"If that's the case, I suppose I should get serious for once. After all, if my opponent is the 'World's Greatest Swordsman,' I probably won't get past you without showing my real strength."
As Wood spoke, he sheathed the 『Winter Knight』 and instead drew the other two renowned blades at his waist: astsuyu and Tenkū.
Both astsuyu and Tenkū had been enhanced by system rewards, modified to conduct magical energy. While the 『Winter Knight』, as an Imperial Arm, was unique, it lacked the capacity to channel magic. For the upgraded version of the 『Hyakki Yagyō Sword Style』, the other two blades were essential.
Powerful magic coursed through Wood's arms into the twin swords, radiating an intense aura. Facing him, Mihawk felt the looming presence of danger emanating from the weapons, his expression turning serious.
"Ukiyo Sanzen: Dividing the Three Realms. Yomi, the Land of the Dead, Arbiter of Life and Death!Hyakki Yagyō Sword Style—Light and Dark Dual Blades: Enma!"
With a fluid motion, Wood unleashed two dazzling slashes, one white and one black, streaking through the air. The two strikes seemed magnetically drawn to each other, merging into an even larger dual-toned slash that shimmered in black and white.
The overwhelming aura of the slash coalesced into the spectral image of a regal figure draped in royal robes, radiating authority. This apparition appeared to hold dominion over life and death itself, wielding destructive force with ease.
The black-and-white slash surged forward, annihilating everything in its path. The balance of light and dark seemed to embody the cycle of life and death, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.
Mihawk's keen eyes narrowed at the oncoming attack. With a resolute expression, he raised his supreme-grade blade, the black sword Yoru, high above his head before bringing it down in a decisive strike.
Unlike the melodramatic moves of certain swordsmen, Mihawk's attacks lacked any ostentatious names. One could never tell if he was merely delivering a simple swing or unleashing his most devastating blow.
However, judging by the sheer force of his counter, this was undoubtedly one of Mihawk's strongest techniques. Against an attack as overwhelming as Wood's Enma, even Mihawk knew that anything less than his full power would be futile.
A radiant green slash erupted from Yoru, expanding as it traveled forward. The sheer intensity of the slash carved a deep trench into the earth, splitting the battlefield and the island itself in two.
Observers immediately noticed that Mihawk's slash surpassed the one he had used earlier to cleave the frozen tsunami. Clearly, this was Mihawk at his most serious, fully unleashing his power.
"Boom—!"
The green slash, embodying the pinnacle of Mihawk's swordsmanship, collided with the black-and-white Enma. The moment they met, an explosive shockwave erupted, shaking the very foundation of Marineford.
The entire island trembled violently, causing Marines and pirates alike to stumble and fall. When they lifted their eyes toward the source of the impact, their jaws dropped in disbelief.
Two colossal slashes—one green, the other black and white—clashed at the battlefield's center, locked in a brutal struggle for dominance.
The energy radiating from the clash tore the ground apart, creating massive rifts and causing seawater to gush upward like geysers.
"The entire island is splitting apart!"
"Are these two even human?!"
The intense storm of energy engulfed all of Marineford, shattering what little remained of the frozen tsunami in the air. Within a several-kilometer radius of the clash, everyone caught in the sword aura collapsed, either dead or gravely injured. Those further away were flung hundreds of meters by the shockwaves.
However, it soon became clear that the black-and-white slash was overpowering Mihawk's green energy.
While Mihawk's swordsmanship was unparalleled, Wood was no ordinary swordsman. Beyond his skill as a great swordsman, Wood was also a magician from a world that didn't exist here.
Even if Mihawk's slash had slightly greater technical strength, it lacked the additional destructive power of Wood's magically infused attacks. Wood's Enma, imbued with both light and dark elemental magic, represented a new kind of swordsmanship—magic-infused sword techniques.
The green slash, despite its immense power, began to falter under the relentless pressure of Enma. As it shattered, Mihawk's golden eyes widened in shock. Yet even in the face of defeat, Mihawk didn't falter. With a burst of speed, he dodged out of Enma's path just as the slash enveloped the area he had occupied.
The black-and-white slash continued its destructive course, carving through the entirety of Marineford. Though its power had diminished after breaking Mihawk's attack, it still managed to slice through the massive defensive walls prepared by the Marines, creating a gaping breach.
The Marines had invested enormous resources in constructing the defensive walls, designed to encircle and trap the Whitebeard Pirates. However, the carefully laid plans of Fleet Admiral Sengoku had been undone, first by the fallen Oz blocking one section of the wall, and now by Wood's devastating slash.
