Chapter 67: The Strongest Swordsman of the Marines

Chapter 67 The Strongest Swordsman of the Marines

Rayleigh enabled Overdrive and readied his sword stance in opposition to the Princess of Marineford. He couldn’t use Babylon with out his Nensaber, however there was no level in sparring along with her utilizing one among his trump playing cards as he doubted she could be going all out both.

However even when he wasn’t utilizing Babylon, he might nonetheless use En, Gyō, Clairvoyance, Battle Precognition, and Pressure: Hazard Sense. Utilizing them collectively with out utilizing Babylon meant that every enter was not as seamlessly built-in and the Pressure expertise weren’t enhanced, however it nonetheless bought the job executed.

Clairvoyance and En picked up the setup in her posture for the Six Powers Method: Shave, and Battle Precognition gave perception to the route of the motion. A half-step on Rayleigh’s half was all it took to dodge and align his sword to parry her strike.

Goddess of Ice confirmed a minor show of shock when her Sword Intent saturated Haki-enhanced ice sword didn’t shatter the ice sword held by Rayleigh. It might need if Rayleigh had not identified about sword intent, however after encountering it he’d executed a whole lot of simulations to determine tips on how to repel it utilizing Shū, so it didn’t penetrate his aura coated blade as she had predicted it might.

After parrying her assault to the facet, he flicked his sword in a fashion that might have lower the tip of her pony-tail that had been waving over her shoulder. She turned and parried this strike whereas giving a half-glare that he dared to assault her hair.

Rayleigh inwardly rolled his eyes. He was testing her defenses and needed to see if the Statement Haki she was utilizing might warn her about non-harmful harm. Rayleigh’s Pressure: Hazard Sense wouldn’t have advised him about such an assault, so he was checking the similarities and variations.

The Marineford Princess twirled the tip of her sword from a slash right into a thrust, aiming for Rayleigh’s shoulder in an analogous try to check the waters.

She aimed for the shoulder above the foot Rayleigh had saved his weight, so he was unable to shift his posture to dodge, however might bend his knee to dip beneath the thrust, inflicting her sword to brush previous his personal hair. Earlier than she might use the place for a follow-up assault, Rayleigh rose up with an upward slash in opposition to her sword with sufficient power to strike it out of her hand, however Goddess of Ice held it agency and used the momentum to twist the upward movement of her sword right into a downward thrust at Rayleigh’s lung.

Seeing two again to again thrusts made Rayleigh perceive what she was attempting to do. It was quite common for a Monkey-See, Monkey-Do mentality to type throughout a sword struggle. If somebody used the identical transfer in opposition to you a couple of occasions, it was seemingly you’d attempt to use the identical transfer in opposition to them. She was attempting to get him to lunge at her and sure had a counter for it.

Slightly than fall for the steering, he slashed to the facet to knock her thrust away and adopted up with a slash to the neck. Together with her sword farther from her than Rayleigh’s sword, she must step again and fall right into a disadvantageous place.

She didn’t step again, however introduced her wrist shut and blocked the strike with the guard of her sword earlier than utilizing one other piercing assault.

Between two opponents who might predict one another’s strikes, a sword struggle was very very similar to a recreation of chess. You would see each potential transfer and know tips on how to counter every, however your opponent might additionally predict your counters and place themselves to obtain your counter and are available out on high. You needed to predict a whole line of exchanges on the board and be sure that previous to the start of the exchanges, your items had been in a superior place and would come out on high on the finish.

Rayleigh might inform that this Participant was very expert. Every motion had the inspiration of a thousand observe classes and every counter was crammed with the expertise of a whole lot of sparring matches. Sadly for her, when it got here to observe, Rayleigh was a cheater of the very best degree.

Rayleigh might sense Goddess of Ice’s presence within the Pressure, confirming that she had gone to the Jedi Galaxy to unlock her Jedi Class sooner or later, however she clearly didn’t practice it effectively or use it a lot. Rayleigh was the alternative and had educated his thoughts to the diploma that he might endlessly spar with himself utilizing a number of situations all day each day. The quantity of expertise he had couldn’t be in contrast with those that educated usually and even abnormally. Rayleigh was at a category all his personal when it got here to coaching and expertise.

