The so-called "automatic dodging technique" wasn't really a move—it was more like a martial arts state of being.
It relied on years of accumulated combat experience, allowing one to instinctively predict an opponent's tactics and attack patterns, dodging before the strike even landed. In principle, it was somewhat similar to the "Transparent World" from the Demon Slayer universe.
Also…
"That white-bearded old man kinda looks like he's using Observation Haki, doesn't he?" Yamato suddenly piped up after watching for a bit.
Yup.
In the One Piece world, Observation Haki, when trained to a high level, could also foresee an opponent's attacks. It shared a certain "same destination, different paths" vibe with the Transparent World and this automatic dodging technique.
"Tanjiro, pay close attention. This is a live lesson from the 'God of Martial Arts' himself," Uchiha Hikari said, patting Tanjiro's shoulder. "Think back to what your father taught you. See if you can pick up something new."
In the original Demon Slayer story, Tanjiro had learned about the Transparent World from his father, Tanjuro, as a child but couldn't use it freely. It wasn't until he was chasing Hantengu's true body that he recalled it, and only during the final battle against Akaza did he fully grasp its principles, using it to defeat him.
Now, with Hikari and the chat group altering Tanjiro's growth trajectory, he hadn't faced any Upper Rank demons besides Gyutaro and Daki, so he hadn't fully unlocked the Transparent World's potential.
This fight in front of him might just be the spark he needed.
"Got it," Tanjiro said, eyes wide, focusing intently on the battle.
Meanwhile, Esdeath was starting to get fired up, facing the slippery, eel-like Master Roshi. "Hmph, all you do is dodge? Try this, then—Demon's Extract: Frozen Hell!"
With a fierce shout, a wave of freezing air erupted from Esdeath's body, filling the surrounding hundreds of meters in an instant. Countless white icicles formed, shooting toward Roshi as if to trap him completely!
"?!"
Roshi had nowhere to dodge. He summoned his ki, letting out a powerful yell: "Shockwave of Ten Thousand Nations!"
In a flash, tens of thousands of volts of golden electricity burst from his palms, surging toward the incoming icicles!
This move, one of Roshi's signature techniques, came from his master, Mutaito.
The electric current melted through layers of ice several feet thick. Light and heat exploded outward, turning into a wave of scorching steam that enveloped the sea around them!
Boom!
Before the steam could reach Hikari and the others, the mist began to refreeze, frost swirling as a massive icy throne rose behind Esdeath. She charged at Roshi, who finally exhaled sharply, shifting into his bulked-up, muscle-bound state.
From the onlookers' perspective, his scrawny frame inflated like a balloon, doubling in size!
"So this is your true power?" Esdeath's bold laugh echoed across the battlefield. "This strength—I respect it! Among all the opponents I've faced, I'd call you the second strongest!"
"…Second strongest?" Roshi muttered.
The first wouldn't be…
Bulma and Yamato caught Esdeath's phrasing, turning in unison to look at Hikari, who hadn't said a word.
Under their gazes, Hikari pursed her lips, a faint blush of embarrassment on her pale face.
Esdeath had totally picked up that line from her.
How to put it…
When Hikari said stuff like that herself, it felt pretty cool. But hearing someone else say it in front of her? It was like her chuunibyou phase was being publicly exposed—cringe-inducing, toe-curling embarrassment.
Luckily, Bulma and the others didn't dwell on it. They were all teenagers, still in that chuunibyou age range. Yamato, gripping her kanabo club tightly, looked like she wanted to jump in and fight Esdeath for the "second strongest" title herself.
The battle raged on.
From the moment Roshi entered his muscle state, the fight truly hit its peak.
As both sides' auras clashed, the frozen sea cracked, shattered, and surged into towering waves, only to be refrozen. Golden electricity slithered through the air like giant serpents, crackling loudly.
Evaporated seawater rose into the sky, forming dark, heavy rain clouds.
Crack!
Purple lightning flashed within the clouds, accompanied by rolling thunder.
Miles away, the ocean churned, whipping up waves over ten meters high.
A storm was brewing.
In this chaos, Esdeath rose a hundred meters into the air on an ice platform. With a snap of her fingers, a massive ice meteor appeared, which she lightly pushed, sending it plummeting toward Roshi.
Facing the enormous shadow descending from above, Roshi took a deep breath, cupping his hands like a calyx. He gathered his remaining ki into a glowing energy ball in his palms.
Finally…
"Ice Meteor!"
"Kamehameha!"
The ice meteor fell, and the energy wave shot forward, almost simultaneously.
In the next second, the slender beam pierced the meteor, sinking into its base. After a brief pause, faint light seeped through the meteor's surface, growing brighter. Spiderweb-like cracks spread from a single point, covering the entire ice mass!
