Mihawk drew his black blade.
"Then let me see what kind of swordsmen he has trained. I hope you are not mere ornaments."
Kuina's eyes narrowed, and a white-gold energy erupted from her, rushing straight toward Mihawk.
"Conqueror's Haki?"
The corners of Mihawk's lips rose, and the black blade in his hand hummed.
"Conqueror's Haki…"
Those who understood what it meant fell silent.
"Nether Ghost Slash!"
Bai Hezi struck first, unleashing two crossed sword auras that flew toward Mihawk.
Uta tightened her grip on her sword and also sent out a slash.
Angel-form Kuina flew into the sky, swinging the Holy Sword Judgment again and again, sending slash after slash at Mihawk.
The eyelids of the swordsmen watching the broadcast twitched.
Three Swordsmen?
Mihawk lightly swung Yoru.
Whoosh!
A hundred-meter sword aura flew out and tore through the three women's slashes.
Mihawk withdrew his blade and moved it to block at his side.
Clang!
Bai Hezi, who had flashed in to strike him with both blades, found her swords blocked.
Mihawk gave her a calm glance.
"Your speed and strength are decent."
The moment he finished speaking, Mihawk's figure flashed away. A slash mark appeared where he had just been standing.
That was Uta's strike.
Kuina locked onto Mihawk's new position from the air. Her wings shook, and she rapidly engaged him in close combat.
Bai Hezi's black wings flapped as she followed in to attack Mihawk as well.
Clang, clang, clang!
Mihawk stood where he was, continuously blocking the sword attacks of all three women.
Seeing this, their expressions darkened.
Damn it.
He's casually taking all of our sword strikes like this?
Clang!
Mihawk sent Bai Hezi flying back with one slash.
It was obvious that he had done it almost casually.
Uta immediately took Bai Hezi's position and began coordinating with Kuina.
Bai Hezi gritted her teeth. Haki covered both her blades. With a shake of her wings, she charged toward Mihawk once more.
As Mihawk received their attacks, he observed them and commented, "I must say, your foundations as swordsmen are excellent. It seems he is quite good at teaching people."
"Of course White Ghost is good at teaching."
Bai Hezi spun her twin blades, releasing two thin slashes.
Clang, clang!
Mihawk casually moved his black blade and deflected the sword auras.
Kuina seized the opening and thrust the Holy Sword toward Mihawk's wrist.
Uta's blade carried rule power as it stabbed toward Mihawk's chest.
Mihawk's eyes narrowed.
He shifted his black blade to his left hand and used it to stop the tip of Uta's sword.
His right hand turned black with Armament Haki, and he caught Kuina's sword between his index and middle fingers.
Whoosh!
Bai Hezi appeared behind Mihawk.
"Let's see how you dodge this time."
Mihawk's lips curved upward.
"A very perfect coordination. But you overlooked one thing."
As he spoke, Mihawk's right hand pulled Kuina's sword.
Caught off guard, Kuina was dragged forward, her blade thrusting toward Uta.
Clang!
Kuina's sword struck the crossed guard of Bai Hezi's twin blades.
Having done all that, Mihawk prepared to deal first with the girl in front of him who looked cute but whose sword carried a mysterious power.
He flicked away Uta's sword with Yoru and was about to knock her aside.
But Uta's lips curved.
Following Mihawk's force, she turned her body sideways and dodged.
"Hm? Not bad," Mihawk praised.
Uta pulled back, waving the sword in her hand repeatedly. Musical notes flew toward Mihawk one after another.
Sensing movement behind him, Mihawk flashed aside, avoiding Uta's note-shaped slashes.
Kuina and Bai Hezi, who had been preparing to ambush Mihawk from behind, suddenly saw note slashes flying toward them instead.
They hurriedly swung their swords to cut the notes apart.
They knew how dangerous those things were and didn't dare be careless.
The moment the two of them split the notes, they looked up and saw Mihawk appearing at Uta's side with his black blade raised.
