The Title of the World's Greatest Swordsman

Hawkeye's title as the world's Great Swordsman is well-deserved; it is earned through countless breathtaking, life-or-death battles, fought blade to blade. Those who dared to doubt his strength all became lost souls beneath his blade. In this vast world, those who can be called Great Swordsman are few and far between. Yet, only the renowned Red-Haired Shanks truly earned Hawkeye's favor.

They had once engaged in countless fierce battles, each clash a spectacular display of Hanabi and awe. But ever since Red-Hair tragically lost an arm, Hawkeye had never challenged him again. In Hawkeye's proud heart, defeating Red-Hair now, even if it were a victory, would be nothing more than an unjust act of taking advantage of someone in distress. This reveals the intense pride and self-esteem deep within Hawkeye's heart.

At this very moment, Hawkeye Eyes, whose eyes had always been as sharp as a hawk's, involuntarily trembled. Then, the corners of his tightly closed mouth slowly turned up, and a long-lost smile gradually appeared on his cold and handsome face. Finally... after a long wait, a Great Swordsman worthy of his special attention had once again appeared in this vast world!

On the vast and boundless seas of the Sabaody Archipelago, a breathtaking battle is unfolding. Everyone watches in astonishment as Moke successfully betrays them and rescues Ace.

Just then, a dazzling Inazuma of lightning flashed across the sky. It turned out that Enel, as a powerful Logia -type Devil Fruit User with the Rumble- Rumble-Rumble Fruit, had stepped forward and resolutely blocked Kizaru's incredibly fierce attack. In an instant, Lightning Flash and Thunder roared, and the entire battlefield was enveloped by this terrifying power.

However, what happened next was even more unexpected. Moke flashed forward, wielding his greatsword with incredible speed and power, each strike containing boundless might, displaying a strength comparable to that of the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye! At that moment, the entire audience erupted in cheers.

People began to whisper among themselves, their voices rising and falling: "Isn't Moke Shichibukai? How could he suddenly turn against us? Could it be that he's been hiding his true purpose all along?" "This is unbelievable!"

Moke actually has a powerful subordinate with the Logia -type Rumble- Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability, which is practically equivalent to having a vice-captain comparable to Marine Admiral!

"My God! Who would have thought that this Moke is not only so powerful, but also a hidden Great Swordsman..." "This is all over... Ace has been successfully rescued, Kizaru has been held back by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit Devil Fruit User, and Moke himself has been able to withstand the attacks of the world's Great Swordsman, Hawkeye. The situation in this battle is completely out of control!" In this back and forth, the Navy has directly lost four top combatants.

The Whitebeard Pirates now have a fighting force like Ace. The situation has shifted in Whitebeard's favor...

"My God! If the Marine Headquarters really loses this time... what will become of the world?" People looked at each other, their faces filled with fear and unease. The scene fell into a deathly silence, with only heavy breathing rising and falling.

The reporters present were also pounding with excitement, their hearts pounding with fear yet unable to contain their anticipation. After all, this battle had only just begun, but every piece of news that had been revealed was a headline-grabbing story! Their minds were already racing, conjuring up all sorts of eye-catching headlines.

The first thing that catches the eye is. "<Shichibukai Mok has surprisingly defected, openly supporting the Whitebeard Pirates>"; followed by "<Shocking! A new generation of great swordsmen has emerged>"; and then there's the astonishing "<Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit user makes a stunning debut, his destructive power is arguably the strongest in nature>". Even more astonishingly, some have already eagerly posted headlines like. "<The New World is about to welcome its fifth Emperor of the Sea: This mysterious captain possesses multiple Devil Fruit abilities and the title of great swordsman, his strength is unfathomable>".

This earth-shattering, globally impactful war was broadcast live to the world using state-of-the-art technology! It's no exaggeration to say that every Affiliated Nation of the World Government broadcast the war live. Naturally, this included... the super-luxury entertainment complex run by the infamous Gild Tesoro. After all, his entertainment complex was also a crucial member Affiliated Nation of the World Government.

On that enormous, crystal-clear screen, as everyone watched in disbelief as Moke stood openly on the side of the Whitebeard Might-Shaker, Gild Tesoro was utterly stunned, speechless and momentarily at a loss for what to do. The reason was simple: what was happening before his eyes had completely exceeded all his previous expectations and judgments, like a sudden bombshell that shattered the flawless scheme he had meticulously planned and cleverly laid out for Moke at Marine Headquarters.

"That utterly despicable bastard..." Gild Tesoro gritted his teeth in anger, unable to help but mutter a curse under his breath. However, at this moment, he was completely unaware that in some unknown dark corner, a ghost-like figure was silently watching everything.

"Hehehe, I never expected this! Our captain is hiding such an amazing identity—he's actually a Great Swordsman with unparalleled swordsmanship! Yohohohoho..." The mysterious black figure let out a chilling laugh.

He was Brook, a mysterious figure who silently monitored the entire magnificent Gold City from the shadows in the form of an ethereal soul. However, to his utter surprise, the earth-shattering battle between the Marine Headquarters and Whitebeard was to be broadcast live in its entirety right in the central square of the Gold City. This sudden turn of events made the already unpredictable and challenging situation even more perplexing.

Prior to this, Brook wasn't entirely confident about when to strike at the perfect moment. After all, the difficulty of acting appropriately in such a complex environment filled with skilled opponents was unimaginable. But now, the situation had dramatically changed. This breathtaking live broadcast of the battle seemed to be a ray of light piercing the darkness, pointing Brook in the right direction.

Without hesitation, Brook leaped from the Gold City like a ghost, speeding straight towards the vast, boundless sea beyond. He knew that at this very moment, his powerful and reliable companions— Ata, the terrifyingly strong Great Ape King Burns, the unfathomably powerful Weevil, the quirky Perona, the domineering Gizas Jesus Burgess, the Haki and shrewish Ulti, and the colossal Page One —were lurking beneath the surface of the sea, not far from the Gold City, quietly awaiting his arrival.

As Brook drew closer to their location, an indescribable tension filled the air. Everyone knew that this moment had finally arrived; the time was ripe to conquer this coveted Gold City, and a breathtaking battle was about to begin...

At that moment, Akainu, who had been sitting calmly to the side, could no longer contain his excitement and suddenly stood up. His figure was as swift as Inazuma, and in the blink of an eye, he leaped to where Ace, Enel, and Kizaru were. In an instant, the situation on the field changed dramatically, and the two sides immediately formed a tense and exciting two-on-two standoff.

The moment Ace caught sight of Akainu, his pupils involuntarily contracted slightly. Faced with the powerful Marines, even a battle-hardened veteran like him couldn't help but feel a touch of apprehension. However, this apprehension did not frighten him; on the contrary, an indomitable fighting spirit burned fiercely in his chest.

Akainu stared intently at Ace, his eyes flashing with cold, resolute light, as if he wanted to devour the man before him completely. He roared through gritted teeth, "I will never let a bastard like you, with such sinful blood, step out of Marine Headquarters alive! Die... Meigo!" Before his words even finished, Akainu suddenly turned his right arm into molten lava, scorching magma flowing down his arm, radiating a suffocating heat. Then, the molten arm twisted and deformed as if it were alive, instantly transforming into a hideous, gigantic dog's head, which stretched out its molten limbs at an astonishing speed, lunging at Ace with the force of a thunderbolt.

Faced with the overwhelming attack, Ace showed no weakness and reacted swiftly. He let out a low shout, "Heat Haze!" and activated his Devil Fruit ability, instantly engulfing his hands in raging flames. Then, he swung his arm forcefully, and a dazzling pillar of fire erupted from his palm, directly meeting Akainu's molten lava claws. In an instant, Hikaru and Mars collided, sparks flying everywhere, illuminating the entire space as bright as day.

