Along with Whitebeard's words, his Conqueror's Haki erupted, even stronger than it had been back on Hachinosu. Sure enough, in this world where will shaped reality, a badass catchphrase really could boost your strength!
Across from him, Sengoku's expression visibly stiffened when he heard Whitebeard. They were clearly fighters of the same caliber, so why did the man have to show off so much?
"Fire!"
Unable to think of a comeback, Sengoku ordered the warship to fire on Whitebeard's pirate ship with a dark expression.
Whitebeard's side refused to be outdone. After intercepting the Marines' cannonballs, they returned fire without hesitation.
"Newgate, sorry for the trouble, but could you cover me? I want to head over and test Sengoku's strength!"
"Gurararara! Go ahead, Brother Lind. I'll be right here, ready to back you up!"
Once Whitebeard agreed, Lind wasted no time.
With Autumn beneath his feet and Kunpeng circling him, he flew toward Sengoku's warship!
"Lind, the Rocks Pirates' new officer and deputy commander of the Second Division. Why are you with Newgate instead of Shiki?"
"What are you here for?"
Sengoku's words nearly forced the poetic introduction Lind had been about to deliver back down his throat!
Wait, why aren't you following the script? Aren't you supposed to ask who I am so I can give you an incredibly badass introduction?
Things hadn't gone according to plan, but he still had to show off.
After silently cursing the intelligence agents of the various factions, Lind used his telekinesis to hold himself steady in midair, ready to begin today's performance.
Kunpeng and Autumn circled Lind as Conqueror's Haki imbued with a carefree will erupted from him, accompanied by his defiant voice, with a hint of easy freedom.
"I ride the wind and cleave the waves, roaming free through heaven and earth."
"My scabbard stirs, a thousand sails fall still; my sword dances, ten thousand miles grow dim."
"One dance startles the four seas; another shakes the sun and moon."
"Alone, I stand above all heroes; mine alone is the sword of the mortal world."
"Enemies who face me either flee for their lives or suffer utter defeat!"
"Today, I came here to ask just one question."
Autumn returned beneath Lind's feet. Holding Kunpeng, he pointed his blade at Sengoku and called out:
"Sengoku, have you ever lost?"
Sengoku's expression darkened further. This young pirate was even more arrogant than Whitebeard had been!
What does he mean, "Have I ever lost?" He's looking down on me! This is going too far!
I have to teach this youngster a lesson today. Let him feel the loving care of a veteran of the seas and learn what it means to respect his elders!
"Great Buddha Shockwave!"
Before Lind could make another move, Sengoku sent a shockwave straight at him!
"Holy shit! You old bastard, have you got no honor? Sneak-attacking a teenager!"
Watching the shockwave rush toward him, Lind hurriedly dodged, cursing all the while!
"It'd be rude not to return the favor. Take my sword!"
After dodging Sengoku's attack, Lind immediately sent Kunpeng stabbing toward him, straight for his kidneys!
Sengoku remained perfectly calm in the face of Lind's fierce sword strike. Coating both hands in Armament Haki, he knocked the blade aside with a chopping blow.
Then he used Geppo to launch himself toward Lind in midair, intending to engage him in close combat.
Lind wasn't intimidated in the slightest. After all, the body he had spent two and a half years training so hard was no pushover.
He coated himself in Armament Haki and fought Sengoku at close quarters, occasionally splitting his attention to send Kunpeng and Autumn in for sneak attacks.
"Hahahaha! You've got some strength, kid! Shame you're a pirate!" Having felt Lind's strength firsthand, Sengoku wore an expression that seemed to say, "Such a promising young man, yet you chose to become a criminal."
"To keep you from endangering the world in the future, you're staying here today! Impel Down will be your final destination!"
As Sengoku spoke, he stopped holding back and unleashed his full strength, clearly determined to defeat Lind.
Their brief exchange had given Sengoku a rough sense of Lind's strength. He surpassed an ordinary elite Vice Admiral, but there was still a gap between him and the sea's top fighters, such as a Marine Admiral.
With Sengoku's strength, he had every chance of capturing Lind.
Fortunately, although Lind talked a big game, he knew his own limits and had been on guard against Sengoku from the start.
After Sengoku unleashed his power, Lind traded a few blows with him before choosing to create some distance and fight at range, relying on his Sword-Flight Technique.
Whenever Sengoku tried to catch up, Lind used the flexibility of his telekinesis to evade him. It was a little embarrassing, but he had to admit it worked extremely well.
For the moment, Sengoku could do absolutely nothing to him.
Likewise, Lind could do absolutely nothing to Sengoku. His lack of strength remained a serious weakness, leaving him so frustrated that he wanted to hit Sengoku with Conqueror's Coating. Unfortunately, he didn't know how, so he could only keep dodging and peppering Sengoku with ranged attacks that barely tickled him.
I'll just treat this as sword practice, Lind thought after another half hour of keeping his distance.
His mood gradually settled. Although he was still a little annoyed, Lind was in no hurry. He continued unleashing all sorts of sword moves on Sengoku to hone his swordsmanship.
Even dodging Sengoku's attacks considerably improved his footwork and combat experience. After all, this was Sengoku the strategist. His dazzling feints and predictions completely outclassed Lind, a novice who lacked combat experience.
They kept trading attacks like this for another three hours. The intense fighting drained Lind's telekinetic power considerably, and he was starting to feel dizzy.
Sure enough, telekinesis really doesn't hold up well in a prolonged fight. If I fought for seven days and nights, wouldn't my brain burn out? In this world, physical strength and Haki really are what matter most!
Lind kept grumbling inwardly as he looked at Sengoku, who was still brimming with energy.
And I still lack a finishing move. These attacks barely scratch him. Against a Mythical Zoan like Sengoku, they're hardly wearing him down at all! I'll fight for another hour, then let Whitebeard take over!
As he fought, Lind searched for a suitable battlefield for Whitebeard and Sengoku. Although Whitebeard could also use Geppo, aerial combat definitely wasn't his strong suit.
Finally, after several dozen minutes, Lind spotted a small island. It was a decent size, with terrain consisting mostly of gently rolling hills. It looked sturdy enough and was perfect for the two men to battle on!
Feeling that it was about time, Lind didn't need any powerful move to break away from Sengoku. He simply kept Sengoku occupied with Kunpeng and Autumn, then accelerated back to the pirate ship following them.
"Newgate, I'm counting on you from here!" Back aboard, Lind handed the rest of the fight over to Whitebeard without hesitation.
"Gurararara! Don't worry, Brother Lind. Now let me see what Sengoku is made of!"
Seeing Lind return, Whitebeard quickly understood his intent. With a hearty laugh, he used Geppo to launch himself off the pirate ship.
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