Armand was born in the New World and was now in her forties. As a cadre of the Big Mom Pirates, she was knowledgeable, and she judged that while Tashigi's swordsmanship was inferior to her own, it was not by a significant margin. The current bounty of 40,000,000 Berries seemed like a joke to Armand, who felt the Marines were blind to Tashigi's true capability. Furthermore, Armand noted that Tashigi had already awakened two forms of Haki and displayed high proficiency, behaving more like a veteran than a sixteen-year-old girl who had just entered the New World. It was no wonder the Straw Hat crew had risen so quickly, though Armand remained confident that she would not lose.
"Adagio Waltz!" Armand slashed again, aiming for Tashigi's forehead. Tashigi did not dodge; instead, she gripped the hilt of Shusui with both hands, coated the blade in Armament Haki, and countered. With a sharp pop, Tashigi severed Armand's strike, twisted her body, and returned a counter-slash. Armand blocked with her famous sword, Shirauo, but found that Tashigi had vanished from her position. In the next second, the petite Marine appeared directly in front of her, thrusting her black blade toward Armand's abdomen.
"You are good!" Armand praised, moving Shirauo slowly to successfully parry the tip of Shusui. Tashigi smiled, maintaining her grip on Shusui with her right hand while simultaneously drawing Kashu with her left. Kashu stabbed forward with astonishing speed. Armand twisted her slender waist in a hurried attempt to evade, but she was a fraction of a second too slow. Kashu brushed against her waist, leaving a deep, bleeding wound.
While Armand was momentarily stunned, Tashigi surged with strength and knocked Shirauo away. She flashed behind Armand, who stood dazed as Tashigi slowly sheathed her two blades. "I am sorry, Brook, but I have learned your sword skills, so I will borrow them here," Tashigi muttered. "Two-Sword Style: Humming - Arrow Feather Slash!". An X-shaped slash appeared on Armand's abdomen, and the Pirate cadre fell forward, her eyes losing focus.
As Armand collapsed, Tashigi staggered, feeling severe pain in her knee. It was not that Armand had underestimated her, but rather that Armand had failed to account for Tashigi's deceptive appearance, which lacked the intimidating pressure of a seasoned master like Zoro or Momousagi. In truth, Tashigi possessed extreme talent in kendo and was adept at the skillful approach, often "stealing" techniques from others to mix with her own basic swordsmanship. Because she blended these styles, her movements were unpredictable and difficult to guard against.
"Teacher Carl and my father, Koshiro, both said I am a kendo genius, but that is not the case," Tashigi thought to herself, feeling a mocking sense of self-doubt. "I learn techniques quickly, but I only imitate others blindly. I cannot realize my own unique style... maybe that is why I cannot compare to that green-haired swordsman; I am simply not Kuina". Shaking her head, she picked up the famous sword Shirauo, her new trophy. After Huazhou and Shusui, this was the third famous sword she had won through her own strength.
Meanwhile, on another part of the battlefield, Chopper encountered the ship doctor of the Blackbeard Pirates, Doc Q. "Fate is often talked about by people. Both of us are ship doctors. Maybe this is the arrangement of fate," Doc Q said, his voice faint as he looked half-dead atop his equally sickly horse. Chopper, while kind, did not sympathize with the enemy and prepared to fight.
"I am not a raccoon dog, I am a reindeer, you idiot!" Chopper growled, transforming into his Heavy Point and using Soru to dodge behind Doc Q. Before he could attack, his sensitive blue nose detected a strange, dangerous scent, and he retreated immediately.
"Is this... poison?!" Chopper cried out. He despised the use of medical knowledge to create lethal toxins. As Doc Q spoke, several pirates nearby collapsed, their bodies turning purple as they died instantly.
"Stop! Why are you doing this? Aren't they your fellow Blackbeard pirates?" Chopper asked, his face full of anger.
Doc Q responded indifferently, "Partners? No, no, only a few of our cadres are partners of Captain Blackbeard; the others are just ants who have come to join the Emperor of the Sea. If you kill them, you kill them. Why are you angry?". Chopper stood in disbelief, his perception of cruelty fundamentally challenged by Doc Q's cold disregard for his own subordinates.
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse