Battle with Mihawk

North of Shimotsuki Village.

Mingzuo Ming.

That night, the moonlight was cold and clear, pouring over the earth like liquid silver and edging all things in a hazy glow.

Having left Shimotsuki Village, Dawn sped through the sky using his powerful physique and special techniques. Below him lay rolling mountains and vast Forest.

As he passed over a seemingly desolate Forest, a powerful, utterly unfamiliar aura abruptly entered his keen senses like a beacon in the night.

The sheer strength of that aura instantly put Dawn on alert.

In his perception, it was actually no weaker than Kuzan, whom he had met only once many years ago!

Driven by the desire to test his current strength, Dawn immediately changed direction and dived toward the source of the aura.

He wanted to know just how far he still was from the admiral candidate he had once needed to look up to.

Meanwhile, deep within the vast Forest below.

A tall man stood in a clearing.

He wore a black top hat trimmed with white fur, a burgundy patterned shirt, and a black coat. Even in the darkness of night, he stood out sharply.

Most eye-catching of all was the astonishingly long cross-shaped greatblade on his back.

The man seemed to sense something. He raised his head, revealing sharp yellow eyes like those of a hawk as he stared into the night sky beyond the drifting clouds.

His piercing gaze seemed to penetrate every obstacle, accurately locking onto the powerful presence rapidly approaching from above.

Dawn broke through the thin clouds and hovered above the Forest. Moonlight outlined his tall, upright figure. His eyes instantly locked onto the man in the clearing below, and when he recognized that iconic appearance and enormous black blade, his pupils contracted slightly despite himself.

"Dracule Mihawk..."