One Piece: The Avengers

The man stood with his chest exposed, dressed like a noble, his appearance sharp like a sword yet to be drawn from its sheath. The cross-shaped pendant around his neck and the noble hat on his head further emphasized his grandeur, while the large black cross-shaped sword on his back hinted at something far from ordinary. His eagle-like eyes gleamed with an unrelenting sharpness.

"Eagle Eye Mihawk?" Shanter recognized this great swordsman who had gained significant fame in recent years.

"Yes, he is Eagle Eye Mihawk." Shanks grinned and said, "Let me introduce you. This is my friend, First D. Shanter and Nico Robin."

"I'm not interested in them," Mihawk said coldly.

"You're not staying at Kulai Island, so what brings you here? Not here for another duel, are you?" Shanks said with a bitter smile. "This is the third time already."

"You guessed it right," Mihawk said, reaching for his black sword.

"Are you still not satisfied with the Battle of Mount Tianwang?"

"We haven't settled the score yet." With that, Mihawk unsheathed his blade, and Shanter immediately recognized it. This was the so-called world's strongest sword, one of the Twelve Great Swords, the Black Blade Yoru.

"Fine! Let's head to the island! I don't want to damage the ship," Shanks also drew his saber, then turned to Shanter, "Shanter, watch this battle carefully!"

The two men walked toward the forest on the island, with Shanter and Robin following closely behind.

"Let's begin!" Shanks gripped his sword in his left hand and pointed it at Mihawk. Both Shanks and Mihawk were fully committed, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Mihawk angled his sword and unleashed the first slash.

Gone was Shanks' usual carefree demeanor, now serious and focused as he parried Mihawk's strike.

"Impressive!" Shanter marveled as Mihawk's mid-air slash, blocked by Shanks, sent shockwaves that felled seven or eight towering trees.

Yet Shanks remained composed, as if he wasn't worried about Mihawk's assault at all.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged hundreds of blows, their speed so fast it was impossible to follow, with the clashing sounds of sword and steel filling the air.

Robin was merely watching with fascination, while Shanter, thanks to his Battle God Fruit powers, had an enhanced vision that allowed him to clearly see the details of their movements.

However, the clearer he saw, the more astonished—and somewhat disheartened—he became.

"So this is the gap between me and the top experts of this world!"

Mihawk's swordsmanship was as elegant as his attire, a sight to behold. Every slash was deadly, but visually pleasing, as if it could have been a fencing performance if not for the lethal danger behind each strike.

Shanks, on the other hand, wore casual clothes and fought with a straightforward, practical style. Every move was simple but precise, with power that rivaled Mihawk's.

After a few minutes of intense fighting, both combatants slowed their pace.

Shanter could tell that they weren't tired; this was merely the prelude to the real battle. The earlier exchanges, though dangerous, had been testing each other's strength.

As expected, the intensity of their clashes picked up once more, and the frequency of their strikes was now faster than before.

Shanks might not match Mihawk in swordsmanship, but his speed and Haki (a form of spiritual power) gave him an edge, making the two of them nearly equal in strength.

Mihawk's sword techniques were extraordinary, but the size of his black blade made it unwieldy for close combat, leaving him with few opportunities against Shanks, who preferred close-range combat.

Nevertheless, Mihawk excelled in long-range attacks, trying to maintain distance to maximize the power of his blade. But Shanks, with his superior speed, always closed in, forcing Mihawk into close combat where his long sword was less effective.

Yet, despite Shanter's enhanced perception, he could tell that the two were still evenly matched.

Since fleeing from Ohara, Shanter had killed over a thousand people, but nearly all of them had been small-time opponents, with only a few being at his own level. Therefore, despite his accumulated battle experience, Shanter's personal strength had not increased significantly.

But the two fighters before him were among the top experts of the era, and though they might not be the absolute pinnacle, their strength was close. Watching this battle would greatly enhance Shanter's knowledge and perspective.

"Clang—" Another resounding clash of metal echoed as Shanks and Mihawk's blades collided with tremendous force.

This time, the shockwaves were so powerful that even the ground beneath them cracked.

Shanks' Armament Haki gave him a significant boost, allowing him to match Mihawk in raw power, even though Mihawk's physical strength still had an edge.

Gradually, their sword strikes slowed as they shifted towards a battle of strength.

The difference was evident. Now, each collision sent deep reverberations through the air, as if they were putting everything they had into each strike.

"Both of them are exhausted!" Shanter thought, noticing the sweat and heavy breathing.

Although both Shanks and Mihawk were clearly fatigued from their prolonged duel, they showed no signs of letting up. Neither had shown even the slightest opening.

"Ha—Ha—" Both fighters panted heavily as they separated after another fierce collision.

"How about we call it a draw?" Shanks asked, not wishing to continue.

"We haven't even fought at our full strength, and you want to stop?" Mihawk, always eager for a challenge, wasn't ready to give up. After all, it was rare to find a worthy opponent like Shanks, especially when Shanks seemed to be deliberately avoiding him.

"Fine," Shanks nodded, taking a moment to steady his breathing.

Both men's auras began to grow, their energy swelling to a terrifying intensity.

"Such oppressive power!" Shanter could feel the overwhelming pressure, but as a Conqueror's Haki user himself, he was unaffected. Still, others might have struggled under the weight.

"Let's finish this! One strike to determine the victor!"

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