"Great-Grandpa!" "Mr. Rowan!"
Ace's heart leaped into his throat as he saw the sword-light shattered, followed by Hawkeye Mihawk's sudden appearance directly in front of Old Man Rowan. Even the elite Marine soldiers were terrified by the sight.
Mihawk's strike was too fast. Combined with the cover of the previous heaven-shaking slash, it gave an opponent virtually zero time to react.
However, faced with this lethal close-quarters ambush, Rowan's expression remained as calm as a placid lake. He simply thrust his blade forward.
A sword-light, blinding to the extreme, instantly illuminated the entire island! The moment it flared, every spectator lost sight of the figures on the field.
ZING!
A crisp, metallic ring of steel clashing against steel echoed across the island. When the light finally dissipated, the figures of Hawkeye Mihawk and Rowan had already crossed paths. They stood with their backs to each other, maintaining their follow-through stances.
Because of that flash, not a single person on the sea had clearly seen the exchange.
"What's the situation?" "Who lost?" "Did Hawkeye Mihawk preserve his title as the World's Greatest?"
The crowds on the surrounding ships stared fixedly at the two men on the island, their faces tight with tension. Even Red-Haired Shanks and Dark King Rayleigh narrowed their eyes, meticulously observing the reactions of the two combatants.
On the island, Zoro's expression was stiff. His gaze darted back and forth between Rowan and Mihawk; he didn't even dare to draw a breath. The level of combat between these two had far transcended his current understanding. Yet, watching from such a close distance allowed Zoro to grasp concepts that would be invaluable to his future growth.
Drip...
Suddenly, a drop of crimson blood slid down the edge of Rowan's longsword and splashed onto the ground.
With the fall of that drop, Rowan was the first to turn around. A smile played on his lips as he looked at Mihawk's back. "It seems your strength is a bit greater than I anticipated. I thought that one strike would be enough to win, but you actually managed to block it."
Mihawk turned around, his breathing heavy and ragged. The clothes on his chest had been shredded by sword ki, revealing a jagged, bloody gash over ten centimeters long across his right breast. The skin was torn, and crimson blood flowed freely. His white ribs were partially visible—a truly gruesome sight.
At the sight of the wound, countless people stood slack-jawed, their faces filled with utter disbelief.
"Did Hawkeye Mihawk lose?" "How is that possible? How long has it been?" "They only traded one real blow, didn't they?" "How could the World's Greatest Swordsman fail so easily?"
Even Shanks' pupils constricted when he saw the wound. He and Mihawk had sparred countless times, yet he had never managed to injure Mihawk like that. This strike proved that Rowan's strength was not just higher—it was in a different league entirely.
"Is this the true power of Mr. Rowan?" Rayleigh took a swig of wine and shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile on his face.
"Mr. Rowan... is so strong!" Vice Admiral Momonga's heart was pounding. He felt like shouting toward the heavens. To wound the World's Greatest with a single strike—this was the Rowan he revered!
On the island, ignoring the searing pain of the wound, Mihawk recalled the exchange and felt a wave of lingering fear. If he hadn't forcibly shifted from offense to defense at the last second, he would likely have been cleaved in two.
"Senior Rowan... you didn't use your full strength in that last strike, did you?" Mihawk suppressed his internal dread and wiped the cold sweat from his brow. He stared straight at Rowan, his voice heavy.
With that, Mihawk raised the Black Blade Yoru once more, the tip pointing directly at Rowan. He seemed oblivious to the agonizing pain from his chest, his face returning to a mask of stoic calm.
"Oh? How did you know I wasn't using my full strength?" Rowan asked, somewhat surprised.
Actually, Rowan was quite surprised by his own performance. He had originally thought he was only slightly stronger than Mihawk. But now it seemed he was much stronger. He had maxed out his sword skills long ago, but recently he had also maxed out his three types of Haki. While Haki is distinct from technique, it added a terrifying weight to his slashes.
That was why using only seventy percent of his power resulted in such a devastating wound on Mihawk.
"As I thought..." Hearing Rowan's admission, Mihawk took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his sword. "In that case, Senior Rowan, please continue this duel!"
"You want to continue?" Rowan frowned slightly. "Do you still not recognize the gap between us?" In Rowan's eyes, that one strike should have been enough for Mihawk to concede. In the eyes of the world, Hawkeye had already lost.
"I beg Senior Rowan to use his strongest power!"
Mihawk's expression was more serious than ever before. He gripped the hilt of his Black Blade with both hands and shouted, "Next, I will use everything I have learned in my life to unleash my ultimate strike! I ask that Senior Rowan does not look down on me!"
Hearing this, Shanks immediately understood Mihawk's intent. His face paled, and he cursed inwardly, You fool... are you willing to throw away your life just to see the peak of swordsmanship?!
Though he understood Mihawk's desire, Shanks couldn't step in to stop it. This was Mihawk's choice as a swordsman. Rayleigh also sighed and shook his head. "What a persistent little guy... I just wonder if Mr. Rowan has the heart to 'crush the flower' with a heavy hand."
"Ultimate strike?" Momonga's expression froze, and his hand instinctively gripped his own sword hilt. He felt a surge of admiration for Mihawk. To ignore one's life just to see the summit of the Way... such obsession was exactly why the man had remained the World's Greatest for so long.
"I understand..."
Rowan took a deep breath, his demeanor turning remarkably serious. The once-plain longsword in his hand suddenly vibrated, erupting with a sword-light so brilliant it seemed to transform into a legendary weapon. As he flicked the blade, it felt as though the very air was being sliced.
Rowan raised the sword, the tip aimed directly at Mihawk, and shouted:
"Come then! Attack me with your strongest strike, World's Greatest Swordsman—Dracule Mihawk!"
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