82 Brontes vs. Hawkeye Mihawk

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"Black Blade: Arc Moon!"

Mihawk called out his attack, his voice steady and determined. He advanced without hesitation, his footsteps echoing on the ground as he slashed his sword directly at Brontes.

"Lightning Spear Glow!"

Brontes countered, his voice ringing out as lightning crackled and danced at the tip of his alloy spear. He moved quickly, his movements a blur as he prepared to clash with Mihawk's attack.

The sound of metal striking metal rang out loudly, "CLANG!" The two weapons met, but only at a single, precise point.

"Boom! Rumble!"

Suddenly a powerful shockwave exploded from where their weapons had collided. The force was so great that it sent the marine soldiers standing behind Brontes flying backward through the air.

The cobblestone streets of the town couldn't withstand the impact. They cracked and broke apart, pieces flying everywhere. Then, the lightning that had been crackling around Brontes's spear burst into the air, shattering the stones even further.

The lightning surged from the tip of Brontes's spear, and because Mihawk's Black Blade was made of metal, the electricity conducted right to it, surrounding Hawkeye's body in a sheath of lightning.

However, Mihawk was not an ordinary opponent. The electric shock that would incapacitate most was nothing more than a slight annoyance to him.

He charged through the spear's electric glow with fierce determination and, with a swift motion, slashed at Brontes with his sword.

"Bang!"

The sound echoed as Brontes quickly retracted his spear to block Mihawk's slash. Then, unexpectedly, Brontes lifted his head, which was wrapped in the protective power of Armament Haki, and headbutted Mihawk.

Mihawk was caught off guard by Brontes's unconventional tactic. He couldn't dodge; doing so would leave him open to a strike from Brontes's spear. So, he had no choice but to meet Brontes's headbutt with his own.

"BOOM!"

Another shockwave burst forth from the impact of their heads. Mihawk was pushed back, sliding across the ground. He stopped himself with a stomp, and when he looked up, blood was streaming down from his forehead.

"I'm not a swordsman. I won't engage in a duel of swordsmanship with you. To me, any part of my body can be used as a weapon for attacking." Brontes said with a smile.

Mihawk felt a wave of dizziness, as if he had been struck on the head by a bull. He shook his head to clear the disorientation, then gripped his black sword even tighter.

"I'm not finished." He said loudly.

"ZliZli!" The sound of electricity filled the air.

"Hahaha! It seems I have to get a little serious." Brontes said with a light laugh, sensing Mihawk's renewed determination. His body erupted with intense lightning, and then he transformed into lightning itself.

"Try to keep up with my speed." Brontes taunted, vanishing from sight. His voice still echoed in Mihawk's ears as he disappeared.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!!!"

Mihawk swung his black blade with all his strength, but he was being pushed back, which showed he was struggling against Brontes's fierce onslaught.

"He's so fast, I can barely see his shadow!" Hawkeye whispered to himself, his voice tinged with shock.

He realized that it was nearly impossible to launch a counterattack; Brontes's incredible speed had him completely on the defensive. The city streets around them were in ruins, largely due to Brontes's devastating lightning strikes.

"Boom! Rumble!"

Thunderous sounds filled the air as Brontes appeared suddenly in front of Mihawk. Mihawk's eyes widened as he saw Brontes's arm, now covered in red tattoos that transformed into scales, resembling armor made from dragon scales.

"Am I going to die?"

The thought flashed through Mihawk's mind as he saw Brontes's fist hurtling toward him.

Reacting on instinct, Mihawk raised his sword, now coated with his own Armament Haki, and pushed it forward with all the force he could muster. He knew that sometimes the best defense was a strong offense, a principle deeply ingrained in the way of the swordsman.

"Boom! Rumble!"

The clash echoed around them.

Fortunately for Mihawk, Brontes wasn't using his full power. His intention wasn't to kill Mihawk but to teach him a lesson about the consequences of disobeying the orders.

