One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 198 The Argumentative Meeting

The neck is a vital part of the body.

The carotid artery hidden inside has a rich blood supply.

If it weren't for the fact that someone like Bucky could be torn to pieces, have their neck chopped off—no, the moment the trachea is severed—the outcome would already be decided.

Although Roman believed deep down that she was a mediocre swordsman, she still put in a lot of hard work in practicing her sword skills.

Generally, she categorizes targets into kill targets and non-kill targets.

The former is used to hone the lethality of swords, while the latter is used to hone one's mastery of them.

To better achieve this goal, she also studied the human skeleton.

Because the physical structures of people in One Piece vary greatly, Roman can only look for common weaknesses.

Sometimes, she would cut up animal bodies herself to get a feel for it.

Of course, she was given anesthesia. She had little interest in torturing her life.

However, when she actually tried it, she realized it wasn't simple at all.

Her hands weren't steady enough.

Her swordsmanship emphasizes speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness.

Stability is not a major concern.

So ever since she discovered this weakness, she has been practicing her hand balance on her own.

Her swordsmanship is also domineering, so if she has murderous intent, Roman often ends her opponent's life by cutting them in half at the waist or severing their head.

Because of its inherent brute force, it rarely encounters problems that cannot be explored in depth.

However, it won't work if the opponent covers their body with their domineering aura.

However, people often need to be flexible in their thinking.

The skin of many powerful warriors is like an iron shell, impossible to break through.

Her mother is a typical example.

The nun's photograph could be considered the only weakness of her monstrous body.

However, unlike the hard outer shell of the human body, the internal organs are fragile.

Because cultivation is impossible here.

Unless it's like a bear that has undergone physical modifications, replacing all its organs with steel.

So what should you do if you encounter someone whose defenses you can't break through?

Leaving aside extreme cases like her mother's, there are slightly less severe cases, such as Zoan-type Devil Fruit users.

That's not just thick-skinned, it's practically indestructible.

A laceration can heal quickly.

Moreover, pirates who value fighting are also seasoned veterans with rich combat experience.

She had fought against many members of the Beasts Pirates and fully understood the importance of experience.

Although the protective suit and gas mask she was wearing affected the continuity and speed of her attacks, Roman still found it quite troublesome to face that group of thick-skinned and tough-looking people.

Because of his physical toughness, Roman was a little slower when cutting.

It was this tiny deviation of a fraction of a second that allowed them to reappear with an aura of dominance.

So, to save time, Roman used the power of the sea to defeat them.

At the same time, all the ability users imprisoned in the fortress were also put in sea stone handcuffs.

Because his abilities were sealed, he was ultimately killed by the extreme navy who cut off his own flesh.

But only the truly strong survive.

With that in mind, Roman continued his operation.

……

General meeting of headquarters.

It is an irregularly held memoir by senior military officers, usually recounting important events, assigning tasks, and sometimes even a vote by show of hands.

Since Roman had been promoted to brigadier general, which meant she had stepped into the upper echelons, she also attended the meeting.

When you participate for the first time, you always have a biased view of many things.

Roman was no exception; after all, such meetings had a very prestigious feel to them.

But once you delve deeper into it, it's not so wonderful anymore.

Contrary to Roman's expectations of a serious atmosphere, participating in this event allowed her to understand the heated debates that often occur during negotiations between the two countries.

There was no politeness or etiquette whatsoever; they were practically about to start a fight.

Marshal Kong was not present due to illness, so Sengoku presided over the meeting as usual.

However, his old friend was the first to refuse.

At the very beginning, Garp fell asleep on the table.

The Warring States period had already tolerated it.

The next second, Kuzan fell asleep sitting up.

endured.

The next second, Borsalino picked up the nail clippers.

……

Then it was Sakazuki's time to unleash his bombardment.

Compared to the other two's laziness, Sakazuki was full of passion.

This led to a conflict with the crane.

After all, his criticism was directed at the unreliable people in the General Staff.

The conflict between practitioners and theorists has existed since ancient times.

Roman, who had formulated numerous plans, knew that reality and theory always differed.

The military officers in the navy who frequently fight on the battlefield are naturally different from the civilian navy officers who stay in the office.

The latter, having not been on the battlefield for a long time, has not yet deeply understood the cruelty of war.

Therefore, conflict is inevitable.

After the pragmatists and theorists finish arguing, it becomes a question of whether to be doves or hawks.

Compared to the former, the latter is the main event for the navy.

Sakazuki continued to lead the attack, criticizing the doves for being too weak and not prioritizing the elimination of pirates.

At this point, Kuzan was no longer sleepy.

The two clashed again during the meeting.

Sakazuki showed some apprehension and respect towards the crane, but when it came to Kuzan, he went all out.

Have a cup of tea.

Watching the two engage in a heated debate, Roman felt thirsty.

Borsalino remained a bystander, as he was already used to such sights.

As a neutral party, he rarely expressed his own opinions, mainly following orders.

The Warring States period served as a check and balance.

He was the mediator in the conflict between Sakazuki and Kuzan.

The art of checks and balances can be considered an essential skill for senior leaders.

Maybe the world government really does treat the navy this way.

You can't be too strong, you can't be too weak; you must be under their control.

Roman still harbored some doubts when he thought about the battle to defend the fortress.

It's necessary to investigate the past history.

We might discover something.