As their voices faded, the entire island fell into an eerie silence.
Everyone watching held their breath, eyes locked on the screen, waiting for the clash to begin.
A gentle breeze swept through the forest. Leaves rustled softly, and one drifted down, spinning lazily through the air.
The moment it touched the ground, both men moved.
Issho drew his cane sword in a flash, the sharp ring of steel cutting through the silence as he struck without hesitation.
Qizhi had already reacted. The Thorn Spear was in his hand, rising to meet the attack.
Their weapons collided.
Both of them froze for the briefest instant.
The cane sword. The Thorn Spear.
Both were coated in deep black Armament Haki.
In the next heartbeat, they separated, sliding backward across the ground.
Then, without pause, they rushed at each other again.
Blades clashed, strikes overlapped, and in an instant the battlefield was filled with flashing arcs of steel and piercing thrusts. The air itself seemed to split under the force of their exchange.
But as the fight dragged on, Issho's brow furrowed slightly.
Qizhi saw it.
His eyes sharpened.
In a sudden burst, he drove a kick forward, sending Issho flying back.
Issho twisted midair, flipping cleanly before landing steadily on the ground.
Qizhi spun the Thorn Spear in his hand, a faint smile playing at his lips as he watched his opponent.
Issho tightened his grip on his sword.
"That strength just now…"
Qizhi's voice cut in lightly.
"What's wrong, Mr. Issho?"
Issho refocused on him.
"Your spear… it seems to carry more than just force."
Qizhi chuckled.
"So you noticed. This Thorn Spear drains the strength of whoever it strikes."
Issho nodded inwardly. Just as he suspected.
After several exchanges, his sword arm had begun to tremble. It was subtle, but unmistakable.
That kind of abnormal sensation was not something he would overlook.
"Your ability is quite… unusual," Issho said calmly.
Qizhi's smile widened.
"There's more. Much more. The question is… can you push me far enough to use it?"
Issho smiled in return, a quiet confidence settling over him.
"Qizhi, it seems you underestimate me."
As his words fell, a surge of violet energy erupted from his body.
Qizhi's expression shifted slightly.
"Now this is interesting."
A pale green aura flared around him in response.
"Gravity Blade, Fierce Tiger!"
With a single motion, Issho unleashed his attack.
The surrounding space warped under immense pressure. The ground cracked, trees bent and splintered, everything dragged inward and crushed by invisible force.
Qizhi did not dare take it lightly.
"Thorn Spear, Wild Bull!"
He drove the spear into the ground.
The earth trembled violently as a massive green bull burst forth, charging upward with unstoppable force.
The two attacks collided head-on.
The impact shook the island.
Issho's eyes flickered with surprise. The bull had actually blocked his gravity strike.
Qizhi grinned.
"Gravity is strong… but not strong enough."
He slammed his foot down, shattering the ground beneath him, and charged forward with the spear in hand.
"Good!" Issho shouted, meeting him head-on.
Steel met wood, power against power.
They traded blows relentlessly, faster and fiercer with every passing second, until they seemed to forget this was a competition at all.
Each strike carried killing intent.
From the viewing area, the audience was completely absorbed. Every counter, every clash, every shift in momentum came so fast it was dazzling.
Most of the Marines could see nothing but blurred afterimages.
Only Xu, Kuzan, and Tina could clearly follow the fight.
Their speed had already surpassed ordinary perception.
"Fleet Admiral Xu, who do you think will win?" Kuzan asked.
Xu raised a brow slightly.
Issho was undeniably powerful. The Gravity Fruit combined with his swordsmanship made him a terrifying opponent.
Few could stand evenly against him.
But Qizhi…
Xu's gaze lingered on Qizhi's face.
Even now, he still looked relaxed.
And yet, he matched Issho blow for blow.
Xu paused for a moment.
"Kuzan… that's not an easy question."
Kuzan smiled faintly.
"I think Issho will win."
"Oh? That confident?"
Kuzan nodded.
"We don't know what Qizhi is still hiding. But plant-based abilities shouldn't be able to overcome gravity, right?"
Xu inclined his head slightly.
"By that logic, yes."
"So you agree?" Kuzan pressed.
Xu shook his head.
"No. Qizhi hasn't even used his real ability yet."
Kuzan blinked.
"That's impossible. What about the Thorn Spear…"
Xu waved a hand.
"According to his records, his strongest weapon… is his own body."
That left Kuzan stunned.
Behind them, the Marines who had been eavesdropping were equally shocked.
"Wait, what? He's a brawler?!"
"That's insane…"
"No wonder the Fleet Admiral took an interest in him."
Tina frowned slightly.
"That can't be true… If that's the case, wouldn't Issho be in danger?"
Xu shrugged.
"That depends on how Issho handles it."
Kuzan nodded thoughtfully.
"That's true. And Issho uses a blade. Even if Qizhi fights barehanded, reach still matters."
The saying was simple. A longer weapon often holds the advantage.
Their attention returned to the battlefield.
At that moment, the two fighters had separated again.
The clash came to an abrupt halt.
Qizhi's Thorn Spear had snapped.
After all, no matter how enhanced it was, it was still just a plant.
Durable, yes. But not indestructible.
Qizhi clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed at the interruption. He tossed the broken spear aside and rolled his wrist.
"Mr. Issho, your swordsmanship is impressive."
"You flatter me," Issho replied.
But his blade remained raised, his guard unbroken.
During their exchange, he had sensed something strange.
Not the draining effect of the spear.
Something else.
Something about Qizhi himself felt… out of place.
As if that spear was never meant to be his weapon.
Issho made his decision.
"Qizhi, I have a question. Would you answer it?"
Qizhi raised an eyebrow.
"Sure. Go ahead."
Issho explained his observation, his intuition, the subtle inconsistency he could not ignore.
Before he could even finish, Qizhi burst into laughter.
Issho turned his head slightly, puzzled.
Qizhi grinned.
"You're absolutely right."
He clenched his fist lightly, his eyes gleaming.
"My strongest weapon… is my body."