Mihawk

This is a battle for the title of "World's Number One Swordsman." Will Kiyotsune Kuniichi Tsuyoshi retain his position, or will Dracule Mihawk succeed in his challenge and become the new World's Number One Swordsman?

Countless people are eagerly awaiting the final result.

Dracule Mihawk, who has been silent for many years, has reached a level that outsiders do not know, which gives him the confidence to challenge the Kiyotsune Kuniichi.

Kiyotsune Kuniichi has held the title of "strongest" for thirteen years without wavering.

He defeated his opponent with a huge advantage in the kendo tournament back then, which was his peak, but no one would think that Kiyotsune Kuniichi's strength would weaken.

The way of the sword is unpredictable; with the passage of time, one becomes stronger with age, Genryuusai Shigekuni is a very obvious example.

Moreover, Kiyotsune Kuniichi is only sixty-three years old, younger than Whitebeard.

Moreover, Kiyotsune Kuniichi also obtained the Supreme Greatsword - Twilight.

Why are Famous Sword so precious and sought after by many swordsmen? It's not just because of their sturdy materials, but also because of their spiritual qualities.

Furthermore, it is because the blades contain the powerful Sword Intent of a swordsman, belonging to their former masters.

Through these Sword Intent, one can quickly improve their swordsmanship level and even comprehend sword techniques.

Some Famous Sword even possess special powers.

Teach's swordsmanship talent is only considered decent. His rapid rise to Swordmaster master status is largely due to Thunderclap and Purgatory, but it's just a quick fix. Even if Teach forges his own path, he'll only be a half-finished product, an unconventional hybrid, unlikely to continue improving.

Similarly, Mihawk's rapid improvement in swordsmanship was also aided by the Black Blade Night.

The difference is that one adopts a "take what you need" approach, while the other absorbs and makes it their own.

With the help of Twilight's Kiyotsune Kuniichi, Kunio's swordsmanship will surely advance even further.

The Land of the Sun is a country with customs similar to those of the Wano Country. Hundreds of years ago, people from the Wano Country have come here, bringing their customs with them.

Of course, this is just speculation; the specifics are hard to know, and it's merely a matter of similar style.

Compared to the now-declining Wano Country, the Land of the Sun is in a much better position.

The sealed-off environment of Wano Country makes it difficult to know what is happening inside. Over the years, the Rat Plague has not been eliminated and still exists. The population of Wano Country has been decreasing, from 200,000 to 100,000.

Most of them died of disease or were killed by Nezumi.

Human patience has its limits, and many samurai left Wano Country for other places.

With no one producing anything, they could only rely on imported supplies, and even they could no longer stop the Rat Plague, resulting in more and more people sacrificing their lives.

The situation in Wano Country has stabilized. In some areas of Reiko, people still live, Rat Plague has not spread there. However, there is a shortage of supplies, so people can barely make ends meet.

This is also the only pure land in Wano Country.

Elsewhere, the Night Pirates had taken over the territory, and the areas around the important mines were covered with "Nezumi poison"—a drug that could kill Nezumi at the genetic level—making them a no-go zone for the Nezumi.

Of course, this behavior is rather secretive.

This situation has made the residents of Wano Country, who have become accustomed to life in the Night Sea Domain, unwilling to return.

The Night Pirates even arranged several islands specifically for the residents of Wano Country. As the residents of Wano Country flocked in, they completely transformed these islands into places with Wano Country customs.

The only difference is that there are no nobles; they all serve the Dark Night Pirates are subject to their management.

With a calculated plan against an unsuspecting opponent, the fall of Wano Country was inevitable.

Even Buggy, Whitebeard, and Shanks, who had some connection to Oden, didn't come to help.

That's how the sea is. As a pirate, Oden is dead, and the bond connecting the two has also disappeared.

It's the same reason why Roger Pirates's Ace when he was executed.

Roger was their captain, but what did Ace have to do with them? The Roger Pirates disbanded before Ace was even born.

We might become quite close, and I might offer some help when we meet, but that's about it.

On this vast ocean, everyone has their own journey, which naturally includes death, but this is not something to be afraid of.

In the New World, Land of the Sun is merely a nation with a population of 400,000.

However, it possesses a formidable defensive force and has produced many powerful swordsmen, including Kiyotsune Kuniichi.

Since the beginning of the journey of the Kiyotsune Kuniichi, the Land of the Sun has never worried about pirate attacks, especially since the Kingdom of the Kiyotsune Kuniichi challenged Golden Lion Shiki.

Kiyotsune Kuniichi returned to his hometown and stayed there.

