126 Sparring matches, utterly overwhelming dominance.

The sun sank in the west, and a day passed in the blink of an eye. A primal island lay isolated in the vast, boundless sea, like a fragile boat, pitifully small.

The three disembarked from their vessel and stepped onto the island. Towering trees loomed ahead, accompanied by primitive roars echoing through the air. A faint, satisfied smile appeared on Xuan Ye’s face.

“This island is a forgotten one,” he explained. “I stumbled upon it during a mission. There are some strange creatures here—ones I’m no match for.”

Standing on this somewhat familiar island, Lu Qi’s expression grew serious. He recalled how close he had come to death the last time he was here.

“Interesting. Then let’s begin training! I’ll stretch first.” Rubbing his shoulders, Xuan Ye soared into the sky.

At the same time, Lu Qi and Kalifa surged forward as well.

Throughout the night, towering flames erupted everywhere, blazing brilliantly in the endless darkness of the forest, standing out as the sole beacons.

Like a tireless beast, Xuan Ye roamed the island, moving wherever the monsters were most abundant.

As Lu Qi had said, this island was indeed filled with strange creatures, and they were relentless.

There were giant snakes as thick as houses, colossal lizards the size of mountains, and eerie spiders as large as dwellings. The night was a relentless bombardment, allowing Xuan Ye to vent the pent-up rage within him thoroughly.

Three days later, on a flat clearing at the island’s center, Xuan Ye and Lu Qi faced each other, while Kalifa stood nervously to the side.

“General, please instruct me,” Lu Qi said, shedding his shirt to reveal a bulging physique. His entire body radiated a fierce, violent aura that filled the area.

A smirk curled Xuan Ye’s lips as he regarded Lu Qi with interest. Lu Qi’s talent was undeniable. Since mastering the dual-colored Haki and refining the Sixth Style techniques, he was no longer a mere ordinary general.

In fact, had Lu Qi possessed this strength in the original story, he could have crushed Luffy in minutes.

“Are you ready?” Xuan Ye asked, stretching his body. Over these past three days, he had regained his peak condition, filling the year-long gap—not just in strength, but in spirit and physical coordination.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.” Lu Qi’s face darkened as he touched the golden crow mark on his body.

“As you wish.” Xuan Ye raised his hand in a taunting wave.

“Hmph!” Lu Qi snorted coldly, clenching his fists until they exploded with power, leaving a cracked crater beneath him before he swiftly appeared to Xuan Ye’s right.

“Whoosh...” A sharp slicing sound filled the air as a whip-like leg, not entirely dark, crashed toward Xuan Ye’s head like a locomotive, ruthless and unrelenting.

“Strong power,” Xuan Ye muttered, crouching slightly to evade Lu Qi’s whip kick, surprised by the force.

“Still early!” Expressionless, Lu Qi flipped and unleashed another horizontal kick.

“Boom...” A deafening collision echoed as the ground cracked, and a swirl of dust and sand erupted.

Xuan Ye’s foot firmly blocked Lu Qi’s strike, his calm expression betraying ease.

“Damn!” Lu Qi’s face twisted with frustration. No matter how he resisted, he felt an ever-growing surge of powerful energy from his opponent, chilling his heart.

“Power is decent, but your Haki still needs work!” Xuan Ye unleashed a terrifying aura and shoved Lu Qi back with a blast of smoke and flame.

“Whoosh...” Xuan Ye vanished, reappearing behind Lu Qi. His fist, as black as ink and cutting through the air, shook the ground as it thundered forth.

“Armament: Iron Block!” Lu Qi’s face paled; he barely had time to react and could only defend.

“Bang...” A heavy impact sounded. Lu Qi’s face contorted in pain, blood trickling from his mouth as he was sent flying backward.

“Sixth Style is indeed powerful,” Xuan Ye acknowledged, feeling the soreness in his fist.

Dust and smoke scattered as Lu Qi’s face turned ashen. Suddenly, he appeared beside Xuan Ye with wide eyes, hands clenched together, “Six King Spear!”

“Thud...” The air rippled as a white aura burst forth.

“Crack... crack...” The earth fissured, countless fractures spreading out. Xuan Ye’s eyes narrowed in surprise.

“Bang...” Darkness enveloped the scene as two terrifying flaming wings solidified before him.

The immense force of the attack sent flames raging wildly. The ground beneath Xuan Ye collapsed, and he staggered backward.

Removing the wings, Xuan Ye’s face grew serious as he regarded Lu Qi. “Not a bad move.”

Unbeknownst to Lu Qi, Xuan Ye had already unleashed nearly eighty percent of his power. There was no denying Lu Qi’s genius.

“General, be careful!” Panting heavily, Lu Qi was drenched in sweat, clearly exhausted by the move.

“Come then!” Flames twined around Xuan Ye’s body, and amid flickering light, a strange figure slowly emerged from the water.

“Divine Transformation!”

“Shhh...” In an instant, Xuan Ye vanished, leaving afterimages as Lu Qi appeared once again beside him like a phantom.

“Six King... pffft...” Before Lu Qi could strike, a tremendous force hit him. His face twisted in agony as he spat blood, carving a long trench across the ground before collapsing among the rubble, utterly spent.

“How is this possible...” Bloodied and lying on the earth, Lu Qi’s trembling body was on the verge of collapse, eyes filled with disbelief.

He had no idea how Xuan Ye had attacked him. Neither his body nor his Haki had detected the strike.

It was as if Xuan Ye had stood still all along, yet in a flash, Lu Qi suffered a devastating blow without warning.

“Phew...” Exhaling softly after ending his Divine Transformation, Xuan Ye frowned.

Nearby, Kalifa covered her mouth, her eyes wide with bewilderment and fear. From start to finish, the battle between Xuan Ye and Lu Qi had been daunting to her.

In strength, speed, Haki, and the Sixth Style, Kalifa lagged far behind Lu Qi—not to mention Xuan Ye.

“Lord Lu Qi... are you alright?” After her shock, Kalifa hurried to Lu Qi’s side and helped him to his feet, still struggling to believe what had happened.

“How could this be... so strong...” Lu Qi gritted his teeth in frustration, but the searing pain tearing through his body was an undeniable reality.

“Want to go again?” Xuan Ye asked, watching the unsteady Lu Qi.

“General, Lord Lu Qi can no longer fight.” Supporting Lu Qi, Kalifa rolled her eyes dramatically, leaving Xuan Ye momentarily stunned.

“I’m no match for you.” Lu Qi lowered his head, reluctantly accepting the truth.

“No need to be discouraged. My strength didn’t come without cost,” Xuan Ye said, patting Lu Qi’s shoulder, darkening the latter’s expression.

“I know. You don’t have to say it,” Lu Qi muttered irritably.

“Help him get some rest.” Xuan Ye waved his hand.

“Yes...” As the two departed, Xuan Ye spread his hands and observed, frowning once more.

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