The open sea.
Gawain barely managed to stabilize his footing. Glancing down, he saw that his knuckles had been split open by Hawkeye's overwhelming power, blood seeping out in vivid scarlet.
The rush of adrenaline dulled the pain. All he could feel was the thunder of his heartbeat and the uncontrollable tremble in his fingers—signs not of fear, but of exhilaration.
He was thrilled.
His opponent was too strong.
Stronger than he'd ever imagined.
And yet, the stronger the adversary, the more Gawain's fighting spirit surged. The bloodthirsty Seikō Masamune in his hand seemed to pulse with eagerness.
Could he use the immense pressure brought by Hawkeye to confirm whether the changes he saw in Kuro could be replicated?
His current combat power had risen to Silver rank—but that was also his ceiling. Within a few months, what had happened to those Black Iron pirates would likely happen to him too.
Silver might be enough to dominate the East Blue, but it was still far from his true goal.
If there was ever a time to test the resolve in his heart through battle, it was now.
Especially with Hawkeye as his opponent.
Gawain tore a strip of fabric from his clothes and wrapped it tightly around Seikō Masamune's hilt, then narrowed his eyes sharply.
"Come again!" he roared.
The deck beneath his feet was instantly submerged by the rising sea. When he surfaced again, Gawain had already crossed dozens of meters, blade arcing toward Hawkeye.
Even the sheer force of the wind created by his charge made Hawkeye's cloak whip violently.
"Faster," Hawkeye noted, watching the young man approach.
For the first time in a long while, he felt his body, his hands, and his blade begin to burn with excitement.
"Knight Gawain," he murmured, a glint of approval in his eyes. "Not bad."
He countered with a single slash, striking precisely where Gawain's aura and power were strongest. The force sent Gawain flying.
And yet, the deck beneath Hawkeye's boots didn't so much as creak.
"Monster..." Gawain muttered through clenched teeth, though he'd anticipated it. Still, the fire in his eyes blazed even brighter.
Yes—this was the strength the world's strongest should have.
Driven by instinct and determination, Gawain's strikes became increasingly ferocious. With his Death Walk and Flash Step, he moved across the water as if it were solid ground.
He stomped down hard, using the resistance of the sea to absorb Hawkeye's slashes and propel himself forward, blade raised high.
Wave after wave, his offense raged like a howling storm, blade roaring like a torrent.
Had it been any other opponent, they'd have been decapitated long ago. But this was Hawkeye, the man who stood at the peak of the sword.
Sensing Gawain's current level, Hawkeye gradually increased the strength in his hand. The creak of his grip tightening echoed, followed by a devastatingly sharp slash in return.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
A barrage of metallic clashes—shrill and deafening like bells, dense like swarming bees—rippled through the air, distorting it visibly.
Everyone still aboard the deck winced, covering their ears.
"Damn it!"
"What the hell is going on!?"
Patty's eyes were wide, but all he could see were pillars of water exploding in the distance. Hawkeye swung his black blade so fast it seemed to slice the very air, producing sonic booms.
The scene was beyond comprehension—ghostly, surreal.
"Quick! Strip off the extended deck and retreat!" Zeff barked, his face grim.
The chefs leapt into action, understanding the danger at once.
The clash of these two monsters had nearly sunk the ship in its opening blow. If they didn't move, the Baratie would be torn in half.
In mere seconds, the extended deck was dismantled. The floating restaurant retreated hundreds of meters away.
Just when the pirate chefs thought they were finally safe, a stray slash whizzed past Patty—slicing cleanly through half of his hat.
He collapsed instantly, curling into a ball as he shouted in a shaky voice
"Monster...!"
"A complete monster!"
Zeff gave him a glance, inhaled deeply from his tobacco pipe, then looked out toward the distant battlefield.
His expression remained composed, but his palms were soaked in sweat.
Yes, he'd been to the Grand Line.
But never had he seen a monster like this.
Let alone fought one.
Beside him, Sanji stood frozen.
"Is that bastard... really that strong?"
Zeff nodded solemnly. "It's been a long time since a monster of this level appeared in the East Blue."
"But of course... that's the world's strongest."
Far ahead, in the heart of the battlefield—
Gawain repeatedly launched thrusts with Flash Step, but each one was calmly neutralized by Hawkeye. His legs grew heavier with every motion, and at last—
Clink!
The tip of Seikō Masamune halted precisely against the flat of Hawkeye's black blade, Yoru.
Both men paused.
Sweat drenched Gawain's body. The cloth around his palm had long since soaked through with blood, trailing crimson across his blade.
Looking at the unshaken Hawkeye, Gawain couldn't help but let out a breathless laugh.
"That power... it's enough to make someone despair."
Flash Step + Death Walk was his strongest combination.
And still, not a scratch had landed on his opponent.
Even though he'd braced himself mentally, the suffocating gap was undeniable.
"The distance between me and the top of the world is still too far…"
"The will of a swordsman lies within his blade."
Hawkeye sheathed his sword, eyes sharp as ever.
"I've seen the difference between you and Roronoa."
"If he is unpolished jade—pure and in need of refinement—you are like gold laced with impurities. You've already begun to shine, but the flaws in you reduce your true value."
"What you need now... is to temper your will through battle."
"Again, and again—until the sword in your heart is forged."
Hawkeye's expression shifted.
He changed his grip—no longer holding the blade with one hand, but now with both.
Anyone with experience in swordsmanship would know: this change meant a drastic rise in power.
Just that one adjustment, and the pressure bearing down on Gawain increased severalfold—perhaps dozens of times.
Those eyes, calm and sharp, held a terrifying intensity. They could freeze a man's soul.
"Gawain," Hawkeye said quietly.
"Survive."
Then—
With both hands on the hilt, Hawkeye unleashed a mighty slash.
A blinding green wave shot forward.
At that instant—
Gawain's Observation Haki, newly advanced to Level 3, screamed in warning. His skin tingled with a burning sensation.
No time to think.
He barely twisted his body aside, dodging the slash by a hair's breadth—
WHOOSH!
A massive crevice tore through the sea, stretching far into the horizon. The ocean itself split in two, exposing the seabed beneath the setting sun.
From Gawain's vantage point, he could see it all:
The coral swaying gently…
Starfish filtering silt…
Fish flailing, stranded between the parted waters…
In both of his lives, Gawain had never seen the ocean floor so clearly.