"Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!"
"Boom, crash!"
With Luffy's shout, a single punch sent a charging Marine flying backward, practically flattening everything in its path.
"Luffy Boy, charge!" Ivankov shouted from the side.
He didn't care about Whitebeard. As long as Luffy got away safely, that was enough.
Even with the addition of Luffy and Golden Lion—two significant forces—the pirates' side was still at a disadvantage.
The Admirals were nearly unstoppable.
Luffy could punch away any Marine who stood in his way, but from the start until now, he had only advanced a few dozen meters.
There were too many Marines. And they were all elites, with tacit coordination, layering their blocks like sticky toffee—impossible to shake off easily.
Over on Buggy's side, he was crying with envy.
The Marines had already spotted him. A large group of prisoners around him was just too conspicuous.
He was being chased back dozens of meters.
"Help! Help! Straw Hat, this woman wants to talk to you!"
Buggy raised the Den Den Mushi in his hands and shouted.
He had no choice but to put his hopes on Luffy.
"Tch. What a pain." Luffy shook his hand and shouted, "Duck your head."
"Huh?!"
Humm.
A pitch-black sword slash shot straight toward him.
Buggy was cut in half.
But he could split apart!
"Hey, that's dangerous!"
"I told you to duck your head. But you're fine, aren't you?"
Buggy looked around and saw that the Marines had all been cleared out by that single slash.
So... so strong!
So this was the power of someone who could face Whitebeard directly?
"Straw Hat, I'm giving you this thing right now!"
Buggy couldn't wait to toss the hot potato of a Den Den Mushi away.
Luffy didn't answer. He waved his hand and said, "You hold onto it for now."
What did he mean?
Buggy was confused for a moment. Then he noticed that the atmosphere over there had shifted.
A figure had drawn the attention of most of the battlefield.
A tall man, wearing a wine-red patterned shirt and black pants, carrying a massive black blade shaped like a cross on his back.
His golden eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. Few dared to look this man directly in the eyes.
"Luffy Boy, be careful. That man is dangerous."
Ivankov glanced at the man slowly walking out from the shadow of a warship and said, "I never expected that man to make a move."
Luffy smiled. Maybe he had taken an interest in the black blade Luffy was carrying.
As Zoro had said, no swordsman could ignore a fine blade.
Luffy had fought that man before. He vaguely remembered being sliced into who knew how many pieces by him in a dream back in the East Blue.
He looked at the other man. The moment their eyes met, the clamor of the battlefield seemed to quiet for an instant.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The World's Strongest Swordsman, Hawkeye.
Dracule Mihawk!
"Oh? Even that aloof Hawkeye is taking the initiative?" Kizaru raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"How rare." Even Akainu glanced in Mihawk's direction.
Among all the Seven Warlords, Mihawk's strength and danger level had always been a mystery. But no one dared to underestimate him.
From time to time, news would spread of this man sparing with some outrageously strong fighters.
"Gurarara. The man that Red-Haired brat talks about?" Whitebeard narrowed his eyes. "A very sharp blade."
"A pleasant surprise. That fellow is taking the initiative?"
Sengoku, overseeing the overall situation, saw Mihawk's movement.
Mihawk ignored the comments and glances around him.
His gaze was locked onto Luffy.
Then, he slowly raised his hand and gripped the world's strongest black blade, Yoru, on his back.
Clang!
A clear sword cry rang out, as if it could cut through the soul.
"That guy's going to make a move?!" Ivankov's eyes widened.
Then, Mihawk moved.
He raised Yoru horizontally and, in the direction of Luffy, simply swung it once.
Swish, swish!
A massive flying slash, a deep emerald color, appeared—like a new moon tearing through the air—heading straight for Luffy.
"Sword pressure?!" the Marines exclaimed.
"Get out of the way!" The prisoners along the path panicked.
Who could withstand a slash from the World's Strongest Swordsman?
At least not them—mere shrimp soldiers and crab generals.
When it came to self-awareness, everyone had plenty.
Wherever the slash passed, the ice was cut open with a straight, bottomless trench.
