As long as one's physical condition meets the requirements, learning Armament Haki isn't difficult.
The real challenge lies in mastering it—knowing how to wield it effectively.
From an observer's perspective, Maude vaguely discerned the principle behind the Armament Haki technique that Dorry and Brogy unleashed in that fleeting moment.
It wasn't just about pouring out their Haki all at once.
Instead, they concentrated their limited amount of Armament Haki at the precise impact point of their weapons.
Then, at the exact moment their weapons struck the target, they released that concentrated Haki in an instant, creating an explosive impact force.
This was clearly an attack technique with an extremely high conversion rate of power.
"That's... unexpectedly refined," Maude mused, gazing at the two towering giants in admiration.
In his understanding, giants—who possessed overwhelming raw power—should be the type to unleash their strength in an unrestrained manner.
Yet, reality proved his assumptions wrong.
These two giants before him exhibited remarkable control over their strength.
Maude suddenly found himself filled with anticipation.
The billowing dust, barely lingering around Dorry and Brogy's waists, slowly began to settle.
Cavendish tilted his head back, his solemn and astonished gaze piercing through the dispersing dust, locking onto the two giants.
He was shocked by the sheer might they had just displayed. But despite that, retreating was never an option.
From the moment the battle began until now, he had barely revealed a fraction of the strength he had gained through the fusion with his alter ego.
"If it's me right now…"
Cavendish held his sword horizontally in front of him. His golden hair fluttered wildly, as though possessed by a demonic presence. Within his eyes, a faint golden ring surfaced around his irises.
Dorry and Brogy withdrew their weapons, their expressions tinged with surprise as they observed the sudden shift in Cavendish.
"Brogy, this human… he's a bit strange."
"He sure is."
What exactly had changed about Cavendish?
The two giants had no idea.
But they could clearly sense that his aura had grown stronger.
"Kamaitachi Style: Frenzied Blades."
Before Dorry and Brogy could react, Cavendish's figure suddenly vanished.
At the same time, it was as if an invisible hand had swept away the dust in front of them.
In reality, however, the true cause of the dust dispersing so thoroughly was none other than the countless slashes Cavendish had unleashed while charging forward at extreme speed.
Seeing the dust shredded apart by an overwhelming barrage of high-speed slashes, Dorry and Brogy's eyes sharpened.
"Fast and relentless slashes, huh?"
"Heh! Not bad!"
In an instant, they deduced the reason behind the dust's rapid dissipation.
And with that realization, their perception of Cavendish changed.
They had assumed he was just another insignificant human.
But now, he had given them an unexpected thrill.
At this level, he was already qualified to be their entertainment after their duel concluded.
"Here he comes!"
Dorry and Brogy could sense the razor-sharp aura Cavendish exuded as he charged.
However, neither of them possessed Observation Haki, meaning they couldn't refine that sensation into a precise reading of his trajectory.
They could only rely on their battle-hardened instincts, sharpened through countless fights.
But—Cavendish was too fast!
Before the two giants could even complete their preparatory movements, the invisible frenzy of Kamaitachi blades had already swept across their weapon-wielding arms.
Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!
In less than a second, the sharp sound of blades slicing through flesh echoed in rapid succession.
Thin streams of blood burst out from the giants' arms in crisscrossing patterns.
Seeing this, Maude—who had been preparing to step in—paused.
"His coordination isn't bad," he remarked.
He watched as Cavendish unleashed his ferocious assault against the two giants.
Being able to harness the power of his alter ego while maintaining clarity of mind was the result of Maude's three months of experimentation.
He had assumed Cavendish would take longer to adapt to it.
But now, it seemed Cavendish had already reached a considerable level of mastery.
Cavendish's attacks were relentless. In the blink of an eye, numerous wounds had been inflicted upon Dorry and Brogy.
"Gahaha! That's nothing!"
But Brogy simply let out a hearty laugh, utterly unfazed by the dozens of blade-like cuts on his arm.
A warrior with extensive battle experience, he had already devised a countermeasure against Cavendish in mere moments.
