Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Across the sea, both near and far, countless arcs of sword energy bloomed like gusts of vibrant petals.
Each strand of sword energy rippled through the air with force and spirit, like a roaring dragon, a piercing warcry, or petals blown in a storm — alive, fierce, unique.
"What!!!"
Everyone stood frozen.
Never in their lives had they seen so many sword energies manifest at once, flooding the sky.
Swordsman after swordsman watched in shock.
"Sword energy must follow the heart, it should not be limited to the length of three feet!"
Shirogai floated midair, his expression calm but determined, his voice smooth as silk:
"Slash!"
Whoosh!
Tens of thousands of sword energies quivered through the sky, slashing outward in all directions.
Wind was severed, waves were sliced, clouds were torn, and even the gazes of those watching seemed cut by the force.
…
Moments later, the sword energies dissipated, vanishing as though they had never been there.
"How is this possible!!!"
A shadow stirred in the forest, trembling, expanding and shrinking like a frightened animal.
"Hey, hey, hey! That amount of sword energy — I'm not dreaming, right?"
Moriah's voice trembled with horror and disbelief. Hidden within the darkness, his body shook uncontrollably.
He finally understood why the World Government had abandoned its so-called "justice" when faced with the power of a single being.
Could a human truly wield such power?
With a wooden sword in hand, Shirogai had blanketed the entire sea with an overwhelming wave of sword energy.
If Marine warships had been scattered across these waters, every Marine below Vice Admiral rank would have died instantly.
"Terrifying… to conceive…"
Hawkeye's face was grim. Even now he could feel the aftershocks of the sword energy surrounding him. For the first time, a hint of shock crept into his usually composed gaze.
Though many strands of sword energy were superficial and could be deflected by a seasoned expert, the sheer volume of them flooding sky and sea was overwhelming.
Even superficial sword energy, in such numbers, would be enough to drown even an Emperor-level fighter.
At least, Hawkeye wasn't confident he could withstand that.
"The World's Greatest Swordsman…"
Hawkeye spoke the title almost to himself.
He had never truly embraced it, but in this moment, the title felt like a mirror mocking him.
Because before him was something unfathomable.
"Is this truly the pinnacle of swordsmanship?"
Hawkeye stood stunned, then his expression lit with fervent excitement, his gaze locked on Shirogai with the burning desire to fight.
"Shirogai, your presence is breathtaking!"
Hawkeye had never imagined a swordsman could project sword energy like this — it exceeded every limit he had understood.
He had been stalled for years at what he believed was swordsmanship's ultimate threshold, unable to advance because he was already unrivaled.
Now, Shirogai's display opened Hawkeye's mind.
If one were powerful enough, why limit sword energy to the blade?
Why not allow sword energy to dance freely, unbound by form?
"…!"
Hawkeye closed his eyes, focusing inward, trying to summon sword energy from his very spirit.
The space around him quivered — but nothing formed.
"No…"
He opened his eyes, sighing softly.
There were still gaps in his understanding.
"Where the heart directs, sword energy follows."
Shirogai glanced at Zoro, frozen in awe, before descending toward the three of them.
"Do not let a lack of imagination constrain a swordsman's unbounded spirit. Just as Armament Haki can be released freely once mastered, so should sword energy."
A radiant gleam erupted from the wooden sword Kisame, slicing through the sky, its brilliance illuminating thousands of miles.
"With this sword,"
Shirogai's voice resonated like thunder,
"I can make even Gods bend their knee!"
A single inch of light sprang forth, yet its presence alone suppressed the three Warlords before them. They found their movements frozen, their space sealed, forced to withstand the strike rather than evade.
"Shirogai, damn it!! Are you trying to kill us?!"
Moriah screamed from the shadows, panic overtaking him.
"Shadows, return! All of you!"
From the Masted Ship, the remaining shadows surged outward, flowing from within every zombie and merging into Moriah himself.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Like black flames, they fused with his body, clinging to him like a second skin.
…
"Damn it, I was so close to cutting off that annoying afro!"
Inside a ruined building, Ryuma Shimotsuki's zombie form trembled as he fought Brook. His body shivered, unwillingly glancing at Brook, whose afro had just barely escaped being severed.
"Yohohohoho! You should count yourself lucky!"
Brook chuckled, gripping his afro in relief.
Then Ryuma's body went limp on the ground. A stream of dark energy shot from his open mouth, dissolving into the shadows and disappearing.
"Whew… I'm saved…"
Brook touched Shusui's cold steel lying on the floor, confusion in his voice:
"But why were all the shadows recalled?"
He pondered why Moriah would withdraw every shadow — what kind of opponent could force such a reaction?
…
"Roar!!!"
In an instant, Moriah, now infused with all remaining shadows, had transformed.
His eyes were blank white, his sanity gone, replaced by pure feral instinct.
"Shadow Asgard — Night Demon Armor!"
The shadows beneath him rose like a tidal wave, climbing up his legs and enveloping his body in a dark, terrifying shell.
Swoosh, swoosh…
The black mass hardened into monstrous armor, merging with Moriah until he resembled a terrifying beast rather than a man.
"Roar!!!"
Driven solely by instinct and battle lust, Moriah struck at the gleaming sword's descending light with massive, jagged claws.
At this size and ferocity, he could crush most of the world's strongest fighters in a single motion.
Yet even so, when that dazzling beam of light fell, he could do nothing to stop it.
Boom!!
Moriah's massive form trembled as the sliver of light sank into him like an immovable pillar, forcing him to his knees.
Trembling violently, he could only endure.