If Zephyr represented the pinnacle of physical combat, Hawkeye was the embodiment of sword mastery.
Even in his youth, he had yet to reach the absolute limit of his abilities, yet he remained a foe not to be underestimated.
Black and Hawkeye exchanged several blows, but the advantage was subtle, and Black felt the pressure of his opponent's skill.
As the seventh piece of debris sank into the sea, Black suddenly lifted his sword and thrust toward Hawkeye's face.
Hawkeye instinctively blocked with his Black Blade only to realize it was a feint.
Black released his grip, letting the longsword fall into the water.
His fist had already smashed against the back of Hawkeye's blocking blade.
"This is how Celestial Dragons greet each other!"
The monstrous strength, comparable to the Giants, made Yoru hum.
The ship's planks beneath Hawkeye shattered into dust under the immense pressure, forcing him to step on flying splinters to maintain stance.
He slid back dozens of meters, the sea temporarily furrowed by the turbulent wind.
Floating debris of all sizes became temporary stages in their duel.
"Sure enough, fists are still more convenient," Black muttered.
He shook his wrist. After stacking Zephyr's Armament Haki, his own Haki had risen another level.
It wasn't exaggeration to say that, in terms of Armament Haki, Black now surpassed everyone seen in the original story.
In the past days, he had unconsciously been releasing Armament Haki, then solidifying it, letting it permeate his skin.
It felt like moving from externalizing True Qi to refining the body with it.
Curious, Black observed no adverse effects on his body and relaxed slightly.
Now, though, was no time for reflection.
Dark Armament Haki wrapped around his fist, air crackling with every swing.
"Don't you know that bosses have stages?"
Fist and blade collided, collapsing the sea surface and sending monstrous waves outward.
Abandoning his longsword, Black's attacks became markedly more suppressive.
Hawkeye, like Black before, had to focus seven-tenths of his attention on defense, constantly retreating.
Yet Hawkeye remained Hawkeye; even suppressed, he seized opportunities to counter.
When Yoru split vertically on Black's shoulder, crystallized Armament Haki had already hardened there.
This technique, learned from Zephyr, now doubled its defensive power under Black.
Amidst sparks, Black seized the hilt of Yoru from behind.
"Got you!"
His knee, reinforced with Armament Haki, slammed into Hawkeye's abdomen, emptying the surrounding seawater, creating a momentary vacuum.
"The greatest weakness of you swordsmen is valuing weapons over life itself."
Hawkeye coughed up blood but, mid-fall, unleashed a cross-shaped slash, forcing Black to retreat briefly.
The sea now bristled with burning wreckage. Hawkeye stabilized, landing on a charred mast, eyes sharp as his moniker suggested.
"I knew it wouldn't be that easy."
Black descended slowly; the two faced each other once more.
Without words, they charged again.
Black's fists pounded Yoru, cracking Hawkeye's tiger's mouth (between thumb and forefinger).
After previous injuries, Hawkeye's breathing faltered.
The driftwood beneath him sank, and Black seized the opportunity, punching through the sword's energy net, striking Hawkeye's left shoulder.
The sound of bone breaking was drowned by the tide, but the blow significantly weakened him.
Hawkeye, midair, switched to holding Yoru with his right hand.
Black, following the "strike while the iron is hot" principle, struck from above.
His right leg, like a massive axe, collided with the Black Blade, smashing Hawkeye into the sea and sending a hundred-meter-high pillar of water skyward.
Black hovered midair using Moonwalk, a hidden feature of the card space.
If Hawkeye had been defeated, the space would have teleported him out automatically.
Since he was still present, Hawkeye would surface eventually.
Sure enough, he broke through the sea wielding Yoru. A deep green slash came at Black.
Relying on future-sight-level Observation Haki, Black dodged easily and pressed his hand on Yoru.
Hawkeye now held the blade with only his right hand; left arm useless.
Black's strength, boosted by countless minor characters and enhanced by BIGMOM's Iron Balloon, was now superhuman.
He pressed Yoru slowly against Hawkeye's collarbone.
Despite resistance, Black's left fist struck Hawkeye's temple.
Hawkeye's figure faded, and Black vanished from the sea.
"Awesome!"
In the System Space, Black held an ability card, expression elated.
The card wasn't extraordinary in power, and Hawkeye's swordsmanship was undeniably strong.
But the exhilaration came from this being Black's most thrilling battle to date.
Against Zephyr, he had mostly defended. Zephyr's attacks were unpredictable.
Black's victory over Zephyr relied on superior physique and slightly higher attack power.
Zephyr could endure multiple hits; one strike from Black incapacitated him.
After Zephyr, Black felt mentally drained; after Hawkeye, exhilarated.
"Use ability card!"
The card shattered, and countless swordsmanship insights merged into Black's mind.
His skill leapt past Swordsman to Great Swordsman.
Yet mastering swordsmanship required adaptation to one's physique and habits.
Black would need further duels in System Space to fully integrate his new level.
But one evening could suffice; Black wasn't in a rush.
Exiting System Space, dusk approached.
The Calm Belt's waters were calm; sunlight shimmered across the sea.
Black's mind settled alongside the laughter of Perona and the others.
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