Barrett and Sakazuki stood facing each other on the deck.
The surrounding soldiers temporarily stopped their training, forming rows and sitting cross-legged by the railing.
"Go Barrett!"
"Charge!"
"Just fight!"
"Go!"
"Roar—!"
A smile touched the corners of Barrett's mouth.
He took off his jacket, his tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt clinging to his body.
It outlined a physique of explosive muscle.
A fighting spirit burned in his eyes.
Armament Haki instantly covered his arms.
Karol walked to a spot between the two and raised his right hand.
"Begin!"
He swung his arm down sharply, then retreated from the area.
The moment Karol vanished.
Barrett stepped lightly on his feet.
*Boom!*
The entire warship trembled slightly with a loud noise.
Barrett disappeared from his spot, leaving only shattered deck in his wake.
*Slap!*
A sound rang out near Sakazuki.
The vanished Barrett appeared in front of Sakazuki.
The resulting gust of air billowed Sakazuki's Justice cloak behind him.
Sakazuki extended his left hand and caught Barrett's incoming punch.
"Good strength."
Barrett's eyes narrowed.
An overwhelming, irresistible force gripped his right fist.
He couldn't pull it free.
He clenched his left fist, his middle finger slightly extended, and swung in a semi-circle.
He aimed directly for Sakazuki's temple.
*Slap!*
His wrist was caught again by Sakazuki's right hand.
*Whoosh—*
A sound of tearing air came from below.
Barrett's knee, at some point, had been covered in Armament Haki.
It lunged towards Sakazuki's vital point.
Sakazuki lightly lifted his left knee to block, simultaneously exerting force in his hand and turning in a circle.
Barrett, spinning, was sent flying backward.
The admiration in Sakazuki's eyes did not diminish.
The moves were concise and sharp, each strike aimed at a vital point, seeking a one-hit kill.
Coupled with his innate talent, a perfect warrior.
Barrett spun several times before landing back on the deck.
He crouched slightly.
*Whoosh—*
A blur of movement streaked by, his entire body like a predatory leopard.
He charged towards Sakazuki.
His arms swung, creating afterimages, coordinating with knee strikes, each attack aimed at Sakazuki's vital points.
The techniques were small, the speed was fast.
He sought a swift victory.
He wanted to launch a surprise attack.
Sakazuki continuously retreated from Barrett's assault.
His arms and knees seemed to anticipate Barrett's every move.
Constantly blocking his attacks.
Barrett's attacks were in vain, and his technique changed.
He focused on a single point, each move faster than the last.
His attacks were swift, the rhythm distinct, and his explosiveness grew with each moment.
The observing soldiers applauded Barrett.
"Keep it up, Barrett!"
"Charge!"
"That's the way!!!"
"Ooooh!!!"
Seeing Sakazuki about to retreat to the rear cabin wall.
Barrett threw a punch.
The moment Sakazuki raised his hand.
The punch, originally aimed at the throat, suddenly changed course.
It transformed into a finger thrust, aimed at the heart.
There was no hesitation or awkwardness in the change of technique.
Everything flowed naturally.
As if this was how the move was always meant to be used.
Suddenly, Sakazuki raised his left knee.
He rammed his knee into Barrett.
Barrett's heart leaped.
His consecutive attacks were too fluid; by now, he had no time to change his move to defend.
With a surge of determination, he raised his right knee, covered in Armament Haki, and charged forward.
Simultaneously, the muscles in his right arm bulged.
The finger thrust aimed at Sakazuki's heart quickened.
*Clang!*
The two knees collided, producing a sound like metal striking metal.
A tremendous force struck him, and Barrett trembled backward, a sense of dread washing over him.
*This is bad!*
He saw the finger thrust aimed at Sakazuki's heart.
Under the effect of his entire body recoiling, it had paused for a split second.
At this moment, Sakazuki extended the index and middle fingers of his left hand.
*Crack!*
He pinched Barrett's finger thrust.
A sound of tearing air came from below.
At some unknown point, Sakazuki's right leg attacked.
It whipped out like a lash towards Barrett's left side.
Barrett raised his left fist and slammed it down with force.
The moment he brought it down, Barrett's body became slightly unbalanced.
He was startled.
Such imbalance on the battlefield could be fatal.
Taking a gamble, he pushed through with the strike.
Unexpectedly, the whip-like leg, which was coming towards him, suddenly retracted.
Barrett completely lost his balance, his pupils contracting sharply.
He saw Sakazuki's retracted whip leg straighten and kick.
A straight kick aimed directly at Barrett's abdomen.
*Whoosh—*
*Boom!*
A blur of motion streaked across, and Barrett slammed into the railing.
He flipped over and landed on the deck.
He pondered his next move.
His body, however, did not cease its motion.
He adopted an offensive stance with both hands, stomped his foot, and his figure instantly vanished.
He twisted his waist, rotated, used the momentum, and lashed out with a leg towards Sakazuki.
*Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!....*
The sounds of fists and feet colliding were continuous.
Under Sakazuki's guidance, Barrett could unleash his full strength without restraint.
For the first time in his life, he was fighting this exhilaratingly.
His stamina not only did not wane but grew stronger with the battle.
The intense, bone-jarring collisions also stirred the hormones of the surrounding soldiers.
They could no longer control themselves, and one by one, they rose to find opponents.
The warship instantly turned into a free-for-all.
Karol watched this scene, shook his head with a light smile, and then went to instruct the cook to prepare extra meat for the night.
After a long series of clashes.
Barrett's figure was once again sent flying backward.
He got up, wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth.
He looked at Sakazuki and said.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, be careful."
"I have a move that I can't control."
"I stumbled upon it by chance on the battlefield in the past."
"Please keep an eye on it."