The brim of Wood's cap lifted slightly, revealing his face. At that moment, Doflamingo and Crocodile instinctively leaped backward, pulling themselves to a safe distance from him.
The entire sea knew that "Ancient Weapon" Wood was one of the greatest swordsmen alive. Engaging in combat with such a man meant maintaining the safest distance possible—a basic survival instinct.
"Tsk, tsk, your reaction wounds me a little," Wood remarked, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "We're all acquaintances here, aren't we? I came all this way just to see you, yet this is the welcome I get?"
As Wood's attention stayed fixed on Doflamingo and Crocodile, who eyed him warily, another figure quietly crept behind him.
Moonlight Moria, clutching his oversized scissors, had seized the opportunity. To him, obtaining Wood's shadow would mean the potential to rebuild his lost strength—and perhaps even challenge Kaido again to settle a decades-old grudge.
"Moria-sama, don't—" Perona's voice rang out in warning.
"Rankyaku: Kaibird!"
Wood, who had already sensed Moria's movements with his Observation Haki, spun around with precision and unleashed a sharp, blue crescent-shaped slash with a single kick.
The attack, resembling a bird mid-flight, ripped through the air with ferocity, piercing through Moria's rudimentary Armament Haki with ease. It struck his chest, leaving a deep wound from which blood gushed profusely.
The massive form of Moria was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing into the ground and skidding a long distance before coming to a halt. He lay motionless, unconscious.
This was no mere common pirate, but one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—figures revered as some of the most formidable on the Grand Line. And yet, Moria had been brought down by a single kick—an attack many Marine officers could use but few could deliver with such devastating effect.
Wood, nonchalantly cleaning his blade, sighed. "I hate it when people try to sneak up behind me, especially with something as obnoxious as a giant pair of scissors. What were you planning to do, exactly? If Perona weren't one of my company's people and you hadn't been her former benefactor, that wouldn't have been a kick—it would've been my blade."
He casually confiscated Moria's oversized scissors, though his tone suggested it was more a reprimand than a threat. But Moria, lying unconscious, was in no state to appreciate the mercy he'd been shown.
Witnessing the ease with which Wood had taken down Moria, Doflamingo and Crocodile became even warier.
Moria might have been on the weaker end of the Warlords, but he wasn't so feeble that either of them could dispatch him in a single move. Yet Wood had done just that, effortlessly.
This led to an unsettling question: if Moria couldn't last even one exchange, how many moves could they endure?
"Five-Color String!"
"Desert Spada!"
Despite their earlier animosity, Doflamingo and Crocodile exchanged a glance and launched their strongest attacks in unison.
Five sharp strings infused with Armament Haki slashed through the air, carving deep scars into the earth as they shot toward Wood. At the same time, Crocodile's arm transformed into a blade of sand that extended forward, tearing through the ground and draining the moisture from every living thing it touched, leaving shriveled corpses in its wake.
Wood didn't flinch. Holding his recently acquired Imperial Arm, Winter Knight, he calmly countered with a single strike.
"Hyakki Yagyō—One-Sword Style: Kamaitachi!"
A sharp gale erupted from Wood's blade, forming a ferocious wind slash that collided with the incoming attacks. The resulting explosion shook the battlefield. Cracks spread across the earth in a spiderweb pattern, and a cloud of dust and sand enveloped the area, reducing visibility to near zero.
The muffled sounds of combat echoed within the sandstorm, but neither Doflamingo nor Crocodile was at a disadvantage. Both relied on their mastery of Observation Haki to navigate the chaos with precision.
Crocodile, in particular, found himself in his element. The swirling sandstorm became a natural ally, allowing him to blend seamlessly into his surroundings. Dispersing his body into grains of sand, he reformed silently behind Wood, aiming his golden hook for the back of Wood's neck.
"Clang!"
The metallic ring of clashing weapons reverberated as Wood, without turning, raised his left hand and blocked Crocodile's hook with a second sword.
"I guess this means you aren't planning on backing down," Wood remarked, his tone tinged with amusement.
His calm demeanor and ease of movement only served to deepen the tension in the air. Doflamingo, observing from a distance, narrowed his eyes, his fingers twitching as he prepared his next move.
For Wood, this was nothing more than a warm-up. To the others, it was a brutal reminder of why he was feared across the seas.
