Ian laughed heartily, gripping his sword with both hands. "Surtur, give it your all!"
Each swing of his sword wasn't just his own. The fiery sword incarnated as Surtur was also exerting power. Every swing of the blade was a combination of their strength.
"Yes! Master!"
Surtur responded gruffly.
Flames surged from the golden sword, and with a swift swing, it cleaved downward.
Boom!
The two swords clashed, and a streak of pitch-black lightning shot into the sky.
Ian was sent flying into the air, while Mihawk was knocked into the sea.
Even the Conqueror's Haki wasn't invincible.
In terms of power, Ian had a huge advantage.
The next moment, Ian dove downward.
Mihawk shot out of the water, using a shattered ice block to propel himself skyward.
The two swords clashed again.
The Flame Sword and the Yoru continued to collide, causing the entire sea to boil. At times, it was evaporated by flames; at other times, Mihawk cleaved it apart.
"To think they can fight to this extent?"
From afar, the crew had retreated to the Golden Dragon ship. Law clicked his tongue, "Mihawk's pretty strong."
Of course, they didn't think that Mihawk's title as the world's strongest swordsman meant he could match up against the Emperors of the Sea.
Mihawk's strength was on par with Shanks, and their previous duel had ended in a draw.
Shanks' bounty was only half of Ian's, so they initially thought Mihawk's strength was nothing special.
But now, it seemed like that wasn't the case?
"Even," Jack said solemnly, "Ian seems to be somewhat suppressed."
Mihawk's armament haki was already on par with Ian's, and he even mastered the Conqueror's Haki.
Even though Ian had absolute strength, when facing Mihawk, whose haki was far superior to his, he couldn't help but feel at a disadvantage.
"Ian hasn't even used his full strength yet!"
Yamato said, puffing out her cheeks, "He's not going to lose!"
Ian truly hadn't used his full power.
And his opponent knew that too.
"Amazing!"
While clashing with Ian, Mihawk couldn't help but exclaim, "To have this kind of power without using Sun God's Wrath or Immortal Phoenix Form? Incredible!"
"Why are you still hesitating, Ian? Don't I deserve your full effort?"
Damn World Government, spreading my abilities so that everyone knows about them.
"Then don't regret it."
Ian smiled slightly, "Lævateinn, Sun God's Wrath mode."
"Yes! Master!"
The golden sword instantly turned a bright crimson, and scarlet flames surged around it.
Mihawk's eyes lit up. This was something extraordinary.
"Here it comes!"
The scarlet sword ripped through the air.
It was the true meaning of tearing through the air. Even the air itself was directly erased, creating a narrow vacuum where sound and shockwaves couldn't spread.
Though it was a powerful strike, it didn't ripple the air. It seemed so ordinary.
But this time, it was truly a full-force strike!
"Pleasant! Come on, Ian!"
Mihawk's lips curled into a smile as he landed on a block of ice, shooting forward like a cannonball.
Compared to Ian's calmness, Mihawk's movement was much more exaggerated.
The famous sword, Yoru, unleashed unprecedented black lightning, which spread out like a spiderweb. Just touching the surface of the sea created massive water columns exploding from the ocean.
The strongest against the strongest!
Both of them stopped holding back and unleashed their full power in a single strike.
The next moment, their blades collided.
Crimson and pitch black, the fiery sword and the pitch-black blade clashed fiercely in that moment!
The world fell into a moment of silence.
Then.
The sea surface began to sink.
An invisible force pressed down on the sea, crushing the shattered ice blocks and pushing all the seawater aside, revealing the barren seabed below.
Pitch-black lightning radiated in all directions, tearing through the ocean and blasting open the seabed.
Waves upon waves of giant surges spread, crashing toward Loguetown.
The fierce winds caused the Golden Dragon ship in the distance to sway uncontrollably. If it weren't for the anchor, it would have likely been blown away.
"Waaahhh! We're going to get blown away!!"
Viola clung tightly to Black Maria, screaming.
