Ah, Tekkai Really Is Amazing!

Ah, Tekkai Really Is Amazing!

At Aokiji's suggestion, Tsugikuni Yoriichi really did switch to a bamboo sword, while Aokiji, true to his word, immediately used his Devil Fruit power to create an ice sword.

Perhaps "ice sword" was not quite accurate. Though the weapon Aokiji created was shaped like a sword, it had no edge at all. Its blade was essentially just a stick, so it would not hurt Tsugikuni Yoriichi during their spar.

The two quickly clashed on the deck.

Without using his Devil Fruit power, Aokiji's hand-to-hand combat really was lacking. Even against a "new-generation rookie" like Yoriichi, he only managed to suppress him slightly.

Over the course of their fight, Aokiji demonstrated several other Marine Six Styles.

Paper Arts, which used the airflow created by an opponent's attack to predict its direction, then controlled the body's muscles to deflect the force.

Geppo, an advanced application of Soru, which used rapid stepping to compress the air and generate repulsion, allowing one to briefly remain airborne.

Tempest Kick, a high-speed kick that stirred the air and launched invisible wind blades.

Finger Pistol, which concentrated the body's strength at the fingertips and unleashed a strike comparable to a bullet, capable of easily piercing the human body.

And Tekkai, a defensive technique that accelerated blood flow and drove power into the thoroughly tempered body, making it as tough as steel and capable of ignoring bullets and slashes.

These five abilities, together with the high-speed movement technique—Soru—formed the complete Marine Six Styles.

During his spar with Yoriichi, Aokiji demonstrated them one by one. Through the Transparent World, Yoriichi could easily discern the essence and principles behind the Marine Six Styles.

Put simply, these were all techniques for controlling the body. And Tsugikuni Yoriichi's greatest strength was not the terrifying power to unleash a hundred slashes in an instant, but his control over his body.

In the Demon Slayer World, anyone who had cultivated a Breathing Technique to its peak and reached the realm of the Transparent World possessed terrifying control over their own muscles.

That frightening degree of control, combined with his already terrifying physical constitution, allowed Yoriichi to perfectly replicate the Marine Six Styles the moment he understood their essence.

As Yoriichi grew more proficient in using the Marine Six Styles, he began considering how to incorporate them into his own combat.

"The way Finger Pistol generates force is quite similar to Solar Flare Thrust, the seventh form of Sun Breathing."

"The only difference is that one gathers strength at the fingertips, while the other gathers it at the tip of the blade."

"For me, Finger Pistol isn't very useful."

"Geppo gives me the ability to remain airborne briefly, but swordsmanship can only unleash its greatest power when one's feet are firmly planted. In ordinary combat, it can only be used to catch someone off guard."

"Soru, on the other hand, is quite useful. It lets me link my sword techniques together more smoothly during attacks."

"Tempest Kick is very useful. If this technique were performed with a sword, wouldn't it be a Flying Slash?"

"As for Tekkai... Hmm! This is the technique I need most right now. As everyone knows, swordsmen are all quite fragile defensively!"

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

On the deck, the bamboo sword in Tsugikuni Yoriichi's hand collided rapidly with the "ice stick" in Aokiji's, producing dull thuds. Yoriichi's attacks flowed smoothly. Even without using sword techniques, each move linked perfectly into the next.

Though each strike was not particularly powerful, every one of them targeted an opening in Aokiji's defense.

As for Aokiji, he could only clutch his "ice stick" and defend repeatedly. Relying on his exceptional speed, along with the Observation Haki he was secretly using, he was often able to precisely block every attack from Yoriichi.

Yet whenever Aokiji intended to shift from defense to offense, Yoriichi would change his moves at just the right moment, forcing Aokiji to abandon his attack and return to defending.

At times, Aokiji wondered whether that kid Tsugikuni Yoriichi also knew Observation Haki, using it alongside his outstanding swordsmanship to suppress him into pure defense.

But Aokiji soon shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. He had never taught Yoriichi Observation Haki, and he knew that Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who had only just learned the Marine Six Styles, could not possibly have mastered Observation Haki.

What Aokiji did not know was that Yoriichi truly had never learned Observation Haki, but he had the Transparent World!

