Unable to See Either Side's Movements!

William transformed into a cloud of hot white steam, carefully and slowly passing over the stone bridge, the turret on the opposite bank seemingly watching his every move.

However, what William cared about was not the tall and imposing metal turret, but the deserted, withered woods around it.

[Whoosh!]

Sure enough, just as the steam stepped onto the scorched ground, a rapidly spinning axe flew from the rear right side of the turret.

Just by hearing that sharp whooshing sound, you know it's going very fast.

Although William didn't possess Observation Haki, he was able to concentrate intensely and react immediately, quickly dispersing his steam.

[Bang!]

The flying axe flew through the steam and landed heavily on the surface of the stone bridge, blasting the stones in that area apart like a bomb. A large amount of rubble flew out like bullets, even reaching William in front of it and passing right through his body.

Upon closer inspection, the axe blade was deeply embedded in the stone bridge, with only the wooden handle remaining vertically on the ground, demonstrating just how terrifying its power was.

"That guy really does know Armament Haki!"

William's heart sank. Without a word, he immediately retreated. He knew that without Observation Haki, the risks of continuing to advance under the barrage of enemy weapons would be too great.

This is why he didn't fly across the river on either side; otherwise, if he were shot down, he would likely have to face the raging river.

You have to understand, this is the starting point of a journey, which is one of the gateways to the sea.

Fortunately, it seemed that the opponent only possessed Armament Haki; otherwise, he would definitely not have been able to avoid that attack.

[Swish! Swish!]

The 'bounty hunter' who has recently gained some fame on the Grand Line clearly has no intention of letting him off so easily.

A machete and a longsword were thrown out again, just as quickly and accurately as ever, and they were also Coating in a layer of Armament Haki invisible to the naked eye.

Unfortunately, William's vapor form was too ethereal and agile, sometimes dispersing and sometimes drifting, allowing him to evade them one by one without serious harm.

Hidden behind the turret, Gene Ango could only watch helplessly as the steam flew back to the other side.

The main issue is that he didn't carry many weapons this time.

Those naval personnel were only allowed to carry a limited number of weapons on their person, so he could only hold two in each hand, and then tie or wrap a dozen or so Eight Gates cold weapons around his back, chest, and waist.

For example, short axes, chain hammers, throwing knives, javelins, etc.

Overall, the quantity is still too small.

Although he could easily try to retrieve them after throwing them out, such opportunities would be rare, so he had to be careful.

But if we do that...

Morgan William and Gene Angoh were locked in a stalemate, separated by a bridge and a river.

Since the latter possesses Armament Haki, he could have charged forward head-on with a weapon in hand. However, as a professional sniper, he instinctively prefers throwing as his primary means of combat.

That's why there's such a proverb.

People generally don't choose the most rational way to act, but rather the way that makes them feel most comfortable. This has nothing to do with intelligence, but is simply a matter of habit.

Bottom lane.

Biba Amatori is engaged in a fierce battle with Hatchan, who is more than forty centimeters taller than him, on a stone bridge, wielding a longsword covered with a layer of 'Kabane's Heart Membrane'.

With six arms and six long swords, plus the natural strength and stamina of the Fish-Man Race, the latter's 'Six-Sword Style' sword technique was formidable against the former.

Although the former has enhanced its total number of cells, its physique has only reached the level of an ordinary Sea Star Person. In terms of the most primitive physical strength, it is still no match for Hatchan, who is Fish-Man Race.

But everyone knows that fighting is never simply a matter of who is stronger.

Biba Amatori not only mastered the Shave and Rankyaku techniques from the Rokushiki, but also gained a basic understanding of Armament Haki and Observation Haki. His Swordsmanship, derived from the 'Serpent Breathing' technique, is also quite excellent.

In addition, given his previous experiences and knowledge at the Army Headquarters, he wouldn't take Fish-Man Race like Hatchan seriously.

So he's basically dominating Hatchan with his attacks the whole time.

Even if the enemy's turret fires at him, Biba Amatori can easily slice the shell in half with a single slash—a feat he could never have imagined before.

Through this battle, Biba Amatori was able to clearly feel that she had indeed become much, much stronger.

He's no longer an ordinary person; he's a true superhuman!

If he had the strength he has now back then, why would I have needed to endure for more than a decade and go to such lengths to plan various actions? I could have stormed into 'Kongokaku' long ago with just one sword!

"That's not enough. I want to become stronger, step by step, to become a high-ranking member of the World Government and Pyramid top-tier powerhouse!"

The determination in Biba Amatori's eyes grew stronger, the blood in his veins burned with ambition, and the blade he swung became increasingly sharp and powerful.

"This guy's eyes are terrifying."

Amidst the clanging and clashing of weapons, Hatchan noticed a chilling red glint in the eyes of the woman who had swept her over.

At the same time, he noticed that he was already coiled up in the middle of a huge white python, with the snake's head above his head flicking its red tongue, eager to attack.

"This guy from Otherworld is a snake, a venomous snake!"

This instilled fear in Hatchan, who dared not hold back any longer and immediately unleashed his full power, intending to first break free from Biba Amatori's entanglement and then retreat temporarily.

"Behold my Six-Sword Style Secret Technique: Six-Sword Round Dance!"

In Setsuna, this pink-skinned Fish-Man Race with six arms and an octopus-like face transformed into a rapidly spinning Blade Storm.

Even the surrounding airflow was stirred up, forming Tatsumaki force powerful enough to slice the stone bridge to pieces.

This scene truly startled Biba Amatori.

If it weren't for his Armament Haki protecting him and Observation Haki sensing him, he would likely be seriously injured by now and would have been forcibly dragged into the Tatsumaki by those fierce energies.

Biba Amatori narrowed her eyes, staring at the Blade Storm that seemed to have abandoned 'Tower One' and was rapidly sweeping deeper into the area.

He felt that Hatchan's move was even more powerful than the storm unleashed by Sanemi Shinazugawa from the Army Headquarters.

"As expected, none of the contestants who stood out from the 'open auditions' were weak."

However, the battle that attracted the most attention from the audience of the four realms was neither William, who is a Logia- type Devil Fruit user, nor Biba Amatori, nor even Tengen Uzui, who was playing a game of 'whack-a-mole' all over the place.

Instead, it was Muzan Kibutsuji and the swordsman named 'Goethe' on the main road in the middle.

Their battle had completely destroyed the stone bridge over the river, and the two were engaged in a fierce and brutal fight amidst the piled-up ruins and surging river waves.

Several fleshy whips, Coating with Haki, danced wildly in the air at supersonic speed, clashing head-on with the various sword strikes unleashed by 'Goethe,' completely engulfing the arena in rapid, deafening roars.

Many spectators could no longer see the movements of either side clearly with their naked eyes.

All I could feel were countless blurry afterimages and roars filling every corner of the virtual screen.