The Dragon-Slaying Swordsman, Ryuma of Ryuda
Just as Shanks had predicted, after a high-intensity sword duel lasting more than five minutes, Ryuma of Ryuda ended the fight by stabbing Mihawk in the shoulder.
"Djorkol Mihawk, your swordsmanship is exceptional. If you were my equal, possessing a pair of special Hawkeye, you could definitely defeat me. Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs' in this world. Keep improving your swordsmanship, and I welcome you to challenge me anytime!" Ryuma of Ryuda sheathed his swift sword, his eyes still revealing his admiration for Mihawk.
He is the youngest and top-tier swordsman in Wano Country, practically invincible among his peers. However, today he encountered someone who is a level below him, and despite the skill gap, Mihawk forced him to unleash 99% of his strength. This Mihawk has the special power of Hawkeye and unique talent in swordsmanship, so it's only a matter of time before he surpasses him. This Mihawk is truly far stronger than those so-called swordsmen.
"As expected of a swordsman who inherited Ryuma's name, Ryuma of Ryuda, your strength is truly formidable. However, if you give me a year, I will definitely be able to defeat you after a year!" Mihawk sheathed his black sword, Yoru, and after uttering these words, he turned and left without a care in the world, ignoring the blood flowing from his shoulder.
As soon as Hawkeye Mihawk left, Shanks rushed up to Tianqi Ryuma of Ryuda without even saying goodbye to him, and they stood facing each other.
"My name is Shanks, and my weapon is the Griffin, one of the Supreme Grade Swords. Now, let me challenge you!" Shanks drew his rapier and introduced himself.
"Oh? Another Supreme Grade Sword?" A hint of surprise flashed in Ryuma of Ryuda's eyes. There are only a few Supreme Grade Swords on the sea. He had never encountered a Supreme Grade Sword when he defeated other swordsmen before, but today he encountered one, and two of them at that.
"I am Ryuma of Ryuda, and my weapon is Enma, one of the Supreme Grade Swords!" Ryuma of Ryuda drew his weapon, showing ample respect to Shanks, who also wielded a great sword.
The Griffin and Enma, both Supreme Grade Swords, are primarily designed for lightness and dexterity, unlike the Black Sword Yoru, which leans towards power and ferocity. Ryuma of Ryuda was only able to suppress Mihawk because of his superior swordsmanship and the advantage of elemental advantage. This is why he praised Mihawk. Being able to force Mihawk to use 99% of his strength even under elemental advantage is quite impressive.
The two swordsmen, both skilled in agility, clashed on the battlefield. Shanks, a mid-level swordsman, was on par with Mihawk. Mihawk had Hawkeye, a Shanks lacked, but Shanks didn't have the advantage of weapon attribute suppression. Therefore, the two challengers were not significantly different; both were top-tier fighters.
Today, I witnessed a duel between three top swordsmen. The onlookers in the square were also very excited. Mihawk, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks. He was slightly taken aback when he saw Shanks and Ryuma of Ryuda fighting. Suddenly, his fighting spirit was also ignited.
Mihawk could tell that Shanks' strength was on par with his own. Having encountered two sword masters on the same day, he secretly vowed to defeat them both.
In the end, Shanks was defeated. He was no match for Ryuma of Ryuda mid-level swordsman. The battle lasted only five minutes, almost half the time of Mihawk. However, no one said Shanks was weak. Everyone present was a master swordsman. The clash between agility and ferocity is completely different, and everyone could see that.
"You are indeed very strong, but you should be careful. My captain seems quite interested in you, and his strength is quite different from mine!" Shanks adjusted his straw hat and said calmly.
"Your captain?"
Upon hearing Shanks' words, Ryuma of Ryuda's eyes lit up. Shanks implied that his captain was also a master swordsman, and even stronger than Shanks himself. This was very interesting. Even after two major battles Ryuma of Ryuda showed no fear. Competing against various masters was his favorite thing to do.
