The two were currently at a similar skill level; while they could strike some poses, their use of the sword relied more on wrist strength.
It was like two little girls fighting with wooden sticks, where the only principle was brute force.
The result of the battle was that Artoria's wooden stick broke, and Mordred won by a slight margin.
Mordred caressed the Radiant Glorious Royal Sword with adoration, her excitement evident.
Artoria, after drawing the sword of promised victory, immediately fell in love with the magnificent treasure sword.
Most importantly, this time they both realized that Nero valued them, not being as indifferent as she appeared on the surface.
Just this alone made them happy for a long time, and they ate an extra bowl of rice during meals...
Meanwhile, Ace, having obtained the pure gold, returned to the Whitebeard Pirates. No one knew whether Whitebeard actually used the pure gold.
However, a few nights later, the Whitebeard Pirates experienced the worst incident since their formation.
Marshall D. Teach, an old member who had been with Whitebeard almost since the Whitebeard Pirates' inception, defected.
Because of a Devil Fruit, he killed Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander, and Ace, the Second Division Commander, took responsibility and went to hunt down Teach.
Not long after this, Monkey D. Luffy, who seemed like a newcomer but was secretly watched by a group of top powerhouses, set sail.
In the same year, after the Great Swordsman Hawkeye Mihawk was defeated by Nero once again, he traveled alone to the First Half of the Grand Line to clear his mind.
The gears of fate began to turn, rushing towards the end.
In the middle of the night, Nicuss Empire.
Nero leaned on the balcony railing, the sky was cloudless, the Moon and stars were sparse, and silver light spread across the land, making Nero's current silence appear particularly lonely.
Suddenly, deliberately hushed footsteps came from behind. It was clear the person was being very careful, but to Nero's senses, it was still too obvious.
"Sorry, Stella and Hathaway, I woke you up," Nero said apologetically, turning her head after sitting upright.
"It's alright, Nero, can't you sleep?" Stella's long golden hair was unbound, and she was full of concern for Nero.
"Mmm, a little..."
"Is Your Majesty troubled by Nika's matter?"
Hathaway realized that they would likely talk for a while tonight, so she first arranged for the night watch maids to prepare tea before asking Nero.
"No, Nika is not important, the prophecy is not important, what's important is the rules. The natural laws will lead the story to its final chapter."
Nero averted her gaze. A new era would arrive and would also end. This journey might be one she had to undertake alone.
She was simply a little melancholic because of this; choosing something inevitably meant letting go of something else.
"If Nero wants to change something, then just do it. But if Nero thinks this is good, then just wait."
"Your Majesty is not one to compromise for others. You must also be looking forward to it, aren't you?"
Stella and Hathaway gently placed their hands on Nero's, one on each side. No matter what decision Nero made, they would support her to the end.
"Mmm..."
Nero blinked, then grinned. Her crimson pupils shone brighter than the Moonlight.
"I'm just a little impatient. It's been so long; the ingredients were prepared ages ago, but the seasonings are only just now complete..."
"The end I foresee still needs some time. Tomorrow, will you come out to sea with me to meet some old friends who are nearing their curtain call?"
"Really, you just decide things on a whim. If the golden rose sets sail, it will still need time to prepare," Hathaway said, gently pressing her finger on Nero's forehead.
"Mwahaha..." Nero didn't resist, just chuckled twice.
"You two go; someone needs to look after Momo and Lia." Stella hesitated for a moment but still declined to go on the trip with Nero and the others.
"Isn't Holio looking after them? Five-year-old children should also try to be independent."
"Ne-ro!" Stella emphasized her tone.
"But it's also proper for girls to be independent a little later. Then I'll call Kuina; as the Royal Guard Dog, she has grown quite a bit over the years."
Nero instantly changed her tune. She didn't know why, but whenever Stella spoke softly, she found it difficult to resist when she became slightly serious.
"Oh, really, Kuina is your only disciple. Don't always tease her."
"It's fine, it's fine! Otherwise, it would be too monotonous with just me and Hathaway at sea."
If a disciple couldn't bring her joy, then what was the point of having her?
Hathaway, on the other hand, didn't stop her. On the matter of Kuina, she stood with Nero.
Others weren't quite right, but only Kuina was firm yet gentle, and not too firm, making her wonderfully pliable.
"Oh dear—you two... Be careful not to go too far."
Finally, Stella could only sigh, offering a mild warning.
To become a female Great Swordsman, Kuina's heart was still very resilient, and Nero claimed all the credit for this.
Stella, who didn't understand swordsmanship, was a little skeptical, but the results were undeniable. In two more years, Kuina would be qualified to contend for the title of strongest swordsman below Nero.
"I will be very careful with the extent, I guarantee Kuina will advance further when she returns!"
Nero chuckled mischievously, thinking of something.
"..." It didn't seem likely. Never mind, Kuina had made it through all these years.
Stella dropped the topic, and the three of them had no intention of going back to sleep. They sat on the balcony, chatting and laughing over tea all night...
The First Half of the Grand Line, now known as Paradise, was considered stable and calm compared to the New World in the second half.
Hawkeye Mihawk arrived here alone in his small boat. These past few years, he had completely failed to understand Nero.
When he sparred with Nero, she wouldn't even use her sword, merely fending him off casually with one hand.
Yet, even so, the pressure he felt became even greater.
This indicated that the distance between Nero and him had widened further, which made Mihawk question whether he had truly made any progress over the years.
A swordsman being unable to make another swordsman draw her sword—this humiliating feeling he had only vaguely experienced when he first started learning swordsmanship.
Staying in Nicuss any longer would harm more than just his wallet...
Mihawk was melancholic. He drank a lot of alcohol, something he hadn't done in a long time, and by now, most of it had been digested.
The ship would reach the next resupply point tomorrow, so he didn't hold back and drank all the alcohol on board.
Sighing, Mihawk stood up and took two steps towards the side of the boat, intending to relieve himself. Dazed by the alcohol, Mihawk didn't notice a warship quietly approaching in the distance.
Until he heard the jeering laughter coming from the distant warship.
"Hahaha, Boss, look! There's an idiot on a small boat, peeing on his own ship!"
"..."
Mihawk drew his sword.
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