"Rumble..."

Ace's strength has long been a subject of controversy and criticism, but one fact remains undeniable: unless he encountered an opponent like Blackbeard who possessed a natural advantage against his Devil Fruit, Ace showed no fear in the face of anyone. In the original story, since the Marineford War, every place Luffy has visited has been filled with tales of Ace's heroic exploits. This clearly demonstrates that Ace's strength should not be underestimated...

Just then, their fierce attacks collided violently in mid-air, producing a deafening roar. Sure enough, in terms of the level of development of their Devil Fruit, Ace was in no way inferior to Akainu! Some have falsely claimed that the Magma-Magma Fruit is a superior version of the Flame-Flame Fruit, which is utter nonsense. Admittedly, the Magma-Magma Fruit does have more physical attack methods than the Flame-Flame Fruit, given that magma contains scorching rock components. However, it's important to note that flames can reach temperatures as high as 3000℃. If the Flame-Flame Fruit were developed to its peak, it might even reach the terrifying temperatures of tens of thousands of degrees Celsius found on the surface of the sun. In comparison, the temperature of magma is usually only between 900 and 1200℃, and even at its extreme, it only reaches a mere 1300℃.

After such comparisons, which Devil Fruit truly deserves the title of "superior"? However, what's puzzling is that in the original story, the incredibly powerful Ace was easily pierced through the body by Akainu with a single punch! The reasons for this are likely varied.

First, we have reason to believe that Ace may have deviated to some extent in the direction of developing his Devil Fruit ability. It should be noted that the power of Devil Fruit is unfathomable; if one can find the key path and explore it to the fullest extent, the power that can be unleashed will be beyond imagination.

As for the Flame-Flame Fruit that Ace possessed, its potential was unfathomable. If Ace had focused his attention on the key element of temperature and persistently explored and developed its potential, the final outcome would likely have been entirely different.

Okay, here is my expanded version based on your input:

Let's let our imaginations run wild! Suppose Ace really focused all his energy and attention on the key point of increasing the temperature of the flames, then it's foreseeable that the power he could control and wield would rise to an extremely terrifying and astonishing level. Even when facing a formidable enemy like Akainu, with overwhelming strength, Ace might not necessarily be completely in a passive and helpless predicament.

To truly understand the underlying principles, it's not as intricate or obscure as one might imagine. Simply focusing on the inherent, unconventional, extremely high temperature of magma and conducting a thorough analysis reveals that inflicting substantial damage on Ace would be an incredibly difficult task. Magma's exceptionally high temperature gives it immense destructive power, making it difficult to resist or counteract under normal circumstances. Therefore, attempting to inflict real harm on Ace with such an extreme substance undoubtedly faces numerous difficulties and enormous challenges.

The reasons for this are actually not that complicated. When it comes to attack methods and techniques that are purely based on physical properties, they often find themselves powerless, helpless, or even completely unable to deal with unique abilities like Elementalization.

After all, the special ability of Elementalization makes it difficult for attackers to directly hit the target entity, thus greatly reducing the effectiveness and power of physical attacks. Therefore, if Ace can successfully and significantly increase the temperature of his flames, he will undoubtedly have a stronger ability to protect himself and counterattack when facing powerful enemies.

Fortunately, Ace possessed the wondrous ability to transform the elements of his body into raging flames. Based on this, theoretically speaking, he should have been in a position of invincibility!

Secondly, we must also pay attention to another possibility: Akainu may have already mastered and used the powerful skill of Armament Haki. We must not overlook the important fact that magma and fire are fundamentally different.

Magma possesses very distinct and unique morphological characteristics; it is a tangible substance that can be seen and touched. Because of this characteristic, when magma takes on a physical form, it is entirely possible for Armament Haki to tightly bind to it. For example, if Armament Haki could be skillfully applied to the rocks within the magma, its offensive power would be significantly enhanced.

