Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

Hayato's victory came as no surprise to anyone present.

After witnessing the defeats in the battles of the Lightning and Sky guardians, even the elite assassins of Varia had lost faith in their leaders.

Now, they simply hoped...

That Varia could at least lose with some dignity.

At the very least, their leaders shouldn't be taken out instantly by the enemy's guardians every time!

...

...

As if responding to the silent pleas of Varia's elite, the two Cervello and several staff members quickly began cleaning up the battlefield, removing the debris from explosions and shattered knives.

Once the battlefield was cleared, they returned to the center of the ring and announced the candidates for the next match.

"The Ring Battle, Match Three..."

"The Rain Guardian Showdown!"

As Cervello's voice echoed through the arena, the crowd erupted into an excited roar.

Because Varia's Rain Guardian was none other than...

Squalo—yes, that Squalo, the man who once defeated Varia's former leader!

You see...

The previous boss of Varia was a man revered as the "Sword Emperor" in the mafia underworld, yet he had been publicly slain by Squalo, even though it cost him an arm.

To defeat such a formidable foe while still in his teens was proof enough of Squalo's extraordinary talent and power.

Suddenly, hope flickered again in the hearts of Varia's assassins.

Maybe...

Maybe Lord Squalo could pull off a miracle!

For a moment, all eyes were fixed on Squalo, filled with anticipation.

However...

What those hopeful assassins didn't know was that just a few days ago, Squalo—their last bastion of hope—had already been bested by Takeshi in a duel of swordsmanship.

...

...

Under Cervello's direction, the Rain Guardians of both sides entered the ring.

Takeshi, as usual, wore a carefree smile on his face.

In contrast...

Squalo's expression was deadly serious, his eyes sharp and unyielding as they locked onto Takeshi.

He knew well that his previous defeat had been due, in large part, to his own overconfidence and underestimation of his opponent.

But it was undeniable that Takeshi was a force to be reckoned with.

"Wahaha, what a coincidence!"

"I didn't expect Varia's Rain Guardian to be you, old man!"

As soon as Takeshi saw Squalo step into the ring, he beamed and greeted him with a wide, cheerful grin.

But what Takeshi intended as a friendly gesture, Squalo took as an open mockery.

"Hey!"

Squalo shouted suddenly.

"Don't think that just because you beat me once, you'll win again!"

At this moment, he didn't care if the Varia assassins learned of his previous defeat...

All he wanted was to draw his sword and show this cocky kid the true art of swordsmanship!

However...

"Oh?"

Takeshi remained unfazed by the provocation. He simply twirled the baseball bat in his hand.

In an instant!

The bat transformed into a gleaming long sword, radiating a cold, sharp light in his grasp.

At the same time, Takeshi's carefree smile gave way to a steely, focused gaze.

"If that's the case, let's settle this with our swords!"

"Tch! Arrogant brat!!!"

Squalo spat in anger, clearly dissatisfied.

The next moment, he vanished from his spot, moving at lightning speed, aiming to flank Takeshi from the left in a surprise attack.

But...

Clang!

With a flash of steel, Takeshi's figure twisted, and in the blink of an eye, his sword was up, blocking Squalo's strike.

The clash of their blades produced a crisp, ringing sound.

"Damn it! He can actually keep up with my speed!"

Squalo's expression tightened.

He hadn't expected Takeshi not only to possess incredible swordsmanship but also to have such frightening reflexes!

He had managed to predict Squalo's attack line in an instant.

Yet, Takeshi remained calm, as though this was no more than a routine move.

"Huh? Is your speed supposed to be hard to follow?"

"Damn you, brat!"

Takeshi's nonchalant words struck a nerve deep in Squalo's heart.

No one knew just how much blood, sweat, and sacrifice he had poured into achieving the power he wielded today!

And now...

Here stood a boy, barely out of his teens, who possessed a natural talent with the sword that made Squalo burn with envy.

How could he remain calm in the face of this?

