"Hey, old man! At least remember my name right!" Ezra groaned helplessly.
Beside Garp, his aide Bogard whispered, "Vice Admiral, his name is Ezra D. Vale."
"Oh, right, right! Ezra D. Vale!" Garp bellowed with his trademark laugh. "I just saw that punch of yours earlier and thought I'd come meet you in person!"
Ezra gave a slight nod. Just as he suspected.
Garp's eyes suddenly caught sight of the sword at Ezra's waist, its black-red scabbard faintly pulsing with heat. "Huh? You're a swordsman too?"
Ezra shrugged. "Well… I dabble."
Standing nearby, Tsuru nearly choked on air. Dabble?
The man who crushed Akainu said he just dabbled?
The one who sparred with her for half a month and didn't lose once?
She didn't even know where to start complaining.
"That sword of yours isn't ordinary," Bogard said softly, eyes narrowing. His gaze sharpened, his warrior's instinct humming with recognition.
Ezra noticed the subtle shift in Bogard's expression the calm, burning desire of a true swordsman. He wanted a duel.
"Commodore Vale," Bogard said formally, "may I have the honor of crossing blades with you?"
Ezra smiled faintly. "I thought you'd never ask."
He understood perfectly well real understanding of swordsmanship came only through live combat.
Tsuru and Garp stepped back to clear the deck, giving the two plenty of space.
"Ezra, don't underestimate Bogard," Tsuru warned.
Ezra chuckled. "Don't worry. I don't plan to underestimate him. If anything, I might go all out."
With that, he slowly unsheathed his blade. The scorching crimson metal of Ryūjin Jakka shimmered faintly, a whisper of heat rising from its edge.
Bogard drew his own weapon, its gray sheen glinting in the sunlight. "This blade is one of the Fifty Skillful Grade Swords Kinmaru X. Please, show me your strength."
Without another word, he lunged forward, foot pressing down hard on the deck and in the blink of an eye, his sword flashed above Ezra's head.
Clang!
Ezra met the strike head-on. Sparks flew as metal clashed, and with a twist of his wrist, Ezra deflected the blow and countered with a sweeping slash toward Bogard's side.
Bogard leaned back, narrowly avoiding the edge. The two separated, standing several meters apart, blades glinting under the sun.
Ezra spun his sword lazily, his eyes calm. "My turn."
In an instant Shunpo!
He vanished. The next heartbeat, he was right in front of Bogard, his movements faster and heavier than before.
Bogard barely had time to raise his blade before the impact hit like a storm.
Too strong! he thought as his arms trembled under the pressure.
The deck cracked beneath their feet, wood splintering from the force.
Bogard gritted his teeth and switched to a two-handed grip, pouring every ounce of strength into his defense. The blow was heavy but he didn't fall.
Instead, he surged forward again, striking back with renewed ferocity.
The sound of clashing steel echoed across the deck as the two blurred in motion, their blades cutting through air faster than the eye could follow.
From the sidelines, Garp's grin widened. "Hoho! This kid's swordsmanship is no joke."
Tsuru nodded. "Vice Admiral, Ezra's skill with a blade is incredible. I've challenged him dozens of times over the past month and never once won."
Garp blinked. "You? You couldn't beat him?"
Even for Garp, that was surprising. Tsuru was one of the Navy's top swordswomen.
"Hah!" Garp laughed, eyes glinting. "So the kid was being modest earlier!"
Then his gaze narrowed. "Bogard's rhythm is breaking. The fight's decided."
True enough Bogard's breathing was uneven, his movements just a fraction slower. For a swordsman, that meant defeat was near.
Ezra's crimson eyes flickered with sharp intensity like a demon emerging from the depths. The heat from his blade grew wilder, his attacks faster and heavier.
Bogard's defense crumbled under the pressure.
Finally, with one last strike, Ezra's sword knocked Kinmaru X clean out of his opponent's hands and stopped at Bogard's throat the fiery edge hovering a hair's breadth from his skin.
Bogard froze, cold sweat dripping down his temple. For a split second, he truly believed Ezra intended to kill him.
Swallowing hard, he lowered his head. "I… I yield."
Ezra sheathed Ryūjin Jakka with a smooth motion and smiled faintly. "Not bad at all, Lieutenant. You're strong."
Bogard shook his head with a wry smile. "Not nearly enough."
Garp nodded approvingly. Even from where he stood, he could tell Ezra hadn't even broken a sweat. That duel was more of a warm-up for him than a real fight.
Turning to Tsuru, Garp asked, "Does he always finish fights that fast?"
Tsuru sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Pretty much. He's always quick never holds back, no matter who he's up against."
Garp chuckled mischievously. "Figures. The boy's still young. Tsuru, maybe you should take the initiative next time."
Ezra froze mid-step, expression deadpan. "Wait… what?"
How did this turn into relationship advice?!
Even Bogard, still panting, nearly dropped his sword from laughter.
Garp's booming laughter echoed across the deck, blending with the ocean breeze. "Ahahaha! Don't take it so seriously, kid! That's how you know you're part of the Navy now!"
Ezra sighed, rubbing his temple. "This fleet's going to be the death of me…"
And with that, the deck erupted in laughter the clash of blades replaced by the warmth of camaraderie under the golden sun.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Enjoying the chaos, action, and wild adventures?
Don't stop here! You can unlock advanced chapters and exclusive content by joining my P@treon! Every powerstone counts if we reach 300 powerstones, a BONUS CHAPTER will be released! ⚡
Be the first to witness the next epic battles, shocking twists, and hidden secrets before anyone else!
Join the crew on P@treon and set sail beyond the horizon!
[email protected]/_sey
Change @ to a