The One-Slash Superman of the One Piece World

Just as Kaspar Lyman was basking in self-satisfaction after blocking two cannonballs, he suddenly noticed a figure appear at the prow of the rapidly approaching dog-headed warship.

It was a young man.

The youth wore a long sword at his waist, its black scabbard swaying lightly as his clothes fluttered in the wind. His long, crimson hair streamed wildly behind him.

As the warship drew closer, the red-haired youth slowly drew his sword from his side, his expression devoid of emotion. He lifted the blade and poised himself, eyes fixed on the pirate ship ahead.

"Huh?!"

"Who the hell is that kid? Is he a marine too?"

Kaspar Lyman stared at the silhouette on the warship, confusion written all over his face. But the next second, his confusion turned to utter horror.

From a distance of nearly twenty meters between the two vessels, the red-haired youth suddenly slashed his blade through empty air. The moment the blade fell, the ocean in front of the dog-headed warship split apart with no warning, water parting left and right as an invisible slash roared across the sea, raising towering waves and streaking straight toward the pirate ship.

"Whoosh!!!"

In the blink of an eye, the fierce slash struck the pirate vessel with a barely audible crack.

The invisible blade cut through the pirate ship from stern to bow, emerging cleanly from the other side, slicing straight through the entire length of the hull.

"What the…?!"

Kaspar Lyman couldn't even see the slash. He only noticed the waves calming around his ship and felt a strange unease rising in his chest.

A moment later, the massive pirate ship, big enough to hold several hundred people, began to split apart down the middle. In a matter of seconds, the vessel was cleaved in two, seawater pouring into the open hull as the separated halves started sinking lower and lower.

"Wha-what the hell!!!"

Kaspar Lyman stared in terror as the dog-headed warship kept charging forward without slowing down. Its reinforced ram smashed into the remnants of the pirate ship's stern, forcing its way right through the disintegrating wreckage without even pausing.

To the marines aboard the departing warship, the pirate ship was nothing more than debris blocking their path, kicked aside like trash. Not a single soul aboard the marine ship even glanced back at them.

And just like that, the dog-headed warship vanished from Kaspar Lyman's sight, leaving nothing behind.

A massive whirlpool formed by the sinking ship sucked Kaspar Lyman and his crew downward, the ocean's relentless power swallowing them whole. None of them could resist the force of the sea.

Above the water, panicked screams from pirates echoed long and loud, carrying across the waves.

Dozens of minutes later, the wind blew gently across the ocean. Only scattered pieces of timber floated upon the now-tranquil sea, silent witnesses to the despair that had unfolded there, waiting to tell their tale to any travelers who might pass by.

"Oh-ho~~"

"That was an incredible slash. To cut through a ship that size with one strike… unbelievable."

"Brother Yorichi is truly amazing! With power like yours, if the navy doesn't make you at least a commodore, I'll be the first one to protest."

"That's right! That's right! Even rear admirals back at headquarters could never do something like that!"

Aboard Garp's dog-headed warship, the marines had gathered around Yorichi Tsugikuni on deck, voices raised in admiration. Kuzan stood quietly off to the side, gazing at the scene, unable to hide his amazement.

Who could have imagined that in just a little over a month since Garp had taken Yorichi away from Marine Headquarters, Yorichi would have grown this powerful?

If Kuzan remembered correctly, when Yorichi first set sail, he hadn't even been able to produce a flying slash.

Yet barely a month later, Yorichi's sword could already cleave apart a massive pirate vessel like it was paper.

On the journey from G-10 base to Dressrosa, Garp had run into numerous pirates. Each time, there had been no need for Garp to lift a finger. Kuzan and Yorichi were enough to handle everything with ease.

At first, whenever they encountered pirate ships, Kuzan would freeze the surrounding sea, locking the enemy vessel in place. After a brief round of cannon fire, Yorichi and the marines would disembark and advance across Kuzan's ice to engage in close combat.

But that tactic only lasted about a week before Garp's crew changed their approach.

Soon, Kuzan stopped freezing the sea altogether. Whenever they encountered a pirate ship, Yorichi would use Geppo, leaping into the air and closing the distance for direct combat.

Another week passed, and Yorichi's fighting style evolved once more. This time, whenever they spotted a pirate ship, Yorichi would order the warship to draw closer. When they were within about ten meters, he'd unleash his flying slash.

