"Speaking of swordsmanship duels…"
Wright suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Ah! I knew I forgot something!"
"?"
Zoro looked at Wright's sudden expression of realization and asked, "What's wrong, Senior Brother? Are you about to teach me some sword techniques?"
Thud!
Wright knocked Zoro on the head. The green-haired swordsman winced and crouched down, only to hear Wright smugly say:
"I just remembered that I need to challenge Dracule Mihawk to a swordsmanship duel. I've felt some improvement in my techniques lately, and it's time to let the world's greatest swordsman test me!"
"…"
Zoro immediately forgot the pain. "Dracule Mihawk?!"
"Yeah. Train hard and learn from the master. As for Mihawk… you're still far from ready—I'm off!"
With a flash of golden light, Wright disappeared.
Zoro scratched his head, strapped on his weights again, and muttered, "The world's greatest swordsman… I'll find him myself and defeat him!"
"Although… maybe I should take down Senior Brother first? Tsk…"
...
In the dim and gloomy castle, Dracule Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, sat in his chair reading the newspaper.
One hand swirled a glass of red wine, while the other tapped a specific page in the paper.
"The Beasts Pirates have recruited yet another Zoan-type Ancient Devil Fruit user."
"Former Marine Headquarters Major… the son of a pirate, who joined the Marines for revenge. He even served under Wright…"
Mihawk's lips curled into a faint smile. "He assassinated one of Wright's subordinates—his father's killer—and fled the Marines to join Kaido, avoiding Wright's retaliation…"
"Interesting. Would Wright let someone like that slide?"
"His swordsmanship… shows no hesitation. In a situation like this, shouldn't he have already gone in alone to deal with it?"
"Swordsmanship never lies…"
Taking a sip of wine, Mihawk's thoughts drifted to Wright's personality.
"Unless… he has other plans…"
Knock, knock, knock!
"Yo, Mihawk! I'm back!"
Wright's voice echoed through the castle alongside the sound of knocking. Mihawk shook his head. "What timing."
Creak!
The massive doors of the castle swung open. Mihawk looked at Wright at the entrance, his sharp hawk-like eyes glinting.
"Oh? It seems you've made some progress."
"As expected of Mihawk—you can see it at a glance."
Wright laughed heartily. "I've had some insights after a few recent battles, so naturally, you were the first person I thought of!"
"Good. This duel should be quite interesting."
With a gesture for Wright to wait, Mihawk disappeared deeper into the castle, leaving Wright blinking in surprise.
"Does this guy really not plan to invite me in for tea? So eager to fight?"
Before long, Mihawk reappeared, fully equipped with his black blade, Yoru, on his back.
"Let's go."
...
On a desolate wasteland crisscrossed with ravines…
This land was once the ruins of a kingdom destroyed by war. However, after several duels between Wright and Mihawk, it had been reduced to a barren expanse.
There were no structures left—only deep trenches carved by their colossal sword strikes.
Shing!
There was no need for preamble. As old rivals, they didn't waste words. A duel between swordmasters begins with their blades.
Two massive flying slashes clashed in the air, holding each other at bay for several seconds before dissipating in an explosive shockwave.
Mihawk nodded approvingly. Wright's flying slashes had indeed improved.
Clang, clang, clang!
After exchanging long-range strikes, the real test of swordsmanship began—close combat.
As the world's greatest swordsman, Mihawk's philosophy was simple: every slash was his ultimate attack. Each swing of his sword carried the power of a peak strike.
But Wright had yet to reach that level.
While his strongest techniques could rival Mihawk's, his ordinary strikes were still a notch below.
Clad in his iconic black cloak, Mihawk engaged Wright, who wore a white Marine coat of justice. Their black blade and golden sword clashed, their Haki colliding in violent bursts of energy that crackled like thunder.
Boom!
Mihawk sent Wright flying with a single slash, slamming him into the ground.
"Holy Light!"
Wright quickly got up, healing himself with a burst of radiant energy. Holding his sword horizontally at eye level, he assumed a ready stance.
Mihawk's hawk-like eyes gleamed with interest, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Good!"
"Secret Technique: Void Slash!"
Wright vanished in a blur, while Mihawk gripped his blade with both hands and countered with a powerful strike, his Haki-infused slash roaring forth like a tempest.
BOOOOM!
The clash of swordsmanship erupted like a cataclysmic explosion, shaking the very skies.
"Your swordsmanship has become even more resolute!"
As the aftermath subsided, Mihawk observed Wright across from him with a serious expression. "If your swordsmanship alone is this refined, what of your full strength?"
"Come! Strike me with everything you've got!"
"Let me see the limits of your power!"
"…As you wish!"
Wright laughed heartily, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
As a swordsman, he knew he couldn't yet match Mihawk in pure swordsmanship. But when it came to overall strength, he wasn't far behind.
Unfurling wings of Holy Light, Wright soared into the sky.
"Awakening of Ashes!"
Whoosh!
Unleashing his full power, Wright summoned a massive golden-red blade, 20 meters long, blazing with holy flames. This was his current limit.
"It's already… reached the level of a Supreme Grade Sword…" Mihawk muttered.
Wright raised the enormous flaming sword high, the divine fire seemingly scorching the heavens.
Mihawk smiled faintly, gripping Yoru with both hands as an almost tangible Haki coated the blade.
"Secret Technique: Judgment!"
"Yoru: Slash!"
BOOOOM!
The sky above Kuraigana Island split apart. The ancient battlefield trembled as the two swordmasters unleashed their ultimate techniques. The ever-present clouds over the ruins were cleaved in two, revealing golden sunlight that bathed the land below.
Standing in the golden light, Wright's figure seemed infinitely majestic.
For a long moment, only the echoes of their clash remained. Wright exhaled deeply—this was the strongest strike he could muster in his current state.
If Mihawk hadn't countered, half the island would likely have been obliterated.
As the dust settled, Mihawk stood with his sword sheathed, a hint of admiration in his gaze.
Around him, the ground was shattered and sunken from the ferocity of the clash—only the few square meters beneath his feet remained intact.
"Impressive. Your overall strength is nearing that of a Marine Admiral."
Mihawk watched as Wright descended, raising his right hand slightly, his thumb trembling almost imperceptibly.
"If you could unleash seven consecutive strikes of that caliber, I wouldn't be able to block them."
"Haha… Right now, I can only manage three of those in a short time!"
Wright walked over, healing them both with Holy Light.
"Abilities, stamina, and mental focus all have their limits. Even with the ability to restore stamina, without sharp mental control, that strike won't reach its peak power."
Feeling his restored energy, Mihawk smirked. "It seems I've finally found the motivation to keep pushing forward."
"Hahaha! You'd better keep running, then—I'm not stopping my progress anytime soon!"
"…Don't get ahead of yourself!"
-------
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