The camp.
Slote stood at the center, directing with calm composure, though an unusual glint flickered in his eyes.
"Where did so many young powerhouses come from?"
"Is this island some major faction's base?"
"We must retreat immediately!"
In the blink of an eye, he made this decision—swift and decisive.
As a pirate who had evaded Marine pursuit from the Four Blues through the first half of the Grand Line to reach the New World, he deeply understood the value of knowing when to flee. Life was the most precious thing.
Just as he was about to order the retreat—
A silver Sword Aura surged from nearby, tearing through the earth. A startling sharpness shook the surroundings, as if it could rend everything apart.
"A swordmaster?"
Slote's frown deepened. To nurture such a young swordmaster—this mysterious faction was truly formidable.
Whoosh!
The Sword Aura cut through the air, the fierce winds whipping Slote's long hair back.
Yet, unexpectedly, he stood his ground, neither blocking nor dodging. Only as the Sword Aura neared did he suddenly clench his fist.
"Armament!"
Pitch-black Armament Haki instantly coiled around his fist before he threw a punch.
Boom! When the black fist collided with the Sword Aura, the air exploded like cannon fire.
After just a moment of stalemate, the seemingly unstoppable silver Sword Aura shattered under Slote's punch. The fragmented remnants scattered, carving countless tiny fissures into the surrounding earth.
"The power of Armament Haki!"
Not far away, Shano stepped forward, his face full of wariness.
"…"
Slote remained expressionless. He flexed his fist, the air compressing and bursting with a series of resonant hums.Whoosh! The next instant, he charged forward at an incredible speed, appearing right in front of Shano in the blink of an eye. His fist, clad in Armament Haki, came crashing down with overwhelming force!
Shano had no time to dodge. He could only gather all his strength and slash forward with his sword.
Boom! Unsurprisingly, Shano was sent flying backward by the impact.
"Time to go."
Slote didn't pursue, as he didn't want to provoke this unknown major faction—he just wanted to make a clean escape.
But the moment he turned around—
A chorus of shocked cries erupted from the camp, as if something disastrous had just happened.
"Oh no!"
His heart lurched, and he hurriedly turned his gaze toward the sea.
There, the pirate ship anchored offshore was now engulfed in blinding flashes of lightning. The creaking of wood groaned violently, as if the vessel were on the verge of breaking apart.
Rhode's act of destroying the ship had met almost no resistance.
The pirates left behind to repair the ship were all ordinary crew members, relatively weak in strength. Against Rhode in his current state, they stood no chance.
The real challenge was the ship itself—built to withstand the dangers of the New World, its incredibly sturdy materials forced Rhode to expend considerable effort to dismantle its entire structure.
"It's over."
Under the terrified gazes of every pirate still aboard, Rhode stood midair, wreathed in crackling lightning like a thunder god descended from ancient times.
"One-Sword Style: Heaven's Thunder Slash!"
Zing! A deafening sword cry split the heavens.
A brilliant azure Sword Aura, infused with thunder, illuminated the world as it swept forth with unstoppable, domineering force.
Wherever it passed, the ship's deck, the cabins below, and even the sturdiest keel were cleaved apart like brittle kindling, exposing the sea beneath.
Crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle!
Countless currents of electricity ravaged the ship's hull, leaving scorched black marks in their wake.
Fortunately, most pirates in the New World were hardy enough to survive the electrocution, but they were left paralyzed, unable to move, staring in sheer terror at the young figure hovering in the air.
Hovering midair, a single slash to split a ship—the battlefield on the shore fell deathly silent.
Everyone stood dumbfounded, staring at the sword-wielding figure bathed in lightning in the distance.
"Is this guy really a rookie from the same batch as us?"
The recruits gasped, struggling to accept this disheartening reality.
"What terrifying Thunder Power and swordsmanship!"
Even the captains like Nia were filled with shock and awe.
During the mission briefing, some had raised objections, arguing that multiple captains should be sent to cut off the enemy's retreat. But Nia had insisted on sending Rhode alone.
Even she, however, was stunned. She had believed Rhode could complete the task—but never imagined he would do so with such overwhelming force.
"A swordmaster who has grasped Thunder Sword Intent… their destructive power is truly terrifying."
Even the Revolutionary Army officers like Hatchan and Koala, watching from the rear, couldn't help but marvel.
The entire battlefield was stunned by that single slash.
The pirates' morale plummeted. Their eyes darted around, searching for an escape route.
"Dammit!"
Slote's face twisted in frustration as he cursed under his breath.
In the waters of the New World, setting sail without a sturdy ship was practically suicide.
Having just survived a disaster at sea, he knew this all too well.
With their retreat cut off and trapped on this isolated island, Slote's inner savagery and bloodlust surged to the surface.He was well aware that the secret base of such a major faction would inevitably silence any witnesses upon discovery. Sending out these young fighters now was merely to test their mettle.
"Let's take down as many as we can first!"
Slote suddenly roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield: "Fight to the death!"
The pirates hesitated for a moment, and the atmosphere instantly turned grim as they all understood the dire situation.
And at that very moment.
From the sky above, a dazzling Sword Aura crackling with lightning suddenly descended like divine punishment, capable of annihilating everything in its path! "Looking to die!"
Slote snorted coldly, standing firmly on the ground, utterly disdainful of dodging.
With a powerful stomp, he sent out an invisible shockwave before leaping straight up to meet the attack head-on! As a pure martial arts expert, he believed in direct confrontation. Once committed to battle, he showed no fear—ruthless and unyielding.
"HAH!!"
Slote bellowed, channeling all his strength into a burst-enhancing martial arts technique. His fist, coated in ink-black Armament Haki, struck the Sword Aura with brutal simplicity.
BOOM! A violent explosion of force erupted. The lightning-infused Sword Aura faltered briefly before shattering into scattered fragments.
"Is that all you've got?"
Slote smirked arrogantly—but the next instant, his expression froze.
CRACKLE CRACKLE!
From the shattered remnants of the Sword Aura, endless surges of electricity erupted, cascading down and enveloping Slote completely.
"ARGH!"
The distance was too close. Slote had no chance to evade. The searing currents scorched him, his hair standing on end as even his exceptionally hardened body trembled from the numbing pain.
His Armament Haki hadn't yet reached the level of hardening, leaving him defenseless against this all-encompassing assault!
BAM! The next moment, the residual force of the Sword Aura slammed him back to the ground.
Still, as a master of martial arts, his physique and vitality were astonishing. After only a brief pause, he staggered back to his feet—though his appearance was now disheveled.
Not only was his hair a frizzy mess, but his skin bore blackened marks from the scorching heat of the electricity.