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Feeling the overwhelming aura coming from Hawkeye, Logan's blood began to boil.
Nami froze on the spot.
It was the first time she'd ever seen Logan this serious.
No words were needed—his actions said it all.
"Stay here. I'll be right back." After giving the girls a quick reminder, Logan stepped out of the restaurant.
Out on the sea, a tiny coffin-shaped boat bumped gently against the hull of the Baratie.
Hawkeye Mihawk had arrived.
His hawk-like eyes locked unerringly onto Krieg and Gin.
His secret—no one could be allowed to know it.
Anyone who saw him rowing with the Black Blade, Yoru… had to die.
The man's dignity could not be compromised.
Krieg and Gin were on the verge of losing their minds.
A thousand curses ran through their heads.
Damn it!
That freak had really chased them all the way from the Grand Line to the East Blue!
Didn't he ever get tired?!
Was total extermination really necessary?!
Hawkeye walked toward them at a slow, deliberate pace, every step echoing like a death knell counting down their final moments.
But then—
He stopped. His brow furrowed slightly.
He'd sensed it—a powerful killing intent aimed directly at him.
"Who are you?" For once, Hawkeye spoke first, eyes narrowing at Logan.
Meeting that razor-sharp gaze, Logan replied calmly, "Who I am doesn't matter. Since we've met... how about a fight?"
"You know who I am?" Hawkeye's frown deepened.
"Of course," Logan shrugged. "The world's greatest swordsman—Dracule Mihawk."
"Then let's fight."
The deadly aura suffocating Krieg vanished in an instant. He collapsed to the floor, gasping for air.
Too much pressure.
Forget becoming Pirate King—he was done. He'd stay in East Blue forever if it meant avoiding monsters like this.
Logan drew Wado Ichimonji, his eyes flashing a wild crimson light.
A wave of energy erupted from his tall frame.
"It seems East Blue's birthed another strong one," