Five years had passed since Michael first joined the God's Knights as a recruit, and his strength had risen at an unprecedented pace. At just 15 years old, Michael had already mastered his Devil Fruit abilities, allowing him to control them with ease. He could now replicate all of Gildarts' attacks and more, even recreating an ability similar to the Op-Op no Mi, enabling him to divide people into multiple parts without killing them.
However, the most unique technique he developed was his version of the Bunkai Teleport from Dragon Ball—a move where the user disassembles their body and reassembles it elsewhere. Michael's version allowed him to disassemble himself and teleport to any location within the range of his Observation Haki, making it a deadly and versatile technique.
He had also become a proficient Haki user, having unlocked Armament, Observation, and Conqueror's Haki. His mastery over Armament Haki had progressed to the point where he could use both Emission and Internal Destruction techniques. However, both his Observation and Conqueror's Haki had plateaued.
His Observation Haki stagnated mainly because it wasn't his primary focus. As for his Conqueror's Haki, the lack of proper guidance from Shamrock and Garling was a key factor—they both believed it would awaken more naturally through intense battles against stronger opponents, rather than through direct instruction.
But the area where Michael improved the most was his swordsmanship. Not only had he reached a state where he could cut anything at will, but he had also imbued every slash with Ryuo. Michael even created a signature move—similar to God's Avoidance and Zoro's Onigiri—which he named Ōkamikiri, or Fangs of Heaven. It combined all the elements of Byakko, his Crash-Crash Fruit, and the emission of Armament Haki. The technique was so powerful that when he used it against Shamrock during their fight, it took Shamrock several minutes to fully regenerate from the damage.
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Now, we could see Michael sparring against Shamrock, who was now using 90% of his peak strength to match Michael, as the last time they fought, Michael slashed towards Shamrock, imbuing it with his Ryuo, which Shamrock responded by slashing back, also imbuing his advance armament haki towards Michael, when both of their slashes met, it created a large explosion.
Michael then jumped towards Shamrock, imbuing his sword with his Armament haki, which was seen by Shamrock in his Advance Observation haki. Shamrock then immediately transformed his sword into Cerberus, and produced the swords in its mouth.
"Scramble," Shamrock ordered Cerberus. Cerberus then suddenly detached its three heads, their collars spinning like electric saws as they launched toward Michael.
Michael, who had been lunging toward Shamrock, shifted his direction with the help of Ingrid to evade the incoming attack. But the three heads pursued him relentlessly, eventually cornering him in a position where he was about to be struck from the right, left, and above.
Michael stopped, his eyes narrowing.
"Ōkamikiri: Tenku no Enjin," he declared, unleashing his most powerful attack in a sphere-like eruption, targeting all three heads of Cerberus simultaneously, while also aiming for Shamrock, who dodged the moment before the attack detonated.
Michael then fell, having ordered Ingrid not to fly. Shamrock did the opposite—he leapt toward his sword. Catching Cerberus mid-air, Shamrock immediately began channeling his attack toward Michael, preparing it in almost the same manner as during their last spar.
Now fighting at full strength, Shamrock imbued his strike with advanced Conqueror's Haki coating, layering it with Armament Haki as well. Michael observed closely, preparing his own strongest technique.
"CLOVER EXECUTION!" Shamrock roared, attacking Michael with his full might, his killing intent palpable, eyes sharp with focus.
Michael's senses sharpened the moment the blow was released. He could feel it—this strike would kill him if he failed to meet it head-on. But the danger only fueled his excitement. He refused to lose.
Michael was unnervingly calm for someone facing an attack that could kill him. But that calm wasn't emptiness—it was focus. He remembered all the training he had endured over the past five years, the hardships of his past life that he vowed never to return to, and the brutal experiences of Cain—the wars, the countless fights, every adversity he'd ever overcome. All of it converged at that moment.
Suddenly, Michael's Conqueror's Haki flared violently. Arcs of lightning crackled from his body, surging around him as he stood motionless, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When Shamrock closed the distance, just enough, Michael moved. He swung his sword cleanly, effortlessly, without the strain of Ryuo.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he saw the disbelief in Shamrock's eyes. Michael had done it—he had awakened his Supreme Haki, advancing it to the next level.
Their attacks collided in a blinding flash. The impact created a deadlock, and neither side yielded. Just then, Cerberus's three heads lunged from Shamrock's sword to bite Michael, but Byakko also reappeared, shielding Michael from the ferocious bite that his owner would have experienced. They just locked in for a while before jumping back, resetting their positions. Michael, who just used his Supreme Haki to coat his sword, grinned at Shamrock, who was just looking at Michael.
"It seems that I would be able to defeat you now Commander," Michael said, confident at his acquired skills against Shamrock who was just silent.
"Do not get cocky. If you think this is the full extent of my strength, then you have greatly underestimated me," Shamrock said as he readied his sword for another strike.
Seeing this, Michael braced himself, waiting for Shamrock to make the first move. After a few seconds of tense silence, Shamrock charged—Michael responded in kind. Both of their swords were now cloaked in Conqueror's Haki. With each slash and swing, arcs of black lightning erupted, accompanied by thunderous shockwaves. The sheer force of their clash shattered everything nearby, despite their blades never even making contact.
Shamrock and Michael's spar reached its end after five grueling hours of relentless clashes. Michael had exhausted his Conqueror's Haki—still new to its advanced application, he depleted his reserves quickly. Now, he relied solely on Ryuo to continue battling Shamrock, who still retained a significant amount of Haki.
Realizing he would lose in a battle of attrition, Michael pushed his strength to its absolute limit. This final surge of power didn't go unnoticed—Shamrock immediately sensed the spike in energy. Understanding it as a desperate, all-or-nothing strike, Shamrock decided to meet it head-on. Unbeknownst to Michael, Shamrock was also nearing the limits of his Haki reserves.
Both warriors prepared for the decisive moment.
Michael leapt into the air, using gravity to add momentum to his final blow. As he descended, sword aimed directly at Shamrock, his opponent stood grounded, gripping his weapon with both hands in anticipation. Their eyes locked. Michael's face twisted into a grin, wild and almost maniacal, while Shamrock's expression remained composed and focused.
As Michael closed the distance, both swung their swords simultaneously. The collision of their final attacks triggered a massive explosion, ripping through the ground beneath them and sending shockwaves across the training field.
When the dust settled, both men were still standing, injured, but conscious. Shamrock's wounds rapidly healed, a result of a mysterious force within him, while Michael's body began to recover through his natural resilience and Hercules' method.
"I won," Shamrock declared, his voice calm but firm.
Michael remained silent. He knew it was true, and his pride wouldn't allow him to argue. With a subtle nod, he acknowledged the defeat.