The Warrior of Love

"I just want to measure the gap between me and you."

"troublesome……"

Jiang Liu expressed his dislike very bluntly: "This kind of competition is what I hate the most."

But despite saying this, he couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth rise - after all, he was almost the same kind of person.

Chapter 218: Victory or Defeat

Bang!

The heavy iron box fell to the ground, stirring up a cloud of ice chips, which attracted Hawkeye's attention.

Jiang Liu tapped the iron box lightly. A sound of metal collision was heard and a hole appeared out of nowhere. A black shadow flew out and was caught in his hand.

Hawkeye stared at the dark shadow with a solemn expression: "Is this your sword?"

"Yes, it is not very famous in this world, but I am confident that it will not lose to the so-called Supreme Great Sword."

Jiang Liu admired Bai Lei's cold and dark blade and said calmly: "Although you probably won't listen, I still want to say one thing. If you are hit by this sword, you can't just heal the wound. You have to be aware enough to be qualified to fight me."

"I have a sword, and you have a sword too. Since we are already standing here, we are risking our lives. How can we talk about enlightenment or not?"

"That's good."

Jiang Liu smiled slightly and leaned forward.

Zheng!

The sound of breaking air was heard, but the blade was so fast that it appeared in front of Hawkeye before the sound wave came.

Clang!

Both are Wuming's black swords. Hawkeye's favorite sword is like a huge cross, while Jiang Liu's is derived from a katana, with red lines wrapped around the slender and long sword.

The collision of the two swept across the battlefield like a storm, even the navy and pirates a hundred meters away were affected, and their bodies were blown away like fallen leaves.

If we compare the quality of swords, the Undying Slash is better than the so-called Supreme Sword. But when it comes to Jiang Liu and Hawkeye, the fight is no longer about the moves and the quality of weapons. Even an ordinary kitchen knife can be comparable to a black knife as long as it is equipped with their domineering aura!

"call!"

Jiang Liu let out a light breath, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, and with a flip of his wrist, the continuous slashing attacks bloomed like a mandala.

It is a breathing technique school from the Demon Slayer world. Although the power level in that world is low, the sword skills are quite exquisite, which is also Jiang Liu's foundation.

Dozens of slashes were launched in the blink of an eye, blocking Hawkeye's entire body from different angles, forcing him to face the black immortal slash head-on.

And Hawkeye did not disappoint Jiang Liu. The huge black knife displayed an agility that was no less than that of a rapier. Amid a series of steel collisions, the domineering aura flew wildly, and the wind pressure that was almost compressed into a solid tore apart the nearby ice and ground.

"drink!"

The pitch-black slash expanded like a half-moon. Hawkeye had used it before to cut off an entire glacier, shocking the world. But at this moment, only one person was able to deliver the same or even stronger slash!

Jiang Liu focused his attention on the fight. His hard power was better than Hawkeye's, both in wrist strength and domineering "density". However, during the duel, he did not choose to overwhelm the opponent with force, but preferred to decide the outcome through skills.

The sword skills taught by Dao Lin Tang Feng are divided into the realms of movement and stillness, lightness and heaviness, speed and slowness, but Jiang Liu has already reached the realm of emptiness above ghosts and gods.

Facing Hawkeye's earth-shattering attack, Jiang Liu did not fight back with the same force. Instead of spreading his domineering aura, his aura shrank rapidly and finally completely converged on the blade.

This is not a Sakura Style technique, but the purest physical attack!

"Break!"

It was just an ordinary slash, but the blade tore through the domineering sword pressure and destroyed the invisible object like a solid entity!

Clang!

The Undead Slash chopped on the black knife, and the sparks burned Hawkeye's skin, but the impact that followed made him fly backwards.

Iai!

The seemingly ordinary sword strike just now actually utilized the most advanced sword-drawing technique, even surpassing the concept of "Iai". In the split second when the fastest sword strike could only be used once, four strikes were superimposed, far exceeding the limit of what Hawkeye could cope with.

