That sun-like slash could annihilate everything, suppress everything.
That blazing radiance was his supreme sword intent. In this instant, even someone as strong as Katakuri was about to be crushed in the blink of an eye.
However—
"Kagami Mochi (Mirror Mochi)!"
"Nedan Mochi (Mochi Cluster Assault)!"
In the instant his will was shattered by that sword intent, Katakuri triggered his Devil Fruit awakening.
Boom boom boom!
Countless donuts appeared all around. Every nearby building turned into heaving, surging mochi, and from each donut, enormous arms hardened by Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) thrust out and hammered madly at Blood Shadow.
One towering mochi-turned building even fell from the sky, crashing down toward Blood Shadow like a meteor.
Boom!
Thud, thud!
Katakuri's assault seemed to work—the blood-red sun was buried beneath the tide of mochi, and the world was plunged back into darkness.
"No…"
Katakuri's heart lurched.
Just a moment ago, the sky had been clear and bright. How could it be "dark" again?
This only meant one thing: everything was still under the enemy's control.
"Damn it…"
He forced his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) to its limit, peering into the future and seizing a sliver of opportunity—but even so, he still could not stop the other side.
An inexplicable sense of powerlessness welled up inside him.
Splash!
With his future sight guiding him, he twisted his body in an almost mystical way, narrowly avoiding a blade of sword aura that shot out from within the mochi mass.
Boom!
That slash was unbelievably ferocious. It didn't look like much at first glance, but it casually reduced Shirahoshi Paradise behind Katakuri to dust.
Chaotic sword aura erupted in all directions, sweeping away everything. Even a powerhouse like Smoothie was injured in that instant.
The only one on the scene left completely unharmed was the panicked, trembling Princess Shirahoshi.
Blood Shadow had clearly held back.
"Seeing the future… it really is interesting."
The massive mochi block split neatly in two, and the man within walked out. He completely ignored Katakuri and instead strode toward Shirahoshi, speaking softly.
"Princess Shirahoshi, please allow me to escort you to your royal father."
"Your father, King Neptune, is already waiting for you at the Holy Land, Mary Geoise."
Blood Shadow's words nearly made Shirahoshi burst into tears.
Katakuri's face turned dark.
Using Neptune, her father, to pressure a child like Shirahoshi… it was a move she could barely refuse.
For a moment, he had no idea what to do or say.
This man called Blood Shadow was far too terrifying.
Not only was his strength unfathomable, but his scheming was also top-tier.
"Are we really just going to watch Shirahoshi get taken away…?"
Cold sweat slid down Katakuri's forehead.
Suddenly—
"Kairyu Ipponzeoi (Sea Current Single-Arm Throw)!"
A fierce, tremendously condensed torrent of seawater surged up from not far away and roared straight toward Blood Shadow.
"Jinbe, do you know what you're doing?"
Blood Shadow remained as calm as ever. He didn't put that ferocious current in his eyes at all.
Ssshhh!
Barely ten meters from him, the torrent was shredded by the sword aura saturating the air, dissolving into a fine mist that drifted down like rain.
Within a range of more than a hundred meters around Blood Shadow, a sword aura domain had already formed. Even someone as strong as Jinbe could not break through it with a single strike.
However—
"Tch!"
A brilliant green sword light suddenly slashed in from the other side. It seemed to fold the very ground beneath it, erasing all distance in a heartbeat as it appeared half a meter in front of Blood Shadow.
Bang bang bang bang bang!
Only then did the green slash explode, the chained explosions chasing along the path it had carved through Blood Shadow's sword aura domain.
The speed of that strike was so great that even its own energy detonation lagged behind it.
"Mihawk…"
Facing that sword light, Blood Shadow finally revealed a change in expression. He was no longer as indifferent as before.
"Dark."
No one saw how he drew his sword. One moment, the long blade was on his back, and the next it had fallen into his hand, cleaving out a blood-colored slash.
"Dark."
