Land of Wano, outer perimeter.
At first, Hawk Eyes truly didn't take Gecko Moria seriously.
Later, his attitude toward Gecko Moria changed only because he witnessed his strength and courage…
But to be honest, it was still hard to make Hawk Eyes go all out.
However, Gecko Moria immediately made Hawk Eyes pay a small price.
In the Shadow Gathering Ground state, Gecko Moria instantly adjusted his body as he was blasted backward…
The next moment, with a near-teleporting speed, he appeared right in front of Hawk Eyes.
He didn't even raise the greatsword in his hand. With just a single punch from the side smashing into the blade of the black sword Yoru, he sent Hawk Eyes flying.
He bounced across the sea's surface like a skipped stone.
This sudden change was hard for Hawk Eyes to believe.
But what followed…
Was excitement.
Steadying himself, Hawk Eyes returned to the ship using Geppo.
Looking at the Gecko Moria before him—whose aura and presence were now entirely different—he raised his hand and wiped away the blood that had just been forced from the corner of his mouth by that punch.
"So you're actually this strong? Seems I really misjudged you."
"Hawk Eyes Mihawk… Even though I'm a Shichibukai, just a pirate, I've also heard of your swordsmanship… In fact, across the sea, some already say that the man wielding the massive black blade… is walking the path toward becoming the world's greatest swordsman." Gecko Moria said theatrically.
"But no matter how strong you are, when the power of two thousand people gathers into one body… it must be hard to withstand, right?"
"Not hard—almost impossible." Hawk Eyes shook his head. "If that power hadn't struck the blade of my black sword just now, but instead hit the pirate ship beneath us, this ship would have already split into pieces, even causing violent shockwaves across the sea."
"Your mouth says it's terrifying… but in reality you only spat a little blood." Gecko Moria said as he looked at the calm and indifferent Hawk Eyes, though the bulging veins on Hawk Eyes' forehead proved he wasn't in good shape.
Although Shadow Gathering Ground could stuff two thousand shadows into his body, that was already the limit after his insane training.
Even though he gained monstrous strength…
Maintaining and controlling this state required immense mental power.
Despite how Gecko Moria seemed to be chatting casually with Hawk Eyes, in reality he was searching for weaknesses, looking for a one-strike kill…
If he couldn't win quickly with this overwhelming strength, once intense battle drained his mental power, he would lose consciousness…
And go berserk.
So in a sense, this was a powerful technique heavily restricted by many conditions.
Most importantly…
This Gecko Moria was not the washed-up wreck from the original story, whose body was almost ruined.
He was the great pirate who once contended with Kaido!
Even though Kaido had long since left him far behind, compared to his past self, he had progressed tremendously.
Under such conditions, he could even fight evenly with the man acknowledged in the original story as the strongest Shichibukai—Hawk Eyes.
"To make me spit blood is already a commendable achievement." Hawk Eyes lifted the hand holding Yoru slightly, pointing the blade toward Gecko Moria. "But your power… still lingers too much on the surface. Even if it comes from a Devil Fruit… it is ultimately someone else's power. If you can't control it, defeat is only a matter of time."
"So that's why, in that instant earlier, you sent the other marines to support the others? Because you alone are enough to stall me until I lose control?" Gecko Moria sneered. "Truly a competent strategist."
"What you said is indeed the optimal plan… but I've never been one to care much about efficiency." Hawk Eyes lifted his head, cold killing intent boiling within his indifferent gaze. "So I will defeat you… head-on."
"Then you better really be the world's greatest swordsman!"
Gecko Moria raised his greatsword. After a strange surging beneath his dark-green skin subsided, he launched a storm-like assault toward Hawk Eyes.
This time, Hawk Eyes wasn't sent flying by the first punch.
But he could only defend…
If Yoru weren't an unparalleled Supreme Grade Sword with unmatched durability and resilience, the transmitted vibrations alone would have shattered Hawk Eyes' bones.
However…
Even while seemingly at a complete disadvantage, Hawk Eyes' eyes remained as sharp as a hunting falcon.
The corner of his mouth even curled into a faint smile.
He… had seen it.
"Gecko Moria… your fate has already been revealed to me."
As he spoke, Hawk Eyes raised Yoru to block Moria's final horizontal slash, then used that force to spin, unleashing a pure-black flying slash from below.
Gecko Moria, because of that horizontal slash, fell into a brief stiffened state.
In a lightning-fast exchange, it was almost imperceptible…
But Hawk Eyes seized that moment precisely.
He had taken all those earlier attacks for the sake of finding this single instant of weakness.
This flying slash was the perfect fusion of Hawk Eyes' strength and swordsmanship, wrapped in a tremendous amount of Armament Haki…
"Gah!"
Just one slash forced Gecko Moria to collapse completely onto the pirate ship.
The next moment, he arched backward violently, jaw wide open, as countless shadows poured out of his mouth.
Two thousand shadows were extracted in a short time, and Gecko Moria fell into unprecedented weakness.
"A technique like this is destined to have severe side effects… But you really did bring me quite some enjoyment… cough cough!"
As Hawk Eyes spoke, he couldn't stop himself from coughing up a large mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs.
Taking that lightning-fast barrage head-on had pushed his body to the brink.
He turned his blade and knocked Gecko Moria unconscious with the back of the sword.
He wasn't a merciful man—on the contrary, he was the most bloodthirsty among the SWORD Secret Special Force.
But… Gecko Moria was different.
He was a Shichibukai personally recruited by Michael.
His life and death should be Michael's decision…
Even if Michael was now with the Revolutionary Army.
"Cough cough… This Shadow technique really is quite strong…"
Hawk Eyes muttered to himself as he looked into the distance.
"Their battle… should be going smoothly?"
"But those guys don't seem much weaker than Gecko Moria, do they?"
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Fanfic is finished. 583 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg