Gion's words sounded especially grating to everyone present. Momonga drew his katana with a sharp clang and was about to accept the challenge when Ginny stepped in front of Gion before he could.
She stared straight into Gion's eyes and said, word by word,
"You're getting a little too full of yourself. Brother Gigue's strength isn't something you can question!"
Gion laughed. Having been a favored daughter of heaven since childhood, she had always looked down somewhat on women like Ginny, who devoted themselves to idolizing a man. She said disdainfully,
"Say whatever you like. In the end, you're just a little girl blinded by feelings. Wake up, little sister. Your Brother Gigue might not be as wonderful as you think."
Jessica's face darkened with anger. Straightforward by nature, she no longer cared about anyone's background and rushed forward to argue with Gion.
Ginny grabbed Jessica and pulled her behind her. Her strength was immense, and Jessica was dragged back without any ability to resist.
Taking out the golden pistol Gigue had given her, Ginny said coldly,
"Didn't you come here to challenge us? I'll fight you!"
"You?"
Gion folded her arms and swept her gaze over Ginny's slender figure before saying,
"Are you stronger than that person just now?"
"Won't you find out once we fight?"
Remembering the speed Ginny had inadvertently displayed earlier, Gion nodded. She pointed Kompira at Ginny and said,
"Make your move. Let me see what you're capable of."
Ginny said nothing more. She raised her leg and unleashed a Rankyaku kick. Gion sidestepped it, glanced at the crack carved into the ground by the Rankyaku, and nodded slightly as she thought,
Not bad power, but the speed is still lacking.
When she looked at Ginny again, however, Ginny had already vanished from her sight.
Yet Gion showed no panic. She had long since awakened Observation Haki, and through its senses, she quickly detected Ginny's position.
Two gunshots rang out. Two bullets flew toward Gion from behind, but she did not even look back. With a single backward swing of her sword, she cleaved both bullets in half.
She turned gracefully and spoke to Ginny, who stood not far behind her,
"Little sister, your Shave is quite proficient. On that point alone, I'll admit you're far stronger than that person from before."
Kashou, standing among the spectators, flushed bright red with embarrassment.
Ginny did not take those words to heart at all. With Gigue as her goal, she would not grow smug over such cheap praise.
She lightly bit her lip and dropped to one knee, white smoke still rising from her pistol. This woman was far stronger than she had imagined.
Her Rankyaku was not particularly practiced to begin with, and Gion clearly excelled in speed, so it was only natural that she had dodged it.
That was why the Rankyaku had only been a feint from the start. Gunplay was Ginny's true specialty. After all, bullets were much faster than her Rankyaku.
She had used Shave to find the best possible firing position just now, yet Gion had still seen through it easily, wasting two bullets for nothing.
Her ammunition was limited. Once she ran out, she would have no choice but to use Taijutsu to clash head-on with the Kompira in Gion's hand, which was obviously extremely disadvantageous for her.
Gion lifted her chin, a charming smile curling at the corner of her lips as she said,
"Come to think of it, this open terrain is indeed rather unfair to a gun user like you. I won't give you another opportunity like that one just now. Why don't you just surrender? It wouldn't look very good if you got hurt later, you know~"
Ginny snorted and slowly straightened up, replying coldly,
"You don't need to worry about that. Who wins and who loses is still far from decided!"
Gion stretched lazily, subtly showing off her proud curves as she said in a languid voice,
"All right, all right. Then let's continue."
The moment she finished speaking, Ginny used Shave again and flashed straight toward Gion.
Gion had not expected a gun user like Ginny to forgo opening the distance and instead engage a swordswoman like her at close range. She immediately smiled and said,
"What? You seem a little too impatient. Fighting me in close combat isn't a wise choice."
As she spoke, she flipped Kompira in her hand and viciously swung its flat toward Ginny's abdomen. The blow was immensely powerful; if it landed, Ginny would likely lose her ability to fight immediately.
But Ginny made a move that left everyone present dumbfounded. She reached out with one hand toward the incoming Kompira, grabbed it with all her strength, and actually clamped the blade firmly in her hand.
The sharp edge sliced open her pale fingers, and blood dripped down the blade onto the ground. Gion's eyes widened as she cried out,
"Are you insane?! Aren't you afraid of becoming crippled?"
If Ginny had misjudged her strength even slightly, given the sharpness of the Famous Sword Kompira, losing several fingers would have been effortless.
A cold sweat broke out on Gion's back. She had never imagined that a delicate-looking girl like Ginny could be so ruthless toward herself.
Even though the hand gripping the blade was already drenched in blood, Ginny did not so much as furrow her brow. A faint smile even appeared on her face as she said softly,
"What is a wound like this compared to the pain I've endured before?"
In Gion's widening pupils, Ginny drove a fist into her stomach. The powerful blow sent her flying backward before she crashed heavily onto the ground.
Ginny shook the blood from her hand and muttered to herself,
"You dared to talk about my Brother Gigue. You have to pay a price for that!"
Gion clutched her stomach with one hand and used Kompira to support herself as she rose. After coughing violently several times, she quickly recovered.
A layer of black slowly faded from her abdomen. Momonga and the others watching the battle darkened at the sight, while Kashou said grimly,
"Oh no! She awakened Armament Haki too. Ginny's attack just now was neutralized by her Haki!"
Kashou's feelings became even more complicated, because it meant that, as a grown man, he had not even forced Gion to use her Armament Haki. It was as though someone had slapped him hard across the face again.
Gion did not even glance at him. She brushed the dust from her clothes, and her expression grew increasingly cold.
She had awakened Armament Haki, but it was not particularly strong. Ginny's strike had not been completely neutralized as Kashou claimed. At the very least, she could still feel intense pain throbbing from her abdomen.
That punch had also stirred Gion's anger. She once again assumed a sword-drawing stance, clearly intending to end this match.
Ginny had seen Gion's sword aura and knew she could not evade it, but she still fearlessly raised her pistol and aimed its muzzle at Gion.
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