"An honor? Hardly."
Hawk-Eye answered Issho's respect with nothing but a cold snort.
"After all, I've defeated more so-called Great Swordsmen than I can count." His voice carried the aloof indifference of someone who had stood at the summit for far too long.
"Try not to perform worse than the Snake Princess."
"The Snake Princess?" Issho repeated the title with a hint of confusion, remaining focused and on guard.
"Do you mean... Boa Hancock, the 'Empress' of the Shichibukai?"
"Not her."
At that moment, Gern, who had been quietly watching from behind, cleared his throat and explained casually, "The former Snake Princess, Toritoma. My woman."
"I see... one of the 'Calamities' under your command, Sir Gern."
"I'll let you move first," Hawk-Eye said.
Understanding immediately, Issho's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Then... forgive me!"
Before the words had faded, Issho's steady presence abruptly sharpened. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he lunged forward!
His Cane Sword, Gambler's Fireline, came fully out of its sheath, visible purple ripples of gravity gathering madly along its blade!
"Gravity Blade: Tiger!!"
With a low roar, Issho poured all the gravity he had gathered onto his blade and swung ferociously at Hawk-Eye!
Along the path of his blade, an immense surge of horizontal gravity charged like a tiger descending a mountain.
Accompanying the fierce slash, it bore down on Hawk-Eye, the sudden gravity gouging trenches into the ground!
Facing this powerful attack that combined swordsmanship with the bizarre abilities of the Press-Press Fruit, Hawk-Eye's stern face remained utterly unruffled.
He did not even adopt any special opening stance. He simply took the enormous Black Blade, Yoru, in his hand,
shifted it from an angled hold into a firm grip, and casually raised it to meet the slash imbued with terrifying gravity.
Clang-!!!!!
A