He simply poured all his Spiritual Pressure into the strip of wood in his hands and brought it straight down at Ace's head.
Kendo: Two Cuts.
Though he had no Zanpakuto, the unstoppable momentum behind that strike was the genuine style of Kenpachi.
Boom!
A thunderous crash unlike anything wood could make exploded across the dock.
The wooden sword did not break.
Wrapped in Spiritual Pressure, that old wooden stick had become incredibly hard.
Ace felt an irresistible force slam down through the pipe, like a mountain pressing down on his head.
The strength he took such pride in crumbled before that single blow.
The webbing between his thumbs and forefingers split instantly, blood spraying.
Then Ace and his bent pipe were sent flying backward like a baseball.
Bang, bang, bang!
His body bounced three times before crashing heavily into a pile of rum barrels, disappearing into a shower of splinters without another movement.
The sea breeze swept past, stirring a few broken boards.
The entire dock fell deathly silent.
The villagers who had been ready to enjoy the show now stood with their mouths wide enough to fit eggs.
That was... it?
Ace, who had beaten everyone on Mount Colubo and given even the Dadan Family headaches, had been taken out in one blow with a rotten wooden sword?
Lin Xuan stood where he was, still holding his finishing stance.
The wooden sword in his hands finally failed to withstand the Spiritual Pressure. With a crack, it shattered into drifting splinters, leaving only a bare hilt.
"Tch. Too flimsy."
Lin Xuan casually tossed the hilt aside. The light slowly faded from his eyes, and he felt rather bored.
Too fast. That didn't even count as a warm-up.
Still, the mechanical voice ringing in his head offered some consolation.
[Battle concluded. Assessment: overwhelming victory.] [Kenpachi Zaraki template unlock progress increased to 10%.] [First battle reward obtained: 500 points.]
Lin Xuan paid no attention to Ace, whose fate remained unknown in the pile of barrels.
He had held back on the final strike. It had only been a blunt impact. Though it would hurt badly, it would not kill.
He closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into the system interface.
Five hundred points should get me something good, right?
Full of anticipation, he opened the system shop. The items on the first page nearly made him curse.
[Asauchi premium maintenance oil: 100 points/bottle] [Shihakusho (stain-resistant version): 300 points/set] [Notes on basic swordsmanship insights (fragment): 1,000 points]
"What a rip-off..."
Lin Xuan inwardly rolled his eyes.
This system was not just violent. It was a crooked merchant, too.
Five hundred points could buy him nothing beyond an outfit or a few bottles of oil-not even a skill book.
His gaze swept over the dim, locked icons before finally settling on the flashing [Skill unlock] option at the very bottom of the reward list.
This was a bonus reward for reaching 10% progress.
"Hopefully, it'll be something useful."
Lin Xuan took a deep breath and mentally tapped the pulsing question mark.
The light faded, revealing a line of small text.
The instant he read the skill's name, Lin Xuan's eyes lit up, and his breathing stopped for a moment.
If it's this ability... then the voyage ahead is going to be interesting.
Cheat, come?
Lin Xuan's voice was low and hoarse, with a texture like metal scraping against metal.
He raised his head. His black eyes were now frighteningly bright, as if flames were burning deep within his pupils, radiating an intensity that seemed ready to cut through everything before him. "Forget ten moves. Right now... I'm having a hard time controlling my strength."
What was this oppressive force coming straight at him?!
Ace's breath caught.
Every hair on his body stood on end, as though a natural predator had fixed its gaze on him. Reason screamed at him to retreat, but the pride of the Pirate King's bloodline kept his legs nailed to the spot.
No... I can't back down!
If I back down here, how am I supposed to sail out to sea?
How am I supposed to hold my head up in front of this bastard?!
His face burned, and that feeling instantly became motivation.
Ace let out a roar, trying to drive away the chill in his heart with sheer volume.
A small crater burst open beneath his feet as he shot toward Lin Xuan like a cannonball, carrying the momentum of a desperate, all-or-nothing attack.
Almost there!
Ten meters, five meters, two meters!
Ace raised his pipe high and brought it crashing toward Lin Xuan's shoulder with a shrill rush of air.
He held nothing back. This was the greatest force he could muster at present.
Yet all he saw was Lin Xuan give a slight smile.
That smile was somewhat ferocious, filled with pure excitement.
"Too slow."
Lin Xuan remained completely unruffled, even finding time to pass judgment.
With his perception heightened by his extreme Spiritual Pressure, Ace's movements looked as though someone had pressed the slow-motion button. Every muscle contraction and every rhythm of his breathing was clearly visible.
