“…”

Inside a tavern in Alabasta.

The Straw Hat crew was gathered here.

But the normally boisterous bunch was very quiet right now.

Even Luffy, who was noisy most of the time, just silently watched the live broadcast screen before him.

Inside the tavern, the occasional sound of a wine glass slipping and shattering on the ground could be heard.

But it still couldn’t pierce the shock gripping everyone’s hearts.

“This is…”

The gazes of the rest of the Straw Hat crew drifted involuntarily toward Zoro.

“The World’s Strongest Swordsman.”

His fists were tightly clenched, his three swords placed quietly on the counter beside him.

His gaze burned, fixed on those two figures on the screen, not daring to miss a single detail.

On the screen—

Those two figures were flashing continuously across the entire island.

Their movements couldn’t even be fully captured by the World Economic Journal’s latest model of ‘Broadcast Den Den Mushi’.

Everyone could only see their figures appearing again and again, as well as the collisions of those two continuously swung ‘Black Blades’ symbolizing the world’s strongest.

BOOM!

In the instant their figures crossed, black-red lightning tore through the sky again like a spiderweb.

While shredding the wind and rain, the rocky peaks on Instein Island were sheared cleanly in half, the cuts smooth as mirrors.

As their slashes intertwined, the lush forest on the island was instantly reduced to a sky full of sawdust.

And the sea around the entire island was even more frenzied.

The shockwaves from every clash between the two would instantly whip up towering waves, but before those waves could even fall, they would often be sliced in half by the aftermath of another incoming slash.

“We…!@#!# Incredible…#@!#”

The commentator’s voice could barely be heard over the unbelievable power of the two swordsmen.

Or perhaps Zoro’s mind was no longer on anything else.

He just watched those two swordsmen with total concentration.

That was his goal for setting sail.

That was the ‘ambition’ he truly pursued.

Right now, he was merely a bystander watching the battle through a live broadcast in a distant country.

He wasn’t even sure which of those two monsters currently held the upper hand—compared to them, he was still far, far away.

But one day, he would also step onto such a battlefield and fight for the title of ‘Strongest’.

And exactly as Zoro made this vow in his heart—

Instein Island, on the battlefield.

Clang!

The massive Black Blade in Hawkeye’s hands swung, colliding with Shusui in the Sword God’s grip!

The webbing between his thumb and forefinger could feel the massive force transmitting from the other end of the blade, bringing a long-absent sensation of pain to his body.

But even under such pain, he still managed to bend dangerously low to dodge a strike from the Sword God, and Hawkeye’s return slash to the side was devastatingly sharp.

But—

Fwoosh!

From behind the Sword God, crimson flames ignited.

The next moment, the swinging Shusui had already borrowed its momentum to shatter Hawkeye’s slash—the shattered remnants still carried violent power as they struck the Sword God’s body, but he didn’t sway or budge, completely unharmed.

At the same time, the Sword God’s wings spread open and flapped violently, sending Hawkeye’s figure flying!

As for how using wings to attack could be considered swordsmanship?

Swordsmanship is not such a rigid thing.

And while Hawkeye’s figure was sent flying, the flames behind the Sword God suddenly extinguished, and his speed reached its absolute peak in an instant.

He gripped his sword with both hands, a slash flying out, while Hawkeye barely managed to raise ‘Yoru’ in midair, pressing his left hand against the flat of the blade to resist the impact.

BOOM!

Even so, his figure was still sent hurtling along with that massive slash that pierced clean through the island. But the moment he landed, his figure vanished again at a speed completely imperceptible to the naked eye, continuing to unleash the next slash.

For a swordsman like Hawkeye, whether slashing, swinging, or dodging—in countless life-and-death battles, it had all become bodily instinct.

But even he couldn’t help but acknowledge it in his heart.

“This guy…”

“So strong.”

Hawkeye rarely praised others like this.

But right now, he was genuinely impressed.

He was not someone too weak to face facts.

On the contrary, he could clearly recognize the truth.

His opponent was strong—unbelievably strong.

He, ‘Hawkeye’ Dracule Mihawk.

No matter from which angle you looked at it, he was an absolute genius.

Like all the monsters in this world, he was born strong.

But unlike most monsters, he wasn’t just born strong; he was also a ‘hardworking genius’.

From the first time he touched a sword in childhood until today, he had never slacked off on training for a single day.

All other Great Swordsmen were famous either for their strength-based sword styles or their nimble speed.

But he had no such ‘specialty’.

Mihawk and his sword were simply, comprehensively strong.

Muscle strength, bones, physique, tendons—every aspect of his body had been tempered through a thousand trials over the years.

