The Mihawk Who Had Achieved Oneness of Sword and Man
"I never imagined that the captain would achieve in just six years what others can't reach in a lifetime. He's truly amazing!" Shanks praised Tianqi in a fawning manner as he watched Tianqi down. This captain was always ahead of him; he probably would never be able to surpass him in his lifetime.
After Tianqi and Ryuma finished their battle, they returned to the stands. Although a tag-team format was possible, Tianqi had no intention of continuing to defend his position against these sword masters. There were only four people with the strongest swordsmanship here, and there was no need to waste time with these ants.
"Shanks, when did you become such a bootlicker? Hurry up and get up there to fight, let me see how much you've grown over the years!" Tianqi smiled slightly at Shanks's flattery. To be honest, he was quite pleased. Besides improving his strength, only those who respected him could make him happy.
Almost simultaneously, Shanks and Mihawk stepped onto the stage. Without exchanging a word, they drew their swords and began to clash. They had fought many times over the years, and each battle ended in a draw. They knew each other inside and out, so there was no need for them to test each other.
Although their techniques weren't particularly flashy, every move was precise and almost perfect. Their swordsmanship was nearly equal; a single mistake could have led to total defeat. After more than ten minutes of intense fighting, Shanks was defeated by half a move. Given Mihawk's Hawkeye's advantage in swordsmanship, Shanks's defeat by half a move was already quite impressive. In a contest of raw power, Shanks would have absolutely crushed Mihawk.
"Captain, I'm sorry, I've lost!" Shanks walked down from the stage to Tianqi's side, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Although he didn't care much about the outcome, as the vice-captain of the Conqueror Pirates, especially in front of his own captain, he felt somewhat ashamed of Tianqi.
"No need to say such things. It's normal to win and lose in life. Mihawk has a natural advantage in swordsmanship, so losing is normal. Moreover, if it comes down to raw strength, you can definitely defeat Mihawk!" Tianqi will never be disappointed in Shanks. The Four Emperors in the original work are not so simple. They are proficient in Haki and swordsmanship. How many people like that are there in the world?
Moreover, in the original work, Mihawk was the world's greatest swordsman. Even without Tianqi, the title of the greatest swordsman would still belong to him today. The strength of a mid-level swordsman is no small matter.
After defeating several overconfident swordsmen, Mihawk turned his gaze to Tianqi. Among the swordsmen present, only Shanks, Ryuma, and Tianqi could make him take them seriously; the other insignificant ants were no match for him.
Seeing Mihawk staring at him, Tianqi smiled slightly, then leaped onto the stage and stood facing Mihawk from afar.
"If I defeat you, I will be the world's greatest swordsman!" Mihawk said with a slight smile.
Although he knew he had no chance of defeating Tianqi, his swordsmanship wouldn't allow him to lose confidence. Even without a chance, he would fight to the very end, persevering and striving to defeat all swordsmen—that was his way of the sword.
"It's good to have confidence, but do you think you have a chance?" With that, Tianqi drew his Heavenly Cloud Sword from his waist. He wouldn't give Mihawk any chance; as Shanks' captain, he had to help him regain his face.
"What a fine weapon!" Mihawk watched as Tianqi drew his sword, the blade still gleaming with a faint white light. He narrowed his eyes. Although this weapon wasn't a Great Grade Sword, it surpassed the twelve Supreme Grade Swords, making it a divine weapon.
"Night Slash!" Without any hesitation, Mihawk unleashed a sword aura. As long as the aura hit his opponent, he could instantly teleport in front of him and unleash a second attack.
However, this was just his thought. Tianqi simply slashed his sword and broke the sword energy. Mihawk was an arrogant swordsman, and it would be very difficult to recruit him as a crew member. That was why Tianqi did not try to recruit him. After all, he did not want to waste his time on Mihawk.
"I've never used this move on anyone before, so I'll test it on you today!" With that, Tianqi unleashed his sword intent, and his feet slowly left the ground, floating into the air.
Facing a swordsman of Mihawk's caliber, all probing is meaningless; only a single decisive blow is the key. Tianqi doesn't make a move unless it's a devastating one, and when he does, it's a powerful strike.
