"The East Blue?"
Red-Haired Shanks raised an eyebrow, his confusion evident. "The old man you're talking about... is he the one from the papers? The Marine Vice Admiral, Rowan, whom you've challenged?"
The mention of the East Blue triggered a memory of that piercing sword intent he had sensed not long ago. Even for someone of his stature, the mere aura had sent a chill down his spine.
"Exactly. It's him!"
Mihawk nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. Recalling the events in the East Blue, he took a deep breath. "That old man's mastery of the blade completely transcends my imagination. At the time, I intended to stake my honor as the World's Greatest Swordsman to challenge him."
Here, Mihawk shook his head with a touch of uncharacteristic shame. "Unfortunately, the Senior refused me on the spot. He even said... I wasn't his match."
Shanks looked genuinely stunned. "He said you weren't his match?"
He knew better than anyone how terrifying Mihawk's skill was. This man was the reigning World's Greatest Swordsman; in Shanks' view, Mihawk had reached the absolute peak of what a swordsman could achieve. Even as one of the Four Emperors, Shanks knew that winning against Mihawk in a pure contest of blades was impossible. He could hold his own in their duels only because his Haki and physical techniques were slightly superior.
In terms of pure swordsmanship, Shanks considered himself second to Mihawk. For an old man to speak such words to Hawkeye—was it supreme confidence or supreme arrogance?
"I didn't understand it at first either. It took several more attempts before he finally accepted my challenge. However, he scheduled the duel for a month later. And... he gave me this."
Mihawk lifted his left arm and pulled back his sleeve.
A tiny, exquisite wisp of sword intent—so sharp it felt tangible—appeared before Shanks' eyes. This intent seemed to point toward a specific direction, but what truly shocked Shanks was its form. It was like a miniature, physical sword attached to Mihawk's skin.
"This is... Rowan's sword intent?" Shanks' eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.
Sword intent leaving the body and refusing to dissipate for days... is that truly something a swordsman can do? Was this really the work of that old man?
Shanks found it hard to believe. Years ago, while spending time with Luffy in the East Blue, he had met the man once. Back then, Rowan had seemed like nothing more than a mundane, retired elder who gave off zero sense of danger. How did he suddenly transform into a Great Swordsman that even Hawkeye couldn't compare to?
Facing Shanks' incredulous gaze, Mihawk nodded solemnly. "Yes. It is Senior Rowan's intent."
Observing the mark on his arm, Mihawk knew that despite his recent growth, his level was still a significant distance away from Rowan's. Yet, his anticipation for the duel twenty days away only grew. He thought to himself: Senior Rowan, don't worry. When that day comes, I definitely won't disappoint you!
Once Mihawk lowered his sleeve to cover the mark, Shanks finally withdrew his gaze. He patted Mihawk's shoulder and said, "Mihawk, I'll definitely be there to watch your duel. Don't let me down."
"Don't worry. I'll give it everything I've got." A rare smile finally touched Mihawk's face.
Seeing Mihawk's confidence, Shanks' grin returned to its usual casualness. But for some reason, a strange feeling lingered. Mihawk... might not be Rowan's match. It wasn't a lack of faith in his rival. It was simply that the intent he had sensed that day was a bit too terrifying.
Rowan, currently at the Sabaody Archipelago, had no idea that a world-shaking duel between the two strongest swordsmen had occurred just minutes ago on a nameless island in the New World.
Aside from the participants and the Red-Haired crew, no one knew. If the press found out, it would have been tomorrow's front-page headline. But the duel took place in the heart of Shanks' territory; news reporters and even spies from other Emperors or the Navy found it nearly impossible to penetrate that far.
Sabaody Archipelago: Grove 65.
A Marine warship from Headquarters slowly docked at the coast.
Rowan stepped off the ship, watching the natural resin bubbles floating up from the grass. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, a look of enjoyment on his face. Before his retirement, he often came here to relax. Near the Headquarters, there wasn't a better place to kill time.
Behind Rowan, Gion, Luffy, Zoro, and Ain followed.
Garp, Tsuru, and the others hadn't come. Zephyr was still recovering, and Tsuru and Sengoku were weighed down by their high-ranking duties. Besides, those "boys" were getting too old; it felt a bit awkward for Rowan to take them out to play like children. So, he only brought the youngsters.
"Whoa! Is this Sabaody? It's so pretty! So cool! Look at the bubbles!"
Luffy, having spent his life in Foosha Village, had never seen anything like this. He instantly turned into a wide-eyed tourist, leaping off the ship and jumping onto a newly formed bubble, looking ecstatic.
"Luffy really is just a child..." Ain sighed softly. This playful nature was carved from the same mold as Mr. Garp. Truly his grandson. She had heard Master Zephyr mention that when Garp first joined the Navy, while he was monstrously strong, his personality was exactly like Luffy's.