Sailing: I was falsely accused of watching Nami bathe, but I'm blind.

He is widely recognized as the "World's Greatest Swordsman"! His swordsmanship has reached the pinnacle, a level of unparalleled skill! It is said that he has engaged in countless earth-shattering duels with Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, and his strength is unfathomable! There are even rumors that his strength is infinitely close to that of a Four Emperor!

The difficulty and danger of hunting down such a legendary top expert are unimaginable!

This is practically a mission with a near-certain death!

When Kai heard the order personally given by Fleet Admiral Akainu through the Den Den Mushi, his face, which was always covered with an icy expression, remained completely unchanged.

He simply replied calmly, in his cold and emotionless tone, with just two words: "Understood."

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Kai's lips involuntarily curled into a cold smile, full of challenge and excitement.

Hawkeye Mihawk... the world's greatest swordsman...

Interesting...really interesting...

He knew that Fleet Admiral Akainu had entrusted him with this most difficult and dangerous mission, partly because it was a test of his strength and ability.

But on the other hand, there is probably a sinister intention to... kill someone with a borrowed knife, or to make him and Hawkeye both suffer heavy losses.

After all, despite his illustrious military achievements within the Navy, Kai was also feared and ostracized by some conservative officers due to his ruthless and inhumane style of conduct, as well as his unfathomable cunning and ambition.

Fleet Admiral Akainu might also be pleased to see Kai, this uncontrollable "blade," collide fiercely with Hawkeye Mihawk, this hardest "rock," to see who will ultimately be crushed first.

But Kai didn't care at all.

He craves a challenge!

Only by fighting to the death with these powerful figures who stand at the pinnacle of the world can he continuously break through his own limits and become even stronger!

Only by completing these seemingly impossible tasks can he accumulate enough merit and prestige to gradually approach the highest position he has always dreamed of, where he can truly control everything!

“Hawkeye Mihawk…” Kai’s eyes gleamed with a hunter’s excitement and danger. “Let me see just how sharp your world’s number one swordsmanship really is!”

For him, this mission was not just a crisis, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

If he can successfully capture, or even defeat Hawkeye Mihawk... then Kai's name will once again shock the entire world! His status within the Navy will be elevated to an unprecedented level! It's even possible that he could be directly promoted to Admiral!

Of course, he also knew that defeating Hawkeye Mihawk would be no easy task.

He must use all his strength, wisdom, and methods, and perhaps even some... luck.

But he was full of confidence in it.

Because he is Kai!

He's the man destined to stand at the top of the world!

"Command the fleet, prepare for battle! Target—Kraigana Island! We're going to pay a visit to the legendary world's greatest swordsman."

Kai's voice, cold and calm, carried an undeniable authority and a chilling killing intent, slowly echoing within the flagship's bridge.

A bloody storm targeting the former Seven Warlords of the Sea, sweeping across the entire world, is about to begin.

Kai will play the most important, and also the most dangerous, role in this storm.

His gaze fell upon the turbulent, unknown, and challenging black ocean outside the window.

A cold, confident smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

A new journey has begun!

After receiving orders to hunt down "Hawkeye" Jorah Mihawk, Kai did not hesitate or waver at all.

He was well aware of the difficulty and danger of the task, but he was also clear that it contained tremendous opportunities.

He immediately mobilized his most elite fleet and subordinates, and without any further rest or preparation, he directly ordered them to sail at full speed toward Hawkeye Mihawk's secluded retreat in the New World—Kraigana Island!

Klaigana Island, an island located in a remote part of the New World, shrouded in a sinister and eerie fog year-round, filled with an ominous atmosphere.

It is said that this place was once a prosperous kingdom, but it was destroyed in a fierce war many years ago, leaving only a lonely, eerie, and terrifying ancient castle in the Gothic style.

Hawkeye Mihawk lives in this haunted castle, leading a secluded life where he focuses on honing his swordsmanship.

After several days of rapid sailing, Kai's fleet finally arrived at the outer waters of Klaikana Island.

As the fleet slowly sailed into the thick fog, as black as ink and filled with a sense of oppression and foreboding, even the seasoned naval soldiers, who had seen countless battles and were used to life and death, couldn't help but feel a strange sense of unease and chill.

The air was filled with a faint, rusty, bloody smell, and a creepy feeling that sent chills down your spine, as if countless eyes were watching you from the shadows.

Kai stood at the bow of the flagship "Ice Age," his pure white Justice Cloak, a symbol of his rank as a vice admiral, fluttering in the cold wind.

His handsome face, which always seemed to be covered in eternal ice, remained expressionless.

