The Opening Ceremony

Time flies, and the much-anticipated kendo tournament is finally about to begin.

This is the moment everyone has been waiting for, the eighteenth level of the Combat Pyramid, the very top, where a sea of people has gathered.

The stands surrounding the arena were packed with people, mostly swordsmen and participants in the Swordsmanship Tournament, with only a few important figures and members of large pirate crews, as they had priority.

The rest of the people inside the Combat Pyramid could only watch the opening ceremony through a large screen.

This made them feel regretful, while all over the world, countless people sat in front of the Transponder Snail (Transponder Snail and looking forward to the start of the kendo tournament opening ceremony.

Throughout the entire enormous arena, News Bird and fixed Transponder Snail telescopes) were already prepared in all directions.

On the other side, Morgans temporarily set up a data processing center with hundreds of video screens in front of him, displaying various scenes from the arena, allowing him to control the overall situation and switch between images at any time.

On a special high platform, the Four Emperors, these important guests, were seated alongside Teach, which served to highlight their status; this was necessary.

Many people are already familiar with them.

Most people's attention shifted to the side, to another high platform with three seats where three people sat, looking down.

They knew almost everything about these three people. Apart from Kozuki Oden, who had appeared when he came to Pagila Island, the other two were very mysterious.

"The Lone Red," the mysterious third swordsman, has now appeared before everyone. Morgans also deliberately turned the camera towards the three of them so that everyone could see them clearly, because next up is their show.

The sudden rejuvenation of Redfield shocked the entire ocean, causing many to gasp in astonishment.

Besides the Four Emperors who already knew about this, the major figures in the New World also include the Navy and the World Government.

This was undoubtedly a major event for them. How was it accomplished? Countless people were eager to know, and even the intelligence agencies under their protection began to understand.

At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku's eyes widened, and the other naval officers couldn't help but gasp.

The scene erupted in uproar, with Garp, Tsuru, and the others looking grave.

"How scary." Borsalino had lost his usual nonchalant attitude; his gaze behind his sunglasses was quite something.

"What's going on? Why am I getting younger? This is unbelievable!" Kake exclaimed in disbelief, standing up abruptly from his seat.

"Garp, did you sense anything?" Tsuru turned to Garp beside her and asked.

The gap in combat strength between her and Redfield was too great; she felt that Redfield was unfathomable.

Redfield is definitely an enemy the Navy needs to take seriously; judging from his current state, he has certainly fully recovered to his peak.

"I don't know, but my gut feeling tells me that Redfield seems to have gotten stronger," Garp said in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on Redfield.

Seemingly noticing his gaze, Redfield turned his head slightly to look at him, smiled, and their eyes met. At the point where their eyes met, it was as if Inazuma had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Soon, the two of them tacitly averted their gazes.

"It's probably because of Devil Fruit; after all, they have all sorts of strange abilities." Hearing Garp's words, Tsuru guessed that, since regaining youth and becoming stronger, the only way is through Devil Fruit.

"The Sengoku period must have sent people to investigate; let's just wait for news."

Originally, Redfield wasn't a Devil Fruit, he naturally possesses top-tier abilities, which is the only way to enhance his strength.

Redfield poses a greater threat, but at the same time, it now has an additional weakness: the Redfield and Seastone.

This can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

The other one, the mysterious swordsman, also aroused the curiosity of many people. Genryuusai Shigekuni's appearance made him a stranger to Dahai, and not many people knew him.

Even for the Lone Red, his intelligence had already spread throughout the entire sea due to fermentation.

This mysterious swordsman has always been shrouded in mystery.

But some people recognized him, especially some veteran swordsmen, who couldn't help but get excited. After all, Genryuusai Shigekuni was once Daimyo swordsman, although he disappeared from this sea long ago.

Seeing that it was almost time, Teach stood up, holding the microphone, and said, "Ahem!"

Teach coughed twice, and the noisy venue immediately quieted down, with the camera instantly shifting to Teach.

Teach wore a black pirate coat with gold trim, on which was tattooed a strange creature with three dragon heads and bat-like wings.

He was wearing a blue shirt and black trousers, with a gold and a silver pistol hanging from his waist.

Teach surveyed the entire venue, radiating an aura of royalty. Though it wasn't physically present, everyone could sense it—the aura of a powerful figure.

With a mere gesture, one can become the center of attention.

"I won't say much more. The opening ceremony that everyone has been waiting for is about to begin. Before that, please welcome the three witnesses of this kendo tournament to the stage." Teach grinned and waved his hand, pointing to where Redfield and the others were.

"The Lone Red, Redfield!"

Upon hearing his name called, Redfield stood up, holding his blood-red bat umbrella in one hand—his unique "knife," which was also his weapon.

He took two steps forward, and then, in a flash, before most people could even see how Redfield moved, Redfield appeared in the center of the arena.

