Once they said they'd fight, they meant it. No jokes.
The crew happened to be docked to restock supplies, so they had the perfect opportunity.
Whitebeard gripped Murakumogiri, settling into a stance, his gaze sharp as a hawk's. Chu Qiye stood opposite him, equally focused.
"Qiye, ever since boarding this ship, I've been getting stronger every day. You'd better be careful."
"Heh… That's exactly what I was going to say to you. Make your move."
"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you!"
Whitebeard tightened his grip on Murakumogiri, raised it high, and slashed downward.
A blade aura four to five meters tall tore through the ground, surging toward Chu Qiye like an unstoppable force.
With both hands casually tucked in his pockets, Chu Qiye didn't even make a gesture. A Vajra Protection Talisman materialized out of thin air, forming a barrier around him.
Boom!
The blade aura slammed into the golden shield.
[Tongtian Register (Mastered), Proficiency 72%]
Ever since mastering the Tongtian Register, Chu Qiye had learned to draw talismans with pure intent. Not every talisman could be formed this way—but those that could were faster and more efficient.
Thought was always quicker than motion.
By using intent instead of hand signs, Chu Qiye could free both hands—raising his combat strength to another level.
The second-layer Vajra barrier couldn't withstand Whitebeard's slash and shattered—but it successfully neutralized the attack.
At the very instant the shield broke, Whitebeard had already closed the distance. Murakumogiri came down again in a crushing arc.
As one of the Supreme Grade Blades, coupled with Whitebeard's monstrous strength and Armament Haki, the weapon was something Chu Qiye dared not block head-on. He twisted aside to evade.
Though he avoided the strike, a streak of blade aura grazed his cheek, cutting it open. Blood flowed.
But in the next second, the blood flowed backward, and the wound healed at visible speed.
"Not fair!" Chu Qiye protested loudly. "You've got a weapon—I'm barehanded. How's that supposed to work?"
"Gurararara…" Whitebeard laughed. "What, you expect me to drop my blade and compete in pure hand-to-hand with a monster like you?"
Whitebeard knew better than anyone how terrifying Chu Qiye's close-combat skills were. He had no illusions.
"Qiye, why don't you use a sword? I remember your swordsmanship being pretty good."
"If it's not a Supreme Grade Blade, I'm not interested."
"…"
Whitebeard was speechless.
"In that case, don't blame me for bullying you."
With that, he swept Murakumogiri horizontally.
"Golden Armor Talisman—Third Layer!"
Golden light flared across Chu Qiye's arm. Combined with Armament Haki, he managed to block Murakumogiri with his forearm.
Seeing his blade stopped by a bare arm, Whitebeard grinned.
"Qiye, using your arm to block my blade… Did you forget something?"
"Not good!" Chu Qiye's brows furrowed.
It had been a while since Whitebeard had gone all out. He'd nearly forgotten—
Whitebeard was a Devil Fruit user.
And not just any fruit—the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the strongest Paramecia.
Before Chu Qiye could react, a white shockwave aura formed around Murakumogiri.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the air.
Boom!
"Chu Qiye" shattered into pieces under the impact.
But the shattered body transformed into a talisman, drifting gently to the ground.
The real Chu Qiye reappeared dozens of meters away.
"Qiye, your tricks never seem to run out."
Chu Qiye smiled. "I do my best."
The Substitute Talisman of Sacrificial Escape, like the Five Upper Pure Guardians Talisman, was a life-saving charm that had to be prepared in advance.
"You've slashed me twice. Now it's my turn to perform."
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Five Immortal-Binding Talismans lit up beneath Whitebeard's feet, encircling him.
"When did you—?!" Whitebeard's eyes widened.
Five chains shot out, binding his arms, legs, and neck.
"Five Thunder Talisman—Fourth Layer!"
A thunder dragon roared forth, hurtling straight at him.
"RAAAAH!!!"
Just before impact, Whitebeard roared in fury, veins bulging as he pushed the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to its limits.
Crack! Crack!
Fractures spread through the air itself, space splitting like glass. The ground trembled violently.
The five chains—and the thunder dragon—were shattered completely.
Though he blocked the attack, Whitebeard was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.
He was still young. Not yet the man who could casually shatter space decades later.
"Edward, as expected of you. Even in that situation, you blocked my Fourth Layer Thunder Talisman."
Chu Qiye's eyes gleamed.
"But if you can block four layers… let's see if you can block five."
"Gurararara! Bring it on! Let's settle this!"
Both men were fired up now, blood boiling. There was no talk of holding back.
Only one objective remained—
Victory.
The Fifth Layer of the Five Thunder Talisman—the absolute limit of its power, and Chu Qiye's strongest move to date.
"Five Thunder Talisman—Fifth Layer!"
Five thunder talismans overlapped. Even before activation, arcs of lightning crackled around Chu Qiye's body.
Edward gripped Murakumogiri tightly, pouring both Armament Haki and the full force of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit into the blade.
A dragon's roar split the sky.
A thunder dragon six to seven meters thick burst forth, tearing through the air with overwhelming force as it charged at Edward.
Where it passed, rocks disintegrated. Grass, flowers, even insects were instantly reduced to charcoal.
Edward leapt high into the air, swinging with all his might at the oncoming dragon—like a hero slaying a dragon of legend.
BOOOOM—
The explosion shook the heavens.
Shockwaves spread across the entire island, even rocking the pirate ship anchored offshore.
"My god! Are those two monsters?!"
"I always thought Qiye was just coasting! I was wrong! Qiye, I'm sorry!"
"I bet on Whitebeard… I'm gonna lose everything!"
…
The pirates gasped in disbelief.
Only Rocks stood silent, expressionless, staring at the island.
To be honest, the growth of Edward and Chu Qiye had exceeded even his expectations.
And that was not necessarily a good thing.
After an unknown amount of time, Edward and Chu Qiye emerged from the smoke, supporting each other as they slowly walked toward the shore.
"Well?! Who won?!" the pirates asked eagerly.
Edward and Chu Qiye exchanged a glance and smiled.
Then they answered in unison:
"A draw!"
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