But those deep, empty eyes, seemingly capable of seeing through everything, gleamed with a sharp and dangerous light like those of a hawk, gazing at the ancient castle, looming in the depths of the thick fog, like a lurking behemoth.

He could clearly sense an extremely powerful, extremely refined, extremely pure, and also extremely... cold sword intent emanating from that ancient castle!

That sword intent was as sharp and incomparable as a tangible substance, as if it could cut through everything in the world! It did not have the domineering madness and destruction of Kaido, nor the greedy and devouring evil of Big Mom, nor the all-encompassing and unfathomable vastness of Shanks.

It is pure, ultimate "slash"!

A terrifying existence that transcends all skills and power, almost like the "Tao," formed after one has cultivated swordsmanship to its pinnacle and returned to its original simplicity!

Just sensing this sword intent, Kai felt a stinging pain on his skin, as if it were being cut by invisible blades! He had no doubt that if his mental strength were slightly weaker, the pressure of this sword intent alone would have been enough to shatter his soul!

“Hawkeye…Djokovic Mihawk…” Kai’s lips curled into a cold, battle-ready smile. “As expected…he lives up to his reputation!”

Besides the powerful and terrifying sword intent that was as deep as an abyss, Kai also sensed another, relatively weaker, but eerie, and... ghostly aura emanating from the ancient castle.

That's... "Princess Mononoke" Perona?! The one who was once a subordinate of Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and possesses the extremely troublesome Ghost-Ghost Fruit ability that allows her to control negative ghosts and strip others of their will to fight?!

How could she be with Hawkeye Mihawk?

A hint of doubt flashed through Kai's mind.

But he quickly put that question out of his mind.

Regardless of why Perona is here, she is not the primary target of this operation.

His only target is Hawkeye Mihawk!

"Order the fleet to deploy in an encirclement formation in the waters surrounding the castle! All cannons to enter a state of first-level combat readiness! No one is to fire without my order!"

Kai's voice, cold and calm, was clearly transmitted to every warship through the flagship's broadcast system.

"Yes! Lieutenant General!"

The naval fleet, like a pack of well-trained hounds, swiftly and systematically formed a tight encirclement around the castle on Kraigana Island.

The dark muzzles of the cannons were all aimed at the lonely ancient castle deep in the fog, radiating a chilling metallic gleam.

The air was thick with a tense atmosphere, as if swords were about to be drawn.

A major battle seems imminent.

However, Kai did not immediately order a fierce attack as he had done in the past.

He knew that against a top-tier powerhouse like Hawkeye Mihawk, it would be difficult to achieve a decisive victory by simply relying on the fleet's artillery advantage.

Furthermore, a hasty attack could provoke the enemy and trigger a devastating counterattack.

What he needs to do is test the waters.

To test Hawkeye Mihawk's attitude.

To test Hawkeye Mihawk's strength.

He was also testing... just how big the gap was between himself and the world's greatest swordsman.

Kai slowly closed his eyes, immersing himself completely in the perception of his surroundings.

He used his Observation Haki, like the finest and most sensitive tentacles, to carefully and gradually penetrate into the depths of the ancient castle.

He wanted to use this silent method to engage in a… soul-level “communication” and “confrontation” with the world’s greatest swordsman.

Just as Kai's Observation Haki was about to touch the core area of ​​the castle!

A sudden change occurred!

A terrifying sword intent, more powerful, more condensed, more icy, and more... full of warning, erupted suddenly from the depths of the ancient castle like a dormant volcano!

The sword intent no longer spread and diffused as before, but instead condensed into an invisible, terrifying giant sword that shimmered with black light and seemed capable of severing time and space!

It slashed fiercely at Kai's senses with a speed that surpassed sound and light!

"Um?!"

Kai's body jolted violently! An unprecedented solemnity and horror flashed in his empty eyes!

He could clearly feel that the invisible black giant sword was not only targeting his perception, but was also directly slashing at the very essence of his soul!

If struck by this sword, even if his physical body remains unharmed, his soul will inevitably suffer severe damage! It might even be completely annihilated!

So domineering! What terrifying sword intent!

Is this the true strength of the world's greatest swordsman?!

A tidal wave of emotions surged within Kai! But he did not back down or panic!

At the critical moment of life and death, his cold yet powerful heart burst forth with an even stronger fighting spirit and will to survive!

"Hmph! You think you can crush me with your sword intent?! How naive!"

A cold, arrogant, and insane smile curled at the corners of Kai's mouth!

His vast Observation Haki, as deep as an abyss, erupted without reservation in that instant!

If Hawkeye Mihawk's sword intent is an indestructible black magic sword that can cut through everything!