Chapter 298: The Roles of Attacker and Defender Reversed

The voice landed.

Xiang Gaowen's figure vanished from the air.

When he reappeared, the tip of Guanshi Zhengzong was already pressing against the blade of the Black Blade Yoru.

The exaggerated force sent Hawk Eyes flying nearly a hundred meters away, completely tearing open the Hukou of his hand that was already bleeding!

"Interesting!"

"Interesting!"

"Truly too interesting!"

Hawk Eyes casually flicked the blood off his blade, yet there was not a shred of retreat in his eyes, only the purest desire to win!

Like sweet rain falling upon long-parched earth, his soul nearly ignited in this moment!

I want to win!

I really want to win!

Hawk Eyes had already forgotten how long it had been since he last harbored such thoughts.

He only knew that ever since claiming the title of the World's Greatest Swordsman, what awaited him was victory after victory, each one boring to the point of tedium.

Yes.

Boring.

The same actions, the same results, repeated endlessly; anyone would grow weary, Hawk Eyes included.

In recent years, he had rarely crossed blades with the sword masters who came to Kuraigana Island to challenge him.

The vast majority of confident newcomers fell at the hands of the Human Imitator.

Even the few exceptionally talented swordsmen who managed to reach Hawk Eyes lost the courage to draw their blades when faced with the Black Blade Yoru.

But Xiang Gaowen was different!

This fellow was a thorough outlier, an anomaly that could not be reasoned with by conventional standards!

His physique, swordsmanship, Haki, and fighting spirit were all top-tier in this world.

Even Hawk Eyes had to admit that his current self was no match for this young man before him.

But precisely because of this, the desire to win that he had nearly forgotten...

No!

It was the feeling of a peak right before him, waiting for him to climb, that became increasingly clear in this moment.

So much so that his soul trembled!

"Xiang Gaowen!"

Hawk Eyes roared, gripping his blade with both hands, stomping heavily with his feet, his entire body becoming a streak of light as he rushed toward Xiang Gaowen!

From above to below, he unleashed a ferocious Kesa-giri!

Hiss!

The blade energy sliced across the earth, cutting apart everything within sight.

Gnarled tree roots, churning seawater, and the cloud layers at the horizon's edge were all split in two.

Heaven and earth seemed as though they were being completely severed by this single strike.

No one could block this blow head-on!

At this moment, not only Hawk Eyes himself, but everyone present made this judgment.

Yet their faces were all filled with some indescribable emotion.

"The title of World's Greatest is no accident; in our era, there was no one who could achieve this level relying solely on swordsmanship."

Lei Li let out a sigh of admiration:

"Luo Jie and Whitebeard were undoubtedly stronger overall, but in terms of swordsmanship, they fell far short; even that monster Redfield was inferior to him in this aspect."

"It's just that..."

Kizaru glanced at Lei Li, then immediately turned his gaze toward the distant battlefield.

He pretended not to hear certain keywords in Lei Li's words, yet could not help but let out an exclamation himself:

"Hawk Eyes has lost."

"Defeated by a younger, more powerful monster."

For a moment, heaven and earth fell silent; only the distant waves continued to rise and fall, lapping against the tree roots on the beach.

Flocks of seabirds flew across, gliding just above the water's surface, only to be startled into flight the next moment.

Pfft—!

A line of blood burst forth on Xiang Gaowen's shoulder; Hawk Eyes' strike had pierced his defense, leaving a wound there.

Yet Xiang Gaowen's arm still maintained its sword-gripping posture, the blade of Guanshi Zhengzong resting lightly against Hawk Eyes' throat; one more inch would sever the head of the World's Greatest Swordsman.

"Have I lost?"

Hawk Eyes murmured with reluctance, and the hum of the Black Blade Yoru slowly subsided at this moment.

His gaze fell upon Xiang Gaowen's wound, his expression momentarily complex.

"The same position?!"

"Heh."

"How ironic."

After a sigh, Hawk Eyes raised his eyes to look at Xiang Gaowen, his gaze containing nothing but unspeakable admiration:

"I anticipated that one day, a young swordsman would step over my shoulders to reach a higher point on the path of the sword, but I never expected that day would come so soon."

"That piece of impure gold from back then has now become a lion baring its bloody maw to the world."

"Starting from the former Navy Admiral, to slaying an old legend at Water Seven, and now today's World's Greatest Swordsman, where... is your endpoint?!"

"Who knows about that kind of thing?!"

