One Piece: Starting with Breathing Techniques

Kilo stood ready, solemnly preparing to deal with the impending offensive.

Black Blade Night swiftly pierced through the air, this blade, hailed as the strongest black sword, silently sliced ​​through the air.

The blade has turned completely black due to being tempered by Armament Haki for a long time.

Kilo reacted extremely quickly, responding almost the instant Hawkeye appeared. He also gripped the Dragon Slayer with both hands, rapidly gathering power before slashing down.

Bang bang bang!

Even though he only swung his sword once, three powerful sword marks suddenly appeared in the air and slammed into the Dragon Slayer.

A tremendous force was transmitted through the sword, several times greater than the power Hawkeye had previously displayed.

As the forces collided, Kilo's expression immediately changed, and he felt the force in his hand being inexplicably shattered.

The Dragon Slayer Sword trembled, emitting a humming sound as if it could not bear the weight.

What the hell?!

In just one exchange, Zhanlong, who had fought alongside him in countless battles, was already struggling to hold on.

Sensing something was wrong, Kiro leaped backward in mid-air, quickly moving away from Hawkeye.

He stared intently at the other person, his face filled with disbelief.

Despite being a fellow swordsman, he failed to comprehend the slash Hawkeye had just unleashed.

Why was he unable to defend himself?

With the power he gains after activating his markings, he should be able to withstand it, right?!

On the nearby Ryuga, Saul was shocked and asked in bewilderment, "How did Kiro suddenly fall into a disadvantage?! Wasn't he the one with the advantage just now?"

"I'm afraid that the great swordsman named Mihawk is even stronger than Kiro!" Capone Bege said gravely.

He observed carefully and found that Mihawk remained remarkably composed throughout the entire battle.

Its true strength is probably unfathomable!

Kilo, located on the sea, was focused on the battle and unaware of the reactions of the people on the Ryuga.

He recalled the slash Hawkeye had just casually made, which seemed to appear perfectly natural and effortlessly skillful.

Although it was the same move as before, it suddenly became much more difficult to deal with when Hawkeye was at full power.

Kiro was particularly puzzled as to why his power inexplicably dissipated when Zhanlong came into contact with the Black Blade Night.

The invincible Dragon Slayer crumbled at the first touch before Black Blade Night.

Why?!

Hawkeye could have taken advantage of the situation to pursue, but he chose not to.

Seeing the look of surprise on Kiro's face, he held up the black sword Night and spoke in a deep voice:

"After so much training, I have already surpassed the realm of a sword master."

"Kilo, do you know what conditions are required to become a great swordsman?"

"To forge a black blade and possess top-tier domineering aura?" Kiro tentatively replied.

Hawkeye shook his head. "Besides these, you need to do two more crucial things."

"Firstly, it is to reach a higher level of swordsmanship, allowing your strikes to follow your will."

Hawkeye stomped his foot, and the force pierced through, instantly sending a live sea fish flying out of the water.

Amidst the terrified gazes of the sea fish, Black Blade Night slashed straight through.

Kiro frowned, scratched his head, somewhat bewildered, and did not understand the meaning behind Hawkeye's actions.

However, the fish that should have been cut in half was still alive and kicking, and after falling into the sea in fear, it swam towards the seabed.

Upon seeing this, Kiro was astonished.

I clearly saw the black knife cut the fish.

Hawkeye's face revealed absolute confidence and composure as he explained in a deep voice:

"To make the strike follow your will means to be able to cut through anything when you want to strike."

"If you don't want to cut, even if the blade makes a cut, it won't cause any damage."

"This level of swordsmanship is enough to stand at the pinnacle of swordsmanship."

"However, the most important thing to become a great swordsman is..."

Eagle Eyes narrowed his eyes, and a majestic and imposing aura burst forth from his body.

Kiro, also a swordsman, immediately sensed a cohesive will emanating from this aura.

That was an extreme level of confidence and determination!

This was the first time Kilo had so directly experienced Hawkeye's swordsmanship conviction.

It was a kind of unwavering belief that was almost arrogant confidence!

Under Kilo's shocked gaze, this will gradually collapsed and condensed, eventually converging into an invisible wave that converged on Black Blade Night.

"Only by wrapping the blade with the ultimate swordsmanship intent..."

"Only with such talent can one be called a Great Swordsman!"

After saying that, Hawkeye charged at Kiro again, slashing repeatedly with his longsword.

Pong pong!

As the sword fell, Kiro felt his strength inexplicably dissipate once again.

Even though Hawkeye only used a small portion of his strength, Kiro had to mobilize all his power to barely withstand the slash.

Hawkeye controlled his power to launch the attack while explaining:

"I call this technique 'Sword Intent Entanglement'!"

"Once you master the sword intent entanglement, and condense your sword will onto the sword, your strikes will be unstoppable for your opponent."

"Because the sword embodies the ultimate swordsmanship belief, every bit of power will be gathered together and, under the influence of sword intent, crush the opponent's strength."

"Only by reaching this point can one become, in my opinion, a great swordsman!"

Amidst a crisp clang of metal striking metal, Hawkeye abruptly sheathed his sword, looking at Kiro expectantly.

"Kilo, you should understand now that a complicated swordplay style is not conducive to cultivating the will of the sword, right?"

"To become a great swordsman, you must concentrate on one thing and reach the pinnacle!"

Kiro suddenly realized.

If he wants to concentrate this sword intent, he should indeed be more focused and specialize in one area.

After Hawkeye's explanation, he felt that the path of swordsmanship had suddenly become clear.

The manga doesn't mention any realm beyond swordsmanship; all that's known is that Hawkeye is called the world's greatest swordsman.

As for why he was called a great swordsman instead of a swordsman, Kiro didn't understand.

Now, Hawkeye himself has spoken out, explaining to Kiro the difference between a swordsman and a great swordsman.

Kiro's intuition told him that Hawkeye had no intention of taking action again.

So he removed the markings and turned off all special effects, and after thinking for a moment, asked curiously:

Why?

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Hawkeye chuckled, sheathed his black sword, and leaped into the coffin boat.

"You have great potential; you could even be said to be the most talented person I've ever seen in kendo."

"So young, yet he has such a deep understanding of swordsmanship."

"Grow up quickly, Kiro."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing a truly formidable swordsman emerge!"

Kiro was speechless, unsure whether he should tell Hawkeye that he had actually studied swordsmanship for an entire lifetime and was not some kind of swordsmanship genius.

However, with the aid of the panel, ordinary sword geniuses would only become background figures in front of him.

Unexpectedly, Hawkeye told him so much, only to find that he just wanted a worthy opponent.

All I can say is that he truly deserves to be the world's greatest swordsman in the future!

Such an invincible spirit is probably rare to find in this world.

Kilo's eyes were bright, and with a snap, he sheathed the Dragon Slayer sword. Even though he was disheveled, his aura remained undiminished.

"Don't worry, I'll become a great swordsman soon!"

Hawkeye, rarely showing a smile, removed the cross ornament from his chest and tossed it to Kiro:

"Alright, I will visit you again once you become a great swordsman."

"Grow up quickly, or you'll die halfway through!"