The esoteric psychological operations that he found on Typhon and used to broaden, improve, and develop his psychological capabilities weren’t issues the Jedi and even Sith would have ever taught. Jedi grew to become stronger by meditating on the Pressure whereas Sith grew to become stronger by drawing deeper from the Darkish Facet. Placing a lot effort into growing the variety of issues you’ll be able to take into consideration on the similar time was a meaningless waste of time for them and no profit it granted was extra helpful than what they already had. Even among the many Je’daii, those that practiced such issues had been thought-about weirdos. They did not want a stronger thoughts to struggle or suppose as a result of they over-relied on the desire of the Pressure to information them in battle or help them in making selections.

Due to the huge amount of expertise Rayleigh possessed, he might see by means of every line of assaults Goddess of Ice tried and disrupt them or totally counter them. He was utilizing her to see by means of the sword types taught by the Marines, memorizing every line of assaults to make use of as a reference or incorporate into his personal fashion. Rayleigh even had a number of Wills within the background of his thoughts struggle one another utilizing her fashion to check the assorted combos.Folloow present novÊls on nov/3lb((in).(co/m)

Goddess of Ice stopped holding again a couple of exchanges into the spar however Rayleigh’s ice sword stayed unbroken and her power was not in a position to push him again. He saved altering his assault patterns which precipitated her to counter utilizing totally different type combos she had realized, unaware that Rayleigh was basically studying her like a ebook, taking his time to show one web page after one other.

A couple of minutes and a number of other hundred exchanges into the struggle, Rayleigh realized that he had reached the final web page and he or she had nothing extra to indicate.

Rayleigh thrust out, similar to she needed. Slightly than parry, she caught the tip of his sword along side her personal after which jumped ahead whereas turning. Her sword saved Rayleigh’s to the facet as she moved previous it into her greatest vary to make use of the finisher she’d educated greater than another transfer.

With Rayleigh’s sword locked at her facet, she might swing her sword by means of his neck with this strategy, although because it was a spar, she would cease in the mean time of contact.

Rayleigh then did one thing she had not anticipated. He dropped his sword and moved out of the best way. He stepped ahead as her assault moved previous him. Her posture didn’t enable her to assault on the facet he stepped previous because it relied on locking the opponent’s place.

After stepping previous her, he grabbed the sword he dropped, pointed it ahead as she circled, and earlier than she might react, Goddess of Ice discovered the acquainted chilly of the sword she had given Rayleigh at her throat.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she realized how badly she had been learn. There have been many conditions the place she might have defended this and countered, however Rayleigh’s thrust had been completely timed and positioned in order that she discovered herself unable to counter or defend as she normally would have.

Inwardly, Rayleigh stated to himself, ‘Checkmate.’

Outwardly, Rayleigh complimented, “You are excellent.”

Justice, somebody who was not a swordsman, didn’t totally perceive the alternate and even thought that Rayleigh had gotten fortunate whereas watching from the facet. It was as a result of Rayleigh did not appear to have a bonus at any time and did not seem to go very quick. He additionally knew that Goddess of Ice’s primary ability was her ice, not her sword. She would make the air within the space of her struggle freeze effectively beneath zero, slowing and impeding her opponent’s actions earlier than going for the kill. Although, Justice had no strategy to know that this is able to not have labored in any case resulting from Rayleigh’s proficiency in Tutaminis and Temperature Management.

Maybe slightly bit too quick, Justice stated, “I am subsequent. You need not go simple on me. I’ve all the time needed to see if my Sunsaber can face a Lightsaber.”

Rayleigh noticed Goddess of Ice give the solar-powered Participant a dead-eyed expression however didn’t say a phrase as she left the world. Rayleigh questioned in regards to the chemistry between the Prince and Princess of Marineford and figured he had offended Justice by besting the woman that he, maybe secretly, had a crush on.

