Danger arrived faster than Bai Yu had expected.
"998...999...1000!"
"1998...1999...2000!"
On the deck of the Marine warship, Bai Yu's steady counting echoed across the sea.
Ever since receiving the mission to hunt down the legendary Golden Lion Shiki, Bai Yu had not stopped swinging his sword.
This relentless training continued into the afternoon.
By now, the number of swings had reached an astounding 2,000.
Suddenly, a string of familiar system prompts chimed in his mind.
> [Ding! Host has successfully performed 1000 sword swings. Rewards: "Ju: Liulian" Proficiency +5%, "Dragon Force" Proficiency +5%, "Ben Lei" Proficiency +5%, Haki (All Three Types) Proficiency +1%]
> [Ding! Host has successfully performed 2000 sword swings. Rewards...]
Two rounds of rewards were triggered.
"Ju: Liulian," "Dragon Force," and "Ben Lei" each received a total +10% proficiency boost.
His Haki – Observation, Armament, and Conqueror's – collectively gained +2%.
Among them, "Ju: Liulian" became the first technique to reach 100% full proficiency.
Just then, another system notification rang out.
> [Ding! "Ju: Liulian" Proficiency has reached 100%! New technique unlocked: "Ju: Twelve Linked Slashes" (5% Proficiency)]
Ju: Twelve Linked Slashes – Unlocked!
As the name implied: a dozen slashes unleashed in a single breath, with blinding speed and explosive force!
Naturally, the higher the mastery, the more devastating the power.
"Twelve consecutive strikes…" Bai Yu whispered, eyes gleaming. "Who could possibly withstand that?"
He couldn't help but sigh in awe.
Even Admiral Kizaru, who once couldn't withstand Bai Yu's six linked slashes when taken off guard, would have been crushed by a twelvefold strike.
Still, to fully unleash the might of this new move, Bai Yu needed not just higher proficiency...
But also immense physical stamina.
Without sufficient strength, the tempo of the Twelve Linked Slashes would collapse—leaving him vulnerable to fatal counters.
"I need to keep improving."
Determined, Bai Yu wiped the sweat from his brow and resumed swinging the Wushuang Taidao.
Training continued.
Until—
The sky abruptly changed.
What was moments ago a bright and clear afternoon suddenly plunged into darkness.
A massive shadow enveloped the entire warship.
"Brigadier General Bai Yu!"
A Marine officer in charge of navigation came rushing up in a panic.
"Is it a thunderstorm?" Bai Yu asked calmly while still moving through his sword forms.
Sailing the Grand Line often meant unpredictable weather. Sudden gales, water spouts, or dark clouds weren't unusual.
But the officer shook his head, pale-faced.
"No, sir—it's not a storm!"
He took a breath, then exclaimed:
"A meteorite! A massive meteorite is falling straight toward us!"
"A meteorite?" Bai Yu paused mid-swing and glanced skyward.
Sure enough—what loomed above wasn't a thundercloud.
It was a colossal chunk of stone, plummeting rapidly from the sky.
The dark shadow came from sunlight cast around the falling rock.
Worse still, the meteorite burned red-hot, rubbing against the atmosphere as it descended—its jagged surface erupting with sparks.
It was an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight.
And that immense stone was on a direct collision course with their warship.
The size, weight, and velocity meant certain destruction.
Even their steel-armored ship would be pulverized on impact.
"Golden Lion Shiki…"
Bai Yu's eyes narrowed sharply.
Only one man could be behind this.
Shiki the Golden Lion—the legendary pirate who could make inanimate objects float and fall at will using the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi.
Weaponizing boulders like meteorites?
For Shiki, this was child's play.
No one else could cause such a phenomenon at sea.
"Full speed ahead! Evade at all costs!"
Without delay, Bai Yu barked out his orders.
"Understood!"
The officer saluted and rushed to carry them out.
Sailors worked frantically to accelerate the warship to its maximum cruising speed.
But—
"It's no good!"
"We're still under its shadow!"
"Where the hell did this thing even come from?!"
Even at full speed, the ship couldn't outrun the meteorite's descent.
Despair began to spread among the lower-ranked Marines.
"Brigadier General Bai Yu!"
Koby, Helmeppo, and Maya all rushed to his side.
Compared to the panicking crew, the three of them stayed relatively composed.
"Bai Yu," Maya spoke first, "we won't outrun it in time."
"Let me raise a spiritual barrier—maybe if we all combine our powers, we can protect the ship!"
Thanks to her training, Maya could now materialize her spiritual energy into a defensive layer, covering allies like an armor field.
But against a falling meteorite?
Even she wasn't sure it would hold.
Bai Yu shook his head slightly.
"No need."
He stepped forward, placing a hand on the hilt of the Wushuang Taidao.
Koby, Helmeppo, and Maya all instantly understood what he was about to do.
He was going to cut the meteorite.
Even knowing this, the idea seemed insane.
That thing was massive—an entire mountain falling from the sky.
"You three—warn everyone to hold onto the ship."
"It's going to get rough."
Bai Yu's voice was calm, but filled with iron will.
"Shave!"
"Geppo!"
With a double burst of speed, Bai Yu launched himself skyward.
He used the Rokushiki techniques Soru (Shave) and Geppo (Moonwalk) to propel himself upward at blinding speed.
Instead of retreating, he charged directly at the falling rock.
Hum!
Whoosh!
With a resonating hum, Bai Yu drew the Wushuang Taidao in midair.
Instantly, the power of the Azure Dragon Sword Intent surged and condensed into the blade.
The Wushuang Taidao responded, igniting with a dark-red flame of intent.
A searing, violent aura burst forth like a dragon's breath.
The meteorite loomed above, rapidly descending.
Its outer shell blazed crimson, friction setting it ablaze as it tore through the atmosphere.
Even the air itself seemed to scream beneath its weight.
"Azure Dragon Slash: Soaring Ascent!"
With a thunderous roar, Bai Yu held the Wushuang Taidao in both hands and slashed from below—upward into the heart of the meteorite.
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