"Clang!"
Yujin's thick, muscular tail kagune met the slash of Shiryu. In such a narrow place, he had no choice but to rely on his toughest tail kagune and the defense of Tekkai (Iron Body) to block the deadly strike.
The clash of tail and blade echoed through the dark sewer, screeching with metal friction as sparks burst into the air.
In Shiryu's hand was the famed blade, Raiu. Its golden blade gleamed with a chilling light even in the dim surroundings, and the crimson hilt stood out vividly.
The first exchange brought a bright smile to Shiryu's face. His eyes revealed both a hunger for battle and an excitement for bloodshed.
Yujin felt as if his tail had crashed head-on into a speeding freight truck. The sheer force of the impact sent his body staggering backward against his will.
Shiryu's strength was enough to rank among the very top in the pirate world. Even without using Armament Haki, a casual slash from him was enough to overwhelm Yujin.
When he glanced at his tail kagune, Yujin's heart sank. Even under the reinforcement of Tekkai, cracks had formed in the scales from that single strike of Raiu.
Shiryu's power was far beyond his expectations. According to the Okama King, Emporio Ivankov, Shiryu and Magellan were once hailed as the impenetrable twin walls of Impel Down, with strength nearly equal.
But Magellan could not tolerate Shiryu's bloodthirsty nature, his tendency to even slaughter comrades.
The two fought for days, until Magellan barely emerged the victor and was appointed Chief Warden.
And Magellan's strength was said to rival that of an admiral. Which meant that, rounding it up, Yujin was facing an opponent with admiral-level power, albeit on the lower end.
Shiryu looked at Yujin, the grin on his lips turning more arrogant, reveling in the overwhelming superiority of his strength.
His swordsmanship carried no unnecessary flair, only raw power and speed. Every swing of his blade aimed directly at his target's head.
But cutting down someone who just stood there was no fun at all.
Finally having a toy to play with, Shiryu wasn't in a hurry to go all out.
It was like a mischievous child catching a grasshopper.
First, he'd watch it jump around for a while.
Then, when it could no longer move, he'd tear off its legs, rip away its feelers, and crush it underfoot.
Since Shiryu was giving him a chance, Yujin didn't stay idle.
On his shoulder, Wing Kagune tensed like a drawn bowstring, releasing all its power in an instant.
Twenty feathers shot forth like arrows, tearing through the air with a sharp whistle as they rushed straight toward Shiryu.
The feathers were unbelievably fast, shrieking as they cut through the sky, aiming directly for his vital points.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks burst into the air.
The moment the feathers clashed with Shiryu's famed blade, Raiu, the sparks scattered like fireworks.
Shiryu displayed his terrifying swordsmanship and reaction speed. Guided by his Observation Haki, it was as if he had the predictive power of the Sharingan itself. He blocked every single one of the twenty feathers with precision.
His gaze fell on the feathers now embedded in the ground, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
The sharpness and toughness of those feathers had exceeded his expectations. The attack method itself was strange, unlike anything he had faced before.
"What kind of Devil Fruit did you eat?" he asked.
But Yujin, who had already put some distance between them, didn't answer. His eyes remained firm as his hands flew through hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, surging straight toward Shiryu.
The fireball blazed with scorching heat, the air itself warping under its intensity.
Excitement flashed in Shiryu's eyes.
This was the kind of direct and fierce confrontation he loved.
He didn't retreat. Instead, he charged straight into the fireball!
The famed blade, Raiu, danced in his hands, unleashing a golden arc of light that cleaved toward the raging flames.
Boom—
Sparks scattered everywhere as Shiryu's Raiu cut clean through the Great Fireball, splitting it in two. The flames, once torn apart, quickly dissipated into the air.
Such a display made Yujin's heart tremble in shock.
The mask of the Earth Grudge Fear upon his shoulder was exposed, and his hands, which had been weaving seals, paused for a brief moment.
Yujin knew all too well. Even if Shiryu stood still and took his next jutsu head-on, he would have no way to break through.
Shiryu's strength was far too overwhelming. It was not something he could contend with at his current level.
In this situation, to fight head-on was no different from walking straight into death.
"Is that all you've got?" Shiryu's sinister smile was enough to chill one's blood.
Yujin took a deep breath. The blue Wind Release mask of the Earth Grudge Fear on his shoulder inhaled with him.
"Compound Ninjutsu: Blazing Wind Turbulence!"
In that moment, the principle of wind feeding fire revealed itself in its most devastating form.
The image of Shiryu splitting apart the Great Fireball with a single slash was still vivid in his mind.
But this time, as Shiryu swung his blade again, he suddenly felt a searing burn across his face.
At once, he leapt back three full steps.
One small step for Shiryu meant a desperate giant step for Yujin.
Taking advantage of the opening, Yujin's hands moved faster than ever before, making hand seals with blinding speed.
His expression was urgent, tinged with unease. Clearly, he was attempting a technique he was far from familiar with.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but his hands never faltered. Every hand seal was struck with precision and swiftness.
At that very moment, Uchiha Yujin, through their shared vision, witnessed Pirate Yujin's actions. His own breath caught in his throat, afraid that even the slightest sound might disturb Yujin's desperate hand seals.
This was a jutsu that required forty-four hand seals to complete.
Its complexity was so great that even Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, could not perform it instantly—every seal had to be formed one by one with absolute precision.
The power and range of this technique were terrifying.
Its name alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of shinobi across the world.
The deaths of Momochi Zabuza and Uchiha Izuna were deeply tied to this jutsu.
Yujin's chakra surged violently within him, sweat dripping down his forehead and stinging the corner of his eyes as he focused all his strength on forming seals at incredible speed.
Ox → Monkey → Hare → Rat → Boar → Bird → Ox → Horse → Bird → Rat → Tiger → Dog → Tiger → Snake → Ox → Ram → Snake → Boar → Ram → Rat → Yang Water → Monkey → Bird → Dragon → Bird → Ox → Horse → Ram → Tiger → Snake → Rat → Monkey → Hare → Boar → Dragon → Ram → Rat → Ox → Monkey → Bird → Yang Water → Rat → Boar.
As Pirate Yujin's hands flashed through the final seals, Uchiha Yujin's eyes widened in shock, witnessing an astonishing sight.
Behind Yujin, a massive water dragon suddenly burst into existence.
Its head slammed against the ceiling, its enormous body stretching out with overwhelming presence.
It wasn't that the water dragon itself was limited in size—rather, the confined space of the sewer could barely contain it.
Even so, the dragon looked awe-inspiring.
Its vast body nearly filled the entire underground passage.
The creature measured a full eight meters long, its scales gleaming wetly under the dim light.
Water surged and churned along its coiling form, threatening to erupt into a tidal wave at any moment.
Its eyes burned with a fierce golden glow, radiating unyielding ferocity.
Bird!
The final seal was completed.
The forty-four–seal jutsu had succeeded.
"What is this…?"
Shiryu gripped his famed blade, Raiu, and leapt forward, slashing toward the dragon's head.
But Yujin poured all of his chakra into the technique and shouted with all his might:
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
****
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