An overwhelming force continued to press down on Kizaru.
The admiral's body instinctively began to slide back.
For a moment, Kizaru nearly lost his grip on the hilt of his sword.
Beep!
But Kizaru was still an admiral of the Navy. He swiftly calmed his mind.
His thoughts shifted in an instant.
From wielding the sword with one hand, he switched to both hands.
Golden light erupted from both palms.
Utilizing the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit (Pika Pika no Mi), he infused a powerful counter-thrust into the Ama no Murakumo blade in his grasp.
Only then did Kizaru stabilize his posture.
One blade against another, colliding with unstoppable momentum—neither side willing to yield.
Crack!
A sharp, crisp sound echoed.
A moment later, under Kizaru's astonished gaze…
A fissure formed on the edge of the Ama no Murakumo Sword.
Realizing something was amiss, Kizaru acted quickly.
He extended one hand, index finger raised.
His fingertip locked onto Bai Yu.
Pew!
A laser beam fired at blinding speed.
But Bai Yu was clearly ready.
Right before the yellow admiral released the ray, Bai Yu anticipated the trajectory.
His body twisted sharply to the side.
Tear!
The ray missed its intended mark.
Instead, it tore through the pouch strapped at Bai Yu's waist.
The contents spilled mid-air.
Kizaru narrowed his eyes and gave the fallen item a sharp glance.
A second later, his expression subtly shifted.
Inside the opened pouch… was only a Navy coat.
Nothing else.
None of the contraband or sensitive items Kizaru had expected.
"Wait—"
"It's not over yet!" Bai Yu interrupted coldly before Kizaru could speak.
Clang!
Bai Yu seized the moment.
With a sharp motion, he flipped his wrist.
The Dragon Flame Katana surged with power, striking the Ama no Murakumo Sword and sending it recoiling.
Before he could follow up, a familiar system notification echoed in Bai Yu's mind.
> [Ding! The host has completed 3,000 sword swings. Reward granted: +5% Qinglong Sword Intent proficiency, +1% Armament/Observation/Conqueror's Haki proficiency]
> [Ju–Sixfold Flow Technique proficiency +5%]
While battling Admiral Kizaru, the number of actual swings counted by the system was vastly higher than in routine training.
Just this round of combat had hit today's 3,000-swing benchmark.
Qinglong Sword Intent, Three-Color Haki, and Ju–Sixfold Flow had all advanced.
> [Ding! Total swings reached 30,000. Reward granted: Physical strength level increased by +1.]
The notification continued.
His physique had now risen from B-rank to A-rank!
Hummm!
The moment the system message faded…
A strange white light burst from Bai Yu's body.
In just a breath, all the stamina consumed in the fight was replenished.
Not only that—his strength surged to a new level.
"Focus!"
Receiving the upgrades, Bai Yu gripped the Dragon Flame Katana tightly.
His voice rumbled low and deep.
Boom! Boom!
Instantly, every fiber of Bai Yu's strength gathered into his arms.
The muscles visibly expanded with each heartbeat.
His arms swelled with raw, explosive power.
"Sixfold Flow!"
Feeling the endless force in his limbs, Bai Yu lunged at Kizaru like lightning.
One slash after another!
Whoosh! Boom!
The sheer speed of his blade seemed to split the air itself.
Bai Yu's slashes were not only faster—they were sharper and heavier.
Kizaru winced inwardly. Despite his logia powers, he had to meet blade with blade.
He raised his sword and entered a defensive stance.
Clang!
Crack-crack!
The Dragon Flame Katana clashed against the Ama no Murakumo.
Like a surging tide, Bai Yu's strength overwhelmed the light-forged blade.
Cracks webbed across its surface with terrifying speed.
Kizaru was forced two steps back.
Second Slash!
And that was only the beginning.
Kizaru had just parried one strike—
Bai Yu twisted his stance and unleashed a diagonal cut.
This time, it came even faster!
For the first time, Kizaru found himself outpaced.
Gritting his teeth, he swung his blade to meet the strike.
Clang!
Bang!
Another shockwave burst outward.
But this time, the Ama no Murakumo shattered from the impact.
The light-construct blade disintegrated completely.
Third Slash!
As soon as the sword broke, Bai Yu stepped in.
He withdrew and struck again without hesitation.
The faster he swung, the more power his attacks carried!
Tear!
Kizaru barely dodged the blade's core path.
But the katana tore through the front of his uniform, slicing open a large gap in the fabric.
He looked disheveled and alarmed.
Fourth Slash!
Bai Yu was relentless.
The fourth strike came crashing down.
Kizaru had no time to evade.
All he could do was fully activate his logia powers, converting his body into photons.
But Kizaru had forgotten one crucial thing.
Bai Yu's Dragon Flame Katana was coated in Armament Haki!
Elementalization could only reduce the damage—not negate it.
Pfff!
The katana cleaved through, leaving a deep gash across Kizaru's chest.
Blood dripped freely into the air.
If not for the partial defense from his logia form…
That single blow could have split him wide open.
Fifth Slash!
But Bai Yu gave no respite.
The fifth slash swept in low—aimed directly at Kizaru's waist.
If that hit cleanly, it would be catastrophic.
"Ice Time... Ball!"
Suddenly, a shout rang out from below.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Three sharp icicles launched from the side, spinning at high speed.
Bai Yu sensed them approaching.
He could continue pressuring Kizaru—but at a cost.
Hurting the admiral would also leave him vulnerable to those deadly icicles.
Clearly, the attack was meant to force him back.
Without hesitation, Bai Yu shifted tactics.
Rather than take the risk, he twisted his waist.
The Dragon Flame Katana flowed with the motion, sweeping outward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In one clean arc, he slashed the incoming icicles out of the air.
They shattered instantly, scattering ice shards in all directions.
Beep!
Taking this opportunity, Kizaru finally caught a breath.
His body blurred into photons.
With a flicker, he retreated to the ground far below.
Simultaneously, Bai Yu let the pressure fade.
The Sixfold Flow state ended.
His bulging arms returned to normal.
And his figure slowly descended back to the surface.