One Piece: Chopping Ace Back to Foosha Village at the Start

"As expected of a Warlord of the Sea... a famed swordsman through and through."

Despite suffering a few minor wounds, Xivi showed no fear. On the contrary, his eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

"I am Xivi Bobby Xivi. I've studied the sword for twenty-three years. My blade, Rakshasa, is one of the twenty-one Great Grade Swords."

Wayne raised a brow. Most powerful swordsmen carried a certain presence, but few held themselves with such flair. He replied in kind:

"I am Wayne Duraki D. Wayne. I've practiced swordsmanship for sixteen years. My blade, Yukizoe, is one of the fifty Skillful Grade Swords."

Their introductions echoed like the calm before a storm. For a moment, it felt as if two legends were about to duel atop the Forbidden Summit.

"Haah!"

With a roar, Xivi's arms surged with strength, unleashing a massive flying slash straight at Wayne's face.

Wayne met it head-on. Yukizoe shimmered with Armament Haki as a narrow, sharp wave of energy shot forward.

"One-Sword Style: Horizon Line!"

The two flying slashes clashed in midair, sending a deafening shockwave through the arena and ripping half the ceiling clean off before vanishing into the sky.

Wayne's eyes sparkled with admiration. Xivi's technique was sharp elegant, even.

Their gazes collided like sparks before they dashed forward once more, blades clashing in a flurry of close-range strikes.

Rip!

A long tear appeared in Xivi's suit. A thin but deep slash had opened across his chest, blood slowly seeping from the wound.

Wayne, by contrast, only let out a light breath. He remained unscathed, almost invigorated by the fight.

Despite the injury, Xivi's resolve did not waver. With a growl, he tossed aside the remnants of his ruined suit, revealing a muscular upper body crisscrossed with over a hundred battle scars.

Wayne's eyes narrowed. One scar in particular, trailing from Xivi's abdomen up to his chest, looked deep enough to have nearly killed him.

A swordsman forged by both talent and pain.

Wayne could see it clearly now Xivi was no ordinary opponent. Judging by his injuries and age, perhaps thirty-five at most, he was a battle-hardened warrior who had only recently stepped into the realm of master swordsmen. But even so, he was formidable.

After all, just a few months ago, Wayne himself had only begun to reach that same level. If not for the edge granted by his Devil Fruit powers, he might not yet surpass Xivi in raw swordsmanship.

"Ha ha ha! Brilliant! Again! Let's go!"

With a burst of laughter, Xivi charged once more, his sword now cloaked entirely in Armament Haki.

Wayne grinned back, eyes flashing with anticipation. Their swords clashed again and again, steel ringing out like thunder in the auction hall.

But over time, the gap between them widened.

Though Xivi fought fiercely, Wayne's dominance became clear. Xivi's strikes grew slower, his wounds more numerous. Wayne, meanwhile, had yet to use any of his powers pure swordsmanship was enough for now. After all, he was learning from this duel too.

Minutes passed. Still, Wayne didn't pursue Slaive. His Observation Haki confirmed that Slaive was still somewhere on the island. And besides, this fight was nearing its end.

A duel between swordmasters rarely dragged on for hours or days. It wasn't like hand-to-hand brawling. In a clash of blades, life and death came in an instant.

Swords were weapons of finality.

Seeing the moment approach, Wayne spoke calmly.

"Come on. Show me your strongest strike."

Xivi's expression turned solemn. A powerful aura began building around him as he prepared his final technique.

But just then a blur streaked toward Wayne.

His instincts flared. Wayne immediately fell back, dodging the incoming attack.

A figure landed where Wayne had just stood it was Greensnake, who had been silently watching the battle.

She could no longer stand aside as Xivi faltered. But she wasn't the same woman from before.

Her features had twisted. Her once-refined face now jutted forward with serpentine sharpness. Her pupils narrowed into slits, her tongue forked, flicking rapidly across her lips.

A Zoan-type Devil Fruit user!

Wayne instantly recognized the transformation. She must be the user of the Snake-Snake Fruit, Green Bamboo Viper Form.

Sure enough, she sneered and said, "I'm a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user the Snake-Snake Fruit, Bamboo Viper form! Xivi, stop standing around and help me kill this man!"

But Xivi didn't move. He stood still as if he hadn't heard her.

Wayne chuckled softly.

Among true swordsmen, a duel is sacred. No one interferes.

He whispered, "Then I'll deal with you first and pick up where we left off later."

Yukizoe gleamed in his hand. With a swift motion, Wayne unleashed two massive flying slashes toward Greensnake.

She dodged them effortlessly. As expected, her speed was impressive snakes were known for it, after all.

Her reptilian eyes locked onto Wayne, unblinking, and saliva dripped from her mouth onto the ground.

Ssssss...

White smoke hissed where the droplets landed.

Poison.

Wayne quickly deduced her power. Bamboo vipers were venomous in the wild. With the Devil Fruit amplifying it, her toxins must be extremely dangerous.

He was tough but even he didn't want to gamble with poison. He wasn't the kind of lunatic who'd train his resistance by swallowing toxins like Luffy.

That meant close-range fighting was risky.

But... even a viper couldn't outrun lightning.

A grin tugged at Wayne's lips.

"Thirty Million Volts: Thunderbird!"

Lightning surged from his hands, forming into a massive thunderbird that shot toward Greensnake at blinding speed.

Boom!

The blast struck her cleanly. Smoke rose from the charred floor beneath her, and a faint black sheen spread across her skin.

Armament Haki.

She had tried to defend herself but her mastery was shallow. Against Wayne's thunderbolt, it wasn't nearly enough.

Haki might counter Devil Fruit powers, but only if the user was strong enough.

Wayne's eyes narrowed. The battle wasn't over, but Greensnake had taken serious damage.

And Xivi... still stood unmoving, sword in hand.

Wayne gripped Yukizoe tighter.

The real fight had only just begun.

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