Conqueror's Haki?
Of course not. What Kaguya had released was merely her dragon aura.
As a Saber possessing the bloodline of the Red Dragon, it was only natural that she wielded certain abilities of a dragon. Releasing dragon aura was one of them—a power that instilled fear and awe, suppressing others mentally.
Though the mechanism differed from Conqueror's Haki, the resulting effect was strikingly similar—each possessed the power to dominate and overwhelm. In fact, dragon aura was far more potent than standard Conqueror's Haki, its oppressive might nearly tangible. Ordinary people stood no chance before it, and the sight of Marines and pirates collapsing everywhere made that perfectly clear.
Everyone below the rank of Vice Admiral had fainted. Even Vice Admirals and high-ranking members of the Whitebeard Pirates were struggling to resist the force, their bodies swaying under the pressure.
Sengoku was visibly shaken, and even the three Marine Admirals and Marco turned their eyes toward the sudden appearance of the golden-haired girl. Even Whitebeard glanced at Kaguya more than once.
In a less noticeable corner, Mihawk's hawk-like eyes locked onto Kaguya. A sharp gleam flickered in his gaze, and his hand subconsciously reached for the black blade on his back.
On the platform, Sengoku swung his arm and shouted, "Stop her now! Don't let her get any closer!"
Everyone knew Artoria was a renowned powerhouse—rumored to possess strength equal to Whitebeard. If she intervened, the tide of battle could shift dramatically.
The Whitebeard Pirates were on the verge of collapse. Just a little more effort would finish them off, ending the era of a pirate crew that had defied the World Government for decades. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—any misstep now would be disastrous.
"Yes, sir!"
All the remaining Vice Admirals who hadn't been knocked out surged forward, shouting as they charged toward Kaguya like a tidal wave.
"Times sure have changed," Kaguya said, turning to face them with interest. "Those young brats I once trained have now become high-ranking officers. Quite the achievement."
Among the Vice Admirals charging toward her were many who had once trained under Kaguya. She recognized several familiar faces and could even call some of them by name.
Over a decade had passed, and those once-grueling trainees, pushed to the brink under Kaguya's harsh drills, were now capable commanders. The thought made her reflect briefly on the swift passage of time.
But the Vice Admirals, unaware that this woman was their former instructor, took her words as mockery. Their expressions darkened, and one shouted angrily, "Stop acting arrogant, damn pirate! Prepare to die!"
Swords and blades in hand, the Vice Admirals roared and charged toward her.
Kaguya sighed. "I thought after ten years you'd have matured, even a little. Turns out you're just as naive. Seems your so-called instructor wasn't much either."
Those seemingly casual words ignited their fury. One Vice Admiral roared through clenched teeth, "How dare you insult our instructor, you filthy pirate!"
"You're not qualified to talk about our teacher!"
"Exactly! A mere pirate like you can't compare to our instructor!"
Looking at the young officers—no older than their thirties—Kaguya smiled faintly and said, "So this so-called instructor of yours... is really that impressive?"
"Of course!" Vice Admiral Dalmatian lifted his chin proudly. "Our instructor was the strongest person in the world—noble, righteous, and unmatched."
Strong? Kaguya didn't disagree. But noble and righteous? What a joke.
"That's right," added Vice Admiral Mozambia. "We didn't understand her harsh training back then. We thought she was just toying with us."
Another Vice Admiral chimed in, "Later, we realized she did it to make us stronger. We misunderstood her good intentions and even insulted and resented her."
"Exactly. Back then, we were too ignorant to appreciate it."
"Who would've thought... Instructor was actually a good person."
Their eyes began to glisten as they reminisced. The achievements they had now were all thanks to that hellish training. Looking back, they realized that if it hadn't been for her brutal drills, they wouldn't be who they were today.
Too bad they were wrong. The truth? Kaguya had put them through hell simply out of boredom. It was nothing more than a wicked hobby.
"If we get the chance, we'll thank her properly," Dalmatian said suddenly, clenching his fists. "We were too childish back then."
"Yes—Lady Kaguya will always be our teacher."
"So we won't allow anyone to insult her."
"Anyone who dares insult our teacher... won't walk away unpunished!"
But just as the Vice Admirals were stirred with emotion, a cold chill filled the air. A piercingly icy voice cut in.
"So you admit you slandered, cursed, and disrespected me... behind my back?"
The freezing tone brought them crashing back to reality. When they saw Kaguya's icy expression, they shuddered. Their legs almost gave out. For a moment, it felt like they'd returned to those terrifying days of relentless training.
What was going on with this woman? Why did she feel so eerily similar to their former instructor? Only their teacher had ever struck fear into them like this.
But that was impossible.
Their instructor had disappeared long ago. There was no way she could be here. And this girl—though stunning—still seemed a far cry from the legendary beauty they remembered.
"Seems I went too easy on you back then," Kaguya said as she stroked her gleaming sword. With a cold glance, she twirled the blade once and added, "Let me give you all a proper lesson."
The Vice Admirals laughed.
Dalmatian snorted. "You? Even if you're strong, you're no match for us. You're not even close to our instructor's level. Sure, she had a bad temper and was unreasonable, arrogant, and moody—but still, you're nothing like her."
He kept on ranting, oblivious to the growing fury on Kaguya's face.
Her voice came low and venomous, like it was squeezed through gritted teeth.
