Zanpa and Narikabura Arrow ended in a draw, leaving Vivi somewhat dissatisfied. The katana in her hand was no ordinary blade; it was one of the 21 Great Grade Swords!

The slash wave she had just made against Yamato differed greatly from her previous attack on Ace. She felt her slash wave, considering the strength, angle, and even the night wind's speed, was executed almost perfectly. Yet, surprisingly, it was blocked by her opponent.

"You've got some skill, but try taking another one of my moves!"

Vivi took a deep breath and gathered all the strength she had gained from the giants. Every muscle in her feet, legs, waist, shoulders, and arms flexed in a special rhythm.

Zanpa was originally a precursor to Shishi: Senjindani. Now, instead of a few slash waves, she was able to produce a hundred more!

Vivi's gaze was focused. Her senses were exceptionally sharp in the night. She used her Observation Haki to find the weak points of her opponent, and her Armament Haki to increase the strength of her attack.

In almost an instant, she unleashed a swath of blood-red, tidal wave-like sword slashes.

"Shishi: Senjindani!"

Yamato stood unshaken. She was brimming with fighting spirit.

Your Zanpa is a preliminary move? Coincidentally, so is my Narikabura Arrow!

Yamato did not rely on complicated techniques. She inherited Kaidou's fighting style, as evidenced by her use of the heavy kanabo, and followed the principle of overwhelming power.

You slash a thousand times? I will counter with a single powerful blow!

She, too, possessed strength far beyond human limits. With a loud shout, her kanabo, wrapped in an abundance of lightning and Armament Haki, swung out at an incredible speed.

"Raimei Hakke (Thunderclap Eight Trigrams)!"

Similarly, Yamato's attack used the entire strength of her body by using a special method of exerting force.

Raimei Hakke collided with the myriad blood-red slashes of Shishi: Senjindani. Countless sword waves shattered upon impact, and the buzzing sound from the kanabo was instantly silenced.

The collision of their ultimate techniques was like a thunderclap on flat ground, followed by a resounding boom as they passed each other.

"Grug-! Damn it!" Vivi covered her mouth with her left hand. Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. There was a burn mark on her shoulder from the high temperature of the lightning bolt.

Yamato's Hannya mask was cut open, revealing a bold and spirited face. Her left sleeve was cut off, and her right arm bore a fresh red gash from elbow to wrist.

Yamato turned to Vivi, unperturbed by her own injury. 

"What's your connection with that Golden Lion of yours?"

Vivi chuckled, "Golden Lion? No connection at all! I just picked up a few tricks from the old man. Not bad, huh?"

Yamato snorted, "That's supposed to be Senjindani? It's more like Hyakusetsu (Hundred Cuts) at best!"

Not one to be outdone, Vivi replied in kind, "And your Raimei Hakke? Looks more like Raimei Yonke (Four Trigrams) to me!"

Neither had fully mastered their techniques, so neither had the right to mock the other!

From the sidelines, Ace watched their continuous exchange of powerful techniques with a thoughtful expression. Should he develop some special moves as well? He had to admit that these techniques looked pretty cool!

Vivi discreetly coughed up another mouthful of blood. She was injured. Even if Yamato's attack was a mere 'Raimei Yonke,' its power was incredibly strong.

In comparison, 'Shishi: Senjindani' did seem a bit too flashy. It worked well against average foes, but against a skilled fighter like Yamato, it did not seem refined enough.

Vivi felt that she had lost this round, mainly due to the conceptual approach of her technique. If she could develop "Hyakusetsu (Hundred Cuts)" into "Sensetsu (Thousand Cuts)" and then simplify it by consolidating a thousand slashes into one, she believed she could defeat her opponent.

Like a swift mask change in a Sichuan opera, Vivi swirled her cloak and blended into the darkness. In the next instant, she reappeared, now transformed into her Vampire Form.

Her pale skin, waist-long waterfall-like black hair, crimson eyes, and long black cloak were now fully revealed. The vampire's bloodlust made her shudder, but this time she did not suppress it. She was in full battle mode!

Ace knew that she had transformed into her Devil Fruit form, greatly enhancing her physical abilities and fighting spirit. However, the specifics of her fruit and why she retained a humanoid form after her transformation were beyond his knowledge.

Yamato looked puzzled at first, then came to a realization and muttered to herself.

"Huh? So that's where the smell came from... There really is such a Devil Fruit in this world."

Her body was not in the best condition after having forced the use of Raimei Hakke. It had taken a considerable toll on her.

Yet, Yamato was not one to easily concede.

She often faced the wrath of her father, Kaidou, because she always identified herself as Kozuki Oden and was determined to continue Oden's will.

Kozuki Oden was an enemy of her father Kaidou. Because of this, Yamato was often beaten by him. But despite years of such treatment, she had never been beaten to death. This could be partly because she was his daughter, but undeniably, her resilience was exceptionally strong, far surpassing that of Vivi, a transmigrator.

"Come on! Let's settle this in one move, Little Bat!" Yamato said with full confidence, using her words to reinforce her belief.

Vivi's nostrils flared slightly. Her Vampire Form had greatly enhanced her perception. She already possessed acute senses, but this transformation enhanced them even more, allowing her to pick up on many details she couldn't "see" before.

"That annoying smell... You're also a Devil Fruit user, aren't you? The ability of your fruit is quite unpleasant to me, and it seems like it's being suppressed by something. You must be a user of the Inu-Inu no Mi (Dog Dog Fruit). I'm not wrong, am I, Big Wolf Dog? You're not willing to go all out? Then don't blame me if you end up dead!"

"Whether you're Kozuki Oden or Kaidou's son, I'm not afraid of you. Come on!"

Vivi unleashed all of her killing intent, and this time, she could be said to have played all of her cards.

Her vampire transformation, the strength of a giant, Armament Haki, and Nidai Kitetsu. She used every skill, weapon, and enhancement at her disposal. Her eyes glowed bright red, and even the fangs in her mouth were visible. After a short charge of three seconds, she raised her sword and unleashed a massive slash towards Yamato.

"Ikoku!"

This grand, immense shockwave pressed down on Yamato like a towering mountain.

The sight of this move left Ace, who was watching from a distance, completely astonished. The sheer power of the attack was overwhelming. If he were in Yamato's place, he doubted he could block it. Even dodging it was uncertain.

"Alright!"

Yamato faced the formidable might of Ikoku without a hint of fear. Sheer determination showed on her delicate face.

She didn't explain why she couldn't use her Devil Fruit powers. Instead, she faced the challenge head-on with focused eyes and a resolute stance.

Relying on her willpower, she squeezed every ounce of strength out of her body. Armament Haki, Observation Haki... She used everything at her disposal!

Then, gritting her teeth, she swung her kanabo with all her might in the opposite direction.

"Hakai (Conquest of the Sea)!"

(End of the Chapter)