The former warden of the underwater prison, Impel Down, and great swordsman Rain Shiryu stood with his sword drawn, murderous intent and sword aura radiating all around him.
He had made an agreement with the man before him — the next time they met, it would be a battle to the death.
But Shiryu failed to notice the shift in the atmosphere around them.
He didn't realize that both Marines and pirates alike looked at him with mocking eyes.
In Shiryu's view, Victor was just a kid with decent swordsmanship. Even if he was a rare genius, how could he possibly be his opponent?
After all, he had knocked Victor away twice during the Impel Down incident.
Surely, this time would be no different — he would take his head without question.
"Victor, are you prepared for death?"
"Shiryu, even i... if your swordsmanship is strong, I…I will never lose to you! Definitely!" Victor gripped the Second Generation Kitetsu with both hands, though his hands trembled as if from fear.
His voice shook, too, playing perfectly into the illusion.
"Oh my~ Someone is about to be in trouble~"
Admiral Kizaru commented lazily from a short distance away. Who exactly would be in trouble was left unsaid.
"Hahahaha! I really overestimated you, Victor. I thought you were as dangerous as the Straw Hats back in Impel Down, but now you're trembling before the battle even begins! Shiryu, don't waste time. Kill this coward — we've got bigger enemies to deal with!"
Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach sneered. For all his ambition, he and his crew truly believed Victor was afraid.
Especially Shiryu himself.
"Take this!"
Shiryu finally moved.
A slash as brilliant as the sun's rays cut mercilessly toward Victor's head!
Shiryu aimed to end it instantly — Victor's head was his target. In his mind, he had already won.
Clang!
Steel rang out.
Victor, well-versed in the art of acting, swung the Second Generation Kitetsu in both hands and, with great "difficulty," parried the strike.
"Come on, Shiryu! I'm not afraid of you! You're the one who'll die!"
Victor's grim face, his ragged breathing — it was a performance of forced courage, convincing to anyone who didn't know better.
"Then I'll grant your wish. Your head will be split open by my Thunderstorm!"
Shiryu, gripping his sword, Lei Yu, darted forward like a gust of wind. To him, Victor had only survived because of luck. Once he closed the distance, the fight was as good as over.
From a distance, Boa Hancock watched calmly, her beautiful blue eyes betraying no panic. Her peerless face even carried disdain.
Her man was strong.
What was a mere Shiryu compared to Victor? Nothing but someone running toward his own death.
The two clashed in a flurry of strikes, Shiryu gradually pressing Victor back.
"Victor!! As a swordsman, you should feel honored to die under my blade. You'll fall here, swallowed by the darkness of the Blackbeard Pirates!"
Step by step, Victor seemed to crumble under Shiryu's sword. Soon, his defense was nearly broken.
"Thunderstorm Slash!"
Shiryu unleashed a dazzling cut, convinced it would end the battle. At that moment, he even lost the little respect he'd held for Victor, believing him unworthy as a rival.
But then —
He froze.
Victor's trembling vanished. His lips curled into a sneer. His whole aura shifted, not a trace of fear remaining.
Shiryu's heart lurched.
"Shiryu, what a coincidence.
One of the things I'm best at is…"
Victor's eyes sparked with killing intent.
"Shattering the darkness with thunder!"
Swordsmanship x Thunder Art: 60 Million Volts — Thunder Dragon's Fury!
Victor burst forward with speed that completely eclipsed Shiryu's.
The moment Shiryu let his guard down, thunder that had been quietly building finally exploded outward!
The Thunder Dragon roared, its power crashing into Shiryu's chest before he could react.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Blinding lightning swallowed the battlefield, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
"Shiryu!!!" Blackbeard and his crew were stunned. None of them had anticipated this reversal.
Even Blackbeard himself, who proclaimed the supremacy of his darkness, felt a flicker of fear when Victor declared, "Shatter the darkness with thunder!"
When the lightning faded, Shiryu's figure reappeared.
He looked down at his chest — a massive hole, organs shredded by thunder. He was already finished.
"Victor… you tricked me… you won't tell me…"
His dying words dripped with unwillingness.
Victor sneered.
"I told you, you'd be the one to die. You didn't believe me. Now, our agreement is over."
He grabbed Shiryu's sword, Thunderstorm(Raiu), and with one clean strike, severed Shiryu's head.
The body collapsed heavily, while the head rolled dozens of meters away.
Blackbeard: "…"
Blackbeard's crew: "…"
"Gurarara! Teach, your flaw is arrogance. And it seems your crew shares it.
Even I feel terror at Victor's strength, and yet you underestimated him!?
See the ruins of Marine Headquarters? That wasn't me — that was Victor. With one punch, he crushed Akainu and destroyed Headquarters.
Brats like Victor, and Straw Hat Luffy, they're the true protagonists of the new era!"
Whitebeard laughed despite his wounds, savoring Victor's words: "Shatter the darkness with thunder."
The new era clearly belonged to Victor and the younger generation.
"Stop bluffing, old man! Destroy Marine Headquarters and crush Akainu with one punch? That brat? Shiryu just underestimated him, that's all!"
Blackbeard's eyes bulged. He refused to believe Whitebeard's words. Victor's strength was frightening, yes — but not to that extent.
"What are you waiting for? Attack together! Kill them both! Our darkness is the strongest!!!"