Starting with One Piece, a Multiverse Simulation

Since Shiki has just escaped Impel Down, the two longswords he carries are naturally not the famous swords "Sakura Ju" and "Kokuro," but were simply stolen from the guards of Impel Down.

However, even with an ordinary longsword, it does not diminish the fact that Shiki is a "great swordsman".

Because they were on a warship, both Wood and Shiki were worried that their sword energy would cut the only ship in two. So the moment Wood saw Shiki rushing over, he took the initiative to use Moonwalk to jump into the air and create distance between them.

Shiki, who shared the same idea, saw Wood leave the warship on his own initiative and revealed a cruel smile, using the power of the Float-Float Fruit to chase after him.

Not only did Wood not want the battle to involve the warships and Ruth and the others, but Shiki shared the same thought.

"Chop!"

As soon as the two had created a safe distance from the warship, Shiki gripped his knife in one hand and launched a fierce slash at Wood.

A massive sword aura, unleashed from the longsword in his hand, flew across the sea at incredible speed, its power capable of cleaving through the sea surface hundreds of kilometers in front of him.

Faced with this slash, Wood did not choose to withstand it head-on. Instead, he easily dodged it using his "Observation Haki". He also combined "Moonwalk" and "Shave" to use a series of "Aerial Shave Steps" to dodge the slash while simultaneously appearing behind Shiki the Golden Lion.

To directly engage in a slashing attack with the opponent would undoubtedly be a foolish move, as the opponent is a great swordsman capable of cutting through steel, while he himself is merely a swordsman who has reached the stage of cutting through iron.

Regardless of their swordsmanship skills, Wood is definitely no match for Shiki in terms of slashing power.

To defeat your opponent, you must play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. Use "Moonwalk" and "Shave" together to maintain high-speed movement even in the air.

However, while the "Float-Float Fruit" allows flight, it doesn't grant the ability to move at high speeds. Furthermore, Shiki has just lost both legs and is certainly not yet accustomed to being without them, which will undoubtedly have a significant impact on his speed.

"Three-Sword Style: Chaotic Blade Kamaitachi!"

Wood, who dodged Shiki's slash with incredible speed, appeared behind Shiki without warning, wielding "Heaven's Dew" and "Frost Dew," and unleashed three slashes accompanied by a gust of wind.

As for why it's a three-sword style and why there are three slashes, it's because two of the slashes come from "Heavenly Dry" and "Frost Dew," while the last one is delivered by Wood in the form of "Storm Kick."

Three slashes swept across the sea, accompanied by gales powerful enough to tear flesh apart, and shot towards Shiki's vital points one after another.

However, Wood possesses "Observation Haki," and Shiki, as a great pirate comparable to the Pirate King, naturally couldn't possibly be unaware of using Haki.

The moment Shiki saw Wood dodge his attack, he immediately activated his Observation Haki. However, to his surprise, Wood, a swordsman of great stature, would resort to a sneak attack from behind.

"Kid, you were wasting your talents by serving in the Navy. I've fought at least eighty or a hundred swordsmen, and you're the first one to choose to attack from behind."

Most of the "sword masters" on the sea today come from Wano Country, where the spirit of "Bushido" is highly revered. Generally, sword masters disdain attacking others from behind.

"You guys don't know anything. This is called an assassin-type swordsman."

In battle, it's either you or me who dies. Swords are inherently deadly weapons, and the law of this dog-eat-dog world is to win by any means necessary.

"If you uphold the Bushido code of fair combat, then you, a renowned pirate, are now facing off against me, a mere Marine minor character not even twenty years old. Do you think that's fair?"

As for the so-called "swordsman's" dignity, Gion, a serious and rigid person, might care about it, but Wood has never been one to buy into it.

Swords are inherently deadly weapons; why bother with so many twists and turns? As long as you can definitely kill your opponent, then whatever path you take proves to be the right one.

Some people wield their swords with unwavering resolve, while others' swords remain hidden in the shadows. Still others wield their swords solely for protection, for clinging to one's own opinions will only lead to stagnation.

Wood doesn't care what others think; his sword is only for slaying powerful enemies, no matter the method!

"Lion·Senkiriya!"

Facing three swift slashes flying towards him, Shiki gripped his twin swords tightly, and in the next second, his arms swung at high speed, unleashing a barrage of slashes like a storm.

Moreover, each strike is almost as powerful as the previous "wave-slicing" strike, possessing the terrifying power to easily cut through hundreds of kilometers of sea surface.

Although both involve releasing sword energy, the power of a "Sword Master's" slash is fundamentally different from that of a "Great Sword Master's" slash.

Despite Wood's superior skill level compared to most "sword masters," and Shiki's current physical condition being extremely poor, Shiki's slash still easily shattered Wood's "Kamaitachi."

Even when the slashes collided and created a lot of splashes, Shiki continued to shoot towards Wood with undiminished momentum, like multiple dense golden slashes.

Seeing the dense slashes coming like a storm, Wood once again activated his Observation Haki.

Under its special Observation Haki, the golden slashes that were flying at high speed were all stopped as if a stop button had been pressed.

Because the slash was so slow it was almost static, Wood was able to quickly determine its trajectory and react accordingly.

"Swish—swish—swish—swish!"

Golden slashes grazed Wood's body, each one easily cleaving the sea behind him into trenches.

However, despite the dense and incredibly powerful strikes, they failed to even scratch Wood's skin.

Floating in the distance, Shiki, who had originally wanted to see Wood make a fool of himself, was stunned by what he saw.

Through their brief exchange, Shiki had a general idea of ​​Wood's swordsmanship level. In his opinion, given Wood's skill level, he shouldn't have been able to dodge his Lion's Thousand Cut Valley attack.

But Wood not only dodged them all, but what he did next almost made Skeeter's jaw drop.

