Yasuo, piloting the floating island, fled with the others, a desperate escape.
This flight lasted for three days and three nights.
By the time they burst out of the Land of Utmost Evil, the floating island they stood upon had suffered significant damage, now barely the size of two basketball courts. Yet, they did not stop.
Behind them, Benedict and Im continued their fierce battle.
Due to the opening of the Death Gate, Benedict, while severely wounding Im multiple times, had also brought himself to the brink of death on several occasions.
Each time, a Senzu bean revitalized him, restoring him to full vigor.
However, those brief moments allowed the floating island carrying Yasuo and his companions to be repeatedly devastated by the combined efforts of Li Chungang and others in their defense, resulting in the demise of over half of the personnel responsible for the atomic bomb deployment.
"Boom!"
Like an atomic bomb detonation, immense power obliterated an uninhabited island.
Moments later, Im emerged from the underwater pit, now flooded with seawater.
Cough, cough!
Im coughed twice, spitting out blood.
Benedict attacked him again.
Bang, bang, bang!
Im quickly defended himself, and the battle became fierce once more.
"San Qian Lei Dong!"
A sudden burst of attack.
Im defended with all his might.
Boom!
Half of Im's body was gone.
Yet, even then, Im did not die.
Water flowed through the remaining half of his body, and in the next instant, Im was restored to his original state.
As expected, killing this fellow was not going to be simple.
The Water-Water Fruit bestowed incredible defensive, offensive, and healing abilities.
Furthermore, due to this fruit and his formidable strength, Im possessed a significantly longer lifespan.
If Benedict hadn't known that immortals were impossible in this world, he would have mistaken Im for one.
Through continuous cultivation and breakthroughs, one could attain immense power and an even longer life.
"If one punch can't kill you, then I'll throw a few more."
"I refuse to believe it."
Benedict was also growing desperate.
He had come close to death multiple times, and he had also obliterated Im multiple times.
After fighting for so many days without being able to kill Im, Benedict was becoming increasingly exasperated.
In all his years of adventuring at sea, he had defeated countless opponents, and apart from Im, none had survived.
Once again unleashing his divine technique, Im fiercely retaliated.
Shui Long Yin!
This was Im's most powerful offensive technique after activating his abilities.
Consuming a Senzu bean, he regained his strength.
Activating his abilities, water flowed and condensed, restoring his destroyed limbs.
Back and forth they fought, experiencing repeated 'deaths.'
More and more islands were destroyed by their clash.
Waves upon waves spread outwards, generating tsunamis that swept in all directions.
By the sixth day of battle,
their battlefield had shifted to an altitude of ten thousand meters.
The thick white sea, subjected to their constant combat, was repeatedly pushed aside and breached.
The immense power, striking empty space time and again, landed on the sea or islands, causing widespread destruction.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
After days and nights of high-intensity combat, characterized by mutual destruction and the inability to kill each other,
Benedict was growing weary.
Without an overwhelming advantage, it was indeed impossible to defeat Im.
"I'm done fighting."
Of course, Benedict would never say this aloud.
Nor would Im.
Even though Im knew that whoever held out longer would ultimately win.
However, Im harbored considerable doubt that Benedict would be the one to break first.
That damned Senzu bean made Im feel utterly dejected.
Each Senzu bean revitalized Benedict, making him feel as good as new.
If it were only that, it would be one thing.
But the fact was, Im had no idea how many Senzu beans Benedict possessed.
As long as those beans remained, it was almost impossible to kill him.
"Riiip!"
Just as Benedict and Im were locked in combat once more, a spatial rift tore open, and a figure emerged from within.
It was a tree man, over three meters tall and quite robust in build.
The tree man possessed limbs and facial features; were it not for its woody body, it would have been indistinguishable from a human.
Leaves and flowers adorned the tree man's head.
It appeared somewhat amiable.
However, upon its appearance, the tree man immediately launched an attack on Benedict.
Benedict's expression shifted slightly. He blocked Im's attack and seized the opportunity to create distance.
Missing its initial strike, the tree man's other hand suddenly lashed out.
The tree man's arm elongated and enlarged instantly.
Benedict's defense was insufficient, and he was sent flying.
Boom!
Benedict crashed into the sea, sending up a massive spray of waves.
Im's brow furrowed as he observed the appearing tree man. He then inquired, "Have you retrieved the abilities of the Mori-Mori Fruit?"
"Of course, this power rightfully belongs to me," the tree spirit's cold voice responded, laced with discontent. "That ant dared to resist, forcing me to spend so much time creating this body. Truly damnable."
The tree man was, in fact, the tree spirit of the Devil Fruit Tree.
The user of the Mori-Mori Fruit was Ryokugyu.
With the Mori-Mori Fruit's abilities reclaimed, the tree spirit was able to create the tree man, turning it into his avatar and allowing it to bear his powers.
"Are the users of the other fruits also…?" Im, hearing this, frowned further and asked.
The tree spirit declared venomously, "Keeping them alive would only lead to their deaths and the further stripping of my powers by Benedict. Their existence is a torment to me."
"Not only them, but also the Devil Fruit users within the Xuanwu Navy, I intend to reclaim those powers as well."
Im cast a deep gaze at the tree spirit before shifting his attention.
This was because Benedict had just flown out of the sea.
Benedict ignored Im and instead focused on the tree man who had ambushed him.
Merely by sensing its aura, Benedict confirmed that the opponent's strength had reached SSS-class.
Taking a deep breath, Benedict stared at the tree man and stated in a low voice, "Are you the tree spirit of the Devil Fruit Tree?"
"You know more than you should," the tree spirit replied coldly, fixing its gaze on Benedict.
"Damn you, Benedict."
Upon hearing this, Benedict chuckled and said, "It is indeed you."
"You've attacked abruptly several times now, taking people away from me."
"And where is that damned octopus tentacle monster?"
"Where is it hiding now?"
"Why don't you call it out as well?"
The one who had rescued Kaido back then was the octopus tentacle monster.
Its strength had definitely reached SS+ class; it was immensely powerful.
The tree spirit looked at Benedict and sneered, "It is, of course, capturing Devil Fruit users."
The tree spirit also harbored its own frustrations.
It clearly knew that Devil Fruit users were still alive.
It clearly knew that they possessed the powers of Devil Fruits.
It clearly knew that these powers rightfully belonged to it.
Yet, it was unable to control them.