While Annie was surrounded by the three Navy admirals, while Luffy was blocked by his own grandfather, Vice Admiral Garp, and was on the verge of a bloody clash between grandfather and grandson, and while, in the distance, the captain of the Navy's Science Unit—the man hailed as the world's strongest defense, Sentomaru—was leading a large group of "fake Bartholomew Kumas," or Pacifistas, into battle against the Whitebeard Pirates and struggling to maintain and reinforce the Navy's defensive line, the battle between the Empress and Dracule Mihawk, Hawk-Eye, was also gradually reaching its final stage.
"!!"
"Yah!"
In the midst of their fierce battle, she calmly used Observation Haki to dodge a vicious slash from Mihawk's Supreme Grade sword, one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades. Then the Empress gave a coquettish cry and raised her leg in a kick. Her impossibly long, curving leg flashed alluringly before she whipped it hard toward Mihawk's shoulder.
"Hmph!"
With a muffled grunt, Dracule Mihawk, who also possessed Observation Haki, narrowly dodged the kick aimed at his shoulder.
"?!"
But unfortunately, Mihawk soon realized in dismay that the dazzling sight of that leg had distracted him for just a moment—and the Empress's shoe had still managed to graze his shoulder.
He had thought it would be nothing, that he wouldn't be hurt at all. Now, however, he stared in shock as the clothes on his shoulder, along with some of the flesh beneath them, turned to stone under her kick. The wound even stung fiercely.
"..."
"Stone?"
"Hmph!"
"So this is the power of your 'Love-Love Fruit'?"
Looking at the petrified patch on his shoulder, Dracule Mihawk moved it and found that it hindered his movements somewhat. He swung his weapon and sliced away a thin layer of stone, clothing, and flesh, taking