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Currently at chapter 234
Three strikes in a row!
Four strikes!
Five in a row!
The atmosphere was electric.
Bai Yu's blade moved faster with every swing.
Each cut carried more explosive force than the last.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Yu unleashed eight consecutive slashes!
With each of those eight strikes—except for the first two—Vice Admiral Garp was forced to retreat a step.
Eight strikes—six steps back!
But that wasn't the most shocking part.
By the time Bai Yu launched his eighth slash, Garp could barely keep up.
It wasn't that Garp's Armament Haki was lacking.
It was Bai Yu's incredible speed. His chained sword strikes had reached a terrifying level—so fast that even Garp's battle-hardened instincts struggled to keep pace.
He could predict the attack but couldn't match it physically!
A power-type fighter through and through, Garp was finally showing cracks.
Strike Nine!
As Bai Yu brought down the ninth slash—
Garp retracted his fist, finally forced into a defensive stance.
Clang!
Sakuragi met Garp's arm.
A dazzling spark burst out as metal clashed against Haki-hardened flesh.
The strike was so sharp and forceful that it tore slightly through the Armament Haki, leaving behind a shallow slash mark on Garp's arm.
Strike Ten!
Strike Eleven!
Bai Yu pressed his advantage. Both strikes landed precisely on the mark created by the ninth slash.
The point of impact—where Garp's Haki had already thinned—was targeted again with surgical precision.
Strike Twelve!
With his final slash, the fastest and strongest of them all, Bai Yu struck with unwavering focus.
No hesitation. No mercy.
Rip!
A tearing sound—flesh and blood.
Bai Yu's twelfth cut finally broke through Garp's Armament Haki completely!
A clean wound opened on Garp's arm.
The living legend staggered back ten full steps.
Bai Yu sheathed his blade with calm precision.
"Hiss..."
Garp winced in pain, eyes locked on Bai Yu in disbelief.
Blood trickled down his arm.
Drip... drip...
He looked at the cut, stunned into silence.
Bai Yu had done exactly what he said he would.
He had broken through Garp's Armament Haki—and injured him.
For the first time since the end of the Pirate King era, someone had wounded Garp in combat!
"That's enough," Bai Yu said, re-sheathing Sakuragi, his voice calm and respectful.
Their exchange had gone far enough—it was, after all, a friendly match.
Bai Yu had achieved his goal: to test the full extent of his power.
Without waiting, he tore off a strip of cloth and wrapped it around Garp's wound, bandaging it swiftly and efficiently.
"You little monster," Garp muttered with a half-smile, finally withdrawing his Haki. "You were hiding your true strength all this time!"
The hatchling had become a full-grown eagle, soaring into the skies on its own.
"Next time," Bai Yu said with a grin, "I'll cut through your Haki like paper."
After finishing the bandage, Bai Yu turned and walked away gracefully.
"Are you alright?" Aokiji stepped in, having seen everything from a distance.
Garp shook his head slowly, still watching Bai Yu's back.
"The new era is arriving fast," he murmured. "Seems like us old timers will soon be stepping off the stage."
Aokiji stood silently, his gaze following Bai Yu as well—his thoughts a swirling storm.
---
Back with Bai Yu
As he walked away, a familiar sound echoed in his mind—the system notification.
> [Ding! Host has swung the blade 1000 times. Rewards granted: Ju Twelve Strikes proficiency +5%, Azure Dragon: Final – Ten Thousand Blade Scroll proficiency +5%]
[Three Haki Proficiency +1%, Advanced Swordsmanship +5%, Dual Sword Style +5%]
> [Ding! Blade swung 2000 times. Rewards granted.]
[Ding! Blade swung 3000 times. Rewards granted.]
Fighting a powerhouse like Garp had drastically accelerated his combat count.
Each swing in such a high-level battle was worth ten or more in training.
By the end of the match, he had earned three tiers of blade-swinging rewards.
Bai Yu accepted them eagerly.
But it wasn't over yet.
> [Ding! First successful strike on Hero Garp! Bonus reward granted: Forged Blade Slot +1]
His eyes widened.
An extra weapon forging slot—earned only for this first victory against Garp.
"A first-time bonus, huh?" Bai Yu whispered. "Probably a one-time reward."
He knew he wouldn't get this again, even if he fought Garp a hundred more times.
Not that it mattered.
The normal blade-swinging rewards were more than enough to fuel his growth.
He didn't plan to treat Garp like a training dummy.
After bidding farewell to both Garp and Aokiji, Bai Yu returned to his temporary quarters at Marine Headquarters.
He closed the door behind him.
"System Panel."
A glowing panel appeared in his mind's eye:
> [Strongest Swordsman System]
[Host: Bai Yu]
Swordsmanship: Advanced Swordsmanship (85%), Dual Sword Style (20%)
Moves: Six Styles, Azure Dragon Sword Intent, Ju Twelve Strikes (95%), Dragon Force, Thunderbolt, Azure Dragon: Final – Ten Thousand Blade Scroll (90%)
Weapons: Peerless Great Blade (Fine Grade), Sakuragi (Supreme Grade)
Physique: S-Rank
Haki: Armament (71%), Observation (71%), Conqueror's (71%)
Item: Blueprint – Pluton (Hades)
After receiving the new rewards, the proficiency of every move had leapt forward.
His Ju Twelve Strikes, known for its devastating single-target damage, was now at 95%.
Only 5% more to unlock full mastery.
And when that happened, the system hinted it would unlock faster and deeper combo chains.
Moreover—
His Armament Haki, now above 70%, had unlocked the advanced application: Internal Destruction.
An elite technique developed during the latter half of the Pirate Era.
When infused into his blades, Internal Destruction allowed strikes to bypass surface defenses and directly damage the insides of the opponent.
A terrifying counter to tough-skinned or Haki-heavy enemies.
This technique was once used by Luffy in Wano—to bypass Kaido's monstrous durability!
Now Bai Yu wielded the same power.
"If I had this earlier… Garp wouldn't have just lost a little blood," Bai Yu muttered.
But his thoughts didn't linger.
There was still work to do.
"Next step... forging the new blade."
Despite his rapid growth, his current dual-wield setup was unbalanced.
Sakuragi was a Supreme Grade blade, while his secondary sword was still two tiers lower.
That discrepancy dulled the edge of his dual sword techniques.
For perfect harmony, both blades had to be equal in strength.
"I'm ready," Bai Yu whispered.
"System, forge one Peerless Great Blade!"
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