"To be honest… I really didn't want any extra trouble."
A flicker of reluctance crossed Ivankov's eyes, but it vanished just as quickly.
"Iva, be careful," Inazuma warned.
He had heard Kairos D. Vale's name before.
The rising star of East Blue.
The man rumored to have defeated Garp.
They were on their way to meet Dragon. Truthfully, this was the last fight they wanted.
But Kairos had come on too hard, and the cold lightning in his eyes already said everything.
If they didn't fight today—
there was no chance they would leave in peace.
Boom!
Ivankov's tall frame stepped forward, and the transport ship—already swaying violently in the storm—lurched even harder, as if it might flip over at any moment.
Newkama Kenpo, Beauty Technique Number 44: Dream-Strike Processing Fist!
Bang bang bang!
Ivankov's knife-hands flashed like lightning, unleashing hundreds of strikes in an instant. The air burst under the barrage, wind and rain thrown into chaos.
Kairos let out a sharp shout.
At his call, Sandai Kitetsu ripped free from where it had been embedded in the deck and shot through the air. The blade pierced the curtain of rain like black lightning in the night—swift, sharp, and deadly.
Ivankov snorted coldly. Armament Haki covered both fists as he smashed into Sandai Kitetsu with a heavy blow.
Clang!
Steel rang out, sparks exploding in every direction as the cursed blade was sent flying backward.
Whoosh—
Kairos raised a hand again, halting the sword mid-flight before summoning it back once more.
But this time he did not rely on Qi Control alone.
He caught the sword with both hands.
Armament Haki covered the blade.
Secret Technique: Tsubame Gaeshi!
One blade became three.
Each slash carried a screaming gale.
"DEATH WINK!"
Ivankov threw a wink—but what erupted from it was a scorching blast wave.
Boom boom boom!
In an instant, heat flooded the deck. The whole transport ship shuddered under the force, and if not for the downpour, the wooden vessel might already have caught fire.
Ivankov didn't stop moving. He retreated rapidly, unleashing one Death Wink after another.
The moment Kairos used Tsubame Gaeshi, Ivankov had felt it—
a strange sensation, as if he had been locked onto.
A warning of danger exploded in his heart.
His combat instincts screamed one thing.
If he took that attack head-on—
the consequences would be severe.
Then suddenly—
Boom!
Sandai Kitetsu burst out through the flames, still aimed straight at him.
The three slashes of Tsubame Gaeshi had not been stopped.
A cold light flashed in Ivankov's eyes. He drew both arms together in front of his chest with incredible speed, Armament Haki coating them completely.
Boom!
Sandai Kitetsu struck his arms with a force that was both light and impossible to ignore.
The impact burst outward like a lion's full-bodied pounce.
Ivankov was blasted backward, his feet carving two terrifying furrows across the deck.
"Boy, you really hit hard," Ivankov said, shaking out his arms.
The Armament Haki on them had already shattered.
Three faint but deep lines of blood marked his forearms, fresh blood slowly running down.
Even after trying to block the attack with explosive shockwaves, Tsubame Gaeshi had still cut through his Armament Haki and left real wounds.
"Iva got hurt!"
Inazuma's heart jolted. If Ivankov hadn't agreed beforehand to a one-on-one spar, he would already have stepped in.
But Kairos showed no sign of satisfaction.
"This isn't right…"
He lowered his head and stared at Sandai Kitetsu in his hands.
Tsubame Gaeshi should have hit harder than that.
Kairos frowned.
Then he understood.
The problem wasn't the technique.
It was the sword.
Sandai Kitetsu simply wasn't enough to carry the full force of Tsubame Gaeshi.
That made sense. Among the Kitetsu blades, Sandai Kitetsu was the weakest.
"…Fine. I'll just find a better weapon later."
Kairos let out a slow breath, then looked up at Ivankov and spoke inwardly.
"System. Use Miyamoto Musashi (Fate/stay night Version)."
The moment the words left his mouth—
Hummm…
A faint sound, like a plucked string, appeared suddenly on the storm-lashed deck.
Kairos slowly closed his eyes.
He was feeling it.
The power descending into him—
the power that belonged to Miyamoto Musashi.
"What's going on?!"
Ivankov felt a sudden chill.
Something indescribable had appeared around Kairos.
It felt almost…
Zen-like.
That made no sense.
Kairos was famous for his ruthless decisiveness, for treating battle like the joy of life itself.
Ivankov had personally seen the photo of Kairos bare-chested, laughing wildly as he clashed with Garp.
A man like that was a madman through and through.
Zen should have been the exact opposite of him.
Yet here it was.
Ivankov unconsciously stepped back half a pace, black Armament Haki spreading over his whole body.
Facing this strange new Kairos, he had no choice but to be cautious.
How much time passed—
ten minutes, or perhaps only a single second—
even Ivankov could not tell.
Then Kairos opened his eyes.
He lowered Sandai Kitetsu and drove it vertically into the deck. The blade quivered with a faint metallic hum.
Then he raised both hands into empty air—
and gripped.
Two katana appeared in his grasp.
They came out of nowhere, yet felt utterly natural.
As if Kairos had always been meant to hold these two swords.
In that instant, his gaze turned empty.
Not because his mind had gone blank—
but because he had stepped into Emptiness.
The Realm of Emptiness.
True emptiness was true invincibility.
This was the highest field a swordsman could ever reach.
The ultimate realm.
Only a swordmaster who had reached the Infinite could even touch this state.
And now—
through the power of the Miyamoto Musashi card—
Kairos had stepped into the Realm of Emptiness.
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