I Could Copy Any Talent in the World of Pirates

And the Knock Up Stream didn't appear on a fixed schedule.

With that option out, Noil had no choice but to look for another way up.

After all, Kaido had jumped from Sky Island, Urouge had recuperated there, and Bellamy had later gone up to explore. They couldn't all have taken the Knock Up Stream.

Think how many ships that would cost!

Speaking of ships, it was about time Noil replaced his.

Noil stamped a few times inside the cabin, and the planks immediately creaked.

The ship had accompanied him through years of bounty hunting. It had originally been refitted from Arlong's ship.

As the fights and voyages ahead grew tougher, it wouldn't be able to keep up with Noil.

Robin looked at the damaged planks. "You should replace this ship. It hasn't been maintained in ages."

Noil rubbed his chin. "No rush. We'll look for a ship at the next island."

"I'll find some materials and patch this one up for now."

Up on Sky Island, there was a guy who called himself God—and there was his prized possession.

The Ark Maxim!

Noil had coveted that ship for ages. Ships that could fly were rare in the world of pirates.

The weather gradually warmed, and all the snow on the ship melted away.

Robin had picked up plenty of pretty women's clothes from the fashionable old lady Kureha. Right now, she was wearing a short-sleeved top.

Robin did have quite the figure.

The stretchy white fabric fit snugly over her upper body, swelling at the chest like a pair of rising buns.

Though the two little troublemakers were held in place, the slightest movement could still set off a terrifying tidal wave.

The fabric narrowed sharply below, hugging a waist he could have circled with his hands.

Her snug denim shorts completed a striking silhouette.

Noil could say with confidence that he could watch Robin try on clothes for an entire year!

What frustrated him was that he was strong and even had the charm boost of an Otherworldly Guest. So why hadn't Robin shown any interest?

Wasn't switching on that kind of aura supposed to send heroines throwing themselves into his arms?

The hopelessly straightforward Noil shook his head in disappointment. Guang Liang had been right: fairy tales were all lies.

Robin sat on deck reading in the sun. Noil stole two more looks, then carried his materials off to repair the planks.

When Robin sensed that the gaze fixed on her had disappeared, she quietly let out a breath.

At the same time, she relaxed the chest she had deliberately thrust forward. Her tightly clasped hands loosened, their palms slick with sweat.

Robin turned a page absentmindedly, her gaze drifting toward Noil as he worked away in the distance.

A ripple disturbed her usually serene expression. Her lips parted, but no words came out for a long time.

Only after a while did a faint voice seem to drift through the air.

Idiot...

Busy with the repairs, Noil poked his head up in puzzlement.

Did I hear something?

That sounded almost... exasperated?

Noil, living up to the accusation, went back to work, while Robin quietly read her book. It was a peaceful enough scene.

But across the vast sea, a lone little boat drifted toward them, on course to pass Noil's ship.

Small as it was, the boat was finely made and decorated mostly in black. Its centerpiece was a black-and-white cross-shaped seat, with a sail rigged above it.

Seated there was a man in a black hat, a patterned burgundy shirt, and a black coat.

Most striking of all were his sharp golden eyes, like those of a hawk.

Hawk-Eyes raised his head and spotted the large ship approaching from afar.

No pirate flag. An ordinary merchant ship?

Hawk-Eyes shook his head and closed his eyes, bored.

He had thought he might get a chance to stretch his muscles.

The two vessels passed each other across the waves. Noil, still busy with repairs, happened to glance over and spotted Hawk-Eyes.

He froze, then cried out in delight, "Hawk-Eyes!"

Hawk-Eyes' Talents

Dracule Mihawk looked up in confusion at Noil shouting from the ship.

Do I know him?

But when Mihawk noticed the sword at Noil's waist, he began to understand.

A swordsman. Another fool hoping to make a name for himself by challenging me.

One look at how young Noil was, and Mihawk lost interest.

He had just returned from the New World, where he had gone to visit an old rival for a sparring match.

To Hawk-Eyes' dismay, that rival had lost an arm despite being a swordsman, claiming he had wagered it on the new era.

Unwilling to take advantage of an old friend, Hawk-Eyes hadn't fought him. Now he was itching for a match.

"Wait! I want to challenge you!"

As Noil stood on deck looking at Dracule Mihawk, the system instantly revealed all his information.

Name: Mihawk

World's Greatest Swordsman: Golden talent. His talent with the sword surpasses that of others of his generation. Increases the force behind his sword techniques and the damage they deal. Attacks against any swordsman gain 20% penetration. Time required to execute sword techniques is halved.

Supreme Sword Heart: Golden talent. Possesses a pure heart devoted to pursuing the supreme way of the sword. Can copy the sword techniques of experts of any level through simple observation. His Sword Aura carries a special power: the more wounds it inflicts on an enemy, the greater the damage.

Cold on the Outside, Warm on the Inside: Blue-quality talent. Has an eccentric personality. The longer someone spends with him, the faster their favorability toward him rises.

The World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk!

