At The Peak of One Piece

"Come on, Victor!" Gion's eyes burned with fighting spirit as she looked down at him, still sitting cross-legged. 

Victor smirked. This woman just doesn't know when to quit. No matter how many times he beat her, she kept coming back for more. 

He had to admit—Gion's future as a Vice Admiral candidate wasn't just luck. Her sheer tenacity alone guaranteed she'd rise to the top. 

Not to mention, her natural talent was exceptional. The only thing she lacked was a monstrous Devil Fruit like Fujitora's Zushi Zushi no Mi. If she had one, she might've skipped the candidate stage entirely and become an Admiral outright. 

"Rear Admiral Gion," Victor said, not immediately rising to her challenge. "Why haven't you eaten a Devil Fruit With one, you'd be even stronger—more likely to make Admiral."

"I don't want to give myself a weakness," Gion replied coolly. "I aim to be a pure swordsman." 

At least, that's what she claims. Her real reasons were her own. 

Victor didn't press further. Becoming an Admiral through pure swordsmanship alone Even Fujitora couldn't pull that off. 

In this world, maybe only Mihawk and Shanks could. And now, perhaps me. But that required peak talent—something Gion was just shy of. 

Victor coated his entire body in Armament Haki, including his unsheathed Bloodthirst. Then, with a burst of Geppo, he launched himself off the ship. 

Gion's eye twitched. "Here we go again." She was getting tired of his theatrics. 

Without another word, she activated Geppo herself, soaring into the sky after him. 

Their battle would be even more constrained midair—no solid ground to push off, relying purely on their physical prowess. 

Victor was confident. When it came to Geppo, he feared no one. He waited, letting Gion strike first. 

She didn't hold back. Knowing she was outmatched, she went straight for an aggressive assault. 

Using Soru midair, she closed the distance in a flash, slashing downward—only for Victor to sidestep effortlessly. 

Then, with a spin, he kicked her square in the ass, sending her flying. 

Gion seethed. She charged back, her attacks growing fiercer, blade flashing at his face. 

But every exchange ended the same—Victor knocking her back, forcing her to stabilize with Geppo—only for his sword's shockwaves to chase after her, forcing desperate dodges. 

The warship sailed on, leaving them to fight while keeping pace at its stern. 

The recruits on deck stood frozen, jaws slack. They'd never seen combat like this. 

--- 

Below deck, Barnett was reviewing their preparations when the weapons team leader rushed in. 

"Barnett! We checked the armory—most weapons are damaged. Probably hand-me-downs from some decommissioned ship. Blades are chipped, rusted, guns misaligned…" 

"Then get them fixed. There should be tools aboard. We don't know when danger'll strike—weapons can't fail us. Move fast." 

Just then, a rapid series of sonic booms echoed outside. 

Barnett bolted up. "What now!" 

He rushed out—only to find the front deck empty. Following the noise, he saw the recruits clustered at the stern, staring in stunned silence. 

More poured out from below, drawn by the commotion—and then they saw it. 

Victor. Dominating Rear Admiral Gion. In midair. 

Their duel redefined everything these recruits thought they knew about combat. 

Sure, they'd seen Kevin fly—but that was his Devil Fruit. These two They were standing on air itself. 

WHACK! 

Victor's blade smacked Gion's backside again. 

She shuddered, torn between itching pain and sheer embarrassment. 

"Damn him! Does he have to keep hitting me there!" 

"Victor's swordsmanship surpasses mine. His Geppo is better. His Haki's no joke. In the air, I stand no chance." 

But she couldn't deny—fighting him sharpened her skills. 

"If only he'd stop spanking me in front of everyone!" 

Meanwhile, Victor admired the view. 

Gion's got a nice bounce. Figure like Boa Hancock's—just leaner. Taller, maybe. 

But more importantly—his Haki was growing. 

Gritting her teeth, Gion lunged again, her blade a blur, aiming straight for Victor's neck. 

The recruits gasped. 'Was she trying to behead him!' 

'Damn, Rear Admiral Gion's ruthless! What'd Victor even do!' 

"You blind? He's been slapping her ass with his sword! You think she'd let that slide!" 

"Bro, you're drooling. Bet you wish you were in his place." 

The hell! I—wait, why are you wiping your mouth? Your sleeve's soaked!" 

"Ugh, men are pigs! Victor's not doing it on purpose! It's just—accidents happen!" 

Barnett's face darkened. 'Do these idiots not realize Gion could hear them with Observation Haki?' 

The clashing sword slashes split the sea itself, sending towering waves crashing against the warship with thunderous force, propelling it forward at breakneck speed. 

The recruits watched in awe—every new exchange between the two combatants shattered their understanding of strength. 

"How is Victor this strong? We're from the same training batch—how is the gap this huge?" 

"Rear Admiral Gion's attacks are insanely fast, but Victor blocks every single one flawlessly. His swordsmanship is on another level!" 

"He's completely at ease, while Gion's scrambling just to keep up. One move from him, and she's thrown into chaos!" 

Barnett observed silently, reassessing his plans. 'Victor's potential is monstrous. If I want to achieve my ambitions, joining his crew might be the best path.' 

--- 

"Rebecca," Wendy whispered, eyes fixed on the duel. "We've seen them fight before, but this feels different. You're a swordswoman—what's changed?" 

"Gion's improved," Rebecca replied. "But Victor's grown even more. Their techniques are sharper, deadlier. To the untrained eye, it's just a spectacle—but every move hides lethal intent." 

She gestured around them. "Notice how there's not a single seagull left? Even animals sense the danger." 

Wendy blinked. "You're right! They were here earlier…" 

"Some creatures perceive threats better than humans," Rebecca explained. "Unless you're naturally sensitive, only Observation Haki lets you feel it. Victor taught me that." 

--- 

In the sky, Gion was panting heavily. Her stamina paled in comparison to Victor's—constant 'Geppo' usage had drained her. 

Victor noticed. 'Time to end this.' 

With a burst of speed, he appeared behind her. His blade swung in a wide arc— 

'WHACK!' 

—and smacked squarely into Gion's backside, sending her hurtling toward the ship. 

She skidded across the deck, crashing into the cabin before finally stopping. 

Slowly, Gion rose, rubbing her sore rear. Her eyes burned with enough fury to ignite the air itself. 

Victor actually felt the heat. 'Damn. If this keeps up, she might awaken a flaming willpower—fire-coated slashes aren't out of the question.' 

'Who knew fighting her'd have such perks? Maybe I should 'motivate' her more often.' 

'Not that I want thanks. We're comrades—helping each other grow is natural. No ulterior motives here. None at all.' 

With that righteous conclusion, Victor landed gracefully on deck, ignoring Gion's death glare. Still clad in full-body Haki, he resumed his meditative stance. 

'Another day, another step toward mastering Haki.' 

---

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