The moment Finn finished speaking, he ignored both Rayleigh and Newgate. He brought his hands together before his chest. "Life Return: Reinvigorate!"
Newgate and Rayleigh's eyes sharpened. Both men tensed, preparing for an incoming attack.
But no attack came. Instead, Finn's appearance changed dramatically.
Cloud-like Armament Haki erupted from his feet, racing up his legs and spreading across his torso. In moments, it had enveloped his entire body. Then the Haki condensed, hardening into what looked like heavy armor plating. The effect was imposing, almost regal.
Not only that, a faint purple light emanated from within the armor. His Devil Fruit ability was clearly enhancing the construct.
"My teacher warned me many times not to leave myself with too many weaknesses and flaws," Finn said casually. "That it's best to develop comprehensively. To be honest, I agreed with that principle at first. But eventually I had to admit that people must have their own focus. So-called all-around development is ultimately beyond anyone's ability. However, in other aspects, I've made some progress. Please, appreciate it."
The instant he finished speaking, he moved.
The ground beneath his feet exploded. His armored form shot toward Newgate at terrifying speed.
Newgate's expression remained calm. He raised his fist, and white light gathered around his knuckles. Vibration force erupted toward Finn in a devastating punch.
Finn's fist met Newgate's head-on.
BOOM!
The tremor attacked instantly, but was blocked by Finn's Haki armor. Before Newgate could increase his output, he suddenly felt his fist sink. So heavy!
He looked again. The purple halo on Finn's armor had concentrated entirely around his fist.
"Hit harder!" Finn roared.
Powerful gravity detonated. It shattered Newgate's vibration force in an instant, and the crushing pressure enveloped his entire fist. Newgate's arm dropped involuntarily under the weight.
Which meant he'd lost his angle on Finn.
Finn seized the opportunity. He closed the distance and reached for Shindokutō's hilt with one hand.
"Hmph!" Newgate growled. An invisible, subtle vibration instantly manifested to block Finn's palm.
THUD.
Gravity and vibration collided. Neither could touch the blade.
At that moment, Rayleigh's figure arrived. Cold steel flashed. His rapier shot toward Finn's waist.
CLANG!
The blade failed to pierce Finn's heavy armor, but the force behind the strike did push him back slightly, giving Newgate some breathing room.
Without giving Finn time to recover, Rayleigh exploded into motion. His hand speed was incredible. In mere seconds, he'd slashed out countless times, his rapier becoming a storm of steel that enveloped Finn completely.
Sharp strikes and the blade's edge surrounded Finn's figure like a hurricane. Steel met Haki repeatedly, creating showers of sparks. At the same time, Rayleigh's rapier carried Armament Haki of its own. Every clash stripped away a small portion of Finn's defensive coating.
In moments, Finn had been forced back dozens of meters by Rayleigh's relentless, torrential assault.
The purple energy halo on his armor seemed to dissipate rapidly along with Rayleigh's countless strikes. Soon, it looked like only the dark Haki remained.
"Hah!" Rayleigh roared. His attack paused for a heartbeat as he gathered power. Then he swung with all his might, striking Finn's waist and abdomen. The blow shattered Finn's Haki armor and sent him flying.
Finn's body rolled through the air several times before he landed smoothly on the ground. The domineering armor coating his body crumbled and dissipated like broken glass.
It looked like he'd been completely suppressed by Rayleigh's storm of attacks, as though he'd been at a disadvantage the entire time. Yet a smile hung on Finn's face as he looked at Rayleigh.
"Isn't it heavy?"
The instant he finished speaking, Rayleigh's rapier fell from his hand and hit the ground.
Rayleigh's wrist trembled slightly. His fingers shook. His face had gone slightly pale, and sweat poured from his forehead.
When the rapier struck the earth, it actually cratered the ground beneath it.
Every time Rayleigh had slashed Finn, his blade had made contact with gravitational energy. Each strike had added more weight to his weapon. In that brief exchange, Rayleigh had struck Finn hundreds of times. His sword had become extraordinarily, almost impossibly heavy.
"It's heavy," Rayleigh took a deep breath and smiled. "But very effective, wasn't it?"
A trace of blood leaked from the corner of Finn's mouth. He nodded. "It was very effective."
"The heavier it is, the greater the power." Rayleigh's voice was soft.
Of course he'd felt his blade growing heavier with each strike. But he'd slashed out hundreds of times without hesitation, because the heavier his sword became, the stronger his attacks and impact would be. Especially that last blow, which had shattered Finn's Haki armor entirely.
After all, Finn was younger and more robust. Seeing Rayleigh sweating and breathing hard, Finn didn't waste words. He made his body weightless and appeared before Rayleigh in a flash, raising his hand to strike at the older man's face with a Haki-coated palm.
"Just catching my breath. You don't think I'm out of energy, do you? It's not wise to underestimate an old man." Rayleigh dodged Finn's palm strike at incredible speed. As he shifted sideways, his elbow brought out powerful Haki and drove toward Finn's ribs.
Finn's reaction was equally swift. When his palm missed, he suddenly raised his thigh. Using his height advantage, he brought his knee forward with Haki coating and blocked Rayleigh's elbow directly.
Armament Haki exploded from the point of collision.
But the clash lasted only a moment before both disengaged. Finn threw a punch. Rayleigh raised his hand and caught Finn's forearm, using technique to halt the fist mid-strike.
