Ashura Jakun stood firm under the pressure radiating from Golden Lion Shiki, but his expression had already changed. Gone was the fearless momentum he'd displayed before.
He was a swordsman, yes — but also the leader of the Mountain Bandits. He had to think of the Ashura Clan and all the bandits who followed him. If the enemy really had multiple fighters with the aura of kings... their chances of victory would drop sharply.
"Shyahaha~! Our deal still stands! Today, it's just the two of us — a one-on-one! Show me what you've really got!!"
Golden Lion Shiki crossed both his swords, each wrapped in Armament Haki as he struggled to push the flow outward. He was eager to master Ryuo as soon as possible.
"Just make sure you stick to that promise!!"
Jakun had already realized — after Shiki unleashed both Conqueror's Haki and his Float-Float Fruit powers — that pure swordsmanship alone wasn't enough to guarantee victory. But for the pride of a swordsman and the honor of the mountain clans, he had to at least make this outsider feel their strength. Maybe even win enough ground to secure some autonomy later.
Jakun raised his blade high, slowly tracing a circle through the air. Yet as he moved, countless afterimages appeared — like a spinning cone — and the wind began to twist around him.Gusts roared through the clearing, snapping trees like twigs.
"There it is! The invincible slash of Boss Ashura!!"
Dozens of mountain bandits cheered, eyes shining with excitement at the terrifying sight of their leader's secret art. Rumor had it, this very move once wounded even Fukujin Kishoten of Kuri Castle — forcing the city and the mountain clans into an uneasy peace.Otherwise, Kuri would've swallowed up the mountain clans long ago, forging the biggest force in the region to stand against the shogunate's oppression.
Golden Lion Shiki's eyes sharpened as he observed Jakun's fearsome technique. The wind pressure tugged at him too, though it was nothing compared to the monstrous storms of the New World seas.
Shiki slashed with both blades, sending golden shockwaves flying, while four massive earthen lions lunged forward, their roars so fierce that many bandits staggered back in terror.
Jakun's buildup was complete — his slash tore through the air like an unstoppable wave. It sliced clean through the earthen lions as if they were made of paper, and even shattered most of Shiki's flying slashes. Yet a few cut through, drawing blood from Jakun's side. He stood, panting heavily — the move had drained much of his strength — but a thin smile tugged at his lips. He could see the flash of fear and shock in Shiki's eyes.
This move, this slash rivaling even the greatest swordsmen, was what kept Mountain safe under Kuri's watchful gaze. It was why no one had dared to make a move against them.
"Shyahaha~! As expected — you're strong! I bet Brook would love you… if you agree to join us!!"
Shiki soared higher, narrowly avoiding Jakun's massive sweeping attack. Had that strike been aimed directly at him, even Shiki might've failed to dodge in time.
If that had happened, Shiki would be left wounded — but Jakun, spent and surrounded by earthen lions, would've been crushed and buried alive beneath the dirt.
"You've burned through so much stamina — let's stop trading slashes and settle this up close! A real duel — swordsman to swordsman!"
With a burst of speed, Shiki closed the gap. His Haki-clad swords rained down a flurry of high-speed strikes, forcing the winded Jakun into a defensive battle.
Jakun gritted his teeth and refused to back down. Tired as he was, his vicious sword style and flowing Ryuo still kept Shiki from landing a clean blow.Even Shiki, with all his might, couldn't overpower him with swordsmanship alone.
"Your Ryuo... it's stronger than ever!"
Shiki switched tactics again and again, dodging when Jakun gathered large amounts of Ryuo — not wanting his famed swords to be shattered.And even though Shiki didn't use his Float-Float powers, the two clashed blade to blade for hours — and, finally, Shiki started to grasp the trick behind making Haki flow outward.
"You mean to tell me... you didn't even know Ryuo before this? You're using me... to train?"
Jakun's face darkened.So that was it — this whole fight was Shiki's practice match. No wonder he hadn't seen his opponent use Ryuo earlier!
"Shyahaha~! That's right! I came here to learn Ryuo. And now that I've gotten the hang of it… you won't last much longer!"
Shiki didn't hide it. Now, he was the second among his crew — after Redfield — to finally grasp the secret of flowing Haki.
"You monster..."
Jakun's heart sank with every clash. His opponent wasn't just strong — he was getting stronger mid-battle. This was turning into pure torment. But Shiki wasn't stopping. And Jakun couldn't yield. Unless he surrendered outright, this fight would go on until either he collapsed... or until Shiki perfected his Ryuo to satisfaction.
...
"Shiki-san's incredible… he's been fighting for five hours straight without even stopping for food!"
Kozuki Oden bit into a rice ball as he watched the fierce duel, his eyes burning with admiration. He swore to himself — one day, he'd grow even stronger than both these warriors!
Nearby, Newgate watched too, studying the flow of Ryuo. Humbly, he turned to the captain of the Samurai and asked about the finer points of the technique. The captain, without hesitation, shared his knowledge, clearing up Newgate's doubts. After all, having a teacher made learning far more efficient than fumbling alone.
Even if the captain's Ryuo wasn't especially powerful, he still knew the principle: how to make Haki flow and project outward.
Truth was, Ryuo was simply a specialized form of Armament Haki — not some higher energy, but a skill. It allowed a fighter to send their Haki surging outward, bypassing the surface and destroying an object from within.If your Haki was already strong enough, brute force could crush both the outside and the inside — no Ryuo required.
Still, Ryuo had its uses. Against bombs, collars, and other traps, it shone — able to disable the explosive core without triggering it. Otherwise, if someone used standard Haki to forcefully break a bomb collar, they'd set off the blast, killing the hostage or prisoner outright.
...
With a final roar, Shiki unleashed everything he'd learned, pouring Ryuo into both blades. His dual swords surged with violent energy as he launched a fierce assault on Jakun.
Before the mountain bandits' anxious eyes, their leader was finally struck down. Ashura Jakun was sent flying, slamming into the earth, unable to rise again.
Ashura Pengan immediately rushed in, shielding his fallen brother with his own body. He glared at Shiki, making it clear: no matter what, he wouldn't let this outsider finish his kin.
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