Su Mo nodded in acknowledgment. Originally, his swordsmanship was only at a basic level—nothing special. What little he knew had been learned from Erza in the Fairy Tail world. Facing someone like the Sword King in a duel of pure technique would have been impossible.
At first, Su Mo had simply planned to kite him around or use advantageous Authority matchups to secure victory—he never intended to beat Doni with swords alone.
But after merging with the other versions of himself, everything changed. The Su Mo from the One Piece world wasn't a Devil Fruit user. Instead, he was a master of Haki, an expert martial artist, and most importantly—a top-level swordmaster. After synchronizing powers with him, Su Mo's swordsmanship had skyrocketed to the realm of true mastery.
Now, even without any Authorities, Su Mo's sword technique alone could cleave mountains and reshape the sea. In pure technique, even martial kings like Luo Hao or geniuses like Doni fell short. He had no reason to fear a sword duel now.
"That said, you're right. That guy probably won't just wait quietly."
Su Mo knew Doni well—obedience wasn't in his vocabulary. Asking him to sit still on just a few words was close to impossible. Mentioning a sword duel might tempt him, but it wouldn't be enough.
Thinking it over, Su Mo extended his hand to Erica. "Let me borrow your sword for a moment."
"Yes, my Lord!" she replied without hesitation, though a bit puzzled, and handed over her treasured sword—Cuore Di Leone.
Su Mo gripped the hilt. A wave of Armament Haki flowed from his hand, dyeing the crimson blade in his own color. He turned to the vast, open sea before the villa, Erica watching curiously from behind.
Without another word, Su Mo raised the sword overhead—and brought it down in a clean, vertical slash.
A crescent-shaped blade of energy erupted from the slash. Initially only a few meters long, it quickly elongated, growing sharper and wider as it surged forward. By the time it reached the ocean, the energy blade had expanded to several kilometres in length.
Boom!!
The sea was cleaved apart.
Like a divine miracle, the ocean split in two, revealing coral reefs and starfish glistening on the exposed seabed. It was as if the legend of Moses parting the Red Sea had been made real again. Before Su Mo, a vast trench stretched forward, as if a canyon had appeared in the middle of the sea.
"A-Amazing…" Erica and Liliana, who had just arrived, were both struck speechless.
If Su Mo had used Authority to perform this feat, it wouldn't have been surprising. Campiones were gods among men, and their Authorities could reshape the world itself. But there hadn't been even a trace of magical energy. No divine power. No spell incantation.
Just Su Mo, his physical strength, and a single sword slash.
This transcended the very boundaries of what they believed a human could do.
It took them a long while to recover from the shock.
"Is this… really something a human can achieve?" Liliana asked, still staring at the rift in the ocean, which remained fully open.
"No wonder you're our Lord," Erica said with a calm smile, far more composed than Liliana.
She had already seen Su Mo's form as the Giant of Light. She knew very well that her Lord's power was immeasurable. If one day Su Mo casually said, "The moon is annoying. I'll tear it down," Erica wouldn't even blink.
So this level of swordsmanship—though insane—was nothing out of the ordinary for her Lord.
The sword energy would linger for quite some time, meaning the massive sea trench wouldn't close anytime soon. It would remain visible for at least a few weeks. While Su Mo could've made it last even longer, that wasn't necessary.
This much was enough.
He handed the sword back to Erica and finally spoke, "If Doni arrives, show him this sword mark."
"With his obsession for swordsmanship, he'll understand what kind of strength I possess the moment he sees it."
A sword fanatic like Doni would immediately recognize Su Mo's mastery. And knowing Doni, he'd probably want to stay there and study the sword intent embedded in the scar, rather than rushing off after Su Mo.
A two-pronged strategy. It should be more than enough to keep that sword-crazed idiot in one place.
"Yes, my Lord!" Erica replied with newfound respect and awe. Now she fully understood her Lord's intention.
She also realized something else—her Lord was even more unreasonable than she had imagined. To keep someone in place, he casually delivered a sword slash that split the ocean?
