Bogard watched Ain with full caution.
Her presence was sharp—very sharp. And with a great swordsman personally guiding her for years, underestimating her would be suicidal.
"I've heard for a long time that you're strong," Bogard said.
Ain tied her hair back. "And I've never seen you really fight."
"You always carry a sword, but you're quiet. I thought you were just at peak swordmaster."
"Only after White Brother told me you're a great swordsman did I realize how strong you actually are."
"I'm just low-key," Bogard replied. His gaze dropped to her twin blades—again, named swords. "Your ship has an absurd number of famous weapons."
"With White Ghost's black blade on top of that… if this spreads, how many swordsmen do you think will come hunting you?"
Ain's lips curled. She lifted Shusui and Kokuto—no, Sakura Ten and Deadwood—and let her intent breathe.
"Then they'd better have the lifespan to pick them up."
Bogard's eyes flicked toward White Ghost, sitting on the figurehead with a cigar. "Why stop hiding? Why show yourselves?"
"You know what kind of consequences this brings."
"Devil Fruits?" Ain shook her head. "We're not hiding Ancient Weapons."
"And if someone wants to come for us…"
She tightened her grip and cut.
"—then let them try."
A several-hundred-meter slash tore toward Bogard.
Bogard split it and immediately expanded his Observation Haki.
Fast.
A voice came from behind him.
"Are you looking for me?"
"Two-Sword Style—Oni Slash!"
Bogard spun and narrowly avoided the ambush, eyes widening.
"So fast…"
Ain's attack missed, and she smoothly re-centered on him.
"Show me your great swordsman level," she demanded. "Last time I fought Vista I relied on my Devil Fruit."
This time—
DONG.
Armament Haki coated her twin blades.
"I won't use it."
The moment the words landed—
Whoosh!
She accelerated into Bogard like a bullet.
Bogard caught her strike, blade-on-blade. "Good speed. And you're not light either."
Steel screamed.
KRRK—KRRK!
Ain leaned in. "Still holding back?"
"I said: show me your great swordsman strength."
She forced his guard open and sliced in a chain of tight cuts.
Clink-clink-clink-clink—!
Bogard blocked rapidly, both of them fully committed to close-range combat now—endurance, fundamentals, and timing.
They got faster and faster until ordinary eyes couldn't follow.
Makino stared in disbelief. "What…? The first two girls were already unbelievable—why is there another woman this strong?!"
Garp frowned.
Ain's strength had climbed a lot: high-level Armament, peak swordmaster, and her physique was… strange.
Bogard felt it too. He broke distance abruptly and stared at her.
"Your ability is the Rewind Fruit," he said. "Even if your body improved fast, you shouldn't be this strong in just a few years."
Ain smiled faintly. "Don't underestimate women, Senior."
She didn't explain.
Because this—alongside the pure gold—was one of the ship's biggest secrets.
"A line of heaven!"
A sword wave cut up toward Bogard.
Bogard jumped to avoid it. He could block, but why waste stamina if dodging was cleaner?
Ain vanished forward with Soru, closing instantly.
In her head, White Ghost's words echoed:
You're missing one thing—one desperate battle.
Clink-clink-clink—!
"She's gotten even stronger than last time," someone on the ship muttered. "Not just her body—her Haki too."
Ain's eyes sharpened.
"I told you—stop holding back."
"Two-Sword Style—Dragon Tornado!"
A vortex of slashes formed, dragging Bogard inside.
On the Navy ship, Marines gawked. "No way—Bogard is getting pushed back?"
"That's Rear Admiral Ain, right? The one who left with White Ghost!"
Another Marine shook his head. "Bogard still hasn't shown his full strength. If he did, he wouldn't look this messy."
They'd panicked at first, thinking an attack was happening—now it was obvious: this was sparring.
Bogard's mouth lifted.
"Heh. So I was the one being looked down on."
In a few clean cuts, he tore the tornado apart.
"Since you want to see a true great swordsman," he said evenly, "I won't hold back."
"Be careful."
"And don't compare me to Vista."
"Good," Ain said, thrilled. "That's what I want."
They collided again—
and the shift was immediate.
Bogard's pressure increased sharply. Ain was forced back and began taking the fight under his rhythm.
But she didn't break.
She used the technique White Ghost drilled into her—angle changes, traps, feints, and ugly little cuts that didn't look "grand," but worked.
Bogard's eyes narrowed.
"Your sword style is… flexible. Nasty. Hard to read."
"This is his teaching?" he asked.
Ain grinned. "Correct."
"White Brother said: if women are born with less raw strength than men…"
"Then why not choose technique?"
Clink—!
Bogard slipped for a fraction—
and his clothing was cut open.
Ain wasn't untouched either; a small cut opened at her waist.
Uta watched, impressed. "Ain's swordsmanship got stronger."
White Ghost spoke calmly. "She's one step away from great swordsman."
"But not today."
The crew turned. "Why?"
White Ghost nodded toward the duel. "Bogard isn't pushing a killing fight."
"And what Ain needs is a life-or-death edge—not just a high-level spar."
They watched again—
and it was true. There was no killing intent.
Ain realized it too.
Then she remembered something else White Ghost had said:
Sometimes breaking through is like drinking water. It happens when it happens.
If you force it, you get a shallow breakthrough—and your road ends early.
Her breathing steadied.
She stopped trying to "force" Bogard.
Instead, she used him as a whetstone—polishing her blade, refining her mind, and sharpening her rhythm.
Bogard noticed and smirked. "Finally figured it out?"
Ain nodded. "Yeah. I got impatient."
"Good," Bogard said. "He really is a proper teacher."
"Those two earlier—and you—his work?"
Ain answered while stepping into a spinning aerial approach with Geppo:
"More or less."
Circular slashes flew.
Bogard knocked them aside and retreated just enough to avoid the follow-up.
From there, the duel changed.
No more dramatic waves.
Just constant sparks, constant steel, and two swordsmen grinding each other sharper.
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