After a brief exchange, Kyros and Shimotsuki Kōshirō each gained a rough understanding of the other's strength.

As they faced off with bamboo swords, everyone nearby could clearly feel the shift in their auras.

Swish!!

Kyros made the first move after a short standoff. With a sharp sound breaking the air, his figure suddenly vanished from sight—he had used [Shave], one of the Navy's [Six Powers].

At the exact moment Kyros disappeared, Kōshirō calmly closed his eyes slightly.

Fwoosh...

The bamboo sword sliced through the air as Kyros reappeared behind Kōshirō, swinging his blade down hard at his back.

He didn't use a slashing motion—Kyros had remembered Yoriichi's warning. Even if it was just a bamboo sword, he held back.

Just when Kyros thought this move would surely land thanks to his use of [Shave], Kōshirō suddenly shifted his torso and raised his bamboo sword vertically, precisely intercepting Kyros's attack.

Clack!!

The clash of bamboo echoed crisply. Though forced back by Kyros's raw strength, Kōshirō quickly neutralized the force with two steps, then dashed forward and struck at Kyros's chest with his bamboo sword.

Much like Kyros, Kōshirō didn't use a slash, but aimed to strike with the flat of the blade.

At that same moment, seated calmly in the corner, Yoriichi Tsugikuni lifted his head and focused intently on Kōshirō.

[Armament Haki.]

Yoriichi could clearly sense it, Kōshirō's arms and his bamboo sword were wrapped in powerful Armament Haki.

This bookish-looking samurai in glasses had indeed mastered Haki.

Boom!!

Kōshirō's counterattack came swiftly. His Armament Haki not only coated the blade, but also enhanced his arm, boosting the strike's speed and power tremendously.

Caught off guard by the sudden increase in speed, Kyros couldn't dodge. He growled, "[Iron Body]!"

The next instant, the bamboo sword landed squarely on his chest with a heavy thud, sending him flying back. He crashed into the dojo's tatami mats with a dull bang.

"That's enough!"

Seeing Kyros knocked away, Yoriichi immediately called out loudly.

Kōshirō made no move to pursue. He exhaled slowly and lowered his weapon, returning to a calm, standing posture.

Moments later, Kyros stood up while clutching his chest. His Marine uniform had a ten-centimeter gash torn across the front.

Through the tear, Yoriichi could see a red welt on Kyros's chest.

To leave such a mark through [Iron Body] with just a bamboo sword—if Kōshirō had used a real blade, Kyros might've been gravely injured.

Though Kyros had a strong grasp of the Navy's [Six Powers], and his [Shave] gave him superior mobility, Kōshirō had clearly touched the threshold of [Observation Haki], able to read his opponent's movements.

And combined with his mastery of [Armament Haki], Kōshirō's counterattacks were fast and powerful—making Kyros the disadvantaged one in this exchange.

Clap clap clap!

"Very impressive!"

"Here, catch."

Yoriichi glanced at the slightly disheveled Kyros and clapped, praising Kōshirō. Then, he picked up both Enma and Ame-no-Habakiri and tossed them toward Kōshirō.

Kōshirō instinctively caught the two swords, nodded respectfully at Yoriichi's smiling face, and sat cross-legged on the tatami to examine the blades.

"Floral engraving on the sheath, triple-petal plum blossom tsuba..."

He muttered while drawing the blade. A flash of steel glinted across his face.

"No doubt about it. This is Ame-no-Habakiri!"

He promptly sheathed it and picked up the second sword. After a brief inspection, he gripped the hilt and slowly drew a section of the blade.

But in that moment, something went wrong. His Armament Haki surged uncontrollably into Enmaas, if the sword itself was absorbing it.

Kōshirō's right arm shriveled like a mummy's limb, as though drained of blood.

"Hm?!"

Issho straightened up instantly and with a flash appeared before Yoriichi, blind staff in one hand, the other already on his sword's hilt—ready to act at a moment's notice.

"Cursed blade... Enma!"

Kōshirō gasped, trying desperately to restrain his [Ryuo], but he couldn't. The abnormality in his arm spread toward his entire body.

"Damn it... it's draining me dry!"

"I was too careless!"

As his strength began to fade, Kōshirō panicked and tried to sheath the sword—but couldn't.

Only now did he realize just how terrifying this cursed blade, forged by his own father, truly was. It was so dangerous that even its creator couldn't pick it back up again!

Just as his consciousness began to fade, a fiery red silhouette appeared in front of him. A hand grasped the hilt.

Kōshirō collapsed limply to the floor, his grip on Enma lost at some unknown moment.

"This guy's a little unruly."

"Don't worry about it, Kōshirō."

A gentle voice reached Kōshirō's ears. He lifted his head with effort and saw Yoriichi, who had been seated earlier, now standing before him, holding Enma in his hand.

Oddly enough, the sword that had just raged in his own grip now sat quietly in Yoriichi's.

As Kōshirō stared in disbelief, a hoarse old voice came from the dojo's entrance:

"Ho ho ho? Isn't that Enma?!"

"Looks like it's found a new master."

Hearing the voice, Yoriichi turned toward the door with Enma in hand.

An elderly man with snowy white eyebrows stood there, slightly hunched, eyes shining as he stared at Yoriichi and the blade in his hand. His gaze held nostalgia... and surprise.

"Father!"

Kōshirō lifted his head with difficulty and called out.

Shimotsuki Kozaburo didn't reply to his son. After briefly scanning Yoriichi, his gaze dropped to the worn blade at Yoriichi's waist. He muttered with astonishment:

"Not just Enma... there's another cursed blade?!"

"An unopened cursed blade!"

Sensing the old man's focus, Yoriichi's expression tensed slightly. He silently drew the blade at his waist, Kogarasaki, and asked,

"An unopened cursed blade? Sir, do you mean this one?"

Kozaburo didn't respond directly. Instead, he raised his chin and asked:

"Marine, what's your name?"

"Yoriichi. My name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni."

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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter

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