An Encounter at Sea

As their blades clashed again and again, Mihawk's breathing grew uneven, and he was driven steadily backward.

The battle raged on.

Until the very last moment, no one could tell which of them would claim the top spot in swordsmanship.

"Will the title of World's Greatest Swordsman change hands today?"

Buggy murmured.

Kuina's eyes widened. "Does that mean I'll have to defeat my own teacher someday?"

Given the choice between Mihawk and her teacher, she clearly did not want to face her teacher.

After years at his side, Kuina knew exactly what kind of monster he was. He had worn Seastone Shackles for nearly ten years, yet far from being weakened, he had only grown stronger.

In fact, she suspected her teacher still had not gone all out.

A gust swept over everyone's heads.

The two fighters' presences surged to their peak, and their relentless exchange came to a halt.

"It's about to be decided!" Rosinante said.

Everyone tensed, their gazes fixed on the battlefield.

Suddenly—

Dust jumped from the ground. Mihawk gripped his sword with both hands and vanished.

At the same instant, the ground beneath Xia Le caved in as he sprang upward.

Whoosh!

A ripple spread through the air as the two figures flashed past each other.

The exchange was clean and silent, yet it carried a terrifying force.

Everyone stared in shock. Everything in their sight had turned black and white.

It was as though the world had been sliced diagonally in two, one half black and the other white.

Their robes fluttered. A few crimson drops fell, staining the world ahead with red and bringing color back to everyone's sight.

Thud!

Their feet touched down almost simultaneously. They stood back to back.

Then the wind arrived, suddenly fierce. A powerful shockwave swept in every direction.