Hawk-Eye advanced step by step toward the ruins, the black blade Yoru in his hand flowing with a cold gleam beneath the sunlight. The sword's tip pointed straight at Enel, who lay amid the dust and debris, struggling to rise.
In those hawk-like eyes, sharp and merciless, there was not the slightest trace of pity—only indifference toward the battle's outcome, and punishment reserved for the weak who dared to offend.
Just as he was about to swing his blade once more—
Boom!
A black shadow slammed violently into the space between them at a speed far surpassing even Enel's lightning, appearing almost as if it had teleported!
The sheer velocity produced a dull, thunderous sonic boom!
The newcomer wielded no weapon at all—he simply raised an arm, a wrist wrapped in jet-black Armament Haki so condensed it looked almost solid.
CLANG!!!
A collision heavier and more explosive than any before detonated in an instant!
A visible shockwave expanded outward in a perfect ring, blowing away the surrounding smoke and dust and cracking the ground inch by inch!
Hawk-Eyes' black blade—renowned for cutting through anything—was actually stopped midair by that Haki-coated wrist!
At the point of impact, tangible sparks of black-and-red lightning burst forth!
A vast, overwhelming force surged through the wrist and into Hawk-Eyes' arm, sending a sharp tremor through it and forcibly halting his forward momentum!
"…Hm?"
For the first time, clear surprise surfaced on Hawk-Eyes' usually impassive face. His pupils contracted sharply as his piercing gaze locked onto the massive figure that had appeared before him.
A physique like a steel fortress. Wild, untamed yellow hair. Eyes burning with raw battle intent and destructive desire…
"Douglas Bullet?" Hawk-Eyes' low voice carried a note of genuine surprise.
He had clearly recognized this man—the one who had once sailed aboard Roger's ship, later shaking the world as the inheritor of the title 'Demon Heir.'
Barrett stood squarely in front of Enel. He first tilted his head, glancing back at the wretched god sprawled in the rubble behind him.
A sneer full of undisguised mockery twisted across his savage face.
"Tch. Pathetic, Lightning brat," Barrett scoffed."Weren't you acting all high and mighty earlier? And now you're beaten half to death by a guy with a sword?"
Hearing that, Enel was so furious he nearly spat out another mouthful of blood. But between his injuries and the crushing blow he'd just taken, he couldn't even muster a retort—only glaring daggers into Barrett's back.
Having finished ridiculing his 'teammate,' Barrett slowly turned back around. His eyes roamed over Hawk-Eyes from head to toe—
Lingering especially on the massive black blade in his hands.
An unprecedented gleam of excitement and predatory delight flared in his gaze.
"I never thought…" Barrett's voice rumbled like distant thunder, heavy with awe and surging battle intent."That in this era, I'd still see someone who's honed pure swordsmanship and Haki to this level… How exhilarating."
As he spoke, his wrist suddenly flared with power, forcibly knocking Hawk-Eyes' black blade aside by sheer brute strength!
Hawk-Eyes took half a step back, smoothly adjusting his stance. The massive blade came to rest horizontally before him, his expression turning grave.
The pressure Barrett gave off was on an entirely different plane from Enel's.
This was the presence of someone who had clawed his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood—a fusion of extreme power and extreme Haki.
They stood at opposite extremes of combat.
Hawk-Eyes embodied swordsmanship and Haki.
Barrett embodied physical combat and Haki.
"Dracule Mihawk… that's your name, right?" Barrett rolled his neck, producing a series of sharp cracking sounds as every muscle in his body began to bulge.
Pitch-black Armament Haki spread over him like a living thing, rapidly coating his entire body. His terrifying aura surged higher and higher, like a primordial beast awakening from slumber.
"You came here to challenge Gern Reginald Sigmar?" Barrett grinned savagely."Then before that—"
"Let me be your opponent first! Let me see how much substance there really is behind this so-called 'World's Greatest Swordsman'!!"
Before the final word even fell—
BOOM!
The ground beneath Barrett's feet exploded!
His massive body erupted forward at a speed utterly disproportionate to his size. A gigantic fist, wrapped in top-tier Armament Haki, shot out like a cannonball, ripping through the air with tyrannical force capable of crushing everything in its path—aimed straight at Hawk-Eyes' face!
Hawk-Eyes' gaze sharpened instantly. He dared not show even the slightest negligence.
The enormous black blade tore through the air, meeting that devastating punch with absolute precision!
BOOM! CLANG! CRASH!
On the dock, the two figures collided again and again at blinding speed!
Barrett's attacks were a torrential storm. His entire body, coated in supreme Armament Haki, turned him into an indestructible black fortress.
Pure physical technique, pushed to its extreme and fused perfectly with Haki, caused the very air to scream with repeated sonic detonations!
Against this violent onslaught, Hawk-Eyes remained unhurried. Yoru held the line with calm, unshakable defense.
He did not engage Barrett in a direct contest of brute strength.
Instead, he relied on peerless swordsmanship—blocking, redirecting, slipping aside with exquisite precision.
At the same time, he searched relentlessly for even the smallest flaw within that ironclad defense, occasionally unleashing sharp slashes to force Barrett back and break the rhythm of his assault!
Their combat styles were completely different—
Yet both were overwhelmingly powerful.
Each collision unleashed terrifying shockwaves, further demolishing the already-ruined dock.
In just a few dozen seconds, they had exchanged nearly a hundred blows—so fast that even Enel, who had just barely regained his breath, could barely follow with his eyes.
And yet—
Neither Barrett nor Hawk-Eyes could gain a decisive upper hand.
After another fierce clash, both men used the rebound of force to leap backward, sliding more than ten meters apart before coming to a stop.
Between them, the open ground shimmered with scorching air and swirling smoke born from high-speed impacts.
Hawk-Eyes stood with his blade in hand, his breathing slightly heavier than before. His sharp, hawk-like eyes remained fixed on Barrett—now carrying not just caution, but calculation.
His purpose here was to honor an agreement and challenge Gern Reginald Sigmar.
Not to engage in a drawn-out war of attrition with a monster whose defense and power both sat at the absolute peak.
If the fight continued, he might eventually find a path to victory—but the cost would be immense, possibly involving injuries.
That was not the condition he wanted to face Gern in.
In the space of a heartbeat, Hawk-Eyes made his decision.
With a flick of his wrist, the massive black blade Yoru traced a graceful arc through the air—
Clang.
It slid flawlessly back into the cross-shaped sheath on his back, the entire motion smooth and unbroken.
At the same time, the intense battle intent and killing aura surrounding him ebbed away like a retreating tide, restoring his calm, unfathomable composure.
Looking at Barrett—whose fighting spirit still burned fiercely—Hawk-Eyes spoke flatly:
"That's enough."
"I have no intention of wasting my time on an opponent with whom victory cannot be decided in the short term."
His tone was calm, emotionless, as if he were merely stating an objective fact.
But to Barrett's ears—
Those words made the battle maniac's brow knit tightly in an instant.
A smoldering anger born of being dismissed ignited in his eyes.
Unable to decide victory quickly?
So… was he saying Douglas Barrett wasn't worthy of a full-power fight?
Or worse—
That he wasn't worth the effort at all?