Xiang Gaowen gave a response, turned his head to look at the wound on his shoulder, and his gaze likewise held an indescribable astonishment.

He had won this battle.

And he had lost.

One must know that after Xiang Gaowen awakened his Grandmaster title, even his base combat power had firmly settled at mid-tier Legendary; he had once believed his swordsmanship in this world was nearly invincible.

But only now did he realize.

Hawkeye's attainment in the Way of the Sword was no weaker than his own, even subtly surpassing him by half a step.

In this battle, Hawkeye did not lose to swordsmanship, but rather to Xiang Gaowen's nearly flawless status panel.

To be able to entangle with Xiang Gaowen to this extent while suffering comprehensive disadvantages in physique and Haki already explained everything.

Based on this, Xiang Gaowen also formed a rough assessment of Hawkeye's combat power.

Mid-tier Legendary.

Stronger than himself before Water Seven, and roughly equal to himself when he defeated the Golden Lion.

Without relying on a Devil Fruit, there were no more than five fingers' worth of existences in the entire world capable of achieving this level.

"Hmph."

Hawkeye snorted lightly and slowly closed his eyes.

Life and death were beyond his control, yet the corners of his mouth instead curled into a slight smile.

It was simply because the battle just now had made him feel immensely satisfied, sweeping away the loneliness of standing alone at the peak where the heights were too cold to bear.

Hawkeye had already prepared to welcome death, yet the chill around his neck dispersed at this moment.

Xiang Gaowen's voice also reached his ears at this moment:

"Zoro is an unpolished gem needing refinement, I am gold containing impurities, then you are a jewel that has fallen from the divine altar."

"Mihawk, from now on, you are the challenger."

"I await the day you reach me again and entertain me!"

Hawkeye's expression froze; he slowly opened his eyes and saw Xiang Gaowen's mocking expression.

He had never imagined he would have such a day, yet this feeling possessed an indescribable wonder.

There was a road ahead; where mountains are high, there are peaks.

No longer standing alone at the highest point, looking down upon everything.

He once again had a goal, a path he must walk, and a peak he must cross.

Hawkeye's body completely lost its strength the next moment and slowly fell backward.

"Hahahahahaha—!"

Accompanied by Hawkeye's unrestrained laughter, this great battle drew to a close.

All around was dead silent.

Only the sweeping sea breeze kept sobbing, bringing waves of chill.

Standing to the side, Zoro looked at the two figures in the arena and quietly gripped the long blade in his hand.

He could feel Muramasa's excitement, which was extraordinary.

No.

It was not only the blade that was excited.

But also himself.

"One day, I will stand before you; no, I will stand before both of you!"

"At the summit of the Way of the Sword, there should—no, there will definitely be my name!"

"I will make my name resound across the seas, even letting Heaven and Hell hear it!"

Clack!

The restless Muramasa was pressed back into its scabbard by Zoro.

Although his heart was equally restless and he equally desired to cross blades with the two sword masters before him who represented the top two in the world,

he knew even more clearly that his current self was still unable to intervene in a battle of this caliber.

He still had a very long road to walk.

"You have quite a nice look in your eyes too~"

"Young man~"

Lei Li took a sip of the strong wine from his pot, glanced at Zoro, and could not help but speak.

Physical potential could not be seen through the eyes, but belief and will would expose themselves in every word and action.

Over these years, he had seen many young people with eyes like Zoro's.

Most of them perished in continuous battles, but as long as they survived, they could establish a foothold in the New World and make a name for themselves.

"Is the era that guy Luo Jie predicted about to arrive?!"

"Truly exciting!"

"That name buried in history will also appear in the future, bringing change to this world..."

"No!"

Lei Li suddenly raised his head to look at Xiang Gaowen, the corners of his mouth gradually splitting wide, becoming ever more excited:

"If this world truly has a destined savior, that would be the greatest insult to these people."

"The most beautiful part of this world lies precisely in its uncontrollability; within the free will and the free tide, infinite variables are bound to evolve."

"This is the future that guy Luo Jie recognized!"

"People like Knight Xiang Gaowen should be as numerous as possible!"

History should have no fixed rules, nor should it be rewritten by any one person—this world does not need a savior; it needs a group of people who save themselves!

Lei Li raised his flask toward Xiang Gaowen, toward Hawk-Eye, and toward Zoro, even toward the admiral beside him:

"To toast!"

Saying this, he swallowed the entire contents of the flask in one gulp.

The strong liquor burned like fire, searing from his mouth all the way to his stomach, warming his entire body in that instant.

