Chapter 868: Chapter 529: Campaign Against Kaido! (Part 2)
As for now...
Clang!
Gin swung a hammer wrapped in the glow of a heated iron, fiercely smashing it towards the man using dual blades in front of him. The man raised his dual blades, his body moving like a dragon. With a slide to the side, he guided the hammer down, hitting the ground and melting a depression due to the high temperature.
Gin’s eyebrows furrowed. He was about to continue the assault when a sudden shake underfoot caused his posture to falter.
The previously solid arena ground was now swaying softly like a flowing cape.
Sipher’s dual blades danced like serpents at this moment, skillfully crossing and aiming for Gin’s neck. Upon nearing, they sharply descended, cutting into his shoulders.
Clang!
The hardened Haki, combined with Gin’s steel body formed through his abilities, took the dual blades head-on, producing a crisp sound.
Whoosh!
He swung the hammer again, aiming for the figure before him, but the opponent took a nimble step back to evade, bouncing away from Gin.
"No need to hold back, I won’t die easily."
Gin raised an eyebrow, glancing at him and said, "I have my own set of standards. If you’re confident you can kill me, I’ll admit defeat promptly. Sipher, if you don’t fight seriously, you won’t become one of the Seven Stars. Master Sage holds high expectations for you and Misty, so don’t let Master Sage down."
"That’s quite the words..."
Sipher scratched the back of his head, vexed, "I’m not holding back. It’s your Haki that’s too strong, and your abilities are tricky. My weapons have been with me for a long time, so I can’t let them contact you for too long—they’ll melt."
"Stop pretending. I have the right to judge. At this rate, I’ll declare you the loser. Do you want to surrender?"
Gin frowned and said, "Your debt and the New Star-level salary can’t repay it."
"Oh, we’re all working for the boss. What’s a debt anyway? It’s contributing to the economy. The boss won’t swallow me alive because of debt," Sipher replied with a smile.
Debt?
Is that debt?
That’s Sage’s intention.
It’s all his assets and subordinates—what’s the harm in losing some money? It’s still a life full of indulgence. Money or no money, he enjoys all the material pleasures; money becomes meaningless.
He’s not going to set up businesses elsewhere.
"Then, until you have repaid your debt, you’ll be deprived of your privilege to enjoy,"
Gin said, "As a fellow Pirate, and one of the Seven Stars, I have that authority."
"So you’re so merciless... alright."
Sipher tightened his grip on his dual blades, lowering his stance slightly, taking a deep breath, "Originally, I wanted to save some strength to challenge Weevil. As expected, it’s not feasible. Facing you, I have to give it my all."
Internally, the consensus was that the Inner Three Phases and Outer Three Phases consist of five core members, with Lily now proving to be the strongest through her actual combat prowess and achievements.
Next is Moriah, then Marika and Renedia.
The former, with stored power, can easily destroy an island once fully unleashed, while the latter, with infinite bombardment technology combined with kinetic abilities, is equally terrifying.
Moreover, one is a crucial chef, and the other is an even more important shipbuilding expert and arms dealer; not a hair can be lost.
They need to keep human connections in mind.
The former is slightly better, but the latter, at the age of twelve, with this bounty, will undoubtedly become the next core of the Disaster Pirates, similar to Las from the Demon Race.
As a wanderer traveling far and wide, his information is quite well-informed.
Las hasn’t eaten any fruits yet because the boss is gathering intelligence on powerful fruits. It’s heard that one time the boss drank too much and boasted he’d capture Akainu, have Teach extract the Mag-Mag Fruit, and let Las eat it.
All are subjects of key cultivation.
Lily couldn’t be beaten, nor Moriah; even if they could be fought, they shouldn’t be. They are Seven Warlords of the Sea defectees whose positions need to be maintained. Marika and Renedia can’t be fought nor won against.
Considering both status and strength, the most bullyable is Weevil, who doesn’t care about the Three Phases.
Sipher was originally saving energy, intending to wear Gin down and then have a go with Weevil, hoping to become one of the Three Phases, reaching the pinnacle of life.
But through combat, he realized it wasn’t feasible; Gin’s strength forced him to exert his full power to confront it.
"Time’s about right; it’s familiar now... your rhythm!"
Sipher took a deep breath, as red dots flashed in his eyes. He raised his dual blades, positioning them up and down before his chest, and said solemnly, "Double Blade Martial Arts - Soaring!"
The blades fluttered, and so did the ground. In this unstable terrain where merely standing was precarious, even Gin was affected by the ability, constantly working to maintain stability, but Sipher moved swiftly like he was gliding over flat terrain.
Gin’s pupils contracted, and the hammer in his hand melted under the ability, turning into a pool of molten iron, ready to be thrown as he stomped heavily.
"Fist Bone - Flowing..."
"It’s Flowing Fire, right!"
Before Gin fully threw it out, Sipher, as if instinctively, shot sideways, and only then did the molten iron Gin tossed land and crack the ground.
Sipher approached Gin from the side, as the rolling ground beneath him sped up, causing a momentary unsteadiness.
He remained calm, with his form drifting along the ground’s twists, maintaining his rhythm.
