Three days passed quickly, and Li Yuan arrived at the Combat Pyramid, fully prepared. This final match would take place on the very top level—the eighteenth floor.
This top floor had no roof; everything was open to the sky. At four thousand meters above sea level, clouds drifted around the arena, shrouding it in mist, creating an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere.
"So this is the final battleground? So vast, so high, so open—it's invigorating!" The spectators, upon entering, were awestruck by the atmosphere, some even feeling as if they were on one of the Floating Islands of the Flying Pirates.
With a deep rumble, five enormous steel columns, each a hundred meters in diameter, rose from beneath the arena. These pillars lifted the steel platform, creating a gap of twenty meters between it and the base. This platform, the battlefield, spanned a hundred thousand square meters and was thick enough to withstand the most intense of battles, provided it wasn't attacked intentionally.
In addition, standing by the arena was Emile, a Steel Fruit user, ready to repair any damage instantly. Surrounding the arena, members of the Wuji Pirates—Barrett, Chinjao, Ashura Doji, and Howard—stood as sentries, ensuring the audience's safety from any collateral damage.
The sense of security was complete.
Li Yuan and Roger were already on the arena floor, all eyes on them. The World Swordsmanship Tournament's champion would emerge from their clash.
"Haha, Roger! This is our first time fighting, isn't it?" Li Yuan said, grinning.
"Haha, yes, Li Yuan! I've been eager to witness your swordsmanship, and now I finally have the chance!" Roger replied earnestly. As a Grandmaster Swordsman, he could hardly resist the opportunity to face Li Yuan.
After all, every swordsman yearned to understand how Li Yuan could wield three different sword intents simultaneously, something none of them could achieve.
"Haha! Then come, Roger—let's give this everything we've got!" Li Yuan declared, laughing. "I know your strength lies in Conqueror's and Armament Haki, so no need to hold back."
"You can see the fortifications around us. As long as we don't intentionally aim for the stands, my crew will handle any shockwaves."
Golden Lion, who had been watching nearby, floated over, laughing. "Ka-haha! Li Yuan's right, Roger. Go all out! Even if those youngsters can't handle it, I'll take care of it."
Whitebeard joined in, saying, "Ka-la-la! Li Yuan, Roger, don't worry. If Golden Lion can't hold the shockwaves, I'll step in."
"Whitebeard, don't insult me! Like I'd have trouble handling shockwaves," Golden Lion grumbled.
"Haha, then let's fight with everything we've got!" Roger's Haki flared as he spoke, an overwhelming aura of Conqueror's Haki that radiated his indomitable will and his disdain for anything that stood in his path.
Li Yuan activated his own Conqueror's Haki, infused with the power of his three sword intents, making it even more potent than Roger's.
As the two auras clashed, a thunderous boom shook the arena. Red lightning crackled through the sky, forcing the clouds to scatter, revealing sunlight above.
"The sky… it's splitting!"
Spectators both at the arena and those watching worldwide were in shock. Few could comprehend that mere auras could alter the heavens themselves.
As the two Conqueror's Hakis collided, Barrett and Chinjao activated their own auras, each taking a side of the arena, shielding the spectators from the shockwaves.
Many were amazed by the revelation that both Barrett and Chinjao possessed Conqueror's Haki as well. Though not unheard of in the New World, it was still significant, as Conqueror's Haki was often seen as the mark of a king. Those who possessed it rarely submitted to others, making it all the more surprising that Li Yuan commanded two such powerful allies.
After the initial clash, both warriors retracted their auras.
In a blink, Roger vanished from sight, drawing his blade Ace from its sheath. His sword was wrapped in the combined power of Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, crackling with a sinister red lightning.
"Divine Avoidance!"
Roger attacked with his full strength, unleashing his most powerful move right from the start.
"Haha, let's go all out!" Li Yuan's laughter rang out as he infused the Seven-Star Sword with his three combined sword intents, along with Armament and Conqueror's Haki.
"Explosive Step!"
With a burst of speed, Li Yuan closed the gap, his sword trailing a crimson streak of lightning as he unleashed a devastating strike.
"Triple Sword Intent Secret Art: Divine Severance!"
