Straw Hat Joins the Fray, the Empress vs. Doflamingo / Roger Appears, the Plan Remains Unchanged

At that thought, he ignored the other Shichibukai's expressions and leaped into the air. He raised his Black Blade, Yoru, overhead, a tremendous sword aura naturally gathering along its length as he swung it in a full-moon arc.

Another blow crashed down, sending a nearly full-moon-shaped slash roaring forward, as though intent on splitting the distant Moby Dick in two.

"God-Breaking Strike!!"

Seemingly sensing Hawkeye's immense fighting spirit, Rayleigh burst out laughing.

"Looks like these old bones will have to get some exercise today!!"

Rayleigh nodded to Whitebeard, then shifted his feet slightly and vanished from the spot in a flash.

Rayleigh suddenly reappeared in midair, his sword held across his body. With one horizontal slash, a slender black line appeared in the sky.

Everyone present froze at the sight, but the faces of those few fighters who stood at the pinnacle changed abruptly.

In their eyes, that was no mere line. It was a slash compressed countless times over. Condensing such a tremendous slash into a thin line did not diminish its power in the slightest; instead, its power increased exponentially.

Unlike the previous clash of slashes, which had ended in a stalemate, this one was decided in a single blow.

The unassuming black line split Hawkeye's slash in two. Without losing momentum, it hurtled toward him faster than the naked eye could follow.

Suspended in midair, Hawkeye tensed like a fully drawn bowstring. There was no trace of panic in his hawk-like eyes. His feet trembled slightly, and two sonic booms suddenly erupted beneath them.

"Shave?"

Hawkeye accelerated like a rocket, shooting upward dozens of yards. Without pausing, he swung again, but this time it was not a flying slash. He was going in for close combat.

Taking advantage of his height and his body's momentum, Hawkeye gripped