"There's a limit to how much you can look down on people!"
Zoro completely lost his composure and launched a direct assault on his opponent.
Mihawk, meanwhile, stood motionless, seemingly unbothered by the swordsman charging toward him.
This display made even Naruto shake his head internally.
So childish. At his age, he still enjoys showing off in front of rookies who just set sail.
He conveniently forgot that he had just shown off his own overwhelming strength during his battle with Luffy moments earlier.
But when it came to sheer presence, Mihawk undeniably held the upper hand, exuding an unshakable air of authority.
The truly capable make the best teachers, Naruto reflected silently. I won't judge his strength, but in terms of commanding presence, he far surpasses me.
As Zoro charged forward, Naruto's gaze sharpened, taking in this companion of Luffy's with newfound seriousness.
His swordsmanship still has much to develop, Naruto thought, but his courage to face the strong head-on is something I deeply respect.
"Onigiri!"
Zoro's three swords came together, all their power concentrated into a single point of attack.
"Frog in a well, let me show you how big the world is."
Mihawk spoke without emotion, and his small knife moved forward with simple precision.
Clang!
The tiny blade caught Zoro's attack perfectly. No matter how hard Zoro pushed, he couldn't move it even a fraction.
Impossible! The difference can't be this huge!
Even after seeing Naruto's incredible display earlier, Zoro couldn't accept what was happening before his eyes.
Even after witnessing Naruto's earth-shattering display earlier, Zoro couldn't accept what he was seeing.
Causing massive destruction was one kind of strength, but effortlessly blocking his killing technique in such a casual manner was far more devastating to his confidence.
"Ahhhhh!"
Blood rushing to his head, Zoro released an unwilling roar and swung his three swords again. Each strike was precisely parried by that seemingly omnipresent tiny blade.
Gradually, his technique became sloppy and desperate.
That's when Mihawk launched his first real attack.
The small knife pierced Zoro's chest without resistance, blood instantly staining his shirt red.
"Why didn't you dodge? Did you want me to pierce your heart?"
Mihawk looked at the man before him with genuine curiosity.
"I don't know... I just felt that if I stepped back here, all the things I've sworn to protect would be broken."
Hearing this, Mihawk nodded in understanding.
"Yes, that would be defeat."
A smile appeared on Zoro's bloodied face.
"So I can't step back."
"Even if it means death?"
"Death would be better."
Facing death, there wasn't a trace of fear in Zoro's eyes.
What strong will.
For the first time, Mihawk took the swordsman before him seriously.
"Boy, tell me your name."
Zoro endured the pain, reversed his left sword, and took his stance.
"Roronoa Zoro."
Mihawk, now seeing Zoro as a real opponent, put away the small knife and drew the massive black sword from his back—shaped like a giant cross.
"I'll remember you, strong one. As a swordsman, I'll finish you with this world's strongest black blade."
Mihawk raised his sword and attacked.
Zoro also began spinning his sword, completely focused.
"Santoryu Ogi! Sanzen Sekai!"
On the deck, the two swordsmen passed each other, then stopped.
Crack!
The two swords in Zoro's hands broke apart piece by piece, just like his wounded body.
I lost.
This was Zoro's first defeat in a real sword fight since leaving Shimotsuki Village.
Today, he finally saw what the peak of swordsmanship looked like.
Even with the pain in his body, he turned around and spread his arms wide, welcoming death.
This confused Mihawk, who was about to deliver the final blow.
"What are you doing?"
"A wound on the back is a swordsman's shame."
Zoro showed an unwavering smile.
"Excellent!"
Mihawk's opinion of Zoro rose even higher, but his hand didn't slow down.
The black blade Yoru cut from shoulder to waist, leaving a huge wound on Zoro's body.
"Zoro!"
Witnessing this scene, Luffy cried out desperately, struggling to crawl forward before Naruto grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"Don't rush. He's not dead."
As Naruto had said, despite Zoro's grievous appearance, Mihawk had carefully avoided every vital organ.
Clearly, he too had developed an appreciation for talent, wanting to see whether this seedling could truly grow strong enough to challenge him one day.
It seemed all the top powerhouses of this sea shared similar mentalities.
Only swordsmen like Zoro, who truly possessed the heart of the strong, were qualified to face Mihawk.
Carrying Luffy over to the fallen swordsman, Naruto looked at the pool of blood spreading beneath Zoro and spoke with mild irritation to Mihawk.
"You're being awfully harsh with a kid."
He examined the dramatic sword wound, thinking he should learn some medical ninjutsu the next time he returned to his world.