Because Shiki actually saw Wood, who was wielding two swords, strike a pose that Shiki was extremely familiar with. Then, the next second, golden slashes burst out from Wood's "Frost" and "Heavenly Dew"!

"Lion·Senkiriya!"

Aside from the fact that the power of the slash was slightly inferior to his own, the brat in front of him actually learned his moves after watching them once!

Chapter 88 Request to Pursue Wood's Gion

It's impossible for Shiki not to be surprised, after all, his own unique move was now being used against him by someone else.

The path of the sword is not something that can be mastered in a day, and the same is true for swordsmanship. Every master swordsman's skills are honed through countless battles.

However, the brat in front of him had learned his swordsmanship after only seeing it once?

Shiki himself did not believe this. Rather than believing that Wood possessed incredible talent, he was more inclined to believe that Wood had a special Devil Fruit.

However, the truth is that Wood was able to use Shiki's swordsmanship because he had actually learned it!

Wood's unique Observation Haki turned Shiki's movements into a high-speed slow-motion video, and under such circumstances, it was not difficult for him, as a "swordsman," to imitate the opponent's techniques.

The multiple slashes, which had the appearance but lacked the original power, were easily shattered before they even reached Shiki.

Furthermore, Wood's seemingly provocative behavior thoroughly angered Shiki the Golden Lion.

Meanwhile, several warships at the Navy Headquarters also left port and headed towards the Impel Down route.

With such a major incident at Impel Down, it's impossible for the Marine Headquarters to have been completely unaware of it.

When news of the Impel Down escape reached Marine Headquarters, Sengoku remained calm in his office, believing it was Wood's first move.

However, when the marines who reported that the person who escaped Impel Down was Shiki the Golden Lion, Sengoku was instantly unsettled.

Sengoku knew very well what kind of character Shiki the Golden Lion was. Letting him return to the sea and waiting for him to make a comeback would undoubtedly make him another troublesome opponent.

So when Sengoku heard that Shiki had escaped from Impel Down and was seeking support, he sent Garp and Aokiji there without hesitation.

Shortly after Garp and his crew left Marine Headquarters, the Marines who came in to report again delivered information that caused Sengoku to accidentally snap the pen in his hand!

There was no other way, because what the messenger reported was simply too astonishing.

The warden of Impel Down died in battle while trying to stop Shiki from escaping. Former Navy Lieutenant Commander Wood betrayed them, releasing 150 Level 1 prisoners from Impel Down and, together with the Navy personnel from Impel Down, they all escaped!

The warden of Impel Down was killed in battle. Sengoku was slightly surprised, but not particularly so. After all, Shiki's strength was undeniable. Once freed from the Sea Stone's restraints, there were few on the high seas who could suppress him.

What shocked Sengoku was Wood. According to the original plan, Wood was blinded by greed and secretly released one of the prisoners in Impel Down.

This prisoner was also specially arranged by Sengoku. He was a member of the Whitebeard Pirates. If Wood could save him, he might have a chance to infiltrate the Whitebeard Pirates.

But upon hearing the latest intelligence about Impel Down, Sengoku was undoubtedly enraged.

I originally thought Wood was a fairly steady guy, but I didn't expect him to either not do anything at all, or to do something that would cause a huge uproar.

They killed a Celestial Dragon in Mary Geoise, and now they've released 150 prisoners from Impel Down!

As Sengoku opened the drawer beside him, intending to take out a special small Den Den Mushi to contact someone, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.

"I'm very busy right now. If it's not something particularly urgent, you can report it later."

When Sengoku sent Wood to infiltrate the pirates, he naturally left Wood with a way to contact him.

At this moment, the small Den Den Mushi in Sengoku's drawer, which looked seven-tenths similar to Wood, was specifically used to contact Wood.

Originally, for the sake of secrecy, Sengoku and Wood had agreed to only contact each other once every three years unless there was an emergency.

But now, less than a day after Wood defected from the Navy, Sengoku was already preparing to use this Den Den Mushi to contact him.

There was no way around it, because what Wood did this time was too outrageous; he actually released 150 prisoners from Impel Down.

Even Sengoku was wondering if that bastard Wood was taking his act too seriously and was actually planning to defect from the Navy to become a pirate.

"I'm sorry, Marshal Zhan Guo, I really have something urgent to see you about. Just take up a little of your time and give me an approval."

Along with the knocking, a woman's voice rang out. There weren't many female admirals in the navy, and Sengoku knew who was behind the door just by hearing that voice.

"Major General Gion, I think I've already said that I have urgent business to attend to. What you're doing now is no different from disobeying your superiors, do you understand?"

Sengoku put down the Den Den Mushi he was about to pick up and looked at Gion, who had insisted on barging in despite his orders, with a helpless expression.

“I am truly sorry, but I do have urgent matters that require the approval of the Sengoku Marshal. Whatever punishment I may face afterward, I will gladly accept it.”

Seeing the displeased expression on the Sengoku Marshal's face, Gion, unusually assertive, even risked punishment for disobeying her superiors and submitted her application report.

Gion's application report was quite concise, and Sengoku understood the purpose of Gion's visit with just a glance.

"You're requesting to lead your own troops to hunt down the naval traitor Wood?"

As a commander of the Navy Headquarters, one cannot be deployed at will; one needs relevant orders and missions. Among them, the highest combat force of the Navy Headquarters, the Admiral, needs to go through layers of approval if he wants to leave the headquarters.

Gion is taking the navy with her this time, a force of her highest rank, equivalent to that of a rear admiral, so naturally she needs Sengoku's approval.

"I want to know the reason, Rear Admiral Gion. Compared to Wood, the traitor in my navy, I think the most urgent task should be to hunt down Shiki the Golden Lion."