Battle

After the first battle ended, there was one hour of preparation time before the second battle.

After all, you can't just sit there for so long. You need to eat something, drink some water, and take care of your physiological needs.

Meanwhile, the severely damaged arena also needs repair. It looks quite serious, but it can be fixed by adding some sand and rocks and leveling the ground. It won't take long.

The second match was between "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk and Shimotsuki Gyumaru.

One is a young, Great Swordmaster has risen to fame on the high seas; the other is the Daimyo of Wano Country, a genius swordsman in Wano Country youth and now a powerful and respected warrior.

The fight between the two was also very engaging.

As soon as the battle began, Mihawk struck first, drawing his Black Blade Night and unleashing a terrifying green slash.

Shimotsuki Gyumaru retaliated in kind, and without saying a word, the two began a fierce battle, with swords flashing and clashing.

Compared to the previous battle between the Gentleman and the Blind Swordsman Issho, where Yixiao's abilities were awe-inspiring, the battle between two pure swordsmen was more pleasing to the eye, though it also concealed deadly intent.

Although brute force can overcome skill, the difference between them is not significant in terms of sword techniques, skills, combat awareness, and other aspects.

Mihawk was dressed like an aristocrat.

Shimotsuki Gyumaru exuded a heroic aura, wielding two swords. He had taken off his kimono and tied it around his waist, revealing his strong physique with his upper body bare. On his back, the marks of two crossed black swords were clearly visible.

With a bamboo skewer in his mouth, he looked at Mihawk with admiration. There were few genius swordsmen like Mihawk in Wano Country, which was why he was going all out to give Mihawk the respect he deserved.

At the same time, he has the support of Wano Country, and this is a moment to bring glory to his country. No matter what, he will not easily show mercy.

With his incredible speed and sharp slashes, Shimotsuki Gyumaru displayed the full potential of the Two-Sword Style.

In a short period of time, Mihawk was forced to defend passively and was suppressed.

Mihawk was completely focused. He had fought against samurai from Wano Country before, but the pressure he faced was far less than that from Shimotsuki Gyumaru.

Whether in speed or strength, Shimotsuki Gyumaru is stronger than him. Now in his forties, Shimotsuki Gyumaru is at his peak.

Before long, Mihawk was panting, wielding his Black Blade, Night, to parry left and right, trying to find an opportunity to counterattack. However, Shimotsuki Gyumaru delivered a sharp slash, forcing Mihawk into a passive position.

"Mihawk, keep going! Don't give up so easily!" Shanks shouted from the stands, holding a bottle of liquor. He was disappointed that he couldn't make it to the final round, but Mihawk, as a friend and one of his few confidants from the Combat Pyramid, naturally supported Mihawk.

He had heard of Shimotsuki Gyumaru before, and he was quite familiar with Oden, but he had never met Shimotsuki Gyumaru. It was obvious who he was closer to.

Similarly, Shanks remained rational and did not blindly support him. The gap between the two was quite obvious. Apart from swordsmanship, Mihawk showed a significant difference in physique and Two types of Haki compared to Shimotsuki Gyumaru.

Such a gap is a significant factor affecting combat effectiveness.

"Go for it, Ushimaru-sama!"

On the other side, in the area where the Wano Country samurai were located, the samurai were cheering loudly for Shimotsuki Gyumaru. Although they also respected Mihawk, Shimotsuki Gyumaru represented their Wano Country.

Mihawk was clearly not going to be defeated so easily. Even though he was being suppressed, his eyes remained sharp and resolute, as if he firmly believed he would not lose.

He was not at a loss because of this; instead, he was looking for opportunities.

One counterattack, two counterattacks, rising to the challenge head-on—surprisingly, Mihawk seemed to grow stronger with each battle against Shimotsuki Gyumaru.

His strength is increasing, his aura is growing stronger, and he is becoming stronger in battle, demonstrating Mihawk's extraordinary talent.

Combat is always the best way to improve one's strength, and this kendo tournament is also a testing ground for Mihawk's transformation.

However, in the end, Mihawk was still defeated. The battle lasted for more than half a day. Continuing to fight would affect the next battle. Mihawk needed to be in perfect condition for the next battle.

Mihawk, who wields the Black Blade Night, doesn't care about winning or losing in the sword tournament. What he wants is to enjoy the battles with other swordsmen.

This also brought the audience a visual feast and a thrilling battle.

