On the uninhabited deserted island, the trees were sparse and jagged rocks littered the ground. In the center lay an open area flattened by years of coastal winds, offering a wide field of vision that made it an ideal sparring ground.
The warship was docked at the shore, and a crowd of Headquarters Marines stood in a wide circle around the perimeter, holding their breath. Every eye was locked onto the two figures confronting each other in the center of the field, their hearts filled with anticipation and tension.
In the field, Dragon and Borsalino stood facing each other.
Borsalino, who had just been casually complaining about how troublesome everything was, had now completely shed her lazy demeanor. Her posture was as straight as a pine, her black hair tied back neatly, and her cool eyes narrowed slightly as she locked onto the young man opposite her.
Thoughts raced through Borsalino's mind. She knew all too well that the Monkey D. Dragon standing before her was by no means an ordinary Headquarters Lieutenant Commander. The subtle clues from the original series had already proven that Dragon possessed terrifying Devil Fruit abilities. Although she was not entirely sure which fruit it was, he could at least manipulate the winds of heaven and earth, summoning tornadoes and hurricanes. This would be the first high level fight she had engaged in since arriving in this world.
On the opposite side, Dragon also looked solemn. His cheerful smile faded, replaced by a steady, heavy aura. After a long night of conversation, he already regarded Borsalino as a fellow traveler worthy of genuine respect. In this spar, he had no intention of holding back, aiming to gauge her true strength and lay the groundwork for their future endeavors.
Their eyes met across the open ground, needing no further words. Almost at the exact same instant, both of them moved!
Boom!
Dragon charged forward at incredible speed. The five fingers of his right hand curled into a sharp claw strike, instantly coated in a thick layer of pitch black Armament Haki. Gleaming with a cold, heavy metallic luster, howling air currents wrapped around his fingertips as he lunged forward with an air rending screech.
The strike was swift, fierce, and overwhelming.
Borsalino's eyes flickered slightly as she marveled inwardly. As expected of an elite Headquarters officer, his combat experience was immensely rich. He understood the core advantage of Logia users, so from the moment it was unleashed, this Haki clad claw strike sealed off any escape via elementalization. It was a technique specifically designed to shut down Logia users.
Facing the incoming pitch black claw, Borsalino remained calm and composed, lightly flicking her wrist.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two slender, condensed yellow laser beams erupted from her fingertips, piercing through the air and blasting directly toward Dragon's strike with extreme heat and speed.
Dragon's expression remained unchanged as his Haki clad arms crossed in a swift block. The two lasers slammed heavily against the pitch black Haki, triggering a blinding explosion of light. The sheer impact brought Dragon's charge to a sudden halt, killing his forward momentum.
Now is the time!
Borsalino subtly flicked her left hand, tossing a handful of fine white powder into the air. The powder drifted lightly, spreading with the cool sea breeze to cover nearly half the battlefield, suspended in midair and barely visible to the naked eye.
Shaking off the impact, Dragon prepared to charge forward again, but as his gaze swept across the powder floating before him, an inexplicable sense of danger arose. Before he could process it, the sunlight pouring down from overhead pierced through the powder. Countless tiny points of light refracted instantly, filling the air with a dense, glittering phosphorescence that was exceptionally dazzling.
"Not good!"
Dragon instantly sensed the threat, tensing as his instincts urged him to retreat from the strange zone. But Borsalino had already anticipated his reaction; she had no intention of letting him escape.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Several razor thin laser beams shot into the sky in rapid succession, striking the drifting powder with exact precision. In the next second, countless beams refracted, split, and multiplied exponentially across the airborne dust. The scattered beams expanded and intertwined, transforming into an airtight grid of golden lasers that sealed off the airspace, completely blocking every possible avenue of retreat.
There was no way to dodge.
Dragon's expression turned grim as his Armament Haki flared across his body, turning a deeper, denser black to protect his vital points. He braced himself to take the full, concentrated force of the laser bombardment head on.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A continuous string of explosive detonations boomed, the impact forces stacking layer upon layer. Even with Armament Haki dispersing the brunt of it, the immense shockwaves reverberated through his arms and into his body, jarring him with intense pressure.
He could not afford to stay trapped in a passive defense. Dragon decisively unleashed his Devil Fruit ability.
Buzz!