In the chaotic New World, the Land of the Sun is one of the few countries that has been able to maintain peace for decades.

Of course, its geographical location is also important. It's not in the fiercely competitive central region, but in the rear of the New World, a relatively remote location within the Whitebeard Pirates' territory. However, it doesn't need to pay protection money because it doesn't require protection.

Many pirate crews would avoid it when passing by.

Land of the Sun is at the center of a storm, with the focus shifting to Dracule Mihawk and Demon Kiyotsune Kuniichi.

The Land of the Sun, cherry blossoms scattered, a beautiful setting, a tranquil dojo.

Kiyotsune Kuniichi sat quietly with his eyes closed, the Supreme Greatsword - Twilight resting horizontally on his lap.

Below were all the students of the dojo, his disciples, constantly sparring or practicing swordsmanship.

However, it was obvious that they were somewhat distracted, glancing at the teacher from time to time, but barely daring to breathe.

They were naturally aware of Hawk Eyes's impending arrival.

Their own teacher seemed completely unfazed, while the others began to get nervous.

However, they had enough confidence in Kiyotsune Kuniichi's strength. Over the past ten years, Kiyotsune Kuniichi had always ended the battles decisively when facing challenges from Great Swordmaster, and no one had been able to force him to use his full strength.

Of course, many of the top ten famous swordsmen in the kendo tournament never came to challenge him.

It's understandable that they'd be nervous, after all, the challenger is Hawk Eyes, whose reputation has been built up through countless battles over the years.

Around the world, most people do not believe that Kiyotsune Kuniichi will be defeated; the accumulation and sedimentation of time cannot be reduced in just a few years.

Although Mihawk fought a fierce battle with Red-Haired Shanks, the current Sea Emperor, and displayed terrifying strength, he was no match for Shanks. Shanks didn't use some of his techniques, and there was a slight difference in their abilities.

Furthermore, Golden Lion Shiki in Kiyotsune Kuniichi early years, and now so many years have passed.

Despite lacking confidence in Mihawk, no one would miss their epic battle.

His eyes opened, his aura was subtle, and he no longer possessed the sharpness of his youth. In fact, he had Genryuusai Shigekuni.

He slowly rose, gripping the hilt of his sword with one hand and hanging it at his waist. Although he was over sixty years old, Kiyotsune Kuniichi was still in good health, looking like he was in his thirties or forties.

Flame-like markings extending from the hairline on the forehead are also a major symbol of Kiyotsune Kuniichi.

Therefore, in the Land of the Sun, many swordsmen who admire Kiyotsune Kuniichi will brand different markings on exposed parts of their bodies, which is a major characteristic of swordsmen in the Land of the Sun.

"Stop."

Kiyotsune Kuniichi's voice rang out, no one could tell what he was thinking.

Then, the entire dojo fell silent. Everyone stopped what they were doing, stood facing Kiyotsune Kuniichi, and left a path in the middle for Kiyotsune Kuniichi to pass through.

"You can observe, but be careful. This time the opponent is much stronger than before. If you get caught in the crossfire and die, you can't blame anyone else."

This battle is bound to attract onlookers, but the two fighters, completely absorbed in their fight, won't care about the onlookers.

A single, unexpected strike could take their lives.

Although this may sound harsh, it is the truth.

There are many such people; the feeling of watching is more fitting than simply viewing a video.

Perhaps then you'll be able to comprehend it and break through the bottleneck of Swordmaster or Great Swordmaster.

If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening.

Many swordsmen headed towards the Land of the Sun.

A pirate ship with a dragon's head was sailing on the sea, and passing pirate ships all made way for it, not daring to get close.

This is the Red Forth, the pirate ship of the Red-Haired Pirates.

The Red-Haired Pirates would certainly not miss such a major event, after all, Shanks is also one of the world's top Great Swordmaster.

He's a good friend of Dracule Mihawk, and besides watching the game, he also came to support Mihawk.

Mihawk is, after all, a lone wolf. What if he's too exhausted after a battle and gets targeted?

The Night Pirates' two-headed dragon-headed black secondary ship also set off, carrying numerous swordsmen including Shadow Dragon Rediat, Shiryu of the Rain, Lafitte, and Esdeath.

This is a powerful force that few in the New World can withstand.

Now that an empire has been established, some things need to be more standardized. They are the army of the Night Empire, and can no longer act as arbitrarily as before.

Of course, there aren't many restrictions, but there are some changes from before, and it will take some time to get used to.

This is very casual; there's no particular goal other than watching the game, it's just like a vacation.

