69 Chapter 69

69

"You are Hawk-eye Mihawk, are you not? My name is Roranoa Zoro and I challenge you to a duel."

"Wait, three swords!" one of the chefs gasped. "He's the famous pirate hunter of the East Blue!"

Both of them stared at each other, while Luffy suddenly grabbed Coby and Gin and made some room for them. Right after that a powerful wind cleared ten meters around Mihawke, and he did that by using the small blade. "This should be enough."

Zoro didn't even flinch as the wind brushed past him, he was getting ready instead.

"So you are well-known around these parts," the warlord said. "Still, this is the most peaceful of the Six Seas and the weakest of the Four Blues. One shouldn't use a cannonball to kill a fly, but it still feels like I'm shooting a mouse. I'm sorry; I don't have anything smaller than this." And it wasn't mocking either.

"Oni Giri!" He pulled his swords out and charged, but the man held him back with ease. Three swords stuck against the smaller blade of the warlord.

The green-haired swordsman was wide-eyed. This was the power of the strongest in the world. Zoro pulled back and dove forward, attacking with everything he had.

"Tell me," Mihawk said without emotion, countering effortlessly. "What drives you forward? Why do you fight? Weak one" Zoro was wide-eyed when he was thrown back by Mihawk's attack again.

Zoro got up, sweat on his forehead. "I fight for my dream and my ambition," he answered. "I will be the world's greatest swordsman, and to do that I must defeat you. Tora Gari!" Zoro attacked again, but his swords never connected rather the warlord's small knife stabbed Zoro right in the chest.

Zoro stood tall, as all the people that were watching the fight paled seeing the swordsman get wounded. Luffy for his art covered his eyes with his hat.

"Kid state your name."

With a shaky yet determined voice Zoro spoke, "Roranoa Zoro!"

"I am Roranoa Zoro."

"I will remember your name, strong one. I haven't seen anyone like you in a while.," Mihawk stated, pulling his knife out of the pirate. Zoro almost sagged, but be caught himself. "As a swordsman's courtesy, I will sink you with the world's strongest Black Blade."

"I'm honored." Zoro began spinning his swords. "Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai" The two attacked, stopping behind each other. The three swords Zoro held in his hands all shattered and blood spurted from a new wound in his chest.

Though Zoro's last attack sent huge waves in the sea, and even destroyed any part of the broken ship that was behind Mihawk. It wasn't that Zoro was weak, it was just that Mihawk was just way stronger.

Disappointed but content, Zoro removed the broken blade from his mouth, and coughed red. He turned to face his adversary, raising his arms wide but without fear.

"What are you…" Mihawk asked when he saw Zoro.

"Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame," Zoro responded. "If I die with a scar on my back, I'll have tainted everything I ever stood for."

"Very well." Hawk-eye smirked, liking the phrase, and brought his sword down across the green-haired man's chest. With all intent to kill!

Only to meet cold black steel.

"Now now… stop teasing me, with those scary moves," Luffy said, as his black nameless naginata blocked Yoru. "That attack would have killed my swordsman, and you knew I would block it."

"It was a guess." The famed swordsman said.

Everyone around them gasped seeing Luffy move so fast, and he wasn't looking the same either. His body was a bit more bulked up, his hair was wavy and a bit long as it rose upwards, and his skin was red, with some steam coming out of it. But the most noticeable thing around them was that his blade, the nameless naginata, which he never wilded in other than the training was completely black. And it was even sparking while it struggled with Mihawk's Yoru.

Though even if Luffy was impressive enough to block Mihawk's sword. It was clear the boy wasn't having it easy.

Mihawk lips curved upwards a bit, "I was wondering when you'd make your move?" he said, pushing down on the blade as he released his Haki. Conquer's Haki. "But are you willing to fight me knowing you aren't strong enough to survive against my blade?"

With that, the swordsman pushed down, but Luffy didn't give up. He gritted his teeth as his muscles pumped more blood and almost all the veins in his arms were showing.

Almost all of the chiefs except Zeff and Sanji fell to the ground, unconscious. While Sanji and Zeff were on their knees, the same with all the strawhats, they didn't get knocked out, but they couldn't stand against the Haki.

"Well, I see my crew as my family, and there's no way, I'm willing to just sit around and let one die." Luffy wasn't the one to be pushed back either. And released his own Haki. His was wild, unlike Mihawke's controlled brust, but it created enough force to push of Mihawk's Haki. "As the future Pirate King who aims for the strongest spot in the world, that would be a disgrace, and shameful."

To the outsiders, it felt like a wave of royal-purple and crimson-red was struggling against one another, red lightning flashing in between Luffy and Mihawk. And it only lasted for a moment, before Mihawk and Luffy pulled back their Haki.