Clang!
A piercing metallic clash split the air.
The serrated tip of Gasparde's hardened candy spike collided head-on with Bai Yu's Longyan Taidao.
A burst of dazzling sparks erupted in that instant.
Then came a guttural grunt from Gasparde.
He felt it clearly.
Through the contact of the spiked weapon, a force unlike anything he'd ever encountered traveled up into his palm—
Not like hitting a blade—
But like ramming into a steam-powered Sea Train at full throttle.
The sheer recoil made his hand bones scream in agony.
Crack!
Droplets of blood oozed from his clenched grip.
Ka-ka-ka!
While Gasparde struggled to absorb the shock, a new crisis emerged.
Hairline fractures—web-like and dense—sprinted across the surface of his candy weapon.
Bang!
With an explosive snap, the reinforced candy spike shattered under the sheer might of Longyan Taidao.
Pfft!
Without the obstacle, Bai Yu's blade surged forward.
In a single smooth motion, the Dragon Flame Sword cleaved through Gasparde's chest from collarbone to abdomen.
A deep, searing gash split open his torso.
"Aaaagh!"
Howling in pain, Gasparde staggered backward, each step leaving a splash of blood across the deck.
"I'll kill you!"
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Roaring like a beast, Gasparde's eyes burned with madness.
In response, Bai Yu raised one finger at the fallen pirate, calm as a glacier.
His voice was cold and emotionless.
"One slash."
"The next won't miss."
The earlier strike hadn't fully connected.
Blocked initially by the spiked weapon, then diverted by Gasparde's morphing fudge body, Bai Yu's slash had deviated from its original trajectory—cutting more into Gasparde's ribline than his heart.
Still, it was enough to bring the candy man to his knees.
"Tch! Big words!"
"Then come try again!"
Eyes bloodshot and full of rage, Gasparde shouted as he crouched slightly.
A guttural growl escaped his throat.
He was pushing the power of the Ame Ame no Mi (Candy-Candy Fruit) to its limit!
Whoosh!
Sticky, syrupy fudge began spewing from every pore of his body.
Buzz! Buzz!
The viscous candy writhed unnaturally, rapidly encasing his body.
In mere seconds, it formed a swelling sphere.
Then—
Hum!
The surface gleamed, solidifying in an instant.
Ka-ka-ka!
The hardened candy reshaped into a towering humanoid figure—limbs, torso, a full head.
In moments, Gasparde had become a crystalline green titan.
"Didn't you say you'd cut me down with one strike?"
"Try it now, brat!"
Encased in a thick, high-density candy armor, Gasparde smirked confidently, his voice muffled through layers of crystal-like sugar.
Bai Yu simply smiled.
Saying nothing, he sank slightly into a stance.
His hands gripped the hilt of Longyan Taidao tightly.
The tip of the blade touched the deck.
Whoosh!
Sword aura surged out—green and wild—circling Bai Yu's hands.
That energy flowed into the blade.
With a sharp hiss, flames erupted along the Taidao.
Hum!
The green fire burned thick and bright.
Then—strangely—it stopped dancing.
The flames shrank.
Compressed.
Until they formed a thin, crystalline layer over the sword's edge—
Smooth and translucent as polished jade.
"Shave!"
Boom!
The deck exploded beneath his feet.
Bai Yu vanished, reappearing a moment later in front of Gasparde like a bullet from a flintlock.
"You think this armor will save you?"
Gasparde roared, sending a giant candy fist crashing down.
The air screamed from the speed of the strike.
"Qinglong Style—Extreme—Jade Slash!"
Bai Yu didn't dodge.
He stepped forward—blades dragging across the deck, throwing sparks—and as the massive fist neared…
He swung upward.
Roar!
A dragon's low growl echoed through the air as the blade collided with the candy colossus.
Boom!!
There was no deadlock.
No resistance.
Longyan Taidao—now crystalized with condensed sword aura—smashed directly into the candy gauntlet.
BOOOOOM!
The explosive force shattered the hardened jelly armor like cheap glass.
The deck beneath them buckled and burst.
Bai Yu's strike carried the weight of his sword intent and Armament Haki.
The titan's arm cracked—then crumbled.
"Moon Walk!"
Tear!
Bai Yu burst upward, leaping through the air as if climbing invisible stairs.
His jade-encrusted blade carved upward, riding the rupture in the candy giant's body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With each stride, Bai Yu's slash extended, cutting deeper—
Cleaving through shoulder, chest, and mask-like headpiece.
Tear!
He passed over Gasparde in a flash.
Pfft!
Gasparde's body froze.
A knife line ran from his wrist to his collarbone… then up through his cheek.
BOOM!
With a final thunderous crash, the entire candy armor shattered.
Fragments scattered like glass beads across the ship's deck.
"I... I lost…"
Blood streaming down his carved face, Gasparde looked at Bai Yu's back in disbelief.
His body—reverting to its original, weakened state—collapsed in a pool of syrupy blood.
The infamous "Navy's Shame", bounty of 95 million Berries, had been defeated.
Bai Yu landed quietly, flipping his blade once and sheathing it in a smooth, graceful motion.
At the edge of the battlefield, Foxy the Silver Fox stood stunned.
His jaw hung open, completely dumbfounded by the conclusion.