Raiver remained standing in place, unmoving.
With a light tap of his index finger, the first sword qi shattered.
A slight bend of his middle finger, the second sword qi dissipated.
A sideways flick of his ring finger redirected the third sword qi, crashing it into a nearby stone statue.
At this moment, Mihawk's blade had arrived!
The blade was wrapped in Advanced Armament Haki, aimed directly at Raiver's forehead!
Raiver raised his right hand, spreading his index and middle fingers.
At a distance of three inches from his forehead, he firmly caught the blade tip.
Mihawk's full-force thrust was thus halted mid-air, motionless.
"What?!"
Mihawk's pupils contracted violently.
His full-power thrust was caught by just two fingers?!
Mihawk tried to withdraw his blade.
The blade remained immovable, as if cast in steel.
Raiver smiled faintly: "Is this your full strength?"
A fierce gleam flashed in Mihawk's eyes.
He did not answer, but instead exerted force abruptly, finally pulling his blade free.
Then he turned and swept horizontally, unleashing a slash!
The blade edge carried power sufficient to cleave mountains, aimed straight at Raiver's neck!
Raiver tilted his head slightly.
The blade edge brushed past his ear, the gust of wind ruffling his black hair.
At the same time, he extended his right index finger, lightly tapping the body of the black blade.
Clang—
A soft sound.
Mihawk's hand gripping the blade shook violently!
His palm numbed, his entire arm instantly weakened, the black blade nearly slipping from his grasp.
The force transmitted from the blade was not brute strength, but a strange tremor, impossible to resist.
He staggered back three steps, regained his stance, his hand holding the blade trembling slightly.
He raised his head, looking at Raiver.
Those golden eyes, for the first time, showed genuine seriousness.
"How could this be..."
"The gap between me and the world's strongest... is so vast?"
He refused to believe it.
He could not accept it.
"I don't believe it!!"
He roared!
Observation Haki fully activated!
He predicted every possible movement of Raiver, while his form turned into afterimages, attacking Raiver from all directions simultaneously.
Raiver still stood in place.
He merely raised his right hand, using a single index finger to lightly flick.
Clang clang clang clang, four crisp sounds, all four strikes were blocked!
Mihawk did not cease his attack, the blade edge turning!
"Dawn of Night—!"
He gripped the blade with both hands, pouring all his strength, all his Haki, all his sword intent into this one slash!
The blade emitted dazzling light!
This was his strongest slash, a strike capable of severing everything!
The blade edge descended, dark green sword qi transforming into a massive pillar of light, like divine punishment descending from heaven, aimed directly at Raiver!
Raiver finally moved.
He raised his right hand, extending a finger.
Meeting that sword qi capable of splitting a small island, he lightly tapped.
Boom—!!
The sword qi exploded at his fingertip, light engulfing everything!
The shockwave spread outward, the ground within a hundred meters overturned, rubble flying, dust filling the sky!
When the light dissipated, Raiver still stood in place.
Unharmed.
Even without a single scratch.
And Mihawk knelt on one knee, breathing heavily.
His strongest attack was blocked by a single finger.
"It's over."
Raiver's voice came, calm as water.
Mihawk raised his head.
The man was walking toward him, his pace neither hurried nor slow.
Mihawk gritted his teeth, struggling to stand.
He tightened his grip on the Black Blade, ready for one final struggle.
He stepped forward, the blade's edge thrusting straight toward Raiver's heart!
Raiver sidestepped, the blade grazing past his chest.
At the same time, his right index finger extended, tapping the center of Mihawk's chest.
Thump.
Mihawk's body shuddered, his eyes widening.
A mouthful of blood sprayed out!
The Black Blade slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground.
He followed, kneeling, hands braced against the earth, gasping for breath.
Raiver gave a light wave of his right hand.
The surroundings, damaged by the battle, began to rapidly restore themselves.
As if time were flowing backward, everything returned to its original, undamaged state.
Spatial Reversion—a newly developed ability of Raiver's.
Kneeling on the ground, Mihawk watched this scene, an indescribable emotion welling up in his heart.
The gap…
Was too vast.
Raiver looked down at him and spoke calmly:
"Strive to grow stronger. Next time, I hope you'll be strong enough to make me draw my blade."
"No matter how many years pass, I'll be waiting on the throne of the world's strongest for your challenge."
With that, he turned and left.
One arm around Xingmian, the other around Xingwan.
The three figures vanished into the distorted space.
