Outside the court, Stussy's curious gaze shifted back and forth between Gion and Mihawk.
In CP9, there were rarely any Swordmasters, as they were a team specialized in assassination. Carrying a long sword would be too cumbersome, so they were all masters of the Six Styles in physical combat.
"This is one of the joys of transmigration," Imu thought to himself.
Imu sat on a recliner, casually picking up a glass of red wine that the maid had poured. He swirled the glass while waiting for the two to engage. As a fan of the seas, being able to witness scenes that didn't exist in the original storyline was pure delight.
When the tension in the court reached its peak, Gion's expression suddenly turned fierce, unleashing an intangible yet sharp aura.
Suddenly, her Meitō Konpira trembled, and she lunged forward, transforming into a straight, gleaming blade of light. With a speed that seemed impossible to the maids, she thrust toward Mihawk.
Facing such a cold and pressing attack, Mihawk remained expressionless. His Black Blade Yoru, resembling a black cross, slanted its blade. With a crisp clang, he effortlessly blocked Konpira's strike, then used his own strength to repel her. Without any flourish, he followed up with a sweeping slash, aiming to cleave the long-legged beauty in two.
"Soru!"
Gion's feet flickered, and she instantly turned into a blur, disappearing from her original position. The next second, she appeared behind Mihawk. But just as she swung her blade, it was intercepted by the hilt of Yoru, which Mihawk had already anticipated.
"The warm-up is over. Be careful," Mihawk warned.
With his reminder, Gion felt her hair stand on end. She sensed that Mihawk's aura had changed, becoming overwhelmingly oppressive.
Now serious, Mihawk gripped the massive Black Blade Yoru, turned, and swung. The air was torn apart as he unleashed a storm of sharp, blade-like gusts.
"So fast!" Gion's pupils contracted.
She could tell that these gusts appeared to be sword winds, but each one was a solid blade. In contrast, the Black Blade Yoru, which was somewhat clearer to see, was actually a blur.
Since this was just a sparring match, both sides had tacitly agreed not to use Flying Slashes. In other words, Mihawk was showcasing the pinnacle of swordsmanship as a Swordmaster.
"In that case..."
Faced with such a ferocious assault, Gion showed no fear. Instead, she became even more excited. This was the opponent she had always dreamed of.
In the next moment, her Konpira transformed into a dense array of blade lights, directly confronting the storm of green-glowing sword winds. This woman, who harbored the strongest ambitions, chose to fight speed with speed. She showed no trace of weakness due to her gender; instead, she was far more resolute, firm, and fearless than most men.
Countless blade lights spun like falling leaves, condensing into deadly intent. They surged like a raging river of snow light, clashing and shattering endlessly as they intertwined.
A man and a woman, two young Swordmasters, stood on the court that symbolized the Grand Line. Their figures had already disappeared into the layers of blade light storms. Yet, the continuous clanging of metal echoed throughout Pangaea Castle, even alerting the distant Holy Land Garrison.
"..."
Stussy watched in astonishment as the tennis court was completely engulfed in a storm of blade light. She hadn't expected Gion, who had always played tennis with her, to be so formidable when she took up her sword seriously.
"Not bad, not bad. Both of their blades are steady."
Imu, standing to the side, silently praised them in his heart. The battle between the two seemed filled with killing intent and was intensely fierce, yet the scope of the fight was tightly controlled within the confines of the court. It was purely a contest of strength, speed, reflexes, and swordsmanship in a confined space—this was what true sparring and exchange looked like.
However, with his keen eyesight, he could also tell that Gion, a Rear Admiral of the Navy, wouldn't be able to hold out for long under such high-intensity confrontation.
Her sword lacked spirit, and compared to Mihawk, she was clearly lacking in combat experience. Her foundational abilities in strength, speed, and reflexes also fell short.
Especially in terms of strength, Gion's Konpira could only temporarily keep up with Mihawk in terms of speed, but every time their blades clashed, her hand would tremble faintly, almost imperceptibly.
"Quite interesting, this future Momousagi."
Imu's rippling pupils, hidden beneath his black contact lenses, easily pierced through the layers of dazzling blade light, observing Gion, who was gritting her teeth and struggling to hold on inside.
However, he had no real interest in Gion, as she didn't meet his criteria for a harem candidate. Given his current status, position, and power, he couldn't just settle for anyone.
Although he had only inhabited this body for a little over two years, after inheriting all its memories, emotions, and strength, he had developed a unique bond with Mihawk, whom he had watched grow up.
To put it simply, the previous Imu had treated Mihawk like a son, and the current Imu felt much the same, though he also saw him as a potential candidate for the next generation of the Five Elders.
After about an hour, with a loud clang, the storm of blade light gradually subsided. A long sword flew out of the court and embedded itself into the lush grass—it was Konpira.
Its owner, Gion, was panting heavily, drenched in sweat, her hair disheveled as she half-knelt on the side of the court representing the "first half of the Grand Line," glaring at Mihawk with unwillingness.
"Your sword is too rigid, lacking softness and strength. It's stiff in every aspect. Most importantly, while you've stepped into the threshold of the Way of the Sword, you're clearly lost about the direction afterward. Your Sword Heart isn't firm, and your Haki naturally isn't strong enough."
Mihawk, with a serious and unyielding expression, pointed out her flaws one by one. His tone was earnest but not the least bit polite. Over the years, he had visited sword masters across the seas, and though he hadn't yet stepped into the ranks of a Great Swordsman, he was more than capable of guiding Gion.
"That's enough, Mihawk. Come with me."
Imu stood up, placing the half-finished glass of red wine on the tray held by a maid, and slowly walked into the interior of Pangaea Castle.
Mihawk, following behind, sheathed his Black Blade Yoru on his back and followed without a second glance at Gion, who was biting her lip with a stubborn expression. This made Stussy, who walked over to help Gion up, silently complain in her heart—what a block of iron.
"Clear the area for an hour." Upon returning to the Chamber of the Moon, filled with silver-gray terrain and craters, Imu instructed the maid stationed there.
"Yes!"
The maid bowed respectfully and quickly led the other maids away. Clearing the area meant that no matter what happened during this time, no one was to approach the Chamber of the Moon.
Mihawk, who had followed silently, walked over quietly. His sixth sense faintly told him that something significant was about to happen.
"Here will do."
The two of them, one after the other, approached the vicinity of the piano. Imu looked up at the starry sky and the moon. This place simulated nighttime even if it was daytime outside.
Mihawk remained silent, simply stopping in his tracks and waiting. This was just his nature, and Imu happened to greatly appreciate this aspect of his personality.
In the next moment, Imu directly activated the Starmap and then placed the first randomly activated small Stargate five meters in front of him.
"This is what I want to show you—a portal to another world."
As soon as these words were spoken, Mihawk's golden ripple-like pupils, which the world called 'Hawk Eyes,' trembled visibly.