VS Former Marine Admiral Gokai

VS Former Marine Admiral Gokai

No matter who they were, any Marine standing in Li Yuan's way was no more than a single sword strike to him if they were below Rear Admiral. If they were a Rear Admiral, it merely took one extra strike.

A powerful combatant left unchecked could play an enormous role on the battlefield, perhaps even become the key to winning the entire war.

Li Yuan's wanton slaughter had drawn the attention of former Marine Admiral Gokai.

He was responsible for guarding the Marine Warships, preventing pirates from destroying them and cutting off the Marines' retreat.

Likewise, he was the Marines' contingency plan. Should the battlefield spiral out of control, Gokai would enter the fray and eliminate whatever had caused it.

And Li Yuan had caught Gokai's eye.

"Gokai, I heard your swordsmanship is formidable, that you're a Great Swordsman. Let me see whether that's true!"

Li Yuan was not surprised when Gokai rushed forward to stop him. If the Marines had no trump cards, they would have been defeated long ago.

He sensed powerful Sword Intent from Gokai. This man was a Great Swordsman!

Li Yuan had received information about him from Shakky. He had once been a Marine Admiral, but had retired ten years ago. Li Yuan had not expected the Marines to call him back into service.

"Limitless: Half-Moon Slash!"

A crescent-shaped slash blasted toward Gokai.

"Kid, you're still too green to compete with me in swordsmanship!"

Seeing Li Yuan's hundred-meter crescent slash charging at him, Gokai swung his Twenty-One Great Grade Sword, Kompira, and unleashed a slash of equal size.

"BOOM!!!"

Li Yuan's Half-Moon Slash was shattered by Gokai's attack, and the slash continued hurtling toward Li Yuan.

"CLANG!!!"

"Break for me!!!"

Li Yuan gripped Zhanfeng, coating it in Armament Haki, and charged forward to shatter Gokai's slash.

So this is a Great Swordsman's slash?

Slashes of the same size were far more powerful than a Swordmaster's, and far more condensed.

There was also a powerful will reinforcing the slash, raising the upper limit of its power considerably.

That will should be Gokai's Sword Intent. Sword Intent was also the path to becoming a Great Swordsman, as well as the threshold.

I've already reached the peak of Swordmastery. All I lack is comprehending Sword Intent. Once I comprehend a Sword Intent unique to myself, I'll become a Great Swordsman!

Li Yuan had gleaned so much merely from receiving a single slash from Great Swordsman Gokai. His Swordsmanship talent truly was exceptional.

"It's not that I'm green. It's that you're old. Come fight!!!"

After blocking that slash, Li Yuan immediately used Soru to rush in front of Gokai.

"Limitless Fierce Dragon Breaking Army Slash!!"

Countless streams of Sword Qi formed a Sword Qi dragon behind him. In an instant, the fierce dragon lunged forth. Even if an army of thousands stood before it, the dragon's Sword Qi could smash through them all and sever the enemy general's head.

"Hmph, you're the Decapitation Sword Master who recently became a Rocks Pirates Officer, aren't you? Let me execute you, so you won't bring disaster upon others in the future."

Gokai spoke seriously.

Kompira was then coated in Armament Haki as well, blocking Li Yuan's dragon slash. However, his body was no longer as strong as it had been in his prime, and the strike forced him back more than ten meters.

"Then come if you've got what it takes!"

Li Yuan had no particular reaction upon seeing his move blocked again. He simply raised his sword and continued attacking Gokai.

Gokai's swordsmanship was extremely strong, far stronger than Li Yuan's current swordsmanship. After all, even though he had been retired for ten years—

—his swordsmanship had not declined much. The reinforcement of Sword Intent made his Sword Skills even more powerful.

Before joining the Rocks Pirates, Li Yuan would have stood no chance against Gokai. But after joining the Rocks Pirates, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.

Even if his strongest swordsmanship could not compare to Gokai's, his physique was far stronger. Relying on his powerful body, Li Yuan often adopted an exchange-injuries-for-injuries fighting style.

So long as Gokai's attacks did not target vital areas, Li Yuan did not bother dodging his blade.

After coating the part of his body Gokai was attacking with Armament Haki, he would simply let Gokai cut him, using the opportunity to slash Gokai in return.

Gokai was already over seventy years old. His physique had declined drastically, and he simply did not dare use his body and Haki to take Li Yuan's sword head-on.

Thus, whenever Li Yuan desperately tried to trade injuries with him, Gokai was forced to retreat.

As the battle continued, the strength Li Yuan had built up through three months of training erupted. He constantly refined his swordsmanship and combat methods through his fight with Gokai.

At the same time, he drew upon Gokai's swordsmanship and combat experience as nourishment to fuel his own growth.

It could be said that Li Yuan was incredibly frenzied and excited as he fought Gokai.

Gokai, on the other hand, was extremely restrained in battle. After all, he himself had been unwilling to don armor again, return to the Marines, and continue fighting pirates.

But he could not withstand Brac's persuasion and certain subtle pressures. Left with no choice, Gokai could only return to the Marines.

He had originally thought that this brat who had just joined the Rocks Pirates was not particularly strong, and that he could slack off on the battlefield instead of dealing with other powerful pirates.

Yet he had never expected this brat to be so crazy that he would actually chase down and hack at a retired Marine Admiral like him.

And he became more excited the longer he fought, leaving Gokai truly speechless. He had only wanted to slack off, yet he had somehow ended up poking a shark!

The Marines' powerful combatants had already been intercepted by Li Yuan and the others, while officers such as John, Ochoku, and Silver Axe were intercepted by groups of Vice Admirals.

Yet even when two or even three Vice Admirals joined forces against a single officer, they were still unable to contend with officers like Ochoku.

Those Marine Vice Admirals were beaten back step by step by Ochoku and the others, barely managing to hold them off.

"Charge!!!"

"Kill Navy!!!"

"Destroy the Rocks Pirates!!!"

"BOOM!!!"

"."

The high-level combatants fought on another battlefield, while the lower-ranking forces also clashed elsewhere. Tens of thousands of pirates and tens of thousands of Marines who had already landed ashore engaged in fierce slaughter.

Gunfire, cannon fire, battle cries, and screams rang endlessly across the battlefield. The scene was exceptionally brutal.

Li Yuan's subordinates were in the middle to rear ranks of the Rocks Pirates, rather than charging at the very front. But even there, Kano and the others were under immense pressure.

Fortunately, Kano had eaten the Dice-Dice Fruit. After several days of development, he could already use it proficiently.

With his strength greatly increased, Kano was able to protect his junior brothers on this chaotic and brutal battlefield.

The battle between the Rocks Pirates and the Marines continued for an entire day.

The Marines and pirates had originally numbered over twenty thousand combined, but now only around fifteen thousand remained. Overall, the pirates still held the advantage, while the Marines were at a disadvantage.