Chapter 77: Faith

The chefs of the Baratie restaurant on the sea completely lost control of their expressions, stunned for several full seconds before someone cried out in terror:

"Run!"

Immediately, the ship that had just stabilized set off again; Patti, finding the speed too slow, even grabbed a shovel and sat on the edge of the deck, frantically paddling.

Only by doing so could he avoid recalling that scene just now.

The crowd, who had originally intended to watch the battle's outcome, shrank back into the restaurant, huddled together with pale faces, unable to speak a single word for a moment.

Zoro, who had just come to his senses, looked at the two men in the arena; for a moment, his heart held nothing but unspeakable frustration, yet he was only dejected for an instant before reigniting his fighting spirit:

"Even Captain Gao Wen was hiding such immense combat power?"

"It seems the originally scheduled time to challenge him must be pushed back. Five years? No, no, eight years... to be safe, ten years!"

"Ten years it is!"

Zoro gritted his teeth and spoke these words, yet his eyes suddenly turned red.

Only at this moment did he recall that Gao Wen, from the very beginning, had no intention of returning alive.

"Damn it!"

"If you die, how can I possibly become the world's number one?"

That strike was aimed at killing me!

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

Originally, he had also thought that Mihawk might appreciate him just as he appreciated Zoro, and thus choose to hold back, after all, this was a script that had already occurred.

Now it seemed his view of him and Zoro's view of him held an essential difference.

"This is going to be quite the spectacle~"

The instant he realized this, Gao Wen slowly closed his eyes, and his body, which had been trembling slightly, gradually calmed down.

His chest rose and fell, his breathing steady.

He felt the world around him fall silent at this moment; the only sound entering his ears was the breathing of Guanshi Zhengzong.

Seeing this, Mihawk directly set down the blade in his hand, looked at the youth before him, and his gaze held nothing but unspeakable appreciation.

"Have you realized something?"

"Interesting. It seems for the coming years, or even a decade, I won't be too lonely."

"Of course, provided you can survive!"

A few breaths later.

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

"What is the essence of Haki?"

A smile curled at the corner of Mihawk's mouth, and he said faintly:

"Asking an opponent such a question during a fight is not good."

"However, as a reward for pleasing me, I don't mind giving you my answer."

"Regarding Haki, some say will, some say conviction, others say ambition or spirit, but in my view, it is one word."

"Faith!"

"Or perhaps I should be more direct."

"Do you believe your next strike can hit me? Do you believe you can leave here alive? Do you believe the oaths you once made will surely come true?!"

Gao Wen was stunned for a moment.

Only then did he recall that from the very beginning when he first attempted to cultivate Armament Haki, he had already found himself a way out.

If he could not awaken it on his own, he would rely on his companions.

If the East Blue wouldn't work, he would go to the Grand Line, to the New World.

But as Mihawk said, this thing born of conviction, spirit, will, or simply faith, the moment you hesitate, it is already destined that you will fail to grasp its method.

Panels and techniques can be piled up by the system, but the missing fighting spirit cannot.

"So that's how it is!"

Gao Wen suddenly tightened his grip on Guanshi Zhengzong in his hand, yet the next instant, Mihawk's voice reached his ears:

"Now, do you believe you can survive my strike?!"

"I believe!"

A brilliant, blinding light suddenly erupted in Gao Wen's eyes.

In response, some power hidden within his body was truly awakened at this moment.

A layer of black aura visible to the naked eye wound up his arm, wrapping around Guanshi Zhengzong in Gao Wen's hand, dyeing the silver-white blade black.

It was the Armament Haki he had previously sought but could not obtain!

At the same time.

A familiar system notification sound also came to Gao Wen's mind:

"Armament Haki awakened! Current Level - LV-1!"

Gao Wen was slightly stunned, thinking inwardly:

"Not LV-0 like Observation Haki; does awakening Armament Haki mean LV-1? Is it because this was realized by me on my own?"

"Forget it, no need to dwell on such small problems; there will be plenty of chances to verify this later."

"Anyway..."

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

"Now we begin the second round!"

"Remarkable!"

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

Yet his gaze focused on the Guanshi Zhengzong in Gao Wen's hand, which had already turned pitch black.

In his view,

the Armament Haki in Gao Wen's hand remained weak, like a candle flame, extinguished by the slightest breeze.

It was still a thousand li away from forging the Guanshi Zhengzong into a black blade.

But Gao Wen himself was glowing!

A radiance worthy of reaching the summit!

At this moment,

Hawk-Eye almost could not bear to cut Gao Wen down here and now, yet this man's will no longer permitted him to do so.

"This is my respect for you!"

"Strong one!"

As Hawk-Eye's voice fell,

the distant sun completely sank below the horizon, a bright moon rose, casting silver light from the sky; the sea surface shimmered, as if suspended with countless fragments of silver.

His figure moved in the next instant.

A black figure, a black blade.

With a single step, Hawk-Eye shattered the deck beneath their feet, and the long-hungry black blade roared forth.

The blade's ultimate sharpness, even before drawing near, made Gao Wen feel a stinging pain on his skin; beneath his clothes, a bloodline had already appeared on his flesh.

Yet his eyes held not a trace of fear.

For Gao Wen had gained understanding in his heart at this moment.

He who bore the System lacked not the means to reach the peak, but the resolve and conviction to ascend to the summit.

After all, Haki born of conviction, especially the Conqueror's Haki found in one in a million, was the other version of the answer, apart from the Mythical Zoan types!

Sensing Gao Wen's will, the Guanshi Zhengzong trembled at this very moment, responding to Gao Wen's will.

Immediately, the two pitch-black blades met head-on in the air for the first time that night.

Edge against edge.

Force against force.

Clashing directly...

Ding!

The piercing clash was accompanied by a shockwave as tangible as a solid ring, pushing the surrounding seawater aside; the deck beneath their feet, unable to withstand the terrifying force, exploded into fragments.

The last thing Gao Wen saw was a black blade cleaving toward his neck...

In that moment of lost focus,

Gao Wen faintly heard the System's gradually fading prompt:

"Realize your true heart! Temper your will! Potential..."

The weather over the Great Sea is always changeable.

Before the sun set in the west, the sky was clear; now the sea breeze carried a hint of coolness.

In just a few breaths,

a layer of heavy, leaden dark clouds gathered in the high sky; as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, bean-sized raindrops fell from the heavens.

Striking the floating deck fragments on the Great Sea, they washed the crimson blood into the sea, drawing bloodthirsty sharks that gathered yet dared not approach, fearing the man with eyes like an eagle.

"This truly leaves me with a difficult problem."

Hawk-Eye looked down at the fallen youth before him, letting blood flow from the gruesome wound on the other's chest; after hesitating for a long while, he pressed the blade against the youth's neck.

Yet in the end, he could not bring himself to deliver the killing blow.

"Never mind. Let someone else teach you this final lesson."

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

"I hope that before that day comes, you will not lose too much."

Having spoken, Hawk-Eye turned to leave, yet his steps suddenly halted at that very moment.

Pfft!

A burst of blood mist suddenly erupted from Hawk-Eye's shoulder.

Only then did he turn his head and realize,

that the garment on his shoulder had been pierced at some unknown time; upon the exposed skin, a distinct wound now appeared extremely glaring.

(End of this chapter)