"Crack, crack, crack…"
Before the Longsword and the Black Blade Yoru even touched, Sherwin had already felt that same immense resistance he once experienced when clashing with Garp. The air around them began to distort and tremble.
The Marines who had gathered to watch even felt an illusion that all of Marineford was shaking.
Aside from the sky not splitting and the absence of black lightning, the intensity of this clash was no less than the collision of Conqueror Haki—yet neither Sherwin nor Mihawk had used it.
"To think they can reach this level relying solely on Armament Haki… Mihawk truly deserves his title as the world greatest swordsman.
But that brat Sherwin has grown this much too. The youngsters these days sure are something! Hahahahahaha!"
Garp watched the duel below with awe and laughter.
Vice Admiral Tsuru sighed beside him. "Yet neither of them belongs to the Marines."
Having long understood Sherwin stance back in the East Blue, Garp fell silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"At least they didn't become pirates, right?"
"…That true. Better this than turning to piracy."
Tsuru sighed again. From the moment Sherwin returned alone, she knew Sengoku invitation had been refused.
It was a shame—she truly admired Sherwin, a young man full of justice and compassion.
While the two veteran vice admirals exchanged words, the standoff between Sherwin and Mihawk continued.
This time, it lasted far longer than their previous clashes, and even now, their blades had yet to truly make contact.
Both Sherwin and Mihawk knew very well that the moment their blades truly met would be the instant that decided victory or defeat.
Even though Mihawk veins were bulging, his expression remained calm and composed.
Seeing that, Sherwin already knew he was most likely going to lose. In fact, before their duel even began, he never really expected to win.
What he wanted was simply to test his current strength through Mihawk blade.
Given Mihawk power, the counterstrike after losing a clash like this would definitely hurt—a lot. Maybe even fatally, if he wasn't careful.
Sherwin gave a bitter smile, but he didn't back down. Instead, he tightened his grip, pouring more strength into the Longsword, forcing it closer toward the Black Blade Yoru.
After all…
He'd already come this far—so why stop now?
Though Sherwin personality leaned toward cautiousness after decades of peaceful life before crossing into this world, that didn't mean he lacked the courage to risk his life.
The Hunters within his inherited memories might have all been skilled at survival, but when the moment came, they never hesitated to gamble everything.
Under the influence of those memories, Sherwin, too, could harden his resolve when it truly mattered.
And since Mihawk hadn't even used Advanced Conqueror Haki—only relying on slightly stronger Armament Haki—while Sherwin also carried the power of the Monster Hunter world, why should he retreat?!
Clenching his teeth, Sherwin forced out every drop of Armament Haki he could muster, infusing it into the Longsword.
Mihawk, on the other side, remained equally unyielding, those hawk-like eyes brimming with killing intent.
"Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack…"
As both sides poured in more power, the vibrations in the air grew even more violent.
The ground beneath them split and fractured from the overflowing energy.
During the clash, Sherwin could feel his Armament Haki becoming denser, more refined.
At the same time, the power of the Hunters he'd fused into himself began to shift in strange ways—familiar yet foreign, an unsettling sensation crawling under his skin.
As the two blades drew closer, that odd feeling grew clearer and clearer, like a butterfly struggling to break free of its cocoon…
What—?!
The moment that strange transformation fully formed and stabilized, Sherwin finally understood what this new power was—
Courage Style!
It was the style system from Monster Hunter X and Monster Hunter XX/GU, and Courage Style was one of the two new styles added in XX/GU! It hadn't existed in any of the inherited memories he possessed before.
Sherwin had assumed the real Monster Hunter world didn't have such a thing—but to think it would suddenly manifest now!
He had no idea how this was even possible, but there was no time to think.
His body instinctively switched into Courage Style, and almost without realizing it, he also merged a newly awakened Hunter Art into his Crimson Sky End technique...
Hunter Flow: Secret Art – Crimson Sky End + Demon Blade: Rakshasa!
Since this new inheritance had only just awakened, Sherwin hadn't had time to integrate more techniques.
All he could do was layer a single Longsword Hunter Art atop the Courage Style.
"!!!"
Mihawk immediately sensed the sudden change in Sherwin aura, but even he didn't have time to react—because at that precise instant, their blades finally made direct contact.
For a heartbeat, all sound vanished. The trembling air went still, and the collision between the two blades made no noise at all. It was as if the entire world had been muted.
But that silence lasted less than a second. In the next moment, a colossal shockwave erupted between them.
The shrill explosion tore through the sky, echoing across Marineford. Both fighters lost control of their bodies, flung backward by the impact.
Boom!
Sherwin was hurled all the way to the edge of the crater, slamming into the "wall" before he finally stopped.
Compared to the deep gash across his body—so deep the bone was visible—that impact was nothing.
Fortunately, even though Mihawk strike had cut deep, it wasn't immediately fatal.
"Ahhh, ow ow ow ow ow…"
Sherwin, who had fallen to the ground, struggled to pull out a small green bottle, quickly opened the cap, and poured it down his throat.
With the recovery potion made by Haibara Meow entering his system, the bleeding on Sherwin body stopped immediately, and his wounds began to heal rapidly.
In no time, the Hunter was back on his feet, full of energy once more.
On the other side, although Mihawk had also been knocked backward, he swiftly adjusted his stance midair and thrust his black blade into the ground to stabilize himself.
"What an impressive strike," Mihawk said, wiping the cut on his cheek with his thumb. He sighed a little regretfully.
"For someone who can unleash such a sword strike, it truly a shame that you're not a pure swordsman."
"Cough, cough… I'll take that as a compliment," Sherwin replied.
Though his wounds had healed, the recovery potion in reality couldn't restore the blood he had lost like in the game.
Moreover, the rapid healing came at the cost of a great deal of stamina.
Coupled with exiting courage mode and returning to his salted-fish—or rather, his relaxed—mode, Sherwin voice sounded weak, and his face looked slightly pale.
Still, it wasn't a big problem. A few bites of Sanji Meow special rations would quickly replenish his stamina, and as for the lost blood—well, with Sherwin recovery ability, he'd be back to normal after half a day rest.
"Thank you for your guidance," Sherwin said sincerely, his strength having clearly improved.
"That strike just now taught me a lot. Maybe the next time we meet, I'll be able to show you something new."
"Hahahahaha! Is that so?" Mihawk laughed heartily. "Then I'll look forward to your surprise."
"Cough, cough…" Sherwin cleared his throat before continuing, "But before that, could I trouble you to give a bit of guidance to my two cats as well?"
"Even if you hadn't asked, I would've done it anyway." Mihawk, clearly in high spirits, was more talkative than usual.
"Earlier, I had a conversation—or rather, a brief exchange—with Seijuro and Link. They're both fine opponents. Especially Seijuro… I saw in him the aura unique to top-tier swordsmen."