"You ignorant fools... all of you—go die."
"Excalibur!"
Boom!
"Aaargh!"
Accompanied by screams of agony, the previously proud Vice Admirals were launched into the air. Clearly, they had yet to realize just who they were facing.
Everyone present was stunned. No one had expected the legendary Artoria to be this violent when angered. In just a few swift moves, she had sent five or six elite Vice Admirals flying—these were the Navy's finest, after all.
"Not a single one of you can fight," Kaguya said coldly, her elegant brow rising as she glanced around. "Anyone else want to die?"
The atmosphere grew icy. A person capable of sending that many Vice Admirals flying with ease—how could anyone but an Admiral even think of being her match?
But the Admirals were still entangled with the Whitebeard Pirates, unable to intervene for the moment. The scene fell into an awkward silence.
Just then, Dracule Mihawk suddenly appeared. With a few agile leaps, he stood before Kaguya.
Kaguya turned to face him, the corner of her lips curling slightly. "What, are you here to get beaten too?"
Mihawk said nothing. He silently drew the black blade from his back, holding it in his hand—his intent clear.
"Hey, hey, you're not seriously thinking of challenging her, are you?" Doflamingo strolled over with his usual swagger, grinning. "That's not a wise move."
Mihawk's eyes narrowed. "There are many swordsmen here, but they are all pitifully weak."
"So you want to challenge her?" Doflamingo chuckled. "Don't kid yourself—you're not her match."
"You'll never know unless you try," Mihawk replied, his gaze fixed on Kaguya.
Doflamingo smirked wickedly. "Fine, but don't come crying to me when you get crushed. She's not like the chumps you've fought before."
"Since you want to try," Kaguya said with a cold smile, "then I'll play with you."
As she spoke, she raised her arm, and the black-red sword in her hand sliced through the air. Her figure flashed like a phantom—within a split second, she was already in front of Mihawk.
So fast.
Mihawk's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward sharply and raised his black blade high, slashing it down with force. A pale blue arc of energy tore through the air toward Kaguya.
"Slash!"
Clang!
A sharp clash of metal rang out as their blades collided, sending out dazzling sparks.
"So this is the world's so-called greatest swordsman?" Kaguya smirked. "Overrated. Not impressed."
Mihawk snorted, twisting his wrist as his black sword deflected hers with a loud clang. His arms tensed, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes. A powerful aura burst forth from him.
At the same time, an invisible whirlwind began swirling around his blade. Mihawk let out a low cry, raised the black sword high with both hands, and slashed down fiercely.
"Gale Hawk Slash!"
A sharp arc of sword energy burst from the blade, tearing through the air like pale blue lightning, appearing in front of Kaguya in the blink of an eye.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "That's not how swordsmanship works. Yours is nothing but flashy tricks."
Mihawk's gaze sharpened. "What did you say?"
Kaguya glanced at him and said, "With your current level, you still dream of being the world's greatest swordsman? Don't make me laugh."
As she spoke, she kicked off the ground like an arrow from a bow, charging straight into the oncoming sword wave.
She's insane!
Everyone around was dumbfounded. What was she doing? That was an attack from the world's greatest swordsman!
Only Mihawk seemed to sense something, his hawk-like eyes fixed on her slender form.
Just as the sword wave was about to engulf her, Kaguya raised her arm. Her black-red blade flashed through the air like a streak of light and thrust forward.
Mihawk's pupils contracted sharply, and the others showed expressions of disbelief.
With a single, casual strike mid-air, Kaguya shattered Mihawk's fierce sword energy into chaotic fragments of wind blades.
Boom boom boom!
The deafening blast shattered rock and sent debris flying. The chaotic blades of wind slammed into a nearby warship, instantly tearing it apart into a heap of ruins.
How is this possible?
Mihawk's pupils trembled as disbelief overtook his expression.
Others might not understand, but as a master swordsman, he could clearly see the truth.
Every powerful technique has a weakness—and his Gale Hawk Slash was no exception.
Kaguya's sword had struck the weak point precisely at the moment of contact, completely unraveling the attack. That level of perception and sword mastery was extraordinary.
She was, without a doubt, a true swordmaster.
"Hasn't anyone told you that it's dangerous to lose focus in a fight? Or do you think I'm not worth your attention?"
A melodic voice suddenly rang in his ear. Mihawk's pupils shrank—Kaguya had appeared behind him without his notice.
A slicing sound split the air behind his head. Shocked, Mihawk turned to block—
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash rang out. Caught off guard, Mihawk was knocked backward. His arm went numb, and his eyes narrowed—her strength exceeded his expectations.
Before he could steady himself, Kaguya's flurry of strikes rained down like a storm.
Clang clang clang!
Relentless clashes rang through the battlefield as blades collided, sending brilliant sparks flying.
Only then did people realize—the world's greatest swordsman was being overwhelmed. Mihawk was completely on the defensive, struggling under Kaguya's barrage with no chance to counter.
How could this be?
Mihawk might not be the strongest overall, but his swordsmanship was unrivaled. Even Red-Haired Shanks would have a hard time against him without Haki. Yet now, he was being dominated.
Artoria... could she really be this powerful?
Then Mihawk suddenly spoke. "Who are you really? What's your relationship with Kaguya? How do you know her sword techniques?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven