When Sherwin hurried back to the reception hall, Doflamingo and Hancock had already left. Only Mihawk and Jinbe remained.
And…
They seemed to be getting along quite well with the Felynes?Seijuro Meow and Link Meow were having some sort of exchange with Mihawk… well, the only thing they could possibly be discussing was swordsmanship.
Meanwhile, several little Felynes from the Research Commission had all gathered around Jinbe, their expressions brimming with excitement—like they'd just spotted a delicious meal.
(=﹃=) ×4
Jinbe: "…"
"Lord Sherwin, you've finally returned!"
The moment Sherwin appeared, the properly seated Jinbe looked as if he had just seen his savior.
He immediately leapt up from his chair and strode quickly over to Sherwin.
In truth, he could tell that those little Felynes were mostly just teasing him, but being stared at by so many pairs of gleaming cat eyes still put tremendous pressure on the Fishman.
"Your next destination should be Fishman Island, right?" After a moment of hesitation,
Jinbe sincerely invited, "King Neptune wishes to meet with you. Once you arrive at Fishman Island, please do come to Ryugu Palace. Of course, we'll arrange an escort to receive you by then."
Although letting a group of Felynes enter Ryugu Palace felt a bit like inviting wolves into one home, at least these cats hadn't actually tried to take a bite out of him…
Moreover, both Jinbe and King Neptune had noticed something rare in Sherwin—something almost never seen in other humans:
he treated all Fishmen as equals. He destroyed Arlong crew solely because they were evil pirates, and when he freed the slaves, he showed no bias toward the Fishmen among them.
Sherwin hadn't expected that after wiping out the Arlong Pirates, simply saving two Fishmen along the way would earn him the same kind of welcome the Straw Hat crew received in the manga.
It seemed that even though the Fishmen were still under Whitebeard protection, their overall situation was even worse than he had imagined.
After quietly sighing to himself, Sherwin nodded and replied, "Understood. We'll go."
In truth, even without Jinbe invitation, he had planned to meet King Neptune. After all, there was a Poneglyph on Fishman Island—and besides…
If the Hunter Log could record the Poneglyphs, then could Shirahoshi, as one of the "Ancient Weapons," also be registered within it?
"In that case, I'll be waiting for your good news on Fishman Island."
As soon as Jinbe finished speaking, he darted out of the Navy Headquarters reception hall—fleeing under the watchful eyes of the four little Felynes.
After his departure, Mihawk approached, speaking in a tone that left no room for refusal. "You should be free now. Let find a place to spar."
Sherwin curiosity was instantly drawn to the massive black blade on Mihawk back—Yoru, the Black Sword. It was the first Supreme Grade blade he had ever seen. Unfortunately, there was no way he could get his hands on it.
Besides…
Didn't it feel uncomfortable to sit while carrying such a huge sword on his back?
As someone who also frequently wielded a blade of considerable length, Sherwin knew that feeling well.
Normally, when he sat down, he would place his Longsword to the side.
Yoru was even longer than his own weapon, yet both in the manga and just moments ago, Mihawk had kept it strapped to his back the entire time…
While Sherwin was silently commenting to himself about the Black Sword Yoru on Mihawk back, the latter had also turned his attention toward Sherwin Longsword.
In the pirate world, there were all sorts of bizarre and unique weapons, but someone who used a fish as a sword was still a rare sight.
However, seeing the group of Felynes gathered around Sherwin, the oddity somehow felt… perfectly reasonable.
Almost at the same time, both men withdrew their gazes from each other weapons.
Sherwin nodded. "No problem."
Although he was eager to tinker with his golden cheat ability, there was no way he could refuse Mihawk request—if only for Seijuro Meow sake.
Besides, Sherwin himself also wanted to test his Crimson End: Twilight after several rounds of upgrades, and Mihawk was the perfect benchmark.
Still, Sherwin gave a quick warning beforehand.
"Just so you know, I'm not a pure swordsman. If you're looking for someone to discuss swordsmanship with, I think you already know who the real one is, right?"
"It doesn't matter. I don't choose my opponents," Mihawk replied calmly as he walked outside.