And he wasted no time putting it into action.
Ignoring his injuries, Brogy suddenly swung his massive battle-axe, generating a violent gust of wind.
Dorry followed suit, sweeping his greatsword through the air and creating a powerful gale.
Their combined force immediately disrupted Cavendish's high-speed movements, sending him flying backward.
"How crude… No finesse whatsoever."
Cavendish was thrown back by the tempest created by the two giants' synchronized attack.
As he tumbled through the air, his gaze quickly flicked toward the wounds on their arms.
The results were far worse than he had anticipated…
"Huh?"
A sudden shock ran through Cavendish's heart as his eyes reflected the sight of Dorry and Brogy charging at him, side by side.
For some reason, it felt as though these two were competing to see who could finish him off first.
And that was precisely the case.
Even for something as trivial as claiming a kill, Dorry and Brogy found joy in making a contest out of it.
With that competitive fire fueling them, their ancient weapons—wielded for over a century—came crashing down toward Cavendish in perfect unison.
The sheer speed and precision of their attacks were something Cavendish had never expected.
And as a result—
He now found himself in a position where he had no choice but to meet the giants' assault head-on.
"Can I withstand this...?"
Cavendish held his sword horizontally in an attempt to block the attack, his mind racing with that very thought.
In the blink of an eye, Dorry's longsword took advantage of its superior reach, slashing down upon Durandal before Cavendish could fully brace himself.
Clang—!
A resounding clash of metal echoed through the sky as the sheer force from Dorry's sword traveled straight through, sending Cavendish hurtling down like a cannonball.
Boom!
The violent impact forced a mouthful of blood from Cavendish's lips as his body slammed into the ground, carving out a crater upon impact.
"Damn it…"
The overwhelming force of the blow made Cavendish instantly realize the true gap between himself and the two giants, Dorry and Brogy.
Even though he had grown significantly stronger, defeating true powerhouses without mastering the art of Haki was no easy feat.
Let alone these two giants—genuine monsters.
Seeing Cavendish still conscious, Dorry, who had yet to withdraw his sword from the strike, showed a hint of surprise.
He had thought that his sword swing, if not fatal, would have at least left Cavendish severely injured and unconscious.
"Gahahaha! Let me finish this!"
Brogy, arriving just a moment later, took advantage of the situation, swinging his massive battle-axe down at the motionless Cavendish lying in the crater.
Watching Brogy seize the opportunity, Dorry sighed but didn't bother to intervene.
This sort of thing had happened countless times between them.
The colossal axe came crashing down.
Cavendish gritted his teeth, struggling to move—but his body refused to obey.
He had come so far, transformed himself—so why was he still powerless?
Frustration boiled within him.
Just as death loomed over him, Maude arrived in the nick of time.
With a sharp clang, the black blade Shusui was drawn from its sheath, its edge instantly coated in a dense layer of Armament Haki.
Without holding back, Maude unleashed a full-powered slash.
A dark, crescent-shaped sword wave suddenly streaked through the air, cutting straight toward the falling axe blade with explosive speed.
"Hm?"
Brogy's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Who's there!?"
Before he could fully react, an immense force surged through his axe.
Caught off guard, the impact sent Brogy's massive weapon flying backward—forcing his colossal frame to stumble several steps in retreat!
Dorry, witnessing Brogy being pushed back with a single strike, couldn't help but turn his gaze to Maude, now standing protectively in front of Cavendish.
Lying in the crater, Cavendish, too, was utterly shocked.
He had experienced firsthand the terrifying strength of the giants.
Yet Maude—had repelled Brogy...?!
Deep within the forest, those who had been lurking, waiting for a chance to reap the rewards of battle, were left utterly dumbfounded by the spectacle before them.
That single strike, the one that forced Brogy to retreat—it shook them to their very core.
"He actually overpowered a giant…"
"Which one is the real monster here?"
"Incredible."
"So this is the power of a Warlord of the Sea…!"
For those who had never truly witnessed the might of the New World's monsters, Maude was instantly categorized as one of them.
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