At the sight of two golden talents, Noil nearly lost his mind with longing.

Noil practiced swordsmanship, and one of his greatest goals in setting out to sea was to copy the strongest swordsman's talents.

How lucky to run into Mihawk today. One look at those talents, and Noil knew his reputation was deserved.

I want both of those golden talents!

But what's with that blue one?

Hawk-Eyes is secretly a warmhearted guy?

Noil studied Hawk-Eyes in bewilderment.

He doesn't look like it.

Mihawk, however, seemed far less enthusiastic than the eager Noil.

He frowned and fixed Noil with his hawklike eyes. "A youngster like you wants to make your name by defeating me?"

Noil stepped onto the railing and looked at Mihawk as though he were a priceless treasure. "I don't care about fame. I just want to learn from your swordsmanship."

Well...

I want to learn your talents!

Mihawk watched Noil without much interest. If the kid hadn't shown at least some manners, he would have split the ship apart already.

Still, he had nothing better to do. Mihawk rose without drawing his sword and said coolly, "Make your move. Let me see what you've got."

What the hell?

Noil was almost dazzled by Mihawk's sheer confidence.

They're both Shichibukai, so why does Mihawk seem so much more impressive than Crocodile?

Mihawk stood on his boat. Noil pushed the thought aside and placed a hand on his sword hilt.

Robin took her book and retreated several steps, watching Noil with concern.

After briefly gathering his strength, Noil drew and swung in one fierce motion. A blue-silver wave of Sword Aura sliced across the sea toward Mihawk.

Mihawk's golden eyes narrowed sharply. He turned slightly, as though he had seen it coming, and the slash shot past his body.

The powerful Flying Slash struck the sea, throwing up waves with its force and even forming a whirlpool on the surface.

Mihawk studied the trail left by that draw-cut. At last, something stirred in his otherwise unruffled heart.

Not bad swordsmanship. And he even has Haki. This might be fun after all!

Now interested in Noil, Mihawk pointed off to one side. "I just came from that direction. There's a deserted island over there. Let's fight on it."

Noil was desperate to get his hands on those two talents, so he agreed with a grin. "Sure."

They sailed to the isolated island, where Robin stayed by the shore.

She didn't understand why men could suddenly start fighting over next to nothing.

Or why, after hitting someone or taking a beating, they seemed so excited about it.

Noil and Mihawk took their positions. Noil drew the Qingxing Blade, while Mihawk lifted the Supreme Grade Sword from his back.

Noil looked at Mihawk's black blade, Yoru, then at his own Skillful Grade Blade, Qingxing. He drew a sharp breath and fell silent...

Hawk-Eyes made no allowances for the difference in their weapons. Holding Yoru in one hand, he moved like a phantom, sweeping Noil up in a dark-green flash of steel.

Noil coated his weapon with Armament Haki and caught the blow with a backhand block.

Yoru was enormous, yet in Hawk-Eyes' hands it danced like a butterfly among flowers. He wielded the massive blade with the close-quarters precision of a dagger.

Noil was pinned down at once. He whipped his blade around in desperate defense, without a single chance to counterattack.

Against the World's Greatest Swordsman fighting at full force from the start, Noil immediately found himself in trouble.

He didn't want to rely on his Devil Fruit powers. This was a perfect chance to hone his swordsmanship.

It had always been his most obvious weakness.

In swordsmanship, he couldn't match Hawk-Eyes. In developing his Devil Fruit powers, he couldn't match Crocodile.

Put the two together, though, and he could hold his own against nearly any Shichibukai-level fighter, perhaps even gain the upper hand.

No matter how good his talents were, their worth depended on how he used and trained them. Noil didn't want his own poor training to squander them.

As the fight heated up, Mihawk seemed to avoid lethal moves, almost as if he were deliberately feeding Noil attacks to learn from.

Amid the ringing of their blades, Noil's thoughts seemed to sink into the two Famous Swords locked in struggle.

He could almost feel the pride and fighting spirit within them!

His mind gradually cleared, and a light kindled in Noil's eyes.

Noil drew his blade at blinding speed once more and growled:

"Nine-Headed Dragon Flash!"

Sword light blurred through the air, leaving what looked like afterimages behind!

Mihawk's eyes darkened. Inky sword light enveloped him as he struck back at the same blistering speed.

Noil delivered nine lightning-fast slashes from different directions, and Mihawk answered every one. An onlooker could never have grasped how dangerous that exchange was.

Breathing a little harder, Noil poured another burst of energy into a second Nine-Headed Dragon Flash.

Mihawk's golden hawk eyes seemed to see through everything. He countered instantly—with Noil's own Nine-Headed Dragon Flash!

Violent waves of Sword Aura collided, then scattered wildly, smashing everything they struck. In an instant, the little deserted island was a wreck.

The two fighters stopped. Noil steadied his ragged breathing and stared at Mihawk, his heart burning with excitement.

World's Greatest Swordsman gave Mihawk a crushing advantage against other swordsmen, while Supreme Sword Heart let him see through Noil's techniques and copy them on the spot.