Though he had expected as much, the Shimotsuki Nine Dragon Flash he had just unleashed still hadn't managed to hurt Dunn in the slightest.
And Dunn, looking at his own half-empty health bar, couldn't help thinking that Koushiro had been holding back.
Those countless slashes from just now, with Haki coating the blades as they came from every direction, had to be some kind of unusual technique.
But Dunn had already figured it out.
Koushiro wasn't his match.
That was because he still hadn't truly used the power of the Mera Mera no Mi.
Observation Haki combined with a Logia ability was an extremely terrifying combination for any opponent.
Whoosh!
Dunn took a deep breath, and all the flames coating his sword gathered back in.
It might have been foolish not to use all the power at his disposal, but he had come to Koushiro to become strong without relying on the Mera Mera no Mi.
Although the Mera Mera no Mi's weakness had disappeared thanks to his stats being digitized, a Logia's powerful abilities always made it tempting to rely on them.
As the famous educator Kaido once said, Haki was everything.
That was a bit extreme, but it wasn't wrong.
To become one of the top fighters of the present day, powerful Haki was essential.
That was why Dunn had completely restrained the power of the Mera Mera no Mi.
Seeing what Dunn had done, Koushiro grew wary.
That last attack had consumed a great deal of stamina and Haki. If he hadn't spent the past year sparring with Dunn again and again, and if his body hadn't recovered so much of its strength during that time, he might not have been able to withstand the strain.
Now, Dunn's expression and actions told Koushiro that something was up.
Whoosh!
Dunn's figure flashed forward, carrying his weapon in his hand.
He launched an attack of his own, swinging his sword on instinct and slashing at Koushiro.
With that single strike, Koushiro, a top-tier swordsman, understood Dunn's plan and met it with his own blade.
Their figures crossed and flashed past each other, slashes scattering in every direction.
They fought at close quarters, their Haki-coated blades carrying a dangerous edge as they struck at one another.
In swordsmanship alone, Dunn was definitely inferior to Koushiro.
You couldn't expect someone who had only been learning swordsmanship for a year, and had only recently found his own direction, to defeat someone who had spent decades mastering the sword.
But Dunn had more strength and more Haki.
His powerful build gave him physical abilities far beyond Koushiro's.
Dunn's all-out offense, with no concern for defense, left Koushiro scrambling for a while.
This guy was relying on his ability to avoid injury and giving up on defense?
Koushiro was at a loss for words.
It felt like Dunn hadn't learned a thing from his swordsmanship lessons. He had never taught him to fight like this.
But he had to admit, it suited Dunn.
Dunn kept his eyes on his health bar.
The fight with Koushiro should have been over already.
Koushiro didn't have a digitized body like Dunn's. If he took too much damage or was struck in a vital spot, he would be seriously injured—or killed.
After nearly a year of having Koushiro as his sparring partner, Dunn couldn't bring himself to do that.
For now, he just wanted to see if he could lower his health enough to meet the conditions for activating Indomitable.
After all, he was leaving soon. He needed to find out exactly what kind of power he would gain after activating Indomitable.
That way, he would know what to expect when he faced powerful opponents in the future.
Koushiro, unaware of all this, thought Dunn was completely unaffected by his sword. He continued helping Dunn lower his health.
10%!
5%!
1%
[Your health has reached its minimum. Indomitable activated.]
Suddenly, a notification appeared before Dunn's eyes.
Without thinking, Dunn raised his left hand and lightly pinched the incoming Wado Ichimonji between his thumb and forefinger.
An abundant surge of Haki poured from Dunn's body as though beyond his control, dancing behind him like fiery clouds.
A terrifying presence pressed down on everything around him.
Koushiro, holding Wado Ichimonji, stared in horror at Dunn, whose aura had changed completely.
Through the keen perception of Observation Haki, the Dunn standing right before him seemed to have transformed into a terrifying monster. The pressure was so overwhelming that Koushiro was instantly covered in cold sweat.
Dunn clearly sensed the change in Koushiro's emotions.
He could feel the fear coming from him.
"It's over!"
Dunn released the two fingers holding the blade and spoke.
"You...?"
Koushiro struggled to get the words out.
The terrifying pressure emanating from Dunn made it almost impossible for him to speak.
"My trump card!"
Dunn spoke, and the Haki pouring out of him receded. That intensely oppressive aura vanished.
Koushiro let out a long breath, looking at Dunn with shock and confusion.
He couldn't understand what had happened to him.
"Zanjitsu Gokui!"
Dunn spoke softly, leaving Koushiro momentarily stunned.
But in the next instant, Koushiro was blown away, and a scorching wave of heat rushed toward him.
Centered on Dunn, terrifying flames surged out and shot into the sky. Within the blaze, Dunn looked as if he were wearing a coat made of fire.
The air warped from the heat.
"Torch!"
Boom!
A massive fire tornado erupted, engulfing half the island in an instant.
"Jokaku Enjo!"
Over the sea, a flaming hand larger than the island closed around it. The terrifying heat evaporated the seawater, and moments later, mist completely shrouded the surrounding waters.
But the hot wind raised by those terrifying flames swept the mist away, again and again.
"What is all this?"
Koushiro retreated again and again until he reached the boat by the shore. He stared at the endless flames covering the island and sea, his eyes filled with shock.
"Tenchi Kaijin!"
A voice seemed to ring in his ear. Then he saw it.
A terrifying slash cleaved half the island apart. He couldn't make out the slash itself, but he saw the sea split open.
The two sides of the sea would not come back together. The surrounding water evaporated, and the water rushing in couldn't keep up with the rate of evaporation.
That terrifying sword scar continued to widen.
At last, the flames all receded, and the surging seawater rushed back to fill the gash. The sea churned, making the boat beneath Koushiro's feet pitch violently.
But Koushiro paid no attention to that. His eyes were fixed on the center of the island.
At the island's burned-out heart, Dunn stood quietly.
The sword in his hand made Koushiro's Observation Haki sense an unprecedentedly terrifying threat.
But Dunn hadn't unleashed that slash.
The terrifying sensation had come and gone in an instant.
Then Dunn sprang up and landed on the boat.
Koushiro watched Dunn return. His lips moved, but he couldn't say a thing.
"It's a shame I didn't unleash the Rising Sun Blade. I could feel that if I did, Flame probably wouldn't be able to take it. For me to unleash that slash, it needs to truly become a Black Blade."
Dunn looked a little disappointed.
"What would happen if you unleashed that slash?"
Koushiro fell silent for a moment, then asked.
"Well, the island might be destroyed."
Dunn turned to look at the island, left unrecognizable by his rampaging flames, and spoke.
Before you continue