The sharp blade pointed straight at Ian.
Hancock, who had been standing beside him, frowned instantly.
Even if you're Ian's friend, that doesn't give you the right to draw your sword at him.
"Huh? So this guy's actually Brother Ian's enemy?"
Held tightly in Yamato's arms, little Bonney—who'd been playfully squirming around—suddenly realized what was happening. She began to struggle even harder.
"Let me go, Sister Yamato! I'm gonna take care of Brother Ian's enemy myself!"
"There's no need for you to step in, Bonney."
Ian raised his hand and gently rubbed the little girl's chubby cheek.
All those years of looking after her weren't in vain.
He stood up and faced Mihawk. "Since you're so eager, don't start crying later."
"Then let's see if you can make me."
In that instant, black lightning of Haki began crackling across Mihawk's long sword.
But the next second, that violent lightning calmed—flowing smoothly into the blade until it looked like a stream of living darkness.
"Conqueror's Haki infusion, huh?"
Ace chuckled as he helped Zoro to his feet, slinging the swordsman's arm over his shoulder. "Hahahaha! Zoro, looks like he wasn't even serious when he fought you."
"Hmph."
Zoro grunted but said nothing.
After crossing blades with Mihawk himself, he understood more clearly than ever just how vast the gap between them really was.
But still…
As he watched Ian walk forward step by step, Zoro couldn't help a faint sigh in his heart.
When Mihawk stands before Ian, he's probably the one at a disadvantage.
"Come."
Ian planted his right foot and stood firmly before Mihawk. "Make your move. Whatever technique you use, give it everything you've got."
"Then I won't hold back!"
Kuina, supported by Sanji as she steadied herself on the ground, widened her eyes in disbelief.
She prided herself on her speed — it wasn't something to be underestimated.
When it came to raw strength, she couldn't compare to Zoro, so she honed her technique and agility instead.
But now, standing before Mihawk, she had to admit… her so-called speed was laughable in comparison.
So fast!
Her eyes could barely register his movement before Mihawk had already appeared in front of Ian like a dark flash.
The world's greatest swordsman, who usually fought with a single hand, now gripped his supreme-grade black blade with both hands.
Without hesitation, he swung a ruthless slash aimed to cut Ian clean in half.
But—
Clang!!
The black blade suddenly trembled.
Under the reinforcement of Mihawk's Armament Haki, that sword should have been unbreakable, unstoppable. Yet now, it rippled like the surface of the sea.
"What…?"
Mihawk's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ian hadn't even moved. He'd simply coated his side in Armament Haki — and that alone was enough to block Mihawk's killing strike completely.
"This kind of Haki…?"
Overwhelmed by surprise, Mihawk couldn't help but burst out laughing. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"That's why I told you to give it everything you've got," Ian said with a calm smile. "I can still take it."
"In that case, I won't hold back!"
Mihawk drew his sword back sharply, spinning his body as the black blade sliced downward in a slanted arc. "Split in two!!"
Ian raised his right hand.
Click!
The sound was faint — like a sandbag gently hitting the ground.
But what happened next left Mihawk speechless once again.
Ian's four fingers rested lightly on the back of the black blade, with his thumb pressed against the edge below. With a simple squeeze, he stopped the sword dead in its tracks.
"I can't even begin to understand this!" Mihawk roared, leaping into the air as his right foot shot forward in a fierce kick toward Ian's face.
Ian caught his ankle effortlessly with his left hand and, with a swift swing, sent the world's greatest swordsman flying like a spinning boomerang.
"This strength…!!"
Mihawk felt his head spin — his very brain felt like it might fly out.
It wasn't just Haki. Even without relying on any Devil Fruit powers, Ian's raw physical might was monstrous!
"Oh?"
Ian narrowed his eyes slightly.
Above them, the sky flashed with a brilliant green light.
Massive flying slashes rained down like a torrential storm.
"Hey, hey, hey—don't go wrecking Onigashima now."
Ian sighed helplessly. "This island isn't nearly as durable as I am."
He casually swung his right leg.
Rankyaku!
A pitch-black vacuum slash tore through the sky.
And the only thing that stood out about it was—
"Ohhh! It's huge!"
Bonney craned her neck as far back as she could, but even then, she couldn't see where the slash ended.
It was as if the sky itself had been ripped open—so grand, so magnificent.
"I've never even heard of a Rokushiki move on this scale," Law muttered in awe.
Every flying slash Mihawk had sent before was shredded to dust in an instant, completely overwhelmed by Ian's vacuum wave.
"Sea Splitter!"
A bolt of green lightning crashed down from the sky.
It tore Ian's vacuum wave clean in half, then descended mercilessly toward him.
A grin tugged at the corner of Ian's mouth—such a textbook power slash.
He raised both hands and caught it.
Clang!
Mihawk froze midair, his body locked.
"Damn it!" he hissed between clenched teeth.
Ian had caught his blade—barehanded.
But the truly terrifying part was that Mihawk couldn't move it at all. No matter how much strength or Haki he poured into his arms, Ian's hands remained still as stone, holding the sword in place as if it were nothing.
Then Ian drove a straight kick right into Mihawk's gut.
"Ugh!!"
Mihawk's body arched like a shrimp, blood spurting from his mouth.
He was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing through two rocky peaks behind him.
"That must've hurt…"
Viola grimaced, baring her teeth at the impact.
She couldn't understand how Mihawk could've thought challenging Ian was a good idea. Was he trying to die?
"How's it going, Mihawk? Still holding up?"
Ian grinned.
"I finally got the chance—there's no way I'm ending it here!"
Mihawk launched himself from the rubble, landing heavily before Ian once more.
The first thing he did was lower his gaze—to Ian's feet.
"Until now… you haven't even taken a single step, have you?"
"Probably not."
Ian nodded slightly. "Does that bother you?"
"It's frustrating, really."
Mihawk chuckled. "To attack with all my strength, and still not make you take a single step back—don't you think that's a bit insulting?"
"In that case…"
Ian began to move forward. "Let me be the one to attack this time."
The ground beneath his feet exploded into a crater.
In the next instant, his figure vanished—appearing right in front of Mihawk as if he had teleported.
Only after his punch sent Mihawk flying did the air behind Ian explode violently, whipping up a storm of wind.
"What was that?!"
Ace's eyes widened in disbelief.
Even with his Observation Haki, he hadn't been able to sense Ian's movements at all!
As expected of the most unreasonable monster in the entire world!
**********
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