Chapter 20: Battle with Hawkeye
"Huh?!"
Nami glanced at the compass and shouted, "Why did the course change? We're heading west!"
"Oh, that was me."
Apollo sat on the figurehead, his chin propped in his hand, looking bored as he scanned the horizon. "I adjusted the rudder a while ago."
Nami stared at him, puzzled. "Why? There aren't any islands in this direction. It's just open ocean."
"I want to meet someone," Apollo explained calmly. "Going this way allows us to intercept him."
"Meet who?"
"The World's Greatest Swordsman. 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk."
Nami's eyes widened. "Isn't that the guy Zoro is looking for? The one Krieg's men were terrified of?"
"The very same."
"Why do you want to meet a monster like that?"
Apollo turned his head, a confident smirk playing on his lips. "To fight, of course. You didn't believe me when I said I could crush Arlong like an ant, did you? Consider this a demonstration. I'll prove to you exactly where I stand in this world."
"Prove it?"
Nami fell silent.
Apollo's sheer confidence was infectious. For a split second, a dangerous hope flickered in her chest.
If he really is that strong... if he could actually defeat Arlong... then I wouldn't have to buy my village back. I wouldn't have to suffer anymore.
No! Stop it!
She shook her head violently, banishing the thought.
Arlong is a monster. He flips houses with his bare hands. He crunches cannonballs with his teeth. Apollo is strong, but he's human.
If I drag him into this, he'll just die like everyone else. I'm almost at 100 million. I can't risk everything on a gamble.
However... curiosity gnawed at her.
"It wouldn't hurt to watch," Nami reasoned to herself. "If he's really fighting the World's Strongest Swordsman, I need to see what that level of power looks like."
She walked to the railing, gripping the wood tightly, and waited.
The Going Merry sailed quietly for another hour. The sea was unnaturally calm, the mist parting slowly before them.
Suddenly, Apollo's eyes snapped open.
"Found him."
"Found him?" Nami squinted at the empty blue expanse. "I don't see anything."
"You will."
Apollo stood up, walking to the bow.
Ten minutes later, a small black dot appeared in the distance. As they drew closer, the dot resolved into a shape that chilled Nami to the bone.
It was a small raft shaped like a coffin, lit by eerie green candles burning with spectral flames. A single mast in the shape of a crucifix rose from the center, holding a black sail.
Sitting on the raft was a man who exuded an aura of absolute solitude. He wore a wide-brimmed black hat adorned with white plumes, a long burgundy trench coat, and patterned trousers.
A short, meticulously groomed beard framed a face that looked like it was carved from marble.
But it was his eyes—yellow, ringed, and piercing like a bird of prey—that stole the breath from anyone who looked at him.
On his back, he carried a sword larger than he was—a black blade in the shape of a cross.
"Is that... Hawkeye?" Nami whispered, her throat dry.
"Dracule Mihawk," Apollo confirmed, his voice vibrating with excitement. "One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The man who stands at the summit of all swordsmen."
He turned to Nami, his grin turning feral. "Watch closely, Nami. This is what the peak of the world looks like."
Whoosh.
Apollo stepped off the railing. But instead of falling into the sea, he floated. An invisible force—Ki—buoyed him up, carrying him through the air until he hovered a few feet above the waves, directly in the path of the coffin boat.
"He... he's flying?" Nami gasped, clutching her chest.
On the raft, Mihawk opened his eyes. He didn't seem surprised, merely interrupted. He looked up at the man hovering before him.
"I didn't expect to find a master of this caliber in the East Blue," Mihawk said, his voice deep and smooth, showing no sign of alarm.
"It is an honor to be praised by the Greatest," Apollo chuckled, lowering himself until his boots hovered inches above the water surface.
The pleasantries ended there. The air between them grew heavy, the sea beginning to ripple outward from the pressure of their staring contest.
Mihawk's gaze sharpened, cutting through the air like a blade. "May I ask why you block my path?"
Apollo met those terrifying eyes without flinching. He summoned his weapon from the void—a long, golden staff materialized in his grip.
"To fight."
"What astonishing willpower," Mihawk murmured.
He could feel it—a surging aura of battle lust, a defiance that refused to bow to heaven or earth. It wasn't the arrogant bluster of a rookie; it was the quiet confidence of a predator.
"Very well."
Mihawk reached over his shoulder. He grabbed the hilt of the Black Blade, Yoru—one of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords.
"I've been killing time... I suppose a little exercise wouldn't hurt."
He drew the massive sword with a single, fluid motion. "I accept your challenge."
Apollo's smile widened, revealing teeth. The blood of the Great Sage boiled in his veins. This was his first real fight since coming to this world. Captain Kuro? The pirates? They were warm-ups. Toys.
This was a Titan.
"Come!"
Apollo roared, kicking off the air. He closed the distance in a blink, bringing the Ruyi Jingu Bang down in a simple, devastating overhead smash.
Mihawk didn't dodge. He raised Yoru horizontally.
CLANG!
