"An accomplice?!"
Kyros muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as the coldly imposing young man with hawk-like eyes stepped into the tavern. He instinctively moved in front of Bell-mère and Issho, drawing his sword with both hands.
Even though Kyros knew Issho was stronger than him and didn't actually need protection, for reasons he couldn't explain, whenever danger struck, he still chose to step in first.
Maybe deep down, Kyros always saw Issho as part of a "vulnerable group."
VMMM!!!
The hawk-eyed youth saw the Marine gripping his sword with both hands, the blade pointed in challenge. Without saying a word, he raised his massive blade and swung it with force, an ear-shattering hum exploded through the air.
A bright green slash erupted from the blade and shot straight toward Kyros.
"!!!"
Kyros's pupils shrank as he instinctively raised his sword to block. But deep down, he already understood,
There was no way he could withstand a flying slash of this level.
This guy… was a swordsman! A real master!
Just as the slash was about to hit, a massive force yanked Kyros backward by the waist, sending him tumbling onto the floor.
He lost his balance and landed hard. Looking up, he saw Issho already stepping forward, having passed right by him to face the enemy.
Issho calmly drew a blade hidden within his blind cane, raising it to meet the incoming attack.
BOOM!!!
A muffled explosion rang out as a terrifying whirlwind erupted within the tavern, sweeping in all directions. Chairs flew, the floor shook, and even the Marines inside couldn't resist the shockwave, they were sent flying.
Amid the storm, Issho's Marine cloak billowed violently. The hawk-eyed youth looked at Issho, who had blocked his strike, and for the first time, a faint smile appeared on his otherwise stone-cold face.
"A fine swordsman."
"I was right. You're the one I've been looking for."
He offered that praise calmly, then said,
"My name is Dracule Mihawk. A swordsman of the Marines."
"Draw your sword and duel me!"
He lifted his black blade, Yoru, and pointed it straight at Issho. His voice was firm and commanding.
Issho could clearly sense Mihawk's immense power and boiling fighting spirit. His face turned serious as he tightened his grip on the cane-sword, raising it before his chest in a defensive stance, ready to counter at any moment.
He spoke in return, "Who are you exactly, and why are you attacking a fellow Marine?"
Issho could feel how strong Mihawk was. Facing someone like this, even if he had to fight, he first needed to know the reason.
Now carrying the identity of a Marine, Issho had become far more cautious than when he was still a lone wanderer.
He didn't want a misunderstanding to cause unnecessary trouble for others in the Navy.
"Attacking the Marines?"
"Don't get it twisted. I only came for you."
"I've no interest in the rest of them."
"They're not worthy to cross swords with me."
At the bar, Yoriichi Tsugikuni sat sipping a drink, watching the confrontation with growing amusement.
For some reason, a strange feeling crept into his heart.
This Mihawk guy… why does he give off such a chūnibyō vibe?
Truthfully, Yoriichi had recognized him the moment he entered, not because he looked particularly like the bearded "World's Strongest Swordsman" he would become, but because of the absurdly oversized blade on his back.
The Supreme Grade sword Yoru, one of the twelve Saijo Ō Wazamono, the Black Blade Yoru.
That weapon was unmistakable.
Combined with his open-chested flamboyant shirt and lone-wolf attitude, Yoriichi had no doubt,
This was the future World's Greatest Swordsman.
Still, meeting Mihawk here of all places was quite unexpected.
And from the look of it, he didn't come here for any grand reason. He just followed the strongest presence in the area... which led him straight to Issho.
As for why Mihawk didn't choose to challenge Yoriichi?
Probably because, in Mihawk's perception, Yoriichi didn't even register as a threat. He likely just saw him as a normal person.
"...?"
Issho tilted his head at Mihawk's reply, clearly confused.
Was he saying he found Issho "interesting" and just attacked him because of that?
No grudge. No mission.
He just wanted to fight?
Issho had never encountered someone like that before.
Before he could ask anything else, Mihawk moved.
In a blink, he launched forward, dashing toward Issho, and without hesitation, brought the massive blade down straight for his head.
CLANG!!!
Issho reacted swiftly, raising his blade to block.
Their blades collided with a deafening crash that echoed through the tavern.
This time, Mihawk hadn't used Haki, he was testing pure physical strength.
"Nggh..."
"Such brute force..."
Issho braced himself, one hand supporting the sword as he strained to hold back the impact. His arm trembled under the weight.
BOOM!!
At that moment, Issho activated his Devil Fruit ability.
The gravity around them suddenly changed, warping the very air in front of him.
Mihawk, caught completely off guard, bore the full brunt of the altered gravity. The ground beneath him instantly cracked and collapsed into a spiderweb of fractures.
His knees buckled. He nearly dropped to the ground.
Barely managing to recover, Mihawk steadied himself, narrowed his eyes, and muttered,
"...Hmm?"
He hadn't expected this.
The powerful swordsman he sought turned out to be someone... like this?
He straightened his posture, pulled his legs from the broken ground, and leapt back to create distance.
Now freed from the gravitational pressure, Mihawk frowned slightly, feeling an unfamiliar soreness in his muscles.
He had escaped the gravity, yes, but the damage was real. The intense strain had left his muscles slightly overworked.
The injury wasn't serious enough to hinder his fighting ability, but it was a loss nonetheless.
And from Yoriichi's Transparent World perspective, everything was crystal clear.
Mihawk had taken a hit in this exchange.
"...What a shame. You're not the one I was looking for."
Mihawk stared at Issho for a long moment, then finally shook his head. His voice held only disappointment.
He sheathed Yoru once more.
Issho sensed that Mihawk intended to stop the fight and slowly returned his blade to its scabbard too. He nodded politely and said,
"I'm sorry to disappoint. I'm not a pure swordsman."
He had more or less understood what kind of person Mihawk was.
When two strong warriors crossed blades, even once, they could often understand each other without words.
Mihawk didn't respond. He simply turned and walked away, heading straight for the exit.
His actions were so sudden, so abrupt, that the Marines in the tavern were all frozen in surprise.
This was a man with a clear goal, walking his own path.
A pure swordsman through and through.
That was the impression Mihawk left behind.
"Since you're here... don't be in such a rush to leave."
A voice rang out from behind Mihawk just as he was about to step out the door.
It was so close, it was as if someone had whispered right in his ear.
A chill ran down Mihawk's spine. His pupils widened as he spun around, and at some point, Yoru had already found its way into his hand again.
He slashed backward with full force.
CLANGGG!!!!
His blade collided with another.
Behind him, a red-haired youth stood in a Justice cloak, one hand catching Mihawk's swing with a blade of his own.
He was smiling.
"You strike at my subordinates… and plan to just leave?"
"Isn't that a bit rude, Dracule Mihawk?"
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
For Advance Chapters, please visit and consider joining me on P(a)treon!
p(a)treon.com/Lnee
1-2+ Chapters daily on P(a)treon, will go up depends on the powerstone extra chapters.
You can also access my other translated fics on P(a)treon!