In terms of raw strength, he was confident that in a contest of pure force, he could rival the Giant race.

In terms of defense, he was confident that his physical body alone was even sturdier than the Iron Balloon.

In terms of Haki, his Armament, Observation, and Conqueror’s had all reached the pinnacle—perhaps slightly inferior to a ‘Haki monster’ like Shanks in Conqueror’s Infusion, but absolutely among the best on the sea.

And the most crucial element was his Black Blade Yoru—that massive blade and razor edge were unique even among the ‘Supreme Grade Swords’.

Swinging this sword consumed physical strength to the extreme, but at the same time, it delivered extreme destructive power and a sturdiness far surpassing other swords.

This was ‘Hawkeye’.

He had no weaknesses. In every aspect where a swordsman could grow stronger, he was one of the strongest on the sea.

And after integrating all of that—

He was the ‘Strongest Swordsman’.

But…

The one standing before him now was an existence similar to himself.

No—to be exact…

Bang!

The Black Blades met again, and a massive, deep chasm appeared out of thin air beneath the two swordsmen’s feet.

Hawkeye’s feet, however, were clearly being pushed backward.

The Yoru in his hands trembled constantly, his tempered muscles knotted and tense, erupting with massively extreme power and terrifying Conqueror’s Haki. His skin had already turned a distinct red from intense blood congestion.

But in comparison—

Opposite him, the Sword God’s figure remained steady, his body showing no strain whatsoever.

And right now, the cluster of flames behind his back burned brightly.

Thus, Hawkeye finally spoke.

“You really are a Lunarian.”

Feeling that completely inhuman power, he spoke with realization: “I hadn’t heard of you using ‘flames’ in your previous battles. I thought it was just a rumor.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

The Sword God spoke calmly.

He pressed harder with his hands, and Hawkeye’s figure was driven down even further.

“To be exact, this one is a mixed-blood of the ‘Lunarian Race’ and the ‘Buccaneer Race’.”

His words were perfectly calm, as if stating a simple fact.

“The reason I didn’t use ‘flames’ before was simply because there was no need.”

“After all, it’s rather embarrassing to admit—even before consuming the ‘Human-Human Fruit, Model: Shimotsuki Ryuma’, this one’s body had never been injured.”

His words fell.

Hawkeye sensed the mountain-like immense power transmitting from the other end of the blade.

That power made Hawkeye, who had already pushed himself to the absolute extreme, feel completely unable to resist.

And the Sword God’s words made Hawkeye’s sharp pupils contract abruptly.

He wasn’t surprised by most of what the Sword God said.

With that level of strength, dealing with most so-called Great Swordsmen on the sea was probably just a matter of one or two strikes; there was indeed no need to use racial abilities.

What surprised him was—

“A mixed-blood of the Buccaneer Race and the Lunarian Race!?”

As a powerhouse who had stood at the top of the world for many years, and as a close friend of ‘Red Hair’ Shanks, Hawkeye knew quite a bit.

At the very least, he had heard of both the Buccaneer Race and the Lunarian Race—two legendary races despised by the World Government.

The Buccaneer Race—rumored to possess some Giant bloodline, yet inexplicably boasting a physique even stronger than Giants, with strength a thousand times that of Fish-men. It was said that their bloodline also contained a hidden power, which was why they were feared by the World Government.

The Lunarian Race—former masters of the Red Line, the legendary ‘Clan of Gods’, said to be the most perfect race in the world.

Between these two… a mixed-blood actually existed?

But undoubtedly—

The power and incredible physique the Sword God displayed right now truly seemed sufficient to corroborate his claim.

BOOM!

The next instant, Hawkeye’s figure was sent flying by the Sword God once more.

But this time—

Sslash!

The top hat on his head was sliced clean apart by the strike, revealing his neat short hair.

And at the same time, a thin line of blood appeared clearly on Hawkeye’s face.

“…I see.”

He touched the fresh blood on his face and murmured: “What an incredible bloodline.”

At the same time, the Sword God, casually withdrawing Shusui, didn’t pursue.

He merely regarded Hawkeye from afar: “Regarding this point, I am truly sorry—restricted by my bloodline, I cannot offer you a truly fair duel.”

He didn’t deny it.

But Hawkeye just squeezed his fingers.

He crushed that drop of blood in his hand.

Then, on his usually cold and impassive face, a trace of a smile appeared—something almost never seen.

“Ah… don’t worry about that.”

He said so, and then raised that massive Black Blade once more.

His words carried unmistakable excitement.

“Or rather, it’s exactly what I wanted.”

☆☆☆

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