The standoff between the Marines and the Blackbeard Pirates did not last long. Shiryu of the Rain was the first to attack.
He seemed unable to wait any longer. He moved, flashing from the bow of the warship to its stern as though he had teleported. He meant to board the civilians' ship and hunt down Wuli.
But before Shiryu could leave the stern for the ship Wuli was on, a whistle cut through the air. Wuli came hurtling toward him, sword thrust forward and brimming with sword energy.
Shiryu tilted his head up at the charging Wuli and smiled. "Quick reflexes. But awareness and reflexes alone won't be nearly enough!"
Shiryu was fast—much faster than Wuli. The instant he moved, Wuli had rushed toward the empty stern and launched his attack.
A heartbeat later, Shiryu appeared there. Wuli had timed it perfectly!
He isn't dodging? Wuli's sword closed in, sending a sharp burst of sword energy straight at Shiryu's face. Yet Shiryu barely reacted.
Did he let his guard down? Was he too slow to react? Wuli wondered.
Wuli doubted Shiryu would make such a careless mistake. But since he still had not moved, Wuli put the thought aside. If this surprise attack landed, all the better.
"Captain Shu, do you think Captain Wuli can beat Shiryu of the Rain?" the Marines asked nervously. They had followed Wuli all this way and knew how strong he was. They wanted him to win. But Shiryu was so notorious that they could not feel confident about this fight.
"It'll be a hard battle," Shu said gravely. "If Wuli can keep Shiryu occupied, that's no defeat."
And it would not be. For a captain to hold his own against a powerful fighter under one of the Four Emperors was already remarkable.
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