"You may make the first move, Vice Admiral Gion." As an Admiral, Hashirama stood where he was and gestured for Gion to attack first.
Gion didn't feel underestimated. A smile appeared on her lovely face as her right hand drew the slender Kompira from its scabbard.
On Vice Admiral Garp's orders, the new recruits had gathered around the training field to watch. Quite a few of them were Gion's ardent admirers. When they saw her draw her sword, many let out soft cries, hearts practically appearing in their eyes.
Gion had no interest in those young men. At that moment, Hashirama was the only one in her eyes.
"Be careful, Hashirama! My blade is very sharp!"
As she spoke, Gion raised her sword and brought it down. Armament Haki wrapped around the blade, and an empowered Flying Slash shot toward Hashirama.
The slash was incredibly fast. Almost in the blink of an eye, it reached Hashirama with a sound like air tearing.
Hashirama could have dodged such a swift attack, but this time, he chose to meet it head-on.
He coated both hands in Armament Haki and crossed them in front of himself, blocking the slash with his bare hands.
After the clash of metal came the shockwave, which scattered in every direction. Hashirama remained standing, his feet sliding back through the dirt by half a shoe's length. Lowering his hands, he revealed a white mark across the palms that had met the slash.
Hashirama's casual response drew startled cries from many of the watching recruits. Though they had been recommended by local branches or selected by Headquarters as promising recruits, they had only been learning the Six Styles and Haki for a short time.
They had never seen anyone block a slash from a great swordswoman like Vice Admiral