"Hmm, come on out!"
Nero suddenly glanced at Robin beside her, and a new idea sparked in her mind as she looked at Mihawk.
This final lesson was to prevent Robin from carelessly wanting to venture into the New World.
Right now, the Rokushiki were enough for Robin to act freely in the Four Seas and the First Half of the Grand Line. Once her Rokushiki reached perfection, she would naturally seek the power of Haki.
Letting her clearly see the gap now was also a good method.
"Still not making a move? What are you hesitating for?" Nero stood in place, her sword tip lowered, her body completely relaxed.
Her blood-red eyes watched him playfully, with red demonic patterns appearing on her face. This posture, in the eyes of all swordsmen, was the epitome of an amateur.
But in Mihawk's eyes, there were no flaws!
That casual posture should, in theory, be full of weaknesses, but a strong premonition told him that he would die the moment he made a move.
His body tilted slightly backward, Mihawk's eyes widened, and he questioned himself incredulously in his heart.
'I just… my body instinctively wanted to retreat?'
This was more unacceptable than death. Mihawk moved forward half a step, shifting his center of gravity lower. This posture allowed him to exert force better.
'Where is she?'
His gaze had never left her, yet Nero's figure had vanished?
Cold sweat drenched Mihawk's clothes, a drop of sweat slid from his forehead to his jawline, then dripped onto the ground.
It wasn't until a gust of wind blew that a hint of red clothing flickered in the corner of his eye, appearing and disappearing in his vision.
Without hesitation, Mihawk suddenly swung his sword, and as his body shifted, he finally saw Nero clearly.
At some point, she had appeared right beside him, perfectly within his blind spot.
She was still in the same relaxed posture as before, standing loosely, yet his blade struck directly against her sword.
But Nero remained motionless, so Mihawk had no choice but to change his move, his body sliding away with inertia to regain distance.
"Oh my, I thought you had already realized the gap between you and me. The distance in a battle is established when both sides are equal."
A clear footstep echoed in Mihawk's mind. Nero's figure, still in the same relaxed posture, appeared beside him once more.
"And between you and me, distance holds no meaning."
Her enchanting voice whispered softly in his ear, like a hand gripping his heart, making his entire being walk on the tightrope of death.
"Don't look down on me!"
Abandoning his body's fear and suppressing the death threat foretold by his mind, Mihawk forcefully swung his sword at that distance.
The flying slash cut the distant clock tower in half, but only grazed past Nero's ear.
"Hmm, a beautiful strike! Any more?"
Glancing at the stunned Robin beside her, Nero was very satisfied with this effect.
Mihawk said nothing, his moves wide and open, having given up on defense, wanting only to display his everything.
He held no thoughts of Nero cherishing his talent; if he hadn't embraced the resolve to die, he wouldn't have challenged Nero.
He only hoped now to leave behind the figure of a swordsman named Mihawk in Nero's life.
"Next is the final strike!" With his blade pointing backward, Mihawk declared coldly.
"Hmm, bring it on!"
Nero said indifferently, a casual smile on her face.
Without using Observation Haki, relying on her eyesight, swordsmanship skills, and physical prowess, Nero could steadily suppress the current Mihawk.
He was far from the future Hawkeye, the Worlds Greatest Swordsman. Currently, he was merely at the level of a swordsman who could cut steel, still a considerable distance from being a Great Swordsman.
Moreover, in Nero's eyes, this was still a performance for Robin.
Crushing a weaker opponent, right! Just do it as coolly as possible!
With his sword at a thirty-degree angle to the ground and his shoulder consciously dropped, his entire being appeared utterly relaxed, creating a teleportation-like effect with Soru.
What is a gap? What is a master? Marvel! Be shocked! Give me thunderous applause!!!
A golden spotlight shone on her from above, and the chibi version of her in her mind put her hands on her hips and laughed wildly with her head tilted back.
This caused the real Nero to also curl her lips into an arc, unable to hold back.
However, others perceived it as her calm composure. Only Hathaway, who had followed Nero since childhood, vaguely discerned Nero's state of mind and sighed with a helpless hand on her forehead.
"Here it comes!"
Still as a virgin, moving like a raging dragon—this was a strike that condensed Mihawk's spirit, energy, and essence, even making Nero slightly marvel.
To unleash such a Great Swordsman-level strike from the realm of a swordsman would undoubtedly lead to physical exhaustion, but if one's potential was insufficient, even fighting desperately wouldn't achieve this.
Observation Haki activated spontaneously. In the future one second away, Nero, without using Armament Haki, blocked this strike with a single finger, receiving a shallow wound.
But this guy hadn't even learned Haki!
Ever since she ate the Devil Fruit, her physical abilities had greatly improved.
Aside from fighting Sengoku and Garp back then, she had never been injured. Was she going to break that streak with this kid today?
With an unstoppable momentum, the strike was still blocked by Nero with a single finger, but Nero had covered her finger with an almost imperceptible Armament Haki.
Are you kidding? Are you cutting my finger? Hathaway and Robin are still watching. You clearly want to embarrass me.
The sound of metal clashing rang out, and Mihawk's deathly pale face finally showed other expressions: panic, surprise, disbelief!
Complex emotions spread across his face, turning it pale then green. He simply could not accept such a result.
He looked at Nero's fair finger, its pad soft, springy, and incredibly slender.
Mihawk could not imagine how this thing had withstood his full-power strike.
"Is the world… truly so distant?"
Mihawk's hands trembled slightly, unsure if it was an after-effect of his desperate strike or his shaken inner self.
"Hmm, at your current level, to unleash such a strike is already very good. Even I was slightly surprised."
A guilty Nero, seeing Mihawk about to become utterly dejected, immediately patted his shoulder to comfort him.
"Hmm, at least now you know your weakness. Work hard, you have enough potential!"
"You… you're not going to kill me?" Mihawk asked in surprise.
"Hmm, although I have a habit of hanging my enemies on the gallows…"
Originally, Nero wanted to say: You are a pure swordsman, it would be a pity for you to die here. I still want to see if the future you can stand beside me.
But seeing Robin's adoring gaze, the words changed to: "Hmm, it's alright. After all, where would an adult use full strength when playing with a child?"
Mihawk: "…Kill me!"
Nero: "???"
...In the end, Mihawk still left grumbling. Nero, to be honest, still didn't quite understand the thoughts of people like them.
No, actually, she did understand. Pride! Self-discipline! These self-imposed bottom lines are what allow a swordsman to go further.
But… but there's no need to curse so harshly, right?
Nero squatted on the ground, drawing circles with her finger. I even let you off the hook and spent so much time guiding you.
Although the process was… a tiny bit excessive, but… hmm, as a swordsman, shouldn't one have a heart like steel?
Is there really a need to be so petty?
Nero felt very wronged.
Robin, who had only partially understood the recent battle, was still comforting Nero, but Hathaway, who saw through everything, could only think, 'Serves her right!'.
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