Chapter 58: Man-Eating Lion

(3rd Person: POV)

Sparks flew as Rean and Mila Rose blades clashed over and over again in rapid succession.

The two of them began starting to look like blurs to the naked eye.

The clash of blades continued for some time, but when both noticed they couldn't break through the others defense Rean and Mila Rose simultaneously backed off from each other.

Right after they did so Mila Rose put a savage grin on your face. "Not bad kid." She said.

Rean didn't respond, and simply kept is eyes trained on Mila Rose and Yakou pointed in her direction.

"What, cat got your tongue?" Mila Rose questioned.

Yet Rean still didn't respond.

"Whatever." Mila Rose spat. "Say silent if you wish. In the end no matter what you do it won't change the outcome of this battle. My victory and your death."

"You sound quite confident of that." Rean responded.

"So you can speak." Mila Rose said. "And by the way yes, I am confident of my victory. Here's why." She said.

Mila Rose body then went through a transformation.

She grew two feet in height and gained fur all over her body. She also grew a tail, claws on her hands and feet, and powerful jaws.

In a second Mila Rose transformation ended, and she was now in her zoan-human hybrid form.

A lion to be specific.

Since Mila Rose had eaten the Neko Neko No Mi; Model Lion.

Upon seeing Mila Rose hybrid form the hairs on the back of Rean's neck began standing up. He instinctively sensed the level of danger in the battle had just changed.

As if sensing Rean's wariness of her Mila Rose grinned, flashing her teeth at him. A second later Mila Rose used soru and appeared in front of Rean. She then swung at him with her claymore sword, and the claws of her free left hand.

Seeing the incoming attack Rean blocked them both with Yakou.

But the moment after he did so he was launched back across the deck of the marine warship. Since the force of Mila Rose attacks was greater than he expected.

"Good. That's very good." Mila Rose spoke. "If you died so easily then this wouldn't be any fun. Entertain me some more you damn pirate scum!" She shouted.

Then just as Rean stopped skidding across the deck Mila Rose once again appeared in front of him using soru. Mila then began delivering a barrage of attacks to Rean using both her claymore sword and the claws of her left hand.

Using Yakou Rean parried many of the attacks and attempted to use his observation haki to predict and avoid the others. However he couldn't evade them all. Numerous slash marks began appearing on Rean's body.

Seeing he wasn't getting anywhere Rean jumped back. He then immediately used his technique [Autumn Leaf Cutter] and managed to slash Mila Rose along her abdomen.

But as Rean appeared behind Mila Rose after finishing his attack he immediately realized something.

'That cut. It felt way to shallow.' Rean thought.

As he did so Mila Rose turned around and moved to attack him. A small and negligible wound on her abdomen.

Just as Rean suspected his attack was too shallow, and barely did any damage to Mila Rose in the slightest.

Sensing Mila Rose with his observation haki Rean quickly pivoted around and brought up Yakou to block Mila Rose sword strike against him. But as this happened Mila Rose free left hand landed an attack, creating several slashes across Rean's chest.

"Agh!"

Letting out a shout of pain Rean quickly moved back. Placing his free hand over the large wounds on his chest.

"Dammit." Rean muttered.

As he did so Mila Rose brought her left hand up to her mouth, some of Rean blood still on her claws. Opening her mouth wide she licked the blood off her fingers. A savage grin appearing on her face after she finished.

"Yes, more. I want more!" Mila Rose exclaimed.

She then used soru to appear before Rean yet again. But this time instead of attacking him with her sword and claws she decided to attack him using soru with her free left hand.

Having no time to dodge Rean tightened up his abdomen using tekkai.

Just as he did so Mila Rose attack landed.

When it did so her finger pierced slightly in Rean's chest, and the force of the impact sent him skidding across the deck once more.

As he skidded back Rean coughed up some blood, having taken a good amount of damage from Mila Rose shigan. Though none of his major organs had been damaged.

Even so Rean knew that if he kept taking attacks like that he would surely die.

As he stopped skidding once more Rean quickly sent out several [Arc Slash] at Mila Rose using Yakou.

The attacks managed to hit her, but even so Rean could instantly tell that just like with all his earlier attacks the wounds were extremely shallow.

"Dammit." Rean muttered. Gripping the hilt of Yakou tightly as he did so. "Her hide is so thick my attacks aren't causing any major damage." He spoke.

Rean knew that if he couldn't truly cause Mila Rose damage then this battle was as good as hers.

'Think dammit, think! There must be some way I can win this.' Rean thought.

As his mind raced for an answer to victory Mila Rose moved in to press her attack again. Coming at Rean with both her claymore sword and claws she started unleashing another barrage of attacks against the young swordsman.

Parrying the blows and dodging as best he could Rean took even more damage, his counter-attacks barely doing anything to slow Mila Rose down.

"Is this it? Is this all you can do boy?" Mila Rose spat. "Damn, now I'm bored. Well then, time to finish this." She spoke.

Hearing this Rean got angry. He didn't like being looked down on by anyone.

"Don't you dare look down on me!" Rean exclaimed.

As he did so he dodged another one of Mila Rose attack and then unleashed a counter-attack.

But this time there was something different about Rean's attack.

Sensing the incoming danger Mila Rose tried to dodge, but unfortunately for her it was too late.

Rean managed to slash Mila Rose diagonally across the chest, and this time it wasn't a shallow wound but a deep one. As evidenced by the massive amount of blood that sprayed from the wound after the attack was delivered.

Her eyes wide Mila Rose coughed up some blood as blood continued to spray from the wound on her chest. Looking at Rean in disbelief as this happened.

"No way, how does a brat like you know armament haki." Mila Rose said.

But Rean payed her no mind.

Instead he placed Yakou in an invisible sheathe and then quickly drew it, delivering another powerful slash to Mila Rose. This time horizontally across her abdomen.

[Crescent Slash]

Rean cried as he delivered his attack.

Not noticing that the blade of Yakou was completely black.

Since thanks to this battle Rean had finally awakened his armament haki.

Mila Rose coughed up another mouthful of blood as she hit the deck of the marine warship, reverting back to her complete human form as she did so.

Meaning Rean was the winner of their fight.