Next up is the battle Kiyotsune Kuniichi and Amatsuki Takeji. Their fight is also very exciting. Kiyotsune Kuniichi's fighting style shows traces of Wano Country swordsmanship. Combined with his clothing style, it is very likely that Kiyotsune Kuniichi's ancestors came from Wano Country.

Kimono is a popular garment in the seaside region and originated in Wano Country.

At the Kiyotsune Kuniichi is already over fifty years old. Similarly, Amatsuki Takeji, a samurai from Wano Country, is also at his peak. In his youth, he was a legendary figure and a genius samurai before Oden's rise to power.

The Sword Intent annihilates everything, the terrifying strike, contains terrifying destructive power.

This made both Kaido and Big Mom very wary; Kiyotsune Kuniichi's slash, it undoubtedly possessed the ability to injure them.

Looking at Kiyotsune Kuniichi now, Golden Lion Shiki couldn't help but recall that battle. Back then, he was already the mighty Golden Lion who shook the seas, known as the "Pirate Admiral," and his air fleet was beginning to take shape.

And Kiyotsune Kuniichi is also a renowned and powerful swordsman.

The two Great Swordmaster met and, without saying a word, immediately engaged in battle.

Thinking of that, the Golden Lion couldn't help but feel a dull ache in his abdomen.

The two Great Swordmaster, both at the peak of their abilities, fought fiercely without revealing the slightest flaw, and the situation captivated the attention of the spectators.

Faced with Kiyotsune Kuniichi's Sword Intent that could annihilate everything, one must not only defend against the sword strikes but also resist a sense of mental oppression.

As time passed, in the end, Amatsuki Takeji lost and voluntarily conceded defeat.

Next up is the battle between "Shadow Dragon" Rediat and "Black Swordsman" Kiritani Nao.

The title "Black Swordsman" comes from Kiritani Nao's black trench coat and leather jacket.

Kiritani Nao's weapons are a pair of swords, one black and one white. According to reports, these were specially crafted by a master swordsmith when Kiritani Nao was young. The "black sword" is the Explainer, and the "White Sword" is the Dark Repulser. In terms of quality, they are no less than ordinary Famous Sword.

Kiritani Nao's purpose was clearly not those two precious swords. His swords had been with him for more than ten years, so he would not easily discard them; he also had deep feelings for them.

Aside from fighting other swordsmen, his main goal was to obtain the precious ores from the Night Pirates to reforge his twin swords and improve their quality.

Compared to his battle with Teach, Rediat's swordsmanship has improved considerably, perfectly combining the Shadow Power with his sword techniques.

At the same time, he absorbed Redfield's swordsmanship experience, which further elevated his swordsmanship, like a sudden enlightenment, without any side effects.

The title "Shadow Dragon" is quite prestigious. As the second-in-command of the Night Pirates, his status is on par with "Dark Emperor" Teach, and he is also known as the "Shadow Master."

However, Shadow Dragon rarely takes action, mostly relying on his own abilities. Nevertheless, no one doubts his strength. He not only possesses a top-tier Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit ability, but is also the son of "The Lone Red," inheriting the bloodline of "The Lone Red." He is a born monster with terrifying potential.

As one of the world's top Great Swordmaster, how bad could Redfield 'Rediat swordsmanship be?

Deep shadows, sinister strikes, and a sharp Sword Intent imbued with a corrosive power.

Kiritani Nao was not to be outdone, wielding two swords, and surprisingly, she was even faster and more skilled than Shimotsuki Gyumaru, who was also Two-Sword Style.

The simple moves all displayed extraordinary power, with a sense of returning to simplicity.

Diagonal slash, horizontal slash, vertical slash, thrust.

In this world, swords and knives are indistinguishable; this single-edged sword with a distinct curve is the mainstream on the high seas.

Many people like to use this kind of sword with one point and two blades, but it is relatively rare. The most famous one is the now-deceased sea tyrant Ochoku.

The slight changes resulted in a significant difference in the fighting style, which was quite surprising and even novel.

Kiritani Nao's skills reached an astonishing level. The connection between her moves and her combos were dazzling. If it weren't for Rediat, an ordinary swordsman might have been defeated by Kiritani Nao's combos that left him unable to react in time.

Kiritani Nao's reaction speed is even more astonishing; she can be summed up in one word: fast.

Horizontal arc slash, vertical arc slash, the snake's bite double attack series, each move concealing a deadly intent.

A triple strike with sharp claws.

The four-hit combo, a four-directional slash, is impossible to dodge.

This fighting style is simply dazzling.

