One Piece: Conquering Wanokuni at Start

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There was no doubt about it—a spectacular show was unfolding.

The guests at the birthday banquet watched with rapt attention, eager to see the battle play out. Most of them, however, were particularly curious about how far this young girl had mastered the legendary power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

With the roar of the crowd, the competition officially began, and the Fire Festival's atmosphere surged to its peak.

One sword style: Swallowtail!

Derek wasted no time. After a year of observing Yamato, he knew she was no ordinary opponent—she was a terrifying monster, even at only thirteen years old. The swordsman unleashed his full strength from the very start.

His aura exploded outward as his weapon gleamed with precision. In an instant, six attacks sliced toward Yamato, striking from six directions in a circular formation.

Crack! Crackle!

Electricity erupted violently around Yamato's body. A powerful wave of energy burst outward, reducing the ground beneath her feet to dust in the blink of an eye.

With her mace in hand, Yamato didn't hesitate. She lifted her right foot sharply, and before Derek could blink, she vanished, her body transforming into a flash of lightning. All of his attacks missed their mark.

"Raimei Hakke!"

In less than a second, Yamato reappeared, her form crackling with intense lightning. The surge of electricity combined with her Armament Haki as her mace came crashing down on Derek with unstoppable force.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion of thunder reverberated through the arena as Derek's defenses shattered instantly. The electrified Haki engulfed him, overwhelming his body and rendering him unconscious in an instant.

Like a baseball struck out of the park, Derek's limp body was hurled hundreds of meters off the floating island. He crashed into the distance, where attendants quickly retrieved him and rushed him to the hospital for treatment.

"The winner of the first round is… Yamato-sama!" the announcer declared.

The fight wasn't just decisive—it was a display of sheer dominance.

Derek, a swordsman whose strength rivaled that of many pirate supernovas, had been defeated in a single blow. The guests fell silent, struggling to reconcile the overwhelming power of the young girl standing before them.

The silence only amplified Yamato's victory, showcasing her terrifying mastery of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, her overwhelming strength, and her immense potential. Many in the crowd couldn't help but think that when she fully matured, she might rival the three Marine Admirals themselves.

'Where did Alex find this monster?!' That thought echoed in the minds of many guests. Even Doflamingo, typically smug and self-assured, furrowed his brow as he assessed Yamato. A faint unease crept into his thoughts as he considered how difficult it might be to deal with her in the future.

'What a joke…' he cursed silently.

Suddenly, the silence broke with a thunderous round of applause. Yamato beamed and waved enthusiastically at the Den Den Mushi's projection, her demeanor shifting from a terrifying warrior to a cheerful young girl.

This duality—of an unstoppable force and an endearing personality—only added to her growing reputation. Among the people of Wanokuni, who revered strength above all else, Yamato was quickly becoming an icon.

The screen transitioned to the next stage. With Yamato's dominance over Island No. 1 secured, the focus shifted to Island No. 2, where two more competitors had already taken their positions.

The crowd stirred as the combatants came into view. One was a calm and composed man wearing round glasses, while the other was someone well-known to the audience: former Vice Admiral "Momousagi" Gion, who had defected from the Marines not long ago.

The sight of Gion caused Stussy and Rosinante to stiffen in their seats, their expressions turning serious. All eyes locked onto the screen, save for Morgans, who muttered excitedly to himself as he furiously jotted notes.

"Next, on Island No. 2," Morgans announced with unrestrained enthusiasm, "we have two of the most renowned swordsmen in Wanokuni today! First, the master swordsman Shimotsuki Koshiro, who stands as the most skilled blade outside of the Shogun himself!"

"And his opponent," Morgans continued, "is none other than Lady Gion of the Shogun's Royal Guard, a warrior whose kendo prowess is unmatched. She has defeated legends like Ushimaru and Lord Yasuie in single combat and is undeniably the greatest female swordsman in Wanokuni!"

