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"A fight? It's really an offer that I cannot refuse."
The corners of Shiryu's mouth curved upward, and he looked at Magellan with a sinister smile.
"Magellan, the fact that you're here means you've agreed."
"Hehehe, let me out."
Shiryu stood up and walked toward the door of his cage as far as his chains would allow.
The conditions offered by Ikki were indeed something he couldn't refuse.
Rather than watch Ikki take Raiu away, it was better to pick up Raiu and fight again, enjoying the thrill of battle.
Magellan took a deep look at Shiryu, raised his hand, and waved to Domino behind him.
Domino nodded slightly, stepped forward, and used her key to open the cage and unlock the chains binding Shiryu's body.
"Here you go!"
Ikki threw Raiu toward Shiryu with a smile on his face.
"Hahaha, what an interesting man. Are you so confident in your own strength? Do you think you can defeat me with just that Conqueror's Haki and swordsman's aura from earlier?"
Shiryu slowly drew his demon sword Raiu, and the scarlet gleam of the blade seemed to make his eyes turn red instantly.
For him, the Conqueror's Haki that Ikki had just displayed was indeed quite impressive.
But that wasn't enough to intimidate someone of Shiryu's caliber.
"I didn't say that."
"Rather than talk, let's get started."
Ikki drew the long sword from his waist and pointed it at Shiryu, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
"Right here?"
"Yes, right here."
"Haha, if that's the case, then I'll oblige you."
Shiryu didn't waste any time. Now that he'd decided to act, his body moved instantly, appearing to almost teleport to Ikki's position.
Clang!
There was a crisp sound of metal clashing as the collision of two famous swords triggered a powerful gust of wind.
"Not bad power. Let me see what kind of strength you have, newcomer from the Blue Sea."
Shiryu felt the power in Ikki's grip, and the corners of his mouth split into a sinister smile.
Immediately, Raiu in his hand became a blur of afterimages, enveloping Ikki in a flurry of strikes.
After Ikki engaged with Shiryu for a moment, his brows furrowed slightly.
"This power... it's a bit weak."
"Could it be that he's been locked up for too long and is therefore in a weakened state?"
Ikki's eyes were clear, in a state of Transparent World.
He could clearly see that the muscles on Shiryu's body were tense, and it was obvious he was exerting seven or eight points of his strength.
Although Haki hadn't been used yet, such force was definitely not what Impel Down's second-in-command should possess.
'It seems there's no need to rush and defeat this guy with advanced swordsmanship.'
A smile appeared on Ikki's lips as he abandoned his original intention of using more advanced techniques.
At this moment, he had other plans in mind.
"So strong! Who is that kid? He's actually fighting evenly with Shiryu!"
"What strange swordsmanship. Is there water here? Why does that Ikki create bursts of water when he swings his sword?"
"Shiryu is known as Shiryu of the Rain, but it seems like the guy opposite him is the one who controls the power of rain now."
"By the way, who do you think can win between that man and Shiryu?"
"It should be Shiryu. Although that guy's locked up, he's still someone who can compete with Magellan."
"Idiot, don't you know how to use Observation Haki? The one who has the upper hand is obviously that young man. He's just toying with Shiryu."
After the fighting continued for a while, the prisoners on the sixth floor began talking loudly.
The strong winds generated from around Ikki and Shiryu's battle didn't have much impact on the pirates on the sixth floor.
On the contrary, the weaker staff members behind them - Domino, Sadi-chan, and others - had to raise their hands to shield themselves.
Magellan frowned and was about to step forward to protect Domino, Sadi-chan, and the others behind him.
Nami and Nojiko moved one step ahead of him and stood in front of everyone.
The two women unsheathed the long swords at their waists, and a chilling aura instantly condensed around them.
Just by swinging their two blades, the strong wind rushing toward them suddenly dissipated.
"Hey! Those two women seem to be skilled with swords too!"
"That's incredible. Are the women beside that man also great swordsmen?"
"I'm really envious. His crew members are both beautiful women and powerful swordsmen. Think about it - my previous crew was full of ugly brutes."
Although Nami and Nojiko seemed to simply swing their swords casually, people with insight could truly see how refined the swordsmanship of both women was.
The strong wind that had been heading in their direction was completely stopped by those strikes.
It was enough to show that their swordsmanship was comparable to the power that Shiryu and Ikki were displaying now.
"How could it be... those two women are also great swordsmen!"
Shiryu blocked Ikki's sword and looked at Nami and Nojiko behind him in shock.
As they say, layman see the excitement while experts see the technique.
Being a swordsman himself, Shiryu could see more than many pirates.
The swordsmen who could easily disperse the aftermath of the fight between him and Ikki, two great swordsmen, must also be great swordsmen themselves.
Suddenly, Shiryu felt that the pressure from the blade in his hand suddenly weakened.
Looking up, it turned out that Ikki had sheathed his long sword.
"What do you mean, Ikki?"
Shiryu frowned and spoke with an unfriendly expression.
At that moment, he seemed to see a look of disgust on Ikki's face.
"Let's just stop here."
"You are indeed a powerful swordsman."
"In the realm of swordsmanship, you can be called a swordsman who has reached the Mountain-Cutting Realm."
"Maybe it's because the food in your cell isn't good enough."
"You still seem to be in a weakened state right now."
"It would be too boring to defeat you in such a condition."
"So I've decided not to fight anymore."
Ikki walked toward Nami, Nojiko, and the others, shaking his head as he spoke.
His face was full of disappointment.
"Hey, do you mean to let me have a good meal and regain my full strength before fighting you?"
At this moment, Shiryu burst into laughter.
"No, you've misunderstood again."
"You're a death row prisoner, after all, and I don't want to ask Director Magellan to give you special care."
Ikki walked behind Nojiko, turned around, and looked at Shiryu with interest.
"Then what do you mean?"
Shiryu asked with a frown.
"It's very simple. Since your strength hasn't recovered, then I'll let my crew member fight in my place."
Ikki smiled and placed his hand on Nojiko's shoulder.