At that moment, Hawkeye had arrived at the harbor. He narrowed his eyes and his hawk-like pupils trembled. The storage locker on his ship was open, and even his kettle was lying on the side.
"Oh, man!" Teren saw Hawkeye's gaze and looked down. "This… this was an accident, do you believe me?" Teren smiled, seeing Hawkeye was now only ten meters away.
Hawkeye remained expressionless. He dropped the bag of provisions at his feet and his right hand reached for the hilt of Yoru. "This is the first time I've met a thief since I started sailing! Do you wish to gain some fame?" His tone was flat.
"Didn't I just drink some of your water? You won't even give me a chance to explain?" Teren was shocked. "Do you really care about your image?"
"Pay your price," Hawkeye said. Before his words were finished, he had unsheathed his sword and slashed with lightning speed.
Teren couldn't see this move at all. Just as Teren thought he was finished, a figure appeared in front of him, raised his right hand, and used his index and middle fingers to clamp down on the Yoru that Hawkeye had swung.
"Hey! What are you doing to our Captain?" Li Jing, wearing an ancient purple robe from the Shang Dynasty, stood with an antique sword at his waist, exuding an aura of simplicity. His gaze was fixed on Hawkeye.
Hawkeye, who had been trying to attack Teren, instantly lost his composure. He was surprised to find the man in front of him had easily blocked his attack with just two fingers.
"Blocked?" Hawkeye immediately pulled his sword back and made several quick, whirlwind-like slashes.
Seeing Hawkeye's attacks, Li Jing's face showed a strange expression. His right hand, forming a 'V-sign,' received every one of Hawkeye's attacks with a very peculiar speed.
"Who are you!?" Hawkeye leaped back, his gaze fixed on Li Jing like a hawk. He felt that all his swordsmanship was exposed, as if a student was challenging his master. But he was Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman!
Not only was Hawkeye confused, but Teren was also extremely bewildered, especially when he saw Li Jing's character card.
"Name: Li Jing (from 100,000 Cold Jokes) Ability: Hundred Percent Unarmed Blade Catch Strength: The Strongest Swordsman of the Shang Dynasty."
"So the character that the system removed was 'un'? From 'Hundred Percent Unarmed Blade Catch' to 'Hundred Percent Unarmed Blade Catch'! Oh my god, it went from control to defense!"
Thinking this, Teren's expression suddenly changed. The corner of his mouth curved upward like a crescent moon. "Li Jing, you're back," he said happily.
Hearing Teren, Li Jing's lips curved into a slight smile, and he nodded in response, "Captain."
"Captain?" Hearing their conversation, Hawkeye's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is this young man not a thief?"
"Mihawk!"
Now that his identity was confirmed, Li Jing was happy to accept his new role. He wasn't interested in Pirates or Marines, so being an adventurer wasn't a bad idea.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is…" The words caught in Teren's throat. He realized that in the world of One Piece, names usually had a prefix. Suddenly, he got an idea.
"My name is Jenny Teren! A passing adventurer. This is my Vice Captain, the Strongest Swordsman of the Shang Dynasty, Li Jing!" Teren loudly introduced Li Jing's title.
"An adventurer?" Hawkeye understood. Before Gol D. Roger started the Great Pirate Era, adventurers were a more common sight on the seas. However, he was now more interested in this "Strongest Swordsman of the Shang Dynasty." A swordsman who could easily block all his attacks was far more interesting than Shanks! He didn't expect to find a worthy opponent in the East Blue.
"Mihawk, do you still plan to fight?" Seeing that Hawkeye showed no intention of sheathing his sword, Teren's expression became serious.
"I'm very curious about the power of the Strongest Swordsman of the Shang Dynasty," Hawkeye said. He drew his sword again and advanced. For a true swordsman like him, an equal fight was the most exhilarating thing!
"No one can harm Captain Teren in front of me," Li Jing was about to draw his sword, but with the blessing of Hundred Percent Unarmed Blade Catch, his right hand had already blocked Hawkeye's attack.
"Damn it! Next time, I must attack first," Li Jing complained.
"Is he a Devil Fruit user?" Hawkeye thought of another possibility as he saw Li Jing easily block his every attack. He then used Armament Haki, coating his sword with a black layer, and swung the sword with faster speed.
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