The Opportunity

A tremendous boom echoed throughout the entire warship.

The ship's hold had been battered until it was full of holes, as if it might fall apart at any moment. Powerful shockwaves blasted in every direction, and wood splinters drifted through the air. Through the gaps, two blurred figures could be seen clashing again and again, the ringing of metal striking metal never letting up.

"Seriously, does your boss never get tired of taking a beating? It's been nearly two months, and that colonel of yours still hasn't taken off his bandages." A group stood some distance outside the hold, watching the fight inside with practiced indifference.

"That's why I've always said our colonel's a battle maniac," said a man dressed as a medic nearby.

"No, he's more like a masochist."

"..." The medics were at a loss for words.

"They're done fighting. Go collect the bodies!"

Mo Mo said as he opened the hatch and walked inside.

The fight in the hold had stopped. Sa Kaiyang lay on the floor, covered in blood, though most of his injuries were superficial and he hadn't suffered any serious harm.

"You really are a freak!"

Sa Kaiyang turned his head to look at Bai Ina, who was only breathing a little heavily, and gave a bitter smile. "How do you keep getting stronger the more we fight?"

At first, he and Bai Ina had been evenly matched, each of them leaving the other battered. But in just two months, the more they fought, the wider the gap between them became.

Now... after a duel, he could barely stand, while Bai Ina was only breathing a little heavily. His learning ability was enough to leave anyone speechless.

Bai Ina, however, showed no sign of satisfaction. Instead, he furrowed his brow. "How exactly do you master Haki?"

Bai Ina had originally kept Sa Kaiyang not only for the safety of the fleet, but also to learn how to use the Haki he possessed. Yet after two months of repeated duels, Bai Ina still couldn't figure out how Haki worked.

"Puhahaha! I take back what I just said!"

Hearing Bai Ina's question, the dejection vanished from Sa Kaiyang's face. He looked utterly smug as he said, "Your talent is just too poor. If you want to grasp Haki, you'll have to train for a few more years!"

Bai Ina's mouth twitched. He couldn't be bothered to deal with the jerk who seized on every little thing just to mock him relentlessly. Turning to Mo Mo, who had just come in, he asked, "How much farther to our destination?"

"Hmm, I was just about to report that to you. If the distance given by headquarters is accurate—and this Eternal Pose, sent from headquarters by a carrier gull, is working properly..." Mo Mo took a sandglass-shaped Eternal Hour Hand from his coat and continued, "We should soon be able to see that uninhabited island."

"Right. Tell everyone to prepare to go ashore."

"Yes, sir!"

Mo Mo answered and turned to leave.

After he was gone, the medics hurried in and began bandaging Sa Kaiyang.

Bai Ina, meanwhile, started training on his own after the fierce duel.

But after just a few swings, the aura around Bai Ina changed. His stance remained the same, but... it seemed as though something more had appeared.

As he swung his sword, Bai Ina slowly closed his eyes and relaxed his body. It was as if he had entered some profound state. He was standing there, swinging his sword, yet for some reason, those watching felt a sense of stillness.

It was as though an airless space had formed around him, shutting out the rustle of his clothes, the sound of the blade slicing through the air, and even the sound of his breathing.

"What is this...?"

Sa Kaiyang, who had just been bandaged, saw the scene and his pupils contracted. He instinctively cried out, then immediately clamped a hand over his mouth. He stared without blinking at Bai Ina's state, his expression changing several times before finally settling into one of envy.

Bai Ina, however, was completely unaware of the change within him. In his perception, the world hadn't grown quieter; it had become even noisier. All kinds of strange sounds seemed to come from nowhere and enter his ears... no, not his ears. The sounds didn't reach his ears at all. They went straight to his soul, like breathing resonating within it.

Black Blade Dawn continued to swing steadily, but each stroke seemed to send out an invisible ripple. It wasn't an impact, though, but an indescribable vibration—one that felt powerless, yet incredibly sharp.

Crack—

At that moment, a large plank of wood, dislodged from the ceiling by the fighting, came hurtling down above Bai Ina. Just as it was about to hit his head, Bai Ina's eyes suddenly opened.

Black Blade Dawn seemed to teleport into the plank's path and made a seemingly effortless, gentle sweep.

The plank visibly halted, hanging suspended in midair. Then... it scattered like dust in the wind.

That's right. The enormous plank had turned to dust in that single instant, reduced to particles so tiny they couldn't be seen. A gust of wind swept them away without a trace...

"What was that just now?"

Bai Ina came back to his senses. He couldn't help recalling the feeling he had just experienced, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't enter that state again.

"What a shame."

Sa Kaiyang sighed, looking deeply regretful. "If that plank hadn't gotten in the way, maybe you could've entered that realm completely and become a great swordsman capable of cutting steel!"

Bai Ina furrowed his brow at that. After a moment's thought, he shook his head. "Even without that plank, I wouldn't have made it. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm missing some kind of opportunity. Only if I encounter it might I be able to fully reach that realm."

"I see."

Sa Kaiyang nodded as if he understood, then asked, "So what kind of opportunity is it?"

"..."

I wish I knew.

Bai Ina gave him an eye roll, not bothering to answer the idiot's question.

"Commander Bai!!!"

Mo Mo's voice came from outside the hold. "We've spotted the island where the supplies were left!"

At that, Bai Ina felt a weight lift from his heart. His nerves had been taut throughout the journey, and now that they had finally arrived, he couldn't help but feel greatly relieved.

He hurried out of the hold and immediately saw a fairly small island straight ahead.

But after carefully surveying the island, Bai Ina furrowed his brow. "Did headquarters send any information about it?"

Mo Mo pulled the telegram from his coat and handed it to Bai Ina. "According to the message, the comrades transporting the supplies didn't go onto the island. They dug a hole outside it and buried everything inside. A large stone carved with a square pattern was placed on top."

Bai Ina took the telegram and read it from top to bottom. Then he looked up at the island straight ahead and shook his head. "Have everyone prepare to come ashore. Once we get off the ship, find where the supplies are stored, load them aboard immediately, and leave. There's something off about this island!"

"Something off?"

Mo Mo's expression shifted. He glanced back at Sa Kaiyang, then leaned close to Bai Ina and asked quietly, "An ambush?"

"I don't know, but I don't think it's an ambush!"

Bai Ina shook his head. The closer they got to the island, the stronger the ominous feeling in his heart became...