"Do all of you 'Seven Warlords of the Sea' enjoy attacking from behind?" Wood mocked, his tone light but sharp. "Unfortunately, I'm neither a pretty girl nor a weirdo into strange postures, so…"
Before his words fully settled, Wood's blade, Tenkū, completed an upward slash. With overwhelming strength, Crocodile's body was thrown backward, leaving his chest exposed.
As Wood turned swiftly, his right hand brought down Winter Knight in a decisive strike. Crocodile, who had begun to turn his body into sand, froze for a moment upon seeing the blue blade in Wood's hand suddenly transform into an ominous black. His expression twisted into one of pure shock.
The blackened blade carved through the air with breathtaking speed, the sound of its arc cutting the wind filling the space. Crocodile immediately realized that relying on his Logia ability to escape wasn't an option. There wasn't enough time.
With no choice but to confront the strike head-on, Crocodile's aura flared. His chest, now coated with Armament Haki, gleamed like blackened steel, bracing against the oncoming blade.
"Bold move!" Wood exclaimed, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "There aren't many people in this world daring enough to take one of my slashes head-on."
Crocodile's scarred face twitched at Wood's words. He wanted to retort, to say this wasn't a matter of courage but of having no other choice. The last person who had dared to block Wood's blade with their body, Moria, was lying unconscious nearby. While Crocodile's Haki was stronger than Moria's, it was hardly a massive difference.
And now, Wood wasn't just using martial arts or techniques from the Marine's Six Powers. He was wielding a fully blackened blade—one of the greatest powers of a master swordsman. Blocking such an attack was far from an easy feat.
Just as Wood's blade was about to strike Crocodile's hardened chest, his body shifted at an unnatural angle, narrowly avoiding the blow. His movement, defying logic and gravity, allowed him to retreat quickly and gain distance from Wood.
A deafening explosion followed as Wood's slash missed its target, tearing through the ground. The sword's energy ripped the battlefield apart, creating a massive canyon and even splitting the frozen tsunami towering over the Marineford battlefield.
The shockwave of the slash scattered the sandstorm that had enveloped the area moments before. Crocodile, still alive and gasping for breath, along with the surrounding Marines and pirates, stared wide-eyed at the massive gorge now stretching before them.
Wood, still holding his blade and standing composed, turned his gaze to two tall figures in the distance. "I see now—you've decided to team up," he said, his tone calm but cutting.
He had seen it clearly: Crocodile's unnatural dodge wasn't his own doing. It had been the work of Doflamingo, whose String-String Fruit allowed him to control others' bodies like puppets.
"You idiot! Who told you to interfere?" Crocodile snarled, his face twisted in annoyance as he glared at Doflamingo. "I already said I wouldn't cooperate with you!"
Though Doflamingo had just saved his life, Crocodile showed no gratitude. For someone as prideful as him, the idea of being manipulated like a puppet was intolerable. His body quickly dissolved into sand to break free from Doflamingo's strings.
"You think I wanted to save you?" Doflamingo retorted, his perpetual grin twisting into a sneer. "I was saving myself. The longer you're around, the longer he has to focus on you instead of me. If you're taken out, then I'm next."
Despite his words, the veins bulging on Doflamingo's forehead betrayed his anger. He had no personal desire to assist Crocodile and only did so to keep Wood occupied for as long as possible.
"It doesn't matter," Wood said nonchalantly, gripping his blades tightly. "Even if you both team up, it's fine. In fact, it might make this a little more interesting."
His words, laced with a quiet confidence, sent a chill through both Doflamingo and Crocodile. As seasoned veterans, they could sense the sheer disparity in strength. Even together, their odds against Wood felt slim.
Before the next exchange could begin, another figure approached from the distance. The man wore a wide-brimmed hat, his face framed by a thin mustache. A massive black blade was slung across his back. His sharp, hawk-like eyes gleamed with anticipation as he stepped closer.
"Pardon the interruption," the man said, his voice calm but filled with undeniable intent. "Would you mind if I joined this battle?"
Wood glanced at the newcomer and sighed, his expression one of mild exasperation. Meanwhile, Doflamingo's tense face relaxed ever so slightly, his grin stretching wider as if he'd just been handed a lifeline.
The newcomer was none other than Dracule Mihawk, also known as "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk—the world's greatest swordsman and a fellow member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. His strength was unquestionable. Only moments ago, his "World's Greatest Slash" had effortlessly sliced through the frozen tsunami, leveling the battlefield.
And now, Mihawk's gaze was fixed solely on Wood. The challenge was clear.
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