But Squalo was no ordinary swordsman. As a seasoned warrior and assassin, he knew that emotions were the greatest enemy in battle.

In an instant, all his anger and resentment melted away.

Fine. If that's how you want it, don't blame me for fighting dirty!

At first, I intended to fight you with honor as a swordsman...

But now, I'll show you my trump card!!!

A sly grin crept across Squalo's face.

In one swift motion, the prosthetic arm attached to his left side shifted!

In an instant!

Two small missiles launched from within the sword, rocketing toward Takeshi's chest.

"What the—!?"

Takeshi was stunned, clearly not expecting Squalo's sword to have such a hidden mechanism.

The distance was too close—there was no way to dodge!

In an instant!

Takeshi's carefree demeanor vanished, his face sharpening with resolve, his eyes now focused and intense.

"Tekkai!!!"

Swish!

A metallic sheen briefly flashed across Takeshi's body, like a phantom.

And then, the next second—

BOOM!!!

The moment the missile fragments touched Takeshi, they exploded with a massive shockwave.

Through the flash of the explosion, a slightly disheveled figure was flung backward.

It was Takeshi, his clothes torn from the blast.

Although he had managed to activate the Tekkai (Iron Body) technique from the Six Style of the navy, in comparison to the seasoned warriors of the pirate world...

His technique was still only at a beginner's level.

It had helped him absorb some of the damage, but it wasn't enough to fully negate the impact of the explosion.

Thankfully, Takeshi's physical endurance was strong, and he hadn't sustained any serious injuries.

"Cough..."

After coughing twice, Takeshi pushed himself off the ground, using his arms for support. His gaze was locked onto Squalo's sword.

The gap in the blade, where the missiles had been launched, had already sealed itself again.

In other words...

Squalo could launch this kind of attack as many times as he wanted!

As Takeshi stood up, he muttered:

"That's quite a surprise."

"I thought you were a pure swordsman, but I didn't expect you to rely on these kinds of tricks."

"Explosions and stuff like that... what a pain~ Haha..."

"Huh?"

Hayato, quietly watching the battle, felt unexpectedly insulted by Takeshi's comment.

But before he could react, Squalo roared from the ring in a voice as sharp as a razor:

"You brat! Don't think you can whine your way out of this!"

"You think this is a game?!"

"This is the mafia! This is Vongola!!!"

"The battle between us..."

"...is a battle of dominance, of life and death!!!"

"If you're still clinging to those childish ideals in your heart, you better run back to your mother!"

Squalo spat out his vulgar words without a hint of hesitation.

But deep down...

He felt a twinge of shame.

As Takeshi had pointed out, a true swordsman wouldn't resort to anything beyond pure swordsmanship to win. To rely on weapons or tricks was, in essence, a rejection of one's path as a swordsman.

Back in Japan, it was this stubborn pride that had led to his defeat at the hands of Takeshi.

Yet now, he realized that Takeshi was not only equal to him in swordsmanship and physical ability, but could also summon that strange creature with immense combat power.

Squalo had lost the confidence to fight honorably.

And with Varia already losing three consecutive matches...

He couldn't afford to lose here. For the sake of the man he respected, Squalo had to win, no matter what! If he lost, Varia would be finished!!!

Countless thoughts swirled through his mind, but Squalo had made up his mind.

Even if he had to abandon his pride as a swordsman...

He would do whatever it took to win this match for XANXUS!!! 

Whoosh, whoosh!!!

Without further hesitation, Squalo launched his long sword again!

This time...

A full barrage of explosive missiles flew out from the blade, hurtling toward Takeshi.

But Takeshi, already learning from the previous attack, was ready.

In a swift motion, he utilized a half-finished Soru (Shave), and dodged the missiles, disappearing from his position.

The next moment—

BOOM! BOOM!

A series of deafening explosions rang out.

The shockwaves from the blasts stirred up a violent wind, scattering gravel across the stage, pelting Takeshi.

