"First Form: Nadegiri!!!"
Even without flames, the technique was devastating.
This wasn't some common slash any swordsman could learn. This came from Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—the man hailed as Soul Society's strongest warrior for over a thousand years.
A millennium of combat experience distilled into a single strike.
The motion looked simple. Just a swing. But the timing of force application, the blade angle, the precise wrist rotation—every element had to be perfect.
Far more profound than Mihawk's Black Blade: Slash.
When Kai executed it, Mihawk's eyes went wide.
Brilliant. Transcendent.
He forgot the blade was about to cut him down. In that moment, only the technique existed—searing itself into his mind with crystalline clarity.
His swordsmanship... is stronger than mine.
The realization should have hurt.
Instead, Mihawk smiled.
Nadegiri struck home.
Right shoulder to left hip. The wound opened like a canyon—blood erupting in a crimson spray that painted the ground beneath him.
Mihawk's body fell backward, arms spread wide.
The World's Greatest Swordsman—
—defeated.
Kai watched him hit the ground. Mihawk's face was already going pale. Another few minutes and blood loss would finish what the blade started.
He gestured to a nearby Marine Major.
The officer froze. Clearly hadn't expected to be called. Then scrambled onto the training ground, snapping off a salute.
"Ad-Admiral White Dragon!" His voice cracked slightly. "Your orders, sir!"
Hard to stay calm with thousands of eyes watching. Warlords. An Admiral. The weight of all that attention.
"Take Mihawk to medical." Kai's tone was flat. "Make sure he doesn't die."
"Yes, Admiral White Dragon!"
The Major hoisted Mihawk's limp form and ran. The crowd parted instantly—a corridor several meters wide opening through the packed training ground.
Then—
WHOOSH
A bear paw-shaped air cannon screamed toward the back of Kai's skull.
Silent. Invisible. Lethal.
Bartholomew Kuma had struck.
Kai's head tilted.
Just slightly. Just enough.
The pressure cannon missed by centimeters—then kept going. Punched clean through a Marine building hundreds of meters away like it was made of paper.
Terrifying.
Pad Cannon—Kuma's signature move. Compressed atmosphere fired at devastating speed, creating shockwaves that could penetrate anything.
Kai's voice came out cold.
"I know we're fighting right now, Kuma." He turned slowly. "But attacking me while my back's turned? That pisses me off."
Kuma's expression was grave.
He'd timed that strike perfectly—caught Kai at his most relaxed moment. And the bastard had still dodged it effortlessly.
Bartholomew Kuma.
Paw-Paw Fruit user. Paw-pad human.
One of the most broken Paramecia abilities in existence.
The power itself was simple: repel things. But simplicity meant potential. The more straightforward an ability, the more creative you could get with development.
Like Luffy's Rubber Fruit—just body elasticity, but he'd turned it into Gear Second, Gear Third, Gear Fourth, and God knew how many more transformations.
Kuma had done the same thing.
Repel attacks. Repel air. Repel objects. Hell, he could even repel abstract concepts like fatigue and pain—mental constructs made physical and pushed away.
Apply that to himself? Light-speed movement.
Absolute bullshit. Even if Kuma wasn't quite Yonko-level, he wasn't far off.
Which made Kai wonder—what the hell was Dragon planning that was worth giving up this kind of combat power?
Not important right now.
Because Kai was angry.
And when Kai got angry, people died.
His right hand opened. Ryūjin Jakka floated free—then dissolved into points of starlight that merged back into his body.
The Marines watching gasped.
Then remembered who they were watching and calmed down. No point questioning it.
That's Admiral White Dragon. Impossible is his baseline.
Kai wasn't using Ryūjin Jakka for this fight. Shikai's flames had too much range—would torch half the Marines watching. And besides, the Rinne Sharingan's power had fully synchronized.
Time to test it properly.
"Shinra Tensei!!!"
He threw a punch.
A massive deep-blue chakra fist exploded forward—easily the size of a house, crackling with energy that made the air scream.
Kuma's eyes widened.
Death. He could feel it radiating off that attack.
He took a breath—
—and his entire body swelled.
Transformed into a giant paw-pad just as the chakra fist connected.
BWOMM
The pad compressed. Then bounced.
Shinra Tensei shot backward, deflected cleanly away.
Kai's eyebrow rose.
"Impressive." Genuine surprise colored his voice. "You can even repel that."
Kuma returned to human form.
His face was sheet-white. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Deflecting that attack had taken everything.
He pressed one hand to his shoulder.
A massive red bubble emerged behind him—all his accumulated fatigue made visible, then pushed away.
Ursus Shock: Healing Paw.
His color returned. Energy flooded back. Spirit restored to peak condition in an instant.
Kai's smile sharpened.
"Round two, then."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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