Despite Brontes holding back, the impact of his fist against Mihawk's sword was so powerful that a broad smile spread across Brontes's face, while Mihawk's eyes showed nothing but seriousness as he gripped his black blade.

Then, something unexpected occurred—the black blade began to bend. This was unprecedented; the sword Yoru had never bent before since Mihawk had got it.

Mihawk's Haki, combined with the sword's inherent strength, kept it from breaking, but Roy's monstrous power was so great that even a Supreme Grade sword like Yoru was on the verge of bending like ordinary steel.

Under the immense force of Brontes's strength, Mihawk's body was pushed backward, which, in a twist of fate, saved his precious sword from snapping.

"Not bad, however, it's time to end this!" Brontes said, his fist glowing with power as the tattoos spread over his entire body. He launched a punch with explosive force.

"Boom! Rumble!"

The impact was inevitable.

Mihawk had no choice but to retract his sword to avoid it breaking. He pulled back just in time, but the force of Brontes's punch sent him flying.

"Not bad, but you have a long way to go if you want to fight me." Brontes said, shaking his head.

Mihawk continued to retreat, using his body to absorb much of the blow's force, his priority being to protect his sword above all else.

Mihawk watched Brontes stand before him with a calm demeanor, but he chose not to attack. He couldn't determine the true extent of the gap in their strength, but it was clear to him that Brontes hadn't been fighting seriously. This realization made Mihawk feel disheartened, as if he were looking at the sky from the ground.

He had never fought against Kaido or Whitebeard, but Mihawk could acknowledge that Brontes was the most formidable opponent he had ever encountered, even surpassing Shanks.

...

After the battle.

Mihawk then walked into the bar where the Red-Hair Pirates were gathered, seemingly drinking casually. However, they were also discreetly monitoring the situation outside.

"How did it go?"

Shanks greeted him with a smile and offered him a cup of liquor, as he asked.

Mihawk downed the drink in one go and replied with a serious tone: "He's incredibly strong!"

Shanks nodded andsaid: "Yes, I believe he's even more powerful than Whitebeard and Kaido. And he hasn't even shown his full strength yet. If he did, he could easily shatter your sword and defeat you in no time."

"I came to that conclusion after his last attack." Mihawk sighed and said.

Shanks continued in a bitter voice: "His approach to combat is to win at any cost. He's solely focused on victory and will use whatever means necessary to achieve it. He's beaten you fairly and honorably which is better than me. He's broken my sword once before."

Mihawk asked in surprise: "So he defeated you?"

Lucky Roo interjected with a laugh: "Hahah! Defeated? No, he just got knocked into the sea!"

"Hahaha!"

"His strength is indeed very strong, and it feels like he hasn't reached his limit. What puzzles me the most is his appearance; he must be in his thirties right now, right?" Mihawk asked in a puzzled expression.

"Very young, right? I noticed that too, as if time doesn't affect him." Shanks was equally puzzled about this matter.

"I think he still has a lot of room for growth. I don't know why, but I just feel that way. And regarding his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he must have developed to the Awakened Stage." Mihawk said seriously.

"To be correct, all three of the current Marine-Admirals should have developed their Devil Fruit to the Awakened Stage." Shanks stated. "He's a real threat to you guys. I think choosing to become one of the Seven Shichibukai was the best decision I made in my life." Mihawk said, picking up his cup again.

"Hahaha, being one of the Seven Shichibukai isn't bad. I heard everything he said. It's just, I don't understand why the World Government insists on having the Seven Shichibukai. As long as he's on the front lines, he's equivalent to a Yonko pirate crew on hos own." Shanks said with a big laugh.

"Mm." Mihawk nodded.

.....

Meanwhile, Brontes chose not to eavesdrop on the Red-Hair Pirates. He knew that if he did, Shanks would surely detect him.

And even if Shanks didn't, Yasopp, the world's top sniper and a member of the Red-Hair Pirates, would sense him with his Observation Haki.