A smug expression appeared on Smoker's face:
"No wonder Dragon saved you—you're his son.
That traitor Dragon disrupts the world's peace, and you, as his son, are destined to be a scourge too.
But it's not too late. I'll end you here, to prevent the birth of a new King of the Pirates, to stop you from walking the same path as Dragon and Roger!"
As his words fell, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Smoker's eyes. He tightened his grip on the Jitte, preparing to thrust it fiercely into Luffy's chest.
At this critical moment, a tall figure suddenly rushed out from the crowd.
Jimbei swung his fist, shouting sternly at Smoker:
"Fish-Man Karate: Five Thousand Brick Fist!"
A powerful surge of water-like force, carrying terrifying strength, smashed toward Smoker.
Smoker's expression changed drastically. With no time to continue attacking Luffy, he could only quickly retract his Jitte, his body turning into smoke as he swiftly retreated, barely dodging the blow.
Boom!
The fist force struck the ground, instantly blasting a massive crater into the ice.
Jimbei pulled Luffy behind him, his tone filled with concern:
"Straw Hat, are you alright?"
Luffy shook his head, gratefully replying to Jimbei:
"Thank you, Jimbei. I'm fine. I'll leave this to you—I still have to save Ace!"
With that, ignoring his injuries, he once again began running toward the execution platform.
Smoker steadied himself, watching Luffy's retreating figure and gritting his teeth:
"Damn it!"
He prepared to chase after Luffy and continue intercepting him.
But just then, several members of the Whitebeard Pirates suddenly rushed forward, blocking his path. Jimbei also turned around, adopting a fighting stance as he faced him.
"If you want to chase Luffy, you'll have to get through us first!"
Smoker looked at Jimbei and the pirates blocking his way, a hint of impatience flashing across his face:
"Tch, a bunch of nuisances!"
Though furious and eager to catch up with Luffy immediately, he knew Jimbei's strength was formidable. Combined with the pirates' obstruction, he had no chance of smoothly pursuing Luffy.
Helplessly, Smoker could only halt and engage in a skirmish with Jimbei and the others.
Freed from Smoker's entanglement, Luffy continued charging forward with all his might.
He navigated through the chaotic battlefield, dodging flying cannonballs and evading the interception of Marine soldiers, drawing closer and closer to the execution platform.
He knew that the closer he got to the execution platform, the stronger the enemies he would face.
He had to be even more cautious and push himself harder to successfully reach Ace's side.
Sure enough, before long, an even more terrifying presence stood in his path.
Luffy stopped and looked up to see Mihawk standing calmly before him.
Mihawk's gaze was cold as he stared at Luffy, his tone indifferent:
"Straw Hat Luffy, Dragon's son. Is it fate that I've encountered you here?
Prove your mettle here, or die by my blade."
With those words, Mihawk raised Black Blade Yoru without hesitation and swung it lightly.
A massive Flying Slash instantly erupted from the blade.
Perhaps Mihawk held back on purpose, as Luffy dodged the slash by a hair's breadth.
After being dodged by Luffy, the slash flew toward a distant iceberg, striking it with tremendous force.
Boom!
The iceberg, dozens of meters high, was instantly sliced in half by the slash.
The upper half of the iceberg crashed heavily into the sea, sending up massive waves and shocking the entire battlefield.
Luffy stood rooted to the spot, staring wide-eyed at the bisected iceberg, his mouth hanging open.
Not far from him, several Marine soldiers trembled in fear at the sight:
"Is this the power of the world's second-greatest swordsman? It's terrifying! With just one slash, he cut an iceberg in half!"
Snapping back to reality, Luffy instinctively looked at Mihawk and asked curiously:
"The world's second-greatest swordsman? Isn't he the world's greatest swordsman?"
Hearing Luffy's question, a Marine captain standing nearby wore a proud expression.
He raised his head and declared proudly:
"You foolish Straw Hat, the world's greatest swordsman now is none other than Vice Admiral Ivan!
Not long ago, he engaged in a peak duel with Mihawk and ultimately defeated him, becoming the new world's greatest swordsman!"
"Vice Admiral Ivan?" Luffy was taken aback for a moment before looking up toward the sky.
High above, the clash between Ivan and Uchiha Madara continued.
Their figures collided repeatedly within the clouds, and the overwhelming, destructive pressure they exuded could be felt clearly even from the ground.
As Luffy watched Ivan high in the sky, a look of longing appeared in his eyes.
He clenched his fists and thought to himself:
"So strong! If I had that kind of power, I could probably save Ace easily, right?
But even without that power, I'm still going to save Ace!"
He turned to Mihawk and shouted, "No matter how strong you are, I won't back down! Get out of my way!"
Mihawk looked at Luffy, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth, his eyes revealing a hint of approval.
Impressive spirit!
Perhaps only someone with such spirit could be the one Shanks bet on, the future Shanks spoke of.
Even though he admired Luffy, Mihawk did not hold back.
He swung his Black Blade once more, unleashing massive Flying Slashes that struck fiercely toward Luffy.
Each slash contained enough power to kill Luffy.
Luffy didn't dare let his guard down for even a moment, continuously dodging.
But Mihawk's slashes were incredibly fast. Even though he was holding back and not using his full strength, Luffy gradually found it harder to keep up.
Every dodge consumed a great deal of stamina, and his injuries continued to worsen.
After several slashes, Luffy was already severely wounded, his movements growing slower and slower.
Just as he was about to be hit by one of Mihawk's slashes, another figure suddenly flew in from the side, crashing hard into Luffy.
Thud!
Luffy was sent flying by the impact but managed to avoid Mihawk's fatal strike.
The newcomer, however, remained in place, taking the terrifying slash meant for Luffy.
After a moment, the newcomer realized what had happened.
He cried out in anguish, "Aaaah, no! Why did I save Straw Hat's life?!"
Luffy also snapped back to his senses and gave the newcomer a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Buggy!"
"Don't thank me, you idiot!"
Nearby, Mihawk watched the scene with surprise.
You should know, his slash just now was imbued with Armament Haki.
Yet after being struck by this slash, Buggy didn't suffer the slightest injury.
Perhaps noticing the confusion in Mihawk's eyes, Buggy patted his clothes and laughed triumphantly:
"Hahaha, it's useless, Mihawk!
My Chop-Chop Fruit ability allows me to completely ignore slashes. No matter how many times you cut, you can't harm me in the slightest!"
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