Hawk-Eye was strong, but he certainly had not reached his supposed peak yet. He could put up a fight, but he had absolutely no... chance of winning!
After a brief respite, the aura surrounding Gern abruptly changed.
The hints of probing curiosity and appreciation vanished, replaced by absolute, crushing pressure.
The air began to tremble. Tiny stones slowly floated upward in defiance of gravity, then silently crumbled to dust.
Gern slowly raised Black Blade: Eight Desolations.
The dark red cracks along its blade churned violently like molten lava. The hum of High-Frequency Vibration was no longer shrill.
"Mihawk." Gern's voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority, like a god delivering a decree.
"I have witnessed your swordsmanship.
Now, feel... what it means to be a 'calamity.'"
The instant those words fell, Gern moved!
Rather than using his earlier, exquisite footwork, he simply raised Black Blade: Eight Desolations over his head.
Yet that simple movement brought upheaval to heaven and earth!
Rumble!!
With him at its center, the entire island-and even the surrounding sea-began to shake violently!
The earth shook like a sieve. Huge fissures spread from beneath Gern's feet, tearing wildly outward like enormous black pythons!
Terrifying waves dozens of meters high surged across the distant sea, while an invisible force stirred the clouds overhead.
They formed a massive vortex, its center directly above Gern as he stood below with his blade raised!
Hawk-Eye's pupils contracted sharply. An overwhelming sense of danger instantly pulled every nerve in his body taut!
Without hesitation, he held Yoru across his body and unleashed his top-tier Armament Haki without reserve, rendering himself as indestructible as obsidian!
He knew he could not block this any other way!
Gern swung.
The motion even looked somewhat slow, as though the blade weighed an unimaginable amount.
But as