Chapter 3: Hawk of Ruin
The war had changed.
Not because of Whitebeard's might.
Not because of Ace's impending execution.
Not because of the Admirals' cold machinations.
Because of me.
The moment my blade split the sky and cracked the battlefield, the tides shifted. Men who had come to fight for glory, justice, or brotherhood now fought with fear gnawing at their hearts.
They knew.
Every step I took left a trail of corpses. Every swing of Yoru shattered their delusions of safety.
I wasn't a Warlord anymore.
I wasn't even a man.
I was a calamity.
---
[Shock Points: 1200]
The crimson number hovered in my vision like a death omen.
I moved like a storm through the ranks of Marines, cutting down a dozen in the blink of an eye. Their bodies hit the ground in a chorus of wet thuds. Every scream, every desperate plea for mercy, only fed the storm gathering around me.
"A real monster, aren't you?"
A cold voice drifted in through the mist of blood and smoke.
I turned.
Aokiji.
The air chilled instantly. Frost crept along the cracked earth. The ice Admiral approached, hands buried in his pockets, expression unreadable.
I smirked.
"About time one of you stopped running."
He sighed, frost misting from his breath.
"You've made enough of a mess, Mihawk. Time to put you down."
Fool.
He shot forward, fist cocked, a spear of ice forming at his knuckles. The world slowed. I could see the frost biting into the ground with every step.
I moved.
Shockwave Step.
In an instant, we collided.
CLANG.
The shockwave split the air, shards of ice and rock exploding outward. Our weapons locked, Yoru's black edge drinking in the cold.
He was strong.
But not enough.
I pressed harder, black mist bleeding from my blade as the system's hunger clawed at me.
Aokiji gritted his teeth as cracks formed along his ice armor.
"You really intend to burn this world down?"
I met his eyes, cold and unblinking.
"I intend to bury it."
With a brutal swing, I shattered his weapon and sent him skidding across the battlefield, blood trailing from his lips.
---
[+350 Shock Points!]
The system's chime echoed in my mind.
[New Ability Unlocked: Bloodstorm Edge — Channel accumulated Shock Points into a single strike, massively amplifying its destructive power.]
Good.
I barely had time to savor it before a voice like molten hate bellowed.
"DOG OF THE GOVERNMENT!"
Akainu.
A fist of searing magma hurled toward me. The battlefield screamed as fire devoured Marines and pirates alike.
I raised Yoru.
The world shrank to just us two.
His fury.
My cold intent.
BOOM.
Fire clashed with darkness, magma against obsidian steel. The shockwave leveled nearby towers.
Neither of us yielded.
[+400 Shock Points!]
But Akainu's expression twisted when he saw it.
My blade wasn't melting.
It was drinking in the heat. Growing darker. Heavier.
"Impossible," he snarled.
I stepped forward.
"You fight for order. I fight for oblivion."
With one, ruthless swing, I sent him flying into a wall of Marines, magma splashing harmlessly off my sword.
The battlefield stilled.
Even Whitebeard lowered his bisento, watching me with a grim expression.
He could see it now.
The Hawk no longer circled.
I had become the storm.
---
[Shock Points: 1950]
A deeper, darker voice spoke in my mind.
[Threshold reached. New Title Unlocked: "Calamity Blade" — Your presence alone now inspires dread. Enemies will hesitate. Fear will spread.]
Perfect.
I turned my gaze toward the execution platform.
Sengoku.
The Fleet Admiral glared down at me, rage and unease blending in his eyes.
Good.
They should fear me.
I raised Yoru, pointing it at the heavens.
"This world belongs to no one. Not the Government. Not the pirates. Not the dead. It's mine now."
The sky answered.
Dark clouds swirled unnaturally fast. Lightning streaked like jagged veins of white fire.
And for one, breathless moment… the war held its breath.
The Hawk had arrived.
And he wasn't leaving survivors.
---
[To Be Continued…]
---
Author's Note:
Liked this chapter? Got thoughts? Questions? Or think it's trash?
Comment below. Ask whatever. Let's see what you got.
And if you're lurking… keep reading. The storm's just getting started.