One Piece: Nobody knows Devil Fruits better than me.

Chapter 272 Surpassing the Great Swordsman's Realm!

What the Sword God said was obviously a lie.

Of course, there is no such thing as a mix between the Lunar and Bakania races in this world.

However, with the help of Baggin Gom's 'corpse stitching technique' combined with the power of the 'Jacket Fruit', it was possible to overcome the challenge.

The Sword God truly possesses characteristics of both races.

In fact, this is what Roy is most satisfied with about this clone.

He was different from all his previous clones—his Devil Fruit abilities were not mixed; they were purely for the purpose of this body.

And the power possessed by this clone goes without saying.

Just like Hawkeye's judgment.

The Bakania race provides strength and physique a thousand times greater than the Fish-Men, coupled with the Lunaria race's invincible adaptability and the 'Undying Flame' behind him—purely speaking of innate physique, the 'Sword God' is undoubtedly the strongest in the sea.

In terms of pure physical attributes, even Kaido and Big Mom cannot compare to him.

Moreover, since the main body of this body is that of Shimotsuki Ryoma, he can even successfully 'awaken' the domineering aura that is dormant above the Autumn Water.

This is also the biggest reason why the Sword God dares to test his sword across the four seas and even dares to challenge 'Pluto' and 'Hawkeye' - although he is a creation of Devil Fruit power, he is indeed one of the strongest swordsmen on the sea.

His previous battle with Hawkeye confirmed that his judgment was correct.

Even if the opponent is the world's strongest swordsman, with the powerful aura emanating from the black sword in his hand, he can still fight and suppress him.

But
"Just to my liking."

As Hawkeye finished speaking...

The 'Sword God' also noticed the sudden change in Hawkeye.

In fact, it wasn't hard to observe—at that instant, the Sword God even clearly saw the domineering aura swirling wildly around Hawkeye's black sword 'Night'.

Just as the Sword God wielded Autumn Water, the "domineering aura" that had been entangled in the black sword "Night" for many years and deeply embedded in the blade began to awaken at this moment.

But the difference lies in...

Their flow is not limited to the blade.

The spreading dark, domineering aura and powerful presence almost completely obscured the entire sky near Eagle Eye at that moment.

It was as if a phantom 'sword', comparable to a mountain, had appeared out of thin air on this island.

At that moment, Hawkeye was with the 'Night' he held in his hand.
At that moment, it subtly transformed into the blade of that giant sword.

They were inseparable, as if they were one.

"call"

Hawkeye exhaled a breath of stale air, but the moment it was exhaled, it seemed to transform into an invisible slash, drawing the surrounding 'blades' to cut the ground in two.

"."

And at that very moment.

The sharpness in the eagle's pupils almost made the Sword God feel as if his eyes were about to be sliced ​​open.

But it was in that instant of hesitation that...

Hawkeye had already swung his knife.

"bake!"

Without hesitation, the feeling of being constantly threatened made the Sword God decisively ignite the flames on his back to their fullest extent.

Just as mentioned before, that is the racial talent of the Lunaria race—'Undying Flame'.

When flames ignite, the Lunaria race's physical defenses become even stronger than alloys, making them virtually an 'invincible shield'.

At the same time, the powerful muscles of the Bakania tribe were also pushed to their limit by the Sword God.

He was even certain that at this moment, even if a bomb powerful enough to destroy an island exploded next to him, it wouldn't harm him in the slightest.

But
"Night Flow - Great Dark Sky!"

Hawkeye's figure flickered and moved at that moment.

So, in the Blade God's perception, he only felt the sharp 'giant sword' opposite him sweeping towards him!
The gloomy sky seemed to crash down at that moment, falling to the earth along with the shadow of the sword.

"laugh!"

Just a moment later, the sound of something being cut open was heard.

The dim sky and the shadow of the sword vanished simultaneously, and Hawkeye's figure had already passed the Sword God and landed on the ground.

Until this moment
"."

The Sword God lowered his head and looked at his left abdomen.

There—a gruesome slash mark had already clearly formed.

Even with the theoretically 'invincible' physique of the Lunaria race, coupled with the powerful physique of the Bakania race...

Hawkeye's strike actually broke through the defense.

"This is it."

Then, the Sword God turned his gaze to Hawkeye: "The world's strongest swordsman."

He realized that he had underestimated those few words.

In most battles, a complete dominance in physique, strength, and speed is enough to determine the outcome.

But for swordsmen, the reality seems to be quite different.

For swordsmen, honing their physique and building strength is of course important.

But the essence of it is simply because only those with strong enough physique and strength can wield the sword better.

The true realm that swordsmen pursue is always 'the way of the sword' itself.

"Those who can cut through wood and stone can be considered swordsmen."

"He who can cut through steel has just begun to understand the way of the sword and can be called a sword master."

"He who can cleave mountains is a great swordsman."

This is the evaluation of swordsmen that circulates on the high seas.

Then comes the problem.

As the world's greatest swordsman, what level has Hawkeye reached in his swordsmanship?
This attack in front of us may be the answer.

Even the absolute defense of the legendary 'Clan of Gods' and the tough physique of the Bakania are no match for it.

Mountains and rivers, seas and peaks, all things in the world—for 'Hawkeye' Mihawk and the knife in his hand, there is nothing in the world that cannot be cut.

"That's really amazing."

