"Who is that old man?!" someone shrieked.
"No idea, never seen him before..."
"I know him! He's been hanging around Colonel Smoker's assistant, Tashigi. Earlier, that Zoro kid even paid for his meal!"
That's right, the meal money! In the crowd, the tavern owner suddenly realized he had run out in such a hurry that he hadn't actually collected the bill!
"Zoro paid for his meal? Does the Pirate Hunter have some connection to him?"
"Look what he's holding. A tobacco pipe? Can a thing like that really block a Supreme Grade Sword?"
"Mr. Rowan..." Tashigi's eyes sparkled with a mix of awe and expectation.
"Heehee." Luffy, on the other hand, simply grinned from the sidelines, enjoying the show.
In the center of the clearing, Hawkeye Mihawk's expression turned solemn. His sharp gaze locked onto the relaxed Rowan. He increased the pressure on his blade, pushing down with more force. But gradually, a wave of shock surged through Mihawk's heart. He realized that no matter how much strength he applied, the tobacco pipe held before him remained as immovable as a mountain.
"What is the meaning of this, sir?" After a long silence, Mihawk took a deep breath, suppressing his inner turmoil, and asked in a low voice.
Zoro, having reopened his eyes, also frowned. "Old gentleman, this is a duel between swordsmen. Please do not interfere."
Hearing Zoro's words, Rowan shook his head. "I honestly couldn't watch any longer."
"What?" Zoro was confused.
"I said, you're so bad at this it's painful to look at!"
After dropping that line, Rowan glanced at Mihawk and said offhandedly, "You, take a hike for a second."
Since he wasn't "Dog-eye" Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman didn't quite catch the slang, but as he was about to ask for clarification, he felt a colossal force travel up his arm. A crisp sword hum echoed, and an incredibly pure Sword Intent swept across the plaza.
Being at the center of the blast, Mihawk's face shifted. He was forced back several steps by the sheer pressure. Zoro fared even worse; he let out a muffled groan and was sent tumbling backward.
"What a powerful Sword Intent... is this old guy a Grandmaster too?!" Zoro looked as if he had seen a ghost.
Mihawk felt the same way. He had noticed Rowan earlier, but Rowan's appearance and demeanor suggested nothing of a combatant, let alone a master. Mihawk hadn't considered him a threat. After all, how could a true Grandmaster remain so perfectly calm and ordinary in the presence of the World's Greatest Swordsman? Furthermore, at his level, no master should have been able to escape his senses.
Could he be the owner of that Sword Intent from before? Mihawk scrutinized Rowan again, but doubt lingered. If this man was the one, why did he look so... plain? A swordsman of that caliber, even without a Supreme Grade blade, should at least carry one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. Even the green-haired kid had the Wado Ichimonji. But the weapon at the old man's waist...
Looking at the worn, mottled scabbard of the weapon that clearly only had the craftsmanship of a Ryo Wazamono (Skillful Grade), Mihawk shook his head inwardly. He decided to wait and see what this old man intended to do.
With a heavy thud, a dazed Zoro hit the ground. Did this old guy just blow me away with the mere residue of his sword pressure? He looked at Rowan with a complex gaze—shock at the power, and a sudden, deep self-doubt. Is my swordsmanship really that pathetic?
Even though the spectators were at a distance, they felt a chilling edge wash over them, accompanied by a stinging sensation on their skin.
"That old man... he seems incredibly strong!"
"He forced the World's Greatest Swordsman back! Who is he?!"
"Haha, this is getting interesting. Coming to Loguetown was worth it!"
Rowan strolled over to Zoro's side. The young man was covered in blood, looking like a crimson statue. Having encountered both the current world peak and a "system-cheating" peak in one day, Zoro was spiraling into an identity crisis.
Rowan blew a puff of smoke toward him and chuckled. "Little guy, feel the gap yet? Still want to be the world's strongest swordsman?"
Zoro looked up, glancing at Rowan and then at the distant Mihawk. To him, both were insurmountable mountains. But when his gaze caught Tashigi's worried face, the image of the girl from his past resurfaced. The oath he made years ago echoed in his ears—the resolve he had forged in tears at a funeral.
"That's... of course!" Zoro's lips curled into a confident, defiant smirk. He roared, "I, Roronoa Zoro, am going to be the Grandmaster whose name reaches the heavens!"
"Either I become the strongest, or I die on the path to getting there."
"No! Even if I die, I will become the strongest! That is my life's conviction, and I will never give it up!"
As he spoke, Zoro shakily used his sword to push himself back to his feet. Even though his legs were unsteady and he looked ready to collapse, his eyes burned with a fire fiercer than ever before. He had found his path.
Tashigi, watching from the side, was moved. What an unshakable gaze. Luffy's eyes lit up. To him, Zoro was becoming the perfect candidate for a crewmate. The world's strongest swordsman? That fits perfectly with my goal of being Pirate King!
Rowan looked at Zoro and smiled. "Tsk tsk, you've got some fight in you. So, want to reconsider that offer I made?"
"What offer?" Zoro asked.
"I'm not a fan of being a freeloading old man. You paid for my meal, and I said I'd teach you a move."
Rowan turned his gaze to Mihawk. "Dog-eye... er, Hawkeye-boy. This kid just suffered a total defeat at your hands, right?"
Mihawk nodded solemnly. "Indeed."
Rowan puffed on his pipe and continued with a smile, "In that case, let's do this. I haven't shown my face in a while, but I still have a bit of reputation on these seas. Give the Old Man some 'face' and let me teach him a single move. Then, we'll let him challenge you one more time. How about it?"
"You want him to duel me again?" Mihawk frowned. "Sir, you are clearly a master yourself. You should know the gap between us cannot be bridged by learning a single technique."
Rowan remained calm. "Don't worry. It won't take long."
............BONUS CHAPTER IS COMING...........
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