It's not that Gunko has an indestructible body; that's not within the realm of immortality. Even Imu doesn't have that ability!
In the instant the great crisis struck, two arrows wrapped in bandages appeared around Gunko's neck. One rotated clockwise, and the other counterclockwise. One went down from top to bottom, and the other went up from bottom to top. In an instant, Gunko's neck was tightly wrapped and airtight!
Then Kuina's blade struck the arrow-bandages. Apart from sparks flying, the arrow-bandages showed no signs of damage, but the immense force still sent Gunko flying!
"Cough cough cough..."
Gunko got up from the ground, staring intently at Kuina, coughing repeatedly while clutching her neck. She hadn't expected the female swordsman to react so quickly. Before she could even unleash her next move, she was instantly countered and almost injured!
"Were you forced?"
Without warning, a question abruptly shattered the deathly silence following the clash of swords. Kuina's eyes shone with an astonishing light, eyes tempered with the intent of a sword forged through countless trials, seemingly able to pierce through flesh and bone, reaching the deepest recesses of the soul.
Or perhaps it was the divine intuition of a top swordsman that sensed something was wrong with Gunko —a feeling of unease as if her soul was being twisted. After slaying Gunko with a single strike, she didn't press her advantage. The usually silent Junzi had actually spoken up in front of her enemy!
"Forced? No! Killing is exhilarating; it's a feeling I only experienced after becoming God's Knights!"
Gunko forced out a hoarse laugh, her mouth and nose, wrapped in heavy bandages, twitched. No one could see her expression clearly, only her eyes, which shone eerily, churning with an almost morbid desire and a bloodthirsty evil light!
The moment she finished speaking, her body trembled uncontrollably, as if she had fallen into some kind of mental world or memory. The force with which she gripped the sword hilt suddenly increased, and her knuckles turned bluish-white, making her look somewhat frantic!
"After joining the God's Knights? Didn't you kill anyone before joining?"
Kuina didn't react to Gunko's strange behavior; instead, she asked him questions seriously!
She did sense the other person's abnormality. Although Gunko was standing right in front of her, she felt that he was like a walking corpse, just an empty shell without a soul!
This is very strange. Since the other party has answered her question, she wants to continue to investigate and uncover the truth that has been deliberately buried!
"Of course I've killed them. Like you, they were pirates, they deserved to die..."
Gunko's voice suddenly lowered, and his demeanor changed again. His eyes no longer held desire and bloodlust, but were replaced by a chaotic confusion, as if he were trying to remember something!
Her words were fragmented, as if she were searching through long-forgotten fragments of memory. Her raised arm fell limply to her side, and the sharp tip of her sword dragged a deep mark on the ground, sparks flying and leaving a winding, charred trail.
Were you also enjoying yourself back then?
Gunko's change in demeanor was too obvious. Kuina continued to press for details. Although she didn't know what was going on with the God's Knights God's Knights, the unusually similar aura emanating from him made it impossible not to think things through!
Kuina is a very insightful person; she can quickly see the key to many things, but she is not good at speaking and rarely speaks.
"Was it pleasurable? I don't remember, maybe it was pleasurable, hmm?... Ah..."
As Kuina asked the question, Gunko frowned, his memories seemingly blocked, or as if he were having an internal struggle, a trace of pain appearing on his face!
A suppressed groan suddenly turned into a painful roar. She could no longer hold the slender sword in her hand, and with a clang, the long sword fell to the ground.
Gunko collapsed to his knees, clutching his head tightly with both hands. His body trembled violently, as if countless shattered images were crashing and exploding in his mind, each surge bringing excruciating pain.
At this moment, Gunko indeed had a large number of fragmented memories flashing through her mind, including scenes of her being with different people at different times!
These images flashed by in an instant, and her instinctive urge to explore the past was thwarted by another powerful and domineering voice!
The voice told her that there was no need to dwell on her weak past. All her loved ones were gone. The real thing was to enjoy her current Yamato and the thrill of killing. Forget the past and kill all her enemies!
Kuina didn't ask any further questions. A hint of reluctance flashed in her eyes as she walked towards Gunko!
Kuina didn't ask any more questions. A hint of reluctance flashed across her dark eyes. She stepped forward slowly, her boots crunching softly over the pebbles on the ground.
Her own questions had plunged the other person into pain, even touching on their most vulnerable points. A slight misstep could have caused the other person's mental state to collapse completely, and she didn't want to defeat them in this way!
She simply suspected that Gunko had some mental issues, and felt he was somewhat out of place!
"Ah..."
A long, drawn-out scream escaped Gunko's lips. A pair of emotionless eyes, like bullseyes, appeared in her mind, shattering all the memories that surged forth. An irresistible will emerged in her consciousness, driving her body!
At this moment, Kuina was less than a meter away from Gunko. Suddenly, a huge sense of crisis surged into her heart!
Kuina's eyes narrowed, Wado Ichimonji in her hand, her body reacting much faster than her mind!
Although Kuina reacted quickly, she was still cut on the arm by Gunko's rapier. Ignoring the injury, Kuina calmly defended against Gunko's fierce attack!
The sword that slashed her arm was too sudden; otherwise, Gunko wouldn't have been able to break through her defenses at all.
However, Gunko's attack style soon changed dramatically. He became faster, stronger, and his moves became more complex. Even Kuina had to take him seriously!
"Don't interrupt other people's fight, you bastard!"
From afar came Vic's roar, and the sound of weapons piercing flesh and spurting blood!
As a result, Gunko's fighting style, speed, and strength returned to their original levels, but the attack did not stop and continued to be fierce!
"Is he being controlled? No wonder he's acting so strangely!"
Combining Vic's shout and Gunko's behavior, Kuina analyzed the problem with Gunko. Gunko's mental state was indeed in serious trouble, and it was very likely that he was being controlled by Imu!
Through this control, her thoughts are continuously influenced, past memories are suppressed, and she can also temporarily gain full control, granting her stronger physical attributes and a comprehensive enhancement!
Stop! This isn't what you meant!
Kuina called out, seemingly trying to awaken Gunko's memories again, but Gunko was like a real humanoid weapon, his eyes unfocused, yet his body showed an immense desire for battle!
No, it should be said that she showed an extreme desire to kill, but Kuina was strong enough to prevent her from succeeding!
"So, although they've broken free of control, their influence has only increased? Sigh..."
As more arrows emerged from Gunko and joined the battle, Kuina's repeated calls went unanswered. If this continued, she would be put in a very passive position!
Kuina is a pure swordswoman with no special abilities. Once her stamina and Haki are exhausted, she'll be nothing but a fish on a chopping board. So since she can't awaken her, she has no choice but to eliminate her opponent!