One Piece Shadow Army - Chapter 17
On the ghost ship, the two “Death Knights” launched another assault.
Most people would instinctively feel fear when confronted with such eerie forces, but not Curls. He wielded the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, which allowed him to communicate with the powers of the dead.
Curls activated his Devil Fruit’s power, and a layer of dark shadow energy enveloped his sword. This was a basic use of his fruit’s abilities, enhancing his weapon’s lethality.
Curls didn’t summon his shadow soldiers; instead, he wanted to test his swordsmanship against these skilled opponents.
Sparks flew as the blade and iron sword clashed on the ghost ship.
The Death Knight’s strength wasn’t much greater than Curls’, but its swordsmanship was incredibly precise, aiming directly for his vital points. Luckily, it was nighttime, and Curls could utilize the Shadow-Shadow Fruit’s amplification to hold his ground.
Meanwhile, Kahn was battling the second Death Knight, but unlike Curls’ evenly matched fight, Kahn dominated his opponent.
After a brief exchange, Kahn had a clear understanding of the Death Knight’s capabilities. Their strength wasn’t exceptional, but their swordsmanship was extraordinarily precise, reaching a level where each move could be lethal.
This level of swordsmanship was known as “Entering the Hall” in the path of the sword. For a swordsman to reach this stage, they must first master the basics and then refine their skills over a long period.
Kahn was surprised to see Curls, who was still honing his basic skills, holding his own against a knight of this level. This revealed not only Curls’ natural ability but also his talent in swordsmanship.
Curls was rapidly improving as he fought, his progress evident as he handled the Death Knight with increasing ease.
If he continued like this, could he break through to the level of precision swordsmanship?
Kahn harbored this hope, observing Curls closely while keeping his own opponent at bay.
The clash of blades rang out. After another exchange, Curls charged again, his eyes meeting the hollow darkness within the knight’s helmet. The knight had no life within, only an eerie void.
In contrast, Curls’ blue eyes were full of life, shining like stars. Their fates were already sealed.
The Death Knight lacked any intelligence, fighting purely on its sword skills, but Curls was content to keep dueling. His talent for swordsmanship allowed him to learn and adapt, steadily improving his own skills.
However, reality soon intervened. In a new round of attacks, the Death Knight’s sword suddenly shifted direction, aiming for Curls’ abdomen. Despite the blade’s dulled edge from time, it could still cause serious harm if it struck.
Left with no choice, Curls used his Devil Fruit power.
“Shadow Shield!”
A dark, circular shield materialized before him, blocking the dangerous blow. With the knight’s attack thwarted, it left itself open, and Curls seized the moment, slicing off its helmeted head.
Although he didn’t break through to precision swordsmanship, he wasn’t discouraged. Time was on his side.
With the knight’s head severed, its body went rigid before collapsing into a heap of bones and armor.
Kahn, having dispatched his opponent, surveyed the area for any additional threats. Seeing none, Curls examined the fallen Death Knight.
A Death Knight with precise swordsmanship! Its skills were on par with the ten-million bounty pirate Yulong, though their strengths differed.
If he could summon this knight as a shadow soldier, his strength would increase significantly. But he could only summon twenty shadow soldiers at a time, meaning he had to release one to make room.
Without hesitation, Curls dismissed a weaker shadow soldier and summoned the knight’s remains.
“Rise.”
A chilling wind blew over the deck as shadows converged within the broken armor, forming a new shadow knight.
Pleased, Curls turned to Kahn, who asked, “Is there a limit to how many shadow soldiers you can summon?”
The Shadow-Shadow Fruit was rare, and little was known about its powers. Kahn wasn’t familiar with its specifics.
Curls explained, “I can only summon twenty shadow soldiers for now. I can increase this number by improving my skills. Aside from that, as long as there’s a shadow left by a dead creature, I can summon it.”
Kahn processed this information and patted Curls on the shoulder. “Understood. Summon the shadow from the other knight’s remains. It will boost your strength.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.”
Curls summoned the second knight, bringing forth another “Shadow Knight.”
With two precision swordsmanship shadow knights, they could easily overpower the Giant Fist Pirates encountered before.
But if these knights were just the entry guards, how many more lay within the ship? What had turned it into this eerie ghost ship?
…
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