However, in stark contrast, flames are a form of existence without a fixed shape or substantial texture. Therefore, flames cannot be enveloped and surrounded by Armament Haki like magma. This obvious difference is precisely the most prominent and striking distinction between magma and flames.

Regarding this question, Moke personally leans towards the second viewpoint. After all, we all know that Ace has successfully developed the powerful skill "Flame Emperor." At this moment, his flames have even turned pure white... and according to relevant data, the temperature of white flames can reach approximately 1500 degrees Celsius. Obviously, this temperature has far exceeded the maximum temperature limit that magma can reach.

Of course, this is merely a shallow opinion from Moke's heart and a deduction based on various clues. Here, we warmly welcome every friend to freely express their own unique insights, making this clash of ideas and the confrontation of viewpoints even more intense! However, in any case, at this thrilling moment, Ace actually fought the incredibly powerful Akainu to a standstill, neither gaining the upper hand.

Perhaps, objectively speaking, Akainu's strength is indeed superior to Ace's. After all, capturing Ace would not be an easy task... Just then, Moke suddenly turned his head and looked at Marco standing to the side, saying in a serious tone, "I strongly suggest that you go to support Ace immediately. Although he possesses considerable strength, due to his previous capture and imprisonment, he is physically and mentally exhausted, and neither his physical nor mental condition has recovered to its peak level."

What's more, the enemy he's facing right now is the terrifying Akainu!

The moment these words reached Marco's ears, it was as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning from the heavens! In an instant, the color that had been on his face faded like the receding tide, disappearing completely and replaced by an extreme paleness, like a lifeless sheet of paper.

The relaxed and carefree Marco, with a faint smile always playing on his lips, vanished in an instant, as if he had never possessed that demeanor or expression. At this moment, his face, which had been as calm as a mirror, was suddenly covered by an incredibly thick and dense haze.

That solemn expression surged forth like a raging tide, rapidly filling his entire face. His expression at that moment was like the dark, oppressive sky before a storm, heavy and suffocating, and an indescribable sense of oppression arose in people's hearts.

In the next instant, without even the slightest hesitation, Marco's body seemed to be suddenly fitted with a powerful spring, producing an instinctive conditioned reflex. With astonishing speed, he abruptly ripped his gaze away from the scene before him and fixed it firmly on the distant area where a fierce battle had already erupted.

In that place, Ace and Akainu were engaged in a thrilling and suspenseful life-or-death duel! Their clash was like a collision of Mars, a back-and-forth battle where neither would yield an inch, and every move contained terrifying power capable of destroying the world. Each attack roared out with the force of a thunderbolt, making those who watched it feel a chill run down their spines.

On the other side of the battlefield, after Moke had finished venting everything he needed to say, he made a decision without hesitation—to completely ignore everything happening around him. He first took a deep breath, then suddenly bent his knees, his whole body crouching slightly, like a cheetah poised to pounce. Then, he used all his strength to slam his foot hard against the solid ground.

In that instant, time seemed to stand still, and then an overwhelming burst of power erupted from beneath his feet like a volcanic eruption. This force, like a surging giant wave, propelled his entire body forward like an arrow released from a fully drawn bow, shooting forward at an astonishing speed beyond anyone's imagination.

At this moment, the target that Moke was locking onto as he sped forward at lightning speed was not anyone else, but the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, who possessed a world-renowned reputation, whose name resounded throughout the world and struck fear into the hearts of all! It should be known that the name Dracule Mihawk had long been a supreme symbol and an insurmountable peak in the hearts of countless swordsmen.

However, Moke didn't hesitate to charge directly at this legendary figure. The reason behind this was actually quite simple. Deep within Moke's heart surged an uncontrollable, burning impulse that drove him to desperately try to understand a crucial question: once he successfully entered the legendary Holy Sword State, would he possess sufficient strength to engage in a life-or-death duel with this peerless swordsman whose skills had reached their pinnacle, and truly prove himself superior? At the same time, he was also eager to know just how vast the gap truly existed between himself and Dracule Mihawk.