The changes in Aokiji's muscles whenever he shifted from defense to offense could not escape his eyes. If Observation Haki predicted an opponent's attacks through "sensing," then Tsugikuni Yoriichi's Transparent World predicted them by "seeing" the changes in his opponent's muscles.

The difference was like that between the Uzumaki Clan's Kagura's Mind's Eye and the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan in the Naruto World.

The commotion from Tsugikuni Yoriichi and Aokiji's spar finally drew the attention of the Marines aboard the warship.

The warship's course had already been set. Aside from the Marines in the engine room, bridge, and lookout tower, the rest had little to do. Those who had been wandering around and chatting aboard the ship noticed the fight on deck.

Word spread from one person to ten, then from ten to a hundred. Before long, a crowd of Marines had gathered on deck, pointing and discussing Aokiji and Yoriichi as they fought.

"Whoa! That red-haired brat looks familiar. Isn't he the kid from Dragon Roar Island?"

"The one Vice Admiral Garp brought aboard? I remember now—Tsugikuni Yoriichi! Wasn't he at Headquarters? How did he get on the ship?"

"You didn't know? Vice Admiral Garp brought him aboard when we set sail. I heard he's Teacher Zephyr's disciple now."

"Oh! Teacher Zephyr's disciple? But isn't that a little too strong? He wasn't this impressive when he helped wipe out pirates in East Blue before, was he? He's actually fighting Colonel Kuzan?"

The surrounding Marines' discussions reached Yoriichi and Aokiji, but neither paid attention to the others. They focused entirely on the opponent before them.

Quite a few people aboard Garp's ship had seen Yoriichi before, since he had taken this very ship to the Marines.

Some Marines had even fought alongside Yoriichi.

And these Marines were astonished to find that Tsugikuni Yoriichi was far stronger now than he had been in East Blue. His use of Soru in battle had become extremely proficient, and his elusive movements combined with his exceptional swordsmanship had increased his combat power geometrically.

Yoriichi knew very well that his Doriki Value might not have increased, but his actual combat ability had improved tremendously. The current him could probably defeat his former self within five moves.

Who said Teacher Kaido was the greatest teacher in the entire Pirate World? If Yoriichi had to say it, Aokiji was not much worse~

"Hah!" On the deck, Aokiji finally found an opening in Yoriichi's offense. With a swing of his "ice stick," he knocked aside Yoriichi's bamboo sword and thrust toward his lower abdomen.

Yoriichi was still young, after all, and his endurance could not compare to a strapping young man like Aokiji.

After fighting for so long, his stamina was beginning to fail him. Moreover, Yoriichi had maintained Total Concentration Constant while repeatedly using Soru, rapidly draining his physical strength.

He was already beginning to tire, and his speed had started to slow. That gave Aokiji an opportunity to counterattack.

"Tekkai!"

Seeing that he could not dodge Aokiji's incoming ice stick, Yoriichi cried out inwardly and prepared to withstand it with Tekkai. But the moment the ice stick struck him, he felt an enormous force hit his abdomen and send him flying.

Boom!!!

Yoriichi's body shot backward, flying more than ten meters before crashing into the warship's mast and coming to a stop. After landing, Yoriichi felt his head spinning. Overwhelmed by dizziness, he could not help vomiting a pool of clear water, becoming yet another victim of Tekkai.

"Hey, are you okay?" Aokiji hurried over and asked with concern. Having been suppressed by Yoriichi for so long, he had not held back when the sudden opportunity appeared. Seeing Yoriichi react so severely, he was somewhat worried.

"Ah... I'm not hurt!"

"Tekkai really is amazing!"

After a long while, Yoriichi finally recovered. He swayed as he stood and moved his body, only to discover in surprise that he was completely uninjured. If it had been the old him, that blow would probably have left him unable to fight.

"Heh!"

"Bogard, starting tomorrow, teach him Haki."

"There is no need for him to continue practicing the Six Styles."

"He has already mastered them."

From the lookout tower, Garp watched Yoriichi get back on his feet so quickly and chuckled. He spoke to his adjutant, then turned and left the tower.