Blades clashed with dragon claws.
A terrifying rumble echoed across the island. The ground beneath Dragon's feet began to crack open. To their surprise, a fragrant aroma wafted up from the fissures. The shockwaves from their clash scattered the scent in all directions.
The aftermath of their battle was so fierce that it tore through the thick layers of soil on the "Baron of the Stomach," wounding the creature itself. This island-like plant, seemingly sentient, recoiled in pain, its petals quickly withdrawing like a sea anemone under threat.
And yet, neither combatant seemed the least bit aware of the island's reaction.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's initial strike failed. Without hesitation, he shifted tactics, drawing his long blade with a swift motion and thrusting it directly toward Dragon's chest. Dragon was no ordinary opponent. He wielded not only an awakened Logia-type Devil Fruit but also an overwhelming mastery of Haki.
The terrifying Haki condensed on his right claw, Yoriichi recognized it instantly.
That was Conqueror's Haki.
Now, Dragon had not only awakened his Conqueror's Haki but had also mastered Advanced Conqueror's Coating. His power was leagues beyond what Borsalino had shown back on Boin Archipelago.
Where Kizaru had weaknesses, his Haki was comparatively weak, and his hand-to-hand combat lacking but Dragon had none.
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
Yoriichi launched a flurry of strikes. As the ground tilted beneath them, their battlefield shifted from the earth to the skies. Dragon no longer relied on his Devil Fruit powers to fend off Yoriichi's attacks. Instead, like his opponent, he used Moonwalk to ascend into the air, countering Yoriichi's relentless blows with his claws.
Their exchange was blindingly fast. To any onlooker, the fight was reduced to two streaks of light weaving and colliding midair. With every clash, a deafening metallic resonance rang out, carried far and wide by the sea breeze.
Even without his Devil Fruit, Dragon's speed remained terrifying but not beyond Yoriichi's ability to react. With his mastery of the Transparent World and Observation Haki, Yoriichi could often read Dragon's intentions before he struck, dodging with uncanny precision.
As for Dragon, although his Observation Haki offered little advantage against Yoriichi, his Devil Fruit powers provided subtle alerts. The moment Yoriichi struck, Dragon could sense the attack's trajectory. And with just enough speed to stay a step ahead, he was able to deflect most of the incoming blows.
"A crimson blade wreathed in flame, hardened by powerful Armament Haki, and enhanced by terrifying Killer Intent."
"Relying on just that alone, if I didn't use my Devil Fruit or my Advanced Haki I'd stand no chance!"
"This kid's not just fast, his combat instincts are razor-sharp. Every move flows seamlessly into the next, whether it's offense or defense. No openings at all."
"If I weren't this fast… If my defenses weren't this strong… Anyone else in my place would've been shredded by now!"
Throughout their battle, Dragon alternated between distinct forms of Haki for offense and defense.
To block Yoriichi's blade strikes, he used Advanced Conqueror's Coating. But when counterattacking, he relied instead on Armament Haki.
The reason was simple: if Dragon struck back with Advanced Haki every time, he could overpower Yoriichi in sheer force—matching power with power and retaliating in an instant. While Yoriichi's strength was considerable, his Haki still had room to grow.
Such an approach, however, would defeat the very purpose of this confrontation, it wouldn't serve as a proper trial or test.
That said, putting aside the level of Haki mastery, Yoriichi's overall power had already reached terrifying heights.
They had been clashing for over ten minutes. Yoriichi had been unleashing intense Haki continuously. Now, fatigue was finally starting to show.
Such a high-intensity battle drained his Haki at a staggering pace. Unable to finish the fight within that time, his Haki reserves were nearly depleted. His stamina, too, was vanishing fast barely anything left.
CLANG!
High in the air, Dragon parried Yoriichi's slash with a single claw, then swiftly dropped back to the ground.
He could sense it, Yoriichi was rapidly losing strength.
Intercepting yet another of Yoriichi's attacks, Dragon called out,
"Yoriichi, that's enough for now."
"Your condition's deteriorating too quickly. Take a break."
Hovering midair, Yoriichi had just raised his blade overhead, ready to launch another strike. But hearing Dragon's words, he slowly lowered his katana and descended to the ground beside him.
The moment the battle paused, exhaustion came crashing in.
Yoriichi's heart pounded furiously in his chest, his breaths burning as they tore through his lungs.
It felt like… like a 400-pound man had just sprinted a full kilometer at top speed.
The overwhelming fatigue knit his brows together in a deep frown.
He had never felt like this before, never.
Not until today did Yoriichi realize just how short the duration was when he fought at full power, combining Haki, his Breathing Technique, activating his Crimson Blade, and pushing his Haki to the limit all at once.
This island had always been rife with danger. He'd never dared go all-out before.
Though he had already drained his Haki reserves earlier that morning before Dragon arrived, a brief period of rest and meditation had allowed him to recover about 30%.
But even that much Haki wasn't nearly enough to sustain full-power combat for long.
"If I go all out… I can only last an hour."
"Dragon really is ridiculously strong."
Back on the ground, Yoriichi gasped for breath, each inhale heavy and ragged. Sweat poured from his pores, stinging as it ran down open wounds. He winced at the searing pain and glanced down at his battered body.
"Covered in cuts… If I'd stayed a moment longer in the eye of that storm, these wounds wouldn't have been so shallow."
He gave a wry smile, finally gaining a clearer understanding of both his own strength—and Dragon's.
The gap between him and the world's top fighters was still… vast.
To Yoriichi, Dragon, whose Logia Devil Fruit had awakened, and who had mastered Advanced Haki Infusion must surely be among the strongest beings alive.
"Truly… astonishing, Yoriichi."
"Your strength is terrifying."
Dragon walked over, placed a small first-aid kit by Yoriichi's feet, then flopped down on the ground with no regard for dignity, praising him with an easy grin.
Yoriichi blinked in surprise at the medical kit, then looked at Dragon with a deep, pensive gaze.
"The ship's hundreds of meters away."
"And yet in the blink of an eye… he brought this kit."
"During that whole battle, he wasn't even going all out."
"If he truly combines his Devil Fruit with his Haki at full power… just how strong is this man?!"
"Are all the monsters at the peak of the pirate world like this...? I've still got a long way to go."
The thoughts swirled in Yoriichi's heart, and after a long exhale, he sat down beside Dragon, just as unceremoniously.
Still, he didn't reach for the first-aid kit. These injuries… weren't worth the trouble.
The blood had already started to clot. If he sat a bit longer, he figured most of the wounds would probably heal on their own.
After resting for a moment, some of his strength returned. Turning his head toward Dragon with a sudden spark in his eyes, Yoriichi asked with genuine excitement:
"Dragon, how do you get Conqueror's Haki?!"
"And once you have it, how do you train it?!"
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