Chapter 72 - 72: Clash of Dragon Claws and Blades

A warship descended from the sky, and standing aboard it was none other than Vice Admiral Monkey D. Dragon. The sheer absurdity of what was unfolding before his eyes made Yoriichi Tsugikuni question reality. It was ridiculous, utterly unbelievable. After casually greeting them from the bow, Dragon turned and said something to the sailors behind him. Then, in the blink of an eye, his figure vanished from the bow. A split second later, he reappeared directly in front of Yoriichi, towering over him. Standing at 256 centimeters, Dragon loomed like a giant before Yoriichi. In the world of One Piece, a height of 250 cm was as common as 185 cm back in Yoriichi's previous life. Most of the Navy's future admirals stood close to three meters tall. In this context, Dragon failing to reach admiral rank wasn't just due to Garp's influence—height played its own subtle role. "I've heard the old man mention you more times than I can count. This is the first time we've met face-to-face." "Let me formally introduce myself again. I'm Monkey D. Dragon, Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, and Garp's son. It's a pleasure, Yoriichi Tsugikuni." As he spoke, Dragon offered a slight bow and extended a hand toward Yoriichi, his manner polite and refined—so unlike Garp that Yoriichi almost doubted their blood relation. Had he not just witnessed Dragon's outrageous entrance, he might have truly questioned whether this man was Garp's biological son. "Hello, I'm Yoriichi Tsugikuni. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dragon." Yoriichi deliberately skipped the formal title, opting instead for a more personal address, hoping to narrow the distance between them. As expected, upon hearing himself called "Mr. Dragon," the vice admiral waved his hand dismissively, chuckling. "Don't call me 'mister', it sounds way too stiff." "We're both Navy, aren't we? Just call me by name." Dragon made no effort to assert his rank or seniority. That wasn't his nature to begin with. But more importantly, he had already recognized Yoriichi's potential—believing that one day, this young man would stand as his equal. After all, Garp, his ever-unpredictable father and the so-called "Hero of the Navy"—had praised Yoriichi countless times, calling him the Navy's future. Dragon himself had never received such an endorsement. But he had never doubted his father's judgment, even if Garp's methods were chaotic at best. The old man's eye for talent, however, had always been sharp. "Alright then, Dragon," Yoriichi replied, adjusting his tone. Hearing the shift in address, Dragon nodded slightly, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yoriichi, I'll call you that from now on. You're Zephyr's disciple—practically family in Navy terms." "I'm sure you've guessed why I came to the Boin Archipelago." "Kizaru has returned and reported everything about you to the Fleet Admiral, to Zephyr, and to the old man." "From now on, I'll be your trial opponent." "If you're up for it, we can start right away. I'm very curious to see what you're capable of." Dragon, after a brief introduction, didn't bother with pleasantries. He was a man of action—decisive and direct, just like his father. "Sure, let's get started," Yoriichi responded calmly. "I've been a bit troubled lately without a proper opponent." "You've come at the perfect time. Help me gauge where I stand in terms of strength out on the seas." His words were modest, but as he spoke, he slowly drew the blade at his waist. Dragon's gaze sharpened. His eyes lingered on the weapon—Dawnbreaker—in the red-haired youth's hands for several seconds. A flicker of surprise crossed his expression, and he couldn't help but voice his curiosity. "The old man never mentioned you had a blade like that." "Wait... is that one of the Supreme Grade Blades?!" Compared to Kuzan or Borsalino, Dragon seemed far more knowledgeable about swords. At a glance, he had already assessed the blade's quality. Even though he had never seen Yoriichi wield it before. "A Supreme Grade Blade?" Yoriichi echoed thoughtfully. "I'm not too sure. As far back as I can remember, Dawnbreaker has always been with me." His answer was deliberately vague. He truly didn't know the weapon's origin—whether it came with him when he crossed into this world, or if it had belonged to this body all along. Dragon, however, interpreted it as a family heirloom. He'd done some background research before coming and knew that was a possibility. He didn't press the matter, merely nodding and giving the blade a few more curious glances. Then, without so much as drawing a weapon of his own, he raised a hand and beckoned to Yoriichi. "Let's begin." Seeing Dragon's confident stance, Yoriichi simply nodded, skipping the chatter. Without warning, he launched his attack. Standing his ground, he swung his blade in a clean arc toward Dragon, sending a powerful wave of energy flying his way. In the instant his sword moved, Haki surged from it—an invisible blade of force hurtling straight toward Dragon at terrifying speed. There were barely four meters between them. In the blink of an eye, the flying slash was already upon him. "So, a flying slash, huh..." Dragon's Observation Haki caught the incoming strike—fast and brimming with Haki. He nodded slightly, murmuring to himself. In the world of One Piece, the classification of swordsmen is rather vague. Broadly speaking, there are two levels: kenshi (swordsman) and kenjō (swordmaster). As for the term "Great Swordmaster," widely circulated among fans, it's essentially still a swordmaster. It's like the difference between being "rich" and being "filthy rich"—a matter of degree, not of kind. Everyone's a swordmaster, but if you want to add a "Great" before your title, you'd better be miles ahead of your peers. Even then, you're still within the same realm—just a standout among equals. The key distinctions between an ordinary swordsman and a swordmaster lie in two techniques: cutting iron and airborne slashes. Yet even this "standard" is overly simplistic. Among swordmasters who have reached the level of cutting iron or launching flying slashes, the disparity in strength can still be vast. How vast? Think of the difference between a man and a dog. Not even close. Entirely different leagues. So what kind of swordmaster deserves to be called a "Great Swordmaster"? The answer: one who can infuse Haki into their blade and forge their own Black Blade—a weapon of will and identity. Sometimes, Yoriichi couldn't help but wonder—was Garp so monstrously powerful because he had used Haki to turn his fists into Black Fists? As these thoughts crossed his mind, the slash drew close. Yet Dragon made no move to dodge. Facing the airborne slash released by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Dragon simply raised his right hand, fingers outstretched like claws—and caught the attack with his bare hand. "BOOM!!!!" A dull thunderclap shook the air. A terrifying shockwave burst from where Dragon stood, shooting outward in all directions. Beneath his feet, the ground cracked into a web of fractures from the sheer force. "What power… That kind of flying slash would rank among the strongest in the Navy!" Dragon's brow arched slightly. A rare compliment bloomed silently in his mind. As a Vice Admiral of Navy HQ, he was intimately familiar with the Navy's top combatants. As far as he knew, no one else in the entire Navy came close to Yoriichi's level of swordsmanship. But just as Dragon was about to raise his head and ask Yoriichi to continue attacking, he noticed something— Yoriichi was gone. A sharp glint flashed in Dragon's eyes. His right hand—still raised from blocking the last attack—suddenly moved to guard his neck. "CLANG!!!" A metallic ring exploded in the air. A black blade had appeared at Dragon's throat, soundless and sudden, but it was intercepted cleanly by his Haki-covered claw. "Hmm?!" "He noticed?" "No effect from the 'State of No Self'? Not even against Observation Haki?" Yoriichi frowned slightly. His slash had been blocked. He quickly withdrew the blade and leapt backward to create distance. His eyes locked onto Dragon, filled with confusion. Dragon, too, furrowed his brows. He had no idea how Yoriichi had appeared behind him without a sound and aimed for his neck. Indeed, his Observation Haki hadn't detected Yoriichi at all. So how had he noticed? It was thanks to his Devil Fruit. The barely perceptible breeze stirred by Yoriichi's movement had given him away, and Dragon had felt it. ************************ Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. 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