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Hawkeye stood still, his gaze fixed on the fallen top hat lying on the deck. A fleeting glimmer crossed his sharp eyes, though his thoughts remained unreadable.
After a moment, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
His gaze shifted to Zoro, whose wounds worsened with every movement. Then, with deliberate slowness, Mihawk drew the massive cross-shaped sword from his back.
Its ornate hilt gleamed with embedded gemstones, a mark of its supreme craftsmanship.
The pitch-black T-shaped blade, adorned with intricate floral engravings, absorbed the sunlight rather than reflecting it—almost as if it devoured all light, leaving only an eternal void.
This was one of the twelve supreme-grade swords—
The Black Blade, Yoru.
"It seems I've underestimated this so-called weakest sea."
Mihawk sighed, then lifted his head, his razor-sharp eyes locking onto Zoro.
"Boy… tell me your name."
Despite his injuries, Zoro smirked.
He tightened his grip on his swords and raised them before him.
In an instant, lightning surged around him once more, crackling violently as his three blades became enveloped in thunder.
"Straw Hat Pirates, Roronoa Zoro!"
Mihawk's lips curled into an amused grin.
"A long-lost warrior… I'll remember your name."
A sudden surge of energy radiated from Mihawk, making his coat billow dramatically in the wind.
At this moment, he had acknowledged Zoro as a true swordsman.
And for that reason, he would meet him as an equal.
The sea breeze howled past them—
A silent gunshot signaling the start of their battle.
In a blink, Zoro and Mihawk moved.
Lightning flashed!
Zoro struck first—
"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique—Three Thousand Worlds: Thunder Descent!!!"
BOOM!
As Zoro's swords cut through the air, a terrifying surge of electricity exploded outward, covering the entire deck in a thunderous field of crackling energy.
ZAP!
Arcs of lightning leaped from Zoro's swords, snapping toward Mihawk's Black Blade.
Then—
They struck him.
Mihawk's hand tensed as he felt a faint numbing sensation travel up his arm.
"Hmm!?"
His expression shifted, a flicker of surprise appearing in his usually composed eyes.
"This lightning… actually bypassed my Haki and affected my body?"
It was well known—powerful Haki could neutralize the effects of all Devil Fruit abilities.
True warriors had no need to fear strange powers.
And yet—
Just now, Mihawk had felt it.
The electricity had stiffened his body.
It lasted only a fraction of a second, vanishing as quickly as it appeared—
But it was enough to shake his understanding of swordsmanship and battle.
"It seems you hold a secret I have yet to uncover~"
Curiosity and excitement flashed through Mihawk's golden irises.
But—
This moment of realization did not slow his movements.
The brief numbness faded.
Raising Yoru, Mihawk stepped forward to meet Zoro's attack head-on.
The charged electricity had made Zoro's speed explosive—on par with the Navy's Six Powers: Shave.
Yet Mihawk—
With nothing more than a single step—
Closed the gap even faster.
Their swords clashed.
CLANG!!!
A crisp ring of steel echoed across the silent sea.
And for a moment—
The entire world seemed to hold its breath.
"W-What just happened!?"
Everyone on the Merry and the chefs at Baratie stared in shock, watching the intense battle unfold.
The moment Mihawk's sword nearly pierced Zoro's heart, Sanji and Johnny—who had just boarded—gripped the ship's railing with white-knuckled tension.
Even Usopp and Nami, despite preparing themselves, instinctively shut their eyes in fear.
Among those present, only Red and Luffy kept their gazes locked onto the duel, watching it unfold with unwavering focus.
Luffy clenched his fists, his whole body itching to jump in and help his crewmate—
But he held back.
Because this was Zoro's fight.
Until Zoro himself acknowledged the result, no one had the right to interfere.
Then—
BANG!
The battlefield shifted once more.
As if time itself had momentarily frozen.
Two of Zoro's long swords suddenly shattered, their broken fragments clattering onto the deck.
A deep, gaping wound split across his chest—blood spraying into the air.
PFFT!
Zoro dropped to one knee, his vision darkening.
"I lost."
With great care, he removed Wado Ichimonji from his mouth, slowly sliding it back into its sheath.
Then, he let out a small, self-deprecating laugh.
"So this... is the power of the strongest swordsman in the world?"
"I knew this would be the outcome… but still… I didn't expect it to be so hard to accept."
Despite the pain, Zoro lifted his head—
Turned his back to Mihawk—
And spread his arms wide.
Mihawk's eyes widened slightly.
Then—Zoro grinned.
"A wound on the back... is a swordsman's greatest shame!"
"Hmph!"
A rare smile of approval crossed Mihawk's face.
"Remarkable!"
Without hesitation, Mihawk swung his Black Blade downward—
The sharp edge of Yoru carving a second deep gash into Zoro's chest, forming an unmistakable X-shaped scar.
Blood poured from the fresh wound, and Zoro, having lost too much strength, finally collapsed backward onto the wrecked deck.
Seeing this, everyone on the Merry tensed.
Even the usually composed Johnny and Yosaku screamed in horror.
"BROTHER ZORO!!!"
From what they knew—
No one could survive wounds like that.
But just as the panic reached its peak—
An intense heat suddenly spread through the air!
"Is… is the battle over?"
Nami asked hesitantly, her voice laced with worry.
She had yet to experience the horrors of Arlong Park—
But by now, she had already come to see Luffy, Red, and the others as her most precious comrades.
"No!"
Luffy clenched his fists, his fighting spirit blazing like wildfire.
A wide, eager grin stretched across his face.
"The fight has only just begun!!!"
Red—now sitting in a wheelchair—was pushed forward by Usopp.
With a smirk, he encouraged both of them:
"This is a rare opportunity… You should experience it for yourselves."
"The true power of this world!!!"
For the first time, a flicker of anticipation glowed in Red's eyes.
Usopp's legs trembled uncontrollably, but he forced himself to straighten up.
He gulped, then shouted with all the courage he could muster:
"Y-YOU CAN DO IT…!!!"
Despite his overwhelming fear of Mihawk's strength—
Despite the undeniable terror in his heart—
He was standing.
And even pushing Red's wheelchair.
For Usopp, that was already an enormous step forward.
Among the Straw Hats, only Sanji remained puzzled.
Zoro had just suffered a fatal injury—yet aside from the ever-caring Nami, none of the others seemed concerned at all.
Sanji frowned, debating whether to ask what was going on—
But before he could—
Red suddenly turned his gaze toward him.
With a mischievous smile, he said:
"Sanji, haven't you always been curious about what kind of trainer I am?"
"Well, get ready—"
"Today, I'm going to blow your mind!"
Before Sanji could ask anything else—
Red simply tilted his head back—
And fell asleep.
"…Huh!?"
Sanji, still holding a cigarette between his lips, was completely stunned by the bizarre scene.
But just as Red's "contemplation" seemed to signal something—
Luffy suddenly launched himself into action.
Grabbing the ship's railing with one hand—
He stretched his arm back—
And catapulted himself straight toward Mihawk!
BOOM!!!
Luffy crashed onto the deck beside Zoro, sending splinters flying.
Brushing the sawdust off himself, he grinned fearlessly—
And laughed at Mihawk.
"Shichibukai Dracule Mihawk!"
"I'm challenging you next!!!"