Chapter 17 – Whoa~ Iron Body Is Amazing!
Author: Beggar Sect's Chief Disciple (2023-07-21)
At Aokiji's suggestion, Yoriichi really did swap his longsword for a bamboo blade, and sure enough, Aokiji—true to his word—immediately used his Devil Fruit powers to craft a sword of ice.
Calling it an ice sword might've been a bit of an overstatement. While it had the shape of a sword, its "blade" wasn't sharpened at all. The entire weapon was basically a smooth, rounded rod—something safe for sparring that wouldn't actually hurt Yoriichi.
Before long, the two clashed once again on the wide, open deck.
Without his Devil Fruit powers, Aokiji's hand-to-hand combat was, to put it mildly, lackluster. Against someone like Yoriichi—this so-called "rookie of the new generation"—he could only barely keep a slight upper hand.
During their bout, Aokiji began demonstrating the rest of the Navy's Six Styles:
Using the air currents stirred by an opponent's attacks to predict their movements and shift one's body to absorb impact—Paper Art.
Compressing air through rapid, repeated steps to create thrust and stay suspended in the air for brief moments—Moonwalk.
Unleashing powerful kicks that cut through the air and generate invisible blades of wind—Tempest Kick.
Concentrating all one's power into a single finger to deliver piercing, bullet-like strikes—Finger Gun.
And finally, accelerating blood flow and tightening every muscle until the body itself hardens to steel, shrugging off bullets and blades alike—Iron Body.
Those five techniques, combined with the high-speed movement art Shave, formed the complete set of the Navy's Six Styles.
As Aokiji demonstrated each move, Yoriichi, aided by his Transparent World, effortlessly grasped their essence and underlying principles.
In essence, these were all methods of mastering one's own body.
And what Yoriichi excelled at most—far more than mere swordsmanship—was precisely that: absolute control over his physical form.
In his original world, any swordsman who had perfected Breathing Techniques and attained the realm of the Transparent World possessed an inhuman degree of control over every muscle and fiber of their being.
That preternatural mastery, combined with Yoriichi's monstrous physique, allowed him to perfectly replicate each of the Six Styles the moment he understood their workings.
As his proficiency deepened, Yoriichi began pondering how to weave the Navy's Six Styles into his own fighting style.
"Finger Gun's power flow is quite similar to the Sun Breathing, Seventh Form—Solar Flare Thrust," he mused.
"The difference is simply that one focuses power at the fingertip, while the other channels it through the blade's tip. For me, Finger Gun doesn't add much."
"Moonwalk grants short bursts of aerial mobility, but true swordsmanship… only reaches perfection when one's feet are firmly grounded. I suppose it's useful for the occasional surprise strike."
"Shave, though—that one's handy. It'll let me link my sword forms even more seamlessly."
"Tempest Kick could be interesting… If I use my blade instead of my leg, would that create flying slashes?"
"As for Iron Body—hah! That's exactly what I need right now. Everyone knows swordsmen have lousy defense!"
Thock! Thock! Thock!
On the deck, Yoriichi's bamboo sword clashed rapidly against Aokiji's "ice club," each collision producing a dull, heavy sound. Yoriichi's movements were fluid and unbroken—each strike flowing naturally into the next. Even without employing formal sword forms, his attacks were elegant and precise, always aimed at the briefest openings in Aokiji's defense.
Aokiji, on the other hand, found himself purely on the defensive. Relying on his superior speed—and, admittedly, a bit of stealthy Observation Haki—he managed to parry each of Yoriichi's attacks just in time.
Yet every time he tried to switch from defense to offense, Yoriichi would instantly shift rhythm and cut him off, forcing him back into guarding.
At one point, Aokiji even wondered if this kid had already learned Observation Haki too. His timing was uncanny—almost as if he could see Aokiji's next move before it happened.
But he quickly shook the thought away with a wry smile. Impossible. He hadn't taught Yoriichi Haki, and a boy who'd only just learned the Six Styles couldn't possibly have mastered it already.
What Aokiji didn't know, though—was that Yoriichi didn't need Haki.
Within the Transparent World, every subtle twitch of Aokiji's muscles stood out in perfect clarity.