The next moment, the Sword God gently clenched his fist. The power of the Stitch-Stitch Fruit activated, and the wound on his left abdomen healed instantly—thanks to Bagingom's 'corpse stitching' technique, he also possessed extraordinary regenerative abilities.

His gaze fell on Hawkeye, who was also clearly astonished by the Sword God's powerful regenerative abilities.

But clearly, the communication has become meaningless.

The next instant, their figures vanished again, as if they were ghosts.

"clang--"

The sound of blades clashing rang out once again.

But this time, the situation was completely different from before.

"Frost Moon Style: Azure Dragon Consecutive Slashes!"

Qiu Shui's slashes were like a vast and boundless tsunami, and the undying fire behind the sword god burned fiercely. Every swing of the sword carried an domineering momentum that seemed to cleave the sky in two.

Or to be more precise—the sky was indeed split open.

Yes, the storm that torrentially fell on the nearby sea brought rolling dark clouds, but with each swing of the Sword God, the violent power and the powerful Conqueror's Haki intertwined, each strike was like a soaring dragon, cleaving a huge gap in the sky.

This resulted in sunlight shining down on Instein Island for only a short time, creating a unique spectacle in the surrounding seas.

At the same time, Hawkeye's sharp eyes revealed a clear excitement.

He continued to unleash slashes, his legs moving at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye across the muddy ground.

That aura and domineering presence that darkened the heavens and earth still lingered around him, as if it were an extension of his limbs.

He continuously deflected, flicked, guided, and deflected, directly slicing apart the sword god's attacks, each one powerful enough to split mountains and cleave seas.

That's it!

At that moment, Hawkeye's lips even unconsciously curled into a smile.

His sharp, eagle-like eyes shone with an astonishing light.

How long?
Five years? Ten years? Or even longer?
How long has it been since he's engaged in this level of 'fighting'?

How long has it been since he encountered a swordsman who overwhelmed him in strength and physique, and whose every strike brought him such a terrifying sense of crisis?

The last time... wasn't it when Shanks's hand wasn't broken?

No, that's not right either.

Shanks is not physically superior to him; his strength lies in his Haki. However, since their sword fight is not a fight to the death, he can never muster full interest in the battle. Hawkeye can feel pleasure from Shanks, but it is nowhere near as exciting as it is now.

At that moment, Hawkeye felt as if he had returned to the time when he first started practicing swordsmanship.

Constantly swinging the sword, constantly facing challenges—every battle could end in death, every clash of swords carries the scent of blood and danger.

This is exactly the kind of fighting he seeks.

But the only drawback is
"Not enough, it's still not enough!"

With a sweeping slash, the powerful strike instantly shattered the attack of the sword god before him, and the strike then sliced ​​the entire island, along with the distant sea and sky, in two.

Hawkeye muttered to himself.

He could feel it clearly.

The enemy opposite him possessed astonishing physique and strength, and his swordsmanship was also extremely profound, surpassing all the swordsmen Hawkeye had ever seen except for himself.

He is indeed a top-tier swordsman, a formidable opponent worthy of a fight.

But
"This level of skill alone is not enough to defeat me!"

Hawkeye was captivated, yet also regretful about this fact.

Yes, that's what he longed for.

The strongest?
The phrase "become the strongest" becomes meaningless.

What he longs for is to be defeated by a true strongman!
If he is defeated, it means that he has not yet reached the 'strongest' level.

Even if you are defeated, there are still goals to chase, and there is fun in pursuing them.

That would satisfy him far more than living a boring life on the throne of the 'strongest'.

The 'Sword God' is very close to that level, but still far from it.

He is almost a perfect combination of 'strength' and 'skill', and his swordsmanship alone is the pinnacle of the Great Sea Swordsman.

But
"He has transcended technique."

At the same time, the Sword God, who was fighting Hawkeye, also made the same judgment.

Amidst the constant shifts between offense and defense and the life-or-death struggle, the 'Autumn Water' in his hand seemed to be telling him the answer.

His strength and physique surpass Hawkeye's, and his domineering aura is no less impressive.

With each swing of his sword, he was certain that he was just a hair's breadth away from defeating his opponent.

But
"A slight difference can mean an insurmountable gap."

Within the senses of the God of Swords.

Hawkeye, wielding a black sword, is just like the name of his swordsmanship—he is like a 'night'.

The pitch-black night was right in everyone's sight, seemingly within reach, and lighting a lamp seemed to illuminate it.

But apart from the small portion that is illuminated, which may create the illusion that 'the night has passed,' the night remains in the rest of the world.

Hawkeye's swordsmanship is that kind of skill.

He has transcended the level of swordsmanship known throughout this sea, and stands on another level—a level that few swordsmen throughout history have ever set foot on.

He has transcended the realm of 'Great Swordsman'.

The Sword God's advantage in strength and physique allows him to fight Hawkeye, but he is destined never to truly reach that level.

"Ok?"

However, at that very moment, a moment of bewilderment inexplicably arose in the Sword God's heart.

Because he suddenly had a question, which was...
"Why do I know all this?"

In the midst of a life-or-death struggle where both body and mind were stretched to the limit, he asked himself this question.

He shouldn't know this.

And it was at this very moment that the Sword God clearly heard it as well.

"Clang!"

On his right hand, which held the knife, the autumn water seemed to emit a low, yearning sound.

(End of this chapter)