"Hina, step back for now."
"Yes, Vice Admiral Shu! Do your best!"
Hina gave him a bright, playful cheer before retreating to a safe distance.
Just as Shu was about to draw his blade, he paused, as though something had come to mind. Slowly, he slid Ryūjin Jakka back into its sheath. Then, walking to the side, he snapped a branch off a nearby tree.
Across from him, the young Dracule Mihawk frowned deeply.
"Vice Admiral Shu, what's the meaning of this?"
Shu smiled faintly. "Mihawk, as you are now, you're not yet worthy of my blade."
Mihawk gave a cold snort. "You really know how to look down on people! Even if you use a twig instead of a sword, I won't be holding back!"
In the blink of an eye, Mihawk vanished.
"Flash Slash!"
The young swordsman's blade gleamed like lightning as it came crashing down toward Shu.
From afar, Hina could barely keep her eyes open against the blinding speed. In an instant, Mihawk's sword was already above Shu's head.
"Shu!!" she screamed, forgetting her formalities in panic.
But Shu merely raised the branch in his hand calmly, almost lazily.
Clang!
The soft-looking twig met steel, and a metallic ring echoed through the clearing.
"What?!"
Mihawk's eyes widened in disbelief.
During that split-second of shock, Shu's wrist rotated smoothly, sending a pulse of force through the branch that knocked Mihawk several steps back.
The young swordsman landed, stunned, his expression frozen between awe and confusion.
"How... how did you do that?"
Shu chuckled lightly. "Curiosity is part of a swordsman's spirit. The answer, Mihawk, is something you'll have to discover for yourself."
In truth, the secret was simple: Shu had wrapped the branch in his spiritual pressure, creating a force similar to Armament Haki. But Mihawk, only seventeen and still confined to the East Blue, had never even heard of such a thing.
Seeing the bewildered look on his opponent's face, Shu couldn't help the smirk tugging at his lips. "Feels good, doesn't it? Being on the other end for once."
But Mihawk was far from one to crumble after a setback.
"Haa... Vice Admiral Shu," he said between heavy breaths, "I admit my earlier attitude was wrong. I apologize. But..."
His golden eyes sharpened like twin blades.
"I still want to see how wide the gap truly is between us!"
Raising his sword, Mihawk gathered all his strength. The air around him seemed to hum, his aura slicing outward in invisible currents.
"This is my strongest attack! Please, witness it!"
Two brilliant arcs of energy crossed in midair as Mihawk swung down.
"Flash Cross Slash!"
Shu's gaze hardened. The branch lowered to his side, his stance shifting into the perfect posture for a draw strike.
"Shūrei Fūzan!"
A blinding flash tore through the clearing as immense spiritual pressure and speed fused into one. A roaring slash, several meters long, burst from the tip of the branch.
Boom!
The twin wind blades shattered instantly, crumbling like paper in the face of overwhelming force.
The strike continued its path, unstoppable, heading straight for Mihawk.
Mihawk didn't dodge. He didn't flinch. Instead, he sheathed his sword, spread his arms, and faced it head-on.
Slash!
A crimson line blossomed across his chest, deep and clean. The impact sent him staggering backward, his boots carving trenches into the earth.
"Ahhhh!"
With a roar, Mihawk grounded his feet, pouring every ounce of strength into resisting the blow.
Finally, the energy dissipated, leaving silence in its wake.
Shu looked at him, expression unreadable. "Why didn't you fall?"
Mihawk's chest heaved violently, blood trickling down his torso, but his voice was firm, resolute.
"My goal... is to become the greatest swordsman in the world!" he declared through gritted teeth. "A little pain like this won't bring me down!"
A spark of admiration flickered in Shu's eyes.
"Very good." He nodded slowly. "Dracule Mihawk... I acknowledge you."
At those words, Mihawk's vision blurred. The exhaustion and pain finally overtook him, and his body slumped to the ground.
"Vice Admiral Shu! He's badly hurt!" Hina cried, rushing forward.
Shu nodded calmly. "Don't worry, Hina. He'll be fine. After all, there's someone who won't let him die here..."
He turned slightly toward the trees and spoke in a low voice. "Am I right, Koushirou?"
A gentle chuckle came from behind a large tree.
A man wearing round glasses and a soft, peaceful smile stepped out of the shadows. His presence was calm, almost unassuming, yet there was an unmistakable air of discipline about him.
"My apologies," Koushirou said politely. "I didn't mean to intrude on your duel."
Shu waved it off. "No need to apologize, Koushirou. This is your dojo's territory, after all. We're the ones trespassing."
Koushirou smiled, walking over to Mihawk and kneeling beside him. With practiced hands, he wrapped the wound in a temporary bandage, then adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.
"Vice Admiral Shu, your slash was truly fearsome... I'll need to return to the dojo for proper medicine if he's to stop bleeding completely."
"Would you care to accompany me for a short while?"
Shu inclined his head politely. "Of course. I'll trouble you for the hospitality, then."
With a wave of his right hand, spiritual pressure lifted Mihawk's unconscious body gently into the air.
Koushirou's eyes widened slightly at the sight, his calm demeanor briefly cracking into astonishment. It was the first time he had ever witnessed spiritual energy being used so tangibly.
Recovering his composure, he nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, Vice Admiral Shu."
The three of them Shu, Hina, and Koushirou walked together toward the dojo as the afternoon sun dipped below the horizon.
The scent of sea salt lingered in the air, mingling with the faint sound of waves. A silent respect had formed between the marine and the two swordsmen one born from admiration, another from the acknowledgment of strength.
Little did they know, the paths they walked from that day would one day shape legends across the seas.
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