Chapter 106

Chapter 106: Hawk Hawk Hawk Hawk Hawk...

"See, Mengmeng, within the simple collision of swords and blades lies their lifelong battle skills. Each move is worth learning and analyzing, it's like the principle of simplicity in the highest sense."

"Is... is that so?" Rui Mengmeng felt that something was off, she couldn't see anything impressive about it.

"Of course, you see, even though we're so close, we haven't been affected at all. It's because both of them have an extremely high control over their power. Every bit of their strength is focused on their confrontation."

"Oh." Listening to her boss speak so confidently, Rui Mengmeng had no choice but to try to understand just how impressive these two individuals were.

Tom yawned, feeling like his owner was just deceiving them, but he had no evidence.

"As top swordsmen, even in intense battles, they wouldn't even harm a blade of grass unnecessarily. That would be a waste of strength…"

Buzz~ Swish…

A slash flew over, causing Adrian to retreat two steps. However, he saw that the slash landed in front of where he originally stood. Even if he didn't dodge, it wouldn't have harmed him. It did, however, cut through countless blades of grass.

"Boss, are you alright?" Rui Mengmeng rushed over and asked.

"I'm fine, it just startled me." It seemed accidental, but Adrian felt that Hawk Eye was targeting him.

Rui Mengmeng nodded, "Oh, that's good. But Boss, you just said they wouldn't harm even a blade of grass."

"Let's just forget what I said." Adrian looked up at the sky, caught red-handed while boasting, it was so embarrassing. It's better to quietly watch the spectacle.

The recent slash seemed like a signal, as the black blade in the hands of Mihawk gained a sharper edge. He swung it down fiercely.

With a golden glow, Artoria's blade met his with no sign of backing down.

This single strike caused the ground beneath them to sink slightly. A shockwave rippled from the point of contact between their blades.

Adrian pulled Rui Mengmeng and Tom a bit farther back, finally feeling the effect he wanted. He had the sensation he desired, having a bit of distance from the battle.

It turned out that before, these two were merely comparing techniques and hadn't unleashed their true power.

The real match was now beginning, alternating between shimmering gold and flying sword aura, the ground began to show signs of damage.

Cuts, sword marks, craters – the innocent ground was being ravaged by the clash of magic and might.

Adrian and his companions continued to retreat until they reached the ruined house.

At this point, a stirring emerged from the ruins of the house. Ten or so people emerged, bloodied and battered, victims of the collapsing building.

Cursing and grumbling, the group shouted, "Darn it, who dared to attack us while we were napping?"

"Hey kid, was it you guys who did this?"

Adrian wore an innocent expression, "It wasn't me. The one who wrecked the building is that guy over there with the black hat."

"Darn it, who dares to mess with us like this?"

Without hesitation, they each pulled out handguns and aimed at Mihawk, fingers tightening on the triggers.

"Hey, you should aim properly before you…" Adrian assumed these guys would chicken out when they saw Hawk Eye, but they were unexpectedly stubborn. So, he pulled Tom and Rui Mengmeng farther back to prevent accidental injuries.

But before Adrian could finish his sentence, ten bullets shot out.

When their hideout had been destroyed, they had no intention of just standing still. How could they survive in the underground without being proactive? If they could take down that Sandman, why not?

Mihawk noticed the commotion here and glanced over. With a wave of his black blade, the ten bullets were deflected, even faster than before. Then, Artoria halted her stab at Mihawk's chest, sensing the incoming danger.

Ten unfortunate souls dropped to the ground, unable to finish saying Hawk Eye's name.

"I never thought our enjoyment would be ruined by these unrelated people," Mihawk's enthusiasm waned a bit.

"Is it ending like this?" Artoria usually fought with Tom, but Tom's fighting style was hard to describe.

Now that she encountered such a strong and ordinary opponent, she felt it would be a shame to end it so quickly.

Mihawk seemed to feel the same, "Then let's finish it with a final blow."

"Fine." Artoria gripped her sword, her armor disappearing. Her blade emitted a golden light.

Mihawk also gripped his sword, bringing it down in a slashing motion. A visible colossal slash shot out from his sword, leaving the ground with a crack several meters deep.

"Haah~" Artoria swung her sword, and a pillar of golden light gathered around her blade, forming a dazzling column. If one had to describe it, it was like a tens of meters long golden greatsword descending.

It wasn't releasing Noble Phantasms, just pure magical power. As long as she had enough mana, it could completely unleash the effect of a large-scale laser cannon.

As the two forces collided, the massive slash began to dissipate, but the column of golden light was split in two. The powerful attack disintegrated just as it reached the tip of Artoria's sword, and her golden light cut into the ground, leaving two deep V-shaped grooves.

Mihawk reattached his black blade to his back, looking at Artoria with appreciation. "You're strong, especially with that power that isn't from a Devil Fruit or Haki. I never thought there could be such a force in the world."

Artoria's armor faded away. "That's my magical power. It amplifies my combat capabilities in all aspects. And I'm also very interested in the 'Haki' you mentioned."

Mihawk was surprised by her response. He had speculated this earlier, but he didn't expect Artoria to genuinely not understand Haki.

"This is the first time I've met someone who completely doesn't understand Haki. Go out to sea, the sea is vast. Staying in a small tavern all the time will only dull your blade."

"That day will come," Artoria glanced at Adrian, indicating that he had promised to take her around the world to taste various cuisines. It wouldn't be bad to also witness the strength of various experts.

"Looking forward to the day we meet on the grand sea. I hope that when it comes, you can defeat me with your swordsmanship." Mihawk prepared to leave, in high spirits after gaining a new adversary.

"Just a moment." Adrian called after him. "You mentioned earlier that you have a lot of free time, right?"

"I've had my fill today."

"Well, how about tomorrow? Let me introduce you to an interesting individual." Adrian was worried that Mihawk might not listen, so he quickly continued, "Daz Bones, the Slice-Slice Fruit user. He can transform his entire body into blades. It's said he's the bane of all swordsmen. He's currently part of a criminal organization in Alabasta and goes by the codename Mr. 1.

If you have time, you can go and have some fun with him."

"Don't look at me like that. I really do have a grudge against that organization. If you can take him down, I'll be grateful."

Hawk Eye wasn't the kind of person to be used as a tool by anyone, but if he encountered someone interesting, he didn't mind having a spar.

Just like during the Summit War, he became interested in Whitebeard's strength and took action. He was interested in Luffy, so he also exchanged blows. Later, when Shanks arrived, the Marines couldn't keep him, showing that he acted according to his own likes.

So, Adrian just told him about Mr. 1. He hoped this would pique his interest and, ideally, create more trouble for that organization.

Mihawk turned to leave without confirming, but he didn't get far.

A cat dressed in swordsman attire blocked his path.

Swordsman Tom, applying for battle!