Up above!
The figure in the sky confirmed Hui as his target and, without hesitation, drew the longsword hanging at his waist. With a single slash—
A terrifying strike descended from the heavens.
It was formless sword energy, condensed from over thirty years of relentless sword cultivation.
Before the slash even landed, a chilling aura filled the air.
Down below, the Rear Admiral who was just about to leave suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. He instinctively turned his head, only to see the descending slash already right in front of him.
Fortunately—
The attack wasn't aimed at him.
If it were, he'd likely be seriously wounded, if not dead.
The fact that just a single sword strike could put a Marine Rear Admiral at risk spoke volumes about the attacker's strength.
At the very least, this was someone with the power of a Marine Vice Admiral.
Yet, in the face of such a devastating slash, Hui remained utterly calm.
He extended a single hand—
A single finger.
With a light tap of his fingertip, a radiant glow flashed—
And the Armament Haki shattered instantly!
The Rear Admiral involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath.
His entire scalp tingled with shock.
A deep, primal terror filled his heart, but at the same time, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over him.
Thankfully, his instincts had been right.
Thankfully, he hadn't made the mistake of attacking this man earlier.
Had he done so, he would most likely be dead by now.
But now, the situation had escalated beyond his control.
He recognized the man in the sky, Mox, a Zoan Mythical Devil Fruit user under the direct command of the World Government.
Mox was not only a Devil Fruit user but also a true swordsman of formidable power.
The fact that he had taken the initiative to attack Hui meant that he was certain of his target's identity.
And as a Marine, the Rear Admiral knew he was expected to assist Mox.
Damn it! If I had left just a little earlier, I wouldn't be caught in this mess!
He clenched his jaw, silently cursing his own curiosity.
Why did I have to get close? Why didn't I just sail away when I had the chance?
"Is this Armament Haki? Interesting."
Hui muttered with intrigue.
This was the first time he had directly faced the sword energy of this world.
And it fascinated him.
"You dared to commit such an offense, there is no escape for you today!"
Mox descended slightly, looking down at Hui from the sky.
But the moment he got a clear view of what was beneath Hui's feet, his pupils shrank.
A massive Sea King.
This man could control such a creature?
Unbelievable!
"No escape?"
Hui chuckled.
"What an amusing phrase."
Then, he lifted his gaze to Mox, his tone filled with genuine interest.
"I'm curious about your swordsmanship. Show me."
Mox's heart sank.
What arrogance!
There was not the slightest trace of panic in this man's demeanor.
It was as if killing a Celestial Dragon meant nothing to him.
"Then I shall grant your wish!"
Mox declared, slashing his sword once more.
Another devastating strike—
This one even stronger than the last, carrying an overwhelming sharpness.
Hui's eyes remained locked on the attack, analyzing its very nature.
Then—
He reached out with his hand.
And in the next instant, to the utter shock of both Mox and the Rear Admiral—
Hui grabbed the sword energy with his bare hand!
Hiss...!
A faint sizzling sound echoed as the condensed sword energy crackled violently in his grip, attempting to pierce his flesh.
Yet, Hui's expression remained composed.
His eyes lit up with intrigue.
"So this is how it works? Interesting… truly fascinating."
He murmured to himself, seemingly lost in thought.
Mox and the Rear Admiral exchanged uneasy glances.
Neither of them had any idea what Hui was talking about—
But they knew they were in serious trouble.
"Again."
After letting the sword energy dissipate in his hand, Hui turned to Mox, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Use your strongest sword technique. Show me your most powerful slash."
Mox stiffened.
The weight of the situation finally dawned on him.
What was supposed to be an easy mission…
Had become anything but that.
The man before him was terrifyingly enigmatic, exuding an eerie mystery that sent shivers down one's spine.
Yet, as a true swordsman, Mox quickly suppressed the turmoil in his heart and began gathering his strength.
After two or three seconds, he struck.
"One Blade Slash: Hurricane!"
This was a named sword technique, Mox's strongest attack.
Countless souls had perished beneath this blade.
But today, this attack was destined to be utterly futile.
Hui casually waved his hand—
A surge of energy shot upward, completely shattering the sword energy.
Witnessing this, Mox made a split-second decision, he turned and fled without hesitation.
Though he possessed a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit ability, his true strength lay in his swordsmanship.
And now, his most powerful slash had been effortlessly neutralized.
To continue fighting would be nothing short of suicide.
He didn't even need to think twice, escape was the only option.
The World Government and the Marines were vast organizations with countless powerful individuals.
Surely, someone out there could defeat this monster.
After all, retreating to wait for reinforcements were also a part of strategy!
But did he really think Hui would let him escape so easily?
At some point, a sword had appeared in Hui's hand, his divine weapon, Zhi Yi, the First Sword.
Recalling the essence of the sword energy he had just experienced…
Remembering Mox's posture when unleashing that slash…
Hui closed his eyes.
In that instant, countless sword strikes flashed through his mind.
Then, as he reopened his eyes—
They gleamed with brilliance.
"Crescent Moon!"
Two words left his lips as his sword swung.
A crescent arc, luminous and razor-sharp, shot forth—
Like a curved bow, like a rainbow—
From Hui's Zhi Yi to Mox's fleeing body.
This was not his previous Silver Moon technique.
This was something new.
A brand-new sword art.
A pure sword technique, free from any external energy interference.
Just moments ago, in that brief span of time, Hui had already mastered it.
If the people of this world knew about this, they would be utterly dumbfounded.
It was simply beyond belief.
But to Hui, this was only natural.
At his level—
With his mental state tand physique—
As long as it wasn't an absurdly complex ability, techniques relying solely on the body's movements…
Were things he could replicate at a single glance.
As if copying them outright.
The Crescent Moon slash appeared swiftly—
And vanished just as quickly, fading into the air within mere seconds.
All that remained—
Was Mox, his body frozen midair, strength rapidly draining from his limbs.
He looked down in horror—
At the fresh blood spilling from his chest, right above his heart.
Fear filled his eyes.
He didn't even have time to utter a final word before his body plummeted.
Splash!
A loud splash echoed across the sea as Mox plunged into the ocean.
Like all Devil Fruit users, he was completely helpless in water.
The moment his body made contact, his strength was sapped away, leaving him powerless.
His fate was sealed—
Unless someone rescued him.
And at this moment, the only ones capable of saving him…
Were the Marines.
Hui turned his gaze toward the Marine Rear Admiral, who was now completely petrified.
The Rear Admiral trembled violently, swallowing hard as he forced a grimace that was uglier than crying.
"I-I… I saw nothing…"
He stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hui raised an eyebrow.
This guy… his survival instincts are really strong.
But he had no interest in dealing with such an insignificant figure.
Since the Rear Admiral had enough sense to avoid trouble, Hui saw no reason to waste time crushing an ant beneath his foot.
Without another glance, he turned away and continued forward.
Onboard the warship, the Rear Admiral dared not even breathe too loudly.
He and his crew remained completely silent, watching as Hui's figure gradually disappeared into the horizon.
Only when Hui was completely out of sight did the Rear Admiral finally exhale.
And it was a deep, heavy breath.
"Thank god… he's not a bloodthirsty killer. Otherwise, we'd all be dead here today."
He muttered, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.
Just then, a soldier rushed over with an urgent report.
"Rear Admiral! A fleet has been spotted behind us! It's our Marine fleet!"
The soldier's voice carried unmasked excitement, as if the approaching fleet had restored his sense of security.
However—
Hearing those words, the Rear Admiral's expression stiffened.
A bad feeling crept over him.
No way… no way, no way…
Don't tell me—
Something else is about to go wrong?!
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