The Baratie restaurant floated serenely on the waters of East Blue. "You've got the wrong guy!" Zoro barked, his voice sharp. "I'm only nineteen this year. Seventeen years ago, I was two years old—I hadn't even picked up a sword yet!" His words hung in the air, casting an odd tension over the scene. Seventeen years ago, he'd been a toddler. Hawkeye's usually composed expression flickered with surprise.
A long silence stretched between them. Finally, Hawkeye activated his Observation Haki, his piercing gaze narrowing as he spoke again. "Are you telling the truth?" "Why would I lie? I'm nineteen, and today's the first time I've ever laid eyes on you." Hawkeye studied Zoro's emotional fluctuations through his Haki, confirming that the young swordsman wasn't deceiving him. The realization was... awkward.
Hawkeye hadn't expected to confront the wrong person. Just as he felt a flicker of frustration, a dark, bloodthirsty aura prickled his senses, emanating from the second floor of the Baratie. It was both familiar and unsettling. His head snapped up, his eyes locking onto the open glass window on the restaurant's upper level.
There stood Sephiroth, clad in a sleek black suit with two sabers at his waist. His gaze was fixed on the butcher knife in his hand—a blade that radiated the same ominous energy Hawkeye remembered from years ago. "So you're the real Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro," Hawkeye said coldly, his voice cutting through the tension. Zoro blinked, utterly baffled. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Sephiroth chuckled softly, his voice dripping with amusement. "Hawkeye, you're making no sense. The Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro, is right there," he said, gesturing toward Zoro on the side deck. If Hawkeye had confronted him privately about using a pseudonym, Sephiroth might have admitted it—it wouldn't have mattered much. But now, in broad daylight with dozens of witnesses? Admitting it would spread like wildfire, bringing unwanted attention, especially from the World Government.
"Hmph," Hawkeye snorted, his tone icy. "Whether seventeen years ago or now, you're nothing but a coward. If I challenged you to a duel, you'd find some excuse to back out." Sephiroth's lips curled into a sneer. "Is that so? You came here looking for a fight, didn't you? You think being the World's Greatest Swordsman makes you untouchable? Fine. Let's see if you're worth the title."
With a deliberate motion, Sephiroth drew the butcher knife from his waist. The air crackled with anticipation as two of the era's top swordsmen prepared to clash. The tension was palpable, and the surrounding crowd instinctively backed away, sensing the impending destruction. Zeff, the Baratie's owner, stroked his braided beard and sighed. "Looks like my restaurant's going to take a beating today."
"I'll pay double for any damages," Sephiroth said without turning, his voice calm but firm. Then he leaped onto the ship's deck, ready for battle. Zeff's expression brightened instantly, his worries evaporating. From their earlier conversation, it seemed Sephiroth had some connection to Reiju, Sanji's sister. And since the other party had made such a promise to him, given his status, he doubted Sephiroth would go back on his word.
Recently, the Baratie had seen a surge in customers, and Zeff had been contemplating whether to expand by purchasing another ship. Now, it seemed fortune was smiling on him. Let the battle rage—it might just be the push he needed.
It would be best if the entire ship was destroyed so I can get a bigger one... Zeff muttered to himself. "Hey! Zoro, the upcoming battle isn't suitable for you to watch up close! If you don't want to die, stay away! After all, in a few months, you still have a long-standing Convention battle with Kuina." Sephiroth, who had already drawn his dual blades, advised Zoro not far away. "You..."
Zoro had a lot to say about Hawkeye inexplicably seeking him out. His intuition told him that Sephiroth must have set him up. But... He thought about it again. Seventeen years ago, he was only two years old, and at that time, Sephiroth didn't seem to know him and had no connection with him. Suddenly, a possibility came to mind.
Could it be that his parents had heard of the pseudonym Roronoa Zoro that Sephiroth used when he was a Pirate Hunter, and then, on a whim, gave him this name...? Thinking of this, Zoro opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't voice his doubts and kept the words bottled up inside.
Covering the wound on his chest, he was helped by Luffy and Usopp, and with difficulty, he left the side deck of the restaurant and returned to the Merry Go. On the other side, Hawkeye also drew the black blade night from his back, pointing the tip at Sephiroth. "Hawkeye, if your skills are inferior today, then the title of Worlds Greatest Swordsman should change hands!"
"I've heard similar words countless times. If you truly have the ability... then come and take it!" Hawkeye said in an emotionless tone. The next moment. Clang! Clang! Clang!... The figures of the two went from extreme stillness to extreme movement. The Sabers in their hands, wrapped in Haki of Armament, continuously collided, engaging in the purest test of swordsmanship technique.
The speed of their attacks became faster and faster, causing the blades to leave streaks of afterimages in the air, and the sound of metal clashing was incessant. Sitting on the deck of the Merry Go, Zoro, while Usopp bandaged his wound, stared intently at the two figures on the side deck of the restaurant. Both were top Great Swordsmen of the era.
Sword slashes and waves were effortless for them, and splitting mountains and seas was not a problem. However... At this moment, when they were competing in swordsmanship, they didn't display any flashy moves at all, not even using sword slashes. What they were competing on now were the most basic moves like chopping, sweeping, cutting, and lifting! But...
In their hands, those most basic moves possessed an indescribable subtlety and agility. The layman watches the excitement, the expert watches the skill. To those nearby who didn't understand swordsmanship, Sephiroth and Hawkeye were going back and forth, fighting fiercely.
But in the eyes of someone like Zoro, who had entered the realm of a Sword Master, every move and every stance of the two contained minute control that was incredibly subtle and astonishing. At this moment, Zoro finally clearly realized just how far he was from becoming a Great Swordsman like them...