Alongside Whitebeard's booming declaration, his Conqueror's Haki surged forth—stronger now than it had been at Fullalead Island. In a world governed by willpower, even a powerful slogan could strengthen one's aura. And this time, it did.
On the other side, Sengoku's expression visibly stiffened. They were equals in power, yet Whitebeard just had to make a scene.
"Fire!"
With nothing witty to say, Sengoku gave the order with a grim face. His warship's cannons roared, bombarding Whitebeard's pirate vessel.
Not to be outdone, Whitebeard accepted the incoming fire and immediately launched a counterattack without hesitation.
"Brother Newgate, I'll count on you to hold the line for me. I'm heading in—I want to test Sengoku myself!"
"Gurararara! Go ahead, Brother Lind, I'll be right here to back you up!"
With Whitebeard's assurance, Lind didn't hesitate any longer.
Riding the blade Ranqiu beneath his feet and with the sword Kunpeng circling him, Lind soared toward Sengoku's ship.
"The new officer of the Rocks Pirates, Vice-Captain of the Second Division, Lind... Why aren't you with Shiki? Why are you teaming up with Newgate?"
"What are you here for?"
Sengoku's questions came before Lind could even deliver his prepared lines, nearly choking off the poetic introduction he had rehearsed.
Seriously? That's not how this was supposed to go! You're supposed to ask who I am, and then I deliver a full monologue brimming with flair!
Though the script had gone awry, Lind wasn't going to waste the moment. This performance would go on.
Cursing the poor quality of intelligence networks behind the scenes, Lind steadied himself in the air using telekinesis and prepared for his stage debut.
With Kunpeng and Ranqiu orbiting around him, a wave of willful Conqueror's Haki emanated from his body—infused with a carefree, unrestrained spirit. His voice rang out, both rebellious and elegant.
"Riding the wind, I cross the seas, unfettered beneath heaven's gaze.
When my blade is drawn, ten thousand sails fall still, and darkness spans ten thousand miles.
One strike stirs the four seas, a second shakes the sun and moon.
Alone I face all challengers, for none rival my sword of dust and blood.
My enemies either flee in terror or fall in utter defeat!"
"I've come here today with one question..."
Ranqiu returned beneath his feet. Lind gripped Kunpeng, pointed it directly at Sengoku, and shouted,
"Sengoku, have you ever lost?"
Sengoku's face darkened even further. This young pirate was even more arrogant than Whitebeard had been.
"Have I ever lost?"
This brat was clearly mocking him—insufferable!
This kid needed to be taught a lesson. Today, Sengoku would show him what it meant to respect his elders.
"Great Buddha Shockwave!"
Without waiting for Lind to make his next move, Sengoku sent a shockwave hurtling toward him.
"What the hell, you old man! Attacking a teenager like that without warning?"
Lind swore under his breath as he narrowly dodged the incoming blast.
"You know what they say—'an attack unreturned is impolite!' Take this!"
Dodging with ease, Lind didn't hesitate. With Kunpeng in hand, he lunged at Sengoku, aiming a strike straight for his midsection.
But Sengoku remained unfazed. He coated both hands in Armament Haki and parried the attack with a single, precise hand chop.
Then, using Geppo, he launched himself into the air to close the distance and engage in close combat.
Lind wasn't intimidated. After all, he had spent the last two and a half years tempering his body. He was more than ready.
Coating his fists in Armament Haki, he met Sengoku head-on. At the same time, he split his focus—controlling Kunpeng and Ranqiu to launch surprise attacks from different angles.
"Hahaha! Not bad, kid! Shame you're a pirate."
Sengoku smirked as he sensed Lind's potential, his expression one of regret—a promising flower blooming on the wrong path.
"To prevent you from becoming a threat to the world, I'll put an end to this now. Impel Down will be your final destination!"
As he spoke, Sengoku unleashed his full power, determined to take Lind down.
Their brief clash had given Sengoku a rough gauge of Lind's strength—he was above a standard Vice Admiral, but still below the level of an Admiral. There was a gap.
From Sengoku's perspective, this was a fight he could win.
Fortunately, Lind wasn't blinded by pride. For all his bravado, he knew his limits. He had been watching for Sengoku's escalation.
After exchanging a few more blows, Lind immediately pulled back, switching to long-range swordplay and aerial footwork.
Sengoku tried to close the gap, but Lind used his telekinesis to stay agile and elusive. It wasn't elegant, but it worked.
For the moment, Sengoku couldn't land a clean hit.
Likewise, Lind couldn't gain the upper hand either. His power gap was clear. He couldn't help but curse internally—if only he had mastered Advanced Conqueror's Haki. For now, all he could do was retreat and chip away from a distance.
Think of it as sword training, Lind told himself after half an hour of stalling.
Gradually, his frustration settled. Though the situation was irritating, Lind stayed patient. He began using the fight to hone his technique, unleashing a variety of sword skills on Sengoku.
Dodging Sengoku's relentless attacks also sharpened his footwork and combat instincts. Sengoku, the renowned strategist, used countless feints and predictions that overwhelmed Lind's relatively limited battle experience.
And so, their duel raged on. After three hours of intense back-and-forth, Lind's mental energy was running low. He could feel the dizziness setting in.
As expected, telekinesis has poor stamina. If I had to fight for seven days straight, my brain would fry. In the end, physique and Haki are still the king in this world.
Lind glanced at Sengoku, who still looked as composed as ever, and silently complained.
And I'm seriously lacking in finishing moves. This scratch-and-chip strategy is pointless against a Mythical Zoan like Sengoku. One more hour and I'm letting Whitebeard handle him.
As he fought, Lind kept scanning the horizon for a proper battleground for Whitebeard. Though the man could use Geppo, air combat wasn't his forte.
Finally, after another thirty minutes, Lind spotted a small island. It had wide, rolling hills and seemed sturdy enough to hold up under a full-power clash.
The time had come.
Lind didn't bother wasting a special move to retreat. He simply entangled Sengoku with Kunpeng and Ranqiu, then accelerated away, heading back to the pirate ship.
"Brother Newgate, it's all yours now!"
Landing back on deck, Lind didn't hesitate to hand off the next phase of the fight.
"Gurararara! Leave it to me, Brother Lind. Let me see if Sengoku can take what's coming."
Understanding Lind's cue instantly, Whitebeard let out a hearty laugh and launched himself into the sky using Geppo.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!