Starting with One Piece, a Multiverse Simulation

He actually dared to say that he disdained to receive the witch's favor, and even belittled the favor (power) given to him by the witch to be worthless!

As his aura erupted, even more numerous and powerful "invisible hands" instantly wrapped around Wood like a net.

Such an astonishing number left even Subaru Natsuki, who could see the "invisible hand" standing nearby, completely at a loss as to how to warn Wood.

Even if you warn them, it's useless; their arms are already spread out in all directions and angles. Even if you see them, you can't dodge them at all.

"Still don't understand? Sometimes what you sense with your intuition is far more and more real than what you see with your eyes."

Humans possess five senses, but a swordsman whose mind, body, and skill have been honed to a certain level is not limited to just sight.

“I’m not a demon like Rem and the others, so I can’t smell the so-called ‘witch’s scent,’ but I still have my hearing and touch to use.”

The "Invisible Hand" is a physical entity. Its attack is caused by the sound of air flowing, as well as the humidity and temperature difference in the air due to the ice magic I just used.

Although these are all very subtle, they are not something that exists without a trace in my senses.

While dodging the attacks of the "Invisible Hand" with agile movements, Wood still spoke with an air of ease.

"Even if you can dodge my 'Invisible Hands' attacks, so what? These 'Invisible Hands' are powers unique to the Archbishops of Sin of our Witch Cult."

Neither magic nor swordsmanship can easily destroy or sever these arms.

You may be able to handle things with ease now, but how long can your body hold up? Once your spirit falters or your body becomes exhausted, I will use my power to tear your body to pieces!

Sloth had figured it out; the knight in front of him was an anomaly, but as long as he maintained a safe distance, the advantage was still on his side.

However, what made Sloth feel extremely uneasy was that when he heard what Wood said, he slightly curled the corners of his mouth.

"Although I am not Reinhard and do not have the blessing of the 'Sword Saint' to cut through anything, I believe there are very few things in this world that I cannot cut through."

Unfortunately, your so-called "invisible hand" definitely doesn't fall into this category.

As if to prove that what he said was not just bragging, Wood, facing the attack of the "invisible hand" the next second, no longer chose to dodge, but simply gripped the sword in his hand, and at the same time, the wind surrounding him began to gather on his blade.

"Tear everything apart, Hyakki Mitsurugi Style - Wind Attribute Sword - Kamaitachi!"

The moment the longsword traced a silver trail in the air, a sudden gust of wind swept up from all around, transforming into a weasel wielding a scythe, its sharp wind blades carving a deep furrow in the ground.

Chapter 367 The Arrogant Wood?

The violent wind blades, as they swept out, not only dispersed the surrounding white mist but also sharply plowed a deep trench a hundred meters long into the ground.

Wood couldn't see whether the so-called "invisible hands" had been severed, but he could confirm that the airflow caused by those "invisible hands" had all disappeared.

After deflecting the attack aimed at his face with a single strike, Wood immediately turned and slashed at the ground beneath Julius and the others.

As another huge knife mark, several meters deep, appeared on the ground, Julius and the others could feel that the binding sensation that had been entangling their feet had disappeared.

Although they were previously restrained, they had been helping Wood share the pressure from the "White Whale".

Or to be more precise, those who were unable to move were forced to endure the beluga whale's attacks.

If the beluga whale were to crash into them at close range, Wilkins and Stinger might still be able to do something.

However, if the white whale uses the white mist to launch a ranged attack, then Crusch and Julius will basically be the only ones to bear the brunt of it.

Given Julius's strength, if he were to use the Rainbow Sword he used when fighting Wood, he should be able to sever the Invisible Hand.

Unfortunately, the ultimate move takes too long to charge up, and the white whale obviously didn't give him that preparation time, so from the very beginning, Julius and Crusch could only passively defend.

After being freed from the shackles of the "Invisible Hand," Julius and the others instantly regained their original fighting strength. They originally intended to continue their campaign against the White Whale, or help Wood deal with "Sloth."

But Wood spoke up at that moment: "Uncle Wilkins and Julius, you two go and protect my sister."

As for the poisonous stinger, you take men to collect the lost goods and the missing earth dragons.

Anastasia may be proud and arrogant, but her combat strength is actually quite weak, not much different from that of an ordinary delicate girl.

Although Mimi and her two siblings, along with many members of assassination organizations, are now protecting her, Wood is still worried that something might happen to her.

"Wait a minute. If you retreat to the rear, I alone won't be able to stop the White Whale of Mist."

Hearing that Wood had arranged for Wilkins and Julius to protect Anastasia and had Stinger retrieve the lost cargo, it seemed that Crusch needed someone to hold off the White Whale.

Crusch, who has trained to the standards of a knight since childhood, is quite confident in his own strength, but not so confident as to compare himself to the previous Sword Saint.

Besides, even the previous Sword Saint was defeated by the White Whale, so what does Crusch have to fight against the White Whale?

"I don't need your help to stop the White Whale. Whether it's the White Whale or that Archbishop of Sin, I can handle them on my own."

Your wisdom and leadership are outstanding. I hope you will lead the remaining men to search for any survivors in the dense fog as quickly as possible.

Upon hearing Wood's words, Crusch froze in place, and when she came to her senses, her first thought was that Wood was far too arrogant.

Crusch knew Wood and that he was Anastasia's brother, yet she sided with Emilia and became her knight.

Crusch, who met Wood for the first time in the main hall during the "Royal Selection Ceremony," had a rather good impression of him after hearing what Wood said.