That figured—this was the man who, out of sheer boredom, had once chased Krieg fleet all the way from the Grand Line to the East Blue.
Sherwin shrugged, motioning for the Felynes to follow. "Where do you want to fight? Here, or somewhere else?"
"Here fine." Mihawk pointed at the massive crater Klee Meow had blasted open earlier. "There already a place ready."
Whether it was because of Doflamingo Birdcage or because the ground had been transformed into threads by Doflamingo awakened Fruit ability, the bottom of the crater—though sunken about six or seven meters—was still relatively flat.
It looked almost like an ancient coliseum, perfectly suited for a duel.
With everyone strength being more than enough to ignore the height of the Marine Headquarter main base, no one bothered to take the stairs.
Hawkeye was the first to leap down, and Sherwin followed right after, jumping straight into the crater left behind by Klee Meow explosion.
Just like during his previous battle with Rayleigh, Sherwin immediately downed a dose of demon drug as the fight began.
Hawkeye frowned slightly but, unlike Rayleigh, didn't show any displeasure—he simply drew the black blade, Yoru, from his back in silence.
To him, as long as he could cross swords with a strong opponent, that was all that mattered. Whether Sherwin power came from drugs or not, he didn't care.
Sherwin knew very well that there was still a considerable gap between him and Hawkeye, so after taking the demon drug, he didn't hesitate and launched the first strike—
Monster Hunter Style Secret Art: Crimson Sky End (Instant Release)!
Hawkeye, the world greatest swordsman, immediately had his eyes light up.
Sherwin technique was completely different from the style of most swordsmen, and as Hawkeye praised the move, he raised Yoru to meet the attack head-on.
Whether it was because he saw Sherwin hadn't used Conqueror Haki and thus didn't bother using infusion,
or because he simply didn't possess Conqueror Haki at all, was unknown—but in any case, the swing of his blade was purely wrapped in Armament Haki.
Even so, Sherwin Crimson Sky End, which could rival infused attacks in power, didn't gain any advantage.
After the two clashed fiercely for a while, they tacitly withdrew their strength and separated at the same moment.
Although it looked like Sherwin and Hawkeye were evenly matched on the surface, in truth, Mihawk had been wielding his sword with only one hand the entire time.
Yet, even so, he appeared far more relaxed than Rayleigh had been in his bout with Sherwin.
Of course, that didn't necessarily mean Hawkeye was stronger than Rayleigh, but at the very least, as a man in his prime, his physical condition was clearly superior to the aged Rayleigh.
"Hah… again!"
Sherwin exhaled deeply and decisively activated Link Time.
Monster Hunter Style Secret Art: Crimson Sky End (Lightning Mode)!
"Oh?"
A flicker of surprise and delight flashed in Mihawk hawk-like eyes. Though it was the same technique, its aura and momentum were completely different from before.
Feeling the intensity of Sherwin strike, Mihawk placed his other hand on Yoru hilt, and the Armament Haki coating the black blade grew even denser.
Clang—!
The clash between the two wasn't as overwhelming as when Conqueror Haki collided, but the resulting shockwave was by no means small.
Violent air currents erupted from the point where their blades met, sweeping outward in all directions and kicking up clouds of dust.
Because the two were fighting inside a crater, the dust-laden gusts surged upward once they reached the rim, forming a shape that resembled a mushroom cloud.
Just like the first exchange, after holding their ground against each other for a while, Sherwin and Mihawk once again withdrew in perfect sync.
After stepping back, Sherwin slowly exhaled a deep breath. Although activating Link Time for the first time didn't put much strain on his body, the stamina consumption was still immense.
Mihawk, on the other hand, looked completely composed—it was clear that he still hadn't gone all out.
"Tch… as expected of the world greatest swordsman." Sherwin clicked his tongue, sheathing the Longsword and assuming an iaido stance.
"This technique has a third variation, but it requires a long charge-up. It not really practical in real combat."
"No problem! Come at me with everything you've got!"
The previous two forms of Crimson Sky End had already greatly satisfied Mihawk. He steadied his stance, silently waiting for Sherwin next move.
Monster Hunter Style Secret Art: Crimson Sky End (Charged Mode)!