Chapter 202

178, a earth-shattering slash, a draw?

On Wurendao.

Two figures continuously flashed.

A blood-red slash a kilometer long swept across, severing a hundred-meter-tall Shanfeng cleanly at its base, the cut surface impossibly smooth.

The Shanfeng toppled with a thunderous crash, like a giant with its legs cut off.

The earth trembled.

After leaping to evade that slash, Hawk-Eye gripped his black sword, Yoru, with both hands and swung it downward from midair.

Hum!

A black blade light, as deep as night, flashed once across the sky and vanished.

A black slash, as if meant to split the entire island in two, wrapped in terrifying sword pressure, slashed toward Luo En, who held the blood blade.

Before the slash landed, its sword pressure already crushed the ground within a hundred meters downward, shattering rocks and trees alike.

Luo En's shoulder-length black hair and the hem of his black coat whipped wildly in the wind pressure.

He switched from one hand to both hands, raising the blood blade Yue—radiating boundless killing intent and razor-sharp edge—to meet the descending black slash with a slash of his own.

A slash shaped like a blood-red crescent moon shot upward and collided with the black slash!

Boom!

The terrifying wind pressures from both slashes clashed and exploded violently!

Behind Luo En, a massive crack, thousands of meters long and precisely straight as if measured by a ruler, appeared on the ground—no wider than a foot, yet a hundred meters deep, its cut surface perfectly smooth.

Simultaneously, a slender, crystalline blood blade qi sliced past Hawk-Eye's temple, obliquely cutting through a Shanfeng thousands of meters behind him; a straight slash mark appeared on the mountain, then slowly slid downward, the upper half crashing onto the earth with a thunderous roar.

Hawk-Eye landed on the ground, glanced at the slit sleeve on his right arm, then fixed his gaze on Luo En, who held the slender blood blade, his eyes narrowing slightly:

"You truly are a worthy opponent."

Luo En, whose cheek bore a fine cut from the blade qi, closed his eyes and smiled at him: "To be called that by the world's greatest swordsman, I'll take it as praise."

"You have the right to take the title of World's Greatest Swordsman from me."

Hawk-Eye stared intently at him. "Traveler Luo En, fight me with all your strength as a swordsman!"

He had stood atop the pinnacle of the world's swordsmen, waiting for this battle for a long time.

"As you wish—but don't take too long. I have other matters to attend to."

As Luo En spoke, his figure wavered and vanished from where he stood.

Hawk-Eye's Hawk-Eye scanned instantly; he raised Yoru and blocked it sideways.

A crimson blade light traced a perfect arc, striking Yoru's blade with extraordinary force!

Clang!

The ground hundreds of meters behind Hawk-Eye shattered and erupted upward, forming a long, sunken trench.

Hawk-Eye was pushed back dozens of meters by the slash, then, gripping Yoru—the so-called "World's Strongest Black Blade"—in his right hand, he swung it from left to right with full force toward Luo En.

A circular black slash, like ripples on water, swept across the entire island after Luo En dodged with a flash, then spread outward beyond the island's shores.

Soon, a long black slash swept over the Sea Restaurant, cleaving through the clouds above.

Immediately after, a crimson slash shot from that direction and struck the sea tens of thousands of meters away, carving a thousand-meter-long, hundreds-of-meters-deep fissure into the ocean, causing seawater to rush in.

The sea roared, and the colossal waves crashed against the Sea Restaurant, nearly overturning it.

Those who witnessed and felt these effects could not help but feel a chilling dread at the thought that these were merely the aftereffects of two swordsmen's battle.

That day.

Across the sea within ten thousand li of Wurendao.

Islanders, Marines, pirates, and merchant ships passing through the region all saw the towering crimson blade qi and the recurring black slashes that swept across the sky.

Truly earth-shattering!

Sky, earth, and sea, beneath the slashes of these two, were like silk paper, casually cut by a pair of shears.

The two world-top swordsmen fought on Wurendao from noon until nightfall.

Their sword momentum surged to the heavens, their sword intent shifted endlessly, their heroic spirit swallowed heaven and earth, and their perception of the breath of all things converged into the sword they held, then unleashed a slash that embodied the totality of their art, advancing without retreat!

This was the purest clash of sword arts between top swordsmen of the Grand Swordmaster rank.

Neither had even used Haki.

The thousand-li-wide Wurendao gradually shattered under their battle.

From a single island, it became a group of seven small islands and one large island.

When night fell.

Their battle paused, ending in a draw.

…

The sky brimmed with starlight; the bright moon hung overhead.

A coffin-shaped boat glided slowly across the dark sea.

Hawk-Eye, with Yoru on his back, stood at the bow; Luo En, holding the Infinite Flask, lay reclined at the stern.

"Want a drink?"

Luo En raised the Infinite Flask toward Hawk-Eye.

Hawk-Eye, wearing his hat, turned his head slightly to glance at Luo En, then extended his hand.

After taking the flask Luo En tossed him, Hawk-Eye tilted his head back and drank, then nodded lightly: "This liquor is good."

"Right?"

Luo En, hearing his praise, couldn't help but smile.

Hawk-Eye took another sip, then tossed the Infinite Flask back to Luo En and asked: "Do you know that boy named Zoro?"

"Mm, I used to stay at a dojo for a while. He's got quite a bit of potential, right? I think pretty highly of him."

Luo En, lying back against the stern with his eyes closed, said as he drank.

Hawkeye neither agreed nor disagreed.

He did indeed feel that little brat was a worthy piece of raw material, but right now he was still far too weak — he didn't even have the qualification to walk up before him.

Completely different from the fellow right before his eyes.

"Are you planning to take him as a disciple?"

Luo En asked with a smile.

Hawkeye shook his head: "Although I'm idle, I don't have that kind of idle leisure. Besides, that kid's heart isn't firm enough, and his swordsmanship is still far off. He simply isn't worthy of being taught by me."

"In other words, it's possible in the future."

Hawkeye adjusted the hat on his head, his hawk-like eyes sinking into the shadow of the brim:

"Who knows."

"Haha."

Hawkeye glanced back at him sidelong:

"Disappearing for two years, then reappearing on the sea — what do you plan to do next?"

"Do? I'm not planning to do anything. I'm just a traveler, wandering and having fun all over the world."

Luo En, lying at the stern, let the night sea breeze wash over him, drinking with a thoroughly contented look.

"Just a traveler?"

"Right, but that Laugh Tale is also along my travel route across the sea."

Hawkeye turned his head and gave him a deep look, then turned back away, his back to him, gazing at the pitch-black sea ahead as he said:

"Attacking Mary Geoise and Marineford, charging into Wano Country all alone, heavily wounding one of the Four Emperors, Kaido — the one who carried out this whole string of massive incidents has now reappeared on the sea. Even if you do nothing, I'm afraid you'll still cause quite a stir."

"Probably. The Marines should send people to come ask you, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, about the situation."

"I'll answer according to the actual circumstances."

"That would be for the best."

Luo En smiled, and the Endless Wine Pot in his hand vanished from sight.

He stood up.

On the distant sea ahead, the glowing outline of that sea restaurant had already faintly appeared.

"Today's battle was thoroughly enjoyable for me. Let's spar again next time, Mihawk."