One Piece: Starting with Breathing Techniques

Now that he possesses sword intent and has reached the level of swordsmanship where he can do as he pleases, that means...

Kilo is now a great swordsman!

He tried to imbue the sword with his sword intent.

With a thought, a concentrated and resilient sword intent suddenly enveloped Zhanlong.

Driven by his unwavering belief in the pinnacle of swordsmanship, Kiro felt that every ounce of his power had become more refined and focused.

Enveloped in sword intent, he was confident that his strikes could shatter most of his enemies' moves.

This power seems to be unrestricted by the type of attack the opponent can use, capable of defeating all types of moves.

Regardless of whether the opponent is a swordsman or a Devil Fruit user, their attacks will be weakened by the sword intent.

Unless the opponent's strength far surpasses that of Kiro, or they have mastered Conqueror's Haki, they will be defeated by Kiro due to the influence of the sword intent.

and……

"The sword intent is swirling around it, but the energy consumption is much lower than I expected!"

The presence of Conqueror's Haki, a symbol of peak power, comes with immense energy consumption.

It is the ability to materialize Conqueror's Haki and wrap it around the body or weapon.

This requires a high degree of concentration and precise control of mental energy, and the process is extremely mentally taxing.

However, the sword intent entwining refers to wrapping one's own sword philosophy around the sharp blade in one's hand.

Once you condense your own sword intent, you only need to consume a small amount of energy to release it, and you can continuously use sword intent to entwine!

In other words, sword intent entangling is not just a trump card like Conqueror's Haki entangling, but a powerful aid that can be reliably used in actual combat!

Kiro suddenly remembered his previous sparring session with Hawkeye and scratched his head.

"I'm afraid Hawkeye has let a whole Pacific Ocean's worth of water slip by?"

"If I had used sword intent to entwine from the beginning, I probably wouldn't have been able to last more than a few moves, right?"

It wasn't until he learned how to entwine sword intent that he realized just how terrifying Hawkeye's strength truly was.

No wonder he's a man who hasn't shown his full strength yet!

And Shanks, the only one who can be used as a reference for Hawkeye's strength, is also unfathomably powerful.

I wonder what level Shanks' strength has reached at this point in time?

After testing the sword intent entangling technique, Kilo continued to ponder the sword intent.

He was surprised to find that sword intent could greatly amplify his Conqueror's Haki and add additional characteristics.

After attempting to integrate sword intent into Conqueror's Haki, the Conqueror's Haki aura immediately exploded and expanded, receiving a significant boost.

Not only has the total amount of Conqueror's Haki increased, but its specific pressure has also become much more condensed compared to before.

After a rough estimate, Kiro discovered that the Conqueror's Haki amplified by sword intent could increase its strength by nearly half!

In other words, Kiro's Conqueror's Haki can intimidate most enemies who are weaker than him.

Is Shanks' Conqueror's Haki so strong because of his sword intent?

Currently, the only two known great swordsmen are Hawkeye and Shanks.

I wonder if the Five Elders who wields the sword is a great swordsman.

However, this rarity alone is enough to demonstrate the power of a great swordsman.

As he continued his research, Kiro discovered that Conqueror's Haki Entanglement and Sword Intent Entanglement could also be used in combination.

However, the increase in power did not result in a 1+1>2 effect; it simply merged the effects of the two into one.

But this level of increase has already greatly satisfied Kilo!

He looked back at the panel, and the information that came into view made him pause.

[Unlocked Special Effect: Sky-Splitting (Active Skill)]

[Sky-Splittering: By concentrating one's will and gathering all the pinnacle of sword intent, one can unleash a terrifyingly powerful strike after consuming a massive amount of mental energy.]

[At the pinnacle of sublimation, heaven and earth lose their color; a single sword strike tilts the sky, cleaving the heavens!]

Kilo can use this skill immediately if he so chooses.

However, just by looking at the description, you can tell that this move is extremely taxing on your mental energy and is a trump card that should only be used in critical moments.

Kiro didn't want to experience what it was like to expend a huge amount of mental energy, so he gave up the idea of ​​trying it.

After upgrading all his skills, he looked at the panel.

[Proficiency Panel]

【Name: Kiro】

Age: 19

[Skills: Swordsmanship, Aura, Physical Techniques, Skills, Miscellaneous]

Current points: 32

[Upgrade] [Deduction]

After a round of upgrades, the original 1482 points have been almost wiped out, leaving only a pitiful 32 points.

For Kilo right now, 32 points are simply not enough.

Instead of wasting his time on skills he couldn't use, Kiro simply turned off the panel and saved up his points.

Kilo looked up and saw that the sun had already set above the sea.

The surrounding sea had been plunged into complete darkness.

Unlike on land, the night is even more eerie on the ocean.

The sea was shrouded in deep darkness, with barely any moonlight providing any illumination; one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

Below the small boat, the sea surged and churned, the pitch-black waves like predatory beasts, making the boat feel utterly unsafe.

Beneath the unfathomable surface of the sea, several pairs of bright red pupils seemed to be staring intently at the small boat where Kilo was.

If it were an ordinary person with no strength to even kill a chicken in this situation, they probably wouldn't have been able to last a single night.

but……

The Dragon Slayer suddenly appeared in Kilo's hand, and a giant sword aura slashed straight down towards the sea, creating several meters of waves.

boom!

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered as the sound of surging waves was mixed with indistinct roars and howls of pain.

A moment later, the sea surface where the sword energy fell gradually turned deep red.

[Small sea king killed, points +1]

[Small sea king killed, points +2]

Kilo withdrew the Dragon Slayer sword and lay back down.

He didn't bring any Seastone with him this time, so this seemingly vulnerable little boat naturally attracted the covetous eyes of some ungrateful Sea Kings.

However, his attack killed the sea kings that coveted him instantly, and the sea kings watching from afar were also frightened and fled in all directions.

Furthermore, with Kiro's current eyesight, even in extremely dim moonlight, he can see everything clearly within his field of vision.

Furthermore, with his perfected Observation Haki, he was completely unaffected by the darkness.

With his Observation Haki activated, Kiro breathed a sigh of relief. He was already exhausted, both physically and mentally, after the battle in the Alabasta Kingdom.

He then used his points to upgrade without stopping, leaving him mentally and physically exhausted.

Despite the boat's extremely high speed, it remained stable under Kilo's control, without the slightest turbulence.

Taking advantage of drowsiness, Kiro's consciousness slowly sank, and he soon drifted off to sleep.

The small boat, carried by the wind, left a long white trail across the vast, boundless sea.

……

In a magnificent meeting room in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

Five imposing, aged figures sat around a huge round table, their eyes fixed on the front.

One of the elderly men, with a full head of white curly hair, a bushy white beard, and a scar on his left eye, spoke in a cold tone.

"So you mean, Kiro reappeared and defeated the Shichibukai Crocodile?"

"And of the four CP0 agents sent to surround and kill him, three were killed and one was wounded?"

At the front of the conference hall, a man wearing a distinctive white mask decorated with flower-like patterns knelt on the ground with his head bowed.

"Yes, Lord Satan, only Stussy escaped alive. He is currently seriously injured and is still in the hospital receiving treatment."

"As for the other three CP0 members, they have all been confirmed dead; none escaped!!"