On the deck, Barrett and Sakazuki stood face to face.
All around them, the soldiers paused their training. They formed neat rows along the railings, sitting cross-legged, eyes glued to the match.
"Let's go, Barrett!"
"Give it your all!"
"Just fight, man!"
"C'mon, you got this!"
"Awooo—!!"
A smirk tugged at the corner of Barrett's mouth.
He shrugged off his jacket, leaving only a tight short-sleeved shirt that clung to his frame, every muscle rippling beneath the fabric.
Battle lust blazed in his eyes.
Armament Haki flooded both arms in an instant, turning them jet black.
Karol stepped between the two, raising her right hand high.
"Begin!"
Her arm sliced down like a blade, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished from the battlefield.
The instant Karol disappeared, Barrett stomped down.
BOOM!
The entire warship shuddered with a thunderous crack.
Barrett vanished, leaving behind a splintered deck.
SMACK!
A sharp impact rang out right in front of Sakazuki.
Barrett reappeared, fist already rocketing toward him. The force of his arrival sent Sakazuki's Justice cloak billowing out behind him.
Sakazuki calmly reached out with his left hand, catching Barrett's punch head-on.
"Not bad. That's some strength."
But Barrett's eyes narrowed with focus.
An overwhelming force clamped down on his right fist. He couldn't pull free.
He balled his left hand into a fist, middle finger slightly extended, swinging in a tight arc straight for Sakazuki's temple.
SMACK!
Sakazuki's right hand shot out, seizing his wrist.
Whoosh—
A sharp gust from below—Barrett's knee, now coated in Armament Haki, shot up toward Sakazuki's vitals.
Sakazuki coolly lifted his own left knee, deflecting the strike, then twisted his grip, spinning Barrett away in a controlled arc.
Barrett spun through the air, landing in a crouch on the deck.
There was a glint of admiration in Sakazuki's eyes. Every attack was clean, ruthless, aimed at vital points—always seeking the decisive blow. With talent like his, this kid was born to be a warrior.
Whoosh—
A blur streaked across the deck—Barrett lunged again, a predator on the hunt.
Arms and knees became a flurry of afterimages, every strike targeting Sakazuki's weak spots. His movements were compact, lightning-fast, every attack a bid for a one-shot victory.
He was searching for an opening, hoping to catch Sakazuki off guard.
But Sakazuki gave ground, retreating steadily. His arms and knees moved with uncanny precision, blocking every blow as if he could read Barrett's mind.
When his attacks failed to break through, Barrett switched tactics—focusing all his strikes on a single point, each move faster and sharper than the last. His rhythm grew tighter, his explosive power surging.
The soldiers watching couldn't hold back their excitement.
"Keep it up, Barrett!"
"Go, go, go!"
"That's the way!"
"Yeah!!"
As Sakazuki neared the bulkhead behind him, Barrett threw a punch.
Just as Sakazuki raised his hand to block, the punch—originally aimed at his throat—shifted in a flash, transforming into a spear-hand strike aimed straight for the heart.
The change was seamless—no hesitation, no awkward pause. It was as if the move had always been meant to flow that way.
Suddenly, Sakazuki snapped his left knee upward, driving it toward Barrett.
Barrett's heart skipped a beat. His combo had flowed too smoothly—he didn't have time to react or defend.
Gritting his teeth, he raised his right knee, Armament Haki gleaming, to meet the attack. At the same time, his right arm bulged with power, the spear-hand stabbing forward even faster.
CLANG!
Knee met knee with a metallic crash.
A shockwave of force rattled Barrett, sending him reeling. A bad feeling flashed through his mind.
Crap!
His spear-hand, headed for Sakazuki's heart, faltered for a split second as his body recoiled.
In that instant, Sakazuki extended his left index and middle fingers.
SNAP!
He caught Barrett's spear-hand between his fingers.
A rush of air below—Sakazuki's right leg swung in like a whip, aiming for Barrett's left side.
Barrett brought his left fist down hard to block, but the sudden movement left him slightly off-balance.
His heart pounded—on the battlefield, even a minor slip could be fatal.
He gambled, forcing the block anyway.
But the whip-kick that had been coming suddenly retracted.
Barrett's balance was completely broken, his pupils shrinking in alarm.
Sakazuki's leg snapped out again, this time in a straight kick, driving directly into Barrett's abdomen.
Whoosh—
BOOM!
A blur shot across the deck—Barrett crashed into the railing, flipping before landing hard on the planks.
He was already thinking of his next move, body moving on instinct.
Both hands came up in a fighting stance, foot slamming down as he vanished again.
Twisting his waist, he spun, launching a powerful kick at Sakazuki.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!...
Fists and feet collided in a relentless barrage.
With Sakazuki feeding him openings, Barrett could finally fight at full power, holding nothing back.
For the first time in his life, he felt the pure joy of an all-out brawl.
Far from tiring, his fighting spirit burned hotter and hotter.
The brutal, bone-crunching exchanges sent the onlooking soldiers' blood racing. They couldn't hold back any longer—one by one, they leapt up, grabbing partners and diving into their own impromptu matches.
In an instant, the warship became a chaotic battlefield.
Karol watched it all with a shake of her head and a wry smile, then went off to tell the cooks to prepare extra meat for tonight.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After another furious exchange, Barrett was sent flying once more.
He climbed to his feet, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
Turning to Sakazuki, he spoke up:
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, be careful."
"I've got a move I can't really control. It first came out by accident in battle."
"Please watch yourself."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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