"I'm here… Master."
========
That battle, he won.
He defeated the man who had taught him since childhood, the one who first led him into the way of the sword.
From his master's fallen hands, Mihawk inherited the supreme black blade, Yoru, and rose to the peak of the world, the very embodiment of the ultimate swordsmanship.
Years passed.
Now, at the same age as his master once was, Mihawk stared down at his black blade.
Perhaps… it's time to seek the next successor.
Year after year, time flowed like a sword stroke, swift and merciless.
Across the endless seas, Mihawk lived through countless dawns and dusks.
Old and silver-haired, he finally found a youth who stirred something within him.
That boy, bright-eyed and fearless, called him "Master" with the same earnest voice he once used.
Years passed again.
The boy who had gone out to train returned… just as Mihawk once had.
And now, as the youth's overwhelming power surged toward him as dazzling white light consumed his sight, Mihawk raised his black sword before him once more.
"Master," the boy's voice echoed,
"I've carried on your legacy!"
The slash landed, tearing through Mihawk's body, ripping his flesh, smashing him to the ground as Yoru fell beside him.
Boom!
Zoro gasped heavily, the phantom of the demon Buddha behind him dissolving into drifting particles of light.
Moments ago, he had used Kuina's ability to drag the unguarded Mihawk into a perfect illusion, a dream woven from the beauty of his own heart, and then struck him with a single, fatal blow.
Yes, a fatal blow.
In a duel, mercy does not exist.
But even Zoro's body was nearing its limit.
Yet the beastly aura of his ability had not faded,
which meant only one thing:
It wasn't over yet.
========
Did I lose?
Defeated by my own disciple…
Perhaps this is the best end I could ask for.
Isn't this what I always sought?
Then why?
Why does it feel so bitter… so unwilling?
Wait…!
Lose? Me?
How could I lose?
My swordsmanship is the Ultimate Path, the strongest of them all!
The strongest sword will never lose!
The one who loses… is not my swordsmanship!
========
The frozen ground trembled beneath Zoro's feet as he stared at Mihawk's fallen form.
That strike had landed true, he was sure of it.
But every instinct screamed:
The fight isn't over yet.
Crack…
A shard of ice slipped from the shattered ground.
Mihawk's hand twitched.
Fingers pressed faintly into the ground.
His head lifted slightly, blood dripping from his face,
and then his golden eyes reopened, burning with life.
Even drenched in blood, Mihawk rose, slowly, painfully, grasping Yoru once more.
"…Truly terrifying," Zoro muttered, gazing at the man whose chest was nearly torn open, yet still stood tall.
If not for his bones acting as armor,
his organs would have spilled out long ago.
"You… are the terrifying one," Mihawk rasped, his hawk-like eyes locked on Zoro,
still pristine, still unscathed.
He didn't understand it, whether it was sword intent, supernatural defense, or some devilish power,
but there was no denying Zoro's unbroken strength.
Perhaps…
Today, the title of World's Greatest Swordsman would pass to another.
And maybe that's fine, Mihawk thought.
I've been silent for too long.
"Roronoa Zoro!!!"
Mihawk roared with all the strength left in his battered frame.
Staggering forward, he gripped Yoru tightly once again.
The title of "Greatest Swordsman" meant nothing now.
All he wanted was to swing this final blade!
To cut beyond himself!
The corners of his mustached mouth rose slightly.
There was no joy for a swordsman greater than unleashing a stronger strike.
He straightened his ravaged body; his wounds tore open completely.
Blood gushed like a crimson fountain but Mihawk paid it no mind.
From Yoru, a new radiance burst forth, one unlike any he had ever released before.
Arrogant.
Proud.
Supreme.
The pinnacle of the sword.
Zoro's eyes narrowed.
"The Ultimate Path…?" he murmured softly.
Hearing this, Mihawk suddenly threw back his head and laughed, a deep, wild laugh echoing across the battlefield.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
"The Ultimate Path?"
"No!!!"
"This is…"
"The Path Beyond All, Infinity!!!"
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