Gold met Black Steel.
There was no sound at first, only a shockwave that flattened the ocean for a hundred meters in every direction. Then came the thunderclap.
The coffin boat beneath Mihawk groaned, sinking almost to the waterline under the immense pressure. The candles flickered violently but didn't go out.
Mihawk stood perfectly still on the rocking boat, his arms steady as stone, blocking the strike that could have shattered a battleship.
"Hmph."
Mihawk twisted his wrists, parrying the staff aside. He swung Yoru in a blur of motion.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Three arcs of compressed air—flying sword slashes—erupted toward Apollo.
Apollo scoffed. "Hey now, Hawk Eyes. Don't look down on me."
These attacks were casual. They were testing shots.
Apollo spun his staff. "Grow!"
Ki flooded into the weapon. The Ruyi Jingu Bang instantly expanded, turning into a pillar of gold as thick as a tree trunk. Apollo swung it like a baseball bat.
CRASH!
The sword beams shattered like glass. The massive staff continued its momentum, sweeping toward Mihawk with enough force to decapitate a Sea King.
Mihawk frowned slightly. If I block this, my boat will be destroyed.
He bent his knees.
Vwoom.
Mihawk vanished, leaping high into the air. He appeared above Apollo, silhouetted against the sun.
"A blunt weapon... lacks elegance."
Mihawk swung Yoru down. It wasn't a beam this time. It was a true slash.
Apollo raised his staff to block.
BOOM!
The impact sent Apollo rocketing backward. He skipped across the water surface like a stone, kicking up sprays of water before righting himself in the air, sliding back ten meters.
Mihawk landed gracefully back on his boat, sheathing his sword—no, he simply held it at his side, waiting.
"Impressive," Apollo laughed, shaking the numbness from his hands. "Truly the World's Strongest."
"You are strong," Mihawk admitted. "But your weapon screams. It is crying out for more power."
"Then let's give it some!"
Apollo charged again.
For the next minute, Nami watched in horror and awe. The sea turned into a chaotic battlefield.
Apollo was a blur of gold, striking from all angles, while Mihawk was a fortress of black steel, parrying and countering with minimal movement.
However, the coffin boat was cracking. It couldn't withstand the shockwaves of their clash much longer.
Mihawk realized this too. His eyes narrowed.
"I have seen enough of your basics."
Suddenly, the black blade Yoru seemed to darken further. A sinister, glossy sheen coated the metal—Armament Haki of the highest order.
"It is time to end this."
Mihawk held the sword with both hands, raising it high. The atmosphere screamed. The clouds above them split apart.
"One sword style... Earth-Severing Slash."
He swung down.
A massive wave of emerald-green energy, coated in black lightning, tore through the world. It wasn't just a slash; it was a calamity. The ocean split in two, revealing the seabed far below.
Nami screamed, covering her eyes. "He's going to die! That's impossible to block!"
Apollo watched the approaching destruction. His skin stung from the sheer pressure of the Haki.
This... this is the Grand Line!
"Good!" Apollo grinned maniacally. "Now we're talking!"
He didn't dodge. instead, he closed his eyes for a microsecond.
Saru Saru no Mi, Model: Great Sage. Hybrid Form.
"Haaa!"
Golden fur erupted from his skin. His muscles swelled, becoming dense and corded like steel cables.
A flash of light enveloped him. When it faded, he was clad in spectral armor—the Golden Chainmail shimmered on his chest, the Phoenix-Winged Purple-Gold Crown manifested on his head, its long pheasant feathers trailing in the wind.
His aura exploded, transforming from a simple fighter into something ancient and tyrannical. A Demon King stood above the East Blue.
Apollo gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which hummed with delight. He coated it in his own Ki and Haki.
"Break!"
He swung the staff horizontally, meeting the green calamity head-on.
KRA-KOOM!
The world turned white.
The slash that split the ocean shattered. It broke into a thousand shards of green light, raining down like fireworks.
The shockwave blasted the sea apart, sending a tsunami rolling toward the horizon.
Apollo floated amidst the falling sparks, his golden fur bristling, his staff resting on his shoulder.
"Warm-up is over, Hawk Eyes," Apollo grinned, his eyes burning with golden fire. "Let's start Round Two!"
Hey everyone! If you want to read ahead, consider joining my Patreon. Patrons get 40 chapters in advance, with 20 chapters unlocked instantly when you join. I also post 4 new chapters every day across all my series, available to every tier.
Patreon: https://patreon.com/anish_44
Hey everyone, I really need to be honest with you all. With the recent wave of Patreon cancellations, things have become financially difficult for me, and it's getting harder to keep everything running smoothly. If you've been enjoying the translations and want to support me, please consider joining Patreon—it truly makes a huge difference.
I'm also planning to take on new fics. Just comment the genres or specific titles you want to see translated, and I'll pick them up. If there's a novel or fanfic you believe deserves a proper translation, tell me—I'm open to expanding and giving you more variety.
Your support keeps this work alive. Thank you for sticking with me.