"Keh heh heh… quite the tough mouths you have there. Let me give you some bad news. I never informed my superiors that you showed up, so once I catch you, I will have all the time in the world to play with you. You will regret ever being born into this world."
"Oh, then I am truly grateful."
As Ethan spoke, his hand settled on the hilt of his sword.
"You still want to fight me? Every CP9 elite has the strength of a Rear Admiral from Navy Headquarters.
"You have never even been to the Grand Line. You cannot imagine how terrifying that level of power is. Let me show you.
"Do not blink. It will be over quickly."
He did not keep rambling. This time, he planned to take them down first and then slowly enjoy tormenting his prey.
"Shave."
Clang!
Ethan drew his sword and slashed behind him. Sparks burst in midair.
The impact was heavy. Even with one hand on the hilt, his arm almost lost its grip, but he still managed to block the strike.
"Oh? You have some skill. Then how about this?"
The CP9 agent began to use Shave repeatedly, leaving a trail of afterimages all across the chamber.
"How is it? You cannot even touch the hem of my coat.
"Hahahahaha!"
White smears of motion flashed everywhere inside the enclosed basement, accompanied by that idiotic, grating laugh.
This nameless CP9 operative was thoroughly enjoying himself.
Clang! Clang! Clang…!
Sparks glittered again and again in empty air.
Ethan kept swinging, taking each blow head on. He was getting used to the man's rhythm, his force, the way his attacks came in.
At the same time, he was letting the enemy move however he liked, while his Observation Haki tracked the habit and pattern of those movements.
As the weaker one, he had to endure. He had to be patient.
There!
At the moment he swung his sword again, Ethan's figure vanished as well.
Slash.
The CP9 agent suddenly felt a chill across his back. He lunged forward in a burst of speed, abandoning the spot where he had just been standing.
When he turned, he saw Ethan flicking his blade, casting droplets of blood aside.
Blood?
He reached back with a hand, and the liquid he felt was his own.
"You… you actually cut me. You know the Six Powers? Did some traitor in the Navy teach you?"
"No comment."
"I am going to get serious now, brat."
Black Armament Haki crawled over both of the agent's forearms. He planned to crush this kid as quickly as possible.
But when he saw the same black coating twining around Ethan's blade, he was left speechless.
Was this kid a monster?
At this point, the CP9 agent regarded Ethan as a mortal enemy. Even a lunatic understood that a swordsman who could coat his weapon in Armament Haki was not someone to be taken lightly.
Armament Haki was the skill Ethan had chosen to push to master-level with his one-time "experience card."
Armament was heavily dependent on the strength of the body, and his physical cultivation had never been fast enough to keep up. Given the chance to experience high-tier Armament Haki in advance, he had obviously chosen it. It was also a life-saving option.
So this is what Armament Haki on the same level as a swordmaster feels like. It really is powerful.
The two locked eyes for a heartbeat, then clashed again.
Each had their own strengths and weaknesses.
Ethan's advantage lay in his temporarily perfected, master-level Armament Haki. His offensive power had jumped to a whole new tier.
But his swordsmanship realm was not yet high enough to fully control that power, and this was his first time fighting at this level. His experience was lacking.
The CP9 agent, on the other hand, was seasoned, with stronger overall stats.
But he had underestimated Ethan at the start and taken a cut across the back that had nearly nicked a nerve.
Even if he clamped down on his muscles and stemmed the bleeding, it would not last forever. And in the heat of battle, having to constantly keep that wound under control occupied a good chunk of his focus.
They fought their way up from the basement to the surface, continuing their duel amid Ohara's ruins.
Cuts multiplied on both their bodies, but the situation was turning against Ethan. The power of the era was running dry.
The borrowed master-level Armament was about to expire. The instant his concentration slipped, the CP9 agent caught the opening and drove a Tempest Kick straight into him, blasting Ethan into the remains of the Tree of Knowledge.
Crashing into the shattered trunk, Ethan felt a roaring fury swell in his chest.
How could he lose here? How could he possibly fall in this place?
In front of his eyes, he saw it again: the Tree of Knowledge in flames, the village burning, himself burning.
Fire burst to life in the depths of his pupils as he shot free of the ruins and charged the CP9 agent once more.
"It is useless, boy.
"I have already seen through you. A body that fragile should not be able to wield Haki that strong. Your Haki is fading, do you realize that?
"I do not know what you did before this, but now you are going to die in my hands."
Six Powers Secret Technique: Super Tempest Kick.
A massive blade of compressed air hurled itself toward Ethan. The stench of death wrapped tightly around his heart.
"You are right. You have seen through all of that.
"But that is still not my limit, you bastard!"
He clenched his sword, teeth grinding, eyes locked on the wave of destruction rushing toward him as he swung.
He poured into that strike his conviction, his everything.
And one last attempt, a gamble on something he had never once succeeded in doing.
Boom!
A crushing surge of spiritual pressure swept across Ohara's ruins.
"Break… for me!!!"
Conqueror's Haki surged down the blade, and a red sword aura like living flame smashed into the air wave, shattering it in an instant before roaring on to carve across the CP9 agent.
"What a powerful sword… what is that technique called?"
"It has no name."
(End of Chapter)
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