter unleashed a wind blade with his kick.

This wasn't the Raging Foot technique, but even the wind pressure from his foot was far more powerful than it. Before Xu Ruogu could react, the wind blade had already slashed across his lower back.

The impact sent Xu Ruogu stumbling, but thanks to the hardness of his iron body and the defensive effects of the Taixu Secret Record, he only had a bruise on his waist and spat out blood. Had it been someone else, like Luffy or an ordinary naval officer, they would have been cut in half by this blow.

Though injured, Xu Ruogu didn't dare linger in place, for Shanter's next strike was already upon him.

"Ahhh! Just because I don't make a sound, you think I'm a sick cat?!" After a brief flash, Xu Ruogu finally exploded, "You think the Space Fruit only has this much power?!"

"Space Rift!"

Xu Ruogu clasped his hands together and slowly pulled them apart. In the calm air, several thin, pitch-black rifts appeared, looking like cracks in the fabric of space.

With a shake of his hands, the cracks began to distort, compress, and condense. Eventually, these black rifts transformed into a slender sword.

As Shanter charged at Xu Ruogu, the latter didn't dodge or retreat. Instead, he lunged forward with the sword, as though prepared to trade his life for Shanter's.

Shanter was overjoyed at the sight. He immediately intended to fight to the death, thinking, I've faced deadly battles countless times over my five years of combat experience. If this doesn't kill him, at least it'll leave him crippled and unable to fight anymore.

But an instinctive reflex saved Shanter's life. His body, sensing the danger before his mind could process it, executed an aerial roll to avoid the thrust of the sword. He didn't engage Xu Ruogu directly.

At that moment, Shanter realized that Xu Ruogu wasn't holding a sword. What he had was a shattered fragment of space itself! The moment anything touched it, it would be torn to pieces.

Noticing that Shanter had realized, Xu Ruogu smirked, "Did you see that? This is the Space Mystery, Sharp Edge, Space Sword! And now..."

Before he could finish, Xu Ruogu flicked his wrist. Instantly, the sword began to transform once more. In the blink of an eye, a black wheel, covered in intricate runes, appeared in his hand.

The black wheel shredded and fused the space around it, growing larger and larger, as it headed straight for Shanter.

"Space Mystery, Space Wheel!"

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