A violent gale exploded outward with him at the epicenter. Howling winds surged in swirling vortexes, forcibly blowing away the reflective powder suspended in the air and clearing the battlefield. The dust vanished, and his vision cleared instantly.
But when Dragon looked up, Borsalino had vanished without a trace. Not a single footprint or shadow remained in the empty arena.
Immediately after, the world around him shifted dramatically. The blazing sun, the deserted island, the sparse trees, and the sea breeze all dissolved. There was no blinding glare, nor was there the pitch black silence of night; there was only a vast, empty void, as though he had been isolated in a realm cut off from reality.
"An illusion?!"
Dragon's pupils contracted in shock. To directly distort the visual environment and project an illusory void over the entire field...
Before he could process the thought, a colossal force slammed furiously into his left flank. The speed was terrifying.
Thud!
A heavy impact exploded, sending Dragon flying through the air, his body hurtling backward uncontrollably.
Light operates on different wavelengths, each carrying distinct properties. Harnessing her precise control over the Glint Glint Fruit, Borsalino had altered the wavelengths of her body and the ambient light, shifting visible light into invisible spectra uncatchable by the naked eye. That devastating Light Speed Kick had been completely veiled within the void, catching Dragon off guard.
Dragon quickly stabilized his posture midair, though the surprise in his eyes had yet to fade. His vision was compromised, but his senses remained sharp.
He closed his eyes as his Observation Haki flared outward, his invisible perception covering the entire island and locking onto every subtle fluctuation in the air. The illusory void was seen through in an instant.
Hidden in the shadows, Borsalino let out a quiet sigh. As expected, powerhouses who had mastered both forms of Haki were not easily fooled. Haki was, after all, the ultimate equalizer on these seas. The clever tricks that allowed her to reign supreme in the North Blue could crush mindless pirates, but against a true elite, they were merely minor distractions.
Discarding the trick, Borsalino deactivated her optical concealment. In a flash of golden light, she materialized in the center of the clearing, poised and calm.
Dragon landed gracefully and stood his ground, staring solemnly at the girl before him as awe stirred in his chest. The versatility and unpredictability of the Glint Glint Fruit far exceeded his expectations. In that brief exchange, he had walked straight into her trap. In a true battle to the death, a single mistake like that would have been fatal.
He held back no longer.
Buzz!
Dense Armament Haki erupted around him, gleaming with a hard metallic shine under the scorching sun as his defense and power surged to their limits. Simultaneously, his focused Observation Haki locked onto his surroundings while his Devil Fruit powers whipped the air currents into a frenzy, wrapping fierce gusts around his body. Boosted by the wind, his speed reached new heights, every movement carrying a razor sharp edge that brought his offense, defense, and mobility to their absolute peak.
Seeing her opponent go all out, Borsalino set aside all clever tactics. Her right hand rested on the hilt at her waist, drawing the Ryo Wazamono blade, Qingyue, by half an inch in a cold gleam of steel.
Countless golden light particles condensed from the air, coating her skin and the sword layer upon layer, compressing and refining continuously. It was a technique she had personally developed: using hyper compressed light particles to mimic the hardening effect of Armament Haki, compensating for her lack of actual Haki mastery. Today was the perfect test for its viability.
The sea breeze swept across the clearing, whipping her long black hair behind her to reveal her cool, flawless features and blade sharp eyes. The pale blue blade of Qingyue shone beneath layers of compressed gold, the two hues blending into a dazzling display of radiant light.
"Come!"
With a sharp cry, Borsalino transformed into a pillar of golden light, shooting straight toward Dragon.
Boom!
Golden and green energies clashed violently, sending a devastating shockwave rippling across the island. The rocky ground shattered beneath their feet in a spreading spiderweb pattern, hurling pulverized stone and dust high into the air.
The spectating Marines gasped, instinctively stumbling backward. They knew their commander's strength all too well; Dragon was a renowned genius among Headquarters officers, possessing power far beyond that of a typical Lieutenant Commander. Yet this unranked girl, Borsalino, was meeting him blow for blow, fighting him to a standstill!
This newcomer was a monster.
Neither yielded after the collision. Pushing off the ground, both figures rocketed into the sky, continuing their fierce duel high above the island. Golden light and raging winds intertwined in the air, echoing with deafening thunders.
"Yata no Kagami!"
