Hawkeye's Talent

Besides, the Knock Up Stream appeared at irregular intervals.

With no other way to reach Sky Island, Noil could only look for another route.

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

How many ships would that cost?

Speaking of ships, Noil's was due for a replacement.

He 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 built from Arlong's vessel.

As his battles and voyages grew more demanding, it certainly wouldn't be able to keep up with him.

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

Noil rubbed his chin. "No rush. I'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 his prized possession.

The Ark Maxim!

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

The weather gradually warmed, and all the snow on deck disappeared.

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

There was no denying Robin had a stunning figure.

The stretchy white fabric hugged her upper body, where it strained over her full curves.

Though the two little troublemakers were held firmly in place, the slightest movement set off a spectacular swell.

Farther down, the fabric drew sharply inward around a waist slender enough to circle with two hands.

Her fitted denim shorts completed the look, tracing an astonishing curve.

Noil could confidently say he could watch Robin try on clothes for a whole year!

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

Wasn't turning on that aura supposed to send the heroine rushing into his arms?

Noil, hopelessly dense as ever, shook his head in disappointment. Guang Liang had been right: fairy tales were full of lies.

Robin sat on deck reading in the sun. Noil stole another couple of looks before carrying his materials off to repair the planks.

Only when she felt his gaze leave her did Robin quietly let out a breath.

At the same time, she relaxed the chest she had deliberately pushed forward and unclenched her hands. Her palms were damp with sweat.

Robin turned a page absentmindedly and glanced toward Noil, who was amusing himself in the distance.

A ripple disturbed her usually calm expression. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

After a long while, a voice so faint it was almost lost in the air seemed to whisper:

"Idiot..."

Busy with his handiwork, Noil poked his head up in confusion.

Did I hear something?

It sounded almost like someone was disappointed in me.

Living up to the accusation, Noil went back to work without a clue while Robin read quietly. The scene was peaceful enough.

But across the vast sea drifted a lone little boat, headed straight toward Noil's ship.

Small though it was, the boat was finely made and decorated in black. Its main structure was a black-and-white cross-shaped seat with a sail mounted above it.

A man sat there 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 little exercise.

The two vessels passed each other across the waves. Noil, still patching up his ship, caught sight of Hawk-Eyes out at sea.

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 saw the sword at Noil's waist, he understood.

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

The sight of Noil's youthful face left Mihawk unimpressed.

He had just returned from the New World, where he had gone to visit an old rival in search of a duel.

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

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

"Wait! I want to challenge you!"

Noil stood aboard his ship, looking at Dracule Mihawk. The system instantly revealed all Mihawk's information.

Name: Mihawk

World's Greatest Swordsman: Gold-tier talent. Swordsmanship aptitude surpasses that of his generation. Increases the force behind sword techniques and their destructive power. Attacks against any swordsman gain 20% penetration. Halves the time needed to execute sword techniques.

Supreme Sword Heart: Gold-tier talent. Possesses a pure heart devoted to the pursuit of the supreme way of the sword. Can copy the sword techniques of experts of any level through simple observation. 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-tier talent. Has an eccentric personality. The longer someone spends with him, the faster their affection for him grows.

The World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk!

At the sight of two gold-tier talents, Noil nearly lost his mind with desire.

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

He was lucky enough to run into Mihawk today, and those talents certainly lived up to his reputation.

I'm taking both of those gold-tier talents!

But what's with that blue-tier one?

Is Hawk-Eyes secretly a sweetheart?

Noil studied Hawk-Eyes, puzzled.

He doesn't look like one.

Noil was eager to begin, but Mihawk seemed far less enthusiastic.

He frowned and fixed his hawklike eyes on Noil. "You think a youngster like you can make a name for yourself by defeating me?"

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

Well...

Learn your talents, that is!

Mihawk regarded Noil with little interest. If the kid hadn't shown some manners, he would have cut the ship apart already.

He had nothing else to do, so he stood up without drawing his sword. "Make your move. Let me see what you're made of."

What?

Is he really that confident?

Mihawk's sheer presence nearly left Noil stunned.

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

Mihawk remained on his boat. Noil put aside his thoughts and rested a hand on his sword's hilt.

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

After gathering his strength for a moment, Noil drew and slashed with all his might. Blue-silver Sword Aura cut across the waves and hurtled toward Mihawk.

Mihawk's golden pupils contracted. As if he had seen it coming, he shifted slightly aside, and the Sword Aura shot past his body.

The powerful Flying Slash struck the sea. Its impact threw up a surge and even formed a whirlpool on the surface.

Mihawk studied the mark left by that draw-slash. For the first time, a flicker of interest stirred in his still heart.

Not bad swordsmanship. And he even has Haki. This could be fun!

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

Noil was desperate to get his hands on those two talents. He grinned. "Sure."

They brought their ships to the island, and Robin stayed by the shore.

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

Or why they were so excited afterward, whether they'd dealt the blows or taken them.

Noil and Mihawk faced each other on solid ground. Noil drew the Qingxing Blade, while Mihawk raised his supreme-grade blade from his back.

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

Hawk-Eyes didn't hold back because of the difference in their weapons. He lifted Yoru in one hand and moved like a phantom, its dark green blade flashing toward Noil.

Noil coated his weapon in Armament Haki and blocked the strike with a backhand swing.

Yoru was enormous, but in Hawk-Eyes' hands it moved with the nimble precision of a dagger in close quarters.

Noil was immediately forced onto the defensive. He kept his blade moving just to fend off the attacks, with no chance to counter.

Faced with the World's Greatest Swordsman attacking at full force from the outset, Noil quickly found himself in trouble.

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

It had always been his most obvious weakness.

He couldn't match Hawk-Eyes in Swordsmanship or Crocodile in mastery of their Devil Fruit powers.

But by combining his abilities, he could hold his own against almost any Shichibukai-level opponent—and might even come out ahead.

No matter how good a talent was, its worth depended on how its wielder trained and used it. Noil refused to waste his gifts through poor practice.

As the fight grew fierce, Mihawk seemed to avoid killing blows, almost as if he were deliberately giving Noil openings to learn from.

Amid the repeated ring of steel, Noil felt his thoughts sink into the two Famous Swords locked against each other.

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

His mind gradually cleared, and a light rose in his eyes.

Noil drew his sword again with blinding speed and growled:

"Nine-Headed Dragon Flash!"

Sword light flashed through the air too fast to follow, leaving what seemed like afterimages in its wake!

Mihawk's expression sharpened. Dark blade light enveloped him as he struck back with the same blistering speed.

Noil unleashed nine strikes from different directions, and Mihawk answered each in turn. No onlooker could have grasped how dangerous that exchange was.

Breathing a little harder, Noil poured his focus into another Nine-Headed Dragon Flash.

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

The fierce clash of blades and Sword Aura sent stray attacks flying in every direction, tearing through the small deserted island until it was a wreck.

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

World's Greatest Swordsman gave Mihawk overwhelming power against swordsmen, while Supreme Sword Heart let him see through Noil's moves and copy them instantly.