His crimson robes fluttered slightly, and a faint smile graced his face; Redfield had an impeccable grasp of demeanor.

The title "The Crimson Earl" is no joke.

This speed is astonishing; in this aspect alone, few can match it.

"Redfield's still as flamboyant as ever," Shiki said with a cigarette dangling from his lips, watching Redfield on the court.

"Borsalino, do you still have an advantage in terms of speed against the Lone Red?" Kuzan asked, looking at Borsalino.

In terms of speed, Borsalino is undoubtedly one of the fastest people on this ocean. His Glint-Glint Fruit ability makes him virtually invincible from the start.

However, even Kuzan, who was familiar with Borsalino, couldn't tell Redfield's speed, hence the question.

"Well, I'd much rather face Whitebeard or Kaido than fight him." Borsalino didn't give a direct answer, but he made it clear that he didn't want to fight Redfield.

Especially for someone like Redfield, who is powerful in every way with no weaknesses, possesses extremely strong Observation Haki and the ability to "predict," and has such astonishing speed, the speed advantage of his Glint-Glint Fruit will undoubtedly be reduced to the minimum.

It's important to understand that his advantage lies primarily in the speed of his Glint-Glint Fruit; his overall strength is still somewhat lacking compared to a powerhouse like Redfield.

"Samurai, Kozuki Oden!"

Teach did not reveal Oden's identity as the shogun of Wano Country. Since he was a witness to the kendo tournament, he was naturally a swordsman, Wano Country was not important.

Some of the samurai from Wano Country present cheered.

The same was true in Wano Country the residents watching the video excitedly shouted Oden's name.

"Oden!"

"Haha!" Oden stood up, laughing loudly, and leaped into the air, his entire body soaring high into the sky, where he looked up and seemed to become a black dot.

Upon reaching the peak, descend rapidly and land steadily on the arena.

"Swordsman, Genryuusai Shigekuni!"

Finally, Genryuusai Shigekuni stood up, and all eyes fell on him.

"Finally, I can stretch my muscles a bit." Genryuusai Shigekuni smiled, stroking his long white beard. He was wearing a black robe underneath a white one.

Leaning on a cane, this man appeared to be an elderly man in his sixties, tall and thin. As the swordsman invited by Teach, his strength was certainly not in question, but many of those who did not recognize him still harbored a slight doubt.

However, those powerful figures did not dare to Genryuusai Shigekuni in the slightest.

Genryuusai Shigekuni was not slow. Although he did not reach the target in one step like Redfield or Kozuki Oden, he only took two steps. First, he jumped down from the platform, then flew like a glider to the center of the arena, and then stood steadily.

As you can see, the field is in a three-way standoff, with each player about fifty meters apart.

"The opening ceremony will feature an exhibition match between these three, another free-for-all. It will officially begin in a moment." Teach said this, the entire eighteenth level of the Combat Pyramid trembled slightly, as if some mechanism had been activated.

All I could feel was that the ground seemed to be rising, and from the outside, the entire tip of the Combat Pyramid appeared to be rising and opening up.

Looking up, you can see the sky that was previously blocked out, and the entire arena seems much brighter now.

At the same time, the surrounding stands moved outwards, about twenty meters away from the battleground. Similarly, solid walls rose up to form a railing, to protect the people in the stands from the intense fighting.

Immediately afterwards, eerie black mist spread out from Teach's feet, covering the entire area below the rising eighteenth level of the Combat Pyramid. From the outside, it looked as if a black tide was lifting up the eighteenth level.

Actually, no, it is still supported by the mechanisms below, the support structure of the Combat Pyramid.

Black energy spread, enveloping the walls surrounding the arena.

Teach's black aura has the function of absorbing energy and impact, which is also to protect the Combat Pyramid from being destroyed due to the intensity of the battle.

While providing more protection for the stands, it also allows Redfield to play without so much restraint, giving them a chance to fight to their hearts' content.

Teach had no doubt about their destructive power.

Although it's an exhibition match, it's definitely a real fight; otherwise, how can they demonstrate their strength? How can they convince the other swordsmen?

Everything was ready last night.

A giant hourglass was then taken out and fixed in place by members of the Night Pirates.

"Once the hourglass runs out, the battle will officially end in one hour."

"So," Teach laughed loudly, "The battle officially begins!"

As the hourglass turned, sand began to flow out, signifying the start of the opening ceremony.

The three people in the center of the arena looked at each other, but did not make a move at the beginning.

After about ten breaths, the three men's eyes narrowed, and they attacked simultaneously.

Oden drew his twin swords and ran forward quickly, his entire body enveloped in flowing Armament Haki, his demon sword Enma and Ame no Habakiri into Black Blade.

Redfield's figure flashed, transforming into a streak of blood.

