The rampaging black dragon clamped down on Mihawk's blade, sending him flying backward.
The swirling dragon coiled into a tornado like a black storm, as if trying to tear him apart!
Mihawk was launched into the sky by the sword energy, his coat flapping wildly in the wind.
One hand gripped the hilt, the other pressed against Yoru's back. He used both hands to resist the black dragon's power while unleashing his own Haki.
Flowing Haki resonated with the Black Blade. Mihawk let out a low shout, and a dark green slash raced along the blade toward the black dragon!
"Slash!"
A moon-arc slash cut through the sky, severing the black dragon's head!
Mihawk fell from the sky, twisting his body mid-air to land firmly on the ground. Then he charged at Ren again.
The long blade thrust from his hand like a spear. Haki and sword energy, under his control, concentrated entirely at the blade's tip, spinning into a sharp thrust!
If this were Zoro — the so-called "Naming-Naming Fruit" user — he'd probably have come up with a thousand elegant and cool technique names. But the taciturn Mihawk clearly lacked that talent. Despite fighting at full power, it looked like he was just doing basic attacks.
Ren stepped forward with a reverse kesagiri slash from below, deflecting Mihawk's blade.
Mihawk, wielding the heavy sword, immediately felt his heart sink.
'Such incredible strength…'
Compared to Yoru, Ren's Musou Isshin looked like a tiny wooden stick. Yoru's blade thickness nearly matched Musou Isshin's blade width.
Yet that seemingly slender Musou Isshin had effortlessly deflected Mihawk's great sword.
His blade knocked away, Mihawk couldn't pull Yoru back in time. But Ren's blade, having passed his shoulder, suddenly folded back. The purple blade instantly pierced through Mihawk's left shoulder!
"Source Flow — Droplet Pierce!"
The flying sword energy blasted Mihawk away!
"Thud!"
Mihawk rolled across the ground several times before stabbing Yoru into the ground to stop himself.
"Hah…"
"So strong."
Feeling the pain from his shoulder, Mihawk didn't even blink as he stood again, releasing a massive slash toward the sky!
Ren, who'd been far away moments ago, had somehow appeared above Mihawk. Facing a slash powerful enough to cleave a mountain, he didn't flinch. His blade simply fell, landing gracefully like a lone duck in flight!
"You cut through my slash?" Mihawk's expression darkened, but he showed no sign of retreating. He charged again.
Their blades clashed continuously in the darkness. Bright sparks flashed like fireworks in the dim Plane of Euthymia.
One was a resilient, silent yet powerful figure. The other was so elegant it was almost like dancing.
Their forms crossed countless times in the blade light. Flying sword energy severed many of the distant torii gates at the waist. Yet Ren held his blade in one hand the entire time, blocking every one of Mihawk's attacks without a single gap.
Ren: I blocked everything.
"Source Flow — War Bird."
Ren's flying sword energy formed a golden eagle, spreading its wings and soaring through the air. But Mihawk cut it down with his own sword energy.
The two had exchanged blows countless times. By now, Mihawk was feeling the fatigue, with numerous wounds of varying severity across his body.
In contrast, Ren seemed no different from when he'd first entered this space. Even his breathing hadn't changed.
Although they were comparing swordsmanship, a person's stamina, strength, Observation Haki, and Armament Haki were all closely related.
That was why Roger and Rayleigh, both from Loguetown with no teachers, were both top-tier great swordsmen.
Honestly, if Kai-sensei had used a sword instead of a kanabo, this world would definitely have one more great swordsman.
But if Kai-sensei really used a sword, Luffy wouldn't have stood a chance — Kaido would've cut him in half long ago.
Mihawk was slowly falling into disadvantage. Though he'd never gained the upper hand to begin with, as his stamina dropped and wounds accumulated, his situation grew increasingly dire.
'At this rate, I'll definitely lose. I need to concentrate all my power.'
Mihawk knew continuing like this was pointless. After cutting down the War Bird, he launched another attack.
Intense sword energy rose with his blade, forming a massive wall of sword energy that cut the entire world in two!
"Now that's more like it." Ren smiled, immediately responding to Mihawk's technique.
Burning Haki intertwined with sword energy, spiraling around him like a dragon.
Ren watched as Mihawk's massive slash, like a sea train parting the ocean, cleaved the earth in two!
Such ferocious sword energy — it could cut through everything.
Mihawk couldn't think of anything it couldn't cut. Maybe diamond?
But facing this attack, Ren charged straight in without hesitation.
"What?!"
Purple sword light instantly severed Mihawk's slash, as if cutting through flowing water.
Ren crossed space, appearing above Mihawk in an instant. The dragon-shaped sword energy coiled around Musou Isshin roared forth!
"Nine-Headed Dragon Formation!"
Powerful sword energy tore through the earth. Sword energy rising from the ground like paper roared, condensing into nine azure dragons that surrounded Mihawk.
…
"I lost…"
Mihawk lay on the ground, eyes gazing at the dark sky, slowly losing focus.
Not only had he lost — he'd lost completely and utterly.
He'd thought he could receive the Muken no Itto, but he hadn't even qualified to force his opponent to go all out. The gap between them was simply too vast.
The world, it turned out, was that far away?
Ren walked slowly toward him. He was actually quite surprised by Mihawk's performance. Though he'd felt his strength hitting a bottleneck these years, it was still improving, however slightly.
Mihawk was still young at this age. Performing this well was already impressive.
Just look — the Plane of Euthymia had become the Plane of Wasteland.
The ground was covered in deep ravines.
Give him another twenty years, and Ren had no doubt Mihawk could force him to use both hands in combat. He might even make Ren use the Muken no Itto without Devil Fruit abilities.
As for receiving that technique — don't even think about it.
That was essentially the ultimate secret of Ren's swordsmanship research. If anyone could truly receive the Muken no Itto, it meant they already had the strength to defeat him.
[
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