Amazon Lily, Casino.
Smoke drifted through the air.
At the table sat a Gambler with short black hair and a scar stretching across both eyes. Dressed in a light purple kimono, he waited calmly for the dealer to reveal the cards.
Behind him, a crowd of Gamblers who had lost everything but were still reluctant to leave were chatting idly.
"This guy has lost nineteen rounds in a row."
"Isn't he a bodyguard? Why is he at the table too?"
"I heard he lost all his savings two years ago and racked up a massive gambling debt. He has to stay at the casino as a bodyguard to pay it off."
The dealer slowly revealed the cards. "Issho, you now owe the casino a total of one billion Berries."
The Gambler called Issho stood up slowly, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice.
"Truly regrettable."
He could have easily cheated using Observation Haki, but for a blind man like him, winning by luck... was far more intoxicating.
Every bet, every reveal, was like a gamble with fate.
And the result was always full of the unknown.
Since the destruction of the Cang Kingdom and being wanted by the World Government, Issho's life had veered completely off track. His former honor and status had vanished like smoke, leaving only endless confusion.
Gambling became his only solace and his only way to escape reality.
Issho got up and left the gambling table to continue his job as a casino bodyguard. When he noticed a group of people gathered together, he subconsciously tilted his ear.
"Good heavens, a bounty of one billion Berries."
"Isn't it? He's a member of Pirate King Roger's crew, a great pirate who has been to Raftel and seen the great treasure."
"The West Blue has never seen a figure like this before."
Creeeak~ The casino doors were pushed open.
Upon seeing those sharp yellow eyes, gasps echoed through the casino.
"Marine Hunter Dracule Mihawk."
A sharp blade, sharp eyes—between swordsmen, they could sense each other's sword intent.
In Mihawk's eyes: the blind swordsman holding a cane had a sword intent shrouded in mist.
In Issho's perception: the person in front of him was surrounded by an indomitable sword intent.
Just by standing there, the clash of their invisible sword intents made the Gamblers in the casino feel breathless, the bone-chilling cold making their scalps tingle.
Issho spoke, requesting, "Let's change locations."
Mihawk nodded. "Alright."
In fact, the moment he saw the other man was blind, Mihawk had already dismissed the idea. He really had no interest in fighting someone who had lost their sight.
This was Mihawk's pride: he would never choose a disabled person as an opponent, except for those who were brain-dead.
However, he thought of his Captain's instructions.
Mihawk felt that the blind swordsman before him fit Seven's requirements for a crew member perfectly. Besides, a ship full of Great Swordsmen was quite an exciting thought.
If it could actually be achieved, such a pirate crew lineup had never been seen in the entire ocean.
Therefore, Mihawk agreed to the duel.
Knowing there was a show to watch, the Gamblers followed closely behind the two, maintaining a reasonable safety distance.
Mihawk even dared to fight the Marine, let alone small-fry Gamblers like them. Watching the excitement was important, but their lives were undoubtedly more so.
Amazon Lily, West Side.
"Dracule Mihawk."
"Issho."
The brief introductions perfectly matched their personalities.
Mihawk was steady and calm, showing almost no obvious emotional fluctuations even in battle.
Issho, on the other hand, hadn't fought anyone in a long time, and his long-dormant heart gradually grew heated.
The difference was that when Mihawk dueled, he never shouted technique names, while Issho would, as if it added more momentum.
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger."
This was a skill performed by combining the Zushi Zushi no Mi ability with swordsmanship, concentrating gravity on the blade and releasing a horizontal gravity wave to attack.
While controlling gravity, the pressure generated by it would also compress space, causing secondary DMG.
Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger shared similarities with the lightning dragon and electromagnetic storm that followed Seven's Flying Slash wave.
However, in the next second.
A look of deep astonishment flashed across Issho's face: the Gravity Blade that had always been successful in his past battles had actually failed against Mihawk.
The opponent hadn't even used Armament Haki.
Mihawk was also somewhat surprised. He had chosen to take the hit head-on just to offset the disadvantage of the other's blindness, but who would have thought the gravity wave would actually fail.
After a moment's thought, Mihawk took off his hat and removed the bamboo copter from his hair.
"Sorry, a little gadget from my Captain."
He had thought it was just a simple flying device, but he never expected the small bamboo copter to be an anti-gravity device. It was... beyond common sense.
Even in a world like that of pirates, sustained flight remained an exclusive ability of a very few ability users or special races.
Anti-gravity was even rarer.
Such a small thing could not only fly but was also the natural nemesis of a Zushi Zushi no Mi user.
Placing his hat and bag on the beach, Mihawk finally drew the black blade yoru from his back. "I am the vice-captain of the Morning Star Pirates. I want to invite you aboard."
A smile played on the corners of Issho's mouth.
"It is my honor to be valued by a swordsman such as yourself. Unfortunately... I still owe the casino one billion in gambling debt."
Because he had witnessed too much evil, Issho had blinded himself, unwilling to look at those filthy and base individuals, and had wasted many years on Amazon Lily.
And for a man with such sword intent to be only a vice-captain, Issho suddenly wanted to see what kind of person the Captain was.
"Please."
"Please."
Clang~ Clang~ Clang~
The moment the two supreme grade blades collided, the roar shook the coast. The Flying Slashes they unleashed spread outwards, shattering countless rocks and giant waves.
In the gap where the blades met, sparks flew as gravity and sword qi contended with each other.
After a moment, both exerted force simultaneously, and the blades snapped apart, each man backing away several meters.
Fujitora's surrounding gravity field suddenly intensified. All the rubble floated up, turning into countless blades with the swing of his sword, attacking Mihawk along with the gravity waves.
Mihawk held the black blade yoru, and with a single Flying Slash, he precisely shattered all the attacks.
The aftershocks of the collision between the Flying Slash and gravity carved out trenches several meters wide in the ground.
In the distance, the watching Gamblers' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"These two guys... are terrifying."
"I didn't expect... the fat bodyguard to be this strong. I even beat him up a few times before."
"Then you're finished."
The Gambler who had once relied on his strength to beat Issho turned pale. "Brother, I'm going to hide for a couple of days. Take good care of your sister-in-law for me."
"Big brother, rest assured."
Boom~
An even more violent collision sounded. Sword qi wove into an invisible storm, causing large areas of the coastal reefs to shatter, and seawater poured into the cracked trenches.
The moment the blades met, both felt the power contained in the other's sword—
Mihawk's blade was unstoppable, the ultimate in speed and sharpness, hiding an absolute obsession with being the strongest.
Issho's blade was steady and heavy, a fusion of gravity and conviction, carrying a determination refined through the years... The sea breeze whistled, ruffling their clothes.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long. The giant waves on the sea gradually calmed down, leaving only two tall figures on the shore and the sword intent that had not yet dissipated in the air.
Mihawk sheathed the black blade yoru. "I'll take care of the gambling debt for you."
"Thank you." The sword intent around Issho faded, and he returned to the appearance of a blind, fat bodyguard. "Please, Mr. Mihawk, do not harm them."
Hearing this, Mihawk paused for a few seconds, giving up the idea of destroying the casino, and took out a den den mushi from his bag.
"Captain."
"Bring one billion Berries to Amazon Lily in the West Blue."