Chapter 439: Black and Red Reunion
Kuraigana Island · Port
The night was heavy, the ocean tide surging.
The firelight illuminated the port, but the sound of the wind was completely suppressed by two auras of sword intent.
The newcomer's figure finally became entirely clear under the flickering flames.
It was a man draped in a black cape, his red hair whipping fiercely in the night wind. Both of his arms were intact. His left hand tightly gripped Gryphon, the blade faintly radiating a glow that intertwined the sacred and the bloody.
—It was none other than the current Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights, Saint Figarland Shanks.
Shanks looked at Mihawk, a familiar smile curving his lips: "It's been a while, Mihawk."
His voice held a teasing tone, yet carried an unconcealable battle intent.
Mihawk's eyes instantly sharpened. In the next moment, the Black Blade Yoru was drawn from his back.
"CLANG!!!"
The instant the blade left its sheath, it was as if a black sun had appeared in heaven and earth.
An invisible, razor-sharp edge soared into the sky, cleaving the night curtain in two.
"Shanks..."
His voice was low, overflowing with a chilling intent. "It seems you've made quite an unimaginable decision."
The crushed stones beneath his feet trembled slightly under his imposing aura. Mihawk's entire body erupted with sword aura, as if the entire night sky was being torn apart.
"However—"
He raised Yoru high into the air, its edge like a cold light piercing the long night.
"Whatever you want to say right now is useless. Let's fight first, talk later!"
Feeling that terrifying sword intent, Perona's heart tightened. Not daring to approach, she hurriedly floated far away, her eyes filled with worry and shock.
"...Honestly, these two madmen."
On the other side, Shanks also felt his old friend's long-suppressed craving. His eyes burned fiercely, a wild, uninhibited arc forming at the corners of his mouth.
Tightly gripping Gryphon in his left hand, his entire body surged with Haki. His red hair danced wildly as he looked up and roared: "BRING IT ON!!!"
In the next instant—
"BOOM—!!!"
Black and red lights erupted violently!
The two silhouettes crashed into each other like shooting stars!
"CLANG—!!!!"
Blades clashed, metal ringing out explosively. The resulting shockwave swept across the entire port like a hurricane, instantly kicking up sea waves dozens of meters high!
Mihawk swung Yoru, his sword pressure terrifyingly sharp. His sword aura carved through the night sky like the talons of a black hawk shredding the firmament!
Shanks, wielding his sword with his left hand, moved with wild, domineering ferocity. His sword edge was as crimson as fire, condensing his Haki as if to set the night sky ablaze!
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!!"
Every collision shattered the air. Sword aura and Haki intertwined, roaring like heavenly thunder!
"BOOM—!!!"
Red and black sword auras collided instantly!
Mihawk's sword aura was incomparably sharp, cleaving heaven and earth like a falcon spreading its wings;
Shanks' sword edge was wildly domineering, his Haki wrapping around a blistering red light, as if roaring flames were scorching the very air!
"RUMBLE—!!!"
Sword met sword continuously, every single strike unleashing an apocalyptic shockwave.
The two crossed paths dozens of times in the blink of an eye, the trajectories of black and red weaving a web of death in the night sky.
Sword aura swept out horizontally, carving several deep fissures into the entire port. Seawater poured in, kicking up deafening roars.
Watching from afar, Perona was forced back repeatedly by the howling gales. Her eyes were wide, her face deathly pale: "This... this isn't a battle between humans at all!"
In the center of the battlefield, there was only the clash of swords.
Mihawk's eyes glinted with the sharp light of a falcon, his sword momentum pressing down like the endless sky: "Shanks! You, with your arms restored, are the true Great Swordsman!"
Shanks laughed loudly, his red hair flying wildly, his blade erupting with a crimson shockwave: "Hahaha! Mihawk! I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time too!!!"
"CLANG—!!!!"
With this strike, sword pressure and Haki fused together. The night sky was torn open with a long, narrow rift, and even the clouds were forcibly cleaved in two.
