Mihawk

This was a battle to decide who deserved the title of "World's Number One Swordsman": would Kiyotsune Kuniichi hold on to his position, or would Hawk Eyes Mihawk succeed in his challenge and become the new World's Number One Swordsman?

Countless people were eager to see the final result.

Mihawk had been out of the public eye for years, and no one knew how strong he had become or what gave him the confidence to challenge Kiyotsune Kuniichi.

Kiyotsune Kuniichi had held the title of "World's Strongest" for thirteen years without wavering.

Back in the kendo tournament, he had defeated his opponent by a huge margin. That had been the peak of his career, but no one thought Kiyotsune Kuniichi's strength would have declined.

Swordsmanship was hard to pin down. With time and experience, a swordsman could grow stronger with age. Genryuusai Shigekuni was an obvious example.

Besides, Kiyotsune Kuniichi was only sixty-three, younger than Whitebeard.

What's more, Kiyotsune Kuniichi had acquired the Supreme Great Blade Twilight.

Why were famous blades so precious and sought after by so many swordsmen? It wasn't just because they were made of sturdy materials, but also because they had a spirit of their own.

More importantly, they held the Sword Intent of powerful swordsmen—their former owners.

By drawing on that Sword Intent, a swordsman could quickly improve his skill and even comprehend sword techniques.

Some famous blades even contained special powers.

Teach had decent talent as a swordsman. He'd become a Swordmaster so quickly in large part thanks to Thunderclap and Purgatory. Of course, his progress had been rushed. Even though Teach had forged his own path, he was still only half-formed—a strange hybrid with little room to improve.

Likewise, Mihawk's rapid progress in swordsmanship had also been aided by Black Blade Night.

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