Chapter 173: Two Women Challenge Mihawk – Battle Ignites!
A massive slash cut through the sky like a divine judgment.
It surged straight toward Whitebeard, threatening to tear him apart.
"Boom!"
"Hawkeye Mihawk!"
"Even if you're the strongest swordsman in the world, I won't let you touch Pops!"
Jozu stepped forward in an instant, transforming his body into shimmering diamond. He intercepted the slash head-on.
The devastating blow was completely blocked.
At that moment, Vista—hardened through intense training under Ryuunosuke's command—charged forward.
"Flower Sword Vista?!"
"Clang!"
Mihawk casually raised his black blade, Yoru, parrying Vista's twin swords with apparent ease.
After all, he was the world's strongest swordsman.
"Hmph..."
Vista moved with seamless speed. Without warning, he reached into his coat and tossed a handful of rose petals at Mihawk.
"What the—?"
Caught off guard, Mihawk instinctively dodged. He had no idea what those petals might be—some secret technique, perhaps. Vista was the "Flower Sword," after all.
But the petals were strangely dense... and completely odorless.
Cautiously, Mihawk touched one with the edge of Yoru.
"They're... just regular rose petals?"
His expression darkened.
"Are all of Whitebeard's crew this pathetic?"
"You dare insult my Black Blade Yoru with such childish tricks... prepare to be cut down."
Mihawk's eyes sharpened with fury. Petals? Really?
He considered Vista more of a clown than a swordsman now. Should've been called Showoff Vista.
Fueled by anger, Mihawk struck back with overwhelming force.
Vista was quickly overwhelmed—not because he was weak, but because Mihawk was just that terrifying. Every swing of Mihawk's blade felt like a fully-charged finishing move.
"How do you even fight something like this?!"
Suddenly, a calm but firm voice cut through the tension.
"Isshin-ryu: Flow!"
It was Kuina.
"Burn."
Akame joined her, charging into the fray.
Kuina skillfully deflected Mihawk's strike, neutralizing its force with Isshin-ryu's guiding technique.
In that narrow window, Akame struck with surgical precision.
"Clang!"
Their blades clashed. Mihawk, for the first time in the fight, paused his relentless assault.
"The Dragon Hunter Pirates... Kuina. Akame."
"So you're—"
"Swish!"
Before Mihawk could finish, the two launched another coordinated strike.
He was taken aback.
Not only had someone dared to interrupt him mid-sentence, but they were actively pressuring him. No respect for his usual theatrics.
Mihawk was no stranger to posturing—he built his identity on being untouchable. But Akame? She only knew how to kill.
And Kuina—she wasn't fighting just to win. She was absorbing Mihawk's swordsmanship, integrating it into her own.
Every clash taught her something new.
They didn't care about death. In fact, neither of them feared it.
Because before setting out, they had already entrusted their blood to Ryuunosuke. With resurrection assured, they fought recklessly—without hesitation.
The boldness of their assault left everyone stunned.
Even Vista, still holding his dual swords, stood awkwardly on the sidelines, unsure of what to do next.
But no one was more shaken than Mihawk himself.
Their swordsmanship wasn't on par with his, but their will surpassed his own.
He came seeking a duel—to challenge Whitebeard's rumored swordsmen, to test their mettle.
But these two... they weren't here to test anything.
They were here to die—or to kill without hesitation.
What kind of training forged such monsters?
His gaze drifted toward the massive, ominous ship hovering over the battlefield.
The ship of the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
And standing at its helm... Ryuunosuke.
This wasn't just another era born from the Navy's incompetence.
No—Mihawk now understood.
This man was the real deal.
---
Meanwhile, on the battlefield...
"Sengoku, it seems negotiations are off the table."
"Then we fight!"
Whitebeard's declaration echoed like thunder.
Ace wasted no time, charging forward.
"That's Fire Fist Ace!"
"Stop him now—!"
"Swish!"
Before they could react, Admiral Aokiji stepped forward.
With a calm wave of his hand, the sea before him rose and instantly froze.
"Ice Spear!"
Massive ice spikes—thick as palace pillars—shot toward Ace like missiles.
"White Emperor Flame God!"
Ace brought his palms together, summoning intense blue-white flames.
The fire burst downward, melting the ice into nothingness.
He landed on the frozen sea, blue-white fire swirling around him, distorting the very air.
Gasps rippled through the battlefield.
Ace's power had grown—far beyond what their intel had suggested.
"Navy!"
"This is the Whitebeard Pirates' family matter. Stay out of it."
"Or else..."
"Fire Fist!"
Ace unleashed another blast.
This time, the flames weren't just blue-white—they had hints of cyan, burning hotter than ever.
Even Aokiji took it seriously.
He raised a massive ice wall to shield himself. It worked—but only barely.
The wall melted under the pressure.
"Tch."
Marco joined the fray, followed by the rest of Whitebeard's crew.
The battlefield exploded into a chaotic melee.
---
Not far away...
Doflamingo approached a silent figure.
"Fufufufu... let's make a deal."
"Join me. Whitebeard's unprotected. If we team up, we can take him down!"
Doflamingo grinned at the emotionless man in front of him—Tendo Pain.
But Yahiko merely turned and asked quietly:
"Have you ever... felt pain?"
Doflamingo's smirk froze.
He thought Pain was just another one of the Seven Warlords. He thought he could manipulate him.
But that single word—pain—cut deep.
He remembered everything.
Once a Celestial Dragon. Now reduced to a warlord. A lost family. A dying mother. A father he killed himself. A brother he had to put down.
Pain?
He lived in it.
"So you don't want to work together..."
"Next time, I'll kill you."
Doflamingo turned to leave, his tone colder than before.
"Kill me?"
"Shinra Tensei."
Pain raised his hand.
Doflamingo's body was yanked forward uncontrollably by the repulsive force.
"Five-Color Strings!"
Doflamingo struck back instantly, slicing through the air.
Behind him, Bartholomew Kuma raised a paw, charging a shockwave.
Before diplomacy could even begin, war broke out between the Warlords themselves.
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