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The Marines had not found Rouge, and they didn't even know her specific identity. Rojen chose this moment to ask such a question merely to distract the opponent and create a better escape environment for Jason and the others.
Gazing seriously at the Vice Admiral before him, who appeared to have numerous openings, Rojen's right hand slowly pressed against his waist.
His eyes flickered with a sharp light, and his spirit surged at that moment.
His gaze brightened, and his muscles tensed, as if he had turned himself into a spring, fully charged and ready to unleash his power.
Suddenly, Rojen moved like an arrow released from a bow.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.
In an instant, the two figures had crossed paths.
Unbeknownst to when, Vice Admiral Moya's two short swords had already been drawn, positioned on either side.
The two stood back to back, silently.
After a long while, Moya's voice finally broke the silence.
"Very good, a powerful blade draw!"
In that fleeting moment, if it weren't for his keen Mind's Eye perception, he wouldn't have even known when the opponent had drawn his sword.
Not knowing when the opponent drew their sword meant he couldn't respond and would be at a disadvantage in an instant.
Fast, Rojen's sword was too fast. So fast that after it passed by him, it had already returned to its sheath, and he hadn't even seen the shape of the sword's edge.
Rojen's expression grew increasingly serious.
For the first time, the Godspeed Drawn Blade Technique had failed.
The Vice Admiral's strength was indeed extraordinary.
In his battle with Dragon, reaching such a situation was not due to his own strength; at that time, he was still the weak Rojen.
But now, he was able to strike back.
This proved Rojen's own progress. He did not rely on the system; it was entirely due to his own strength. However, it was still not enough!
"Now this is getting interesting."
The two swords clashed, producing a metallic ring, and Moya slowly turned around, a look of excitement on his face.
"I haven't encountered a challenger like you in a long time. Come on, Rojen, let's have a fight! Let me see what kind of strength someone so arrogant in front of the Marines truly possesses!" Moya's voice was filled with excitement as if he hadn't fought an enemy in ages.
Rojen remained silent, his grip tightening. In the next moment, he pushed off the ground, and his figure suddenly vanished again.
"Whoosh!"
With incredible speed, he appeared right in front of Moya in an instant.
Moya's pupils constricted, and his expression grew even more excited.
"So fast, too fast!"
Indeed, it was too fast; he had never seen an enemy as quick as Rojen's sword. It was like a flash of lightning, and by the time you saw it, the sword was already at your front, making it extremely difficult to evade.
"Clang!"
This strike was blocked by Moya.
Rojen's sword returned to its sheath, having achieved nothing.
"Is this the strength of a Vice Admiral?"
Silently observing the opponent, the rain intensified, streaming down their faces.
But at this moment, no one cared about the pouring rain; in their eyes, there was only each other.
The brightness in their gazes intensified, and after a few breaths, it was even brighter than the lightning flashing in the sky.
"Crackle!"
The sound of thunder echoed, illuminating half the sky.
In that instant, the two clashed again.
Rojen's blade drew, continuously attacking, his figure seeming to transform into a streak of light, vanishing at the moment of striking.
The distant Marines watched in shock as the two clashed on the warship, swallowing hard.
They could clearly see that Rojen, who was launching the attack, seemed to truly disappear.
His figure appeared to teleport, appearing behind Vice Admiral Moya in a breath, pausing slightly, then vanishing again, only to reappear in another position.
And Vice Admiral Moya, in the face of this terrifying speed of sword arts, merely swung his dual swords repeatedly to block the incoming attacks.
"Haha!"
"So fast, too fast! Rojen, your strength is astonishing!"
The difference between Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral was not just a matter of military merit; it was more about the gap in strength.
Vice Admiral-level powerhouses not only mastered the Marines' Rokushiki but also had Haki enhancements, as well as sword arts or shooting techniques. Moya himself was a Nitoryu Sword Master and with the abilities of his Devil Fruit, he had earned the title of Confusion Blade Moya.
He was also a master of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki).
Rojen's sword was fast, incredibly fast, but Moya, relying on his keen perception, could anticipate Rojen's thoughts, much like Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), expanding his awareness.
Because of this, Rojen's blade draw was ineffective against him.
After executing the Godspeed Drawn Blade Technique a dozen times, Rojen's breathing began to grow ragged.
The blade draw was powerful, reaching a peak that only a few could achieve at this stage, but it also drained an excessive amount of stamina.
"I can't use the blade draw anymore." Rojen was very aware of his own body, and his expression became even more serious.
In the next moment, Vice Admiral Moya let out a hearty laugh and swung his dual swords toward Rojen.
"Haha, what's wrong? Rojen, can you still use the blade draw?"
The weakness of the blade draw was well-known; once a strike failed, what awaited you next would surely be death.
Focusing on one technique meant sacrificing many others to obtain that power.
But in the next moment, Rojen's long sword suddenly drew forth again.
"Clang!"
A brilliant long rainbow of light erupted, slicing through the rain curtain with a sharp blade, and this strike spun rapidly, heading toward Moya at incredible speed.
Moya, who was swinging his sword down, had his pupils constrict in shock.
"What is this?"
"Sing~~"
The clear sound of the sword echoed, and Rojen's low chant followed.
"Blade-breaking Style!"
"Clang! Clang!"
The metallic ring resonated suddenly, and Moya's expression changed drastically as he took a step back.
He sensed the terrifying nature of Rojen's sword technique; at the moment of contact, he felt as if his hands were about to slip off the sword handles. Fortunately, his strength was immense, allowing him to grip the sword firmly.
"What kind of swordsmanship is this?" Moya asked loudly while stepping back and regarding Rojen with greater respect.
"Whew!"
Rojen slowly exhaled, calming the boiling energy within him.
If Moya was merely shocked, Rojen felt that things were becoming dire.
"Dugu Nine Swords!"
He softly murmured.
What he had just used was indeed the Blade-breaking Style from Dugu Nine Swords.
However, it had failed! In the face of the Vice Admiral, this exquisite sword technique had proven ineffective.
One must admit, the characters in One Piece were truly powerful! With just the strength of a Vice Admiral, they had already reached a realm where one could overpower ten with sheer force!
"This is troublesome!"
Rojen muttered softly, his gaze sharpening further.
(End Of This Chapter)