As Whitebeard finished his bold declaration, a surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him—stronger than when he'd unleashed it at Hive Island. In this belief-powered world, a killer monologue really could raise your power level!
On the other side, Sengoku's face visibly stiffened upon hearing Whitebeard's poetic challenge.
"We're supposed to be on the same level! Why are you so flashy?!"
"Fire the cannons!"
With no snappy comeback in mind, Sengoku barked the order with a darkened expression. His warship's artillery thundered toward Whitebeard's vessel.
But Whitebeard wasn't one to back down. His crew returned fire without hesitation, intercepting the Marine shells in mid-air.
"Big Bro Newgate, I'll leave the support to you—I'm going in to test Sengoku's strength!"
"Gurararara! Go ahead, Brother Lind. I've got your back."
With Whitebeard's approval, Lind took to the skies—riding the Lanqiu sword beneath his feet, his Kunpeng sword circling him like a guardian spirit—as he flew straight toward Sengoku's ship!
"Lind of the Rocks Pirates, Vice Commander of the Second Division? You're not with Shiki—why are you sailing with Newgate?"
"What's your purpose here?"
Sengoku's cold questioning nearly ruined Lind's planned dramatic entrance.
"Bro, you're killing the vibe. Aren't you supposed to ask me who I am so I can drop my intro lines in style?"
Even though things weren't going according to script, Lind wasn't about to let that stop him from flexing.
Cursing the intelligence leaks of all major factions under his breath, Lind stabilized himself mid-air with telekinesis and began his performance.
Lanqiu and Kunpeng circled him gracefully, and a wave of Conqueror's Haki imbued with carefree, unrestrained will surged outward, accompanied by his unflinching voice:
"I ride the wind, I break the waves—
Unbound, I roam the heavens and earth."
"When my sheath moves, all sails still—
My blade dances, and the world dims."
"With one move, I shake the Four Seas—
With a second, I stir the Sun and Moon."
"Alone I suppress all foes—
I am the Crimson Dust Blade!"
"Before me, enemies either flee or fall!"
"And today, I came to ask just one thing—"
Lanqiu returned to his feet, and Lind drew Kunpeng, pointing the blade straight at Sengoku.
"Sengoku! Have you ever tasted defeat?!"
Sengoku's face darkened further.
"This brat's even cockier than Whitebeard!"
"Asking if I've ever been defeated? Do you think I'm some pushover?! Insolent!"
Today, he'd make this arrogant little punk learn some respect for his elders.
"Great Buddha Shockwave!"
Before Lind could deliver another line, Sengoku launched a sudden energy blast!
"Yo, old man! Attacking a teen mid-monologue? Shameless!"
Lind dodged the golden shockwave, swearing as he twisted through the air.
"If that's how you want it—take this!"
Retaliating without hesitation, Lind hurled Kunpeng at Sengoku, aiming right for his—well—vital organs.
But Sengoku didn't flinch. Coating his hands in Armament Haki, he chopped downward and deflected the flying sword easily.
He then stepped into the air using Moonwalk and rocketed toward Lind for close combat.
Lind didn't back down. He'd spent two and a half years training his body—he wasn't soft.
Covering himself in Haki, he engaged Sengoku directly, even using multitasking telekinesis to sneak in attacks with both Kunpeng and Lanqiu.
"Hahaha! Not bad for a punk! Shame you turned pirate."
Sengoku's face showed the expression of a teacher disappointed in a promising student.
"Can't let someone like you run wild. Time to send you to Impel Down—you'll end your journey there!"
Having gauged Lind's capabilities, Sengoku stopped holding back and went all-in. From his experience, Lind was above most elite vice admirals, but still far from admiral level.
In other words—catchable.
Thankfully, Lind wasn't just all bark. He knew his limits and had been wary of Sengoku from the start.
As soon as Sengoku powered up, Lind withdrew, shifting to long-range combat, flying out of reach and using his swords to attack from afar.
Every time Sengoku tried to close the distance, Lind would dodge with telekinesis.
It was, admittedly, not very dignified—but it was very effective. Sengoku couldn't touch him.
Then again, Lind couldn't touch Sengoku either.
"This is ridiculous! If I knew Advanced Conqueror's Haki (Fusion), I could fight back properly!"
For now, all he could do was dodge and chip away from afar—death by a thousand papercuts.
"Guess I'll treat this as sword practice…"
After half an hour of this cat-and-mouse game, Lind was calming down.
Even if frustrated, he began to use the duel to refine his swordsmanship.
Dodging Sengoku's layered feints, predictions, and pressure — all classic signs of a master strategist — Lind's footwork and combat awareness visibly improved.
And so, the fight continued for three more hours.
But eventually, the toll of sustained high-level telekinesis began to show.
Lind was getting dizzy.
"Yup… mental energy doesn't scale well. If this fight went on for seven days straight, I'd be brain-dead."
"This world… Haki and body strength are the fundamentals."
Looking at Sengoku, who still looked fresh and focused, Lind couldn't help but grumble internally.
"Also—I need a finisher. This poking-from-afar start doesn't do jack to a mythical Zoan like him. One more hour, then I'll tag Whitebeard in."
While continuing to fight, Lind kept an eye out for a suitable battleground—after all, Whitebeard could Moonwalk but wasn't built for aerial combat.
Finally, he spotted a small island off to the side. It had a decent size, hilly terrain, and seemed sturdy—perfect for a land-based showdown.
Seeing the opportunity, Lind didn't waste any more time.
He let Kunpeng and Lanqiu keep Sengoku occupied, then blasted backward and retreated to the pirate ship.
"Brother Newgate—your turn!"
Back on board, Lind didn't hesitate to pass the torch.
"Gurararara! Leave it to me, Brother Linde! Time to see if Sengoku's pride can handle me!"
Understanding Lind's plan, Whitebeard laughed and soared off the deck using Moonwalk, launching himself toward the battleground.