Chapter 77: Faith

The chefs of the Haishangcantingbaladi completely lost their composure, staring blankly for several seconds before someone finally screamed in terror:

“Run!”

Immediately, the ship that had just stopped moving set sail again; Paddy, frustrated by the slow speed, even grabbed a shovel and sat at the edge of the deck, frantically sliding.

Only by doing this could he avoid recalling what he had just witnessed.

Those who had originally intended to watch the outcome of the battle now retreated into the restaurant, huddling together with pale faces, unable to utter a single word.

Zoro, having just regained his senses, stared at the two men in the arena, overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of defeat—but he only slumped for an instant before reigniting his determination:

“Does Captain Gao Wen hide such immense combat power?”

“Then the time I planned to challenge him must be postponed—five years? No, no, ten years… better safe than sorry, let’s say ten!”

“Ten years it is!”

Zoro gritted his teeth as he spoke these words, his eyes suddenly turning red.

Only now did he remember that from the very beginning, Gao Wen had never intended to return alive.

“Damn it!”

“How can I become the greatest swordsman in the world if you’re dead?!”

……

……

……

That slash was meant to kill me!

The instant Gao Wen formed this thought, not a trace of Jiaoxing remained in his mind.

He had once wondered whether the Hawk-Eye might admire him as he admired Zoro, and thus hold back—after all, that script had already been played out.

Now he saw that the Hawk-Eye’s view of him differed fundamentally from his view of Zoro.

“This just got a whole lot more interesting~”

The moment he realized this, Gao Wen slowly closed his eyes, his previously trembling body gradually calming.

His chest rose and fell, his breathing steady.

He felt the world around him fall silent, hearing only the breath of Kenseishō.

Seeing this, the Hawk-Eye lowered his own blade and gazed at the young man, his eyes filled with unspoken admiration.

“Have you understood something?”

“Interesting. It seems for the next few years—even decades—I won’t be too lonely.”

“Of course, Qiantishi you survive!”

A few breaths later.

Gao Wen suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze blazing like fire, and said calmly:

“What is the essence of Haki?”

The Hawk-Eye’s lips curled into a faint smile as he replied calmly:

“Asking your opponent such a question during battle isn’t wise.”

“But as a reward for entertaining me, I don’t mind giving you my answer.”

“Some say Haki is willpower, others say it’s conviction, some say ambition or spirit—but to me, it’s just one word.”

“Faith.”

“Or let me put it more plainly.”

“Do you believe your next slash will hit me? Do you believe you can leave here alive? Do you believe your vows will surely come true?!”

Gao Wen froze.

Only then did he recall that from the very beginning of his attempts to cultivate Armament Haki, he had already prepared an escape route.

If he couldn’t awaken it himself, he’d rely on his crew.

If Donghai failed, he’d go to the Grand Line, to the New World.

But as the Hawk-Eye said, something born of conviction, spirit, will—or faith—was already doomed to elude you the moment you hesitated.

Panels and techniques could be stacked through the system, but the missing fighting spirit could not.

“So that’s it!”

Gao Wen suddenly clenched Kenseishō tightly, and in the next instant, the Hawk-Eye’s voice echoed in his ears:

“Now, do you believe you can survive my next slash?!”

“Faith!”

Gao Wen’s eyes erupted with brilliant light.

Simultaneously, some latent power within him was truly awakened.

A visible layer of black energy spiraled up his arm, wrapping around Kenseishō in his grip, turning its silver blade black.

It was the Armament Haki he had long sought but never attained!

At the same time,

a familiar system prompt echoed in Gao Wen’s mind:

“Armament Haki Awakened! Current Level—LV-1!”

……

Gao Wen blinked in surprise, thinking to himself:

“Not LV-0 like Observation Haki? Armament Haki awakens directly at LV-1? Is it because I awakened it myself?”

“Forget it—no need to dwell on minor details; I’ll have plenty of chances to verify later.”

“In any case…”

Gao Wen raised his head and looked at the Hawk-Eye:

“Let’s begin the second round!”

“Remarkable!”

In the Hawk-Eye’s hand, the black blade hummed.

His gaze fixed on Kenseishō, now utterly black in Gao Wen’s grip.

In his view,

the Armament Haki in Gao Wen’s blade was still feeble, like a candle flame that a breeze could snuff out.

It was still a thousand miles from turning Kenseishō into a true black blade.

But Gao Wen himself was glowing!

A radiance worthy of reaching the summit!

At this moment,

the Hawk-Eye almost hesitated to kill Gao Wen here—but the man’s will left him no choice.

“This is my respect for you!”

“Strong one!”

As the Hawk-Eye’s voice fell,

the sun fully sank below the horizon, a full moon rose, casting silver light across the sky; the sea shimmered with countless fragments of silver.

His figure moved in the next instant.

A black man, a black blade.

The Hawk-Eye shattered the deck beneath their feet with a single step; his long-hungry black blade howled forward.

Even before the blade drew near, its extreme sharpness made Gao Wen’s skin sting; the skin beneath his clothes already bore a faint bloodline.

Yet his eyes held not a trace of fear.

Because Gao Wen had just realized something:

He, burdened with a system, lacked not the means to reach the summit—but the awakening and faith to ascend it.

After all, Haki born of conviction—especially the one-in-a-million Conqueror’s Haki—is the other answer, beyond Mythical Zoan!

Kenseishō, sensing Gao Wen’s will, trembled in response.

Then, two black blades met for the first time that night, directly clashing in midair.

Blade to blade.

Force to force.

Colliding head-on…

Ding!

The piercing clash sent out a shockwave as tangible as solid matter, pushing back the surrounding seawater and shattering the deck beneath them from the sheer force.

The last thing Gao Wen saw was a black blade slicing toward his neck…

In his daze,

Gao Wen faintly heard the system’s voice growing distant:

“Clarify your heart! Temper your will! Potential…”

……

The weather over the sea is always unpredictable.

Before the sun set, the sky had been clear; now, the sea breeze carried a chill.

In just a few breaths,

thick clouds like lead gathered high above, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and heavy raindrops fell from the heavens.

It struck the floating fragments of a deck, washing the crimson blood into the sea, drawing schools of bloodthirsty sharks—yet they dared not approach, fearful of the man whose gaze was like an eagle’s.

“This is quite the dilemma you’ve left me.”

Hawk-Eye gazed down at the young man lying before him, letting blood trickle from the grotesque wound on his chest; after a long hesitation, he pressed his blade against the youth’s throat.

But in the end, he could not bring himself to strike the killing blow.

“Forget it. Let someone else give you this final lesson.”

“Sometimes, in some battles, you must win—even if your opponent is far stronger than you!”

“I hope you don’t lose too much before that day comes.”

With that, Hawk-Eye turned to leave, but his steps suddenly halted.

Ssssh!

A spray of blood burst from Hawk-Eye’s shoulder.

He turned his head and saw.

His shoulder garment had been pierced at some unknown moment; exposed skin bore a clear, stark wound that now glared out at him.

(End of Chapter)