[Chief of Staff]Uchiha Itachi: "If I'm not mistaken, he's being chased here by a formidable opponent—and that person should arrive any moment now."
Sure enough, just as Itachi predicted, almost as if he were witnessing it firsthand, no sooner had he finished speaking than a small boat appeared on the horizon outside the seaside restaurant.
A solitary, proud figure.
Eyes sharp and piercing like a hawk.
A black top hat with white fur trim atop his head, a crimson patterned shirt, a long black coat flowing behind him.
A small cross-shaped dagger hung at his chest.
A massive sword strapped to his back.
Dark as night.
Unmatched in sharpness.
In an instant, even from hundreds of meters away, the self-proclaimed East Sea Admiral Don Krieg, who had been brazen moments ago, was now visibly panicked.
"Damn it! Damn it! Hawkeye Mihawk—he's already destroyed fifty of my ships and now he's chasing me here? He's relentless!"
"Admiral, Hawkeye Mihawk just recently became the world's greatest swordsman! What should we do?"
"Hmph! What else can we do? Are we supposed to fight him head-on? If push comes to shove, we'll just take everyone in the seaside restaurant as hostages!"
"What? He said he'll take us hostage? Are you serious?"
Instantly, Tsuneo's crew of powerhouses burst into laughter.
This self-proclaimed East Sea Admiral Don Krieg actually had the nerve to say that!
"The world's number one swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk?"
At the same time, Tsuneo fixed his gaze on the approaching figure, a mixture of surprise and recognition crossing his face. The East Sea had truly been lively these past days.
Indeed, this young Hawkeye had just been recognized as the world's greatest swordsman, marking the pinnacle of his brilliance and the height of his unrestrained days.
However, it seemed he wasn't coming for them. So, there was no need to intervene—at worst, they'd cross paths later, exchange a bit of "experience points," and that would be it.
Right now, the priority was the system's once-daily "God-Level Check-in"!
"System, initiate my fourth God-Level Check-in immediately!"
…
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully completed your fourth God-Level Check-in. Location: East Sea Seaside Restaurant. Reward: 100% Barehanded Blade Catch.]
…
"100% Barehanded Blade Catch?"
Tsuneo froze. Though his previous rewards had been somewhat awkward, they were still impressive:
First check-in: "Command Reality"—divine powers, spectacular but only effective on his crew.
Second check-in: "Conqueror's Haki"—a top-tier gift, but needed refinement to surpass all limits.
Third check-in: "Emperor Engine"—high deterrence, no direct damage, but devastating against the timid.
All three, while not making Tsuneo an instant powerhouse, were undeniably God-Level abilities.
But… the fourth, "100% Barehanded Blade Catch"?
What kind of ridiculous skill name is that?
Just from the title, it sounded underwhelming.
Still, the system never lied. If it called this God-Level, there had to be something extraordinary about it.
Just as Tsuneo was preparing to examine his new ability in detail, the freshly crowned world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, approached like a solitary hawk, one man, one boat, one sword:
"East Sea Admiral Don Krieg, you've pushed me too far! I'll count to three—kneel before me and end yourself.
Fail that, no matter where you hide, my sword will find and cut you down!"
Without waiting, Mihawk drew his massive black sword, Yoru, pointing directly at the seaside restaurant.
"One!"
"The world's greatest swordsman?"
Tsuneo's crew all tightened their gazes, realizing this was indeed a top-tier powerhouse.
"Two!"
"The strongest swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk?"
Even Red-Leg Zeff, once a Great Route powerhouse, broke into cold sweat. If anyone knew Mihawk's strength, he certainly did.
Even a casual slash from Mihawk could effortlessly destroy the entire seaside restaurant.
"Hey, Krieg! Get out of my restaurant, or all of you will die with me!"
"Hmph! Why should I leave? You're all my hostages! Mihawk, if you dare, cut this entire restaurant down with me!"
"Why not?"
"Three!"
Mihawk's eyes gleamed with contemptuous resolve. Without hesitation, he swung Yoru in a devastating arc.
"Done for… I'm dead!"
East Sea Admiral Don Krieg went pale.
"My years of planning are about to be destroyed!"
Zeff also sighed heavily.
"This slash seems ordinary but exudes tremendous aura!"
Even the entire Akatsuki was deeply shaken.
…
[100% Barehanded Blade Catch: Passive Skill. When threatened by blades or similar weapons, you will catch any strike barehanded with 100% success. Additionally, the attacker will automatically kneel for one second.]
At that moment, Tsuneo realized the true power of his new skill. Instantly, he flew into action.
Damn! This ability was passive!
The next second, Tsuneo caught Mihawk's strike with one hand, and Mihawk involuntarily fell to his knees.
At that instant, Tsuneo and Mihawk locked eyes.
The tension on the sea was palpable.
Awkward… beyond words.