This was the first time Rediat had faced such an opponent, and such a fighting style was difficult to imitate.

Moreover, his strongest Observation Haki ability, "mind reading," was ineffective against Kiritani Nao. Due to his superhuman reaction speed, Kiritani Nao seemed to be acting without thinking at all, her body moving instinctively—yes, instinctively.

Kiritani Nao is undoubtedly a combat genius, possessing terrifying combat instincts.

With this style of swordsmanship, an ordinary swordsman might not even have time to react before falling into Kiritani Nao's fighting rhythm and being utterly defeated.

Rediat was forced into a defensive position, and although he had sustained injuries, they were insignificant compared to his powerful regenerative abilities. His Haki also weakened Kiritani Nao's attacks.

Rediat was accelerating, trying to increase his speed while getting used to Kiritani Nao's fighting rhythm.

This is clearly impossible to achieve in a short time, and Kiritani Nao won't give Rediat any time.

They increased the intensity of their attack.

In the end, Rediat was defeated, to the surprise of many, and surrendered after a full half-day of fighting.

However, this was not Rediat's true strength. Due to the limitations of the rules, Rediat did not fully utilize his advantages, and the power he displayed was at most less than half of his full strength.

Kiritani Nao, the Two-Sword Style swordsman, completely amazed many people through this battle, making them take this lone wolf of the sea seriously as a genius swordsman as well.

He has already developed his own way of swordsmanship and could very well be the founder of a new school.

At the same time, achieving something like Kiritani Nao truly requires talent and is extremely difficult.

Even Mihawk admitted that he couldn't do it; it was simply too difficult and not at all his style.

Next up is the battle between "Uranus" Rhine and "Sword Spirit Style" Himuro Kenshin.

As Great Swordmaster, Rhine's skill level in swordsmanship is only average to slightly above average among Great Swordmaster, but the power of his sword techniques is terrifying.

The power of the Air-Air Fruit allows Rhine to control air currents. He has already developed this Paramecia Devil Fruit to the point of Awakening, and its power is no less than that of a natural disaster.

The perfect combination of swordsmanship and Devil Fruit results in slashes imbued with terrifying air currents with every gesture. A single misstep could send you flying, crushed, or even torn apart by the force of the air currents.

"The wind sweeps away the clouds!"

Rhine dared not underestimate the young swordsman in front of him. He had long heard of the Daimyo Flying Dragon Sword Style and had also looked up information about it before the battle.

A slash imbued with blue and white light instantly covered the entire arena. Terrifying air currents, mixed with Sword Intent, surged continuously, while simultaneously attacking Himuro Kenshin, seemingly squeezing his space.

Himuro Kenshin's gaze sharpened at this. He had long, reddish-brown hair tied in a ponytail, and a very noticeable cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.

Wearing a kimono, red on top and white on the bottom, with a Reverse Blade samurai sword similar to the one used in Wano Country at her waist, it is actually a Famous Sword, "Reverse Wheel," which ranks among the twenty-one Great Grade Swords.

Himuro Isshin, in battle stance, exudes an extremely sharp aura. As the fourteenth successor of the Flying Dragon Sword Style, Himuro Isshin is very famous in his hometown area, which is the sea area near a kingdom in the New World. Countless vicious pirates have died at his hands, their lives taken by his "Flying Dragon Sword Style".

"Dragon Nest Flash!"

This was a slash faster than the naked eye could see, splitting the terrifying airflow in two.

Himuro Isshin's figure flashed, quickly attacking Rhine.

The terrifying aspect of the "Flying Dragon Sword Style" lies in its exquisite techniques and terrifying destructive power. Although it is named after "flying," it is basically composed of close-combat moves, each strike aimed at taking the enemy's life.

But in Himuro Isshin's hands, it displayed such terrifying power.

"Twin Dragon Flash!"

"Dragon Soaring Flash!"

"Dragon Cone Flash!"

Unable to freely use his Devil Fruit powers, Rhine's combat strength was greatly weakened, and he was ultimately defeated in the face of Himuro Isshin's attack.

After all, this is a kendo tournament.

Our Mr. Borsalino was lucky enough to get a bye.

The final round of the kendo tournament consisted of fifty-five battles, which were divided into eleven rounds of five each. In each round, one swordsman would receive a bye, and all eleven qualifiers would have their turn once.

During this period, there is a day of rest. After all, the battles are continuous, with each five battles lasting two or three days. No one's body can withstand that kind of fatigue.

The one-day buffer period was just right. (To be continued)