Genryuusai Shigekuni, holding a cane, strode forward as well, his long beard and robe fluttering in the wind.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The three appeared in the center of the arena, their four weapons intertwining, causing the entire arena to tremble and terrifying shockwaves to spread outwards in waves.

A bright light shone so brightly that it was impossible to open one's eyes.

The hard arena floor was cracked by their battle; though the cracks were small, they revealed the terrifying power between them.

The spreading shockwave did not affect the onlookers; most of them were blocked and absorbed by Teach's black aura.

Almost simultaneously, the three retreated, with Redfield taking the lead. "Try these two swords of mine first," Redfield laughed, gripping his umbrella sword tightly and swinging it through the air.

The scene seemed to be filled with crimson, and the sky darkened as two enormous crimson slashes, like crescent moons, hurtled towards Genryuusai Shigekuni and Kozuki Oden respectively.

The slash, hundreds of meters high, exuded a terrifying aura and powerful Sword Intent, which the swordsmen could clearly feel.

This wasn't just swordsmanship; it also Haki. Redfield's powerful Armament Haki alone was enough to deter most people from those two sword strikes.

As a lone wolf on the high seas, very few people have actually witnessed Redfield's moves, but now, they have all seen it.

"Heh, then come on." Kozuki Oden laughed excitedly, charging straight at the terrifying slash.

"Oden Two-Sword Style: Tougen Shirataki!"

With a swift, high-speed swing of his twin swords imbued with Armament Haki, Oden unleashed a terrifying slash in return.

On the other side, Genryuusai Shigekuni said with a smile, "It's not easy for an old guy like me to stand out for once, I can't let you guys suppress me."

"Pine Torch!"

The instant he drew his sword, a blazing red light flashed, and to the astonishment of countless onlookers, Genryuusai Shigekuni unleashed a terrifying tornado-shaped flame that reached hundreds of meters in height. In terms of size, it was in no way inferior to Redfield's crimson slash.

Although there was a fiery tornado before them, many people could feel the terrifying and scorching Sword Intent within the flames.

A fierce collision ensued, with the crimson slash and the fiery tornado clashing and locked in a constant struggle. In the end, they seemed to vanish simultaneously due to exhaustion of their power.

The same applies to the other side.

"How terrifying!" This was the thought on everyone's mind as their eyes widened.

The aftershocks of the collision were extremely violent; if it weren't for Teach's Dark-Dark Fruit ability absorbing the shockwaves, most of the spectators would have been affected.

After this move, Oden and Genryuusai Shigekuni, with perfect coordination, headed straight for Redfield.

The clash has begun once again.

"Rising Sun Blade!"

With the ultimate Sword Intent, flames gathered at the tip of the blade as Genryuusai Shigekuni directly swung the Flowing Blade Like Fire in his hand.

This is a close-combat attack move. As it is swung, a terrifying and scorching Sword Intent is released. It does not burn or explode, but it is an ultimate release of Sword Intent.

The targets included not only Redfield, but also Kozuki Oden.

This move is extremely destructive, seemingly capable of erasing everything in its path without a trace.

Redfield and Kozuki Oden's expressions changed as they sensed a great crisis. They reacted quickly, Haki defensive abilities and leaping backward, seemingly trying to get away from Genryuusai Shigekuni.

Although there were no unusual flame phenomena, the ground in front of Genryuusai Shigekuni was directly melted, leaving a crater.

Seeing this scene, everyone couldn't help but gasp. They all knew how hard the Combat Pyramid ground was; the temperature must be terrifying to melt such a surface.

Even Kaido and Big Mom looked grave; if they were to take such a blow head-on, they would definitely suffer greatly.

Meanwhile, in the audience, the Great Swordmaster Kiyotsune Kuniichi's eyes lit up. This move was somewhat similar to his Ultimate Art of Annihilation, "Destruction that burns everything away."

Redfield and Kozuki Oden, who had personally experienced this move, felt it even more deeply.

That terrifying, scorching Sword Intent seemed to melt away their Haki.

However, this also aroused their fighting spirit, after all, being able to fight such a powerful swordsman would also be of great benefit to them.

Seemingly aware of each other's thoughts, the three exchanged a smile. Immediately afterward, terrifying auras erupted from their bodies, with black and red Inazuma intertwining and colliding.

The entire sky was split, with the clouds breaking apart and directly divided into three sections.

Dark clouds gathered, and lightning flashed and Thunderclap.

The changing scenes allow viewers to clearly see the changes in celestial phenomena.

Because they controlled the range of their Conqueror's Haki, it didn't affect the spectators. Even so, they still felt immense pressure.

With their Conqueror's Haki, these three individuals possessed the aura of kings. Seeing this, many knew that the real battle was about to begin.

Having reached this point, it means they're definitely shrouded in Conqueror's Haki. (To be continued)