After a brief standoff, the three moved almost at the same time.
Weapons wrapped in Conqueror's Haki collided instantly.
Each clash sent tremors through the air, as if the heavens and earth themselves were shaking. While attacking, each man had to remain vigilant against the other two. No one held back, and no one intended to cooperate. Pride alone made that impossible.
The battlefield rapidly deteriorated.
The once smooth arena was torn apart as cracks spread and shattered stone scattered in every direction. Deep scars carved across the ground, marking the intensity of their exchange.
The spectacle drew the full attention of the audience.
Even the Four Emperors watched with rare seriousness. This was not a mere exhibition. This was a clash on their level.
Redfield moved first.
With a flick of his blade, arcs of crimson crescent slashes tore toward Kozuki Oden. Immediately afterward, his figure blurred and reappeared before Yamamoto Genryusai, thrusting his blade straight toward the old swordsman's face, leaving a streak of blood-red light in the air.
Genryusai raised his sword and blocked with ease.
A faint smile appeared as he shifted seamlessly from defense to offense. Flames wrapped around his blade as he struck. His swings were not fast, yet they carried immense weight, pressing forward with an inevitability that made them feel impossible to evade.
Before their exchange could continue, a terrifying presence surged closer.
Oden had already shattered the incoming slashes and closed the distance at astonishing speed. His twin swords, coated in Conqueror's Haki, had turned a deep, dark red.
Faced with this, Redfield and Genryusai instinctively separated, each intercepting one of Oden's blades.
The clash resumed.
In mere moments, countless exchanges unfolded. The speed was so extreme that many spectators could no longer follow their movements. Even so, the sheer scale of destruction filled in the gaps for their imagination. Despite Teach's efforts to absorb the shockwaves, the intensity of the battle remained overwhelming.
Across the world, swordsmen watched in silence.
They tried to grasp something from the battle, hoping to glean even a fragment of understanding that might push their own skills forward.
For most, the gap was simply too vast.
It was like asking a child to comprehend the law. The difference in level made it impossible.
Yet among the crowd, there were those who understood.
Individuals like Shiryu of the Rain and others from the Blackbeard Pirates watched with sharp focus. Dracule Mihawk and many renowned swordsmen observed every detail, absorbing what they could.
Even then, each of the three fighters walked a path entirely their own.
For true masters, imitation led nowhere.
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Paradise Totsuka!"
Oden surged forward like a meteor, his twin blades carving a cross-shaped trajectory through the air. His entire body followed behind the strike, pushing it to its absolute limit.
This was his ultimate move.
And his target was Yamamoto Genryusai.
The moment this attack appeared, even the strongest figures present felt a chill.
It was too fast.
There was no time to dodge.
Teach turned slightly, glancing toward Kaido with a faint smile.
That attack could leave a wound even Kaido could not heal.
"Kaido, you probably can't block that, can you? Enma draws out its wielder's Haki. If it lands cleanly, the damage won't fade," Teach said casually.
Kaido snorted, offering no direct reply, but his silence was answer enough.
If he faced that strike in his full beast form, his speed and reactions would not be enough. Only in his hybrid state, at full power, could he reliably withstand it.
At the same time, others like Shiki and Big Mom quietly adjusted their assessment of Oden. He was not someone to be taken lightly.
Facing the incoming strike, Genryusai narrowed his eyes and grinned.
"Sword of Grand Flame!"
His blade swept forward.
Golden flames erupted, condensing into a devastating horizontal slash.
Teach's expression changed instantly.
Future sight flashed through his mind, showing him the aftermath. The scale of this attack was enormous. It was not a vertical strike but a sweeping wave capable of engulfing everything in its path, potentially extending to the size of an island.
Without hesitation, Teach acted.
Darkness surged outward, far denser than before, spreading along the edges of the arena. Massive walls of black energy rose, twisting into vortex-like forms that devoured everything they touched.
The audience felt it immediately.
A suffocating pressure filled the air as the dark energy began absorbing the overwhelming power of Genryusai's attack.
