Chapter 135: Great Swordsman
"Too strong!"
This single thought filled the minds of every spectator as the battle between Rhodes and Don Chinjao reached a fever pitch.
These two weren't human beings at all—they were practically deities capable of overturning seas and shattering mountains. Even the massive Mount Kano itself was being destroyed by their clash, its peak already reduced by over twenty meters.
Rocks pierced through the air like cannonballs.
Several young warriors, ignorant of their own limitations and standing too close, were crushed to death by the falling debris.
"Don Chinjao's physique is truly unparalleled, surpassing the limits of ordinary humans. He could shatter warships with a single punch and withstand artillery shells without injury. If I were in Rhodes's position..."
The grand master of Yuezhi Kingdom shook his head, a trace of bitter regret in his expression.
That was precisely how he'd been defeated by Don Chinjao decades ago.
The spectators nodded in solemn agreement.
Those with strength comparable to Branch Vice Admirals felt the disparity most profoundly—while Headquarters Vice Admirals understood it on an even deeper level.
They were still ultimately human, but someone like Don Chinjao was a monster—an existence of an entirely different order.
Meanwhile, younger warriors like Silvia were practically paralyzed with awe, their minds blank from the overwhelming spectacle.
Hela's mouth hung open in disbelief.
She'd only ever seen Rhodes instantly annihilate the Blood Sword Pirates, never witnessing him conquer an entire city. Though she'd glimpsed reports in newspapers, nothing could compare to the visceral shock of witnessing his power firsthand.
"However, he is truly a supreme genius capable of single-handedly defeating entire armies. His lightning power seems even more devastating than the legendary Logia-type Goro Goro no Mi. It's indestructible, swift and ferocious. An ordinary warrior would likely be killed instantly by a single strike,"
a black-robed elder with a hooked nose and sinister aura said in a hoarse voice.
Coiled at his feet was a vibrantly colored, elaborately patterned serpent. The massive snake had a triangular head, dark green pupils, and a tongue that flickered periodically—clearly a highly venomous and deadly creature.
Everyone maintained their distance from him. He was a legendary assassin, a formidable figure throughout the entire underworld—a notorious killer even more feared than many crime bosses. His mastery of poisons was unparalleled, and no one dared provoke him.
"Mr. Nicholas speaks truly,"
the Yuezhi grand master nodded, seeming wary even in agreement.
"But the Dragon Slayer swordsman is still too young and inexperienced. Don Chinjao's Hasshoken excels at accumulating incremental advantages through repeated impacts. If this continues and the accumulated damage affects Rhodes's internal organs, he'll undoubtedly lose—and he won't even be able to escape."
He made this assessment as a seasoned veteran, and everyone nodded in agreement.
After all, anyone could see that Don Chinjao—despite being repeatedly struck by Rhodes's blade—remained incredibly resilient. If this battle dragged on, Rhodes would surely lose.
In the arena,
Cough!
The constant clashing, with impact force continuously battering his internal organs, finally forced Rhodes to cough up blood.
"Boy, you're finished!"
"Go join Sai in the afterlife as my tribute to him!"
Seeing this, Don Chinjao laughed triumphantly and charged forward without hesitation, displaying the overwhelming dominance of a master martial artist.
And at that precise moment,
Rhodes suddenly felt everything slow down dramatically.
Don Chinjao's fist moved in slow motion, impact force rippling and pulsating visibly, the air trembling gently around it.
His own sword also slowed, moving inch by inch, tearing through the air bit by bit—practically motionless.
This was the sensation of time being stretched infinitely.
This state often lasted only a fleeting instant, yet felt eternal—as if time itself had stopped, allowing one to observe the world from a transcendent perspective.
Many people experienced this state in the moment before death, suspended between life and oblivion.
Just like in the original history, when Roronoa Zoro was being crushed by Mr. 1—the Supa Supa no Mi user—his inner universe suddenly expanded, allowing him to perceive the Breath of All Things and achieve the realm of cutting steel in a single miraculous strike.