Yet when the two sword lights collided, there was no heaven-shaking blast—only a strange, muffled boom.
Katakuri and the others watched as the space where the slashes met tore open into a gaping fissure. Both sword lights were swallowed by that crack in space, leaving not even a stray ripple of sword aura behind.
The combined power of these two men had already reached the point where it could tear space itself.
"Monsters. They're both monsters…"
Katakuri muttered in his heart.
He did not freeze, though. The first thing he did was use the power of the Mochi Mochi no Mi (Mochi-Mochi Fruit) to relocate Princess Shirahoshi away from the battlefield.
Blood Shadow didn't seem to care that he had moved Shirahoshi. Instead, he looked with interest toward a certain direction, where a great swordsman was walking toward them at an unhurried pace.
"Haha… I didn't expect that I'd get the chance to witness the style of the world's greatest swordsman here today. Truly my good fortune."
"However, Mihawk, by doing this… aren't you betraying Lord Imu?"
Blood Shadow narrowed his eyes. His expression remained outwardly calm, but a strange light flashed in his gaze.
He knew a little about Mihawk's identity, and that was why he found the man's actions confusing.
"My whole life, I've pursued only the true essence and final destination of the sword. Everything else… is beneath my notice."
"I hope you'll give me the greatest surprise possible today—so that, when I challenge Creed in the future, I'll have that much more confidence."
Mihawk gripped his Supreme Grade blade, Kokuto Yoru (Black Blade, Night), in both hands and walked forward slowly. Endless sword intent surged and rolled off his body, spiraling into the sky.
In front of him, Blood Shadow's sword domain was collapsing at a rapid pace, like a pane of glass shattering with a crisp, ringing sound.
"Defeating me will give you the confidence to face Creed someday? It seems that in your heart, Creed's status in swordsmanship stands even higher than mine."
Blood Shadow's face changed slightly. He was no longer as composed and at ease as before.
All his life, he had revered the sword and placed himself above others through the sword. Hearing that Mihawk—the former world's greatest swordsman—held another swordsman in such esteem, he naturally felt displeased.
While they were facing off, Jinbe and Hancock appeared as well. They moved to shield Princess Shirahoshi and escort her away, with Katakuri and Smoothie following along.
They were still wary of Jinbe and Hancock's sudden arrival. For all they knew, it could be some Marine ploy.
"Of course. He's the true world's greatest swordsman. Compared to him, I'm still far behind."
Mihawk thought back to his sparring match with Creed and silently agreed with his own words.
"I first heard your name some time ago and planned to look for you when I had the chance, to test your blade. But now, it seems there's no need."
"A swordsman who doesn't possess the ambition to stand above all others can never reach the absolute summit. Mihawk, the fact that you place another above yourself means your sword heart is already second-rate."
Blood Shadow gave his long sword a slight shake.
"In that case, let me grant you the second defeat of your life."
At his words, Mihawk only shook his head.
"What you're saying is a bit narrow. I used to think the same way. But after crossing swords with Creed, I realized that to step onto that distant sky, you need more than ambition to dominate the world and a heart that charges ever forward. There are other things that matter, too."
Blood Shadow sneered.
"Other things? Don't tell me you mean that nonsense about 'the benevolent being invincible'? Enough talk. Let's speak with our swords."
"Gladly. I've wanted to experience the true power of that Supreme Grade blade—the one said to rank among the world's top three: Blood Shadow's own sword."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Mihawk's mouth.
Just then—
Clang!!
"Argh!"
"What?!"
A sword cry suddenly rang out, echoing through the heavens and earth. Right after it came a scream and a furious bellow from far off, making Blood Shadow turn his head.
If he wasn't mistaken, those voices belonged to the Second Blade and Third Blade.
"If even the two of them can't beat Creed, then you should understand—I wasn't exaggerating."
Mihawk shrugged, then swung his blade.
"Come. Let's begin as well."
(End of Chapter)
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