But Takeshi, standing amidst the storm of dust and debris, remained unmoved.

"Squalo..."

Takeshi murmured softly:

"Is this really how a swordsman fights?"

"Shut up!!!"

Squalo snapped, his voice filled with rage and a hint of desperation.

"In order to win, I'll use any means necessary!!!"

Swish!

Another flash of cold light!

A fresh volley of explosive missiles flew from Squalo's blade, charging straight at Takeshi.

Takeshi had no choice but to dodge again, evading the relentless onslaught.

And so it continued...

Squalo kept launching missile after missile, using his prosthetic arm—a deadly device crafted by Varia—to pressure Takeshi with explosive force.

Each time he swung his blade, it appeared as though he was using swordsmanship, but in reality, he was forcing Takeshi into a corner, unable to mount any counterattack.

Seeing Takeshi repeatedly stagger from the aftermath of the explosions, Squalo grew more confident.

As long as he kept firing missiles and prevented Takeshi from summoning that strange creature...

Victory was within reach!!!

"Wahaha~"

Squalo let out a booming, arrogant laugh, watching his former adversary struggle.

"No matter how skilled you are with a sword, what does it matter?!"

"If you can't get close to me, you'll only be running for your life!!!"

"As a swordsman, you have no means of long-range attacks! Hahaha!!!"

The ease of this newfound tactic seemed to open a door to a whole new world for Squalo.

But at that moment...

A calm voice suddenly emerged from within the cloud of smoke caused by the explosions.

"Oh? So that's how you see it."

Swish!

A sharp, green flash cut through the smoke, drawing a straight line through the air.

In an instant!

The thick smoke split into two, like curtains being torn apart, and quickly dissipated into nothingness.

Takeshi's figure emerged from the mist, appearing before Squalo once again.

Without hesitation, Squalo raised his prosthetic sword, preparing to launch another volley of missiles.

But this time...

Takeshi gripped his sword with both hands, his expression filled with disappointment.

"I had hoped that by crossing blades with you, I would find a path to improve my own swordsmanship."

"But unfortunately..."

"It seems you've strayed far from the path of a true swordsman."

"So... there's no point in continuing this battle."

"?!!?"

Squalo was stunned, but quickly recovered, shouting with disdain:

"Boy, you're about to die, and now you spout nonsense?!"

Clearly...

Squalo believed Takeshi's words were just a last-ditch effort to rattle him.

But there was no way he would fall for such a trick from a kid!

Swish! Swoosh!

With a swift motion, Squalo swung his long sword—a weapon that doubled as a missile launcher—downward once again.

In the next instant, several missiles shot out of the blade, hurtling toward Takeshi.

But this time, Takeshi did not even attempt to dodge.

He simply raised his head, his eyes flashing with newfound determination.

Softly, he murmured to himself:

"A real swordsman doesn't have long-range attacks, huh?"

"Then today..."

"I'll show you what true swordsmanship is."

"Shigure Soen Ryu..."

"Swallow Flash!!!"

Whoosh!

Takeshi lifted his sword horizontally, then swung it through the air in a strange yet deliberate motion.

And in the very next second—

A spectacle that left everyone in shock unfolded before their eyes!

A soft, blue light began to radiate from the blade of Takeshi's sword.

As he swung it, the blue light condensed and transformed into a razor-sharp, flying swallow, speeding straight toward Squalo!

BOOM!

The energy-formed swallow collided head-on with the incoming missiles.

In an instant, all the missiles detonated, erupting in fiery explosions.

But this time, the force of the explosions did not harm Takeshi in the slightest.

As the smoke gradually cleared...

Squalo, frozen in place, made no move to attack. His eyes were wide with disbelief, staring at Takeshi and the sword in his hand.

"What... what was that just now?" 

He asked, almost instinctively.

Takeshi, with a calm smile, offered no secrecy in his reply:

"That slash just now?"

"That's how a true swordsman attacks from a distance..."

"In some worlds, they call it... a Flying Slash."