Instant Kill!

The giant trees on both sides were all severed at the waist, and terrifying Sword Qi filled the entire forest. Anything it touched escaped neither pulverization nor annihilation.

The blades danced so tightly that not even a breath of air could pass through them, completely enveloping August. No matter how fast Morito's Shave was, he couldn't hurt him.

Because this was his absolute Gale Domain. No one could penetrate it.

"Wonderful! Lord August's ultimate technique, Blade Gale, has no openings for attack. It combines offense with absolute defense."

"That brat's speed is useless now!"

"Lord August is mighty!"

Seeing their leader August make his move, the pirate underlings immediately became energized and cheered excitedly.

They seemed to have already seen Morito being shredded into minced meat by the airtight gale of blades!

"He surrounds his body with Sword Qi, putting anyone who approaches within the gale's range of damage. The effect is somewhat similar to a mobile Rotation."

"In terms of power, it should be weaker than Rotation."

Morito didn't rush to attack or defend. Instead, he focused on observing the weaknesses in August's technique.

"Huh? Wait!"

Was this Armament Haki?

He actually knew Armament Haki?

Although its intensity was relatively weak, was this really the level of someone worth 89 million Beli? Even Luffy in the story had reached 300 million and still didn't know what Armament Haki was, right?

If this had been a month ago, Morito might have found it difficult to deal with.

But the Morito of today was completely different from the Morito of a month ago.

He hadn't endured all those beatings over the past month for nothing.

The seemingly dense storm of blades actually consisted of only two swords. No matter how fast he swung them, that fact wouldn't change.

Was he just deceiving himself?

Morito reacted with lightning speed and extended one hand. His fingers and palm were covered in an ink-black color up to his wrist.

Armament Haki Enhancement!

Clang!

He flicked his bent finger!

Morito casually flicked away the blade descending toward him with two consecutive fingers. The airtight gale of blades August had been dancing also came to a stop in an instant.

"Unless you can conjure a hundred swords, otherwise..."

It would only be bringing humiliation upon yourself.

August's twin swords were knocked aside, leaving his center exposed. Morito followed the opening and kicked out.

Without the slightest surprise, Morito's foot struck August in the chest.

The explosive force of his short-range power burst produced a muffled boom. Under the terrifying force, August's body shot backward through the air.

"What terrifying strength!"

August's chest tightened, and he nearly lost his breath from that kick.

It was completely different from the feeble attack earlier!

He couldn't understand where this skinny-limbed brat had gotten such tremendous strength!

Gentle Fist and Steel Fist were naturally different, whether in the force behind the attack or the energy carried by the punch.

Morito's counterattack had been too fast. It had been so fast that no one knew what he had done.

They only saw him casually wave his arm before breaking August's ultimate technique, then kick him flying.

"This..."

"Lord August's ultimate technique stopped on its own, right?"

Everyone stared blankly at the scene before them. Yet before they had much time to recover from their shock, Morito moved again.

Shave!

Morito flashed forward, and his dark fingers thrust out fiercely.

The Byakugan's insight was terrifying.

With one glance, he had seen through the opening in August's defense.

August was suspended in midair, making it extremely difficult to adjust his body and change direction. He could only raise the twin swords in his hands to block.

"Too late!"

Morito secretly increased the force and speed of his attack.

Clang!

As a crisp metallic ringing exploded, Morito's finger struck the blade. The twin swords in August's hands shattered on the spot.

"No..." Impossible!

August opened and closed his mouth, but in the end, he didn't voice the disbelief in his heart.

Morito's finger had already pierced through his chest, stabbing through his heart. Blood flowed along the dark finger.

August's pupils dilated as the life drained from him.

"That was Armament Haki just now..."

Second Lieutenant Jimmy was an officer of Marine Headquarters, so his eyesight was naturally beyond comparison with a group of miscellaneous soldiers and pirates.

Others didn't understand how Morito had broken August's ultimate technique, but Jimmy had seen it clearly.

Morito had reinforced his finger with Armament Haki and had precisely seen through the trajectory of August's twin swords.

That seemingly casual strike required countless repetitions of training to execute so perfectly.

One minute onstage required ten years of practice offstage.

Morito had knocked August's twin swords away in an instant, but behind the scenes, it had required countless hours of sweat and effort.

Those twin swords had danced so densely that they formed a circle of gale around him. Regardless of their strength, their dazzling speed alone was something an ordinary person couldn't possibly counter.

Moreover, August had infused the blades with Armament Haki!

Yet at that moment, Morito had snapped August's twin swords with one finger and stabbed directly into August's heart.

A single strike had killed him instantly, shocking the entire battlefield!

"Marine Six Styles' Finger Pistol?!"

Second Lieutenant Jimmy's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with terror.

One of the Marine Six Styles, Finger Pistol, was a technique said to possess the power of a gunshot.

It gathered the body's entire strength in the index finger and fired a hardened-finger strike in the blink of an eye. The fingertip possessed bullet-like attack power and could easily pierce through the human body.

That was merely the most basic form of Finger Pistol. Morito's attack wasn't an ordinary Finger Pistol.

Morito's finger had been reinforced with Armament Haki and a mysterious force. Jimmy couldn't understand it, but he could vaguely sense it.

"This brat isn't an ordinary Reserve Navy soldier!"

"Could he be..."

At this moment, Jimmy had more or less guessed Morito's identity. He thought of those monsters wearing Reserve Navy uniforms!

A member of the Elite Class in the Naval Academy's preparatory camp!

The Naval Academy was where Navy soldiers pursued further training, as well as where Navy officers were cultivated. Anyone who graduated from the preparatory camp would at least become a petty officer.

And anyone who graduated from the Elite Class would at least become a second lieutenant!

"That explains everything!"

Jimmy remembered the attitudes of Vice Admiral Akita and Colonel Doug, his adjutant. So Morito and Kazan were students of the former Admiral Zephyr from the Elite Class!

So that was how it was.

The instant death of August, the strongest combat captain of the Bourne Pirates, was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The remaining pirate underlings felt the last thread in their hearts snap.

"Forget about me! Save him quickly!"

Second Lieutenant Jimmy shouted his order, and the Navy soldiers immediately recovered from their shock.

Two men were left behind to care for Second Lieutenant Jimmy, while the others, led by two sergeants, quickly charged up the slope.

The Navy and the pirates immediately became embroiled in a melee.

Although the two sides were not far apart in number—the pirates even had twenty or thirty more men—August's death had completely destroyed the pirates' courage.

The battle tipped overwhelmingly toward the Navy.

"My Armament Haki training wasn't in vain."

Morito didn't participate in the final battle. The remaining pirates were merely a group of terrified weaklings, so he could leave them to the Navy.

He focused on comprehending the battle he had just fought.

Gentle Fist was suited for fighting people who relied purely on Taijutsu, while Steel Fist was suited for fighting swordsmen.

Gentle Fist only worked after striking the human body and sending Chakra into its acupoints. Although swordsmen were also close-combat fighters, they wouldn't let anyone approach their bodies so easily.

Their attacks and defenses were both on the swords in their hands.

"If only I could combine Gentle Fist and Steel Fist."

Morito seemed to have found a new path toward improvement.