It was already too late to support her.
"Uta, watch out!"
Uta's Observation Haki sensed it as well, and her expression turned serious.
A pink string appeared beneath her feet, and with one burst of force, she launched herself away.
Mihawk's blade struck empty air.
He turned and saw that each time the girl jumped, a string appeared under her foot.
"That looks like an instrument string."
"Using her ability to support herself?"
Mihawk looked at Uta's feet.
After escaping danger, Uta let out a breath and recalled White Ghost's words in her mind.
"Why must you expand your ability outward? That wastes both stamina and mental energy. It's better to use it to support yourself."
Thinking of this, Uta took a deep breath.
Musical notes appeared beneath her feet, as though fusing directly with them.
"Sound. Speed Boost."
Whoosh!
Uta's speed became even faster than before.
Mihawk had just forced back the other two women when he immediately turned around and raised his black blade in front of his chest.
Clang!
Uta's sword struck the blade.
Mihawk's eyes narrowed. He saw red musical notes appear around Uta and cover her arms.
Uta looked at Mihawk seriously.
"Sound. Strength Boost."
Feeling the girl's strength increase in an instant, a faint trace of interest finally appeared on Mihawk's otherwise calm face.
"Using a Devil Fruit ability to enhance oneself? Not a bad idea."
Mihawk knocked Uta back, then slashed backward.
Bang!
The other two women were forced back again.
Mihawk widened the distance and looked at the three of them.
"This is about enough. Your foundations are very good, and your swordsmanship is acceptable.
"But your strength is still insufficient.
"Now, let me show you the gap between you and me."
With that, Mihawk raised his black blade and looked at the three women.
Uta, Kuina, and Bai Hezi all stared at him with full focus.
Mihawk swung.
A thousand-meter-long sword aura flew toward the three of them.
The pupils of Kuina and the others widened as they stared at that slash. Then all three gritted their teeth and kicked off the ground, charging forward.
Clang!
The moment their blades touched the sword aura, they felt a tremendous force crash into them. All three were pushed backward by the slash.
"At the very least, we have to block one sword aura!"
Bai Hezi's eyes turned blood-red. Veins bulged on her forehead as black flames covered her blades, and she poured in even more strength.
Kuina said nothing.
She was the same as Bai Hezi.
Although the gap between them and Mihawk was vast, she was no longer the same person she had once been.
"Haah!"
The three women increased their strength.
"Nether Ghost Slash!"
"Holy Sword Light Slash!"
"Sound Slash!"
The three unleashed their strongest current techniques at the same time.
Crack!
A fissure appeared in Mihawk's sword aura.
Then, with a boom, it was completely cut apart by the three of them.
Mihawk smiled and looked at them.
"That man probably couldn't bear to send such a slash at you himself, so he borrowed my hand to let you understand the difference between yourselves and a Great Swordsman."
Panting heavily, the three women withdrew their swords and nodded.
"We've learned from you, Sir Mihawk."
Mihawk carried his blade and continued forward.
There was no need to sheathe it anymore, because ahead of him, a figure could be seen faintly standing there.
The three women returned to the ship, and Nami walked over with towels.
"Thanks, Nami."
Kuina accepted a towel and began wiping away her sweat.
Ain smiled and said, "Sit down. Watch carefully from here. What comes next will help you a lot."
The major figures watching the broadcast fell silent.
Yes, the three had lost, and Mihawk had looked relaxed throughout.
But that was the publicly recognized world's strongest swordsman.
The fact that those three women could last this long was already impressive.
Most people who challenged Mihawk couldn't even withstand one strike.
But the fans watching the broadcast refused to accept it.
"To hell with Mihawk! He dared swing at our Uta! Boys, set sail! That bastard is in the South Blue! We'll block him at Twin Cape!"
"Wooooh!"
A large group of fierce-looking men set out to sea.
The people nearby watched the scene in speechless silence and silently added in their hearts:
Star-chasers are terrifying.
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