"This slash... it could cut straight through the entire Chris!"
Hearing the sudden sound, Oliver instantly whipped his head around. His pupils dilated, and a deep, heavy seriousness filled his face.
Without a word, he silently sheathed both of his blades — yet his hands remained gripping the hilts in a reverse grip. His body, mind, and spirit aligned into one sharp, focused force.
"That's... Iaijutsu!"
Aeridar's eyes narrowed dangerously. He hadn't expected Oliver to know laijutsu. He wasn't even sure when Oliver had learned it. But what he was certain of — this was Oliver's hidden ace, reserved for the most critical moments.
"Sheathed his swords?" Backan muttered, confused.
"When did that hooked-nose bastard pick up something ?" Arlan frowned deeply, watching Oliver's energy surge as he prepared to strike.
"Before me," Oliver intoned, his voice low and solemn, "be it man, beast, the sea, the mountains, or even dragons — nothing shall stand unbroken!"
His face was touched with an almost sacred gravity.
"Two-Sword Style — Dragon Severing Strike!"
In that instant, everyone's vision blurred — as if a mighty dragon soared into the sky, a brilliant, blinding sword light splitting the heavens with unimaginable speed.
A nearly inaudible sound whispered through the air.
The high-speed spinning circular slash was silently cleaved in two.
The sea itself... split apart.
A massive gash nearly a hundred meters long tore open across the surface of the water, each side separating by three to four meters. It took a long while before the waves could close the rift again.
Paradi looked down to find two neat cuts across the front of his suit jacket. Beneath the fabric, two shallow wounds marred his skin, blood seeping from the precise slices.
"When did that hit me?" Paradi gasped, a chill shooting up his spine.
He hadn't even noticed when he was struck. If those cuts had been deeper... he would've been dead without ever knowing what happened.
On the Chris below, Oliver still stood with both hands on his sword hilts. Were it not for the gash carved into the sea, it would seem as if he hadn't moved at all. He exhaled deeply, his face clearly drained.
The technique had taken a heavy toll on him.
"This is insane... Paradi actually got wounded!"
On the Saint Florent, Elver — his body jiggling with each panicked motion — yelped in disbelief.
After years fighting side by side, Elver knew Paradi's strength better than anyone.
Two years ago, Paradi had single-handedly killed a Supernova pirate with a 230 million beri bounty — one of the highest among their generation. The battle had leveled an entire town. Though Paradi had paid the price with severe injuries and a three-month recovery, it proved just how terrifyingly strong he was.
[Note: As the story timeline approaches the canon era, bounty amounts rise dramatically — 230 million beri at that time was nearly the highest possible for a rookie pirate.]
Paradi no longer dared to approach.
Just now, by getting too close, he'd almost gotten himself killed.
Using Geppo, Paradi darted erratically through the air around the Chris, raining down Rankyaku after Rankyaku — blades of compressed air slashing from his feet.
Yet despite Oliver's weak Armament Haki, his Observation Haki was sharp enough — every single Rankyaku was intercepted and neutralized by Oliver's twin sword slashes.
The two fighters reached a deadlock.
"Huhahahaha! Let's see how long you can keep blocking!"
With every Rankyaku forcing Oliver onto the defensive, Paradi grew more arrogant, cackling as he swooped overhead.
Oliver's face darkened completely. His twin blades danced defensively, irritation building inside him.
But without Geppo, he couldn't pursue into the air — and after unleashing his Dragon Severing Strike, his strength and stamina were greatly depleted.
If he tried to force another high-output attack now, he would burn out long before defeating Paradi.
"If this drags on, let me handle it."
Arlan, sleeves already rolled up, grumbled in frustration as he prepared to launch himself skyward and clash with Paradi head-on.
Arlan wasn't bad at long-range combat — but with his shallow mastery of Rankyaku, trying to engage from a distance would just waste energy. Close-quarters was more his style.
Suddenly, someone yanked Arlan back, making him stumble. Already furious, Arlan turned around ready to unleash a torrent of curses—
Only to meet Aeridar's blank, icy face.
Arlan's anger instantly froze.
Arlan knew: when Aeridar entered his truly enraged state, he recognized no ally or enemy.
If he said the wrong thing now, he'd probably eat a punch that would rearrange his skeleton.
"That's... Golden Ring Aeridar!"
Seeing the gold hoop glinting from Aeridar's ear and feeling his murderous aura spike, Paradi's eyes narrowed sharply — he recognized the infamous pirate instantly.
Deep breath in — deep breath out.
Aeridar calmly rotated his neck, emitting crisp pops from his joints. His face remained cold, emotionless.
Then he barked sharply:
"Hey, dumbass. You're getting cocky."
And in the blink of an eye —
Paradi's pupils shrank violently.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sharp sound of air popping under pressure echoed through the sky.
Aeridar sprinted through the air itself, white vapor rings bursting from each step, closing the distance to Paradi at terrifying speed.
He hadn't expected a mere pirate to know the Rokushiki — let alone someone whose Geppo was even sharper and more precise than his own!
"No way I'm letting you get close!"
Desperately, Paradi kicked out with both feet, launching a flurry of Rankyakus — compressed blades of vacuum slicing toward Aeridar.
Five, six azure-white air blades shot forward at terrifying speed.
Yet in midair, Aeridar's eyes flashed with a predatory gleam.
Still running across the sky, he twisted and weaved through the gaps between the attacks with terrifying ease.
For the first time, Aeridar understood what it must have felt like for Donquixote Doflamingo to face him back then.
Aeridar's Observation Haki far outclassed Paradi's — just like how Doflamingo's had once outclassed his own.
Aeridar recalled how Doflamingo's Birdcage could cover an entire island, with razor threads deployed so widely yet still manipulated so precisely.
To use Parasite String across so many scattered targets required Observation Haki of monstrous scope — and Doflamingo had wielded it like an emperor moving pieces on a board.
Aeridar couldn't reach that godlike level — but against Paradi, the gap was just as overwhelming.
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my ——— (.)com/JuanFiction [remove the parentheses ( )]