Clang!
Clang clang clang!
With slashes from above and chops from below, thrusts to the left and swings to the right, each attack forced Hawkins to swiftly dodge, causing Sipher to only circle around defensively, and whenever he attempted to counterattack, he struck nothing but air.
The key to moving with such speed lay in sheer brutality, leaving no room for a response.
"Dual Blade Martial Arts!"
After parrying Hawkins' sword thrust coming from the side with his scimitars, Sipher's eyes flashed a red dot, his grip on the longsword inwardly flicked to bounce off the blade, and his hands thrust forward simultaneously.
"New Rend!"
The dual blades stabbed downward, leaving lingering shadows filled Hawkins' entire form.
"Swords can't just multiply... Kami-e."
Facing the overwhelming stabs, Hawkins casually remarked, his body relaxing and flowing with the airstream generated by the blades, like a willow swaying in the wind, effortlessly dodging the strikes.
The Observation Haki is indeed powerful, emphasizing the perception of danger and anticipating opponents, whereas the Kami-e technique relies on moving with the flow; no matter how well one predicts an opponent's moves, as long as an attack is initiated, a flow arises, followed by a dodge.
Even if Sipher predicted Hawkins' dodging spot and altered his strikes, Kami-e would readjust according to the shifts in the air current.
Sipher, realizing this, suddenly switched his blade's motion from stabs to swings after launching tens of stabs. He rotated the blades up and down, completing a half-circle sweep.
"Moon Step."
Boom!
As Sipher altered his actions, Hawkins stepped upward, ascending straight into the air, leaving several smoky rings behind as his blade brightened, cutting through the air like a shining white line, slashing downward forcefully.
The red dot in Sipher's eyes didn't dissipate; with Observation sensing, his body slightly tilted, and his blades crossed diagonally upward, awaiting Hawkins' downward strike.
"Demon-Subduing Aspect."
In the moment of descent, Hawkins' body was enveloped in rice straw, transforming into a giant scarecrow wielding a straw longsword which he swung down with immense power.
The increased range didn't require Hawkins to adjust angles; he simply hewed directly.
Sipher's pupils narrowed as he shifted his steps sideways to dodge; the instant he moved, the gigantic scarecrow descended.
Boom!!
The ground was cleaved into a ravine by Hawkins; narrowly evading the straw sword, Sipher raised his dual blades for a horizontal slashing counterattack.
At that moment, Hawkins' form shifted, the scarecrow shrinking to regular human size, causing Sipher's blades to aim at Hawkins' head, forcing him to stab with a sword instead.
Facing the incoming thrust, a fierce look appeared in Sipher's eyes; while his blades slashed downward, something dawned on him, leading him to abruptly withdraw, striking the long sword and spring backward.
"Rice Straw Hand-Prepared Blade."
Missing with the previous strike, Hawkins calmly voiced, morphing the blade into a rice straw whip that darted like a serpent toward Sipher's chest mid-air.
Clang!
The crisp clash resounded as Sipher reacted in mid-air, pressing the crossed blades against the rice straw sword, gritting his teeth and shifting sideways, touching the sword's edge before rolling upon landing, bouncing backward like a ball.
Sipher's left hand moved to his waist, wiping off the fresh blood.
He hadn't fully blocked the previous strike; the rice straw sword pierced his leather armor, grazing his waist.
Sipher gazed at Hawkins, saying, "A bit slower, and I'd be skewered. You're certainly not just an Ability User; are those moves the Six Styles? I've heard of them."
The Gares Kingdom is a Free City State, where he's encountered Navy members and seen some mighty individuals performing the Six Styles.
Since joining the Pirates, Hawkins didn't just rely on divination; Sage had also trained them specifically over time, allowing him to master a few moves.
He didn't require Tekkai, Finger Gun, or Rankyaku, but he fully learned Moon Step, Soru, and the Kami-e Three Techniques.
"Just wanted to inform you, my sword isn't easy to block either. You tried a direct confrontation earlier; no one's surprised considering your 'Warrior' alias, but I'm not afraid of such tactics," Hawkins replied coolly.
Sipher shook his head, smiling slightly, "Right, now that I remember, you're the one with an Undying Body."
He is a 'Destiny Warrior'; beyond fate, he is also a warrior.
Warriors can confront directly.
That downward slash, if aimed at a common person, would be disastrous for this blond man; perhaps he'd manage a thrust to Sipher's chest, but his head would definitely be struck.
But thinking about it, Sipher remembered this guy possesses an Undying Body, which not only negates fear but suits this fighting style even more.
"But it must have limits; killing you eight times still wasn't enough. How many times will suffice? Ten? Twenty? Or will it only end..."
Sipher's gaze dropped, focusing on the soldiers unconscious on the ground; he sheared a soldier's head with a downward curved blade stroke.
"Will your ability vanish only after all these guys are dead?" His eyes burned fiercely at Hawkins.
Hawkins slightly frowned, showing a hint of surprise in his eyes, yet maintaining composure, "Aren't these men your subordinates?"
With a smile, Sipher stepped forward, swinging his blades like harvesters, swiftly taking the lives of ten soldiers.
"I simply respect the old King, serving him; warriors such as myself, seeking victory, never mind the means."