He neither dodged nor blocked.
He simply gripped the wooden sword with both hands and, without the slightest flourish-chopped down.
Boom!
The wooden sword and iron pipe did not make direct contact, but the instant they crossed, a golden shock wave erupted from the wooden blade.
It was a pure outpouring of Spiritual Pressure.
At that moment, Ace felt as though he had collided with a collapsing mountain.
The iron pipe shook so violently that it nearly flew from his grasp, and the webbing between his thumbs and forefingers split instantly.
Then an enormous force traveled through his arms and into his entire body.
"Pfft-"
Before Ace could even scream, he was hurled backward like a dead leaf caught in a gale, flying faster than he had charged in.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His body smashed through three layers of wooden crates outside the tavern before slamming into the trunk of a distant coconut palm. Several ripe coconuts fell with heavy thuds, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Everyone fell deathly silent.
Only the faint sound of the sea breeze sweeping grit along the ground remained.
Lin Xuan held his downward-swinging stance. The wooden sword in his hands creaked under the excessive force it had endured, several fine cracks opening across its surface.
He slowly straightened, his chest heaving once. The end of the battle had not calmed his blood; instead, it boiled even hotter.
Now this was... power.
This was suppression that came from the depths of the soul, far beyond the strength gained by training muscles.
He glanced at Ace, who lay amid the distant wreckage with his fate unknown, then looked down at the wooden sword on the verge of breaking in his hands. The light in his eyes gradually dimmed, returning to their usual clarity, but he could not stop the corners of his mouth from lifting slightly.
Just then, that familiar mechanical voice rang in his head again.
[Detected that the host achieved an overwhelming victory in his first battle. Mental resonance increased significantly.] [Template integration progress: 5%.] [Reward generated: Kenpachi Zaraki exclusive skill (stage one), awaiting claim.]
If just 5% was this powerful, what would the next reward be?
A pale blue screen visible only to Lin Xuan hovered in midair, screening off the dust rising from the distant impact.
He lowered his eyes and glanced at the completely ruined wooden sword in his hand.
Its once-smooth blade was now covered in spiderweb cracks. Several sections had even split open, exposing pale splinters within.
"The quality really is too poor."
He clicked his tongue in distaste and casually tossed the wooden sword aside like a piece of scrap firewood.
With a soft clatter, the wooden sword hit the ground and broke in two, rolling down the slope to Luffy's feet.
That faint sound seemed to flip a switch, finally snapping everyone out of their stupor.
"Whoa-!"
Luffy had even forgotten to eat the meat in his hand. His round eyes bulged like brass bells, and his jaw nearly dropped onto his feet.
He looked at Ace in the distance, whose fate was unknown, then at Lin Xuan, who had thrown away his weapon as though nothing had happened. He sprang off the barrel like a spring.
"Big Brother Lin Xuan! What was that just now?! That thing that went whoosh-and then boom!"
The little fellow excitedly waved his grease-covered arms, gesticulating wildly without showing any intention of checking whether his brother was alive.
Lin Xuan ignored the noise machine. His gaze passed over Luffy and settled beneath the distant coconut palm.
The troublemaker named Ace lay spread-eagled amid a pile of broken boards, his chest heaving.
Though he looked miserable, with blood at the corner of his mouth, his cockroach-like tenacious vitality had not faded.
He wouldn't die.
Of course. This was the future Fire Fist Ace of these seas. If he couldn't even withstand a basic attack, the world of One Piece would be far too unimpressive.
Only after confirming that his brother-by-default was in no mortal danger did Lin Xuan withdraw his gaze and unhurriedly pull a handkerchief from inside his clothes-Makino had insisted he take it earlier, saying it was for wiping away sweat. Now it was just right for wiping the lingering liquor stains and wood chips from his hands.
A breeze carrying the salty tang of seawater passed the tavern entrance, sweeping away the lingering heat in the air.
Lin Xuan focused his gaze on the virtual panel before him again.
A mere 5% progress had already allowed him to overwhelm the current Ace without using Haki, relying solely on his physical abilities and that mysterious Spiritual Pressure.
Then what would this so-called exclusive skill be?
His gaze fixed on the constantly flashing golden question mark.
It was an actual skill.
In the world of Bleach, Kenpachi Zaraki's skill tree was actually quite monotonous.
That madman who knew only how to cut people had never deigned to learn Kidō or complicated footwork.
The logic behind his skills was simple: make cutting more satisfying, make his slashes cut deeper, and extend their power farther.
Lin Xuan's heart beat a little faster.
Before you continue