Light burst forth, and violent gusts of wind swept past both sides of their faces.
The wind was as sharp as blades, leaving several bloody cuts across Mihawk's face.
Mihawk's expression was deadly serious. The man before him was almost certainly the strongest opponent he had ever faced in his life.
"A man who stands at the same peak as Whitebeard!"
"How could this not get my blood pumping?!"
Everything else disappeared from his sight. In those hawk-like eyes, there was only one person left.
Without a doubt, the World's Strongest Swordsman had poured every ounce of his focus into the opponent before him.
His figure flashed forward as he launched another attack.
Kojin grinned.
"Your determination excites me!"
Holding his blade, he charged forward as well.
"Let's see how long you can keep this up," Mihawk shouted back. "I won't disappoint you!"
The two were close in age, yet they carried completely different eras on their shoulders.
Kojin, especially, gave everyone who knew him the feeling that he belonged to the previous generation, alongside Roger, Whitebeard, Shiki, and Garp. Yet in reality, he was only around forty years old, a man in the absolute prime of his strength.
Bang!
Their blades collided.
A massive, dazzling sphere of light slowly bloomed before instantly spreading across the entire island. The resulting shockwave sent fierce winds roaring into the distance.
"Hng..."
Mihawk was forced back once again, his feet carving a long trench through the ground. His eyes remained sharp and serious, while beads of sweat began forming on his forehead.
'Divine Departure.'
Another 'Divine Departure'.
The man before him was throwing out that overwhelming sword technique as if it cost him nothing. That alone showed just how terrifying his stamina was, along with the sheer power of his body.
Whether it was Observation Haki, Armament Haki, or Conqueror's Haki, all of them consumed physical and mental energy. And as a battle dragged on, the stronger the technique, the greater the cost. A move as explosive as 'Divine Departure' demanded an incredibly high level of strength.
"It feels so familiar..." Mihawk muttered. "It's like fighting Shanks back when he still had both arms."
This was the kind of battle that made his heart race.
The two continuously exchanged sword strikes. Blade after blade clashed, each collision unleashing violent shockwaves.
Tashigi and Kuina watched from afar with solemn expressions. The fierce wind whipped through their hair, revealing their fair faces. Standing side by side, they looked almost like twins.
Before they realized it, another group had arrived behind them. Kuina glanced back, paused for a moment, then turned her attention back to the battle.
"The World's Strongest Swordsman... Dracule Mihawk." Crocodile exhaled a puff of smoke as he stared intently at the figure repeatedly clashing with Kojin. "When it comes to swordsmanship alone, he's no weaker."
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes with a grin. "He's devoted himself entirely to the sword, so his offensive power naturally excels. Not to mention he holds the title of World's Strongest Swordsman."
Crocodile nodded.
Smoker, Buggy, Fisher Tiger, Rosinante, and the others also walked over to watch from nearby. From the intensity of the fight, it was obvious this was an impromptu spar rather than a battle to the death. After all, Kojin was using nothing but swordsmanship.
As the two fighters dashed, shifted, and exchanged exquisitely crafted techniques, their unpredictable footwork and masterful swordplay left everyone watching in awe.
"The gap is starting to show, but it's not a big one."
"Kojin clearly has the greater strength. Every strike is heavy and overwhelming, while Mihawk's techniques are more refined."
"As much as I hate to admit it, Mihawk has the edge in pure swordsmanship because that's his specialty."
"If we're talking only about swordsmanship, the two of them might actually be evenly matched."
Rosinante, Buggy, and Smoker each gave their assessment. Even from the perspective of the spectators, it was obvious. And if the audience could see it, the two fighters naturally realized it as well.
Kojin suddenly grinned and swung his blade.
'Divine Departure!'
'Divine Departure!'
He unleashed one after another as though they were free. That level of stamina drain seemed meaningless to him. His strength was well-rounded in every aspect; he was the definition of a complete powerhouse, with almost no weaknesses left to exploit.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two collided over and over again. Mihawk's breathing gradually became uneven, and he was forced to retreat step by step.
The battle raged on. Until the very last moment, no one could say who would ultimately claim supremacy in swordsmanship.
"Will the title of World's Strongest Swordsman change hands today?" Buggy murmured.
Kuina's eyes trembled. "Does that mean... one day I'll have to surpass my own teacher?"
Compared to Mihawk, she was far less willing to face her own master. After following Kojin for so many years, she knew better than anyone what kind of monster her teacher truly was. He had worn Seastone shackles for nearly ten years, yet not only had they failed to weaken him, he had only grown stronger.
In her eyes, even now... her teacher probably still wasn't fighting with his full strength.
A moment later, another powerful gust swept overhead. The auras of the two men rose to their peak, and after their relentless exchange of blows, they finally came to a halt.
"The winner's about to be decided," Rosinante said quietly.
Everyone immediately tensed up, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Suddenly, the dust on the ground bounced once.