"It's okay, it's okay."
Black Maria gently grabbed her, "But really, it's amazing! Their battle…"
"Ice Fang!"
Yamato forcefully shot a beam of freezing ice, which instantly landed on the giant wave in the distance, freezing it completely before it could reach Loguetown.
"Seriously," She wiped the corner of her mouth, "Didn't we just say we couldn't let their fight destroy Loguetown?"
With these waves, Loguetown would probably be swept away into chaos.
"Hm?"
Jack looked surprised, "It stopped? Is it over already?"
"So fast?"
Law also found it hard to believe. How could such an intense battle end so quickly?
Even though Ian had already shown his best abilities, considering the strength Mihawk displayed earlier, it shouldn't have been defeated so quickly, right?
In the distance, on the battlefield.
Mihawk was floating in the air, stepping on the air itself.
The moonwalk, of course, he knew how to use.
But at this moment, he had completely lost interest in continuing the battle.
He just stared blankly at the sword in his hand.
The sword that had been with him for many years, the famous blade Yoru, which he swore to refine into a black blade, now had a noticeable chip in the middle of the blade.
"Haha."
Ian awkwardly scratched the back of his head and said with embarrassment, "I told you, I hope you won't regret it."
Without being serious, Kaido's Conqueror's Haki was easily pierced by his Sun God's Wrath.
Of course, Mihawk's Haki couldn't completely block his strike.
So, after his Haki was pierced, Lævateinn collided with Yoru.
It should be said that, despite not being directly severed, just having a chip caused by the impact, Yoru still had its value as a famous sword.
Its strength was definitely high.
Mihawk's golden eyes trembled.
As everyone knows, a swordsman only needs a sword and his hands.
If the hands are still there, but the sword is gone...
Ian looked at the dazed Mihawk and couldn't help but feel a headache.
This won't make me pay for it, right?
Mihawk's trembling hand finally steadied. The man took a deep breath, then revealed a smile.
"An amazing technique! To think that as a swordsman, I couldn't even protect the sword in my hand. I lost!"
"I lost completely."
"I only won a little bit."
Ian gently pinched his right hand between his thumb and index finger.
It was indeed just a little win. If Mihawk's Haki had been stronger, the Sun God's Wrath Sword would not have been able to pierce it completely, and the sword wouldn't have been damaged.
"Losing is losing, there's nothing more to say."
Mihawk returned the sword to his back, but now, he looked somewhat pleased.
"Rather, just the opposite,"
He looked at Ian with eyes almost glowing.
"To be able to spar with you, it's truly wonderful!"
To think that such a person still exists in this world, someone with such unreasonable power!
If I can't become stronger, if I can't master the black blade, it will be impossible to defeat him!
Mihawk felt his heart pounding wildly.
The fierce flames burned in his chest.
That's the fighting spirit!
At this moment, Mihawk couldn't wait any longer. He was eager to wield the Black Blade again and challenge Ian once more!
Ian, however, could only feel the hairs on his neck stand up.
What's with that intense look in his eyes?
Honestly, it was a little scary.
Suddenly, Ian raised an eyebrow. "Mihawk, do you want to repair your sword?"
"Repair?"
Mihawk blinked, then nodded. "Of course."
He shook his head, a little regretful. "Yoru is a supreme-grade sword, one of the few in the world, and not many have the skill to repair it."
Looks like I'll have to find a new blade.
But Ian smiled, his lips curving up. "Coincidentally, I know someone who can repair it."
And not just one.
Aside from the distant Kozuki Sukiyaki in Wano Country.
There's one in the East Blue as well.
The one who fled from Wano and ended up in East Blue—Shimotsuki Kouzaburou.
He should still be alive, right?
And by coincidence, Shimotsuki Village is one of the stops on this trip. Ian had planned to visit the remnants of the Shimotsuki family, especially the one named Zoro.
"Really?"
Mihawk's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, Ian, then consider me indebted to you!"
"Then let's head out together, Mihawk."
Partners in this journey!
**********
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