Neferpet often chose the most direct method to defeat her enemies.
If trading injuries would end the fight faster, she did it without hesitation.
If mutual destruction meant victory, she accepted that too.
Of course, if Kaito Arisawa had witnessed her fighting style in that moment, he wouldn't have been surprised at all.
Because during training, Neferpet was just as extreme.
Every session pushed her body to the very edge of death.
She squeezed herself beyond limits, again and again.
Sometimes even Kaito—who was deliberately cultivating her strength—had to step in and force her to rest.
The reason for her madness was simple.
Part of it came from the Nine Lives Cat Demon ability itself. With nine lives in reserve, death was no longer absolute.
But more importantly, it was the change in her heart.
After everything she had experienced, something inside her had darkened.
She no longer valued her own life the way she once had.
On the War Pirates' side, there were many who performed brilliantly in battle.
Boo—newly incorporated—had already shown such outstanding ability that he had been promoted to captain.
Sandy, who had only just joined, was equally fierce.
Perhaps still shaken by Kaito's earlier Tempest Kick demonstration, Sandy fought with intense zeal.
Transformed into a massive black bear, he rampaged across a Marine warship, tearing through enemies with savage brutality.
Swish!
Kaito shifted again.
Henry's Finger Pistol thrust pierced empty air as Kaito vanished from sight and reappeared atop the bow turret.
"Indeed… a formidable opponent."
Standing lightly on the turret, Kaito studied Henry with genuine appreciation.
The Marine Vice Admiral was drenched in sweat. Numerous blade wounds crisscrossed his body, blood seeping freely.
By contrast, Kaito was not untouched—but he was far from seriously injured.
The disparity lay in Observation Haki.
When two users clashed, it became a contest of prediction.
I foresee your move.
You foresee mine.
The stronger Observation Haki user predicts the final move.
Although Henry's hard power—physical strength and Armament Haki—was superior in this state, Kaito dominated the rhythm through sharper perception.
But Kaito did not consider this dishonorable.
Battle was not a polite duel.
If you held an advantage and refused to use it, that would be foolishness.
The fact that he hadn't activated Concentrated Constitution Talent was already a generous concession.
His Observation Haki swept the battlefield.
Even while dueling Henry, Kaito retained awareness of the entire war.
Robin and Mangu had performed exceptionally.
More than half the Marine warships had already fallen into disadvantage.
"It's time to end this."
The grinding phase was over.
Through Henry, Kaito had tested the limits of his current hard power and identified weaknesses.
He had gained what he wanted.
"Six Styles—Shave!"
The battlefield scan lasted less than a heartbeat.
Henry, exhausted and wounded, had stopped pressing the attack, choosing instead to conserve strength.
But Kaito's eyes sharpened.
Without hesitation, he vanished.
"Dual Sword Style—Mimic Beast: Magic Eagle!"
The two golden sabers crossed before him.
In the next instant, they unfurled like wings.
The attack descended with the posture of a predatory eagle diving for its prey.
"Mimic Beast" was a sword technique Kaito had created himself.
Its inspiration came from observing beasts hunting.
In its earliest form, it was crude—merely imitation.
But with his talent concentration, Kaito had integrated countless sword techniques he had witnessed, refining the concept further.
Danger!
The instant Kaito launched "Magic Eagle," Henry's instincts screamed.
His body tensed violently.
"Six Styles—Paper Arts!"
He softened like cotton, riding the airflow generated by the incoming slash, narrowly evading the lethal arc.
SHING!!!
The blade-light flashed past him—
But the bridge behind him was not so fortunate.
The massive Slash Wave swept across the warship like an eagle's wingspan cutting through the sky.
The bridge was cleaved cleanly in half.
Marines on deck were thrown into the air, bodies severed mid-flight.
The shattered structure hurtled into the sea.
BOOM!!!
Towering waves surged over ten meters high, slamming against the hull and rocking the vessel violently.
"Bastard!"
Henry didn't need to turn.
His Observation Haki told him everything.
The deaths of his subordinates ignited fury in his aged eyes.
Veins bulged across his temples.
He roared and lunged.
"Finger Pistol—Random Arrows!"
Henry applied the Finger Pistol technique across his entire fist.
Each strike became as hard as steel.
Each punch flew with machine-gun speed.
His fists blurred into a storm.
Kaito's gaze remained cold.
His sabers became a dazzling web of light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Blade and fist collided repeatedly, shockwaves detonating with every impact.
The deck beneath them shattered further.
Air rippled violently.
Though Henry's assault was frenzied and relentless, Kaito intercepted each strike with precise slashes.
And then—
A gap.
Kaito slipped through it.
His blade carved across Henry's chest.
Blood sprayed outward.
Henry grunted, stumbling backward.
A deep, horrifying wound split his torso, bone visible beneath torn flesh.
The duel had reached its decisive moment.
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