"Hawkeye."
Luffy narrowed his eyes at the incoming terrifying slash.
That slash was strong.
Stronger than any swordsman's slash he had faced before, by a whole level.
So this was the power of the World's Strongest Swordsman.
But compared to the oppression Mihawk had given him in his dreams, it felt much weaker.
Thinking about it carefully, it was probably because he himself had grown much stronger.
"Hey, hey. You're Zoro's opponent."
Luffy didn't really want to fight Mihawk. That enemy had already been claimed by Zoro.
But his movements were not slow in the slightest.
He swung the black blade in his hand as well.
Hatō: Danryū!
A massive dark red slash, entangled in black-red Haki and no smaller in size than Mihawk's, brazenly met the emerald slash head-on!
Boom, crash!
The two flying slashes collided.
A blinding light erupted. violent sword pressure currents, like a meat grinder, swept in all directions.
Layers of ice were sliced away and shattered. Dozens of unlucky souls near the point of collision—whether Marine or pirate—didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were covered in dense sword scars.
"He... he blocked it!" Ivankov exclaimed in surprise.
That was Hawkeye!
If the end of pirates' pursuit was the Pirate King Roger.
Then Hawkeye was the end of all swordsmen's pursuit.
The smoke and ice dust cleared.
The two figures gradually became visible.
"It's been a while, Straw Hat. That spar we talked about back in the East Blue—shall we give it a try now?"
Mihawk stared at Luffy and said, "I'm even more curious now. How far have you come?"
Originally, he had wanted to test just how much of a gap there was between himself and that man. But after seeing what had just happened, Mihawk was even more interested in Luffy.
The moment he finished speaking, he had already leaped up, blocking Luffy's path.
"If you get in my way, I won't hold back."
Watching Mihawk's movements, before the dissipated energy from the collision had even completely faded, Luffy was already in front of Mihawk.
Gomu Gomu no Jet Dangan!
His fist, covered in pitch-black Haki, shot toward Mihawk's face like a cannonball from a gun.
So fast!
Mihawk's pupils narrowed slightly. He raised Yoru in front of him with unbelievable speed and precision.
Clang!
The fist slammed heavily into the broad blade, producing a deafening explosion.
The terrifying force transmitted through the blade. The muscles in Mihawk's sword-wielding arm bulged. The solid ice beneath his feet cracked with a snap, spreading like a spiderweb.
His body was pushed backward several meters by the immense force.
"Truly terrifying growth."
Mihawk looked at Luffy, a hint of confusion on his face. "Back in the East Blue, were you holding back?"
His answer was Luffy's fist, landing solidly on the side of Mihawk's hastily raised blade.
This time, Mihawk couldn't completely disperse the force.
Thud!
His body was sent flying. Turning into a blur, he crashed hard into the thick hull of a medium-sized warship behind him.
"Was that Hawkeye?!"
"A Straw Hat Boy without his sword is even more terrifying." Sweat ran down Ivankov's cheeks.
Strong fighters were all-rounders. Their physical technique certainly wasn't weak.
But someone like Luffy, who could switch so freely between his ability and swordsmanship, was rare.
Was this an innate combat talent?
As expected, he was already worthy of the title Pirate Emperor.
"I'm not a swordsman."
Luffy shook his wrist, looking at the warship with the large hole in it. "I don't have time to spar with you right now."
He thrust the black blade Magi into the ice in front of him, pulled his arms back, and his rubber body made a taut sound.
"Gomu Gomu no..."
"Jet: Gatling Gun Ran-Da!"
Bang bang bang bang!
Countless fist shadows, covered in Haki, poured like a storm into the damaged hull of that warship.
Each punch carried the terrifying force to split mountains and shatter rocks. As they were slammed into the warship's structure, they produced dull, thunderous thuds!
That unfortunate warship, under Luffy's furious wrecking-ball assault, let out a groan of being overloaded. Its hull structure began to crumble from the inside. The sound of its keel snapping was clearly audible.
Destroying a warship was not that difficult for Luffy now.