If Observation Haki sensed the future, then Yoriichi's Transparent World saw it directly.
The difference between Yoriichi's Transparent World and Observation Haki was much like the difference between the Uzumaki clan's Kagura's Mind's Eye and the Hyuga clan's Byakugan in the world of Naruto.
Before long, the commotion from Yoriichi and Aokiji's spar drew the attention of the marines aboard the warship.
The ship's course had already been set, so aside from those stationed in the engine room, bridge, and lookout tower, the rest of the crew had little to do. Many marines who had been idly chatting or wandering the deck were now drawn to the spectacle taking place.
Word spread quickly—one told ten, ten told a hundred—and soon, a large crowd had gathered around the two combatants, pointing and whispering among themselves.
"Hey! That red-haired kid looks familiar—isn't he the one from Dragon Chant Island?"
"Yeah, the one Vice Admiral Garp brought aboard! I remember now—Yoriichi Tsugikuni! Wasn't he stationed at HQ? What's he doing here?"
"You don't know? Vice Admiral Garp brought him when we set sail. I heard he's Admiral Zephyr's disciple now."
"Oh! Admiral Zephyr's student? No wonder he's this strong! But even so… wasn't he a lot weaker the last time he fought pirates in the East Blue? He's actually keeping up with Captain Kuzan now?"
Their chatter carried across the deck, but neither Yoriichi nor Aokiji paid them any mind. Both were completely absorbed in their match, eyes locked on each other.
Many of the crew recognized Yoriichi; after all, he'd originally boarded this same ship when he first joined the Navy. Some had even fought alongside him before.
Those marines in particular were shocked by the transformation before their eyes. The Yoriichi they remembered was already strong, but now—his growth was staggering. His mastery of Shave had become near perfect, his movements ghostlike, his attacks flowing seamlessly into one another. His combat ability had grown by leaps and bounds.
Yoriichi knew as much himself. His raw power level hadn't necessarily increased, but his combat efficiency—his ability to use what he had—had improved dramatically.
At this point, he figured he could defeat his former self within five moves.
People said Kaido was the greatest teacher in all the seas, but if you asked Yoriichi—Aokiji wasn't far behind.
"Haah!"
On the deck, Aokiji finally found an opening. With a sharp motion, his "ice club" knocked Yoriichi's bamboo sword aside, and he thrust backward in a quick counterattack toward Yoriichi's abdomen.
Yoriichi, still young, couldn't match Aokiji in endurance.
After such a long bout—especially while maintaining Total Concentration, Constant and repeatedly using Shave—his stamina was nearly spent. His movements began to slow, and Aokiji seized the chance to strike back.
"Iron Body!"
Seeing the ice club driving toward him, too close to dodge, Yoriichi shouted the technique's name in his mind and braced himself, hardening every muscle to withstand the blow.
But the instant the attack landed, a crushing impact tore through his abdomen, sending him flying backward like a cannonball.
"BOOM!!"
He shot through the air, crashing into the ship's mast with a heavy thud before tumbling to the deck below. Dazed and disoriented, Yoriichi felt a wave of nausea rise and coughed up a mouthful of clear fluid—another poor soul claimed by the unforgiving "Iron Body."
"Hey, you alright?" Aokiji hurried over, genuine concern in his voice. After being pushed on the defensive for so long, he hadn't held back when the opening appeared. But seeing Yoriichi's reaction now, he couldn't help but worry.
"Ugh—no injuries!" Yoriichi finally croaked after a moment, staggering to his feet. "Iron Body… really is amazing!"
He rolled his shoulders experimentally—and to his surprise, not a single bruise or cut remained. Before learning the technique, that one strike would've put him out of commission instantly.
Aokiji gave a short laugh.
Meanwhile, atop the lookout tower, Garp had been watching the entire spar. Seeing Yoriichi stand up unscathed, he grinned broadly and spoke to his adjutant, Bogard.
"Bogard, starting tomorrow—you'll teach him Haki."
"The Six Styles… there's no need for him to keep practicing them."
"He's already mastered them."
With that, Garp turned away from the railing, chuckling to himself as he walked off into the distance.
(End of Chapter)