This is already a skill that is almost like magic. A mortal may not be able to glimpse even a little bit of this realm even if he pursues it for his entire life, but Jiang Liu is so proficient in it... This is probably what they mean by "a single thought can communicate with ghosts and gods."

"Ok?"

After stabilizing his body, Hawkeye was surprised to find that there was a gap on his black knife!

This was naturally not because the sword was of poor quality, but because of his defeat in domineering and swordsmanship. This fact made Hawkeye dazed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and raised the black knife again.

The opponent may be stronger than him, but this is not a reason to shrink back!

Zheng!

The sound of sword rang out again, and Jiang Liu turned into a meteor, suddenly crashing into Hawkeye who was regrouping. With the arrogant momentum of a bull, he pushed the world's greatest swordsman backwards, and an insurmountable chasm appeared on the earth.

The swords seemed motionless when they intersected, but the invisible sword pressure was constantly clashing and fighting. Any burst of sword pressure could easily kill any swordsman.

Even a great swordsman like Shiki the Golden Lion couldn't help but shudder at the sight of this battle group, and then became sad: it seems that his era will never come back.

This confrontation soon decided the winner. Jiang Liu exerted force suddenly to shake Hawkeye away. The two were only half a step apart. The narrow gap did not allow him to draw his sword at all. However, he skillfully reversed the sword tip and incredibly blocked the black knife from bottom to top, and pushed the black knife away with a harsh friction sound.

The Sakura Flow sword skill was released at this moment, and the sword pressure named Dragon Slashing passed across, cutting the broad black knife nearly in half, while the sword pressure that penetrated shot out into the distance, creating a deep trench of more than a kilometer on the ground, and the entire battlefield was forcibly split apart.

"Well!"

"open!"

In a flash, there was another swift slash, but this time it was not from any known school, but Jiang Liu's own system of "Wu Xin Wo Liu".

As the sword track flashed, the Sakura Flow's domineering aura was retracted and firmly attached to the sword edge, slashing down with unparalleled determination!

Ka-

An extremely loud breaking sound resounded through the sky, and the battlefield fell silent. Even the admirals and Whitebeard who were fighting stopped and looked over here.

Whoosh!

A black shadow flew high up, spun down, and the sharp sword sank into the ground...

It’s a black knife!

No, it's a broken black knife.

The world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye's most proud black sword was actually cut off by someone else!

Hawkeye looked dazed, and it took him a long time to loosen his hand. The broken sword fell to the ground, and he closed his eyes.

"I lost."

Jiang Liu said nothing, returned to his original place, put the Immortal Slash back into the box, then walked past Hawkeye calmly without looking away.

"Your sword is quite good."

It's just that I'm stronger.

—— Jiang Liu did not say the second half of the sentence, but Hawkeye opened his eyes with a wry smile.

It turns out that the sword can actually reach this level... I have been looking at the world from a narrow perspective.

Chapter 219: Before the Execution Platform

"Ace!!"

All obstacles were blocked, and Luffy ran with abandon, rushing towards his brother who was in danger.

Garp watched the scene in silence. He left the platform and came to Ace, waiting for the reunion of the grandfather and grandson.

This reunion, though, was neither warm nor joyful.

"Old man..."

"I will not show mercy."

Garp clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth, with veins on his temples exposed.

"Even though you are my grandchildren, I am also a Navy veteran."

"I won't beg for mercy... nor will I shed tears like a coward... It's just for me. So many people came here. I have made up my mind, old man."

Ace raised his head. He was restrained by seastone handcuffs and had no power to escape. All he could do was wait for rescue.

Luffy's anxious expression was reflected in his eyes, and taking in the Shura hell-like battlefield, the big boy realized for the first time the consequences of his immaturity, but he did not regret it, but only strengthened his determination.

"I want to live!"

Others risked their lives for him, Ace couldn't find any reason to escape, he had to survive no matter what!

