"Isn't Your Highness going to subdue him?"
The ship gradually sailed away, and Gion flew back onto it. Sora withdrew her gaze and looked at Ross beside her.
In that situation, if you subdue them first and then try to recruit them, the success rate should be very high.
Whether it's various kingdoms or pirate groups, the recruitment process seems to follow the same pattern.
"It's too early now. Just plant a seed in his heart."
Ross opened his arms and hugged Gion, who had just landed:
"Gion, thank you for your hard work."
"I have successfully completed my mission."
Gion didn't think much of it. If it were back when she had just graduated from the Marine Elite Training Camp, she would have considered Mihawk a formidable opponent.
But having been by Ross's side for almost a year and interacting with top-tier combatants, Mihawk is just that in her eyes now.
After all, before becoming top experts, weren't they all talented and persevering geniuses?
After enjoying Ross's praise as if no one else was around, Gion finally got up from Ross's embrace:
"He's a good swordsman, but if he wants to grow, he needs to forge his own path."
"That's true. Mihawk is still just a fledgling. If we get too involved now, it will backfire."
Ross responded with a smile, his words also answering Sora's question.
Some people are suited to systematic training, while others are suited to facing challenges and tackling the unknown.
Mihawk belongs to the latter category. If he is only asked to arrange opponents, it will only wear down Mihawk's spirit.
An unexpected life-or-death battle is the true path to becoming a swordsman.
"Do we need to make any arrangements?"
Sora could understand Ross's thinking, but while this would allow for rapid growth, without intervention, Mihawk might not be willing to submit once he matured.
"Of course, only a tiny bit of intervention is needed."
Ross smiled and nodded. Not interfering was definitely out of the question; he didn't agree with Garp's laissez-faire parenting style.
Developing strength is one thing, but shaping one's character is another.
His gaze fell on Gion, who immediately understood Ross's meaning, her beautiful eyes revealing a hint of helplessness:
"This is not my forte; at most, I can only occasionally give him a nudge."
Let her off the hook; she can do some thug work.
Just by listening to Sora and Ross's conversation, she knew she couldn't do it.
Seeing her reaction, Ross and Sora couldn't help but laugh. Ross gently pinched Gion's cheek.
"I'm not putting you in charge of this, I'm just asking you to cooperate with Sora. Swordsmen need a goal. The world's greatest swordsman is perfect."
"Me? The world's greatest swordsman?"
Gion pointed to herself suspiciously. This time she understood Ross's subtext, but she was even more confused.
With her current strength, there are far too many swordsmen on the high seas who are stronger than her. What makes her worthy of this title?
"Titles will naturally come if many people pass them on. If they have any objections, they should have the ability to stand in front of you first."
Ross smiled; this was a good idea he had come up with on the spur of the moment.
Pure swordsmen generally aim to become the world's greatest swordsman. As long as the holder of this title is by their side, pure swordsmen will continuously gather around them.
Once we make contact, whether this kid has a promising future or will inevitably become a major threat, it's all just a matter of course.
Ross wasn't worried that Gion couldn't live up to the title.
Although Gion's current strength is still slightly lacking, she will not be sent out for a while; she will only protect him closely.
In addition to himself, even excluding Gion, Ross would have at least two S-class powerhouses by his side, which was the safety guarantee he set for himself.
Two S-class powerhouses, working together, are enough to rival Whitebeard at his peak.
If you want to win the title of the world's greatest swordsman, then you'd better assess your own strength.
Killing one S-rank expert, even without considering special rewards, guarantees a boost of at least 5 million, equivalent to killing 10 A-rank experts.
This improvement alone is enough to prove the value of the S-class rating.
If an S-class powerhouse were to challenge him because of his reputation, Ross would be happy to take their head first.
S-class powerhouses are extremely rare. On the high seas, only the Admirals, the Four Emperors, and legendary pirates fall into this category. Even for Ross now, finding an enemy to kill would be a difficult task.
After the little incident at Reverse Mountain, the news of Gion's greatest swordsman spread like wildfire.
With the World Government's certification and promotion, even if someone wanted to refute it, they wouldn't dare to do so openly.
Moreover, Ross released footage of Gion and Zephyr sparring. Although it was somewhat unfair to Zephyr, Zephyr was past the age of vying for fame and was happy to make way for his student, which resulted in the scene of Gion defeating Zephyr with her sword.
Former Marine Admiral Zephyr was defeated by Gion, who was also the wife of a Celestial Dragon. After these reputations spread, there were no more voices daring to question her.
The footage does have an element of showmanship, but those powerful enough to see the problems with it wouldn't go to the World Government about something like that.
After all, most of the strong pirates are not pure swordsmen, and they don't really care much about the title of the world's greatest swordsman.
Of all the top experts, only one showed interest in Gion.
In the capital square of a certain member state, a man exuding an innate aristocratic air stood quietly in front of a giant screen.
On the screen, the man ignored Gion's sword moves and focused his gaze directly on the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire wings behind Gion.
"Jaygarcia Gion? After searching for so many clues, I never expected you to get this fruit. The world's greatest swordsman? The wife of a Celestial Dragon? Ha, those are all despicable titles..."
The man's right hand unconsciously stroked the umbrella-sword in his hand, the movement slow yet carrying a profound meaning.
Just then, a gentle breeze swept by, lightly stirring the man's red cloak, which fluttered wildly like a burning flame.
In the instant the breeze swept by, the man's figure suddenly became ethereal. In the blink of an eye, the spot was empty, as if he had never been there at all. Only a faint chill remained in the air, telling the story of what had just happened.
After spreading the news that Gion had inherited the title of the world's greatest swordsman, Ross sent the ship to Drum Island.
Drum Island is located on an island that is covered in snow all year round, and it is also the most famous medical power on the Grand Line.
Ross's purpose in coming here was simple: first, to allow Stella to further her medical studies; and second, to allow Sora to learn about the medical knowledge here.
Medicine and human research are inseparable. To study ancestral factors, medical knowledge is essential, which can at least help Sora avoid many detours.
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