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Marine Headquarters, training ground.
The cold moonlight sword energy and the scorching flame sword energy continued to sparkle and collide in the field.
Strong winds swept around.
The weapons, training equipment, and other items that were originally placed in the recruit training ground had been completely blown away and scattered to every corner of the training facility.
Outside the area, Sengoku, Bartholomew Kuma, and others looked intently at Momousagi Gion, who was wielding the moonlight sword energy, and Hancock, who was wielding the flame sword energy. Although they kept calm expressions on their faces, there was a storm in their hearts.
'This kind of swordsmanship is Ikki's Sun Breathing technique.'
'Furthermore, this sword energy should only be wielded by swordsmen at the level of great swordsmen.'
'How did Hancock, who had almost never used a sword before, master swordsmanship to such an extent?'
'Could it be that she really knew Ikki a long time ago?'
Sengoku thought to himself.
'Momousagi Gion's fighting power seems to be much stronger than the last time she competed with Hawkeye.'
'That empress Hancock is equally powerful.'
'It seems that Ikki's talent for teaching others is not as simple as I imagined.'
'I just hope that the Revolutionary Army can successfully contact Ikki.'
A sharp light flashed in Bartholomew Kuma's eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.
Although he intended to help the Revolutionary Army gain access to Ikki, he knew that he was about to be transformed into a robot that could not speak.
He was already powerless over many things.
"It's really unexpected that Gion not only overcame the limitation called the Demon Slayer Mark."
"She's even taken another step forward in the way of swordsmanship."
"Also, in addition to the Demon Slayer Mark and the way of the sword, she should also have other powers."
"That power that's almost like precognition... Her Observation Haki seems to have reached a higher level."
A flash of light appeared in Hawkeye's eyes as he looked at Gion, then turned to observe Hancock.
"The same is true for the Empress. This kind of precognitive ability is like the Observation Haki that can predict the future."
"The battle between two powerful swordsmen who are suspected of being able to predict the future is really exciting."
"With this power, it's no wonder you were defeated, Doflamingo."
Hawkeye sighed, drew the black sword from his back, and walked into the training ground.
"You bastard..." Doflamingo glanced fiercely at Hawkeye's back. "Hawkeye, do you want to fight those two people at the same time?"
Although he was unwilling to accept it, after seeing the strength that Hancock was showing now, Doflamingo knew that his defeat wasn't unfair.
Even though he didn't have time to use his awakened Devil Fruit powers.
Hawkeye didn't answer Doflamingo's words, but just got closer and closer to the battlefield between the two women.
The aura around his body also climbed higher and higher.
"Tsk." Doflamingo clicked his tongue and looked at Sengoku. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, aren't you going to stop this?"
"Let him go." Sengoku shook his head. "If it's just a competition, it's no big deal."
As soon as Hawkeye arrived at Marine Headquarters, he mentioned Gion's previous attack that cut through the dark clouds.
Sengoku knew that a great swordsman like Hawkeye was interested in superior swordsmanship.
He also understood that if he stopped Hawkeye at this time, maybe he wouldn't work too hard during the upcoming war.
In order to avoid such a situation, Sengoku naturally didn't intend to stop Hawkeye.
At the same time, on the battlefield.
The swords of Gion and Hancock collided again, causing a distant golden ringing sound.
"Sun Breathing, Transparent World, the Innate Demon Slayer Mark, and even the state of One with the Sword."
"You've mastered these abilities, Hancock."
"I'm curious how you mastered these powers in such a short period of time."
"And such a powerful swordsmanship realm."
"You don't look like a novice in swordsmanship at all."
"In the past, you seemed to be only good at using Devil Fruit abilities."
Gion looked serious and finally asked the doubts in her heart.
"Haha, you should be able to guess it, Gion."
"Ikki is very satisfied with me, more satisfied than with you, so he gave me more opportunities to improve quickly."
"He even gave me this long sword that embodies a certain emperor's Noble Phantasm."
The corners of Hancock's mouth rose, feeling indescribable joy in her heart.
Although Gion's swordsmanship seemed to be stronger than her own, Hancock didn't care much.
Gion was a person who had been practicing swordsmanship for a long time.
As for Hancock herself, she had achieved her current level of swordsmanship through a battle with Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sword shadow.
"How dare you say that, Hancock."
"I don't know what happened between you and Ikki."
"But I will not lose to you in my love for Ikki."
"You just mentioned a Noble Phantasm, right?"
"It seems that the sword Ikki gave you is not the same type as Nami and Nojiko's."
"It just so happens that I also learned a secret sword technique that's called a Noble Phantasm from Ikki."
"Let me use this move to test your Noble Phantasm."
Gion frowned. Looking at Hancock's proud expression, she felt unhappy and waved the long sword in her hand to force Hancock to take two steps back.
At the same time, mixed feelings of happiness and discomfort emerged in her heart.
'Ikki didn't give me a weapon transformed into a Zanpakutō.'
'He just gave me the long sword containing the attack 'Tsubame Gaeshi'.'
'Hancock didn't obtain a Zanpakutō either, but she also obtained a Noble Phantasm...?'
'Is it because Hancock and I don't have enough importance in his heart compared to his crewmates?'
'No... that's not the case. Ikki probably didn't give us Zanpakutō just because Hancock and I aren't on his ship.'
'The power shown by Nami and Nojiko's Zanpakutō is particularly impressive.'
'Perhaps it takes long-term training with Ikki to master them.'
'Ikki did this for good reasons.'
'However... the power of Noble Phantasms shouldn't be weaker than Zanpakutō in some aspects.'
Gion couldn't help but feel a little relieved when she thought that she could cut through the void and had swordsmanship that would definitely hit enemies within the range of her blade.
At the same time, Gion's face instantly became serious when she realized the power of Noble Phantasms, especially now that she didn't know the characteristics of Hancock's Noble Phantasm.
"Haha, you don't need to tell me, I will show it."
Hancock waved her sword in a flourish, and the long blade in her hand was suddenly surrounded by flames.
The light of the flames burned through the blade and enveloped Hancock's body.
A few seconds later, when the flames died down, Hancock appeared in front of everyone wearing a gorgeous red dress.
"At this moment, this sword is no longer named 'Hao', but is named 'Aestus Estus'!"
Hancock chuckled, feeling the powerful force emerging from her body, and a strong aura suddenly erupted around her.
It was the power called magical energy that was ignited by the flow of her life force into Aestus Estus.
'Is this woman going to use a Noble Phantasm?'
Gion's heart clenched, and she immediately took a fighting stance.
Although her expression looked down on Hancock, at this moment, her mind was alert to the extreme.
At this moment, a green sword energy several meters high passed through the gap between the two women.
Gion and Hancock both frowned, and each unleashed a flying slash to meet the green projectile.