Mihawk gripped his sword with both hands, and in an instant, his figure vanished. At the same time, the ground beneath Kojin collapsed as he leaped into the air.
'Whoosh!'
A ripple spread through the air as the two figures passed by each other. It was a clean, decisive exchange.
Silent.
Yet everyone present felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Because, to their shock, everything in their vision had turned black and white. It was as though the world itself had been split diagonally by a single slash, one half black, the other white, the boundary between them perfectly clear.
Their coats fluttered.
A few crimson drops of blood fell to the ground, staining the world ahead with red and bringing color back into everyone's vision.
'Tap.'
The two landed almost at the same time, standing back to back.
Then the wind came.
It exploded outward in an instant, a powerful shockwave sweeping across the island. The gale was so fierce that Tashigi cried out as her slender body was lifted off the ground. Smoker, who was standing behind her, quickly caught her and gently set her back on her feet, his expression grave.
Gradually, color returned to the world. The wind died down.
Everything became still once more, and only then did the two men come clearly into view.
'Drip.'
A drop of blood hit the ground. The sound echoed in everyone's hearts.
"Sensei... is hurt?" Kuina muttered blankly, her pupils shrinking to pinpoints.
Crocodile exhaled a stream of smoke, his gaze unreadable.
But then, the other figure suddenly trembled. A large spray of blood burst from the front of Mihawk's chest.
"Mihawk lost?!" Buggy shouted.
No one answered. Until they could clearly see the condition of both men, no one could be certain of the outcome.
"Hahahahaha!"
"The world just keeps getting more interesting!"
Laughing loudly, Kojin slowly turned around. The moment everyone saw him from the front, their pupils contracted again.
A long slash stretched across his chest, plain for all to see. But to Kojin, it looked like nothing more than a scratch.
"If we're talking about swordsmanship alone... let's call this fight a draw. What do you say?" Kojin said with a grin.
He knew very well that over the years, he'd devoted far more effort to training the Six Powers. After spending some time learning swordsmanship under Roger, he had largely put it aside. Even with his ability to allocate stat points, actual combat skill and technique still depended on his own practice. When it came to pure swordsmanship, he really was still a step behind the World's Strongest Swordsman.
"...Agreed."
Only after a long silence did Mihawk reply. He slowly turned around.
A bloody slash was visible across his own chest as well, blood dripping steadily onto the ground. But compared to Kojin, his condition was obviously much worse. That single strike had seriously wounded him and would greatly affect any battle that followed.
"But a match based only on swordsmanship can never bring out your true strength. As expected of the Marine legend," Mihawk sighed.
"A person's life is only so long," Kojin smiled. "The fact that you've honed your swordsmanship to the level of the world's best is already an incredible achievement."
Mihawk fell silent. It sounded like praise, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt like Kojin was praising himself.
Still... there really weren't many people in the world who could master the Six Powers, swordsmanship, and Devil Fruit abilities all to their absolute limits. The man standing before him might very well be the only one.
"I've gained a great deal from this battle. I look forward to our next match," Mihawk said.
But the moment the words left his mouth, his eyes narrowed again. The wound across Kojin's chest had already scabbed over and was rapidly healing.
It was enough to send chills down anyone's spine. What a terrifying healing ability. Could this man's body still be hiding powers he didn't know about? His true strength was almost beyond imagination.
"The title of World's Strongest Swordsman truly lives up to its name," Kojin laughed.
With that, Mihawk turned and left. The duel was over.
By the time Kojin returned to the battleship carrying Foxy, Mihawk had already sailed away from Long Ring Long Land aboard his coffin-shaped boat.
Looking down at the blood-soaked slash across his chest, Mihawk's face remained solemn. After simply treating the wound, wrapping it in bandages, and reinforcing them with Conqueror's Haki, he slowly closed his eyes.
He replayed every moment of the battle in his mind, reliving it as if he were fighting it all over again.
"My strength was inferior."
"His Observation Haki completely suppressed mine."
"And then there's his Conqueror's Haki infusion."
"As expected of someone said to stand on the same level as Whitebeard. His swordsmanship alone is already that terrifying."
"If we fought with everything we had... I wouldn't be his match."
Opening his eyes, Mihawk's expression grew even more serious. He slowly raised his head and looked out at the surging sea ahead.
"So... this is the gap between me and someone at the world's peak? It's far bigger than I imagined."
Then his expression softened slightly. He raised a hand and touched the bloody scar on his chest.
"It's been a long time since I've felt pain this sharp. But this pain... will push me to become even stronger."
Taking a deep breath, a razor-sharp light shone in Mihawk's eyes.
"Kojin! I'll become stronger. And when that day comes... it won't be just a contest of swordsmanship between us."
On the surface, their swordsmanship duel had ended in a draw. But Mihawk knew the truth.
He had lost this battle because a real fight was never decided by swordsmanship alone.
(End of Chapter)
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