Chapter 132: Battle of Wano: Clash of Wills

Because the country closed itself off from the outside world.

In Wano, Devil Fruits are known as ‘Monsters.’

So right now, Wano is still an untouched land—there must be no shortage of Devil Fruits here.

Karl wanted to make a trip to the Sword Graveyard, but now just isn’t the right time.

“Clang!”

Just then, Oden and Notty’s duel in the distance had already reached its peak.

“I admit your strength.”

Notty hadn’t expected this unremarkable-looking kid in front of him to put up such a good fight.

He’s still got a long way to go compared to me, but among the younger generation, that’s not bad at all.

Notty is used to sparring with other teammates.

Maybe it’s because he’s a Fishman, or maybe it’s because all of Karl’s crew practice different martial arts, but overall their strength is about half a level above what you’d find at sea.

That’s why Notty’s standards are set so high these days.

“Oden’s Two Sword Style—Togen Totsuka!”

Oden was surprised—this big guy standing before him wasn’t just strong, his power was on another level.

He’d gone all out, but the man across from him seemed to handle it with ease.

So he quickly launched into his newly mastered dual-blade move.

He swung both swords, both coated with Armament Haki, crossing them in front, his body trailing behind like a shooting star slashing across the sky.

He unleashed a blindingly fast cross-shaped flying slash, then charged close behind it.

He wasn’t completely used to the move yet, but in the original tale, this was the attack that left Kaido with two massive scars.

“Now we’re talking.”

“Eight-Level Fist—Collapse!”

Notty was finally interested—he never thought this young man could surprise him.

This strike was nothing like their previous exchanges. For the first time, he felt a hint of real danger.

He punched out, his Armament Haki-coated fist cutting straight through the sword energy and then smashing into the oncoming dual blades.

“Didn’t think there were so many talented youngsters on this island.”

Davis, Brown, and the others stood off to the side, discussing the battle.

“Click!”

“Every amazing moment deserves to be captured.”

Jennifer was darting around the edge of the battlefield with her camera, snapping crisp shots of every intense clash.

“Not interested!”

Halil yawned, arms folded, looking completely unimpressed by the fight.

His standards were even higher than Notty’s; this level of battle didn’t excite him one bit.

“Boom!”

After a few minutes locked in a stalemate, Oden was sent flying into the air.

While airborne, Oden quickly righted himself and dove at Notty from above.

“Oden’s Two Sword Style—Togen Shirataki!”

Oden’s eyes went wide, jaw clenched, and deep in his gaze flashed a streak of crimson.

He spun in midair, slashing both swords at high speed, their edges laced with Conqueror’s Haki. The strike flashed like lightning.

“Conqueror’s Haki Infusion?”

Halil cried out in shock. He never expected this ordinary-looking kid to actually use Conqueror’s Haki Infusion.

He felt a flicker of excitement but, seeing Notty was the opponent, he couldn’t help feeling a bit let down.

“If I knew he could use Conqueror’s Haki Infusion, I’d have jumped in.”

“Too late for regrets, huh?”

Seeing Brown’s overly familiar grin made Halil grind his teeth.

“Relax, there will be plenty of chances to fight in the future.”

Davis didn’t want to see them start yet another brawl, so he offered Halil a few calming words.

Meanwhile, Thompson, Hunter, and Smith weren’t lingering nearby—they’d slipped into the kitchen to lend a hand.

You couldn’t be too careful about security.

When it comes to food, it’s always safer to have your own people watching over things.

“Wano really is full of secrets.”

“Looks like our guesses might have been right.”

Karl watched from the sidelines, amazed Oden could use Conqueror’s Haki Infusion.

If that’s true, maybe these people really did descend from the moon 800 years ago.

“Not good.”

Notty’s face fell—he suddenly sensed a deadly threat.

After watching Karl and Lord Newgate’s sparring, he knew firsthand the force of Conqueror’s Haki Infusion.

He turned serious, muttering quietly under his breath.

“Heaven and Earth—source of all energy. After countless aeons, my power is proven. In all three realms, the Dao alone is sovereign. My body is cloaked in golden light, shielding me.”

He activated the Golden Light Spell, wrapping his entire body in luminescence. Next, he layered Armament Haki over his skin.

“Eight-Level Fist—Sky Cannon!”

Notty wasn’t about to back down. Instead, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

He’d been looking forward to testing the true might of Conqueror’s Haki Infusion.

“Buzzz!”

Their attacks collided. For a heartbeat, the world went silent. Then a strange shockwave swept across the ground.

Dust exploded from the center, completely obscuring both combatants.

“Huff, huff, huff!”

“Crash, crash!”

Everyone scattered, dodging the blast. All their painstakingly prepared banquet decorations were blown away.

It meant they’d have to start setting up all over again.

But Fields and the others just stared wide-eyed, straining to make out what was happening through the haze.

“That’s definitely Conqueror’s Haki Infusion for you.”

“Drip…”

As the smoke faded, everyone could finally see Oden and Notty standing on the battlefield.

Notty still stood in place, his right arm hanging at his side.

Two clear, intersecting sword wounds marked his arm in a bloody cross, and fresh blood dripped steadily down.

But Notty showed no sign of frustration. If anything, he looked even more thrilled.

The stronger Conqueror’s Haki was, the more he wanted to master it.

“Honestly, I’d like to experience Conqueror’s Haki Infusion myself.”

Fields couldn’t believe someone like Notty, strong enough to be a vice-admiral at his peak, could be injured so badly by someone that much weaker.

But Conqueror’s Haki isn’t something you can just wish for.

“Cough, cough…”

Oden wasn’t unscathed, either. Blood at the corner of his mouth said he’d suffered heavy internal injuries.

“That’s enough for today.”

Notty glanced at Oden, who couldn’t even stand. He wasn’t the type to take advantage of someone down.

Still, he hadn’t expected this bout to let him experience the power of Conqueror’s Haki Infusion. Definitely worth the effort.

“Lord Oden.”

“Lord Oden, are you alright?”

With the fight over, Oden’s retainers rushed over.

They quickly checked his wounds, then helped him up.

“It’s nothing serious.”

“Big guy, we’ll fight again soon.”

With his retainers’ help, Oden climbed to his feet.

He still wore that rebellious look.

He’d managed to injure Notty this time—and his own strength was still growing fast.

Next time, the battle wouldn’t be so easy.

“I’m Notty, not ‘big guy.'”

“Looking forward to our next match.”

Oden didn’t look any worse for wear, his right hand glowing with the Golden Light Spell as it stopped the bleeding.

Notty’s wounds already seemed to be healing fast.

In just a short while, the cuts looked like they might close up completely.

He turned and headed back to the banquet hall, waving his left hand behind him.

Before long, the banquet was back on.

During the gathering, Karl kept things brief with the clan leaders, just outlining the tasks ahead.

He also arranged for thousands of Fishmen to be assigned to villages across Wano as special patrol teams.

As for those working at Rabi Well, some were prisoners sent there as punishment for breaking the new laws—they didn’t get paid.

The rest were employed as paid miners, responsible for extracting seastone.

At the same time, he ordered some of the Fishmen to clear the waterways outside Wano, building a safe passageway.