Boom!!!
The enormous golden slash crashed into the Wado Ichimonji.
The terrifying sharpness and overwhelming force instantly drove Koshiro's feet deep into the ground, sending him sliding backward uncontrollably.
"Haah!!!"
Veins bulged across his arms and face.
Koshiro let out a low roar as he struggled against the pressure.
He was pushed backward dozens of meters before finally managing to redirect the golden slash toward the sea beside him.
Whoosh!!!
The massive slash swept past him by inches.
The ocean split open violently.
A giant fissure stretched across the sea surface as the golden blade wave surged forward.
Only after traveling nearly a thousand meters did the slash finally dissipate.
"What the hell?!"
In the distance, Zoro's jaw dropped.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
Watching the sea split open into a kilometer-long chasm by a single slash—
He felt as though his understanding of swordsmanship had been completely overturned.
The others from Isshin Dojo were even more stunned.
None of them could say a word.
This is absurd...
Is this really a swordsman from West Blue...?
Even Koshiro was shaken.
Although he had managed to neutralize Kaito's slash—
The power behind that attack was far beyond his expectations.
That wasn't merely a powerful slash.
Even in the New World—
There weren't many swordsmen capable of producing such destructive power.
"Getting distracted in the middle of a battle..."
Kaito lowered his swords and frowned slightly.
"That's a very low-level mistake."
Koshiro froze.
Only then did he realize he had lost focus.
If this had been a life-and-death battle—
The moment he lost concentration—
The fight could have already ended.
"Ah..."
"I'm sorry."
Koshiro quickly bowed apologetically.
"You don't need to apologize."
Kaito said calmly,
"As long as you fight seriously from now on."
"Understood."
Koshiro nodded solemnly.
"I won't lose focus again."
His expression changed.
His stance lowered.
The relaxed demeanor from before vanished.
"One Sword Style..."
"Flying Dragon Slash!"
Boom!
Koshiro kicked off the ground.
He charged forward instantly.
The Wado Ichimonji swung fiercely.
The blade sliced through the air.
Violent winds howled.
A huge flying slash erupted—
Taking the shape of a twin-winged dragon.
The dragon roared as it charged toward Kaito with terrifying momentum.
A crimson glow flashed across Kaito's eyes.
Observation Haki.
Koshiro's attack trajectory was instantly laid bare before him.
Yet—
He didn't dodge.
When the dragon-shaped slash reached him—
Kaito swung the golden saber in his left hand upward.
Boom!!!
The golden blade collided with the dragon's head.
A violent shockwave erupted.
The ground around Kaito cracked apart.
The sea beside the coast exploded into towering waves.
For a brief moment—
The coastline seemed to become a vacuum.
Then—
The golden blade continued upward.
The dragon-shaped slash was split cleanly in half.
The divided slash dissipated.
Kaito raised his eyes—
And saw nothing.
Koshiro had vanished.
Above him.
At some point—
Koshiro had already leaped high into the air.
Using gravity and his descending momentum—
He gripped the Wado Ichimonji with both hands and slashed straight down at Kaito's head.
Whoosh!
Kaito disappeared.
Observation Haki had already predicted Koshiro's attack.
His body turned into an afterimage and instantly moved away.
Boom!
Koshiro's sword struck empty ground.
Almost the entire blade sank into the earth.
The terrifying sharpness didn't stop there.
The slash continued downward—
Piercing deep underground.
No one knew how far it extended.
Shing!
Koshiro immediately pulled out his sword.
Without pausing—
He moved again.
At almost the same moment—
A massive golden slash tore across the battlefield.
The ground exploded.
Huge chunks of earth were tossed into the air.
Koshiro lowered his body.
Almost parallel to the ground—
He narrowly avoided the slash.
And instead of retreating—
He rushed straight toward it.
Because—
Kaito was standing behind it.
Observation Haki clearly captured Koshiro's movement.
Kaito remained expressionless.
He stepped forward.
The two rushed toward one another.
Clang!!!
Boom!!!
In an instant—
Kaito and Koshiro collided.
Golden sabers.
Wado Ichimonji.
The swords clashed violently.
Sparks flew everywhere.
Violent winds howled across the battlefield.
The earth trembled.
The sea surged.
The impact of the collision was so powerful that the ground beneath them shattered instantly.
A huge crater spread outward.
Whoosh!
A figure flew backward.
It was Koshiro.
In the contest of strength—
Kaito had completely overwhelmed him.
Koshiro spun through the air several times.
He flew nearly a hundred meters before finally regaining his balance and landing steadily.
The moment his feet touched the ground—
He swung his sword.
A sharp crescent-shaped slash shot toward Kaito.
Its speed was astonishing.
But Kaito had already anticipated it.
He lightly tapped the ground and leaped into the air.
The crescent slash passed harmlessly beneath him.
At the same time—
Kaito swung his sword downward.
A golden slash descended from the sky.
Boom!!!
Koshiro immediately retreated.
The golden slash slammed into the earth in front of him.
A massive crack spread across the battlefield.
The violent impact sent dust and debris soaring into the sky.
It looked like a raging sandstorm.
"One Sword Style..."
"Three Hundred Sixty Pound Phoenix!"
Koshiro abruptly stopped retreating.
He raised the Wado Ichimonji.
With a fierce slash—
A high-speed rotating blade wave shot forward.
The slash spun wildly.
Like a tornado.
Like a drill piercing through the heavens.
The spinning slash tore through the dust storm.
Straight toward Kaito—
Who was still suspended in midair.
Kaito swung his right-hand saber.
Power surged into the golden blade.
A golden slash burst forth instantly.
Boom!!!
The golden slash and tornado slash collided head-on.
A deafening explosion erupted.
The two blade waves shattered simultaneously.
The violent winds generated by the collision swept wildly across the coast.
Dust and sand filled the sky.
The sea roared endlessly.
At the center of the storm—
Kaito and Koshiro stared at each other from afar.
Their eyes were sharp.
The duel between the two swordsmen—
Had only just begun.
-------------------------
For advanced chapters, visit patreon.com/Varnok