Rayleigh pulled out his personalized deal with and stated, “I am afraid you may must hold ready then, since this has been modified right into a Nensaber that makes use of aura, not magnetized plasma.”

As his sword prolonged and the glow of the blue and white sword aura materialized, a flicker of concern flashed by the Marine Participant’s eyes that Rayleigh didn’t miss. It was due to the weak spot of Logia Satan Fruits. Such Satan Fruits granted Gamers the flexibility to elementize their bodily physique and for some cause, their garments as effectively. Regular assaults had no impact on their elementized physique and within the Pirate World, they might solely be harmed by Haki or assaults that contained a component that opposed their very own. Nonetheless, one thing that every one Gamers had lengthy since found was that Nen assaults of Aura might additionally hurt the physique of an elementized Participant. Aura was lifeforce, and an elementized human nonetheless contained lifeforce that could possibly be harmed with Nen assaults, even when the aspect was unaffected.

This was one of many many causes Rayleigh deserted the standard Lightsaber for this modification. Rayleigh nonetheless recalled when the Participant Armory used magnetism to dam his Lightsaber. He did not know what number of Satan Fruits might block, counter, or annul a Lightsaber, however his Nensaber was the good equalizer.

Justice’s assured smile light right into a extra severe expression as gentle appeared to collect round his palms. He then separated his palms whereas forming a pole of sunshine that lengthened right into a sword that was at the least two meters lengthy, standing taller than its personal wielder.

Rayleigh’s personal Nensaber was of conventional top, solely slightly over a meter in size.

From the feelings he felt off the Marine, Rayleigh might inform that Justice needed to win and wouldn’t maintain again to simply utilizing sword expertise. Since that was the case and Rayleigh had his Nensaber in hand, Rayleigh used Babylon on high of Overdrive.

Justice’s type shined brightly in a manner that might have blinded anybody trying instantly at him. Rayleigh was in truth blinded by this, however his Clairvoyance and En had been unaffected, so he might nonetheless completely understand the encircling space. Justice slashed ahead and vanished from his place, reappearing at Rayleigh’s facet in the identical mid-slash movement. Rayleigh’s Babylon enhanced Battle Precognition detected this earlier than Justice vanished and Rayleigh was already positioned to dam the Sunsaber’s slash.

Had Rayleigh not defended fast sufficient, the sword would have batted him to the facet, however not lower him by means of. Justice didn’t give it a deadly edge since he anticipated to finish the struggle in a single assault.

Rayleigh used the second to spice up his power additional and fully knock Justice’s Sunsaber away, giving Rayleigh an opportunity to slash on the Marine’s chest. It was an unstated rule to finish the struggle after the primary blood drawn from the torso was taken, so Justice instantly elementized and fled a couple of ft away earlier than Rayleigh’s slash might draw blood.

Rayleigh might have ended it there, however it might have been a disgrace to finish the match earlier than his opponent even warmed up.

The person’s sword intent and armament Haki had been each a couple of ranges above the Princess of Marineford, however Rayleigh might nonetheless make due by maintaining his sword crammed with a couple of hundred traces of sharpened sword aura. Lots of the traces of sword aura circulating on the sting of his blade had been lower from Momonga’s sword intent and armament Haki, however they had been shortly changed, stopping the Marine from chopping by means of his sword.

Seeing that his sword didn’t break Rayleigh’s and that his power and pace didn’t over-power the latter’s both, Momonga began utilizing his sword expertise, a lot to Rayleigh’s delight.

There have been a number of variations between what Rayleigh used and the Excessive-Degree swordsmanship utilized by the Marines. The most important was brute power. The human physique has sure limits, and the Human-level swordsmanship Rayleigh realized from utilizing Psychometry on Jacques Duquesne’s assortment fell inside these limits. The swordsmanship of the Marines appeared to increase past human limits, utilizing strikes that might be unimaginable or closely harm the physique with no superhuman physique or using Armament Haki.

In different phrases, this was Anime-Swordsmanship.

