Chapter 98: The Flames of Pride
"Admiral White Dragon doesn't even dare to show himself? He sends a woman to fight in his place?"
Ember's voice dripped with scorn as he stared down at Cullom, who had landed on the deck of his ship. His eyes gleamed with bloodlust behind his mask, and the flames dancing behind his head flared brighter.
Cullom's expression didn't waver. She met his gaze without flinching.
"To deal with someone like you, my Admiral doesn't need to lift a finger. I'm more than enough."
She drew her blade in one fluid motion. The sword was beautiful—a pristine white handle and gleaming snow-white steel that seemed to shimmer in the light. This was Winter Snow, one of the twenty-one Great Grade swords, a trophy she had claimed from a pirate captain who no longer needed it.
The moment the blade left its sheath, an overwhelming sword intent erupted from Cullom's body. The air itself seemed to sharpen around her, and the wooden deck beneath her feet groaned under the pressure.
Ember's casual expression shifted. His eyes narrowed as he reassessed the woman standing before him.
Among all the female swordsmen he had ever encountered, this Marine's strength was second only to one person—Charlotte Linlin, Big Mom herself, one of the Four Emperors.
"I'll give you credit," Ember said slowly, his tone more serious now. "For a woman to reach this level of swordsmanship takes incredible talent and perseverance. You've earned my respect."
He reached for his own blade, a long katana with a dark sheen.
"But facing me will be the biggest mistake of your life. Still, since you are a swordsman, I'll honor that. I'll defeat you with my sword alone, then I'll take your Admiral's head."
"Stop talking," Cullom shot back. "Let's fight."
Without warning, she launched a flying slash. Snow-white sword energy tore through the air, racing toward Ember with lethal intent.
Ember didn't dodge. He drew his katana and swung it in a single, casual arc. Black sword energy erupted from his blade, meeting Cullom's attack head-on.
The two slashes collided in midair with a deafening crack. Shockwaves of raw sword intent exploded outward, carving deep gouges into the ship's deck and railings. The other members of the Beasts Pirates who had sailed with Ember scrambled for cover, diving into cabins and behind masts. They knew better than to stay exposed during a battle between swordsmen of this caliber. Even a stray fragment of sword energy could kill them.
The two attacks pushed against each other for a long moment before finally shooting upward into the sky, dissipating harmlessly above the clouds.
Ember's eyes gleamed with interest. Their sword intent was evenly matched.
Cullom knew she couldn't win a prolonged exchange. Ember had advantages in nearly every category—strength, endurance, durability. She had to press the attack while she still had the energy.
She vanished using Shave and reappeared directly above him, bringing Winter Snow down in a powerful overhead strike.
Ember raised his katana with one hand and blocked the attack effortlessly. The clash of their blades sent another shockwave rippling across the deck.
Cullom gritted her teeth. Even with all her strength behind the blow, she couldn't overpower him. His physical power was on a completely different level.
"Fast and strong," she thought, her mind racing. "This is the second-in-command of a Yonko crew."
"You're skilled for a swordsman," Ember said, his voice almost conversational despite their locked blades. "But your body limits you. A woman's frame can only take you so far."
"Shut your mouth!" Cullom snarled. "I don't need life advice from a dead man. Just stay still while I cut your heart out!"
She disengaged and immediately launched into a furious series of attacks. Her blade became a blur of white light as she struck from every angle—overhead, underhand, horizontal, diagonal. In mere seconds, their swords had clashed dozens of times. Sparks flew like fireworks, and the air sang with the shriek of steel on steel.
Watching from the shore of G-8, Satoru observed the duel with a calm, analytical gaze.
"This is what a real swordsman's battle looks like," he murmured to himself.
But he could already see the problem. When two opponents of similar skill fought, stamina became the deciding factor. And Cullom's attacks were already slowing. Her breathing had grown heavier, and sweat dripped down her face.
Ember, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered. His special race gave him a constitution far beyond normal humans. The physical toll of the fight barely registered for him.
Neither swordsman was using flashy techniques or complicated sword styles. Every strike was aimed at a vital point. Every movement was efficient and deadly. This was pure, fundamental swordsmanship—and it was brutal.
"Is the gap between us really this wide?"
Cullom stumbled back after Ember's blade sent her flying once more. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and the fierce battle intent in her eyes had dimmed. She could see it now, clear as day. The difference in their strength was immense.
Ember was far stronger than she had anticipated.
"It's over, female swordsman," Ember said, raising his blade. "You fought well. As a sign of respect, I'll finish this with my signature technique."
Flames suddenly erupted along the length of his katana, wrapping the steel in a spiral of fire. The heat was so intense that the air above the blade shimmered and warped.
Both Cullom and Ember had one foot in the realm of Great Swordsmen. Their sword intent was equal. But that was where the similarities ended. In stamina, physical strength, speed, durability, and even Haki mastery, Cullom was outclassed. This fight had been unwinnable from the start.
"Fire Dragon Emperor!"
Ember swung his flaming blade, and a massive dragon-shaped blast of fire roared toward Cullom, its jaws wide and blazing.
"Damn it!"
Cullom raised Winter Snow, preparing to slash through the flames. Her sword intent was sharp enough to split the attack, but she would take serious burns in the process. It would also drain what little stamina and Haki she had left.
But then—
Her pupils contracted as a figure appeared directly in front of her.
"You did well, Cullom," a gentle voice said. "Leave the rest to me."
The flames engulfed them both in an instant. The ship's deck ignited, and black smoke billowed into the sky.
Yet Cullom felt nothing. No heat. No pain. It was as if the fire raging around her didn't exist.
She glanced to the side and saw the ship's deck charred and burning from Ember's attack. The flames were real.
Which meant the person in front of her was protecting her from them.
The fire began to die down, revealing two figures standing unharmed in the center of the scorched deck.
Ember's eyes locked onto the second figure.
It was a young man with snow-white hair and pale blue eyes that seemed to glow faintly in the smoke. He wore a Marine Admiral's coat draped over his shoulders, the word "Justice" emblazoned on the back.
Admiral White Dragon. Monkey D. Satoru.
"You finally decided to show yourself, White Dragon," Ember said, his voice low and dangerous.
As soon as Ember looked into those blue eyes, Kaido's words echoed in his mind like a curse: "You are not his opponent."
Satoru didn't even glance at Ember. He turned his head toward Cullom instead.
"Head back. I'll handle things from here."
"Yes, sir."
Cullom used Moonwalk to leap off the ship and return to G-8. She knew staying would only get in the way. Against an opponent like Ember, Satoru needed to fight without worrying about her safety.
The moment Cullom landed back at the base, her fellow Marines surrounded her.
"Are you okay, Cullom?"
"I'm fine," she said, breathing heavily. "Just used up a lot of stamina. I'll be good after some rest."
The Marines let out relieved sighs.
Back on the Beasts Pirates' ship, Satoru finally turned his full attention to Ember.
His pale blue eyes seemed to see straight through the man in front of him.
"So," Satoru said casually, "you came all this way just to test me?"
Ember's flames flared brighter.
"I came to prove that Kaido was wrong about you."
Satoru's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Then let's see if you can."
(End of Chapter 163)
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