"Revolutionary Dance – Assault!"
While weaving through the rain of bullets, Lafayette moved like a phantom among the ranks of the Kingdom Guard.
At some point, he had already drawn a slender double-edged sword concealed within his cane. As he passed through the soldiers, his blade flashed at an overwhelmingly fast speed, slicing in crisscrossing arcs.
"Ahhh!"
Sharp streaks of sword light intersected, and screams erupted one after another.
In the span of mere moments, Lafayette had already passed through to the other side of the Kingdom Guard formation. Behind him, guards collapsed to the ground amid sprays of blood.
A thin red line ran down the blade hidden within his cane.
Lafayette came to a stop and turned slowly, the strange smile never leaving his pale face. His gaze settled on Clifford, who had retreated earlier.
"Ahhh!"
The sudden and brutal scene sent waves of terror through the surrounding crowd. Civilians screamed and fled in panic, scrambling over one another to escape.
"Lafayette! You dare kill members of the Kingdom Guard? Do you truly intend to become a criminal?"
Clifford's pupils shrank. When he noticed Lafayette looking directly at him, the hairs on his body stood on end. He roared angrily.
"Don't say that," Lafayette replied calmly. "Calling me a criminal is a bit excessive. I'm merely protecting myself—an instinct common to all living beings."
He lifted his cane-sword and glanced at the blood staining its edge before fixing Clifford with a faint smile.
"After all, from what I can observe, you don't just intend to expel me. You harbor rather strong malice toward me, don't you?"
"You—"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Before Clifford could continue, gunshots rang out suddenly. Several bullets shot toward him at high speed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks exploded.
Clifford was worthy of being the captain of the Kingdom Guard. His reactions were sharp. The instant he heard the gunfire, he activated Armament Haki—rare in West Blue—and wrapped it around his body.
The bullets struck him and were immediately deflected by the hardened Haki, bouncing harmlessly to the ground.
He turned sharply toward the source of the gunfire.
The shooters were the security officers who had arrived earlier.
At some point, they had picked up rifles dropped by the fallen guards. Their faces were blank, eyes unfocused, as they raised their weapons and fired at Clifford.
"Damn it… hypnosis!"
Clifford's expression darkened as he instantly grasped the situation.
He feared Lafayette not only for his strength but also for his bizarre hypnotic techniques.
Just like now—if Clifford hadn't reacted in time with Armament Haki, he might have been injured by his own manipulated subordinates.
Without hesitation, Clifford charged forward.
His fists and kicks lashed out mercilessly.
With Armament Haki still enveloping his body, he moved at terrifying speed and struck down the security officers one after another, knocking them unconscious or worse.
"Night Song – Piercing Strike!"
Lafayette appeared like a specter.
Naturally, he would not simply watch Clifford destroy his puppets. The moment Clifford made his move, Lafayette attacked.
Using the momentum of his sprint, he thrust his cane-sword toward Clifford's back with swift and ferocious precision.
Clang!
Sparks burst.
Though Lafayette's swordsmanship was exquisite, Clifford's continuous Armament Haki defense held firm. The tip of the blade managed to sink only slightly before stopping.
A flash of light crossed Lafayette's eyes. He withdrew instantly without hesitation.
The very moment he retreated, Clifford spun around and unleashed a whip-like punch that tore through the air.
The strike missed by a narrow margin.
Had Lafayette hesitated even a fraction of a second longer, that blow would have landed squarely on him.
"Haki really is troublesome," Lafayette thought as he retreated, his gaze fixed on Clifford with both caution and regret. "If only the kingdom hadn't sealed off its inheritance…"
The Kingdom of San Lorenzo, like the Kingdom of Flowers in West Blue, possessed a legacy of Haki.
However, unlike the more open tradition of the Kingdom of Flowers, San Lorenzo strictly controlled access to Haki training.
Outsiders were barred completely.
Even members of the security force were unqualified to learn it.
That had been Lafayette's situation.
Although his strength far surpassed that of ordinary security officers, he remained only a security officer. The inheritance of Haki was beyond his reach.
Still, he understood Haki well enough.
And he knew that Clifford, as captain of the Kingdom Guard, had mastered it.
"Die!"
Clifford's back throbbed with pain despite his defense. The sting only fueled his rage.
With a roar, he crushed the stone beneath his feet and charged like a descending tiger.
His fist shot forward violently.
Lafayette barely raised his cane-sword in time to block.
Boom!!
The slender blade bent under the impact, slamming into Lafayette's chest. He grunted, sliding backward across the ground for seven or eight meters.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His pale face darkened.
"Dawn Song – Aurora Burst!"
Injured though he was, Lafayette remained calm.
Before Clifford could press his advantage, Lafayette swung his arm sharply and released a spear-shaped Slash Wave.
The spear-like wave drilled forward with a piercing whistle, slicing through the air toward Clifford.
Clifford raised both arms to block.
Boom!!
The spear-shaped Slash Wave struck his crossed arms.
A violent shockwave erupted, visible to the naked eye, cracking the surrounding ground.
Clifford's feet slid backward across the street. Blood seeped from his forearms, as though torn by the drilling force of the Slash Wave.
"Hypnosis Song – Rondo!"
Lafayette did not pause.
Leaping forward, he arced around to Clifford's side and launched a rapid series of slashes.
His blade moved in continuous, swift streaks, striking relentlessly at Clifford from multiple angles.
The duel intensified, steel flashing and shockwaves spreading as the two men clashed in the center of the ruined street.
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