Chapter 75: First Battle Against Mihawk (Please Follow

"Even if one dies while climbing the peak, for a swordsman, that is the most romantic thing."

"That's about the meaning, isn't it?"

"Young man."

Gao Wen's lips curved upward:

"About that."

"However, what comes next is what a captain should do."

Saying this.

Gao Wen walked forward quickly, glanced briefly at Zoro's injuries, and let out a long breath.

A sword thrust had pierced the original wound on his chest, but it was not deep.

Mihawk's downward strike, which looked as though it nearly split Zoro in two, had actually held back, not injuring bones or internal organs.

Given Zoro's constitution, resting for half a month would cause no major issues.

Gao Wen scooped Zoro up in his arms, handed him to Zeff standing nearby, and said:

"Old man, trouble the ship's doctor to treat his wounds."

Saying this.

Gao Wen turned his head to look at Mihawk, who stood nearby in silence; his gaze held nothing but immense Solemnity.

The opponent was the absolute peak of the world's swordsmanship, a man who had competed with the Emperor Red Hair for many years, and even in the art of the sword, surpassed Red Hair!

An absolute legendary combat power.

Compared to Gao Wen's current rating, which had just touched Silver, there was a gap of a full two major tiers.

One must know that even among peers of the same Iron tier, the gap between strength and weakness could reach a level where instant killing was possible.

Therefore, in this battle, Gao Wen could not speak of winning; whether he could survive depended entirely on Mihawk's choice.

But the more so this was, the more at peace his heart became, and the calmer his expression grew.

Since there was no choice, do one's utmost to achieve the best one can; this was a saying he had always believed.

Thinking this.

Gao Wen turned to look at Zeff and instructed:

"If I die here, you may go to Para Island and demand money from the pirates there."

"Hmph."

Zeff grunted, reaching out to stroke his beard.

Originally, influenced by Sanji, he had also held a slight prejudice against Gao Wen.

But now it seemed, in any case, the person before him did not look like someone who would do such a thing.

"Boy, don't die; I am more looking forward to you paying the money personally."

"Ah, la, ah, la~"

Gao Wen smiled helplessly:

"Facing that kind of fellow, such things are very hard to say."

Zeff's expression did not change; he said in a low voice:

"The people on your ship are all in the storage room; they are fine."

"Thank you."

Gao Wen thanked Zeff, then immediately turned his head to look at Sanji standing nearby:

"Young man, consider coming aboard my ship? I need a cook too."

Sanji froze, a flash of anger passing over his face, then halted in the next instant.

If this man dies here, will I never know the truth?

"Hey—!"

Sanji opened his mouth, but in the end did not voice the question in his heart; he only instructed:

"Don't die!"

Gao Wen smiled slightly:

"Then if I survive, you come with me; I've already grown tired of the pig slop those bastards make!"

"Who wants to get on your ship! Bastard!"

"Well~"

Gao Wen smiled slightly, felt no anger, turned directly around, walked a few steps to the deck, and stood facing Mihawk.

For a moment, no one dared to make a single sound, for they were filled with immense anticipation for the battle to come.

All around, silence reigned; even the churning sea beneath their feet seemed to pause at this very moment.

Several seagulls swept over the water's surface; before they could snatch prey from the water, they seemed startled, flapping their wings to soar high, and in their panic, a few feathers drifted down into the sea.

Zing!

After a humming sound, Guanshi Zhengzong was drawn from its sheath; the silver-white blade reflected the setting sun's glow, appearing entirely crimson.

Mihawk stood holding his sword, looking at the young man before him; his lips unconsciously curved upward.

"Such momentum; you are even more outstanding than I imagined, so outstanding that I even hesitated for a moment whether to pluck this unripe fruit right now."

"But..."

"You should not have brought Roronoa here today!"

"Is that so?"

Gao Wen understood Mihawk's meaning, yet felt not a shred of regret in his heart:

"If I hadn't brought that fellow, he would probably hold a grudge against me for a lifetime; besides, you were aiming for me from the very beginning, weren't you?"

!

"Rather than saying I came to rescue these companions, it would be more accurate to say they were dragged down by me."

Hawk Eyes made no comment, merely looking at Gao Wen indifferently:

"It has been many years since I witnessed a true swordsman."

"Those who broke into the New World, even if their combat power surpasses yours and Roronoa's, would absolutely lack this spirit of disregarding life and death."

"I have seen too many people weeping and begging for mercy. Young people like you, who know they cannot win yet still possess a heart seeking the Dao, truly make one unable to suppress their excitement."

"Even this fellow has begun to crave your blood!"

Gao Wen lowered his gaze, looking at the black blade in Hawk Eyes' hand; the blade that had just wounded Zoro was not stained with a single drop of blood.

"So this is the so-called... Black Blade?"

"You also know of the Black Blade?"

Hawk Eyes was slightly stunned:

"Every blade, tempered and polished by a swordsman's belief and will, can be a Black Blade."

"The blade in your hand can naturally be one as well."

Gao Wen's lips curled, allowing the battle intent around him to surge:

"More words are useless; then let me see the glory of the World's Number One!"

The voice fell.

The deck beneath Gao Wen's feet instantly exploded; the newly comprehended Soru brought him speed beyond imagination.

The sound of the deck cracking had not yet reached the ears of the crowd.

Gao Wen's figure appeared before Hawk Eyes; bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, the Guanshi Zhengzong, dyed crimson, suddenly thrust forward.

"Gatotsu - Instant!"

This was Gao Wen's strongest and fastest move now!

The thrust driven by Soru was several times faster than the speed he had displayed in Raven Port before.

Added to this was the fact that Gao Wen's own skill levels had broken through consecutively during this period.

Under the circumstance of seizing the initiative, even someone with greater combat power than him, facing this move, could only take the damage head-on!

However...

"A fast sword?!"

"Quite a ferocious speed!"

Hawk Eyes murmured, the appreciation in his eyes almost unmasked, but the movement in his hand was not slow in the slightest.

The Black Blade also thrust forward suddenly; one red, one black, the tips of the two blades collided precisely.

Boom!

The force brought by the super-speed of Soru vented onto the deck beneath the two; the deck of the Baratie sea restaurant suddenly sank at this moment, almost being overturned directly because it could not bear the immense force.

The extended deck cracked directly from the middle; the recoil force pushed Gao Wen, along with the deck beneath his feet, dozens of meters away.

"What happened?"

The crowd, barely stabilizing their stances, wore expressions of utter confusion.

In just an instant, the deck had completely shattered; looking at Gao Wen with a Solemn Face and Hawk Eyes with an indifferent expression, the crowd felt their scalps go numb.

"They have already clashed? What kind of speed is this? Can humans really reach this level?"

Only at this moment did the crowd finally understand a fact.

In the battle of top-tier powerhouses, they perhaps did not even have the qualification to watch.

(End of this chapter)