"Three-Sword Style! Three Thousand Worlds!"
Zoro roared as he unleashed his most powerful technique, charging past Hawkeye in an instant.
Click! Click!
The sound of snapping steel echoed through the battlefield. Zoro's two swords shattered, and blood sprayed from his body.
"Zoro!"
"Brother Zoro!"
Luffy and the others cried out, their instincts screaming at them to intervene.
Zoro, however, didn't fall. He tossed aside his broken blades, sheathed Wado Ichimonji, and spread his arms wide, facing Hawkeye without fear.
Hawkeye frowned slightly. "What are you doing?"
"A swordsman never shows his back to his opponent," Zoro said firmly, his gaze unwavering.
Hawkeye's lips curled into a rare smile. "Impressive."
He raised Yoru, the massive black blade gleaming ominously, and swung it down to deliver the final blow.
But at that moment—two figures flashed in front of Zoro.
One hand caught Hawkeye's black blade. The other yanked Zoro back to safety.
"Lu...Luffy? Teacher Carl?"
Zoro's eyes widened in shock. He never expected them to interfere in his duel.
Luffy's expression was shadowed beneath his straw hat as he spoke in a low voice. "I'm sorry, Zoro. But the moment your swords broke, the duel was over. I won't let you take this hit. Even if you think I ruined your fight—I refuse to stand by and watch my crew get hurt!"
Carl nodded. "Zoro, neither Luffy nor I will apologize for this."
Zoro was speechless. He clenched his fists, overwhelmed by emotion.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye observed Luffy with newfound interest. His eyes lingered on the straw hat, recalling a certain red-haired troublemaker.
"Oh? It seems I underestimated East Blue. You two... you're strong."
He was genuinely surprised. Carl and Luffy were young—far too young. Yet their speed, skill, and unwavering courage weren't those of rookies. If anything, they carried the presence of New World pirates.
And the straw-hat boy… He's already awakened Armament Haki?
"Are kids really this terrifying nowadays?"
Luffy stepped forward, his stance firm. "Hawkeye, I didn't interfere when you fought Zoro. That was his battle."
His fists clenched. "But now that it's over, I won't let you harm my crew!"
The air around him grew heavy. "And when my crew gets bullied, it's my job as captain to make things right!"
Luffy cracked his knuckles.
"Even if you're the world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye—I'm still gonna punch you!"
"Oh? You're quite confident."
Hawkeye's interest was piqued. He glanced at Zoro, then turned to Luffy. "Roronoa Zoro dreams of becoming the world's greatest swordsman. What about you?"
Luffy grinned. "I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!"
"Oh? King of the Pirates?" Hawkeye mused. "A grand dream... but do you have the strength to match it?"
His sharp gaze swept over the crew—pausing briefly on Nami and Usopp—before settling on Carl. His eyes lingered on the sword at Carl's waist and the massive black blade floating behind him.
"And you? As a swordsman, don't you wish to challenge me?" Hawkeye asked. "You seem strong... and that giant sword of yours hardly looks like decoration."
Carl sighed. "Sorry, Mr. Mihawk, but I'm not a pure swordsman. The title of the world's strongest swordsman doesn't interest me. Besides, the one who wants to fight you is my captain—not me."
"Oh? That's for me to decide!"
Before Carl could react, Hawkeye vanished.
Damn it!
Carl had no choice. He swiftly drew Hei Yao and slashed to the side. Sparks flew as his blade, fully infused with Armament Haki, clashed against Yoru.
CRACK!
The very air seemed to split apart.
Purple lightning crackled between the two swords, and the sheer force of the collision tore a massive rift through the sea. The shockwaves sent towering waves crashing outward, rocking both the Baratie and the Going Merry violently.
"The sky—it's splitting!"
Paddy and the others stared in horror as the thick clouds above them were cleaved in two.
Many collapsed in fear. Even Ajin, still recovering from shock, found himself breaking into a cold sweat.
His gaze locked onto Carl—the young man currently matching Hawkeye in a clash of swords.
Hopelessness sank into his heart once more.
"The Straw Hats... they're actually strong enough to fight Hawkeye?"
Then what did that make Krieg?
A joke.
The once-feared Krieg Pirates were nothing compared to these monsters.
No wonder their sniper had been so terrifying—because above him were even stronger monsters. So strong... it was absurd!
"I already told you—I'm not the one who wants to fight you!" Carl gritted his teeth as he flicked Yoru back with sheer force.
The black greatsword beneath him shifted, rising into the air. Without hesitation, Carl grabbed Zoro and retreated swiftly.
Hawkeye's lips curled into a grin.
"Interesting."
Carl may not have fought using pure swordsmanship, but the strength he displayed just now was undeniable.
If that was the case…
Perhaps his lunch break could wait a little longer.
"I told you, I'm the one who wants to fight you!"
Luffy's voice burned with anger as he once again blocked Hawkeye's path.
Hawkeye, momentarily distracted from Carl, turned his attention back to Luffy. Without hesitation, he swung Yoru in a casual but deadly motion.
Luffy didn't retreat.
He pumped his arms, steam rising from his body as he activated Gear Second. His fists, now coated in Armament Haki, crashed directly against Hawkeye's black blade.
BOOM!
The sea split apart once more. Towering waves surged outward, nearly forming a tsunami.
Carl seized the moment to shout, "Hey! Get the ship farther away, or you'll get caught in this!"
The Baratie crew and Nami didn't hesitate. They scrambled to steer the ships away, though in truth, they were already being pushed back by the sheer force of the impact.
"Haaah!"
Luffy let out a loud roar—his Conqueror's Haki exploded outward.
Hawkeye narrowed his eyes, then released his own Conqueror's Haki in response.
The moment their wills clashed, the air cracked with a series of deafening explosions. The sky and sea seemed to tear apart, caught in the overwhelming force of their battle.
"H-Holy hell!"
Zoro's breath hitched as he watched the impossible scene before him.
Even though he had witnessed Luffy and Carl fight before, those had only been practice matches. This? This was a real battle—both sides fighting with everything they had, holding nothing back. The sheer destruction unfolding before him was unlike anything he had ever imagined.
And now, Hawkeye was fully engaged.
Even if Luffy wasn't a swordsman, he was undeniably a warrior—a young powerhouse.
That alone was enough to excite Mihawk.
"Good."
His eyes gleamed as he tightened his grip on Yoru.
"Let's see what kind of monster this red-haired brat really is."
"Gear Third! Gum-Gum—Giant Pistol!"
Luffy bit down on his thumb, inflating his arm. His fist swelled to an enormous size, hurtling toward Mihawk like a meteor.
But Hawkeye? He didn't dodge.
He didn't counter with a technique.
Instead—he simply swung Yoru in a basic slash.
A single, effortless strike.
And yet—it clashed evenly with Luffy's giant fist, creating a devastating shockwave that shattered the sea beneath them.
Zoro's pupils shrank.
"What the hell...?"
It wasn't just the power—it was how Mihawk fought.
No techniques. No complicated movements. No flashy abilities.
Every single attack was just a basic slash—yet it carried such overwhelming force that it negated everything thrown at him.
And that—was terrifying.
"He's just using normal swings, but it feels invincible!"
Zoro clenched his fists, his earlier excitement about achieving sword mastery already fading.
Even Carl, watching from the side, couldn't help but frown.
Mihawk's simplicity... was absolute.
It was something even Whitebeard—the world's strongest man—didn't do.
Because even Whitebeard had powerful techniques.
But Mihawk?
He didn't need them.
The gap between them... was too vast.
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