Borsalino activated the signature technique of the Glint Glint Fruit. Light refracted through the air in countless directions as she shifted positions in the blink of an eye, stacking her momentum with light speed movements. Each slash and thrust grew more relentless than the last.
The thrill of pure, unadulterated combat washed over Dragon. The lingering confusion and oppression from past days vanished, completely vented in the heat of battle. His eyes burned with intense passion, his fighting spirit fully ignited.
"Tornado Tempest!"
Dragon unleashed his fruit powers to their fullest extent. Atmospheric currents violently churned as massive green tornadoes surged upward from the island below. The towering pillars of wind spiraled violently, blotting out the sun and plunging the sky into a storm of roaring wind and dust.
Looking up at the colossal tempest blocking out the sky, Borsalino felt a chill run down her spine.
"How scary~"
This was the raw foundation of the man who would one day shake the entire world, branded by the World Government as the World's Most Heinous Criminal. Even in his youth, a full powered Dragon was a force of nature. It was terrifying to imagine how strong he would become at his absolute peak.
Refusing to take any chances, Borsalino raised her hands.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Countless brilliant beads of golden light condensed in the sky, raining down like a torrential storm to strike the approaching tornadoes.
Explosive thunders shook the sky as the light beads slammed into the roaring gale, obliterating the two leading tornadoes into harmless gusts. However, the remaining two tempests pressed forward undeterred, carrying destructive tearing forces as they pinched in from the left and right.
The crushing wind pressure made it difficult to breathe. Borsalino gripped Qingyue with both hands, holding the blade horizontally to brace against the incoming storm.
Crack! Crack!
The ferocious wind pressure battered the layer of light particles wrapped around her blade, fracturing the barrier she had meticulously compressed. She was being pushed back.
At this critical juncture, a sudden flash of insight flooded Borsalino's mind. She snapped her wrists, swinging her arms in a powerful dual strike.
The collapsing light particles gathered once more along the edge of the blade, wrapping tightly around the unleashed arc of energy. Golden light and sword intent fused into one as two massive flying slashes tore through the sky!
The razor sharp slashes sliced straight through the winds, bisecting the remaining tornadoes cleanly in half! The violent tempests collapsed, dispersing into nothingness.
A flying slash!
In that single moment, Borsalino crossed the threshold, stepping firmly into the realm of a Great Swordsman.
The winds died down and the light faded, leaving the sky clear once more. Borsalino sheathed her blade, hovering in midair as she prepared to follow up, but caught sight of Dragon's bright, appreciative smile.
She paused in surprise, then offered a quiet smile of relief. It was, after all, merely a spar. Both had tested their limits, and it was time to call an end to the battle.
Dragon powered down his Haki and fruit abilities, descending to the ground with a firm landing. He looked at Borsalino with deep respect and recognition.
"What a fine comrade!"
Meanwhile, a burning resolve took root in Borsalino's heart.
Haki! She needed to master both colors of Haki as soon as possible. Without her sudden breakthrough in swordsmanship, Dragon's mastery over Haki would have eventually worn her down. In their next duel, she would not allow herself to be pushed on the defensive again.
A day's voyage passed in the blink of an eye.
The colossal fortress of Marine Headquarters gradually emerged on the horizon. The massive harbor, imposing battlements, forest of warships, and endless movement of Marines formed the sea's central pillar of justice, bustling and majestic.
The warship coasted smoothly into the port of Marineford and docked. Borsalino and Dragon descended the gangway, stepping onto the sacred ground that countless Marines dreamed of reaching.
Their arrival immediately drew the crowd's attention, causing a stir across the harbor. As a prominent young Lieutenant Commander from Headquarters, Dragon was a familiar face to most. However, the tall, breathtaking woman walking beside him was entirely unknown. Even at Marine Headquarters, where striking figures were plentiful, her stunning beauty was blindingly noticeable, drawing the eyes of everyone on the docks.
Marines looked on with curiosity and admiration. Only Dragon, inherently focused and already committed to his revolutionary ideals, remained completely unaffected by her appearance.
Borsalino raised her eyes, gazing quietly at the grand, orderly fortress of Marineford.
At this moment, Marine Headquarters was at its height of power, standing undisputed atop the world. Yet who could have guessed that decades from now, this sacred fortress would crumble into ruin during the Summit War, devastated by Whitebeard's Tremor Tremor Fruit?
"How scary~" she murmured softly in her signature lazy tone.