However, Wood's words just now greatly diminished Crusch's impression of him.

Crusch was trained as a knight from a young age, so he naturally adhered to the virtues of a knight. Now, in Crusch's eyes, although Wood is a knight with considerable strength, he does not possess the virtue of "humility" at all.

No, this is no longer a matter of humility or not; it's pure arrogance!

Crusch had heard Phoenix say that Wood had joined the Royal Guard by defeating the "Best Knight," and through his recent battle with "Sloth," Crusch also acknowledged Wood's strength.

Even so, Wood's claim that he would single-handedly stop the Archbishop of Sin and the White Whale of the Witch Cult was still considered too arrogant by Crusch.

“Julius, are you really going to follow his orders? This is utterly reckless! Wilhelm is currently still locked in combat with the two clones of the white whale in the thick fog.”

What we need to do now is to work together to completely defeat the white whale's true form, instead of blindly following Emilia's knights.

In Crusch's view, the only troublesome ones are the White Whale and the Archbishop of Sloth; defeating either of them would allow them to turn the tide of the battle.

If they let Wood run wild, they will lose this only turning point.

"I am Anastasia's knight, and I don't see anything wrong with going to protect her."

Moreover, what you're worried about, Lord Crusch, is probably Wood's inability to defeat the White Whale and the Archbishop of Sin of the Witch Cult on his own.

Regarding this, all I can say is that you will soon witness what a true monster is.

Julius, out of politeness, would offer an explanation to Crusch, while Wilkins simply ignored him and turned away.

As someone who raised Wood and Anastasia, Wilkins knew all too well just how outrageous Wood's skills were.

Thinking back to the first time I met the Wood siblings in Kararaki, they were surrounded by local thugs.

Wilkins, who was drunk at the time, saw the trapped siblings and originally wanted to help them out, but Wood, who was less than ten years old at the time, single-handedly took down all those thugs!

Wilkins, who originally wanted to go forward, was mistaken for an accomplice by the Wood siblings and ended up fighting with them.

As for the final outcome, Wilkins still feels it vividly.

It's important to understand that Wilkins back then was very different from how he is now. Nearly ten years ago, he was at the peak of his youth, while Wood was only ten years old at the time, and before that, he had single-handedly taken down dozens of thugs.

The battle ended in a draw, but Wilkins knew that if Wood hadn't started the fight first and hadn't been concerned about Anastasia's safety behind him, he might have been the one who lost.

Back then, Wilkin was not the strongest in Kararak, but he was definitely one of the strongest orcs in the region. Yet he lost to a kid who was not even ten years old. Who would believe that?

It was after that battle that Wilkins chose to follow Anastasia and her brother, and as time went by, Wilkins also saw in the two siblings different talents, but equally amazing aptitudes.

At just over ten years old, Anastasia already possessed exceptional insight and skill, manipulating the famous merchants of Kararaki with ease.

As for Wood, Wilkins once believed that he was a natural-born warrior, capable of absorbing and mastering both combat skills and magic at the fastest speed.

Before Reinhard became famous on the continent, Wilkins even believed that Wood would become the strongest person in the future world!

No, even now, Wilkins believes that the Wood he knows may not be inferior to the so-called strongest swordsman!

Anastasia possesses outstanding business acumen, while Wood has unparalleled combat skills. Furthermore, the siblings do not discriminate against demi-human races and even value them highly, which is why Wilkin later chose to follow them.

In Wilkins' view, if someone were to emerge in the future who could change the fate of demi-humans in this world, it would definitely be him and his sister.

Therefore, in Wilkin's view, now that Wood has arrived, the outcome of this battle is basically decided.

"Curshu-chan, although you may not believe it, I also think that Wood should have no problem dealing with the White Whale and the Archbishop of Sin on his own."

If there's a reason, wouldn't it be enough that he once fought Reinhard and remained undefeated?

Upon hearing Phoenix's words, Crusch was clearly taken aback for a moment, and then asked as if to confirm, "You fought Reinhard to a draw, are you sure?"

Was Reinhard showing his full strength at that time, or was it merely a friendly spar?

As a noblewoman from the Dragon Kingdom who grew up in the capital, Crusch knew all too well just how outrageous Reinhard was.

Even Wilhelm, the "Sword Demon" who taught him swordsmanship, once said that there was no one in the world who could defeat Reinhard.

Even in his youth, along with his wife, the former Sword Saint, they would have no chance of defeating Reinhard.

Sword Demon's evaluation shows just how powerful Reinhard is, but now Phoenix says that Wood has the strength to rival Reinhard.

"The fact that the fight ended in a draw was said by Reinhard himself, and Reinhard, who treated Wood as a criminal, drew the Dragon Sword Red."

Even so, Reinhard still stated that Wood voluntarily conceded defeat while he was under pressure.

It has to be said that what Phoenix said really shocked Crusch's worldview.

She was about to say something when she soon noticed the painful cries of a white whale and the angry curses of the Archbishop of Sloth coming from the thick fog.

"Why aren't you leaving yet? If you want to stay and make some money, that's your own business, but I won't bother taking care of you."

Wood, who dodged the "invisible hand" with a backflip, saw that Crusch had not followed his instructions to gather the survivors, but instead stayed where he was, and couldn't help but speak up.

Although everyone is on the same side now, Wood has no relationship with Crusch and is only a member of the same knight order as Phoenix. If they are really in danger, Wood may not choose to help.