The next second, Finn straightened his back and thrust his hips forward, aiming to ram Rayleigh's waist. Rayleigh seemed prepared for this. He pushed forward with his own waist strength and stalemated with Finn for a heartbeat.
Then both changed their techniques simultaneously.
Finn turned his fist into a claw and reached for Rayleigh's heart. Rayleigh brought two fingers together and thrust them like a spear toward Finn's chest.
In three or five breaths, the two had exchanged blows using pure physical technique. Neither could gain a decisive advantage.
At that moment, their eyes met. Rayleigh saw ruthlessness in Finn's gaze. Finn saw determination in Rayleigh's.
Clearly both were hardened fighters. One was executing Black Tiger Steals Heart. The other was performing a piercing thrust. Neither had any intention of defending, as if both were prepared to die together.
After their eyes met, Finn and Rayleigh twisted their bodies slightly at the same instant.
Blood erupted.
Rayleigh's two-finger thrust pierced directly into Finn's flesh like a blade. But because of the last-second twist, it didn't penetrate his heart. In the next instant, powerful force drove completely through Finn's chest and burst out his back, carrying a spray of blood.
Looking at Rayleigh, his clothing had been shredded by Finn's clawed hand, stained with bright red. Finn had left five bloody furrows across Rayleigh's muscular chest. At the same time, Finn had torn a chunk of flesh from near Rayleigh's heart with his bare hand.
Similarly, if Rayleigh hadn't twisted his body at the last moment, Finn would likely have ripped his heart out entirely.
Of course, Rayleigh would also have pierced Finn's heart directly.
It happened so fast. Blood suddenly appeared on both men's bodies. Less than a breath had passed.
And in that moment, the key element that would determine this exchange appeared.
Rayleigh's brow furrowed slightly. Pain flickered in his eyes. Anyone who'd just had a chunk of flesh torn from their chest with bare hands would feel tremendous pain.
That flash of agony made Rayleigh's movements stiffen for just an instant.
Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't matter much. After all, Finn had been pierced completely through the chest and back. He should have been similarly affected.
But in that moment, Finn's eyes blazed with savage ferocity. He showed no sign of feeling any pain whatsoever. His movements were smooth, without the slightest hesitation. He suddenly leaned into Rayleigh's guard.
"Oh no..." The thought flashed through Rayleigh's mind.
At the same time, he was genuinely shocked. What was wrong with this person? Even with pain resistance training, it was impossible to simply not feel it at all, wasn't it?
Before Rayleigh could finish that thought, a violent impact erupted.
Rayleigh suddenly coughed up blood. His body shot backward like a cannonball from Finn's Tekkai-enhanced shoulder charge.
He rolled across the ground for more than twenty meters before finally stopping. He braced himself on the earth. Before he could even open his mouth, he spat out another mouthful of blood.
"Cough..." After expelling the blood, Rayleigh felt his breathing settle slightly. He looked up at Finn, who stood motionless in the distance with a ferocious grin on his face. Emotion flickered in the older swordsman's eyes.
"It seems I win in terms of physical combat and fighting technique." Finn's smile was sharp.
Rayleigh pressed against his ribs, which seemed slightly fractured. He endured the pain and rose to his feet. "You really are fierce."
Not far away, Newgate had simply stood there without moving.
This was understandable. It wasn't his fault that he hadn't helped. Rayleigh knew perfectly well that he and Newgate had never cooperated before, let alone fought as allies. Their rhythms couldn't mesh. Newgate's decision not to intervene just now had been the correct choice.
If he'd interfered, Rayleigh might be in even worse shape.
"The second round is about to begin." Finn took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished.
Shock flashed in Newgate's eyes. He took a step back and dropped his massive frame into a crouch.
The next second, Finn's high roundhouse kick swept directly over his head. The force was so great it seemed to shatter the air itself, creating a thunderous explosion.
In that instant, Newgate, who'd just crouched, suddenly sprang upward. He spread his hands, grabbed Finn's leg, and hoisted the Admiral directly onto his shoulders.
Surprise flickered in Finn's eyes. Just as he was about to counter, Newgate arched backward into a bridge position and slammed them both to the ground.
This time, Newgate had seized the initiative and moved faster than Finn. While driving Finn into the earth, Newgate twisted his arm and grabbed Finn's throat, pinning him down.
"You don't think my fighting skills are weak, do you?" Newgate grinned.
"You don't think you have the upper hand, do you?" Despite having his neck constricted, Finn's face showed a triumphant smile.
As he finished speaking, Newgate startled. Instinctive alertness flared. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Finn's other hand.
"Impossible!" Shock crossed Newgate's face. He immediately released his grip on Finn's throat, kicked off the ground, and rolled backward in an undignified retreat.
But he was already a step too slow. Searing pain erupted from his waist and abdomen. When Newgate and Finn separated, a terrible wound had appeared across his torso. Blood poured freely, refusing to clot.
"Void Slash." Finn's voice was soft.
Shindokutō was still embedded in Newgate's body. But in that moment, Finn was holding Shindokutō's scabbard in his hand.
"With such an obvious weakness, did you really think I wouldn't have a backup plan?" Finn's grin was savage as he looked at Newgate, who'd dropped to one knee while clutching the massive wound at his waist.