At the same time, Redfield vanished and reappeared high above.
Then the flames came.
They spread in every direction, consuming the battlefield in an instant. The temperature soared, turning the arena into a blazing inferno. The air itself seemed to burn.
Flames crashed against the barriers, pressing outward as if they might break free at any moment.
But they did not.
They were swallowed, bit by bit, by Teach's darkness.
At the center of it all, Oden pressed forward.
He charged directly into the flames.
Wrapped in Ryuo, he carved a path through the inferno, leaving a clear trail behind him, untouched by the surrounding blaze.
From above, it looked like a strip of pure land cutting through hell itself.
Across the world, people held their breath.
Even the citizens of Wano felt their hearts tighten.
"Lord Oden…"
His retainers clenched their fists, unable to look away.
The heat was unbearable. Even the news birds had retreated far into the sky, unwilling to approach the battlefield. Morgans silently thanked his earlier decision to pull them back, relying instead on fixed Den Den Mushi to capture the scene.
Within the flames, Oden struggled forward.
His Haki wavered under the intense heat. The impact slowed him, his slashes weakening as they were gradually eroded.
The flames burned his body. His clothes ignited and were reduced to ash, revealing his muscular frame, now reddened by the heat.
Then, his attacks were completely swallowed.
Oden disappeared into the inferno.
Even Whitebeard's expression darkened.
Genryusai's flames were not ordinary. They were born from pure sword intent, refined to an extreme level. His mastery had transformed that intent into a force rivaling a natural disaster.
Among the three, his path stood apart.
Yet Oden did not stop.
With a roar, he forced himself forward again, enduring the pain, stomping down to generate momentum.
"Paradise Totsuka!"
At close range, he unleashed the strike once more.
Genryusai reacted immediately.
"Morning Sun Blade!"
His sword met Oden's attack head-on.
Light erupted.
Golden and white brilliance collided, splitting the sky apart. The clouds tore open as if a massive beast had ripped them apart from within.
The arena shook violently, cracks spreading in all directions. Though the structure held, it was clear that extensive repairs would be needed afterward.
For a brief moment, the two stood in stalemate.
Oden had taken damage. The burns from the flames were visible, but his spirit remained unbroken.
Then a third presence struck.
"Crimson Harvest!"
A blood-red slash descended with terrifying sharpness, carrying overwhelming killing intent.
Redfield had rejoined the battle.
Both Oden and Genryusai reacted instantly, turning to block.
Even so, the force drove them back dozens of meters.
The battle raged on.
Crimson, flame, and pale slashes intertwined, while black-red lightning crackled from their Conqueror's Haki. Each exchange pushed the destruction further, reducing the arena to ruins.
Yet the hourglass was nearly empty.
The end approached.
"One final move," Redfield said with a smile.
Oden nodded.
Genryusai gave a small grunt of agreement.
There would be no victor in this clash.
A final strike would decide nothing, yet conclude everything.
The three stood apart once more, gathering their strength.
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Samurai Soul of the Demon!"
A dark, ghost-like slash bloomed, resembling a blackened cherry blossom.
"Bloody Harvest!"
Redfield surged forward as a streak of crimson, his blade wrapped in Conqueror's Haki.
"Zanka no Tachi: Heaven and Earth Ashes!"
Genryusai's blade ignited with overwhelming power.
In the next instant, all three appeared at the center.
Their weapons collided.
The impact eclipsed everything before it.
A pillar of golden light pierced the heavens, tearing through the clouds. The sky split apart, then cleared entirely, returning to a bright and open expanse.
When the light faded, a massive crater remained at the center of the arena.
Silence followed.
Though the battle had ended, the audience remained lost in what they had witnessed.
It took Teach's voice to pull them back.
"Enjoy that?" he said with a wide grin. "Then remember it well. The opening ceremony of the Swordsmanship Tournament has officially concluded."
He paused, letting the moment settle.
"The tournament begins this afternoon. Get ready."
Even then, the crowd struggled to calm down.
What they had just seen was not merely a battle.
It was a glimpse of the peak.