Hearing these words, Garp's pupils trembled, and the veteran who had experienced many battles couldn't help feeling dizzy. He was reluctant, heartbroken, and entangled. His duty as a navy and the pride of justice, as well as his love for his children as an elder, were intertwined at this moment, making him unable to sort out the differences.

Even though he is considered a naval hero as strong as steel, Garp is actually just an ordinary old man.

He does not have political ambitions and excessive sense of justice like Akainu and Sengoku, nor is he as casual as Kizaru. In comparison, he is a true pure soldier: he just wants to protect the people from pirates.

Because he had nothing to ask for, the power and promises of the upper class could not tempt him. Because he had nothing to ask for, he had no fear of the world's nobles.

But as a human being, living in this complex world, how can you stay out of it even if you have nothing to ask for?

The order that he, Sengoku, Zephyr, Crane and others have personally established over the past few decades. Although there are various problems within the navy, the quality of the soldiers is uneven, and there is corruption at the bottom... can he really watch all this collapse?

Yes, there is no absolutely correct justice in this world. He had understood this truth a long time ago, and even the Warring States understood it.

If there is absolute justice, why would Zephyr run away, why would the World Government allow the existence of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, why would they collect Heavenly Gold from major countries to support the Celestial Dragons, and why is the slave trade in the Sabaody Archipelago so persistent despite repeated bans?

Even Garp could say it loudly: The people above are just a bunch of scum, and the Celestial Dragons are just a bunch of scum!

He could say it and not worry about anyone doing something to him...but so what?

Will the world change because of this?

Is it true that as long as I am good enough in fighting, I can make the world peaceful and beautiful and make everyone happy?

What a joke!

If all this is overturned, society will only become more chaotic. Although there are still many problems now, at least it is still prosperous on the surface.

Maintaining general prosperity at the cost of tolerating some darkness - it's disgusting, but also helpless.

Zhan Guo also understood this, so he hated the position of marshal in his heart, but in order to maintain the existing order and to prevent the world from becoming worse, he had to do his best.

Akainu is obsessed with becoming the Grand Admiral, and even believes that the World Government is absolutely just. He is highly regarded by the top leaders. But in the eyes of Sengoku and Garp, he is actually somewhat "pitiful".

However, even as a naval hero, Garp is still a pitiful man.

Just like now, even though he was facing his own grandson, he was so cruel as to leave his other grandson on the execution ground!

"Get out of my way, old man!"

The swift and merciless fist hit Garp right in the face.

Luffy didn't hesitate at all, because he knew his grandfather very well. Neither of them was good at acting. Since he was standing here, he couldn't rescue Ace unless he defeated him.

As for whether he could defeat him and how to defeat him, that was not within Luffy's consideration.

In short, just fight!

Luffy's physique as a rubber man made his fists rain down like machine guns, continuously hitting various parts of Garp's body.

Garp did not dodge, nor did he use his domineering aura to protect himself. He simply relied on his tough body, which had been trained for many years, to stand like a high wall in front of Luffy.

Garp is not a user of the Nature Fruit ability. No matter how strong he is, he is just a flesh and blood body. Without any special defense, he was quickly beaten to pieces. However, his back did not bend at all, and his feet did not step back even a single step.

"Ahhhhh!!"

Luffy was still attacking with all his might, but tears were already overflowing from his eyes.

This young boy who had never known what fear was finally felt a little fear at this moment: What if he couldn't save Ace?

Even if he allowed himself to be attacked, he could not defeat this last guardian. The boy who aspired to become the Pirate King was deeply aware of his own weakness.

"Luffy……"

Squeezing out his grandson's name from between his teeth, Garp finally moved.

He suddenly raised his right fist and struck Luffy hard on the head, just as he had done countless times when he was young.

But this time it’s no longer a fight between family members, but a real iron fist!

The Straw Hat Boy was knocked away immediately. The rubber fruit that made him almost immune to blunt blows was of no use at this moment, and he rolled on the ground like an ordinary person.

But even so, he did not faint. Instead, he continued to struggle to stand up and walked towards his grandfather step by step.

"I said, get out of the way, Grandpa!"