"You'll find out soon enough!" Shanks smiled slightly and didn't say anything. He didn't know how good Tianqi's swordsmanship was, but his captain's abilities were abnormal and he also carried a sword, so his swordsmanship must be quite good.
Shanks then slowly withdrew from the area, and everyone made way for Shanks, a testament to their recognition of his Shanks. Mihawk, meanwhile, kept a close eye on the man in the straw hat, seemingly sensing Mihawk's fighting spirit. Shanks also looked at Mihawk, and the two smiled at each other, showing mutual respect.
"Captain, Ryuma of Ryuda is really strong. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you!" Shanks scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. He had been defeated on his first initiative in front of his captain, which made him a little unsure how to face his invincible captain.
"It's alright, failure is the mother of success. You only know how to succeed after experiencing failure, and you did very well!" Tianqi comforted Shanks. In fact, Shanks' strength was no less than that of Ryuma of Ryuda; it was just that Shanks lost in the swordsmanship competition here.
Tianqi slowly walked out and came to Ryuma of Ryuda. He slowly drew his Heavenly Cloud Sword and announced his name and weapon.
"My name is Uchiha Tianqi, and my weapon is the Heavenly Cloud Sword. Now, let me challenge you!" Tianqi said calmly, holding the Heavenly Cloud Sword in his right hand.
"Uchiha Tianqi? You're also from Wano Country?" Upon hearing Tianqi's name, Ryuma of Ryuda asked in confusion.
Although there are no families with the surname Uchiha in Wano Country, this type of name is very similar to the surnames in Wano Country, which makes Ryuma of Ryuda suspect that the other person is also from Wano Country.
"No!" Tianqi shook his head without explaining anything, and slowly activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
He had just learned a lot of swordsmanship from Mihawk and Ryuma of Ryuda. With the Sharingan, it wasn't difficult to learn. It has to be said that the Sharingan's ability to copy and see through things is really abnormal. He could master some techniques that others had to work hard for without lifting a finger.
"Another pair of strange eyes, huh? Let me see just how much swordsmanship you have!" Seeing Tianqi's strange eyes, Ryuma of Ryuda didn't ask any more questions and directly raised his sword to launch an attack.
In the blink of an eye, the blade was right in front of him. Tianqi remained calm in the face of this situation. He had never lost a speed contest. He slightly turned his body to dodge the blade, and with even greater speed, he thrust the Heavenly Cloud Sword at Ryuma of Ryuda's shoulder. There was no need to kill him since it was not a fight to the death.
"Incredible speed, unparalleled perception, and an exceptionally fast reflexes—he's truly a master!" Ryuma of Ryuda's eyes lit up as he watched Tianqi's series of moves. As the saying goes, a true expert's skill is immediately apparent; this was definitely a formidable opponent comparable to himself.
However, Ryuma of Ryuda didn't know was that before this, Tianqi was just a novice who had only recently begun learning kendo. He only gained some understanding after watching the battles of a few people.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The swords clashed repeatedly, but Tianqi remained calm and composed, occasionally countering each move with his own sharpest attacks. However, his counterattacks were not particularly powerful. Tianqi's guiding principle was to use brute force to overcome all techniques and to prioritize speed over offense. The reason he wasn't launching any major counterattacks was because he was trying to replicate Ryuma of Ryuda's swordsmanship and find his own way of the sword from this top swordsman.
After attacking for a minute and swinging hundreds of swords, there was still no progress. Ryuma of Ryuda was very annoyed. He now realized that the guy in front of him had been playing the bait, and that fish was himself.
"Uchiha Tianqi, are you looking down on me? As Shanks' captain, how can your strength be limited to this? Show me your true power!" Ryuma of Ryuda delivered a Heavy Blow to create distance, speaking with a displeased expression.
"True strength?"
Hearing this, Tianqi was slightly surprised. If he were to unleash his true strength, he could kill a high-level swordsman with a single strike. Even a top-tier Wind Blade Swordsman would only be able to flee in defeat. In terms of swordsmanship alone, Ryuma of Ryuda could put up a fight, but as for comparing strength, forget about it.