The terrifying strike would instantly render enemy ships incapable of further resistance.

And over those weeks, Yorichi's flying slashes had grown steadily more devastating. Just a few days earlier, he'd reached the point where he could effortlessly slice through large pirate ships hundreds of meters long.

Thanks to that, the dog-headed warship could now maintain far greater speeds.

Whenever another pirate ship appeared on the horizon, there was no need for Garp to halt the ship for cannon fire or boarding. They simply accelerated straight at the target. As they neared, Yorichi would clear the path himself with a single slash.

Kuzan watched all this from the ship, silently witnessing Yorichi's astonishing growth. In that time, Yorichi's Armament Haki had advanced to the point where he could coat not just his sword, but his entire right arm.

It was precisely because of this improvement in his Armament Haki that Yorichi's slashes had become so extraordinarily powerful.

As Garp had explained before, Armament Haki, when infused into one's body, could increase strength and defense, and also allow physical contact with Logia-type Devil Fruit users.

Initially, Yorichi's Armament Haki was only strong enough to cover his weapon, making it sharper and tougher while also enabling him to strike Kuzan.

But now, Yorichi could simultaneously coat his arm and his sword in Haki, boosting both his muscle power and his blade's cutting force. This combination was the secret behind the terrifying power of his slashes.

At this stage, Yorichi could truly be said to have stepped through the doorway into mastery of Armament Haki.

Yet from here onward, improving further would be far from easy.

Even if Yorichi learned to cover his entire body in Armament Haki, the increase in his slashes' power would be limited.

To achieve true qualitative change, Yorichi would have to find a way to amplify the potency of his Haki itself. Simply expanding its coverage wasn't enough.

After all, even someone who could coat their whole body in Haki, like Vergo, had ended up being sliced apart by Law's powers.

True Haki, the kind wielded by the truly powerful, could transcend the limitations of Devil Fruits entirely.

Vergo's fate remained a stark warning to Yorichi. A vast coverage of Haki without true quality was ultimately meaningless.

But enhancing the potency of Armament Haki was no simple feat.

Garp actually knew ways to train Yorichi in this area, but for now, he could see that Yorichi still had room to improve in expanding his Haki coverage. Garp wasn't rushing to start the second phase of training. For the time being, he was content to have Yorichi focus on improving his physical conditioning and expanding his Haki reach.

As for the second stage of training? It was quite simple.

Using your fists to flatten eight mountains.

Back in the day, that was precisely how Garp trained himself to knock out Chinjao's head.

But there was no hurry.

Yorichi's growth had already far exceeded Garp's expectations. When it came to mastering Haki, progress needed to be steady and methodical. Only that path could produce a truly top-tier warrior.

Once Yorichi hit a ceiling with expanding his Haki's coverage, then it would be time to move on to the next stage of training. There was plenty of time.

Garp, still digging at his nose, strolled over as his men continued showering Yorichi with praise. He barked loudly at the crowd:

"Don't you people have anything better to do than stand around flapping your gums?"

"This level of skill still falls way short!"

After shooing away the marines surrounding Yorichi, Garp turned to the young swordsman with a solemn expression and said:

"Yorichi, don't let these fools' flattery blind you."

"Strength, real strength, is still a long way off for you."

"You've got solid talent. It's normal that your power would skyrocket after just getting started with Rokushiki and Haki."

"But listen carefully. You're nowhere near the top yet. Don't get cocky."

"You've still got a long road ahead of you. And the path from here on out will be rough, steep, and full of obstacles. Even for someone like you, there's no guarantee you'll become one of the true elites."

"This time, when we get to Dressrosa, you might finally have the chance to see for yourself what it means to face real power."

Yorichi listened quietly to Garp's words, nodding slightly. He was self-aware enough to know Garp was right.

In this world, Conqueror's Haki Infusion was the pinnacle of true power.

As for swordsmanship, Yorichi felt he was already at the summit. But if he wanted to elevate himself even higher, he would have to master a form of Haki that stood above all else. That had become his new goal.

He understood clearly that, on the path of Haki, he had only taken his first few steps.

Turning away, Yorichi stepped to the rail, placing both hands on the wooden balustrade as he gazed out over the sea.

The wind swept through, making his vivid red hair dance in the air. Yorichi stared into the endless ocean, eyes bright with fierce anticipation.

"I can't wait to see it with my own eyes."

"The man who will become the Pirate King Roger."