Victory in One Move

"Looks like you've got some courage after all."

Drake had been hoping Gato would pit strength against strength with him. It was what he did best.

Sparks flew where they collided.

This was another clash between claw and blade. Neither side gave an inch, but Gato knew that he had only managed this much by relying on the force of his charge. If they kept competing like this, he definitely would not be able to hold on.

His thoughts raced as Gato flipped upward, landing on the rough dragon arm. He intended to cripple one of Drake's deadliest weapons.

How could Drake possibly let him have his way? The moment Gato raised his blade, Drake opened his bloody maw and bit down at him.

Gato really wanted to try driving Bright Light into Drake's huge mouth, but its jaws were simply too large. Before he could pierce its throat, Bright Light would likely be bitten down on first. That would be rather troublesome.

Drake always seemed able to quickly tell what Gato was planning. That was probably the effect of Observation Haki.

Although Drake's massive body made evasive movements difficult, he was always able to make the correct response immediately based on Gato's attacks.

That really was an annoying ability. When two opponents were evenly matched, knowing the other's movements a step ahead gave an enormous advantage.

Trading blows with an opponent of the same level without Observation Haki was simply too much of a disadvantage. Still, among the ninjutsu Kaguya had taught Gato, there should be a way to solve this problem. He did not need to learn skills from another system.

Gato's agile tactics against the Lord of the Coast now seemed to have lost their effectiveness, but he was not panicking. Drake's Observation Haki could not be that exceptional either. Sooner or later, he would reveal an opening.

Dealing with Observation Haki would have to wait until he had defeated the opponent before him. For now, he could only remain patient and maintain an intense offensive, hoping to overwhelm Drake and make his Observation Haki fail.

So he still had to fight Drake as he had fought the Lord of the Coast, only faster than before.

He became a phantomlike blur, constantly darting around Drake's side and occasionally slashing out with a brilliant arc of blade light.

Most of the blade lights were blocked, but just as Gato had expected, Drake's Observation Haki was weak. To defend certain vital areas, he would helplessly give up blocking attacks he could have stopped but which did not deal much damage.

Gradually, more and more wounds appeared across Drake's body. The loss of blood continuously eroded his strength and life.

Using such tactics put tremendous pressure on Gato as well. His hand was already trembling faintly, and he was close to being unable to hold Bright Light.

When Drake defended, he did not simply block. After predicting the direction of Gato's attack, he would launch a fierce counterattack. Because of that, Gato, who had been attacking constantly, was actually in a very perilous position.

By now, their battle had almost become a contest of willpower. This was highly unfavorable for Gato, since he had barely experienced anything like this before.

But Drake was different. His experience and fighting spirit were completely beyond Gato's comparison. If this battle dragged on like this until the end, Drake would certainly be the victor.

It was the confidence in victory he had accumulated through countless battles, while Gato was holding on entirely through sheer refusal to admit defeat. Which of them was superior was obvious at a glance.

"Just surrender. You can feel it, can't you? If this continues, I'll be the only one who wins. I don't want to kill you."

Drake actually spoke while the battle was still underway.

At this point in the fight, verbal interference had become a means of victory as well. Neither side's attacks were quite as fierce anymore, so naturally they had time to trade a little trash talk.

"Huff... Don't worry. I already know how to defeat you."

"You still dare to talk big at a time like this? Then come on."

The two separated and paused for a moment, only to discover that both were already gasping for breath. Even so, they forced themselves to endure their fatigue and finish their taunts. For some reason, both of them suddenly felt like laughing.

That calm only lasted briefly. The instant Drake finished speaking, the two began fighting again without any prior agreement.

Slash after slash, then another slash. Again and again, Gato's blade struck Drake's claws, which were harder than iron and stone. A feeling always lingered in Gato's heart—indescribable, unclear, yet undeniably real.

Suddenly, Gato, who had been evading Drake's claws all this time, stopped dodging. Holding Bright Light, he faced the charging Drake head-on.

Though Drake found it strange, it was exactly what he wanted. There was no way he would dodge.

"Thunder Crow!"

The blade of Bright Light burst with radiance, becoming even more dazzling. As if it possessed a spirit of its own, it gave a piercing, ominous crow's cry, as though foretelling that something ill-fated was about to happen.

A weapon was inherently an instrument of murder. The misfortune it represented could never refer to its owner, but only to its opponent.

Swish!

The two figures, one large and one small, passed through each other and froze in place at the same time.

Drake said in broken breaths, "It was... your victory."

His enormous body toppled backward under gravity. The soldiers watching nearby discovered in horror that a section of their major general's once-indestructible claws had been cut off, and a savage slash wound had appeared across his chest.

Drake could finally no longer maintain his Tyrannosaurus form. He gradually shrank until he returned to his original appearance, with only that terrifying blade wound remaining on his body.

The Marines immediately had tears in their eyes.

"Ah! Avenge the major general!"

A crowd responded with a roar. It was clear that Drake held considerable prestige in their hearts.

But they were merely a bunch of small fry in the end. These people could not even withstand the aftermath of his battle with Drake. If Gato wanted to kill them, it would take little effort. Having fought Drake, Gato could now completely look down on this group.

"You want to die?"

Gato glared at the Marines. Though there was no longer lightning around him, his image as a madman holding a blood-dripping, vicious blade was enough to make them tremble in fear. After all, that blood belonged to their major general.

"Don't worry, your major general isn't dead yet. But if you delay any longer, that might not be the case. Give me all the food on your ship, and I'll hand him over to you."

Gato had indeed held back. Once he sensed that Drake could no longer resist that attack, he used the force of the slash that landed on him to flash to one side. Otherwise, he would have cleaved through Drake's body and passed straight through him.

Drake's adjutant hesitated for a moment before agreeing to Gato's demand. Their major general was a rising star of the Marines, reaching his current position at such a young age. His life was worth far more than a little food.

The naval base was not far from here, and they could receive supplies soon enough. Even if the fleet admiral learned of this compromise afterward, he would not blame him.

While the Marines prepared the provisions Gato wanted, Drake had already regained consciousness.