Till this level, Rayleigh was actually solely utilizing a sooner model of Human-level swordsmanship. All his effort went into making human-limit swordsmanship sooner.

Now Rayleigh took within the insights into Momonga’s strikes that might over-exert or harm a standard human’s physique and regarded one of the best ways to make use of these and improve their pace.

Nonetheless, as anticipated, superhuman degree swordsmanship was not infinite, at the least for the Marines, so it did not take lengthy for Rayleigh to see every part that Momonga had.

Rayleigh used Shatterpoint and regarded over the Armament Haki overlaying Momonga’s physique and sword. The weakpoints he noticed appeared to maneuver round, like a sheet of plastic wrap with a gap in transferring randomly over a floor. It was laborious to foretell the place this weak spot would transfer to prematurely, however Rayleigh might transfer quick sufficient to simply hit it earlier than it moved, so he did simply that.

Momonga slashed out anticipating Rayleigh to parry the strike, however as a substitute, Rayleigh ducked beneath it in a clean movement, spun his sword backward, then thrust out the again of the deal with at Momonga’s intestine. A wave of Pressure rushed into the weakpoint inflicting harm everywhere in the man’s physique.

Rayleigh stepped again because the white of Momonga’s eyes began to indicate. The clicks and flashes of dozens of cameras surrounded the pair as Momonga misplaced consciousness and fell to the bottom.

A person in a brown, wide-brim fedora sporting a three-piece brown go well with with a sword beneath his Marine coat calmly walked into the circle and checked on Momonga. After confirming he was fantastic, he stated, “If you happen to do not thoughts, I might prefer to spar with you as effectively.”

Rayleigh requested, “Are you a Vice-Admiral?” The guess he made was that if he misplaced to a Vice Admiral, he would grow to be that man’s pupil.

The fedora-wearing Marine shook his head within the detrimental and stated, “No, I am only a Captain beneath Vice-Admiral Garp, and babysitting him already takes up most of my free time.”

Rayleigh tightened the grip on his Nensaber deal with on the man’s rationalization. In line with Justice, there was just one one that would overtly say that type of factor about Vice Admiral Garp in public. The sword teacher of Goddess of Ice, Captain Bogard.

Vice Admiral Garp was identified to be stronger than the three Admirals, however he remained a Vice Admiral as a result of he refused a promotion. Bogard, Garp’s quantity two, remained a Captain for a similar cause. The person had been at Garp’s facet for many years.

Rayleigh did not even discover the smile he was sporting as he answered, “I might love a pleasant match with you.”

A number of Marines took Momonga away as Bogard drew his sword. It was a typical katana that would not seem extra regular.

Rayleigh’s Babylon had nonetheless not been disabled, however he added to it by getting into what he regarded as the Coronary heart of the Sword and One with the Sword state. This was the height of his swordsmanship.

The one drawback was that his Battle Precognition appeared to solely see static. Was this man’s Statement Haki so excessive, that he might make any prediction Rayleigh tried out of date?

Since he couldn’t see by means of this man within the slightest, Rayleigh took his most dependable defensive stance and waited for Bogard to make the primary transfer.

And transfer he did. With what gave the impression to be a typical utilization of Shave, Bogard cleared the space between Rayleigh and himself similar to each different Marine swordsman Rayleigh had confronted. That was the place the similarities ended, together with the match.

After a single transfer, Bogard’s sword was on Rayleigh’s neck. Each single one of many hundreds of strands of sword aura contained in Rayleigh’s Nensaber had been handed by means of, lower cleanly.

Bogard then retracted his sword and stated, “You are good, however your sword lacks sincerity.” He then sheathed his sword and circled to stroll away.

Utterly ignoring the digital camera flashes and cries of the reporters surrounding him, each one among Rayleigh’s Wills analyzed what had simply occurred. Bogard’s sword didn’t really lower by means of Rayleigh’s sword. It handed by means of with out resistance, and the passing of the sword by means of the traces of sword aura is what precipitated the lower. It was like trigger and impact had been reversed.

Rayleigh’s Wills devoted themselves to a single query. HOW?!