"This is..." Feeling the tremor emanating from the black sword Night in his hand, Mihawk frowned. Was he preparing to defeat his enemy in one move by unleashing such a strong sword intent? It turned out that it wasn't trembling but excitement.
Tianqi slowly raised the Heavenly Cloud Sword, and sword energy began to condense around him, forming countless swords that surrounded him.
"Ten Thousand Swords Return to One!" Tianqi swung his sword, and countless swords, like a sword dragon, attacked Mihawk.
"Transforming qi into form, indeed the technique of the Wind Blade Swordsman. Come on, let me see just how strong the Wind Blade Swordsman!" Seeing such a technique, Mihawk was not afraid but excited. His powerful sword intent and sword qi immediately condensed on the black blade.
"Chaotic Frenzy Slash!" Mihawk swiftly wielded his black blade, attacking the sword dragon that resembled a Tianqi. This was his fastest sword move, perfectly suited to counter such a dense barrage of attacks.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!..."
The clash of swords echoed throughout the entire competition venue. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the two clashing swords on the stage. Everyone remained silent, their eyes wide with disbelief. Even the less skilled swordsmen could tell that this was an absolute clash of titans. Everyone present showed the two the utmost respect.
"I never expected that Captain Uchiha didn't use his full strength when he fought me!" Ryuma of Ryuda's face turned red as he looked at the rain of swords on the field. Last time, even though he was held back, he didn't lose by much in terms of swordsmanship. This time, however, he lost completely in terms of swordsmanship, and by a large margin.
What frustrated him even more was that his former defeated opponent Mihawk, had become so powerful that he was now completely dominating him, the former sword master.
"Hehe, the captain's strength is far more than that. If he didn't even have this much strength, how could he be our captain!" Shanks pressed down on his straw hat, feeling quite shocked. This rain of swords was simply too magnificent. Even he himself would probably have a hard time resisting this attack.
Mihawk continuously slashed at the sword energy forming the blades, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his retreating steps proving how difficult it was for him to withstand the attack.
Uchiha Tianqi's attacks were like a mountain of ten thousand blades. If this continued, I would be defeated sooner or later. I am the great swordsman Hawkeye Mihawk, how can I be defeated so easily! Mihawk increased his power again, and the black sword in his hand also surged with powerful wind blade sword energy.
"Hurricane Slash!" Sword energy mixed with sword energy, and the powerful slash directly annihilated the torrential rain of swords in one move.
Tianqi was slightly surprised to see his Myriad Swords Return to One technique broken so easily. Looking at the panting Mihawk, he nodded in satisfaction and said, "As expected of a great swordsman, you really have something!"
"Think... think... think you can take me down in one move? It's not that easy! I am Hawkeye Mihawk, the man who will become the world's greatest swordsman!" Mihawk, though almost exhausted, still refused to back down and said breathlessly.
"Not bad, not bad, Hawkeye Mihawk truly lives up to his reputation as a great swordsman. But can you withstand my next move?" Tianqi said, landing on the arena and looking at the panting Mihawk.
"I, Mihawk, never give up easily. Even against the Wind Blade Swordsman, I will fight to the very last moment!" Mihawk's eyes were resolute as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and his black sword, Nightblade, shone brightly.
"Are you still going to take a gamble? You should know you have no chance against the Wind Blade Swordsman!" Tianqi shook his head and advised, seeing Mihawk's insistence.
"No chance of winning? Heh, I don't think so!" Mihawk's lips curled up slightly, and the black light on the black blade in his hand grew stronger and stronger. The intense black light covered his entire body, and he seemed to have become one with the black blade. For a moment, everyone's weapons trembled.
"Oneness of Sword and Man! I never imagined that Mihawk and his black sword would reach such a perfect harmony. No wonder he didn't give up!" Ryuma of Ryuda was also shocked as he looked at Mihawk, who seemed to have transformed into a sword.
"What a Mihawk! He's actually broken through to the point of Oneness of Sword and Man. But judging from his appearance, it seems like he just broke through, and his condition isn't very stable yet." Shanks saw through the mystery at a glance.