Baccarat: "Y-You've got to be kidding me. That arrow was that powerful?!"
Hina: "Hina is shocked. Compared to the previous arrow, this one is on an entirely different level!"
Charlotte Smoothie: "The earlier Bloodhound's Fang could track its target automatically. What kind of power does this arrow hold?"
Gion: "Just that single strike—this isn't an ordinary attack. Arton, as expected, has taken his strength to a whole new level."
Yamato: "Incredible! That arrow could even rival that bastard Kaido's Thunder Bagua. No, it might actually surpass it!"
Whitey Bay: "Such terrifying power... It reminds me of the old man's Tremor-Tremor Fruit."
Sadi: "I get the feeling even Magellan's poison might struggle against this. But then again, Magellan's poison is pretty formidable—Arton might not be able to withstand it either."
Belo Betty: "What a mad weapon, what a crazy sword! If every one of Arton's swords could create explosions like that, there might not be anyone in this world who could stand against him."
Boa Hancock: "That Mihawk guy... could he actually die in there?"
*
Inside the Unlimited Blade Works.
Zoro was staring intently at the scene, anxiety written all over his face as Mihawk remained engulfed in the fiery explosion.
"That guy... he's not actually in trouble, is he?" Zoro asked, worry creeping into his tone.
"What's the matter? Worried that if he dies, you won't have the chance to challenge him?" Sanji quipped, giving Zoro a sidelong glance before continuing:
"If you ask me, if Mihawk really does bite the dust, then why don't you just set Arton as your goal? After all, if he takes down Mihawk, doesn't that make him the world's greatest swordsman?"
"Then again," Sanji added with a smirk, "he was using a bow earlier. Even if the arrow was transformed from a sword, it was still shot from a bow, wasn't it?"
"Using a bow to defeat the world's greatest swordsman—can Arton truly be considered the greatest swordsman?" Sanji questioned.
"Wait, even if Arton defeated Mihawk with the swords from his Unlimited Blade Works, these swords are incredibly unique," he continued.
"If someone who doesn't even understand swordsmanship can wield their special abilities effectively, then does defeating Mihawk with these swords truly make Arton the world's greatest swordsman?"
As Sanji voiced his doubts, he furrowed his brows, deep in thought. However, Nami, standing nearby, was visibly irritated by his words.
"Hmph, why wouldn't it count?" Nami shot back.
"These swords were created by Captain Arton's own skill and abilities. If they're his creations, why shouldn't they qualify him to be the greatest swordsman?"
"Besides, name one other swordsman in this world who can craft an entire world filled with swords like Arton can. No one, right? Doesn't that alone prove our Captain Arton is a man of unmatched capability?"
"To me, Captain Arton is absolutely worthy of being called the greatest swordsman!"
Hearing Nami's impassioned defense, Sanji immediately nodded in agreement.
"Nami-san, you're absolutely right! I raise both hands and feet in support!"
Zoro, on the other hand, frowned deeply. His mind was wrestling with the same question Sanji had raised.
It was precisely because he couldn't reconcile whether Arton defeating Mihawk with a bow made him the world's greatest swordsman that Zoro found himself unwilling to see Mihawk fall.
If Mihawk were to die like this, Zoro couldn't bring himself to consider Arton as the greatest swordsman. And if that were the case, who would he challenge to achieve his goal of becoming the greatest swordsman?
That said, Nami's words made Zoro question his own thoughts.
"Even if it's not traditional swordsmanship, Arton is still the man who can create an entire world of swords," Zoro thought to himself.
"If such a man defeats Mihawk with the swords he created, could he not still be considered the greatest swordsman?"
"Or perhaps," Zoro mused, "Arton, whose very essence is tied to swords, represents a different kind of supremacy—a swordsman of unparalleled originality!"
With that realization, Zoro's eyes lit up, and his fists clenched tightly, his determination renewed.
"I understand now. Even if Arton doesn't defeat Mihawk, he remains unique—a swordsman who's number one in a different sense," Zoro declared.
"Interesting. If I could defeat someone like Mihawk, the first in traditional swordsmanship, and then defeat Arton, the first in his own way…"
"My voice will surely reach my dear friend," Zoro concluded.
His words immediately caught Nami's attention.
"You've got guts, don't you?" Nami said, shaking her head.
"After watching that intense duel between Captain Arton and Mihawk, you're still talking about becoming the world's greatest swordsman—defeating both of them, no less!"
Nami added with a smirk, "But what if Captain Arton uses his current power to defeat Mihawk?"
"Will you still challenge Mihawk, or will you only target Captain Arton?"
Zoro shook his head at her question.
"Even if Arton defeats Mihawk with the swords of this world," Zoro began, "in my eyes, Mihawk would still be the number one in swordsmanship technique."
"So, I would still challenge him."
"Unless…" Zoro trailed off and glanced at Nami.
"Unless Arton defeats Mihawk with a move like the earlier," he said with a resolute tone.
"In that case, Arton would be number one in both meanings of the title."
"If that happens, he'll be the only swordsman I aim to surpass."
Nami rolled her eyes. "You'd better worry about defeating me before you even think about challenging Captain Arton."
Zoro chuckled. "Of course. You're on my list too, Nami."
Before Zoro could continue, Sanji grabbed him by the collar.
"You idiot! How dare you talk to Nami-san like that?" Sanji snapped.
"Get off me, you damn chef! Stop interfering with my focus on Arton and Mihawk's battle!" Zoro retorted angrily.