"Is this the world's strongest power?"
Zoro sighed in his heart, silently putting away the Wado Ichimonji.
Then he turned around, faced Hawkeye, and spread his arms, ready to embrace death.
!!!
Hawkeye was puzzled by this sight and asked.
"Boy, what do you want to do?"
Zoro's mouth curved into an arc, and he said with a faint smile.
"A scar on the back is a swordsman's shame!"
In an instant, Hawkeye's heart was shaken.
Then his lips curved upwards, his eyes filled with excitement and admiration.
"Gutsy!"
At the same time, a notification came from Luffy's mind again.
"Your comprehension is against the heavens. Through personal contemplation and enlightenment transmission, your Transmitter's Aura has been enhanced."
"Your Transmitter's Aura has been enhanced, and the awakening of your Conqueror's Haki has accelerated!"
Facing Zoro's resolve, Hawkeye slowly raised his sword.
He suddenly delivered a diagonal slash.
Immediately, blood splattered!
Zoro fell to the ground!
"Big Brother!!!"
"Zoro!!!"
"Moss-head!!!"
Worried exclamations rang out from all around.
Even though Luffy had expected it, seeing this scene, he still felt a surge of emotion.
No matter what, Zoro was his crewmate, and seeing his subordinate completely crushed by someone else would naturally move him somewhat.
However, under his Observation Haki, he knew that Zoro was still alive and that Hawkeye had not intended to kill him.
But he needed to be treated quickly.
Leaping to Zoro's side, Luffy prepared to take him for treatment.
"Who are you to him?"
Hawkeye noticed Luffy's sudden arrival and asked in confusion.
"I'm his Captain, and he's the swordsman of my pirate crew."
Luffy responded.
Hawkeye nodded upon hearing this and said.
"You've found a good swordsman!"
Suddenly, Hawkeye noticed the Straw Hat on Luffy's head and was momentarily stunned.
Just as he was about to ask about it, a dissatisfied voice suddenly came from nearby.
"Hawkeye, you're too much! The difference between you and him is so great, yet you still hit him so hard!"
Everyone looked over upon hearing this, and saw a beautiful girl with half-red, half-white hair angrily glaring at Hawkeye.
Immediately, everyone present was dumbfounded.
Usopp's legs started to shake in fear, and he said tremblingly.
"Hey! U-Uta! Don't provoke that guy! He'll kill us!"
Joseph and Johnny hugged each other, crying and begging Uta.
"Please, Uta, apologize to him quickly! We don't want to die!"
The Krieg Pirates looked at Uta with schadenfreude.
"That woman, daring to speak to Hawkeye like that, she's definitely dead this time."
Sanji, Zeff, and the others looked at Uta with shock.
They had only heard Uta say before that she had seen Hawkeye duel someone, but they didn't know Uta's identity, so they just thought she was an ordinary pirate.
But now it seemed, this woman was definitely not ordinary.
Upon hearing someone angrily scolding him, Hawkeye felt the voice sounded somewhat familiar.
With a glance, he saw the person with half-red, half-white hair.
"Uta?!"
With just one look, Hawkeye recognized Uta.
Even after ten years, Uta's hair and attire were truly too easy to recognize.
At this moment, Uta also leaped to Luffy's side, breathlessly scolding Hawkeye.
"You, Hawkeye, how dare you bully the swordsman on our ship? When I tell Shanks, I'll make sure he teaches you a good lesson."
Hawkeye remained unmoved by her words, calmly saying,
"He challenged me, and what I did was out of respect for him."
"Besides, he's not dead yet."
Saying that, Hawkeye looked at Zoro, who was lying motionless on the ground, and said,
"My name is Dracule Mihawk! You won't die that quickly."
"As long as you can defeat me, you will be the strongest in the world."
"No matter how many years it takes, I will be waiting for you on the throne of the world's strongest."
"So you must fight strongly against death. I await your next challenge."
"Surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!"
Just then, Zoro, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly drew Wado Ichimonji, pointing it to the sky, and weakly said,
"Luffy… Luffy, did you hear that?"
Luffy looked at Zoro.
"I heard it!"
Zoro, his face covered in blood, gritted his teeth and said,
"I made you worry, didn't I?!"
"If… if I can't… become the world's strongest swordsman…"
"Then I'll only be a burden to you, right?"
"Cough, cough…"
Zoro coughed up some blood, but he didn't mind at all.
He held his forehead with one hand, tears streaming down his face, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination, and with all his strength, gritting his teeth, he swore with a heart-wrenching voice,
"So I… won't lose again!"
As Zoro finished speaking,
The next second, Hawkeye's pupils suddenly contracted.
Luffy's body also trembled.
An unparalleled aura suddenly erupted from Zoro's body.
Purple-black lightning shot from the tip of his sword, which was pointed at the sky, spreading outwards with crackling sounds like a roaring beast.
Centered on Zoro, the purple-black lightning ripped through the air, extending thousands of meters away.
In just an instant, all the pirates of the Krieg Pirates and everyone on Baratie all rolled their eyes and fainted.
And now, the only ones still standing were Hawkeye, Luffy, and Uta.
In the weakest East Blue, the others were not strong enough to withstand the power of Haoshoku.
"Is it… Haoshoku?!"
Hawkeye was deeply shaken by Zoro.
He never expected to encounter such a swordsman in the weakest East Blue.
If he could grow one day, he would surely leave his name in this world.
Luffy was also deeply happy for Zoro.
This battle allowed Zoro's strength to cross another level, and he believed that his growth rate would only be faster in the future.
"Uta, let's quickly take Zoro for treatment."
Zoro had used up all his strength due to awakening Haoshoku and had now lost consciousness.
"Wait a moment!"
Just then, Hawkeye suddenly spoke to stop Luffy.
Luffy looked at him in confusion, and then heard Hawkeye continue,
"Speaking of which, you must be the man Red Hair mentioned to me!"
"That… born King!!!"