Chapter 364: Duel on the Deck: Swordsman’s Ambition

“Hey, we’ve got no grudge against you, no old scores to settle. Why are you doing this to us?”

Hawk Eyes tilted his head, glancing at a pirate barely standing beside him. “Just passing the time.”

“Don’t kid around. You expect us to believe that’s your reason?”

One of the pirates couldn’t take it anymore. He whipped out twin pistols and fired two shots at Hawk Eyes.

But Hawk Eyes casually drew the Black Sword—Yoru from his back. With a quick flick, he effortlessly deflected both bullets.

“What? No way! I was aiming right at him!”

He knew his aim was decent—how could he have missed at such close range?

“He made you miss on purpose.”

“He used his blade to change the bullets’ path.”

Even hearing Zoro’s explanation, the pirate still couldn’t believe it.

“That’s impossible—hey, who are you?”

Zoro ignored him completely, brushing past as he headed straight for Hawk Eyes.

“I’ve never seen a sword that flexible before.”

While he spoke, Zoro nudged open his sword’s handguard, ready to draw at a moment’s notice—especially facing the mountain he most wanted to climb.

Only warriors who dare brandish their blade at stronger foes set foot on the peak.

“A sword with only power has no true strength!”

Hawk Eyes eyed Zoro, whose hand hovered over his blade. For the first time, his interest was piqued.

He figured, why not treat this as a little after-dinner exercise.

“Did you use that sword to slice through this ship, too?”

“I did.”

“So it’s true. You really are the strongest.”

“The reason I set out to sea was to meet you.”

“And what’s your goal?”

“To become the strongest.”

With those words, Zoro pulled out a green bandana, tying back his hair, then unsheathed his blade and pointed it straight at Hawk Eyes.

“Hmph. Foolish.”

Hawk Eyes glanced sideways, sizing up the brat bold enough to challenge him.

He hadn’t expected a surprise like this during his trip to East Blue.

“You seem pretty free right now. How about a little match?”

“A match? Pitiful weakling!”

In an instant Hawk Eyes appeared on the battered deck, facing Zoro.

“If you were a true swordsman, even without clashing blades, you’d see the gap between us.”

“Drawing blades with me—should I say it’s courage or just plain ignorance?”

Stepping onto the deck was already his silent recognition of Zoro’s courage.

No matter how treacherous the mountain ahead, those who climb it never fear the climb.

“It’s because of my ambition—and a promise I made with a dear friend.”

“Hey, what are you doing?”

He watched as Hawk Eyes unclasped the cross pendant from his chest, pulling out a tiny blade barely the length of a finger. Instantly, he felt insulted, believing he was being looked down on.

“The world’s greatest swordsman, Mihawk, versus Zoro, the Three-Sword Pirate Hunter from East Blue—who will come out on top in this duel?”

Yosaku said, “Come on, do you even have to ask? Our big bro’s the strongest!”

“It’s a one-sided battle. Luffy, your resolve to sail the seas is strong, but Zoro’s resolve is just as fierce.”

Leaning against the mast, Ye Fan watched with keen interest.

Though he was a clone of Karl, all his memories belonged to that youth from Blue Star—bold, passionate, a fresh face for a new era.

“Unlike a wild beast going all out just to kill some rabbit, I don’t waste my strength—unlike you, even if you are a well-known swordsman.”

“But this is still East Blue—the weakest sea among the four grand oceans.”

“Pretty small, yeah. It’s the smallest sword I’ve got.”

Hawk Eyes looked helpless, as if it really took effort just to find a weapon worthy of this fight against Zoro.

“There’s a limit to how much you can insult someone, you know!”

Zoro clenched his teeth, fury boiling over. “Don’t regret it when you’re dead.”

With lightning steps he charged Hawk Eyes, blades trailing behind him.

“Like a frog in a well—come see just how vast the world can be.”

Hawk Eyes extended his arm and aimed his tiny blade at the charging Zoro.

“Oni Giri!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!!!

Three long swords met together—only to be blocked with ease by that little blade.

Hawk Eyes’ eyes were sharp as ever. With barely a motion, he cut off the force behind those three blades before they could even gather strength.

“Na… nani?”

Zoro couldn’t believe it. With Ye Fan’s help lately, he’d felt his strength improving by leaps every day. Even so, he couldn’t even…

Luffy watched, stunned, as Zoro’s attack was blocked so easily by Hawk Eyes. “Zoro?!”

“This is the power at the top of the world. Remember it well.”

Ye Fan folded his arms, watching the duel calmly. He already knew why Hawk Eyes was here—his nap had been disturbed. Yet Zoro’s unbreakable will made him believe the new generation had finally grown up. Zoro’s safety wasn’t at risk.

“I can’t move. Why?”

“No one’s ever seen through this move before.”

“Stopped by something that feels like a toy…”

“How is this possible? Is the difference between us so vast? How could it be, when I…”

“The world can’t be that far out of reach.”

Zoro went wild, swinging all three swords at Hawk Eyes in a flurry of strikes.

But to Hawk Eyes, those frantic attacks were even less impressive than the previous ones—he dodged them easily.

On a minor clash, Hawk Eyes again found a weak spot and knocked Zoro back with minimal effort.

“How…?”

“Come on, big bro! Show them your real strength!”

Right now, only Johnny and Yosaku—those two knuckleheads—were still cheering for Zoro.

Everyone else had already seen the divide between Zoro and Hawk Eyes, as clear as a canyon.

“There’s no way the gap’s really that huge! Ah!”

Unwilling to give up, Zoro scrambled up from the deck. He charged again, three swords swinging, giving Hawk Eyes no room to breathe.

But to Hawk Eyes, these attacks were nothing but child’s play.

“What a wild sword style.”

Honestly, Hawk Eyes even felt embarrassed by such chaotic swordplay—it was a squandering of a swordsman’s talent.

If one of his own disciples fought this way, he’d personally step in and set them straight.

“He actually blocked every one of Zoro’s Three-Sword attacks with that tiny blade.”

“I didn’t come this far as a swordsman to be toyed with by something like this.”

Images of that small blade piercing through flashed again and again in Zoro’s mind.

Each flash struck right at his weaknesses. Now, he understood those weak spots in a way he never had before.

“Someday, my name will echo through the sky. I’ll become the world’s greatest swordsman.”

“Tiger Hunt!”

With both hands, he swung his swords, sandwiching the one held in his mouth behind them. As they crashed down, it felt as if a real, roaring tiger appeared in the air.

For the first time, even the depths of Hawk Eyes’ calm gaze rippled with surprise.

To touch the threshold of being a great swordsman at such a young age—this kid was a true prodigy.

When you’ve reached the summit of your own power and find no opponents left, sometimes you start to want to raise one yourself.