The cheers that erupted for this matchup far surpassed those for the previous fight. Samurai and kendo were integral to Wanokuni's identity, and these two combatants represented its pinnacle.

However, on the stage, both Gion and Koshiro wore faintly resigned expressions. They hadn't entered the competition willingly and, for now, had little interest in the prizes on offer.

The former, Koshiro, sought only to deepen his mastery of fluid and adaptable swordsmanship, a skill that had already reached astonishing heights. The latter, Gion, was solely focused on advancing her swordsmanship talent, striving to cross the threshold into the realm of true mastery.

Their presence on this stage wasn't of their own volition—it was orchestrated by Alex as part of the festival's spectacle. After all, this was the first year the Fire Festival included a competitive tournament, and showcasing the might of Wanokuni's warriors was an unspoken goal.

Though she hadn't initiated this match, Gion found herself eager. As she looked at Koshiro, her heart stirred with anticipation. It wasn't every day she had the chance to clash blades with the second person in Wanokuni to ever completely overwhelm her in swordsmanship—Alex being the first.

"Then, let the competition begin!"

The moment the announcement was made,

Swish!

Gion vanished in a flash, her speed so extraordinary that even the high-precision lenses of the projection Den Den Mushi struggled to capture her movements. In the blink of an eye, afterimages of her figure blurred across the battlefield before she reappeared above Koshiro, Konpira  in hand, unleashing a devastating slash from above.

"You truly are the fastest swordswoman I've ever encountered," Koshiro remarked, unfazed. His eyes gleamed with admiration as he reached for Wado Ichimonji, his voice calm but resolute. "I'm curious, Gion—when you ascend to the level of a true Great Swordsman, what heights will you reach?"

The legendary blade left its sheath in an instant, and with a swift counter, Koshiro unleashed a chilling force, his strike meeting Gion's in mid-air.

Boom!

A shockwave erupted, sending a violent gale across the battlefield. Sand and debris billowed outward like a raging sandstorm, the sheer intensity of the clash leaving deep fissures in the ground below. Even through the projection, the audience could feel the magnitude of their swordsmanship.

Koshiro held firm against Gion's strike, and the moment he retaliated, it was as though his entire being elevated into a higher state. A palpable shift in his aura forced Gion to retreat slightly, her instincts on high alert.

Her heart trembled. It was this transformation in Koshiro's presence—the seamless integration of his spirit and swordsmanship—that marked the divide between them. This was the elusive threshold of a Great Swordsman, the very realm she sought but had yet to attain.

"Now, it's my turn to attack," Koshiro declared.

He swung a simple slash, one that seemed unremarkable at first. Yet, within moments, the strike gave birth to a monumental wave of sword energy, cascading downward with precision and power.

Determined to experience the full force of his technique, Gion stepped forward, raising her saber in defiance. The collision was fierce, and it took every ounce of her strength to withstand the attack. As the energy dissipated, Gion couldn't deny the widening gap between them.

"So, this is what it means to return to the essence of swordsmanship," she thought to herself.

The lesson wasn't new—she had heard it before in her many consultations with Alex. His guidance had been clear: only by fully integrating one's heart and spirit with the sword could a swordsman reach a higher level of understanding. At that stage, the posture, intent, and energy of the blade would transcend deliberate action, allowing complete control over the ebb and flow of swordsmanship.

"For ordinary swordsmen," Alex had once explained, "their sword intent is visible the moment they draw their blade—an unstoppable surge of energy that overwhelms their opponent. But for a true Great Swordsman, that power is completely under control. They can retract and release it at will, making them appear to the untrained eye as nothing more than ordinary individuals holding swords."

Gion reflected on this as she faced Koshiro, recognizing that he embodied this mastery. His every strike carried the weight of not just intent, but also memory and potential—a culmination of his countless experiences and innate talent.

Her grip on Konpira tightened as she shook her head. With a sharp motion, the tie holding her hair fell loose, and her black locks billowed freely in the wind, framing her determined expression.

"Then… let's do this seriously," she said with renewed resolve, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.