Demonic Blade Tenku, A Showdown with Gion!

As a Marine Headquarters Admiral, Zephyr naturally had the right to apply for resources from Marine Headquarters.

While famous swords were rare, any Marine Captain with outstanding achievements could apply for one from Marine Headquarters. This was even more true for Zephyr, who had served the Marines diligently for many years.

Sengoku, who was nominally the Fleet Admiral, didn't know why Zephyr was applying for a quota of famous swords. However, he wouldn't scrutinize such a minor request and directly approved the application.

When Zephyr threw the long sword in his hand to Wood, Wood carefully caught it and drew the sword from its sheath.

"One of the 50 Grade Swords, Tenku (Sky-Wither), one meter thirty in length, eight centimeters wide, with a chaotic, small-ding-shaped hamon.

Speaking of which, this was also one of my spoils of war. Its previous owner was also a pirate with Swordsman level skill.

In terms of grade, this sword might not be as good as Gion's Konpira, but it should be qualified to contend with it."

Taking Tenku (Sky-Wither) from Zephyr's hand, even without Zephyr's introduction, Wood could feel that the sword in his hand was a rare and good weapon.

Tenku (Sky-Wither)'s blade was slightly longer than a regular long sword, but the overall blade was very light. The moment Wood held it, Tenku (Sky-Wither) gave him a strange feeling.

"So, this is a cursed sword..."

Swordsmen were undoubtedly sensitive to the swords in their hands. When Wood got Tenku (Sky-Wither), he could clearly feel the ominous aura emanating from the sword.

"Cursed swords," while also famous swords, were different from ordinary famous swords. Cursed swords would bring misfortune to the swordsman who wielded them.

Even though they were both famous swords, the difficulty of controlling a cursed sword was far greater than controlling an ordinary famous sword.

It was like facing a wild horse that was both strong and powerful, but could sometimes throw its rider to their death.

"That's right, Tenku (Sky-Wither) is indeed a cursed sword. Because many Marine branches have been established recently, some resources from the main resource depot have been allocated to the local branches.

Now, only this cursed sword remains in the Marine Headquarters' resource depot."

"Although it's a cursed sword, it's only of the 'Good Quick Sword' grade. It shouldn't cause any problems if used in just one battle."

Zephyr did not deny that Tenku (Sky-Wither) was a cursed sword. He had originally applied for a 'Great Quick Sword,' but the current stock only had this Tenku (Sky-Wither) left.

"Teacher Zephyr, I have a request. If I can defeat or draw against Gion in this spar, can you reward me with this Tenku (Sky-Wither)?

Or, allow me to purchase Tenku (Sky-Wither) from Marine Headquarters at market price."

Hearing Wood's words, Zephyr, who had his arms crossed, was clearly stunned.

"You know Tenku (Sky-Wither) is a cursed sword, yet you still want to possess it, even buy it?"

If Wood were ignorant of its value, it would be one thing. However, the moment he got Tenku (Sky-Wither), he knew it was an ominous cursed sword, and now he even wanted to buy it!

"A sword is a weapon for killing, inherently an ominous object. As a swordsman, if I cannot even subdue the sword in my hand, how can I claim to be a Swordsman?

It is the swordsman who wields the sword, not the sword that controls the swordsman. The moment I got this sword, I knew it had chosen me, and I also felt it was the most suitable sword for me!"

Wood gripped the sky-blue hilt. The slender blade left a silver trail in the air. A sharp sword energy flew low along the ground, leaving a deep gorge in front of Wood.

The cursed sword Tenku (Sky-Wither) was called Tenku (Sky-Wither) because it would consume human blood. When drawn, it would draw blood.

It would either gorge on the blood of its opponent or backfire on its wielder, absorbing the wielder's blood.

Wood's casual test slash excited Gion, who trembled all over. She had guessed correctly; Wood indeed possessed the swordsmanship level that would allow her to fight with all her might.

Being able to unleash external sword energy, and with such power, meant that Wood was not just a Swordsman, but a Swordsman of considerable skill.

Without even waiting for Zephyr to announce the start of the spar, Gion, who could no longer hold back, instantly drew her Konpira and flashed before Wood.

Gion, holding her sword with both hands, brought down a powerful downward slash towards Wood. Wood, in that instant, held Tenku (Sky-Wither) horizontally, blocking Gion's downward strike.

The blades of Konpira and Tenku (Sky-Wither) sparked as they clashed. In the next second, the two separated and engaged in a dazzling, high-speed sword fight.

The clanging sound of blades colliding was incessant. The surrounding onlookers could only see the two standing in place, but they couldn't see the swords in their hands at all.

This was because the speed at which they swung their swords was too fast; their attacks were completely invisible to the naked eye.

Frenzied sword energy raged around, and the External Slash, a symbol of Swordsman level, left deep gorges on the surrounding ground.

No one was too surprised by Gion's strength, as she had always been the most talented and powerful among their peers.

However, Wood, Gion's opponent, also possessed such astonishing strength, which truly stunned everyone present.

According to their memories, Wood's performance had always been mediocre, considered a definite slacker among the remaining elites here.

Yet, this slacker in their eyes was now displaying unbelievable strength. Not only was he evenly matched with the seemingly invincible Gion, but as time went on, Wood actually began to suppress Gion!

Although they were all Swordsmen and their speeds were similar, men still had a natural advantage in strength and stamina over women, especially since Wood had undergone extremely rigorous physical training every day for the past few years.

A blue slash grazed Gion's hair and left a several-meter-long gorge on the ground beside her.

This was also the first time Gion had dodged Wood's slash in their duel, rather than blocking it head-on with her Konpira.

Gion was not a stubborn person. After realizing she was at a disadvantage in stamina and strength, she naturally chose not to continue clashing head-on with Wood, but instead began to move at extreme speed with her long legs.

"One Sword Style Iai Slash: Jumping Rabbit!"

Gion's rapidly moving figure sped up on the ground, like a rabbit running wildly. Due to her excessive speed, afterimages of Gion were left in the air.