The Whitebeard Pirates also set off, but their numbers were small, mainly consisting of Vista, Izo, Thatch, and a few other swordsmen.

Dracule Mihawk is also on his way. It takes quite a while to get from the Grand Line to the New World, not to mention the journey to the rear of the New World.

However, Mihawk's vehicle is quite fast; it can automatically move forward as soon as you step on the pedal and can also be steered.

It only needs electricity to replenish its kinetic energy; a single battery can sustain it for a long time.

The rowboats even have solar panels that can absorb solar energy and convert it into electricity. They are fully functional, with options for both rain protection (a glass cabin that can be extended to block the rain) and giant umbrellas.

It displays maps, plays music, stores food, wine, and even has a coffee machine.

With proper preparation, you can enjoy your desired coffee anytime, with several flavors to choose from.

It is equipped with Transponder Snail) that connects to the Night Pirates' TV station or the internet, and can be operated via remote control.

Compared to the old, dilapidated boats that required manual paddling, these rowboats were far superior, which greatly pleased Mihawk and made the otherwise monotonous sea voyage more enjoyable.

Compared to motorboats, which existed long ago but were limited to certain regions, the Night Pirates' shipbuilding company had already modified motorboats and promoted them worldwide.

Furthermore, they launched even better rowing boats, with more space and more features, which quickly became popular all over the world and became the exclusive domain of the wealthy.

Unique powertrain, effortless driving experience.

It's worth mentioning that Mihawk is a frequent visitor to the Combat Pyramid, spending one or two months there every year.

He is also the sole spokesperson for rowing.

He easily received a huge endorsement fee of 300 million Beli after just taking a few photos, which made him feel somewhat unreal.

Then beautiful posters of him with rowing appeared on walls all over the world, making Mihawk feel somewhat ashamed.

Subsequently, in addition to the endorsement fee, at his request, the Night Pirates specially gifted him a super luxurious "Hawk Eyes" custom-made rowing boat.

It contains a lot of high technology.

After experiencing it, I have to say it's really great.

Conversely, the Night Pirates also made a fortune.

The rowing boat is a major product launched by Umbrella Shipbuilding Company after motorboats and airships.

Similar to airships, they come in standard, deluxe, and customized versions.

Mihawk's influence is enormous; he is undoubtedly a star figure on the high seas.

A massive number of orders were shipped from all over the world to the Night Sea Domain, amounting to tens of billions of Beli in the blink of an eye.

Mihawk's trip was another publicity campaign for rowing, making more people aware of his existence.

With its speed exceeding that of warships, its small size and agility, and its difficulty to hit with cannonballs, it also gained favor with some pirates.

It plays a vital role in providing support.

Similar to motorboats, Marine Admiral Aokiji's current motorboat was also purchased from the Night Sea Domain by a middleman.

The rowboat sped along, Mihawk closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and constantly adjusted his breathing, preparing for the battle to come.

After several years of honing his Sword Intent, he spent most of his time refining himself. This was knowledge he had learned after consulting with Genryuusai Shigekuni, knowledge that was only passed down in some ancient sword dojos or places like Wano Country.

Genryuusai Shigekuni only learned this after visiting Wano Country. It wasn't exactly a secret among the Great Swordmaster of Wano Country. If Mihawk had been to Wano Country and wanted to ask, he probably would have found out too, but unfortunately, he didn't have the chance.

Using Sword Qi to temper one's physique—more precisely, tempering one's entire skeletal system—enhances one's physical strength and even achieves the legendary unity of man and sword.

Like the Armament Haki, it is also derived from the Black Blade.

However, in essence, the Black Blade is a combination of tempering with Haki and tempering with Sword Qi.

The reason it was almost lost is that the basic requirement for tempering it is to become the world's top swordsman, which is no different from the Armament Haki.

To precisely control Sword Qi and achieve a tempering effect while damaging one's own body is also very difficult, requiring a long period of practice.

Genryuusai Shigekuni had high hopes for Mihawk, this junior. He believed that even among ten of the top swordsmen, only one, or even half, could achieve the same level.

The first step, tempering, alone takes several years, and most people give up.

Genryuusai Shigekuni also spent three years on it.

After many years, Genryuusai Shigekuni had made great progress and mastered some techniques, which he passed on to Mihawk without reservation.

Mihawk has achieved some success, which requires long-term refinement and cannot be rushed.

Sensing his own progress, he couldn't wait any longer. Only through battle could he verify his current level and how much he still had to improve.

Only in this way can he become stronger and pursue the true pinnacle of swordsmanship.