In the deadlock, Yuno snorted coldly and lashed out with a kick.
Stoloberg's eyes flashed sharply, and he countered with his own kick.
With a heavy thud, the two were forced back simultaneously—though Yuno slid back farther.
It was clear that Yuno had taken the worse of the exchange.
His physique and Armament Haki were both inferior to his opponent's. If not for the Hakuda power-generating technique he had used in his kicks, he would have been sent flying outright!
But in the next instant, the two clashed again!
Their figures blurred, weaving across the field. Blades collided in a storm of sparks, and the ringing of steel resounded as arcs of sword energy tore deep gouges into the ground.
"So… so strong!"
"Both of them!"
"Who was it that said he was just trying to get attention? Take that back!"
"No wonder people call him a monster!"
The lower-ranking marines watching the duel were wide-eyed, their hearts pounding in shock.
Even the veteran officers were astonished. They had assumed Yuno's Armament Haki was still incomplete, leaving him at a disadvantage. Yet now, it seemed he wasn't being suppressed at all!
Stoloberg was no weakling—among the Rear Admirals of Marine Headquarters, few could rival him.
"It's his swordsmanship… Yuno's swordsmanship is so refined that he can match Major General Stoloberg despite weaker Haki!" muttered Flying Squirrel, his eyes narrowing with insight. With his years of combat experience, he immediately discerned the truth.
After his remark, several nearby officers nodded in realization.
"Indeed… every strike of his sword neutralizes Stoloberg's offense perfectly, and he does it without wasted motion."
"At his age, to have already reached this level of swordsmanship… This is extraordinary. No wonder he's called a 'future admiral'—the title isn't an exaggeration!"
"I almost see the shadow of Vice Admiral Momonga in him…"
The surrounding generals exchanged murmurs, shaken by Yuno's display. Against a seasoned Rear Admiral, this so-called "recruit" stood his ground without faltering!
Meanwhile, in the field of battle—
"I still can't compare with him in physique, and my Armament Haki is weaker…" Yuno thought to himself, gauging Stoloberg's power. The Rear Admiral's strength was far greater than any pirate with a 100-million bounty.
Yet even so… Stoloberg could not overwhelm him.
"Damn it… why is he this strong?"
Stoloberg's heart was roiling. He never imagined Yuno's strength would be so monstrous—that a new recruit could actually fight him evenly!
Was this really just a rookie?
From the spectators' perspective, the match was a draw.
But what Stoloberg didn't know was that Yuno wasn't even showing his full strength!
After months of training, Yuno's abilities had advanced in every aspect. Even without using his Shunko technique, his power had already reached the level of a Vice Admiral.
Doubling one's strength was no small matter!
The clash raged on, neither side yielding an inch.
Haki… that must be his weakness.
Stoloberg's eyes narrowed. Even while using Armament Haki, he couldn't crush Yuno outright. That made his expression grim. But at the same time, he believed he had found the boy's flaw—his insufficient mastery of Haki!
Judging from how Yuno's Armament Haki only coated his strikes rather than fully hardening, Stoloberg assumed the boy's training had only just begun. Surely he couldn't have cultivated Observation Haki as well.
After all, mastering Armament at such a young age already required inhuman discipline. Could he really have awakened Observation too? Impossible.
With a sharp stomp, Stoloberg shattered the ground beneath his feet. His twin blades gleamed with Armament Haki as he unleashed a blinding technique:
"Dual Blade Style: Glancing Shadow!"
His left and right swords slashed out like living entities, striking from shifting angles that overlapped and intertwined. Their trajectories changed wildly, like serpents hunting their prey.
Without Observation Haki, avoiding such an attack would be nearly impossible!
"Do you think I don't have Observation Haki?" Even in the midst of combat, Yuno still had the presence of mind to watch Stoloberg's expression. From his gaze and the way he wielded his blades, Yuno roughly guessed what was going on in his opponent's heart.
With a sneer, he fully opened his Observation Haki, reading every attack in advance. His silver threads swept out, intercepting every strike flawlessly!
Then, while Stoloberg stared in disbelief, Yuno swung his blade with unstoppable momentum, sending him flying!
At the last instant, Stoloberg coated his body with Armament Haki at the point of impact, reducing the damage. Even so, the sheer force of Yuno's strike blasted him back. Only by using Geppō (Moonwalk) mid-air did he manage to bleed off the momentum and barely steady himself.
"Observation Haki…" Stoloberg's teeth clenched. This damn brat even had Observation Haki!
"Instructor, you'd better be careful," Yuno raised his sword overhead, his tone calm but edged like a blade.
In the next breath, a sword aura erupted from his body, sweeping across the arena. The pressure seemed almost tangible, gouging deep scars into the ground!
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
The sword aura gathered to its peak. Yuno chuckled softly and swung down.
The silver blade trembled with a resonant hum—Om—before releasing a brilliant slash, cold and pure as moonlight!
"No… Impossible!"
Stoloberg's Observation Haki screamed a frantic warning. His pupils shrank as he saw the radiant silver arc descend like a falling moon, magnificent and fatal!
In that split second, he unleashed everything.
Armament Haki surged across both swords as his stance rooted firmly into the ground. Twisting his waist, he brought the twin blades together and roared, "Break it!"
A thunderous impact split the air—Boom!
From the clash, a violent shockwave burst outwards, scattering dust and shaking the arena. Soldiers were hurled away like leaves before the storm.
Only the strongest remained unmoved, while the rest stumbled back in alarm.
"Ahhhh!" Stoloberg howled, forcing out every ounce of strength, yet Yuno's slash still pressed down like a mountain!
At last, with a shattering explosion, the GETSUGA TENSHO fragmented. The scattered silver blades of energy streaked outward, only to be intercepted by the stationed vice admirals and rear admirals. Without their intervention, countless spectators would have been injured!
Even so, Stoloberg himself was blasted away, blood churning in his chest. Though battered, he had not yet lost the will or strength to fight.
But before he could even catch his breath, a chilling voice reached his ears.
"Oh? You blocked it? Then let's see you handle another—GETSUGA TENSHO!!!"
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