Clashing sword auras tore through the sky, dimming the brilliance of heaven and earth. The violent sword force churned the clouds above, whipping them into a frenzy. Storm winds howled and thunder roared, lightning like silver serpents wreaking havoc across the island.
Waves surged and crashed relentlessly against what remained of the island—half of it had already been swallowed by the sea. The beasts that had leapt into the ocean found only death in its turbulent embrace.
Perhaps they had never imagined that, as creatures of the land, they would one day meet their end in the depths of the sea.
Both combatants were pure swordsmen. From the very beginning, their battle had been a test of swordsmanship—no tricks, no deceit. Whether it was killing intent or sword energy, even the red lotus Weiss conjured was but another manifestation of the sword domain.
Hawkeye grew increasingly exhilarated as the fight dragged on. The stoic expression that had not changed in years finally shifted—just slightly, but noticeably.
It had been too long since he had crossed swords like this with a fellow pure swordsman. The thrill of it ran through his veins.
Weiss sensed something was off with Hawkeye's state. He gripped his sword Star Abyss tighter, his attacks flowing like an unending tide.
At this point, their duel had distilled down to the most primal form of combat—clash of sword intents alone.
Though they exchanged only the most basic techniques now, each strike was more than enough to slay pirates with bounties over a hundred million.
Weiss moved with blinding speed, leaving afterimages behind as he charged. Star Abyss thrust directly toward Hawkeye, its blade drenched in crimson killing intent layered over a coating of Haki.
---
Clang!
Hawkeye countered with both hands, swinging his black blade. The two weapons clashed, steel against steel.
The sheer force behind the blow pushed Hawkeye back a step. His eyes, as sharp as blades, locked onto Weiss. Then, in one fluid motion, he reversed his grip and brought the black blade down in a fierce chop.
The black sword clashed with Star Abyss.
Boom!
A tremendous shock rippled through the ground. Cracks spiderwebbed outward from beneath Weiss's feet, the earth breaking apart under the force of the clash.
Hawkeye showed no mercy. With Star Abyss caught against his own blade, he let the black sword slide forward along its length, the rapid friction sparking as it scraped past.
A flying slash exploded forth from his sword.
Weiss's body dropped low in response, retreating swiftly to avoid the blow. The air slash carved through the trees behind him, slicing them clean in half and clearing out a large swath of land.
Without pausing to react, Weiss kicked a broken piece of wood into splinters, using the recoil to launch himself forward once again.
But no matter how fast Weiss's sword became, how invisible his afterimages, Hawkeye, moving with an almost leisurely slowness, blocked every strike.
The relentless barrage gradually wore on Weiss's speed, slowing him by just a fraction.
But in a duel between world-class swordsmen, even a fraction could be fatal.
Hawkeye seized the opening. He gripped the black sword in both hands and slashed forward. Another massive flying slash rippled outward from his blade.
Weiss's brows furrowed. He immediately sheathed his sword, then drew it again in a blur—his quickdraw slash forming a dazzling arc of energy.
Two slashes collided in the air and exploded, sending a shockwave bursting outward. Blinding light engulfed the entire island.
"Your reactions are impressive," Hawkeye said, one hand gripping the black blade, his aura now fully unleashed. Even the sea responded to his presence, waves crashing violently against the coast.
"Then again, I suppose that's expected. You specialize in speed-based swordsmanship. If you weren't fast, you wouldn't have come this far."
Weiss raised a brow. "Why do I feel like you're mocking me? Sure, I'm fast, but you've blocked every single slash I've thrown."
He made a mental note to say the exact same thing if he ever managed to get the upper hand—just to see Hawkeye's expression.
Even as they spoke, their blades never stopped clashing. Star Abyss and the black sword collided over and over.
Only because Weiss's sword was of high enough quality had it survived this long. Otherwise, it would've snapped mid-battle.
They fought from midnight until dawn. The sun rose slowly over the sea.
The island was now a ruin, torn apart by their duel. Any animals that once lived there had either fled or died—few remained alive.
Aboard the Chris, the crew had gone numb. They'd watched an entire island crumble under the two men's battle. Now, the island was barely hanging on, on the verge of disappearing completely.
The Chris hadn't moved an inch. Yet somehow, they were now significantly farther from the island than when the fight began.
Hawkeye looked at the rising sun, his razor-sharp eyes narrowing. The sword intent in them faded slightly. He twisted his black blade and raised it high into the air.
In that moment, his aura surged to its peak. The restrained sword force on the blade pulsed with such intensity that even looking at it made one's eyes ache.
Weiss's Observation Haki screamed with warnings. A deadly pressure surged from Hawkeye's direction.
He knew—the duel was about to end.
What was meant to be a light spar after dinner had escalated into island-level destruction.
Hawkeye gripped his sword with both hands and slashed down with brutal force. A flying slash dozens of meters long exploded from his sword, carving a deep trench into the ground.
Weiss responded instantly, unleashing his full sword domain. Crimson killing intent burst forth, rapidly engulfing the area. Twisting energy coalesced onto Star Abyss.
In a flash, he unleashed thirteen flying sword slashes as one.
Boom!
Crimson and blinding white collided in midair. Red and black Haki writhed like serpents, twisting violently across the sky.
For a moment, the world fell silent—then an earth-shattering boom erupted.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The clash of sword energy triggered a frenzy in the storm clouds above. Lightning, long building in the sky, struck furiously at the impact point.
The island, like snow meeting spring sun, began to dissolve beneath the overwhelming radiance of red and white.
The shockwave sent Weiss hurtling through the air, while Hawkeye stood unmoving atop a jagged reef—like a mountain. Wounds now marked both his shoulders, blood pouring freely.
The island had been reduced to little more than a remnant.
From beneath the ocean, a crimson plume of blood began to rise, dyeing the sea red.
"Captain!"
Theodore shouted as he saw Weiss fall into the sea. He and Jack leapt in almost simultaneously. After such a massive explosion and so much blood, they feared the worst.
Hawkeye remained standing on the reef, staring at the blood-stained waters without a hint of emotion. He knew—Weiss wouldn't die from this.
"I'm fine!"
Weiss burst from the ocean surface, coughing violently.
"Damn sea beasts! I was already nearly dead, and they wanted a piece of me too?" While underwater, several attracted sea beasts had tried to devour him. He cut them down.
"Weiss! Are you okay?" Karina rushed to support him.
Aboard the Chris, Weiss lay on the deck, coughing up seawater. That last clash had left him heavily wounded. Combined with the sword injuries he'd sustained earlier, he looked like a mess.
"I'm fine. Just surface wounds." He groaned. "Kadun, move the ship in closer!"
Soon after, Hawkeye returned to the Chris as well. His injuries were fewer—just two deep cuts on his shoulders that exposed bone.
"Karina, bring the medicine kit. Patch us up."
As Karina left, Hawkeye frowned.
"…You don't have a ship doctor?"