Ding.
"Your fighting style is nothing but reckless chaos," Mihawk said coldly.
With a precise swing of Yoru, he repelled Shirogai's leg blade and clawed strike in a single motion. The collision rang sharply through the air.
He frowned faintly.
"I cannot tolerate such unrestrained attacks."
Shirogai, still transformed into a living weapon, laughed freely as he twisted midair.
"Mihawk, you're too obsessed with form," he replied calmly. "Why cling to rigid techniques?"
His body spun as he spoke, blades shifting fluidly.
"When beasts fight, they bite, swing, or tear. Nothing fancy."
Shirogai's rotation accelerated, his form turning into a violent black vortex, like a high-speed grinder tearing through the air as it surged toward Mihawk.
"Humans are smarter than beasts," Shirogai continued, his voice echoing from within the spinning storm, sharp enough to shake eardrums. "But because they overthink, they forget the core truth."
"Battle exists for one reason only. To defeat the enemy."
"As long as you win, no method is forbidden."
"Myriad Blades, Life and Death!"
Ding.
The tip of Yoru pressed firmly against the spinning mass of blades.
Black sparks burst outward as the two forces collided, crackling violently through the air.
Sizzle.
Their Armament Haki clashed directly, warping the atmosphere around them into a raging storm.
High above, the eternal fog that had blanketed the Devil's Triangle for decades was torn apart.
Moonlight poured through as clouds were split open, as if pierced by twin swords.
"You are not wrong," Mihawk admitted, a rare smile forming.
Without hesitation, he gripped Yoru's hilt with both hands.
A blinding sword light erupted.
The spinning mass was violently blasted upward.
"Black Blade, One Breath Slash."
A condensed sword wave, glowing faintly green, flashed instantly before Shirogai in midair.
Bang.
"Not enough."
Mihawk vanished from his position.
Swish.
In the next moment, he appeared above Shirogai, swinging Yoru in a clean, elegant arc.
"Slash!"
The blade descended toward Shirogai's chest.
"Mihawk, you're serious now?"
Shirogai let out a sharp laugh and raised his palm.
The blade struck.
He was blasted backward instantly, vanishing into the darkness.
Mihawk himself was forced back by the recoil, sliding before regaining his footing.
Thud.
He landed steadily, eyes narrowed as he stared into the distance.
"That ability," Mihawk muttered. "It's unnatural."
He could clearly tell. That slash should not have been blocked so easily.
Nearby, Kuma silently lowered his gaze to the paw pads on his own hands.
He had seen them just now.
On Shirogai's palm.
Swish.
A beam of light shot in from afar, converging and solidifying into Shirogai's form.
"Hey, hey," Shirogai said casually, patting his chest with a relaxed grin. "That was dangerous. I almost died."
He looked completely unharmed.
Mihawk's eyes sharpened.
"You used Kuma's power."
"You noticed," Shirogai replied lightly. "The Paw Paw Fruit really is fascinating."
He extended both hands.
Soft pink paw pads were clearly visible.
Shirogai clenched the air, compressing it rapidly until a small, transparent, cat-paw-shaped mass formed between his palms.
"Cat Paw Bullet," he said cheerfully. "Try judging its power."
He tossed it toward Mihawk, then transformed into light and vanished.
"This is absurd recklessness," Mihawk muttered.
He flashed away instantly, retreating without hesitation.
Kuma remained silent, gently patting his own body before launching himself far from the area.
The shadow left behind by Moriah hesitated briefly, then sank back into the ground, returning to its master.
…
The transparent cat paw drifted downward.
It brushed against a jagged rock.
Pop.
The thin outer layer ruptured.
The compressed air inside detonated violently.
Boom.
A deafening roar followed.
Boom.
The explosion erupted like the collapse of the world itself, turning everything within range into ruin.
A massive cat paw shape briefly manifested above the devastation, then slowly faded away.
Whoosh.
Dust and shockwaves surged outward, uprooting trees and hurling debris into the sky.
Boom.
"Bastards," Moriah snarled from afar, clutching his chest. "At least respect other people's ships!"
Suddenly, a cheerful voice rang out from the bushes.
"Moriah sama, you're alive!"
"We were so worried!"
A small figure leapt out and hugged Moriah's leg tightly.
Moriah blinked, startled.
Perona clung to him, her face full of relief.
Absalom emerged as well, dragging two bound figures behind him.
"You didn't run?" Moriah said, surprised. "Didn't I tell you to leave first?"
"No," Absalom replied earnestly. "We stayed because we were worried about you."
He pulled Zoro and Chopper forward proudly.
"We even caught his companions! Moriah sama, should we use them to threaten him?"
Moriah looked at Zoro's calm glare and Chopper's trembling form.
Then he waved his hand dismissively.
"Release them," he said irritably. "Keeping those two around will only bring that monster back."
"Huh?" Absalom froze. "You don't want that five-billion-Berries combat shadow anymore?"
"Do I look suicidal?" Moriah snapped, pointing toward the still-smoking ruins.
"That explosion was something he made casually, like a joke."
"If I'd known his power was this terrifying, I would've ordered Thriller Bark to flee immediately."
His expression darkened with reluctant awe.
"Even Sengoku has to give him face. That kind of monster cannot be provoked."
A familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Am I really that scary?"
Moriah stiffened.
"What? Shirogai! You're inside my head?!"
He clutched his skull in panic.
"What kind of ability is this?"
"Just long-distance mental communication," Shirogai replied calmly. "A small trick."
"Next, I need your help with something."
…
"Wait."
Moriah suddenly stopped Absalom from cutting the ropes.
He turned back to Zoro and Chopper, a crooked smile forming.
"I just thought of something interesting."
"Where are the rest of your companions?"
Chopper trembled violently.
"S-someone help us…"
Zoro sneered.
"You want to threaten them with us?" he said coldly. "Keep dreaming."
_____
💎 100 Powerstones → Unlock 1 Bonus Chapter
💎 200 Powerstones → Unlock 2 Bonus Chapters
Want to get early access?
Join my Patreon and read ahead!
Search for "Zphyr" or visit: Patreon.com/Zphyr