Crash!
In an instant, the ice meteor shattered, the Kamehameha piercing through its core. Though diminished in size, the beam's momentum carried it into the sky, blasting through the clouds before dissipating.
"Phew…" Roshi turned, dashing back to the island. "Let's call it here. Any more, and my little island won't survive."
He paused, looking up at Esdeath. "You're impressive. You haven't even trained in ki, yet your physical strength and powers pushed me this far. If we kept going, I'd probably lose."
"…"
Esdeath seemed unsatisfied, like she hadn't had her fill.
But with Roshi conceding so directly, she couldn't force him to keep fighting. Sighing, she snapped her fingers, dispelling the surrounding ice. She toned down her aura and stepped back onto Kame Island.
Only then did Tanjiro snap out of his spectating trance, exclaiming, "Miss Esdeath, you were amazing! And Mr. Roshi, too! I had no idea ki could be used like that—it's eye-opening. Thank you both for letting me watch!"
"Heh, you're too polite, kid," Roshi chuckled, sounding a bit winded.
No surprise there.
His muscle state was stronger but burned through ki faster. A younger Roshi might've lasted longer, but even without conceding, he'd have soon dropped out of it.
Plus…
Even with full stamina, Roshi suspected he'd lose. His sharp eyes could tell the blue-haired woman hadn't gone all out.
And he was right. If Esdeath had used her "Mokobotomo" from the start, Roshi—unprepared and not in serious mode—might've been taken out instantly. Even at full power, he couldn't counter her space-freezing ability.
In that sense, Mokobotomo was a one-shot kill move.
"What a terrifying generation… I've been hiding on this island for decades, and now there's someone like you," Roshi said, curiosity getting the better of him. "Mind if I ask—who's your master?"
Esdeath replied coolly, "I don't have one."
As a descendant of a northern minority in her empire, Esdeath had honed her skills through raw combat. If anyone counted as a "master," it was her father from her childhood. After that, she hunted dangerous species, fought in imperial tournaments, and climbed the military ranks on her own.
Compared to structured schools like the Turtle or Crane Hermit styles, her skills were self-taught, a wild path forged alone.
"You… trained yourself?" Roshi asked, astonished.
Hikari nodded, chiming in, "It's true. As you saw, our friend here relies on her unique abilities, which no teacher could guide. She figured it out herself. But when it comes to ki, we'd love your advice."
"Advice, huh…" Roshi began.
Before he could continue, a surge of waves interrupted him from the nearby sea.
Hikari and Tanjiro turned toward the sound, spotting a motorboat cutting through the waves toward the island.
In just half a minute, it reached Kame Island. Goku and Krillin, both wearing Turtle School uniforms, hopped off, followed by Launch—blue-haired Launch—carrying bags of groceries, like she'd been shopping in town.
Speaking of Launch, she was an interesting case.
In the original Dragon Ball, she had a rare split personality. A sneeze would switch her from gentle, soft-spoken blue-haired Launch to aggressive, trigger-happy blonde Launch. In a way, it was a unique talent. Too bad her combat skills were lacking, and she hadn't learned ki, so she was just the cook on Kame Island.
"Hey, Bulma, you're here!" Goku noticed her first, then glanced at the others.
When he saw Hikari, he froze, tilting his head before pointing. "It's you! The needle-poking lady!"
"…Huh?" Hikari blinked.
She had poked Goku with a needle—last year, when collecting Dragon Balls, she'd taken some Saiyan blood and skin samples from him. She didn't expect him to remember her so clearly after all this time.
Did he associate her with needles because the blood draw hurt?
Recalling Goku's fear of needles in the original story, Hikari's expression turned odd.
Had she caused that phobia?
Meanwhile, Krillin, after Bulma introduced Hikari and the others, nodded politely before looking at the sea. Chunks of ice still floated, and the rain clouds lingered. "Master Roshi, what happened here? When Goku, Launch, and I were coming back from town, we saw lightning and thunder. Was it you or these guests?"
"Lightning? Thunder? You're seeing things," Roshi said casually. "It's sunny today, no storms. Have you and Goku finished your training? If not, get to it, or you're skipping lunch."
"Really…?" Krillin scratched his bald head, skeptical.
After some small talk, everyone followed Roshi into the house.
Launch took the groceries to the kitchen, tying on an apron to start cooking.
Goku and Krillin were sent outside by Roshi to do push-ups and sit-ups, their daily pre-meal routine.
Then, Roshi turned back to Hikari's earlier request for guidance.
"About that 'advice'… I've got a question for you all first," he said, looking at Hikari and the others. "Are you interested in joining the World Martial Arts Tournament in two weeks?"
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