The fog-covered island was thick with rain and the smell of blood, making the air feel heavy and sharp.
Aiden stood calmly in the middle of a clearing. His body was stained with the blood that had just splashed onto him.
Across from him, a tall figure slowly stepped out from the thick fog.
It was "Great Whirlpool Spider" Squard.
He radiated violence and bloodlust. His body still showed signs of damage from the previous naval battle.
"It's you? That Navy brat?" Squard stuck out his tongue and licked his sharp teeth. His single eye locked onto Aiden.
"Your luck is really terrible," Squard said with a cruel grin. "Did you survive the sea just to die by my hands here?"
"I could say the same to you." Aiden slowly drew his sword. The blade reflected the fog.
Squard didn't bother replying. He slammed his foot down, cracking the ground, and rushed forward like a cannonball. The long katana in his hand cut through the air with a sharp whistle as it came down toward Aiden's head.
Aiden took a deep breath. Every muscle in his body tightened instantly. Pitch-black Armament Haki coated his blade.
He met the attack head-on.
CLANG
The impact exploded through the clearing.
A shockwave blasted outward, scattering rain and gravel.
Aiden felt the force travel through his arms. He was pushed back several steps, each one leaving a deep imprint in the wet ground. Pain shot through his arms, and his grip went slightly numb.
"Tch... his strength is higher than mine," Aiden judged instantly. "Even if my Haki is denser, I lose in a direct clash."
"You've got some skill," Squard said after seeing his attack blocked.
He moved again.
His long and short blades came down in rapid succession, forming a tight web of slashes that surrounded Aiden.
Aiden understood immediately. Trading blows like this was a bad idea.
He pushed his Observation Haki to the limit.
The world slowed down.
In his vision, Squard's attacks split into countless overlapping trajectories.
"A horizontal slash from the left, aimed at my waist. Then a thrust from the right, aimed at my chest."
He could see it all.
But his body was too slow.
Squelch
A shallow cut opened across his ribs.
"Damn it." Aiden pulled back to create distance. "I saw it, but I couldn't keep up."
This was his first time using Future Sight in a real fight like this.
His mind was ahead, but his body was still reacting on instinct. The mismatch threw him off.
"What's wrong?" Squard pressed forward, grinning. "Feeling the gap now?"
He had no idea what Aiden was doing. To him, it just looked like the boy was struggling.
"Spider: Thousand Blades."
The attacks came faster.
A storm of slashes closed in.
Aiden forced himself to calm down.
"Don't react after seeing it. Move before it happens."
Facing the incoming attacks, Aiden did something unexpected.
He closed his eyes.
He gave up his sight completely and relied only on his perception.
Under Squard's gaze, Aiden began moving through the storm of blades in an awkward, uneven rhythm.
The long blade passed right in front of his face.
The short blade missed his back by a hair.
His movements looked messy, almost unstable.
But not a single attack landed.
"What?" Squard froze for a moment.
His attacks couldn't even touch him.
"Why is he always ahead of me?"
That feeling of being outpaced irritated him.
In that brief hesitation, Aiden opened his eyes.
He was getting used to it.
"Now."
His Observation Haki caught a future opening. One he would create himself.
"You BASTARD!" Squard roared and launched a full-power thrust, committing his entire body.
Aiden didn't dodge.
Instead, he raised his sword and blocked to the right in a rushed, unbalanced way.
"You fell for it." Squard's eyes flashed.
He put everything into that attack.
And exposed his left side.
In the next instant, a pistol appeared in Aiden's left hand.
The barrel was already aimed at Squard's lower back.
BANG
The shot landed at point-blank range.
The bullet, coated in Armament Haki, tore into his body.
"ARGH"
Squard's attack stopped mid-motion.
He looked down at the wound in disbelief.
Blood poured out. Even fragments of internal tissue were visible.
He couldn't understand how the gun had appeared.
The fight was over.
Aiden moved in without hesitation.
"You lose."
He stepped in and swung.
His blade cut cleanly across Squard's neck.
Squard froze.
He grabbed at his throat as blood spilled through his fingers, his eyes filled with shock and anger before he collapsed.
His last thought lingered.
"Damn it... to lose like this..."
[Execution Successful]
[Criminal: "Great Whirlpool Spider" Squard]
[Status: Executed]
[Sin Index: 85,000]
[Execution Participation: 100%]
[Available Rewards]: (7 options available)
[Wish List]: (Can be activated)
Aiden stood over the body, breathing heavily.
"I won..."
This had been his hardest fight so far. Even with the trick at the end, it pushed him to the limit.
"Fighters like him aren't easy to deal with."
He didn't hesitate.
[Physical Improvement]
That was the priority.
A surge of heat spread through his body.
Every muscle, every bone, every fiber began to change.
The wound on his side stopped bleeding immediately. With the boost and his Return ability, it closed almost at once.
Aiden clenched his fist.
Power filled his body in a way it never had before.
This was a major improvement.
Aiden raised his hand slowly, opening his palm toward the fog-covered island and the distant sea.