"The World's Greatest Swordsman against the East Blue's most famous Pirate Hunter... What kind of fight will this be?"
On the Baratie's deck, Patty gripped the fork in his hand and swallowed nervously. Even the air seemed to grow thick.
"Big Bro won't lose!!"
Below, Johnny and Joseph leaned over the railing and shouted at the top of their lungs, "You've got this, Big Bro! Show him what Three-Sword Style can do!"
At the center of the deck.
Hawkeye watched the young swordsman before him, whose fighting spirit burned bright even in the face of certain defeat.
A flicker of emotion finally crossed his golden eyes, normally still as an ancient well.
He slowly raised a hand and removed the small golden cross hanging from his neck.
"Moving."
Hawkeye's voice was flat, giving no hint of praise or mockery. "But reality is reality. I'm not like a foolish beast that does nothing but howl."
Clink.
He gently pulled the lower half of the cross free, revealing a sharp blade only a few centimeters long.
"You may be a swordsman of some renown, but this is the East Blue—the weakest of the four seas.
"Unfortunately, I don't have a smaller blade for an opponent of your caliber."
The words struck Zoro like a resounding slap.
Zoro bit down hard on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji, so hard that he drew blood.
"There's a limit... to looking down on someone!!"
Boom!
Zoro's feet smashed through the deck, and he charged Hawkeye like an enraged tiger.
"Don't regret it when you're dead, you bastard!!"
Faced with that furious charge, Hawkeye merely stood where he was.
He watched Zoro rush toward him and lightly raised the "toy" knife in his hand.
"You frog in a well. Let me show you how vast the world