107 The Red Lotus Blooms in Fury!

With overwhelming pressure, he spun his body, both hands gripping his battle-axe, and brought the full force of his momentum down upon the great katana Johnny was using to block.

Johnny was sent flying like a baseball struck by a heavy bat. He drove his blade deep into the ground, finally managing to steady his retreating form. At this moment, Johnny felt as if his entire body were about to fall apart; he could barely keep his grip on his weapon. The power of the Mountain King, fueled by his Avatar transformation, was beyond imagination. Johnny knew that at this stage of the war, the outcome of the duel between himself and Muradin Bronzebeard would directly dictate the fate of the entire conflict. Therefore, he could not fall, no matter what!

"Daddy! You have to win!"
"Daddy, come on! We're waiting for you to come back!"

Not far behind Johnny, his child, Kao-ge, stood with his little sister tied to his back with a hemp rope, cheering for their father incessantly. The battle between legends was not something ordinary people could participate in, so the combatants on both sides had instinctively cleared a wide space.

Nearby, Muradin Bronzebeard charged again, wielding his battle-axe and warhammer. The playful arrogance that had once defined his gaze was gone, replaced by the weight of the immense pressure resting upon his shoulders. Johnny could clearly feel his own heavy breathing and the thunderous pounding of his heart.

This battle! It must be won!

Grasping his blade, he kicked off the ground with a surge of speed, charging forward once more. When he was less than twenty meters away from Muradin, he leaped into the air. Since he could not bridge the gap in raw strength, he had to use his own weight to amplify his force. His body spun at high speed, his katana whistling through the air, and as he rotated, he slashed downward with all his might.

Clang!

Muradin did not retreat an inch, bracing his axe and hammer against his chest. With a deafening roar, he firmly held Johnny’s strike. Just as Muradin prepared to counter, he realized Johnny had no intention of backing down. Using the recoil, Johnny launched himself into the air again, soaring nearly twenty meters high.

Above him, a brilliant white light shone, so intense that Muradin could not look directly at it. Channeling his magic, Johnny summoned the power of space, which manifested as swirling white mist gathering on the edge of his blade. Dark smoke rose from Johnny’s skin as he pushed his Armament Haki to its limit, creating a striking contrast with the blinding light above.

Let’s see how you take this blow!

His body fell freely, and the katana descended with an unrivaled, biting sharpness. Abandoning his previous combo-based style, he unleashed a single, wide-sweeping, decisive strike.

One-Sword Style: Great Shockwave!!!

Thud!

Muradin raised his hammer and axe, the muscles in his arms, thick as thighs, bulging with veins. Johnny’s strength was not inherently superior; Muradin’s physical body alone should have been enough to block it completely. But the spatial shockwave that followed slammed solidly into Muradin, numbing his arms and causing blood to seep from his engorged veins.

Splatter!

The blade sliced into flesh, piercing Muradin’s hardened skin and biting deep into his shoulder. A spray of blood erupted, drenching Johnny’s face. Beneath the blood, the scar on his face looked even more ferocious. Having landed the hit, Johnny would never let such a perfect opportunity slip; a relentless barrage of attacks followed.

He twisted his blade, launching a diagonal upward slash that threw Muradin completely off rhythm, forcing him into a desperate defense. The katana moved with blinding speed, instantly knocking the battle-axe from Muradin’s grip. Like a gale, the blade became a blur in Johnny's hands, striking Muradin again and again.

Dripping with blood, Muradin let out a sudden, thunderous roar, raising his warhammer and pouring every ounce of his remaining strength into a counter-swing.

It was too strong to contend with!

At that moment, Johnny did something that left everyone stunned: he let go of his sword. Under the immense force, the weapon was sent flying, spinning wildly through the air behind him. Suddenly, Muradin felt a massive force strike his chin; his neck snapped backward, and the metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth.

A powerful, heaven-bound uppercut entered Muradin’s field of vision. The moment he had released his blade, Johnny had channeled his Haki, seizing the gap in Muradin’s swing to deliver a fierce uppercut to the dwarf's jaw. Now, Johnny was shrouded in black mist, his presence radiating a sinister aura. Wrapped in Haki, a storm of combination punches rained down, each strike imbued with the overwhelming power of space, slamming into Muradin’s chest.

Unlike Snitch, Johnny had no such pride. His heart was pure: he fought for his children, his home, his chieftain, and his tribe. There were no unnecessary attachments or distractions, no psychological burdens—only a burning, unwavering loyalty.

Whoever stands in my way dies!

Muradin, a legend, could not fall so easily, could he?

At this moment, the blood-soaked Muradin gritted his teeth, his left hand forming a fist that swung horizontally toward Johnny’s head. But Johnny’s mind was crystal clear; Muradin’s punch appeared in his vision like slow motion. He coiled his right fist, and with the reinforcement of Armament Haki, he drove it deep into Muradin’s ribs.

Boom!

"You rat!"

Muradin groaned in agony, cursing as he raised his warhammer and slammed it down. A ripple of energy spread outward—another Thunder Clap! But Johnny gave him no chance. He stepped forward, and the instant Muradin’s arm came down, he caught the elbow joint with his own forearm.

Crack!

The sound of bone snapping echoed. As Johnny braced against the joint, the leverage forced Muradin’s own power to backfire, snapping his arm with his own strength.

Opportunity!

After pinning Muradin’s elbow, Johnny launched himself upward, fully activating his Armament Haki to drive his knee into Muradin’s face. The force was so immense that Muradin’s footing began to falter; the dwarf, who had always prided himself on his strength, was finally being overwhelmed.

There was no mercy. Johnny spun his body in the air, delivering a fierce roundhouse kick to Muradin’s temple. Had this been the Johnny of before, his own leg bone would have shattered, but protected by Armament Haki, he felt no pain at all.

Murderous intent flared!

Knees, elbows, punches, and kicks rained down like a raging tide upon the shattered body of the Mountain King. Even Johnny began to feel exhausted, losing count of how many blows he had landed.

Focusing his mind!

He gathered the power of space into his right fist, his waist twisting into an exaggerated, arched posture. With a sudden burst of acceleration, he slammed his fist into Muradin’s chest, the force piercing through and pouring every ounce of his energy into the dwarf's core.

"My King... this old servant has failed you."

With a sense of relief, helplessness, and lingering regret, the proud dwarven warrior slowly closed his eyes. Accompanied by the sound of space shattering, a bloom of red—like a lotus flower—blossomed on the chest of the dwarven legend, the Mountain King, Muradin Bronzebeard. His formidable body finally collapsed.

Instantly, a battle cry that shook the earth erupted from the rat-men side!