Rossi's gaze lingered on those blue flames for a moment.
So this man had taken the flames of that bird aboard Whitebeard's ship, too.
"I have confidence in everything I replicate."
The face belonging to Gion grinned, a scarlet tongue slipping past its lips. "Appearance, aura, the way Armament Haki flows, the forms Devil Fruit abilities take... every detail is exact.
"So where, exactly, did you spot the difference?"
"A very simple test."
Rossi was in no hurry to act.
Gamenio's presence here meant the pressure on the other battlefields would ease considerably.
Time was what he needed.
When the newspaper had arrived a few days earlier, he and the real Gion had discussed the man called Hawk-Eyes.
The girl had tightened her grip on her sword, a light flashing in her eyes-yearning, even admiration.
Walking the world alone, his blade seeking neither fame nor fortune, pursuing only the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Such an existence held an irresistible appeal for a young swordswoman who had yet to weather many storms.
But from a Marine's standpoint, the response should have been wariness and rejection.
That was the flaw.
Even the most exquisite imitation could not replicate the subtle habits and immediate reactions accumulated over years together.
Unless it stole memories as well.
"That's why I hate quick thinkers."
The sword in the false Gion's hand slashed down.
The Haki coiling around its blade was real, and the force it stirred shrieked through the air like a tsunami crashing against a cliff.
"Copy: Tidal Slash."
"I've seen enough of that move."
Sandai Kitetsu sliced through the air, trailing a dark red afterimage.
Where its light passed, the azure surge split down the middle, like fragile silk easily severed by a sharp blade.
Rossi's brows briefly knitted.
The figure ahead, transformed into "Gion,"