Clifford Royal Palace.
Rumble!
A pillar of air, like an elephant's foot, slammed into the ground, shaking it violently. Dust erupted, and in moments, a well several meters in diameter and depth opened up.
Whoosh!
A blue slash streaked across the sky, darkening it as if severing everything in its path. It instantly sliced clean through a third of the palace roof.
Clang!
A jet-black fist pressed against a sword adorned with ancient script. The longsword hummed incessantly, and a surging white wave of air exploded outwards, plowing the ground for dozens of meters around.
At the center of the palace, only broken walls and ruins remained. It was a chaotic mess. Dozens of intersecting sword marks crisscrossed the ground, and various ravines and deep wells were everywhere.
"The famous sword, Quince, rumored to have cut the sea, also known as the Silver Sea Blade, the Argent Rune."
His Armament Haki-hardened fist pressed against the crossguard of the sword. Aeridar looked at the silver-gray ancient script on the blade, sighing with a mix of fascination and regret. "What an exquisite collector's item. I've never collected a famous sword of this caliber before. It's just a shame that Gutte's Black Demon Blade was taken by the World Government."
"Collect?!"
At this, Saxon was so incensed he almost laughed. "Someone who relies on ganging up to take down Gutte dares to speak of collecting? It's laughable! If a famous sword fell into your hands, it would truly be a desecration!"
In Saxon's eyes, anyone who wasn't a swordsman using a famous sword or blade was a blasphemy. For him, swords were meant for battle; collecting them was an even greater desecration.
Immediately, Saxon twisted the longsword in his hand, slicing towards Aeridar's neck.
"Desecration? How ridiculous! Even gods can be desecrated, let alone a mere weapon, a tool, or a plaything!"
Clang!
Raising his arm, Aeridar's jet-black left arm, covered in Armament Haki, blocked the sharp edge of the famous sword Quince. The immense force caused his feet to instantly crush the stone bricks beneath him.
"Defilers shall die!" Saxon's eyes gradually reddened, a frenzied expression on his face. He wielded the sword with both hands, putting all his strength into it, vowing to overpower his opponent.
In his mind, famous swords were even more important than gods. For those who desecrated famous swords, even if they were gods, he would swing his blade and cut them down.
"Foolish. Are you trying to compare strength with me, 'Sea Splitter'?"
Aeridar sneered, mocking him greatly. With a surge of force from his Armament Haki-hardened left arm, he flipped the longsword aside, then unleashed a Dual-Stage Impact Fist.
Thud!
The jet-black fist struck Saxon's shoulder directly, and the terrifying power instantly sent him flying.
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
Saxon flew backwards for dozens of meters in mid-air before finally landing. But he continued to tumble across the ground, the immense force shattering the stone bricks and leaving a trail dozens of meters long before he finally came to a halt.
It was well-known that Aeridar was an Impact-Impact Fruit user, possessing enough power to blast even a giant apart.
Saxon was a pure top-tier swordsman, and his swordsmanship was astonishing, Aeridar admitted that much. But to try and overpower Aeridar with brute strength, and even attempt to suppress him with force, was truly asking for death.
"..."
Half-kneeling in the corner of the plaza, half of Saxon's body was pitch black, covered in Armament Haki. Then, he spat out a mouthful of blood, the viscous crimson splattering on the broken bricks, a stark and jarring sight.
Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Saxon looked at Aeridar, a hundred meters away, in disbelief. "How is that possible? His strength is immense!"
In truth, as a top-tier swordsman, a world-class swordsman capable of even cutting through massive waves, his strength was great enough to contend with Zoan-type Devil Fruit users without falling behind.
This was evident from Zoro's fight against Kaku of CP9, where he contended throughout, only slightly falling behind in raw strength. His "Onigiri" even momentarily overwhelmed Kaku.
Saxon, as a top-tier swordsman, was no exception. His power was immense; he could even withstand the strength of a giant. But to be overturned by a single hand, and then sent flying by a single punch, was truly horrifying.
"Do you still have time to be amazed?"
Suddenly, a cold voice sounded from behind Saxon.
Saxon's heart seized. He then realized that the person who had been a hundred meters away was gone.
Instinctively, Saxon turned and slashed with his sword.
Clang!
The clash of metal rang out, and another wave of air burst forth.
Aeridar's jet-black fist pressed against the sharp blade of Quince, as he looked up at Saxon.
Ahem, Aeridar was only around 1.9 meters tall, while Saxon stood at 2.3 meters. People in the One Piece world were absurdly tall.
Boom!
Using Aeridar's force, Saxon pushed back, guiding the longsword downwards, causing Aeridar's fist to embed itself into the ground, half his arm sinking in.
"Severing... One... Line... Slash!!!"
Saxon held his sword with both hands, slashing downwards.
Whoosh!
The surroundings seemed to darken. A thin blue line squeezed out from the void, as fine as a thread, rapidly flying forward.
Seeing that thin blue line, a sense of dread surfaced in Aeridar's heart.
'Can't take it head-on!'
At the same time, Aeridar's body moved according to his instinct, dodging the attack. The blue line instantly grazed past him.
Rip, rip, rip...
As the blue line swept past, houses, walls, rockeries, steel armor, and everything else were cut through. It didn't disappear until nearly a thousand meters away, leaving behind a path filled with severed objects, their cuts as smooth as silk, without a single fray.
"Hoo... That was terrifying! What a monster! He truly lives up to his title 'Sea Splitter'. A slash like that... it could really kill," Aeridar gasped, patting his chest, a lingering expression of dread on his face.
A top-tier swordsman truly was a top-tier swordsman. Their offensive power was immense. A terrifying slash like that could cut through an entire mountain.
"I will definitely cut you down!"
Saxon, holding the famous sword Quince, charged forward menacingly, swinging his longsword as several slashes tore through the air.
"All talk and no action!"
Aeridar roared, striking the air with both fists, directly causing the air to churn, unleashing wave after wave of Impact Waves.
...
Mary Geoise, Holy Land.
"Gorosei! The Chris Pirates has made their move!"
A black-suited agent rushed into a grand, opulent palace.
In the center of the palace, on sofas, the Five Elders sat calmly. Some were reading newspapers, others were drinking tea. The bald Five Elder in a kimono, wearing glasses, was wiping his katana.
"I thought he'd need a few more years to prepare... What's the target?"
The Five Elder with white curly hair and a bushy beard looked up, putting down his newspaper.
"The target is the Clifford Kingdom in the New World. The Chris Grand Fleet has already attacked Micity Port," the agent replied respectfully, half-kneeling.
Upon hearing this, the Five Elders showed surprised expressions.
The blonde Five Elder asked with a hint of astonishment, "The Clifford Kingdom, with its hundreds of thousands of elite troops and dozens of warships... His appetite is truly enormous. Isn't he afraid of breaking his teeth?"
——————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanFiction [remove the parentheses ( )]
There are over 100 advance chapters available for you!