But Rhodes was different.
While his battle with Don Chinjao was intense, it was far from a genuine life-or-death crisis.
He'd entered this transcendent state
purely through his burning fighting spirit and absolute focus.
This battle could be considered Rhodes's first truly frenzied engagement since arriving in this world—its intensity far exceeding any previous encounter.
In the pirate world, combat was always the catalyst for advancement, the crucible that forged true strength.
And it was through this crucible that Rhodes encountered this profoundly mystical state.
To the outside world, it seemed but a fleeting moment.
But to Rhodes, it allowed him to vividly witness the transmission of power and the trajectory of his slash as he swung his blade with full force. It was as if he could perceive the formation of sword energy itself, touching upon the deeper mysteries of swordsmanship.
This was the feeling he'd been seeking!
HUMMM!
The next instant, Rhodes returned to normal reality—but the sword he swung carried a completely different quality.
His raw strength remained unchanged, but his technical control suddenly soared to an entirely new level. Like a martial arts master wielding tremendous power with perfect precision, far more devastating than a brute with the same strength.
Under this mystical transformation, the effective power of Rhodes's strikes increased by nearly thirty percent!
This was an incredible leap, especially for someone already at his level.
It was enough to completely overturn the battle's outcome!
SLASH!
Don Chinjao, unaware of this fundamental shift, charged headfirst into the attack—then was sent flying backward at even greater speed, sliding dozens of meters before finally coming to a stop.
Blood flowed down his flattened skull and across Don Chinjao's face, creating a strange, eerie contrast against the pitch-black Armament Haki coating.
"This... How is this possible..."
Don Chinjao was utterly stunned.
His head was his most heavily defended point.
Rhodes's previous strikes might leave marks on other parts of his body, but on his head, they'd barely drawn blood.
Yet at this moment, his skull had been genuinely wounded by Rhodes's blade—injured far more severely than any other part of his body!
Could his defenses have weakened due to continuously maintaining his Haki?
Even Don Chinjao, with all his experience and mental fortitude, felt momentarily incredulous—subconsciously considering this possibility before quickly dismissing it.
No, that wasn't the issue.
Rather, the Dragon Slayer had achieved a breakthrough during battle!
His strikes had become fundamentally more powerful!
"Thank you... for pushing me this far..."
Blood trickled from the corner of Rhodes's mouth, and his face remained pale—but his dark eyes flashed with astonishing brilliance, so bright and intense they seemed almost tangible.
Yes, his swordsmanship had broken through.
Three months after arriving in this world, Rhodes had entered the realm of swordsman who could cut iron.
Now, more than a year later, he'd finally reached the pinnacle of that realm and ascended to become a Great Swordsman.
Vice Admiral Momonga had been at approximately this level—perhaps slightly ahead of where Rhodes stood now.
At this point, Rhodes had surpassed roughly ninety-nine percent of all swordsmen in the world. The only ones who exceeded him in swordsmanship were those legendary Supreme Grade swordsmen who stood at the absolute pinnacle!
The atmosphere across the battlefield grew momentarily tense and silent.
Don Chinjao was, after all, a supremely powerful being who'd once commanded respect across the seas—possessing the bearing and will of a true king. After a brief moment of shock, he recovered, his expression showing genuine admiration:
"To achieve a breakthrough in the midst of battle... that's both your talent and your fortune."
"If it had been anyone else, I would have crushed them long before they reached this point."
"Come! Let's have our final clash!"
As he spoke, a glint of absolute determination and willingness to embrace death flashed in Don Chinjao's eyes.
He and Rhodes shared a blood feud—the grudge of killing his grandson and humiliating his nation. Although he greatly admired Rhodes's incredible talent, there was no room for reconciliation between them.
Today, one of them had to die!
"Hasshoken Secret Technique..."
(End of Chapter)
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