Under the night sky, one black and one red, the silhouettes of the two great swordsmen continuously crossed. Every strike could shatter mountains and rocks, and pulverize the ocean waves!
This was a long-awaited battle of destiny.
This was the true, unspoken greeting between a Swordsman and a Swordsman.
Ships sailing in the distance were nearly capsized by the giant waves. The sailors were full of terror, pointing at the intersecting black and red lights in the sky:
"Is... is that a duel between Sword Gods?!!"
...
Kuraigana Island · Ancient Castle
The aroma of red wine permeated the air, as if trying to mask the chill brought by the night wind.
Inside the grand hall of the ancient castle, Mihawk and Shanks sat opposite each other. Perona floated nearby, a silver tray resting steadily on her palm as she elegantly refilled their glasses.
The distant night scenery filtered in through the shattered window lattices. The mostly destroyed port, the fractured stone slabs, and the collapsed embankments were faintly visible.
Perona couldn't help but curl her lip, her tone full of exasperation: "You two took it way too far! The port is completely ruined!"
Shanks threw his head back and laughed heartily, raising his glass and downing it in one gulp: "Hahaha! Don't worry, I'll have someone come and fix it!"
Mihawk shot him a cold glance: "Forget it. Don't let the people from the Holy Land bother me, otherwise I can't guarantee... whether or not I'll cut them down."
Perona's body trembled in fear. She immediately floated to a further corner, muttering, "These two dangerous elements... each one is more terrifying than the last."
Shanks merely smiled without a word, as if enjoying this long-lost reunion and drinking session.
After a few rounds of wine, the atmosphere gradually quieted down.
Mihawk slowly set down his wine glass, his hawk-like eyes staring sharply at the man across from him: "Speak, Shanks."
"You didn't suddenly come looking for me just to relive an old battle. What exactly is going on?"
Perona also stopped her movements, obediently floating behind Mihawk. She quietly watched Shanks, her eyes carrying a bit of nervousness.
Shanks lowered his head, gently swirling his wine glass. The red liquid sloshed against the glass, reflecting a faintly discernible gloom.
He stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking slowly: "This sea is about to plunge into chaos once again."
He looked up, his gaze heavy: "When that time comes, what will you do?"
Mihawk's eyes flashed, catching the deep meaning behind those words. He frowned slightly: "Did you... receive some kind of news?"
Shanks didn't respond. He simply drank the wine in his glass in silence, the glow at the bottom of the cup dimming under the candlelight.
The air froze for an instant.
However, Mihawk just let out a cold sneer. He poured himself another glass, raised it, and spoke indifferently: "My ideals have never changed."
"To cross blades with the strong and seek the absolute pinnacle of the way of the sword. Aside from that, any chaos or political schemes have nothing to do with me."
Shanks stared at him, his expression complex. Suddenly, he said slowly: "And what if—the Seven Warlords of the Sea system is completely dissolved?"
Mihawk raised an eyebrow. The wine glass between his fingers paused for a moment before landing softly on the tabletop.
After a moment of silence, he spoke, his tone resolute: "If those old men really want to abolish the system, let them."
"Even without the title of 'Warlord of the Sea,' I am still who I am."
His gaze was as sharp as a falcon's, his voice deep yet carrying unquestionable confidence:
"The World's Strongest Swordsman fears no one."
Shanks froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter, as if a certain answer in his heart had been verified.
"Ah—as expected, that's exactly your personality."
The candlelight danced, the lingering aroma of red wine still diffusing in the air.
Shanks stared at Mihawk, his eyes complex, as if weighing something.
After a long silence, he finally set down his wine glass gently and said in a low voice: "If this sea is truly going to usher in a new order, then, when the Warlords completely collapse... you might find that some people will piece together a new flag upon the ruins."
The corners of his mouth hooked into a smile: "When that time comes—even you might inevitably be drawn to 'that flag', right?"
Mihawk's hawk-eyes narrowed. His fingers slowly rubbed against his wine glass, making no response.
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