It really solely took a second to determine it out. Bogard was inside Rayleigh’s En subject, so each fraction of motion he took was measured. Rayleigh solely realized after the truth that Bogard had fully matched Rayleigh’s respiratory rhythm. Increasing on that, Rayleigh realized that Bogard had by some means matched his sword to Rayleigh’s Nen. Rayleigh’s aura couldn’t harm himself or else any particular person utilizing Ren would trigger that particular person’s physique to blow up. By matching his sword to Rayleigh’s aura, Bogard’s sword handed by means of Rayleigh’s aura. It did not negate the power of Rayleigh’s aura, however it was like slicing alongside the grain. Was this how Swordmasters of this world used a sword? It reminded Rayleigh of the Mystic Eyes of Dying Notion, a capability that allowed its person to see and lower by means of the grains of the world with out resistance, letting him lower by means of and kill something.

Then there was Bogard’s recommendation. His sword lacked sincerity? Rayleigh was a trainer, so he didn’t take the remark as an insult, however correctly thought it over. All eighteen wills got here to the identical conclusion. Rayleigh appeared to have been unconsciously trying down on swords. Why else create a blade composed of remodeled sword aura? His nensaber did not have any precise substance, it was simply the mechanism that his sharpened sword aura circulated round. He did not really use a sword, however a sword-shaped chainsaw that lacked the internal steel half. Even when he was utilizing it gently, he was nonetheless simply utilizing traces of unsharpened aura circulating round that might not lower or hurt.

Why did this matter? From Rayleigh’s preliminary perspective, so long as it lower, it was a sword, and anything was pointless. This was seemingly the rationale he had been trying down on swords. However now that Bogard pointed it out, Rayleigh realized that he missed a couple of issues. The most important factor was that an insubstantial sword would by no means have a powerful sufficient basis to pile on all he needed his swordsmanship to be.

Rayleigh sweated a bit at this realization. Had he gone to Mihawk with this, he seemingly would have been beheaded. He wanted a sword. Fortunately, he knew simply what to do. It was time to make his third Hatsu.

As for Bogard, he skillfully prevented the reporters and returned from the place he got here. Bogard protected the popularity of the Marines like he had been despatched to do. On arriving again, a closely muscular man consuming crackers requested, “How was he?” Mentioned man didn’t witness the struggle, however he did not must ask the way it ended.

Bogard answered, “He jogged my memory of one other Rayleigh I used to cross swords with.”

The grey-haired cracker-eating Marine requested with curiosity, “Oh, do you suppose he may grow to be one other Darkish King?”

Bogard shook his head, “Not an opportunity.”

The person he answered then misplaced curiosity and went again to consuming crackers.

What Bogard didn’t say aloud was his feeling that Rayleigh wouldn’t grow to be one other Darkish King, however far surpass him.

*Creator’s Word*

Bogard’s struggle was how I interpreted a One Piece Swordmaster’s skill to chop by means of something by understanding its breath. Since aura resides, it is smart {that a} One Piece Swordmaster ought to be capable to lower by means of it as effectively, particularly if he watched Rayleigh’s struggle with Momonga to get a really feel of Rayleigh’s aura. I really doubt most One Piece Swordmasters might do that since they’d not learn about aura, however Board has taught Justice a couple of issues, so he’s conversant in aura, even when Justice tried to cover it.

This could additionally translate to with the ability to lower by means of a Warrior’s Ki if the Swordmaster was expert sufficient. For many who do not suppose a swordmaster’s skill to chop by means of something ought to embody religious stuff like Ki, I refer you to the Trafalgar Regulation vs Vergo struggle the place Vergo, somebody thought-about to have a few of the strongest armament Haki, was bisected, together with the mountain vary behind him. A Swordmaster can lower something.

Additionally, once I stated that Garp might struggle Nappa if he had Nen, lots of people stated no manner and that Garp didn’t have any assaults that would destroy a metropolis like Nappa did. To these folks, I check with the final web page, web page 16, of One Piece Chapter 1080.