Chapter 61: Swordsmanship

Chapter 61: Swordsmanship

Charlotte made his move, drawing his sword with precision and poise.

The Red Earl smiled slightly, stepped back, and retrieved the umbrella stuck in the sand.

"Then let me see your swordsmanship!"

The Red Earl spoke, immediately stepping forward and slashing with his umbrella, which served as his weapon.

Clang!

Charlotte raised his sword, wrapped in Armament Haki, to block the attack. The umbrella, similarly imbued with Haki, collided with the blade, creating sparks that illuminated the sandy beach.

The Red Earl's movements were swift and fluid. Each strike brought a barrage of intricate sword lights and umbrella shadows that seemed to envelop Charlotte.

Charlotte narrowed his eyes. The speed of the Red Earl's attacks was beyond what his eyes could follow. This was when his Observation Haki kicked in, allowing him to sense and anticipate the Red Earl's movements.

With Observation Haki active, the Red Earl's intricate strikes appeared clearly in Charlotte's mind, enabling him to block the relentless onslaught.

Clang! Ding ding! Ding ding ding!

The sound of steel clashing reverberated as the two warriors exchanged blows. Both their weapons, wrapped in Armament Haki, collided with increasing intensity.

"Impressive swordsmanship!"

Charlotte praised while skillfully parrying the attacks.

The Red Earl's style was swift, tricky, and ruthless. His attacks targeted weaknesses, leaving Charlotte at a disadvantage initially. However, as the battle progressed, Charlotte adapted to the Red Earl's rhythm.

"Yours is equally remarkable!"

The Red Earl responded, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit.

He was impressed. It had been years since he had met someone who could keep up with his speed and precision in swordsmanship. Charlotte's bold, powerful, and open style was a stark contrast to his own but proved to be equally formidable.

Clang!

After another fierce exchange, Charlotte leaped back, creating distance between them.

Close combat wasn't his forte against an opponent like the Red Earl. He needed to leverage his swordsmanship in another way.

"Earth-Shattering Split!"

Charlotte swung his sword, unleashing a powerful wave of sword energy that tore through the ground, heading straight for the Red Earl.

The Red Earl didn't dodge. Instead, he swung his umbrella, releasing a similarly powerful wave of sword energy to meet Charlotte's attack head-on.

Boom!

The two slashes collided in mid-air, creating a violent explosion. Sand and debris flew everywhere as the collision carved a massive crater into the ground.

"A great swordsman!"

Admiral Kong exclaimed, watching the scene through the live feed from the Marine Headquarters.

Sengoku stood silently, his expression grim.

"Two great swordsmen," Sengoku muttered. "Charlotte must have achieved a breakthrough after his battle with Zephyr. He's clearly reached the level of a great swordsman."

Kong slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

"Damn it! Where did this powerful new pirate come from?"

The thought of another potential threat on par with Charlotte infuriated him.

At that moment, Vice Admiral Tsuru entered the room holding a folder.

"I've uncovered information about the Red Earl," Tsuru announced, handing the file to Kong.

"He's been wanted for the past two years. He became a criminal after killing a noble who had committed numerous heinous crimes. The bounty placed on him was 11 million berries, an amount far below his true capability."

Kong read through the file and clenched his fists in anger.

"That noble was a disgrace! How could our Navy let such a person run rampant?"

Sengoku shared Kong's sentiment.

"Issuing such a low bounty for someone with this level of strength is an embarrassment to the Navy," Sengoku added.

Tsuru, however, remained calm.

"There's nothing we can do now. The bounty is public, and the World Government won't rescind it for fear of losing face. We need to focus on addressing this issue rather than dwelling on past mistakes."

Her words carried weight.

"The real concern now is whether the Red Earl plans to join the Rocks Pirates. If he does, this will become a much bigger problem."

Sengoku nodded in agreement, his expression serious.

Kong sighed heavily, realizing the complexity of the situation. The Navy didn't have the manpower to deal with two formidable opponents like Charlotte and the Red Earl.

"Let's continue to monitor the situation. We'll take action if necessary, but for now, we lack the resources to engage them directly."

---

On the deserted island, Charlotte and the Red Earl continued their intense battle.

"You're taking this head-on? That's exactly what I wanted!"

Charlotte grinned as he unleashed a flurry of slashes, each carrying the power of a great swordsman.

The Red Earl dodged skillfully, parrying some strikes with his umbrella while avoiding others.

The speed and ease with which Charlotte released sword energy left the Red Earl astonished.

"What a monster!"

He muttered under his breath, realizing that engaging Charlotte in a ranged battle was futile.

The Red Earl closed the distance rapidly, opting for close combat.

Charlotte, noticing the Red Earl's approach, swung his sword in a horizontal slash aimed at the Red Earl's chest.

Clang!

The Red Earl used his umbrella to block the attack, countering with a swift thrust.

As the two clashed at close range, the Red Earl's swift and precise strikes began to give him the upper hand.

Charlotte, however, remained composed, his grin never fading.

"This is getting interesting!"

The clash of two great swordsmen continued, each pushing the other to their limits.

---

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