BOOM!
A thunderous crash echoed across the skies above Loguetown.
The battle had begun exactly as expected.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Sword slashes erupted in endless succession.
Each violent gust of wind rose before the previous shockwave had even faded.
"Look! What's happening over there?!"
The Marines that once guarded the port had already evacuated.
Only ordinary citizens remained in the city people who had no understanding of the terrifying battle unfolding just outside their town.
Sword energy rained across the harbor like a violent storm.
Some of the flying slashes even struck the outskirts of Loguetown itself.
Buildings trembled.
Walls split open.
Entire houses collapsed like fragile paper beneath the terrifying power of the blades.
Saint Roselith Seraphina immediately realized the situation had spiraled out of control.
Not good.
This was a disaster waiting to happen.
The title of World's Strongest Swordsman, belonging to Dracule Mihawk, was not just a reputation it was a terrifying reality.
And she had underestimated the scale of destruction their battle could cause.
"Hawkeye!"
Seraphina shouted across the battlefield.
"Let's move this fight to the Calm Belt!"
Without even waiting for a response, Seraphina launched herself across the sea at tremendous speed.
As a Marine officer, she could not allow innocent civilians to die because of her misjudgment.
Seeing her retreat, Mihawk immediately understood her intention.
Without hesitation, he followed.
An icy slash carved a shimmering path across the ocean surface.
The waters froze instantly beneath Seraphina's blade.
Fortunately, Loguetown was located very close to Reverse Mountain, and the Calm Belt was not far away.
Within moments, the battlefield shifted far from the city.
Seraphina scanned the surrounding sea.
Her eyes searched for an island suitable for combat.
But there was nothing.
Only endless ocean.
Noticing her hesitation, Mihawk calmly spoke.
"Your ice ability…"
"…is already the perfect battlefield."
The words struck her unexpectedly.
Her earlier mistake had shaken her concentration.
But Seraphina was not someone who cared about unnecessary formality.
Her sword, Winter Solstice, plunged deep into the ocean.
The sea trembled.
A wave of freezing energy surged outward.
CRACK!
Ice began spreading rapidly across the water's surface.
Within moments, a vast frozen battlefield formed beneath their feet.
When Seraphina pulled her blade free again, the endless ocean had become a massive sheet of ice.
Creating the battlefield simply consumed a portion of the frozen power stored within Winter Solstice.
Seraphina raised her sword.
"Hawkeye."
"My student once said she will become the world's greatest swordsman."
"If I defeat you today…"
"…then she will have to surpass me first."
Her voice remained calm even as her blade moved again.
Mihawk's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting."
He lifted the legendary black blade Yoru.
Instead of blocking her incoming slash directly, he tilted the blade's flat surface.
The massive strike was redirected.
The attack curved through the air and flew straight back toward Seraphina.
She vanished from its path instantly.
The redirected slash slammed into the frozen ocean, splitting the ice apart with terrifying force.
Seraphina stared at Mihawk.
Unlike Shanks, Mihawk did not radiate overwhelming pressure.
Instead
He felt like an immovable mountain.
No matter how complex or unpredictable her slashes became, Mihawk always found a precise way to neutralize them.
Before her stood a mountain named swordsmanship.
Externally, Mihawk remained completely calm.
But inwardly, he was far from relaxed.
He knew Shanks had once fought this young woman seriously.
And now Mihawk understood why.
Her talent was terrifying.
She looked barely eighteen years old.
Perhaps even younger.
Yet her swordsmanship continued evolving during the battle itself.
Blades screamed through the sky.
Even the still waters of the Calm Belt began to stir violently.
The shockwaves from their clash formed massive storms across the sea.
Those winds surged outward toward the distant waters of the Grand Line.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Brilliant arcs of silver and emerald light clashed endlessly.
The warm-up was over.
Simple swordplay could no longer decide the outcome.
With every exchange
Seraphina grew stronger.
She devoured Mihawk's experience like a sponge absorbing water.
For the first time in years, Mihawk began questioning something.
His own talent.
From relaxed confidence to complete focus.
Only Mihawk himself understood how shocking that transition was.
He could not predict how much stronger Seraphina might still become during the fight.
One thing had become clear.
She was no longer beneath him.
Mihawk finally stopped holding back.
The testing slashes disappeared.
Dark Armament Haki flowed across Yoru.
The legendary black blade radiated a terrifying aura.
It carried the silent promise of death.
Seraphina raised Winter Solstice without hesitation.
Her own Haki surged forward.
A brilliant silver slash exploded into the sky.
The two attacks collided violently.
The heavens themselves seemed to tear apart.
Miles away, Bruce watched the battlefield nervously.
He had initially grown overconfident while observing from a distance.
But suddenly
A single stray slash reached his position.
The ocean exploded into towering waves.
Water crashed over Muumuu.
Luna's face turned pale.
What had she just witnessed?
That cyan slash alone would have killed her instantly.
Without hesitation, they retreated several more miles away.
Back on the battlefield
Time lost all meaning.
The sun climbed toward noon, yet neither swordsman noticed.
Only endless swings of their blades kept either from falling.
Their duel had transcended technique.
Every movement had become pure swordsmanship.
At that moment, Seraphina realized something profound.
The ultimate sword technique…
Was simply the slash itself.
Relentless slashes.
Lightning-fast slashes.
Perfectly clean slashes.
Simple slashes.
Endless slashes.
Nothing but slashes.
That was their duel.
Their strikes split the sea.
They sliced apart clouds.
Any living creature that approached the battlefield would be instantly cut down.
Mihawk discovered something else during the fight.
Seraphina was unbelievably resilient.
His advantage in swordsmanship alone was no longer enough.
Only his mastery of Armament Haki still allowed him to maintain a slight edge.
Even then
He sensed something protecting her.
A strange barrier weakened the force of every strike.
At least half of his power vanished before reaching her body.
Yet Mihawk's greatest strength was not only his blade.
It was his unparalleled Observation Haki.
His perception allowed him to predict and neutralize countless attacks.
At this stage of the duel
They no longer saw each other as people.
Only targets.
Seraphina had already lost count of how many times she had swung her sword.
The only thing she understood now
Was that endless attacks were the only way to survive.
Defense no longer existed.
Attack itself had become defense.
Neither combatant dared to hold anything back.
Every strike carried lethal intent.
Because in the end
Swordsmanship existed for one purpose.
To kill.
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