"Old man~"

"Don't go doing such unnecessary things on your own~"

The admiral gave Lei Li a long, deep look, then pulled a Den Den Mushi from his chest and transmitted the news of the battle's end to Marine Headquarters.

"Is the battle over?!"

On the other end of the line, Admiral Sengoku's tone clearly relaxed.

The Shichibukai Islands lay near Marine Headquarters; if trouble broke out there, it would be a direct slap to the Marine's face.

Resolving it early was, in a way, a stroke of luck amid misfortune.

But the admiral's next words made him leap to his feet.

"However, the title of World's Greatest Swordsman will change hands from today."

"What do you mean?!"

"Hawk-Eye lost to Knight Xiang Gaowen—and Xiang Gaowen did not use his Devil Fruit ability. In other words, had it been a life-or-death battle, the outcome would have been decided long ago."

"Knight Xiang Gaowen's combat power has completely spiraled out of control."

"If Headquarters wishes to act against him, you must deploy at least two Marine Admirals."

Sengoku's breath caught.

He still remembered the last time Xiang Gaowen's bounty poster sat on his desk—just over a year ago.

Back then, Xiang Gaowen was merely a newly risen pirate; Marine Headquarters could have erased him easily.

But no one could have predicted that, merely two years later, his threat level had reached this point.

It was simply…

"Are you joking? That Hawk-Eye… you know how strong he is!"

"Admiral Sengoku!"

The admiral's emotionless voice calmed Sengoku:

"Hawk-Eye and Knight Xiang Gaowen have some history. Though the one who appeared in Water Seven is currently stationed at G5 Branch, he shares equally deep ties with Knight Xiang Gaowen."

"Meaning, if he wished, he could easily achieve what Loxs once did."

"Now, it's no longer that Knight Xiang Gaowen needs the Seven Warlords title—he's the one we need to hold with that title."

"In other words, from now on…"

"The roles have reversed."

Sengoku's breath caught again, and thinking of Marine Headquarters' current state, he felt overwhelming pressure.

Zefa did not take any personnel from Marine Headquarters, but that didn't stop others from voluntarily requesting transfer to his command.

In the past two years, newcomers like Smoker, Blacktip Tina, and even Aokiji had all followed Zefa away—and Zefa had even found another newcomer whose combat power rivaled that of a Marine Admiral.

That is to say.

In just a few months since taking command of G5 Branch, Zefa's top-tier combat strength now rivals that of Marine Headquarters.

This was beyond Sengoku's expectations.

He needed an internal voice within the Marines to counterbalance the World Government—but he never imagined Zefa could reach this level!

Now, Knight Xiang Gaowen's power is nearly out of control…

Sengoku turned and looked at the words "Justice" behind the Admiral's seat—for the first time, he entertained thoughts of retirement.

But the problem was, the most suitable candidate to succeed as Admiral—Aokiji—had been taken by Zefa, the next choice, Akainu, was now demoralized, and as for the admiral…

Never mind him!

Hss—!

Sengoku took a deep breath:

"I understand. Once you've finished your business there, return."

Doo—!

The Den Den Mushi disconnected.

The admiral slowly returned it to his pocket.

War Taowan's group arrived at the battlefield at that moment and casually captured several pirates, preparing to slack off and file a perfunctory report.

"Uncle, is the battle over?!"

War Taowan slung his battle-axe over his shoulder and strode up to the admiral.

"Ah, Knight Xiang Gaowen won. From today, the title of World's Greatest Swordsman has changed hands."

"That guy…"

War Taowan turned to look at Xiang Gaowen.

All he saw was a young man with calm breath, noble appearance, and an indescribable aura.

He couldn't help but feel curious.

"Is he the man who defeated Hawk-Eye?"

"Stop being curious."

The admiral waved his hand and turned away.

Seeing this, War Taowan did not linger, cast one last glance at Xiang Gaowen, and followed the admiral away.

He couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"I thought that fellow would have been very suitable to become Mr. Vegapunk's friend."

"Perhaps."

Kizaru responded with a single sound.

The sun cast a blinding Jin Guang, shining upon his sunglasses and obscuring his eyes.

Kizaru murmured:

"Both of them possess the same trait: a perception of this world that far exceeds common sense, novel in angle yet extraordinarily thorough; to a certain extent, they would have much in common to discuss."

"However, none of that is the point; with Hawk-Eye defeated, the world..."

"Is about to boil over!"

(End of Chapter)