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"So, you're Seabury D. Arthur, the one Mama's been looking for? Perfect! I'll kill you, and bring her the good news! Hssssss!"
Snakehead Gram's laughter was a chilling hiss, like a serpent flicking its tongue.
"You're something else, to block my lightning so easily."
Their voices carried across the thousand-yard gap, a spark of mutual interest igniting between them.
"Alright, then. Let's see—Are you genuinely strong, or just a suicidal idiot, to piss off both Whitebeard and Mama?"
"I was actually looking forward to bringing your ugly head to Big Mom's Tea Party—as a welcoming gift!" Arthur sneered, vanishing in a flash of lightning, covering the thousand yards in a heartbeat.
Gram, watching the brilliant blue flash of Arthur's approach, remained unfazed. His coldness, his detached demeanor—was it a trait of the Snake Neck Tribe, or simply a characteristic of all great swordsmen? His eyes held a chilling indifference, like frozen ice.
A warrior forged in bloodshed, he met any attack with unwavering composure. He wouldn't retreat.
Clang!
Gram's slender, seven-foot blade moved with an unsettling fluidity, its unpredictable movements containing a concentrated pressure within its subtle swings.
Clang!
Arthur's lightning blade, formed of pure electrical energy, clashed with Gram's slender sword. The grating sound of metal on metal made one's teeth ache, sparks flying with each collision.
Arthur might not be a traditional swordsman, but his reflexes and speed, amplified by his Devil Fruit, allowed him to wield his lightning blade with incredible precision. He couldn't create actual sword slashes like a true swordsman, but his speed compensated.
Kizaru, for instance, despite Zephyr's insistence on physical training, focused on his Devil Fruit powers. Yet, his Ama no Murakumo—a sword of light—could clash with Rayleigh's blade, a testament to his lightning-fast reactions.
Gram's sword was indeed formidable, even stronger than Shiryu's current skill.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their blades moved too fast for the naked eye to follow, leaving no afterimages.
"So, this is 'Thunder God' Arthur, the one even Perospero and the others wouldn't face. Mama wasn't exaggerating."
Gram's respect for Arthur grew.
A Devil Fruit user, matching his swordsmanship? A potential rival to "Golden Lion" Shiki?
Shiki's attack on Totto Land, his overwhelming power, was still fresh in Gram's memory. Only Big Mom herself had been able to withstand his assault.
"He's a monster. But killing him... that's the fun part, isn't it?" The shadow of Shiki's power, the persistent fear, made Gram even more determined to kill Arthur.
"HAHAHAHAHA! If you think you can kill me—then do it!" Arthur laughed wildly, the electricity around him intensifying.
Gram's eyes narrowed as Arthur's form seemed to multiply, flickering around him, too fast for even his Observation Haki to track. Each afterimage seemed real, a dizzying display of speed.
Hiss—!
Gram's long blade screeched, a grating sound as it cut through the air.
"Speed isn't everything. You can't hit what you can't hit. Fast means nothing if you can't land a blow."
Gram's elongated, snake-like neck swayed as he reversed his grip on his sword, adopting a peculiar stance.
Ooooooh—!
A low, humming sound filled the air—like a mournful cry.
Whoosh!
Gram spun, his blade a blur, deflecting the attacks of Arthur's afterimages.
His rotation increased, creating a whirlwind of steel, the razor-sharp sword energy pushing outwards.
"Spinning Slash!" Gram roared, the force of his attack sending waves of sword energy rippling across the wheat field, the crops closest to them disintegrating, reduced to powder.
The cloud of white and gold dust obscured Arthur's vision. He frowned, waving his hand to clear the air.
Even with Observation Haki, he relied on his sight. He wasn't like Fujitora, who, seeking to shield himself from the world's ugliness, had blinded himself.
Arthur focused, his senses honing in on the source of Gram's aura, preparing to counterattack.
Snakehead Gram was strong. If Arthur wasn't serious, he wouldn't win this.
He'd initially believed only Shiki, Whitebeard, Roger, Redfield, Kaido, and Big Mom were worthy opponents in the New World—but he was wrong.
This world was full of surprises. Who knew what monsters lurked in its shadows?
Luffy's arrival was still over twenty years away. History, in this era, was still being written.
The New World's Emperors—they wouldn't maintain their power without strong subordinates, skilled fighters capable of defending their territories.
"I underestimated you, Gram. But that's as far as you go." Arthur's arrogance remained.
His own Haki flared, lightning crackling around him as his body grew—reaching twelve feet, a smaller, less powerful version of his Thunder God form—conserving his precious stamina.
Gram's Spinning Slash, its concentrated sword energy forming an impenetrable barrier—could deflect even Arthur's lightning attacks.
The only way to counter it was with overwhelming force.
Garp, with his monstrous fists, could shatter Gram's defenses effortlessly.
As Arthur transformed, three slashes of sword energy—like crescent moons, hurtled towards him, aimed at his head, his neck, and his heart.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arthur's lightning flared, but he didn't dodge, meeting the attacks head-on with his Haki-imbued fists.
Bang!
The sword energy shattered, dissipating harmlessly in the air.
Arthur, pressing his advantage, teleported, appearing instantly beside Gram, his massive, lightning-wreathed hand clamping down on the blade of Gram's sword.
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