Two supreme-grade swords, both infused with Conqueror's Haki, clashed. The force of the impact warped the surrounding air and disrupted the magnetic field, creating a storm of turbulence.
Thanks to the four protectors around the arena, the shockwaves were contained. Barrett even created a gravity field to further mitigate the impact. Transparent, reinforced glass shields protected the audience, though the oppressive spiritual pressure from the clash still made them uneasy.
The clash between the Seven-Star Sword and Ace created a terrifying black hole, absorbing even the sunlight, plunging the battlefield into darkness.
Both swordsmen's hands trembled as they poured all their strength into the clash, their eyes locked on each other, determined to break the deadlock.
Yet, after a prolonged standoff, neither could overpower the other, and they both stepped back.
"Haha! It's been ages since I fought with my full strength! Come, Roger, let's make this a true battle!" Li Yuan's blood surged with excitement.
Neither his battle against Galing Saint nor his clashes with the World Government, where he had slain two Admirals and a CP0 Vice Chief, had given him this same thrill.
"Triple Sword Intent Secret Art: Conqueror's Aura—Blood Dragon Void Splitter!"
With a swing of Li Yuan's sword, a thousand-meter blood dragon manifested, formed from the fusion of his three sword intents and Haki.
Everyone watched in awe as the blood dragon took flight, twisting and roaring with life, as though it were a real creature, complete with scales, talons, and a fierce dragon's presence.
"Li Yuan's sword intent… he's reached this level?" Golden Lion muttered in disbelief.
Golden Lion was famous for creating massive lion-shaped attacks with his Float-Float Fruit, but that was a Devil Fruit ability, merely enhanced by his swordsmanship. Creating such a lifelike creature purely from sword intent was far beyond him.
Had he not known Li Yuan hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit, Golden Lion would have assumed Li Yuan had consumed the Sword-Sword Fruit.
"Haha! I haven't faced such a worthy opponent in ages—let's do this, Li Yuan!" Roger laughed, activating his unique Observation Haki that allowed him to hear all things.
Even Li Yuan's blood dragon emitted a faint sound. Using this, Roger pinpointed its weakness.
In an instant, Roger located the dragon's vulnerable spot and charged for its eye, his sword Ace crackling with Conqueror's Haki.
"Divine Avoidance!"
With a single strike, Roger shattered the blood dragon's form, dispersing the concentrated sword energy into glittering particles that filled the sky.
"Haha! Li Yuan, take this!" Roger shouted, closing in on Li Yuan with another Divine Avoidance.
Li Yuan grinned, welcoming the challenge. "I don't avoid divine strikes—I surpass them!"
"Triple Sword Intent Secret Art: Conqueror's Aura—Dominion of the Overlord!"
He drew upon his knowledge of the Elbaf warriors' ultimate technique, Baugur. With a single strike, Li Yuan channeled a powerful shockwave imbued with immense penetration, capable of destroying islands.
Roger, sensing the incoming shockwave, redirected his Divine Avoidance, colliding with the attack head-on. The resulting clash distorted the air and created ripples in the space around them.
Only Roger, through his immense skill, could withstand the power of this enhanced Baugur, though he was forced back several hundred meters.
Then Li Yuan closed the distance, and their swords clashed in the most intense duel.
Only the strongest present could track their movements, a blur of sword strikes and flashing steel.
Li Yuan's mastery of three sword intents surpassed Roger's in power, while Roger's supreme Armament Haki gave him an edge in defense. Their Conqueror's Hakis were on par, leaving little difference there.
While Li Yuan's Haki-honed body was formidable, Roger's physical strength, honed over decades, was nearly its equal.
The two were evenly matched, and it was impossible to predict the victor.
"So this is the power of hearing the voice of all things," Li Yuan mused, observing Roger's unique Observation Haki in action.
Roger's Haki seemed to interact with the world itself, allowing him to manipulate environmental forces to his advantage.
With Li Yuan's Observation Haki, he noticed that Roger's movements were assisted by the wind, enhancing his speed and reducing resistance. Conversely, the air currents opposed Li Yuan's movements, creating subtle hindrances.
Roger's ability to communicate with and harness the forces of the world meant his strength would only grow over time.
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