<h4>Chapter 19: The King Engine Ignites!</h4>


    Momonga was straightforward and honest in his defeat. His words left a good impression on udius, who nodded and said, "Alright, then I''ll dly ept the victory."


    At the same time, Zephyr smiled and added, "Yes, in battle, no one would question the validity of such a win. It''s just that Momonga was too careless, and that''s what led to his loss."


    Momonga nodded regretfully and stepped back. However, udius wasn''t quite satisfied yet. He stood in the arena, giving a meaningful look to Zephyr.


    Zephyr, understanding the unspoken message, nced over at the other Marine officers gathered nearby. Spotting the figure he had in mind, he called out, "Commodore Gion,e over and spar with this CP-0 agent, Crowe."


    udius followed Zephyr''s gaze and saw a strikingly beautiful woman with long, graceful legs stepping out from the group of Marines. She had a strong presence that instantly drew attention.


    "Yes, Teacher Zephyr," Gion responded, bowing her head respectfully before walking toward the center of the training ground.


    If Momonga was a rising star in the Marine ranks, then Gion was on a whole other level. udius knew very well that Gion wasn''t just any Marine. In the future, she would be a Vice Admiral, but not just any Vice Admiral she would be one of the elite, an Admiral candidate with the codename "Momousagi" (Pink Rabbit).


    An Admiral candidate wasn''t an ordinary Vice Admiral. It meant she was someone on par with the likes of Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino, Marine''s strongestbatants. The only thing keeping her from the full rank of Admiral was ack of vacancy in the position.


    udius knew that after the battle between Kuzan and Sakazuki, where Sakazuki became Fleet Admiral and Kuzan left the Marines, Gion could have stepped up to take one of the vacant Admiral positions. But she did not make the cut, as Issho and Aramaki attained the positions instead.


    Regardless, this didn''t take away from Gion''s strength. Even now, she had the potential to stand among the strongest, and udius was both satisfied and excited to face such an opponent. He knew that against her, he''d have to give it his all.


    Gion moved quickly, closing the distance between them with long, confident strides. When she stood before him, she introduced herself, "Naval Headquarters, Gion."


    udius nodded and responded, "CP-0, Crowe."


    With their brief introductions over, Kuzan signaled for the match to begin. As soon as he did, Gion ced her hand on the hilt of her sword, a rare and famous de named "Konpira," which would be her lifelongpanion.


    With just that motion, a fierce sword aura burst from her, and in the blink of an eye, her hand was cloaked in a pitch-ck Armament Haki that flowed smoothly to her sword''s hilt.


    udius observed this and quickly made a judgment. Compared to Momonga, who had only a basic grasp of Armament Haki, Gion was far more skilled. She wasn''t a beginner; she was proficient. This meant his Logia powers, which allowed him to turn into an element, wouldn''t be as effective. Gion could use her Haki to strike his physical form even if he tried to go intangible.


    The air around them grew tense. After a brief moment of silence, Gion made her move. The de of Konpira shed from its sheath, and before the sword was fully drawn, a sharp sh cut through the air, heading straight for udius.


    This was no mere sword swipe. Unlike Momonga''s earlier "pseudo-sh," this was a true Swordsman''s sh—deadly and precise.


    udius didn''t dare attempt to evade by going intangible. If he misjudged and Gion caught him off guard like Flying Squirrel had, he wouldn''t stand a chance. Instead, he moved swiftly, drawing his short sword, Shinsō, and raising it to block.


    With a metallic ng, Gion''s sh struck Shinsō. The de held firm, but the sheer force behind the sh pushed udius back two steps.


    Gion smiled slightly, seeing her advantage. She surged forward with incredible speed, whispering, "Rabbit Jump!" Her movement technique propelled her forward like a swift hare, increasing her speed to a level udius hadn''t expected.


    Before he could fully recover from the block, Gion was already in front of him. To his surprise, she didn''t strike with her sword. Instead, she coated her leg in Armament Haki and delivered a powerful kick to his chest.


    "Tempest Kick!" Gion shouted as her kick connected.


    udius felt the impact explode against his chest. The force lifted him off his feet and sent him flying backward, rolling across the ground several times beforeing to a stop.


    From the sidelines, Nia, udius''s butler, gasped in shock, instinctively wanting to rush forward. However, Stussy ced a hand on her arm, holding her back.


    "Your Highness doesn''t want his battle interrupted," Stussy said calmly. "Remember, this trip isn''t about showing off his status. He came here to temper himself."


    Nia hesitated but eventually nodded, calming herself down.


    Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, udius scrambled to his feet, managing to dodge another of Gion''s attacks with a hasty roll thatcked any semnce of grace. Yet, for all its inelegance, it worked.


    Though the move looked clumsy, the zy donkey roll," as it was often called, had saved countless warriors from death over the ages. Sometimes, practicality outweighed style.


    The brief respite gave udius a moment to breathe, but not for long. No sooner had he gotten to his feet than Gion was upon him again, her sword raised high, ready to bring it down with a force that could split him in half.


    udius steadied himself, bracing for the impact. His Devil Fruit powers surged, and with a low growl, he raised his hands. As Gion brought Konpira down, her de stopped short, as if blocked by an invisible force.


    Gion''s eyes widened in surprise. "What is this?" she muttered.


    udius grinned. "An invisible air shield."


    Before Gion could process what had happened, udius released a pulse ofpressed nitrogen from around his body, forcing her to leap back, her brow furrowed in caution.


    "So, this is the same technique you used to subdue Momonga?" Gion asked, still watching him intently.


    "More or less," udius replied cryptically.


    The air around him shifted again, his body now radiating a different kind of pressure. He had started topress nitrogen within his body, preparing to use it for enhanced speed and attack power. However, despite the temptation, udius refrained from using liquid nitrogen, a far deadlier variant of his abilities. The risk of causing irreversible damage to Gion was too high, and he didn''t want to seriously injure her.


    As his aura intensified, Gion hesitated. Her instincts told her that udius was preparing something dangerous. She raised her guard, carefully observing his movements.


    Suddenly, the sound of udius''s heartbeat filled the air, loud and rhythmic, like a powerful drum beating steadily. It was so intense that it could be heard from several meters away.


    "Thump, thump, thump!"


    Gion''s eyes widened in astonishment. "What... what is that?"


    udius stretched his neck, cracking it on both sides, and smirked. "It seems you''re an opponent worth taking seriously."


    His heartbeat, now akin to the legendary King Engine, created an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to magnify his presence. Combined with his words, it gave the impression that he hadn''t even been trying up until now,pletely fooling Gion.


    In the next instant, white smoke exploded from udius''s feet, propelling him forward at an incredible speed. He lunged straight toward Gion, his movements nearly a blur.