Outside the palace gates, only Mihawk remained, kneeling on the ground.
He lowered his head, for a long, long time.
He raised his head.
In those golden eyes, there was no despair, no surrender—only a rekindled fighting spirit.
"The world's strongest…"
He murmured to himself.
"One day, I will make you draw your blade."
He stood up, picked up the Black Blade, and walked away.
...
The New World, an unnamed island.
Sunlight spilled onto the beach, a sea breeze gently brushed past, and palm trees swayed.
The Whitebeard Pirates were holding a banquet on the shore.
Suddenly, an unfriendly voice rang out:
"Are you Whitebeard?"
The atmosphere on the beach instantly froze.
Everyone turned their heads simultaneously toward the source of the voice.
Not far away, sand grains surged from the ground, coalescing into a human form.
Crocodile stood there, a cigar in his mouth, hands in his pockets.
His gaze passed over the division commanders, locking onto the tall figure in the center.
Marco frowned, whispering to Whitebeard:
"Pops, that seems to be the Supernova Crocodile, Bounty 310 million Belly.
Should I take care of this rude guy?"
Whitebeard set down his wine bowl and slowly rose to his feet.
"A Logia Type… interesting. I haven't fought one yet."
His glaive thudded against the ground with a boom, shaking the earth.
"Everyone, step back."
All members of the Whitebeard Pirates silently retreated, clearing the battlefield.
Whitebeard laughed heartily:
"Gurararara—kid, you've picked the wrong opponent. You're not challenging me; you're seeking death."
Crocodile smirked disdainfully, cigar smoke dispersing in the wind.
"Let's see."
He moved.
The Sand-Sand Fruit ability erupted instantly!
Crocodile's entire body turned into flowing sand, skimming across the ground at high speed.
So fast that in the blink of an eye, he was at Whitebeard's feet.
His right hand's fingers pressed together, a Sand Blade coalescing!
Desert Treasure Sword!
A Sand Blade slashed upward from below toward Whitebeard's chest!
Whitebeard remained unmoved, merely holding his glaive horizontally in front of him.
Clang—!!
The Sand Blade struck the shaft of the Cloud Cutter, sparks flying!
Whitebeard's figure didn't budge an inch.
"Your attack…"
He looked down at Crocodile beneath him, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth:
"You're far too weak."
With a flick of his wrist!
His glaive swept horizontally!
The edge of the blade was wrapped in the white light of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and with a single swing, the very air trembled!
Crocodile's pupils contracted, instantly turning into sand!
The glaive passed through the grains of sand, but the residual shockwave still slammed into him.
Boom!!
His body flew out like a ragged sack, smashing through a massive rock behind him.
"Cough—"
He spat out a mouthful of blood as he climbed out of the rubble.
Gritting his teeth, Crocodile pressed both hands against the ground, pushing his Sand-Sand Fruit ability to its limit.
Erosion Cycle—!!
Centered on him, the grassland began to turn to sand!
All moisture was being frantically drained away!
The green grass withered, the soil cracked, and even the moisture in the air dissipated.
The area of sandification rapidly expanded!
Ten meters! Fifty meters! One hundred meters! Two hundred meters! Three hundred meters!
Whitebeard looked down at his own legs.
His feet were already sinking into the yellow sand, the grains writhing madly, trying to suck the moisture from his body.
But he used Haki to isolate the surface of his body, preventing the sand from ever touching his skin.
"Gurararara, you sand brat, are you trying to turn me into a dried-up husk?"
"Don't get cocky!!"
Crocodile roared in anger!
Swinging both hands repeatedly!
Desert Vajra Blade!
His arms transformed into two massive sand blades, both slashing toward Whitebeard at once!
Those sand blades were harder than steel, sharper than any blade, capable of slicing through a mountain.
Whitebeard gripped his glaive with one hand and swept it horizontally!
Boom—!!
Both sand blades shattered completely before the glaive!
Amid the spray of sand, Whitebeard took a step forward.
Clenching his left fist, white light gathered around it as he threw a punch through the air.
Crack—!!
Space shattered like glass!
The shockwave of the tremor spread in a fan shape, pulverizing everything in its path.
Crocodile desperately retreated!
Frantically forming sand walls in front of him, layer after layer.
But when the shockwave struck the sand walls, they instantly turned to dust!
The shockwave, undiminished in power, slammed squarely into him!
Crocodile was sent flying, crashing into the ground and creating a crater dozens of meters in diameter.
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