Watching Rayleigh's slash, a flicker of admiration flashed in Berlos's eyes, but it was quickly overwhelmed by madness.
Her arms, covered in tough black fur, suddenly contracted, then crossed in front of her chest just before the slash arrived, forming an absolute defensive barrier.
"Hell's Gate: Absolute Sanctuary!"
Before her arms, a massive phantom of a Hellhound suddenly materialized, opening its bloody maw in an attempt to devour the slash.
BOOM—!!!
A tremendous explosion echoed through the skies. The collision between the shattering slash and the hellish sanctuary produced shockwaves that even surpassed all previous clashes. The entire Sky Island ruins completely disintegrated under this impact, with massive stone pillars and crumbling walls sent flying tens of thousands of meters into the air.
The Black Flame Purgatory was forcibly dispersed by a third from the shockwave, revealing a brief vacuum zone.
Rayleigh was sent flying backward by the shockwave, but his eyes were filled with excitement because he saw Berlos's defense had been broken!
The Hellhound phantom before Berlos had long vanished, and her crossed arms were now covered in cracks, blood dripping through the gaps in her black fur. "I see it! You're not invincible after all. Your previous moves seemed fierce, but there were actually significant gaps to exploit!" Rayleigh steadied himself, his eyes burning with the flames of battle.
Berlos breathed lightly, raising her head. Her eyes held no anger, only a pursuit of the limits of power.
"You're the first to injure me under my 'Sanctuary,'" Berlos licked the blood from the corner of her mouth, her smile growing even more eerie.
During the previous battle, she had also gauged Rayleigh's strength.
He was indeed somewhat stronger than her—that was undeniable—but not completely unbeatable.
Berlos was confident in her own abilities. Although she was only at the level of a Vice Admiral candidate, the Hellhound Devil Fruit granted her formidable enhancements, allowing her to face a true Admiral-level combatant without fear, even if dragged into a prolonged battle.
Even if it truly became a prolonged battle, Rayleigh would need days to subdue her—such was the confidence of the Beast Girl's chief combatant.
Now, she had to go all out. The Hellhound's abilities were far more than this.
Roar~
Berlos suddenly howled at the sky, the roar carrying the Hellhound's unique, soul-twisting growl. The black fur covering her pitch-black body began to writhe like living creatures, rapidly spreading from her back, shoulders, and head.
Her shoulders abruptly hunched upward as two new, sinisterly glowing phantom canine heads condensed like smoke from her shoulders!
Three canine heads, representing the Hellhound's core powers—Fear, Death, and Decay—circled Berlos's main body, emitting silent roars.
"Eternal Purgatory: Three-Headed Manifestation!"
This was the form where Berlos pushed her Mythical Zoan abilities to their limits.
In this form, her physique, defense, and attack power had all increased exponentially. At this moment, she was no longer just a Beast Girl—she was a hellish envoy walking among mortals.
Rayleigh's expression completely changed. He could feel that terrifying oppressive force, even stronger than the earlier three-versus-three clash of auras!
She can still grow stronger! I've never heard of a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit Ability User achieving something like this. It's truly astonishing. Is this what a Beast Girl is capable of? Rayleigh's heart was roiling with shock.
Against Berlos in this form, he had no certainty of victory.
Seeing this from the rear, Brian smiled with satisfaction.
"Roger, do you see? This is my legion. This is the power that will dominate the new era!" Brian shouted arrogantly.
Roger and Gaban were also stunned by Berlos' three-headed form. Gaban tightly gripped his great axe, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Captain, this monster—can Rayleigh handle it?" Gaban's voice carried a hint of unease.
Roger took a deep breath, but his eyes blazed with even more dazzling fighting spirit.
Unexpectedly, he laughed—a smile filled with excitement and defiance toward an unknown, powerful foe.
"He can! That's Rayleigh, our closest comrade-in-arms. After all these years weathering storms together, don't you trust him? Even if hell itself descends, we'll shatter it!"
On the battlefield, Berlos' three canine heads simultaneously let out a silent roar as she launched her attack.
"Old man, the game is over! Let fear consume you as I devour you completely!"
Berlos charged forward, her speed doubling compared to before. Her claws condensed with even more refined black Haki, while the three canine head phantoms released three different types of sinister energy.
"Hell's Judgment: Three Souls Co-Devour!"
This was Rayleigh's most dangerous moment. He had to find Berlos' opening in this attack, or he would be utterly devoured.
He held the longsword "Underworld King" horizontally before his chest, powerful Armament Haki gathering around him to form a visible black membrane. Closing his eyes, he pushed his Observation Haki to its limit—he could see every detail of Berlos' attack, even the future of her intent.
"Underworld King Sword Art: Future Severance!"
Rayleigh's eyes snapped open. With an impossible angle, he swung the longsword upward from below, directly meeting Berlos' Three Souls Co-Devour!
This was no simple block—it was his attempt to strike at Berlos with his strongest will, combining Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
The roar of the clash surpassed all previous collisions. The longsword "Underworld King" and Berlos' Three Souls Co-Devour intertwined mid-air, emitting a piercing screech.
Zzzz—!
Zzzz—!
Rayleigh's longsword pierced through layer after layer of barriers, finally striking with precision at a single point on Berlos' chest—right where the scales were cracked!
Rip—!
The Hellhound Girl's blood, mixed with black mist, gushed out.
Berlos abruptly halted her charge. Her three canine head phantoms let out agonized howls before instantly dissipating.
She stared in disbelief at the pierced wound on her chest. Though not large, it carried an indelible will that hindered the regenerative power of her Mythical Zoan ability.
"You actually managed to cut through my move, roar!" Berlos rasped out.
Rayleigh gasped for breath, his arms trembling, the longsword in his hands firmly lodged within Berlos's body.
"The Underworld King Sword Technique doesn't cut through the body—it severs your will! Though you are powerful, your strength is ultimately evil, suppressed by the will of justice!" Rayleigh's voice carried a hint of weakness, but more than that, it was resolute.
"The fight ends here!" Rayleigh mustered all his strength, preparing to launch his final strike. Then, he could claim victory in this battle.
However, Berlos did not show the defeated state Rayleigh had anticipated. Instead, an inexplicable, eerie smile appeared on his face, causing Rayleigh's expression to instantly change.
"Damn it—"