Chapter 200

But......

How could I let you have your way?

"Watch closely, Zoro, this is the true Solitary Nine Swords!"

Sima Di channeled Armament Haki into the blade of Hyourinmaru, changing the slash to a cut aimed at Lei Li's sword-holding hand, forcing Lei Li, whose strength was greater than his own, to retreat.

Sima Di did not launch a storm-like assault like Zoro, but thrust straight at the vital point—Lei Li's heart.

What looked like an utterly plain move forced Lei Li to keep defending.

But then Sima Di's next killing move arrived.

One move after another, steady and ordered, every strike lethal.

Lei Li, who had been able to find chances to counterattack under Zoro's raging-storm assault, could now only scramble to defend, with no heart to strike back.

Gradually......

Sima Di was like he could split himself, becoming two of him attacking at once.

Forcing Lei Li to concentrate even harder.

Then a third, a fourth, a fifth......

Until in the end there were nine Sima Dis surrounding Lei Li, beating him until he could only scramble to defend, with blades repeatedly breaking through his guard and stabbing into his Armament Haki three fingers deep.

A sword move that looked utterly unremarkable—its power nearly broke through the defense of top-tier Armament Haki!

Zoro watched, utterly captivated.

So......

This is the true Solitary Nine Swords?

Not a raging storm of fierce attacks, but killing moves that rise wave upon wave, each aimed at the vitals; when the enemy is exhausted from coping, they fall into the trap woven by the sword moves, and finally......

Sima Di suddenly merged the nine into one, and Hyourinmaru, carrying sharp sword Qi, thrust straight onto the vibranium long sword, driving Lei Li back step after step until he slammed into the wall, caught between the rebound force of the vibranium wall.

Blood suddenly dripped from the corner of Lei Li's mouth!

He, a top-tier Armament Haki user, was actually injured by Sima Di, who only had advanced Armament Haki?!

"What a terrifying sword art!" Lei Li praised. "That kid's sword moves earlier—were they learned from you? Just as I thought, they were completely different from his later moves."

Sima Di stepped back a few paces and twirled a sword flourish with Hyourinmaru.

"The true essence of the Solitary Nine Swords is formlessness prevailing over form. It should look different in every swordsman's eyes. Only when you completely forget it have you truly mastered it."

Those words struck Zoro, who felt as if he had grasped something, As If Struck Heavily!

That's right!

He had always cared too much about the moves of the Solitary Nine Swords, and had never thought to "forget" them......

"Formlessness prevailing over form?" Lei Li grew interested. "Then come try these two moves of mine."

Dark, gleaming Armament Haki flowed over the vibranium long sword, and he slashed at Sima Di from afar!

"Divine Departure!"

Sima Di raised his blade to block, only to be shocked to find the slash, as if it had a will of its own, bypassed Hyourinmaru and slammed toward his chest!

"Whoosh—"

Sima Di activated the Rabbit Talisman, using extreme speed to dodge the slash, letting it slam into the vibranium wall—and it was not deflected, but tore open a crack over an inch long!

Sima Di stared at the crack in surprise, very surprised.

Even he wasn't confident he could cut through vibranium.

"This metal really is hard!" Lei Li said, equally astonished. "This move Divine Departure can easily slice through a mountain, and it only tore open a crack?"

"Divine Departure... isn't that Luo Jie's move?" Sima Di realized belatedly.

"Yes, Luo Jie, just like you, was very keen on teaching his crew his own sword moves," Lei Li explained.

I see!

Sima Di carefully recalled what had just happened, tried to make his Armament Haki flow, and then......

Swung his blade!

Lei Li hadn't paid it much heed at first and raised his sword to shatter the slash—only to horrifiedly discover the slash had bypassed the vibranium long sword and slammed into his chest.

"Boom—"

Lei Li slammed into the vibranium wall again, but this time he didn't spit blood.

The core of "Divine Departure" is "surprise attack"—it can bypass the enemy's defenses and strike the vitals directly.

In terms of amplifying power, it still falls short of the Solitary Nine Swords' "Nine-into-One."

"Hiss—you just watched once and learned it?" Lei Li bared his teeth.

What kind of monster is this?

"Ah, it's very simple," Sima Di nodded. "Making Armament Haki flow in a specific way—even Nami and the others can do that."

Others might find it hard to control the flow of Armament Haki, but for the Straw Hat Pirates, who use Cultivation Methods to replace body tempering, it couldn't be simpler.

Lei Li fell silent.

"In that case...... then try this move!"

"Luo Jie's proudest sword move......"

"Divine Slash!!!"

????

Over 5,000 words! A transitional chapter, the climax is coming right up!

Thanks to 《Li Teng》, 《? Mo Yu? 》, 《justi.. 》 for the monthly tickets!

Thanks to 《Tang Xi》 for the urging-update ticket!.

72. The Summit War has finally arrived!

Lei Li's Armament Haki flowed once more, and his Conqueror's Haki surged forth as well, compressed together onto the vibranium longsword, with pure white lightning coiling around the pitch-black Armament Haki.

He's about to go all out!

Sima Di inwardly grew wary—finally resorting to Conqueror's Haki infusion?

"Be careful, this sword strike is Roger's proudest technique..."

"Divine Slash!!!"

A slash cut from the very same mold,

but this time it was a darkness-like black slash, interwoven with wildly raging pure white lightning, and Sima Di immediately realized—this strike, the vibranium wall couldn't withstand it!

If he dared to dodge, then the Going Merry would be the one taking this hit!

【Ding......】

Sima Di had no time to spare for the system notification—saving the Going Merry came first!

"Tenfold Kaiō-ken!!!"

A blood-red aura rose up and enveloped Sima Di, his momentum surging a full tenfold in an instant!

Sima Di discarded Hyōrinmaru, gathered all his Armament Haki in his right palm, and poured his Conqueror's Haki into it as well without reservation; his right palm condensed into a five-clawed black-gold dragon head, with golden lightning coiling across its outer surface.

"Proud Dragon Repents!!!"

The five-clawed black-gold dragon collided with the dark slash, and terrifying might exploded within the training room; the shockwave slammed into the vibranium wall and actually caused it to slightly deform—As If Already pushed to its limit!

Still contending with the dark slash, Sima Di finally had a moment to spare his attention.

"Magic-Forbidding Domain, release!"

【Disperse!】

All the rampant might around them quietly vanished into thin air, and Sima Di also struggled to retract "Proud Dragon Repents," casting a lingering-fear glance at the vibranium wall covered in cracks.

That was close!

Who knows if this Marvel "god-tier metal," having come to the World of Pirates, is simply out of its element or what—just exchanging a move and it already cracked?

Sima Di hadn't noticed at all,

but Lei Li was staring at him in shock, mouth slightly agape, utterly astounded!

"You... you blocked it?" Lei Li stammered.

Sima Di was just now releasing the "Tenfold Kaiō-ken," a rare show of weariness on his face.

"Nonsense!" Sima Di's voice was a bit hoarse: "It's just a sparring match, no need to go for the kill, right?"

Seeing Sima Di in such a state, Lei Li finally felt a little more balanced.

Glancing at Vivi, who had thrown open the door and was rushing toward Sima Di, Lei Li exchanged a look with Crocus.

The same shock filled both their eyes.