After all, setting aside Devil Fruit abilities, ninjutsu's healing efficiency far surpassed ordinary medicine.
"Really, making such a mess of Boss Zeff's floor. Remember to pay for damages."
With that, he deposited Luffy beside Zoro and slung his arm around Mihawk's shoulder.
"Come on, let's have a drink first."
Sheathing his black sword, Mihawk found himself somewhat helplessly dragged aside by Naruto's insistent pulling. Before he knew it, a large cup of rum had been thrust into his hand.
Dracule Mihawk typically preferred red wine served in proper glasses.
But he didn't particularly mind the change. Without hesitation, he followed Naruto's example and downed the entire cup in one gulp.
The two began drinking as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist, leaving all the spectators who had witnessed the entire battle feeling like mere bystanders.
Perhaps this was simply how the truly strong conducted themselves.
Meanwhile, Usopp and Luffy checked on Zoro's injuries while Sanji came over to apply bandages.
Soon, Zoro slowly regained consciousness.
After all, Mihawk had held back considerably—the swordsman had merely fainted from blood loss.
As his vision cleared, Zoro saw the worried faces of his companions surrounding him.
"Thank goodness, Zoro, you're okay!"
Usopp released a long breath of relief, and Luffy's face brightened with renewed hope.
But Zoro himself displayed only frustration, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Luffy, I lost."
"Yeah."
Seeing his companion's expression, Luffy restrained his smile and nodded gently.
"If I can't become the world's greatest swordsman, it would cause you serious problems..."
"I will never lose again! Until I defeat him and claim that title, I will never lose again! Do you have any objections, Pirate King!"
He covered his eyes with one hand, but his voice carried no hint of surrender.
"None."
Luffy grinned in response to his companion's vow, displaying natural confidence in Zoro's determination.
Sanji, observing from the sidelines, felt profoundly shaken.
He had wanted to voice this thought earlier.
When clearly facing the world's pinnacle, wouldn't it be reasonable to simply give up and admit defeat?
Whether it was Luffy or this green-haired swordsman, they were both people who would never retreat, even when confronted with impossible odds.
This realization made his own hesitant thoughts impossible to ignore any longer.
This time, he genuinely wanted to accept Luffy's invitation and become his companion.
He too had dreams that demanded pursuit.
"Pirate King, huh? What do you think?"
Overhearing the nearby conversation, Mihawk smiled slightly and turned toward Naruto.
After all, who could offer a more credible opinion on this matter than a former member of the Pirate King's crew?
"I'm looking forward to it, hahahaha..."
Clinking glasses with him, Naruto found today's alcohol particularly satisfying.
Just then, two figures bound like dumplings wriggled their way inside.
They were Zoro's former subordinates, Johnny and Yosaku.
"This is terrible! Big Brother Zoro... Big Brother Zoro, what happened to you?"
They had originally entered with urgent news, but seeing Zoro lying in a pool of blood immediately overwhelmed all other concerns.
"...Nothing happened. What were you trying to tell us earlier?"
Zoro delivered his famous line ahead of schedule, then questioned them.
"Ah, it's about Sister Nami!"
"Right, Sister Nami tied us up and stole the Going Merry!"
Hearing this revelation, Usopp was the first to scream in outrage.
"That woman! That's the ship Miss Kaya gave us!"
"Did she mention where she was going?"
Luffy inquired with concern.
Johnny possessed some knowledge about this situation.
"Sister Nami said something about taking the ship to find the fishman Arlong. That guy was supposedly once a companion of Shichibukai Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea..."
Before he could finish speaking, an indescribable, terrifying pressure emanated from nearby.
"You said... Arlong? He's still committing atrocities?"
Naruto seemed to transform into an entirely different person, his brow furrowing as he rose to his feet.
Uncontrolled Haki leaked from him, causing several timid customers to collapse unconscious onto their tables.
Faced with Naruto's intimidating presence, Johnny's words became stuttered and broken.
"Y-yes... as far as I know, he should be operating around Cocoyasi Village. It seems like over twenty surrounding villages are being 'extorted' by him, forced to regularly pay him a 'head tax.'"
"That... incorrigible fool!"
Apparently sharing some history with the fishman, Naruto's fury at hearing that Arlong continued such activities was palpable.
His reaction even surprised Mihawk.
"Sorry, we'll have to continue drinking another time."
With that declaration, Naruto directly grabbed several people by their collars, lifting Luffy's entire group like he was collecting wayward children.
"Come on, you're taking me to find him."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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