~ Support & Read 13 Advanced Chapters on Patreon
❁❁❁❁
The East Blue.
The seas near the Red Line were crowded. The number of ships—Marine warships, pirate vessels, merchant carriers—was gradually increasing.
Regardless of their purpose for coming to the East Blue, unless they crossed the Calm Belt directly like Arthur, they would inevitably pass through Roger's hometown—Loguetown.
Looking down from the sky, the number of ships surrounding Loguetown was dozens of times greater than during the duel between Arthur and Whitebeard.
The island was overflowing with people. If it weren't for the Marine patrols stationed every few steps, the island would have already erupted into chaos—
"Captain, are we heading straight to Loguetown?" Catarina Devon asked.
"No rush... we wait," Arthur commanded Vegapunk to halt the [Thor], content to quietly observe from above.
Sanjuan Wolf's colossal size made him too inconvenient to bring along, so Arthur had him stand guard at Reverse Mountain. The rest of the crew rested aboard the [Thor].
"Only a few of the truly interesting people have arrived."
There were so many people on the island, flowing like water into every corner, but only a handful piqued Arthur's interest.
Suddenly, Arthur's gaze sharpened. He had spotted someone...
A very small boat was sailing in from the distant sea. The person on it wore a floral shirt. His eyes were exceptionally sharp, enough to make those with malicious intent dare not meet his gaze—
—Hawk-Eye Mihawk.
"Hm?" Arthur's eyes shifted, noticing the cross-shaped greatsword on Mihawk's back.
The Black Sword, Yoru? Did he get his hands on it this early?
"The Black Sword?" Shiryu, who had been quiet until now, heard words that interested him. He strode to the bow and looked down. A bloodthirsty, excited light gradually appeared in his eyes as he stared intently at Mihawk below.
"A SUPREME GRADE SWORD! I wonder if that man is worthy of wielding such a weapon. Captain, please allow me to go down and kill him!"
Killing—in Shiryu's eyes—required no reason. A sudden whim was enough to ignite the restlessness in his heart, a fire that could only be quenched with blood.
At the same time, Mihawk below sensed Shiryu's undisguised gaze and suddenly looked up.
In an instant, their battle intent surged to its peak. The swords in their hands began to tremble—
Their gazes clashed across thousands of meters of open air, both sensing the extraordinary nature of the other.
"Captain, let me kill him..." Shiryu was in a state of frenzied excitement, his eyes filled with red, just like when Arthur had first seen Whitebeard after emerging from Raijin Island.
As long as it didn't interfere with his own plans, Arthur would almost never object to what his crewmates wanted to pursue.
A section of the golden deck beneath his feet suddenly detached, carrying the uncontrollably excited Shiryu as it descended.
Arthur had complete trust in Shiryu. This was a man of extreme purity, pursuing only the sword and the slaughter.
Only such a pure person could pursue their own path without distraction—
"Hm? That man... what sinister eyes! He's a true swordsman," Byrnndi World commented.
Currently, the greatest swordsman on the seas was Golden Lion Shiki. However, Shiki not only used a sword but also had a Devil Fruit ability, so his pursuit of the sword was not entirely pure.
His sharp aura was not as intense as Mihawk's, because Mihawk had dedicated his body and soul to the way of the sword—
"Captain, will Shiryu be alright?" Catarina Devon asked casually.
"Just as he believes in me, I believe in him," Arthur stated calmly, not worried in the slightest.
Since receiving Arthur's invitation, Shiryu's rate of progress over the past two years had been terrifying. He had already killed his own teacher, the former Head Jailer of Impel Down.
And that Head Jailer's strength surpassed that of a Marine Vice Admiral... so Arthur had absolute faith in Shiryu.
————————
The golden platform carrying Shiryu successfully reached the beach outside Loguetown, at almost the same time as Mihawk's small boat.
The sharp, overflowing sword auras of the two naturally attracted the attention of everyone nearby. In the shadows, even more eyes were watching them.
Loguetown was calm at the moment, and no one had broken the tense atmosphere. But now, two master swordsmen had met.
"Who are you?"
Mihawk spoke first. He knew every famous swordsman in the world. He had just obtained the Supreme Grade Sword that every swordsman dreams of and was planning to challenge them one by one after his trip to Loguetown. He never expected to encounter a swordsman he had never even heard of.
The world is full of powerhouses.
"Someone who wants to kill you," Shiryu said, a cigar dangling from his lips, a bloodthirsty smile on his face.
"The World's Strongest Black Blade, one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords, with a chaotic floral temper line... the Black Sword, Yoru. I want to know if you are worthy of wielding this blade!"
Shiryu seemed to have specifically studied the encyclopedia of famous swords, reciting Yoru's history as if it were his own.
He slowly drew the Nodachi, Raiu—which had been polished so clean it reflected the surrounding scenery.
"Kill me?" Mihawk shifted his gaze from Shiryu to the sword. Anyone who knew swords would recognize the pattern on the blade.
"A cursed sword that devours its master... Raiu."
He too became serious. A man who loved swords so much that he maintained a famous blade so perfectly must also have a pure heart in his pursuit.
This battle was unavoidable. And he, Dracule Mihawk, had never feared a fight.
Dueling with a master swordsman was what he looked forward to most.
"A cursed sword only devours those who cannot control it. The weak are not worthy of possessing a famous blade. To blame the sword after being wounded by it is pathetic." Shiryu calmly stated his understanding of cursed swords.
His entire being entered a state of extreme calm. Only those who knew him would understand that this was the final tranquility before an unpredictable explosion.
"CLANG!!"
Mihawk instantly drew the Black Sword, Yoru, from his back, pointing it diagonally at Shiryu. The light in the depths of his eyes made one feel as if they were standing on a razor's edge.
"Well said. I am Dracule Mihawk. State your name."
"One of the Commanders of the Thunder God Pirates, Shiryu of the Rain." Shiryu announced his name.
"The Thunder God Pirates?? Thunder Emperor Arthur?" Mihawk inquired.
"Indeed," Shiryu nodded.
His acknowledgment of Arthur came from the heart. This was a great captain who would allow him to unleash the demon within and satisfy his desire for slaughter without restraint.
The two of them stopped their movements at the same time. Their sword auras grew more and more condensed, their gazes locking in a merciless duel.
A true swordsman could defeat another with their eyes alone.
This was no joke...
A swordsman's gaze could deliver a severe blow to a person's spirit.
This was a devastation more intense than a physical blow, a complete collapse from the depths of the soul, from the inside out.
From then on, one would never have the courage to challenge the other again, just like how Catarina Devon was completely crushed by Arthur's single punch on Sabaody.
Their battle intent erupted.
A leaf, from who knows where, entered the field between the two and was instantly shredded into powder by their invisible sword auras.
The stalemate was broken in an instant!
❁❁❁❁
~ 13 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)