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"I won't kill you, John. But since you started this fight, your treasures—one billion Berries and three Devil Fruits—are mine by right."
Ayr smirked as he watched John's sword energy surge forward.
Since John had been willing to trade his wealth for the historical text, it meant those prizes were already on his ship.
At first, Ayr had no intention of robbing John.
But now?
Now that John attacked first, Ayr had every reason to take it all.
"Dragon Fang!"
Ayr raised Demon Slayer, resting its back against his shoulder, and then slashed downward with devastating force.
The air screamed as the blade's movement generated a ferocious black wave of sword energy, crackling with power.
The attack whipped through the air, forming the phantom of a massive black dragon, its jaws wide open as it surged forward to devour John's attack.
In this world, only true swordsmen—those who had mastered the way of the sword—could infuse their blade techniques with personal will, creating their own unique sword arts.
This wasn't just a simple sword swing.
This was a clash of swordmasters, where their techniques carried their very souls.
For those who reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, techniques became unnecessary—their will alone could shape the battlefield.
"BOOM!!!"
The two attacks collided between their ships.
It was like a bomb had exploded over the sea.
The impact created a shockwave, sending waves hundreds of meters high into the sky, blotting out the sun.
The two sword energies struggled against each other—but Ayr's power was greater.
John's attack was overwhelmed.
The black dragon, roaring with Ayr's sword energy, tore through the aftermath and continued its descent toward John's ship.
John's eyes narrowed—he jumped high, slashing downward with another powerful strike, barely neutralizing the remnants of Ayr's attack.
His expression hardened.
"You… Your swordsmanship is even stronger than I expected."
Both were great swordsmen, but even among them, there were levels.
And now, John fully understood—Ayr's sword energy was terrifying.
"If this is all you've got, John, then your billion Berries and three Devil Fruits are already mine." Ayr's voice was calm, almost casual.
"Tch. Arrogant as ever!" John growled. "Let's see who takes what today!"
Today, either Ayr would rob John of his treasures…
Or John would take back the historical text.
There was no middle ground.
The stakes? Everything.
"SHING!!!"
John launched forward, swinging his blade again, sending a crescent-shaped sword energy at Ayr.
But Ayr was already moving.
He leapt into the air, twisting mid-flight, and cleaved John's attack in two with a single stroke.
Then—he descended.
Landing on John's deck.
"Ayr is on the ship!!!"
"Fall back! If you stay too close, you'll die!"
John's crew scrambled away, fear gripping them.
John's face darkened as Ayr stood on his deck, calm and unshaken.
He gripped his great sword with both hands, Armament Haki flooding over the blade, making it jet black.
Then—he charged Ayr directly.
Ayr met his attack head-on.
Since this wasn't his ship, he had no need to hold back.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!!"
"ZZZZZZZZ!!!"
"CRACK!!"
The moment their blades met, the ship was filled with a storm of sparks, their strikes causing the wood to splinter beneath them.
Neither held back.
Each strike was meant to kill.
The air shuddered under the weight of their sword clashes, and their auras exploded, suffocating the space around them.
In the span of seconds, their blades had clashed dozens of times.
Even without Kurama's power, Ayr was still superior to John in raw strength.
But John was no ordinary pirate—he was a main cadre of the Rocks Pirates.
His experience in battle was immense.
Even though he was weaker, his cunning and battle instincts kept him in the fight.
The ship trembled.
Swords flashed, slashes whipped through the air, and the shockwaves alone prevented any pirate from approaching.
Then—
"BOOM!!!"
The force of their next collision shattered the deck beneath them, leaving a gaping hole in the wood.
"CRACK!!"
John's eyes widened as he felt his footing slip.
"You're far weaker than me, John."
Ayr's Observation Haki flared—he dodged John's next strike effortlessly, tilting his body just barely out of range.
And then—
"SHING!!!"
Ayr's blade ripped forward, slashing across John's chest.
"!!"
John's pupils shrank.
At the last moment, he coated his body with Armament Haki, minimizing the damage.
But—
"ZZZTT!!!"
The impact sent him flying, crashing into the cabin door with immense force.
"CRASH!!!"
The wood shattered instantly, debris exploding outward.
Even with Haki reinforcement, John's abdomen was bleeding, a deep, jagged wound running across it.
"CAPTAIN JOHN!!!"
His crew cried out in shock.
"Damn it… He's supposed to be weaker without his Devil Fruit!"
"We underestimated him!"
"We thought Ayr was dangerous only because of his Hive Island battle… But we forgot—he's the most talented monster in the entire Rocks crew!"
The realization hit them all at once.
They had been too focused on Ayr losing his Devil Fruit power.
But Ayr's talent was terrifying on its own.
John gritted his teeth.
Despite the pain, he stood.
And then—he gave a single command:
"Go to the storage room. Get everything."
His men hesitated for only a second—then they rushed inside.
Ayr watched them go, his expression unreadable.
He knew exactly what John was planning.
And yet—he didn't stop them.
Because no matter what tricks John had up his sleeve…
This battle was already decided.
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