"One troublesome guy after another is making a move."
Not far away, Crocodile watched the scene and blew out a smoke ring in frustration. He looked up at a certain spot in the sky. "Hey. I'm in a really bad mood right now. Don't come looking for trouble with me."
"Fufufufufu."
A strange laugh came from above.
Doflamingo, suspended in midair like a marionette on nearly invisible strings, looked down at Crocodile.
"Don't say that, Crocodile. I've always been interested in you. We're the same kind of people. Have you considered my previous proposal? Why don't you team up with me?"
"Not interested," Crocodile said coldly.
Doflamingo kept laughing. "Are you trying to say you've completely become Straw Hat's underling now?"
"Do you want to die?!"
Veins instantly bulged on Crocodile's forehead. He swung his left gold hook, sending a sharp sand blade flying.
"Fufufufu, no need to rush!"
Doflamingo laughed loudly. His right foot, coated in Armament Haki, kicked out like a whip, colliding with the sand blade.
Boom!
Haki and sand particles collided, sending up a small storm. The surrounding Marines were all blown away.
"If not, then how about considering it? In this war, only by muddying the waters can you catch the fish!" Doflamingo pressed on.
Crocodile snorted coldly. He suddenly looked up at something not far away. "Still not done?"
Mihawk walked out of the wreckage of the nearly destroyed warship, completely unharmed. Yoru pointed diagonally at the ground.
"Just like this won't cut it."
He was starting to get excited.
He had been waiting for an opponent like this for a long time.
Ever since that man Shanks bet his arm on the so-called New World, Mihawk's world had lacked a worthy opponent.
The swordsman from the East Blue had potential—but only potential.
But here, there was a ready-made opponent.
Mihawk casually swung his blade, slicing a large piece of twisted hull in half, and locked his gaze on Luffy again.
"Indulge me for a bit."
Mihawk slowly raised Yoru and said, "Your side as a swordsman... right now, it interests me greatly."
"You all want to fight this much?!"
Luffy sent a dark red slash back at him.
Hatō: Slash!
"Yoru: Jūjizan." Mihawk swung his blade in return. An emerald slash, into a cross, met it head-on.
The sword pressures collided once more.
This was a feast that fanatical combat enthusiasts couldn't refuse.
Meanwhile, on a certain warship on the Marines' side.
"Luffy-sama!"
Hancock clasped her hands over her heart, watching Luffy dominate the battlefield with infatuation. Even Hawkeye had been pushed back.
Her face was flushed. Pink hearts practically sparkled in her eyes.
Luffy clashing Conqueror's Haki with Whitebeard, punching a giant Vice Admiral flying, exchanging sword strikes with Hawkeye... Every move she saw was unspeakably cool in her eyes.
Ah~
Her mind had already recorded it. She could play it on loop.
"Hm? Why is the Pirate Empress making that face?"
A nearby Marine soldier, not understanding the situation, looked at Hancock's love-struck expression and spoke without thinking.
"Shut your mouth!"
Her beautiful fantasy interrupted, Hancock instantly flew into a rage.
She spun around. Her long, slender leg kicked out like a whip, coated in Armament Haki and the power of the Mero Mero no Mi—Perfume Femur—slamming hard into that Marine soldier.
Smack!
That Marine soldier didn't even have time to scream. Half his body instantly turned into pale white stone!
On his stiff stone face, a shocked expression remained.
"Hey! Why did you attack one of our own?!"
The other Marines nearby were both shocked and angry. They raised their weapons at Hancock.
Weren't the Warlords on their side?!
"Who are 'our own' to you?"
Hancock stood up straight, looking down at those Marines from above. Her beautiful face was icy and full of disdain. "This lady only agreed to deal with Whitebeard!"
What difference did that make?!
"Now this lady is very angry!"
Hancock's gaze followed Luffy and then locked onto Hawkeye. She gritted her teeth. "To dare lay a hand on Luffy-sama... unforgivable!"
She was about to charge over and turn that Hawkeye into stone.
As she started on her way, Luffy smiled at her and shook his head slightly.