For Sengoku, the situation had gone from bad to worse. No longer constrained by the walls, the Whitebeard Pirates no longer had to worry about retreat. The path to freedom was now wide open, and the tide of the battle had shifted dramatically.
The originally impenetrable 360-degree defense wall designed to completely trap the pirates now had openings on both sides, rendering it entirely useless. This heavily funded construction was now no more than a wasted effort!
The navy had designed the defense walls to be thick and sturdy, resistant to any form of destruction—even Whitebeard's power couldn't break through them. According to their calculations, once the walls were raised, no force could breach them. However, these seemingly indestructible walls were now undeniably sliced open by Wood.
Wood's ability to cut through the wall didn't necessarily mean his attacks were stronger than Whitebeard's. The wall's composition included significant amounts of seastone, which heavily diminished the power of Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi ability.
But Wood was different. As someone who wasn't a Devil Fruit user, he wasn't affected by the seastone, so his attacks remained fully potent. Furthermore, the fusion of light and dark magic in his "Yama" technique carried immensely destructive properties, making the breach inevitable.
"What the hell is that bastard Wood doing? I brought him here to help, not to make things worse!"
The breach in the defense wall infuriated the navy's leadership, none more so than Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Watching the massive resources spent on this defensive mechanism now rendered futile left the goat-bearded leader visibly seething.
"This isn't his fault. I was nearby and saw it happen—Hawk-Eye intercepted him. He was forced into a fight," Gion explained softly, suddenly appearing by Sengoku's side to provide an explanation.
The intense duel between Wood and Hawk-Eye had drawn significant attention. As someone who valued swordsmanship and had a particular interest in Wood, Gion had closely observed their battle and was aware of the events leading to it.
Upon hearing her explanation, Sengoku's expression eased somewhat. The idea of Wood turning traitor was deeply troubling, given his vast influence, rivaling even that of the Four Emperors. Such a betrayal would have been a severe blow to the navy's strength.
"I've always said that the Warlords of the Sea can't be trusted! Only those idiots in the World Government would believe otherwise!"
When the Warlord system was first implemented, there were numerous objections. However, the World Government held ultimate authority, and their decision prevailed. Now, it was clear how flawed the system was. Some current Warlords were imprisoned or had sided with the pirates, while others, like Boa Hancock, Donquixote Doflamingo, and Gecko Moria, acted entirely on their own whims, attacking anyone they pleased.
Even Bartholomew Kuma, once considered the most loyal hound of the World Government, seemed to have ulterior motives. And now, even Hawk-Eye, a supposed ally, had become an obstacle by challenging the navy's covert asset, Wood.
After unleashing his "Yama" technique and overpowering Hawk-Eye, the latter ceased his attacks. Through the fierce clash, Hawk-Eye had realized that he couldn't best Wood.
"There's no need to undervalue yourself. The title of 'World's Strongest Swordsman' remains yours. While my overall strength may surpass yours, I'm not yet your equal in pure swordsmanship.
You likely noticed as well—my final strike wasn't purely a sword technique but infused with other powers. I cannot claim to be a true swordsman. That title belongs to you for now. One day, I'll come to take it personally. Of course, it might also be claimed by a certain green-haired, three-sword-wielding swordsman before me."
Strength alone does not determine the title of the world's greatest swordsman. Otherwise, Whitebeard would have claimed that title alongside his numerous others. Pure swordsmanship was the criteria, and in that regard, Hawk-Eye still held the crown, albeit temporarily. Wood, blessed with his otherworldly skills and experiences, was determined to close the gap through relentless effort and growth.
Leaving Hawk-Eye with those words, Wood turned and departed, his posture exuding calm confidence.
Earlier, during the battle with Hawk-Eye, Donquixote Doflamingo and Crocodile had quietly slipped away, seizing the opportunity to avoid further conflict. Now, with the battlefield in chaos, locating them amid the fray seemed nearly impossible.
After a brief moment of deliberation, Wood directed his focus toward advancing closer to the execution platform. He hadn't arrived as a spectator—there was work to be done to honor Sengoku's request for assistance.
Whitebeard was out of the question. After being betrayed by one of his own, the old man was in a state of fury and currently overpowering the navy admirals with terrifying strength. Wood saw no reason to provoke such wrath.
Instead, his attention shifted to a particularly flamboyant target—the ever-so-resilient phoenix.
Marco, the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and Whitebeard's right-hand man, was a formidable opponent, having consumed the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit: Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix. His regenerative abilities allowed him to tank most of the navy's heavy attacks, making him one of the key players nearest to Ace.
As Marco once again transformed into his phoenix form and soared toward the execution platform, Wood leapt into the air, launching himself toward the radiant blue bird.
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