"A master swordsman from the Rocks era, the Withered Blade King Ganzui? That sword of yours doesn't seem to be the famous Withered Blade, does it?"

Fujitora walked toward Ganzui with his wooden clogs clacking, his purple robe fluttering without wind.

His cane sword was drawn, emanating a peculiar force that distorted the air around the blade.

Ganzui, gripping the Seven Stars Sword, wore an unpleasant expression as he said.

"The Deadwood Blade? That bastard Shiki took it. Back then, he said he wanted to practice dual-wielding and just wanted to borrow it, promising to return it once he found a better sword."

"I never expected him to be shameless enough to just fly away with it. I couldn't catch up, couldn't find him—hah! And you Marines, didn't you capture him?"

"I was just about to go to you to retrieve my sword when I heard the news of Shiki's prison break. Now, he's been missing for over a decade. That damned bastard must be hiding in the sky with his Float-Float Fruit powers!"

Ganzui spoke indignantly, the green sword in his hand radiating a blade aura several feet long, illuminating the ice beneath them in an eerie emerald glow.

"Still, I was lucky. On some small island, I found this Demon Sword. Heh, its effect is similar to that little girl's ability—it can absorb the life force of others and transfer it to its wielder."

"The downside is that those who can't control it lose themselves to the absorbed power. And the life force taken doesn't last—it gradually drains from the wielder over time."

Ganzui sighed. "Because of this, I have to go around killing people periodically, absorbing life force to sustain myself. But even so, I can't keep up with the speed of my aging. Time spares no one."

Fujitora tightened his grip on his cane sword, his face twisting with anger, the scars over his eyes making him appear even more menacing.

"Ganzui… you are truly evil. For the sake of the innocent people on the seas, I must eliminate you here."

A sinister smile curled on Ganzui's lips as the emerald blade aura of the Seven Stars Sword sliced through the air, crisscrossing with ghostly green slashes aimed at Fujitora.

"Don't be so rigid, Fujitora. The strong prey on the weak—that's the fundamental law of this world, just like how the Celestial Dragons reign supreme, enslaving the masses!"

"Haki Infused Sword Technique! Seven Stars—Authority!"

"Gravity Blade! Severance!"

The ghostly green blade aura from Ganzui's Seven Stars Sword crackled with lightning, casting his sinister, aged face in an even more terrifying light, like a demon emerging from the underworld.

Gritting his teeth, Fujitora swung his cane sword, unleashing immense distorting forces—simultaneously pulling and repelling Ganzui's body.

The overwhelming power crushed Ganzui's terrifying blade aura like it was nothing!

BOOM!

The ice beneath their feet collapsed, sinking hundreds of meters in an instant, compressed into a massive fissure.

"Gah—!"

Ganzui vomited a mouthful of blood, feeling as though his organs were being violently wrenched apart.

His insides burned with agony, his heart threatening to burst.

"Damn it! Is the Gravity Fruit really this strong?! I've long mastered Conqueror's Haki Coating, you bastard! Seven Stars Ultimate Technique!"

Ganzui's Seven Stars Sword suddenly expanded countless times, its green light piercing the sky, illuminating the world.

A blue-white star slowly rose, unleashing endless sword radiance!

"Polaris!!"

The blue-white star was hurled toward Fujitora with a single slash, its dazzling sword beams piercing through the ice like solid spears, riddling it with countless holes—even the very air was torn apart.

Fujitora's expression changed as he swung his cane sword, unleashing a powerful repulsive force!

"Gravity Blade: Annihilating Star!"

Dark Armament Haki coiled around the cane sword, activating his Devil Fruit ability.

The repulsive force instantly stirred a monstrous storm, shattering the thick sword beams one after another.

Swoosh!

A blue-white sword beam streaked across the sky, slicing open Fujitora's chest and abdomen, sending a spray of blood erupting from his body.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Infinite sword beams burst forth like a Sun Halo eruption.

The blue-white stars on Ganzui's sword instantly exploded, and a sword light capable of splitting the skies flashed past!

"Gravity Blade: Severance!"

Blood sprayed from Fujitora's body as his clothes were instantly shredded into rags.

A sword beam flashed past his cheek, slicing off a piece of his scalp.

A hazy purple light coiled around his cane sword as Fujitora suddenly opened his eyes and roared.

The cane sword struck the soaring sword energy head-on, boundless gravity pouring forth, continuously clashing with the sword beams.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The ground within a thousand-meter radius instantly shattered, the ice layer sinking hundreds of meters deep, forming a massive crater!

Ryokugyu and Linlin, who were battling not far away, were affected by the terrifying gravity, crushed down into the depths of the ice layer with a thunderous impact!

BOOM!

Gritting his teeth, Fujitora let out a low growl.

Veins bulged on his forehead as his upper body swelled, his knotted muscles bursting through his tattered clothes, revealing countless old and new scars.

The muscles on his arms writhed like rats as he pressed down on Ganzui's sword energy with all his might, slowly forcing it back toward Ganzui.

"For the sake of innocent civilians, even if it costs me my life, I will end evil like you!"

Fujitora roared, power surging through his arms as he pushed his Gravity-Gravity Fruit to its limits.

Finally, he crushed Ganzui's soaring sword energy with overwhelming force, slamming Ganzui straight into the ground!

"Grrraaaah! Fujitora!!"

Ganzui let out a furious roar, feeling eighty percent of his bones shattered by the infinite gravity.

Even his muscles and skin were torn apart, pressed tightly against his body as he sank into the iron-hard ice surface.

"Ganzui! Allow me to give you a grand funeral!"

"Gravity Blade: Meteor!"

Fujitora swung his sword toward the sky, sending rings of gravitational force soaring into the heavens.

"Hah... hah... I'm old, my body's too weak... Hahaha... I haven't even gotten Caesar's blood yet... Cough... Damn you, Fujitora... If I survive this... I'll make you pay... Ugh..."

Soon, the dark clouds above were parted by an invisible hand, revealing a massive burning meteor trailing a long tail of flames as it plummeted toward the crater where Ganzui had fallen.

"Divine Departure!"

A swift figure dashed out, gripping a rapier in one hand.

With a single slash, he unleashed a hundred-meter-long sword wave toward the descending meteor.

BOOM!!

The terrifying slash instantly shattered the falling meteor, even reducing the smaller fragments to dust.

"Red Hair!" Fujitora's expression turned grave as he warily watched Shanks approaching.

Shanks' face was still pale, his injuries severe.

Not only had he been attacked by Caesar and Akainu, but while escaping with Luffy, he'd also been struck by Garp's shockwave, damaging his internal organs.

"Though he's an evil swordsman, I owe Caesar a bit of a favor. I can't just stand by and watch you kill him, Fujitora."