Let Me Show You Clearly

The chill from the blade nearly shot straight into his brain. Long Yi's heart tensed, but after a second thought, he relaxed every nerve in his body and suddenly smiled.

"Beautiful big sister, do you need something from me?"

Such a frivolous tone coming from a thirteen-year-old boy inevitably felt somewhat out of place. But considering that this boy's hands were already stained with pirate blood, the incongruity faded considerably.

Being right had nothing to do with speaking loudly; flirting with girls had nothing to do with being young.

The blue-haired woman frowned slightly, seemingly not expecting the boy before her to be so flippant, nothing like what she had heard.

"The Marine Young Demon who slaughtered an entire pirate fleet? This is all you amount to?"

Rather than retreating, the woman took a slight step forward and pressed the tip of her sword against Long Yi's brow. Her beautiful face was filled with contempt.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but yes, this is exactly what I'm like."

Long Yi sneered coldly, unmoved. His mental age was far from as immature as his appearance suggested.

Seeing that her probing had no effect, the blue-haired woman froze for a moment. Then, remembering her teacher's words, she could only silently apologize to herself.

Her thin lips parted as she spoke again.

"Karp's disciple is truly disappointing. It seems the Marine Hero has grown old and dim-sighted. His judgment is nowhere near what it used to be."

As she spoke, the sword tip advanced another inch, lightly cutting Long Yi's skin.

At that, a trace of coldness entered Long Yi's black eyes. Even a clay figurine had some temper. Feeling the precisely controlled chill at his brow, his expression darkened.

"Mr. Karp is a hero. He should not be slandered."

The change in Long Yi's expression fell into the blue-haired woman's eyes. Instead of becoming angry, she was delighted, smiling lightly as she said,

"What, you're finally angry? Then draw your sword, Demon."

The blue-haired woman curled her lips and raised her fair chin slightly.

Long Yi discreetly glanced at Fujitora, who had remained motionless all this time. Once his heart settled, he no longer hesitated. Purple Pill suddenly left its sheath.

With a clang, metal struck metal.

After a sharp hum, Long Yi knocked aside the woman's sword, but did not pursue any further.

He rose to his feet and patted the dust from his clothes.

"Hmph!"

The blue-haired woman steadied herself inwardly, but merely snorted with a frosty expression. She removed her cloak, spread her long, firm legs apart, and assumed a stance. She looked ready to draw her sword and take a life at any moment.

Seeing her reaction, Long Yi was speechless. After a helpless sigh, he too assumed an offensive sword stance.

The two stood facing each other, swords in hand.

A deadly battle was imminent, yet Fujitora did not rise. Instead, he shifted into a more comfortable seated position, a smile lingering at the corner of his mouth.

"Fight without holding back. You can't hurt the person in front of you."

Seeing that Long Yi was still somewhat restrained, Fujitora offered a kind reminder.

Hearing that, Long Yi finally stopped holding back. His figure flashed as he closed in with a fierce attack.

His swordsmanship was not broad or forceful, yet cold flashes constantly flickered toward the blue-haired woman's vital points. Compared to half a month ago, Long Yi had improved considerably.

"Hah!"

Facing the boy's sharp edge, the blue-haired woman gave a soft shout. Raising her sword to block, she barely seemed to move it, yet she neutralized Long Yi's storm-like assault one strike at a time.

"Is that all you can do?"

The blue-haired woman spoke again, her tone full of disdain.

Long Yi did not argue in the face of her mockery. Their figures crossed, and the two sharp blades hummed as metal struck metal.

The blue-haired woman frowned slightly and turned to strike again. In her eyes, this was nothing more than an ordinary blow, one the boy could certainly evade or block.

But something happened that she had never expected.

As her sword thrust out, Long Yi neither dodged nor defended. Instead, he drove his own sword straight toward the blue-haired woman's heart, fighting with the complete abandon of mutual destruction, trading life for life.

"What?!"

The blue-haired woman saw Long Yi's resolve in his eyes. He could fight without regard for anything else, but she could not simply watch a promising talent favored by her teacher perish.

She pushed off with her feet, hurriedly withdrew her sword, and dodged his edge.

When Long Yi's strike failed, he instead seemed greatly relieved. He did not pursue, only stood where he was and laughed without stopping.

"You wanted to test me, so I'll let you see clearly. Just now, I showed you how ruthless I am. Now, I'll show you how strong I am!"

The Wave Eye suddenly opened. Long Yi's clothes fluttered without wind. A scarlet phantom of Kazan awakened behind him, and dense ghostly energy spread through the surroundings.

Hearing Long Yi's words, the blue-haired woman could not help cursing him as a madman under her breath. Yet she had to admit that only a vicious boy like this could accomplish the feat of single-handedly wiping out an entire pirate fleet.

"Do you want to continue, beautiful big sister?"

Wave power gathered at the blade without being released. No emotion stirred in Long Yi's pale, clouded eyes. He called her "big sister" again and again, but the pressure radiating from him did not lessen in the slightest.

The blue-haired woman was momentarily at a loss for words. The situation before her had exceeded her expectations. What was supposed to have been a simple test had somehow become this.

"That's enough, Ain. Sheathe your sword."

Before the blue-haired woman could speak, a rough voice came from nearby.

After turning to glance at the newcomer, Long Yi dispersed the power of the ghost god around him and closed the Wave Eye, secretly relaxing.

It was an old man in black sunglasses with a cigar clenched between his teeth. He was tall and powerfully built, with purple-gray hair standing straight up and swaying slightly in the wind.

His upper body was bare save for a Marine coat draped over his shoulders, with "Justice" emblazoned across its back. His ferocious mechanical right arm gave off a faint whirring sound.

This old man was none other than the former Marine Admiral known as "No Kill," Black Arm Zephyr.

The "No Kill Admiral" and the "Marine Young Demon"—one was an old man who had never killed a single pirate in his life, while the other was a boy who had slaughtered an entire pirate fleet at the very start of his career.

"What weakness did Ain reveal?"

Upon seeing Long Yi, Zephyr wore a half-smile. Rather than introducing himself, he immediately asked Long Yi a question.

Long Yi sheathed his sword, glanced at Zephyr, then looked at Ain, the blue-haired woman who still seemed somewhat unconvinced.

He shrugged and raised one finger.

"First, I've already mastered part of Observation Haki. My senses will never be wrong when it comes to whether someone intends to kill me or harbors hostility toward me."

After a pause, ignoring Ain and Zephyr's astonished looks, Long Yi raised a second finger and continued.

"Second, even if my Observation Haki isn't fully refined yet, and my judgment might inevitably be somewhat off, that uncle—"

As he spoke, he pointed at Fujitora.

"That uncle would never 'see' wrong. Since he didn't make a move, why should I be afraid?"

After saying that, Long Yi's expression turned solemn and his body straightened. He gave the burly, purple-haired old man an incomparably standard Marine salute.

"Mr. Zephyr, Ensign Long Yi of Marineford Headquarters salutes you."

This salute was the respect the old man deserved.