After surveying Reverse Mountain, Ross lowered the ship and let it drift downstream, rapidly descending along the waterway at an altitude of ten thousand meters to the Grand Line.
The wind whistled in their ears, and the clouds and mist rushed past their eyes. Everyone on the ship held tightly to the fixed objects around them, their heartbeats resonating with the ship's tremors.
Finally, after a period of turbulence and maneuvering, the ship jolted violently and then landed smoothly in the embrace of the Grand Line.
As the ship entered the water, Gion, gazing at the bustling scene at the forefront of the Grand Line, subconsciously let out a sneer:
"Back on the Grand Line again, huh? It's still so filthy and stinking here."
At the point where the ships entered the sea, pirate ships were densely packed together, some dilapidated and others luxurious. These pirate ships gathered in this small area of the sea, surrounding the ships sailing downstream.
This is a welcoming ceremony for new pirates from all over the world.
It was common for crew members to be killed and their treasure stolen. If they couldn't get through here, they would most likely perish at sea.
Pirates who come to the Grand Line from all the seas are well prepared, and at least bring all their belongings with them.
Instead of plundering member countries with higher risks and lower returns, it's more practical to come here and engage in blatant theft.
Unfortunately, this time they didn't encounter the naive rookies from the Four Seas.
When the pirates on the ship saw the World Government flag flying over the vessel, they were all completely dumbfounded.
World Government ships usually pass through the Holy Land and would never appear in the first half of the Grand Line; this was the first time they had ever seen one.
Immediately, some pirate ships quietly retreated, while others accelerated towards the warship.
Danger means reward.
If we could steal the World Government's ship, the reward would definitely be far greater than stealing a pirate ship.
Pirates who dare to rob people on the road here are people who risk their lives; they don't care about the reputation of the World Government.
Those pirates who quietly retreated were not out of fear of the World Government's intimidation, but simply wanted to observe first and then reap the benefits later.
"Kill!"
"Brothers, there's definitely treasure on board!"
"Dividing the men and women on the ship would surely be quite a treat for the nobility!"
"..."
Shouts of battle erupted all around as pirates swarmed toward the ship.
"Gion, they're too noisy."
Ross stood at the bow of the ship, listening to the cacophony around him, and uttered his first words since coming down from Reverse Mountain.
"Clear!"
Gion moved swiftly, taking a step forward that seemed to transcend the limitations of space, instantly appearing in mid-air in front of the ship.
Her legs were slightly bent, her body remaining stable, as if she were floating in mid-air. She slowly raised her hands, one hand gripping the hilt of the sword, the other gently stroking the scabbard.
"Gion's Sakura Dance!"
As her gentle chanting faded, Konpira seemed to come alive, bursting forth in mid-air with a dazzling pink glow, like the first ray of sunlight in the morning, piercing through the gloom of the battlefield.
The flying slash transformed into a burst of light, and countless small flying slashes flew in all directions.
It was like cherry blossoms falling, but it exuded endless killing intent.
Countless cherry blossoms fell and danced, weaving a net of death in the air, covering the entire sea area in front of Gion.
In an instant, the sounds of the surrounding pirates seemed to freeze, leaving only cherry blossom-colored flying slashes drifting in the area in front of Gion.
Sizzle!
A sharp cutting sound pierced the sky.
Immediately afterwards, a continuous series of cutting sounds surged in like a tide, weaving together a symphony of death.
The ships wrecked, and everyone perished!
The hull was cleanly sliced open, as if gently brushed by an invisible giant hand, smoothing and cutting everything away. Wood chips flew everywhere, and seawater surged forth.
Dozens of pirate ships perished under Gion's cherry blossom dance, all reduced to wreckage at sea.
"What a nice view..."
Sora stared in amazement at the scene before her.
So, murder can be beautiful, even artistic.
"Good."
As he watched the cherry blossoms fall, Ross's eyes were filled with appreciation, as if he were admiring a fleeting moment of beauty.
Watching Gion practice swordsmanship had been a pleasure every time.
Not only were the sword techniques beautiful, but the person was even more beautiful.
The nearby pirates were all dealt with in an instant, but Gion did not stop. She quickly rushed towards the pirates who were preparing to escape in the distance.
In just a moment, the pink sword light rippled in the air, and soon only their ship remained in this sea area.
Just as Gion was preparing to sheathe her sword and return to her ship...
In the distance, a green flying slash suddenly tore through the sea and shot towards Gion.
Gion frowned slightly and gently raised the golden ribbon.
Buzz!
The green flying slash collided with the golden ribbon and was easily dispersed by her.
"Flying Slash?"
On the ship, Ross took in the whole scene, a look of interest in his eyes.
A flying slash is not a move that an ordinary swordsman can perform, let alone one that spans hundreds of meters across the ocean; it looks quite extraordinary.
The ability to hear the sea activated instantly.
Ross looked enlightened.
So it was him... Just as he thought.
In the distance, a wooden boat shaped like a coffin slowly appeared.
On the small boat stood a young man with short black hair, wearing a burgundy patterned shirt and a black trench coat.
He stood at the bow of the ship, like a perched eagle. His long, slender fingers gripped a black sword with an extremely wide guard, his gaze piercing, his golden eyes fixed intently on the direction of Gion.
The sea breeze lifted the hem of his clothes, making a rustling sound, but it did not shake him in the slightest.
Ross recognized the other person.
The future world's greatest swordsman...
'Hawkeye' Dracule Mihawk!
[Dracule Mihawk]
[Overall Rating: B-]
If Ross remembered correctly, the other party should only be 21 years old at this time, about the same age as Gion, and had not consumed any Devil Fruits.
Mihawk is still a newcomer, with few rumors about him on the high seas and no experience of the Grand Line, but his strength is already comparable to that of a Marine Vice Admiral.
If Ross's guess is correct, Mihawk probably intends to use the Grand Line as a starting point to begin his journey to becoming the strongest swordsman.
Once Mihawk transforms his accumulated experience into real strength, his power will inevitably leap forward, and he will surely surpass Gion in the present.
In terms of physique and swordsmanship talent alone, Gion is no match for her opponent.
However, Gion underwent systematic training by the Marines. In that year, she not only consumed the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, but also used the World Government's program to train CP0 and even the Knights of God.
Mihawk is now essentially facing a major boss right from the start.
It remains to be seen whether this blow will completely jeopardize Mihawk's path to becoming the world's greatest swordsman.
Ross's eyes held a hint of anticipation.
He didn't want to miss such a good show.
…
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