After all, their positions were different. Hancock helping him get into Impel Down was already more than enough.
Hancock's movement instantly stopped. The killing intent on her face melted away like snow. Her cheeks flushed again. She covered her face with both hands, falling into an even more blissful fantasy:
"Luffy-sama is concerned about this lady. Ah~"
Since Luffy-sama said he would handle it, she would leave it to him!
If only he would also leave her to himself someday!
Ah~
"Is that Straw Hat?"
The elite Vice Admirals on the surrounding battlefield watched this scene. Their expressions were grave.
Momonga, Yamakaji, Strawberry... When they had first seen Luffy, it was at Enies Lobby, when the Buster Call had been activated.
Even back then, Luffy fighting Aokiji had been a hint of things to come.
But with Admiral Kizaru, Vice Admiral Garp, Whitebeard, Hawkeye...
He had grown this strong already?
"Until now, he must finally be exhausted."
Momonga stared at the fight between Luffy and Hawkeye. His hand unconsciously tightened on his sword hilt. "His follow-up power is already failing."
This was how it should be.
Starting from Impel Down, Luffy had had a fierce battle with Magellan. Intelligence reports indicated that one of the Seven Warlords, Blackbeard, had also caused Luffy considerable trouble.
If even now he still wasn't showing signs of exhaustion, would he be a monster?
Yamakaji murmured, "It doesn't look like it."
It didn't look like exhaustion.
It looked more like caution—like he was holding back for some reason.
The war had reached this stage. What was this man still hiding?
"You're not using your full strength, are you?"
Hawkeye stared at the man before him.
Luffy smiled. "I'm already using everything I've got."
Magi, covered in pitch-black Haki, and Yoru, the world's strongest black blade, collided and clashed at speeds and trajectories almost impossible for the naked eye to track.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The dense sound of metal striking metal merged into one continuous noise!
With each collision, dazzling sparks and dissipation black-red sword pressure erupted, cutting the surrounding ice into a ragged mess.
This two figures became blurs, rapidly weaving and colliding across the ice plain, then separating, then colliding again!
Both Marines and pirates instinctively moved away from their battle zone, afraid of being caught in the terrifying sword pressure.
Until the final violent clash.
Clang!
Sparks exploded like fireworks.
The two figures suddenly separated, each sliding backward a dozen meters, carving deep trenches in the ice.
Luffy lowered his gaze and raised a hand to touch his cheek.
A thin scratch had appeared on his left cheek, beading with a drop of blood.
He looked at Hawkeye opposite him.
Hawkeye likewise looked down at his right forearm.
The sleeve there had been cut open. On his arm, there was also a shallow cut.
"This isn't your full strength, is it."
Hawkeye said, "What are you worried about?"
"There's a lot to worry about. We're not one of the Seven Warlords. We're trying to escape from here."
Luffy narrowed his eyes.
The ice-covered sea area surrounding Impel Down was already quite vast. The innermost circle was the escaped prisoners. The next circle outward was the Marines, led by the three Admirals.
Clearly defined lines.
The Marines still had the absolute advantage here.
Most importantly, Luffy vaguely sensed a few rather unusual presences.
Friend or foe?
At a time like this, it was unlikely any allies would appear.
So facing an opponent like Hawkeye... it was very troublesome.
"Is that so?"
Hawkeye looked at the wound on his arm. On his usually impassive face, a distinct wave finally appeared.
It was the excitement of encountering an opponent worth going all out against.
"In such a short time, to grow to this level... I have never seen such swordsmanship talent as yours."
Hawkeye spoke slowly, tightening his grip on Yoru.
"Ah."
Luffy wiped the scratch from his face and grinned. "I've paid a lot too."
Not everyone could endure the hellish training in the Pirate King Training Plan.
But that kind of thing—
"I might have cheated a little, though."
"Cheated?"
Hawkeye shook his head slightly. "Power has no good or evil. There is no shortcut to swordsmanship. Any power you can hold in your hands is real."
"Profound words."
"Then let me see... just where your limit is!"
***
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