Chapter 108: Battle
In just two months, Hades had subdued three powerful Pirates.
His overall Faction rapidly expanded.
Like "Golden King" Donovan, Hades also possessed "Money Power".
He easily gained the allegiance of these Pirates.
Could Hades' strength suppress three Great Pirates? Of course.
No one would betray without reason, and even if there was some dissatisfaction, it wouldn't erupt in a short time.
As time passed, Hades' strength would only grow stronger.
They would also completely lose the ability to resist, unable to move, truly submitting to him.
How could those he defeated surpass him?
Hades' actions were so swift that they completely alarmed the Rocks Pirates and various Factions.
Even the Marines paid exceptional attention.
For now, Hades had no intention of leaving the Rocks Pirates.
The situation on Isukanbul Island would continue for a while; in any case, it had already been targeted by Hades, it was just a matter of sooner or later.
More importantly, Hades' Pirate Ship had not yet been completed.
From the start of design to construction and completion, it would take at least half a year.
Design alone took nearly two months.
During this time, Hades would expand his own Faction as much as possible and lay a sufficient foundation.
Compared to other Great Pirates, Hades focused more on efficiency.
After subduing the three Great Pirates, Hades made no secret of his intentions.
Over the past two years, he had met many Pirates and taken notice of many powerhouses.
He held a list of those he wished to subdue.
Hachinosu was a treasure trove, home to a large number of powerful or potential-filled Pirates.
The rapid expansion of Hades' Faction caused considerable turmoil within the Rocks Pirates and Hachinosu.
Facing the Pirates he wanted to subdue, Hades' only method was to defeat them.
Hades completely exhibited his strength, terrifying combat ability, and nearly divine Force Dissipation Technique.
Through continuous training using Haki for force dissipation, his mastery of Armament Haki had long reached a terrifying level.
If he wished, he could compress and condense pure Haki to the extreme and unleash it directly, similar to a "Kamehameha".
Most Pirates were unable to even touch Hades; in terms of pure body technique and technique, Hades had reached the peak of perfection.
From the moment Hades decided to act, it was destined to cause a storm.
One after another, Great Pirates were defeated by Hades under the watchful eyes of everyone.
His terrifying strength, with no blind spots, didn't even require the power of the Death-Death Fruit.
Hades' aura, his invisible pressure, grew heavier and heavier.
Hades was building momentum, his nearly invincible aura constantly strengthening with each victory.
Like a polished gem radiating its own brilliance, Hades' aura, which had been calm for two years, grew stronger.
His targets were all Pirates except Rocks D.
Xebec, Newgate, and Charlotte Linlin.
Newgate had his own plan; he hadn't yet found a stage to truly exhibit his strength, and he had sparred with Hades many times, understanding each other thoroughly.
As for Charlotte Linlin, she greatly valued her precious son, and furthermore, it was said she was pregnant again.
She was currently not in Hachinosu, or even on Cake Island.
Hades was establishing his status and confirming his prestige through a series of victories.
This included "Blade Edge" Aiji, "Undertaker" Caraway, and "Tyrant" Baal, three members of Yager's Old Crew.
They all fell to Hades.
This also meant they became Hades' subordinates.
Although some of these battles were difficult, Hades managed to overcome them.
At just sixteen years old, Hades already possessed strength comparable to a Top Tier Combatant, demonstrating what a true monster was.
Time would bridge the gap caused by Hades' age.
His excessively powerful Armament Haki, tempered by Haki, had allowed Hades' strength to advance rapidly over the past few years, and his physique had become even more terrifying under the tempering of Haki.
Facing true powerhouses like "Golden Lion" Shiki, "Golden King" Donovan, "Death Gun" Leon, "Werewolf" Quero, John, Silver Axe, and Wang Zhi, Hades was inevitably forced to use the power of the Death-Death Fruit.
The Death-Death Fruit's immense lethality and tyrannical corrosive power already limited Hades' opponents.
If one hadn't mastered the Technique of Haki Emission, couldn't skillfully use Haki Flow throughout their body, or lacked special abilities, they weren't qualified to be Hades' opponent.
Only then could they resist Hades' ability.
This single condition alone eliminated most powerhouses on the Great Sea.
Mere Armament Haki Hardening and Coating were unable to resist the erosion of the Power of Death; even Haki covering the entire body wasn't enough.
The nose, ears, fragile eyes - there were many places Haki couldn't cover.
In the battle against Marine Vice Admiral Vic back then, Hades had held back slightly, not using the true power of the Death-Death Fruit.
The Death-Death Fruit was a top-tier Paramecia Devil Fruit; its lower limit was set.
Anyone who ate this Devil Fruit could secure a place on this Great Sea.
Just its lower limit was the peak that countless people pursued.
The tyranny of the Power of Death meant that even a slight opening would be exploited, invading their bodies, plundering vitality, and bringing death and decay.
Even Haki would be constantly eroded.
Facing Hades, his opponents had to expend large amounts of Haki to maintain Haki Flow throughout their bodies while simultaneously resisting Hades' ability.
In this process, the consumption of Haki and stamina would greatly increase.
Yet, they had no choice but to do so.
The moment they relaxed even slightly, Hades would seize the opportunity.
Once their Haki was depleted, or they couldn't maintain the coating on their body, it meant they had lost.
In terms of defense, the Death-Death Fruit was equally powerful.
The strongest defense was offense.
Any strength facing Hades would be devoured by death, weakened, and eventually vanish.
Whether it was Shiki's Slash, Newgate's Power of Tremors, Donovan's Gold, or Linlin's Soul, the Power of Death could destroy and corrode it all.
With his nearly invincible ability, combined with Hades' combat skills and mastery of Haki, Hades suffered no injury throughout the battles until they ended.
Those with weaker strength would be completely defeated by Hades.
As for those with strong strength, like Top Tier Combatants such as Shiki, both sides were relatively restrained in their actions; it was impossible for them to fight to the death or probe each other's weaknesses.
Ultimately, they all ended in a draw.
To put it bluntly, Hades had not suffered a single defeat; his record spoke for itself.
(end of chapter)