What kind of monster was she serving?
She'd always known Su Mo was strong… but now it was clear. She had latched onto a titan far beyond her original expectations.
Wasting no time, Erica got to work.
Soon, she had summoned members from the local magic association. Taking them to the edge of the sea canyon, she conveyed Su Mo's instructions. Their stunned faces said it all. After witnessing such divine might, they swore full cooperation and promised to relay the message to the Sword King without fail.
With all arrangements complete—Su Mo's plan was already in motion.
Su Mo, Erica, and Liliana boarded the private jet that had already been prepared, setting off for their next destination—Naples.
...
...
Naples, also known as Napoli, is one of Italy's most famous tourist cities. The infamous Mount Vesuvius—the volcano that annihilated the flourishing ancient city of Pompeii—sits southeast of Naples and remains an active volcano to this day. There's even a popular saying that goes: "See Naples and die"—a testament to its reputed beauty and elegance.
However, as someone born and raised in Italy, Erica had a far more down-to-earth take on the city.
"From afar, it really does look like a beautiful city," she remarked with a frown. "But once you step inside, you realize the streets are filled with litter, there's graffiti everywhere, traffic's always jammed, pickpockets and thieves are rampant, the people are unruly, and the city's layout is a mess."
"Even if I were trying to be polite, I'd never call this place livable!"
Her expression was filled with disdain. Erica was a girl who loved elegance and refinement, so even if it was her own country, she had little patience for anything uncouth.
Liliana, breaking out into a cold sweat, quietly leaned over and whispered, "Erica, even if you're right... maybe don't say that out loud in front of the locals?"
Indeed, a few nearby residents were now glaring daggers at Erica after overhearing her brutal honesty.
Clearly, not everyone could take such criticism of their hometown lying down.
Hearing Liliana's admonishment, Su Mo chimed in with a smirk, "You're one to talk."
"Liliana, haven't you noticed that you are also getting glares?"
While Erica's bluntness might be one thing, Liliana's "Even if you're right..." had likely stung just as much.
Fortunately, the two girls were both exceptionally attractive and carried an air of nobility that discouraged confrontation. Otherwise, someone might have already tried to pick a fight.
"Ah...!" Liliana covered her mouth, realizing too late how her words had sounded. She bowed her head in embarrassment. "Forgive me, my King! That was careless of me!"
"No need," Su Mo said with a small shake of his head. "I care less about what the locals think and more about why we've come here."
.....
"I just hope it won't disappoint."
Within a few hours, the trio arrived in Naples. But this wasn't a sightseeing trip. Compared to the feelings of the locals, Su Mo was far more focused on the destination itself.
"Speaking of which, why this place?" Erica asked curiously.
Naples was once a colony of the ancient Greeks. The remnants of the labor camps where slaves once toiled, the Roman aqueducts and cisterns, and even medieval underground granaries and wine cellars still remain beneath the old city.
Their destination was precisely this place—Napoli Sotterranea, or the Underground Naples.
In short, it was a maze of underground ruins left behind by slaves from a bygone era. While the site still held some ancient magical relics, it wasn't something that would typically interest a Campione.
"Why do you think?" Su Mo responded mysteriously.
However, Liliana seemed to catch on quickly.
"If it's something that could attract a Campione... then perhaps, a Heretic God or a divine beast...?"
As the thought hit her, her face went pale. "Don't tell me... is a Heretic God descending here?"
"Gasp—!" Erica also inhaled sharply. If their Lord was willing to skip his rendezvous with the King of Swords just to come here, then what could possibly warrant such urgency?
A battle between a Heretic God and a God-Slayer... in a major tourist city?
The idea alone made both girls glance nervously at Su Mo with pleading eyes.
—Please don't tell us it's true!
—If the city gets destroyed, the economic damage would be catastrophic!
However, Su Mo met their anxious gazes with a faint smile of praise. "Not bad. Seems you two are quite clever."
And with that one sentence, both knights' hearts sank.
This city was doomed!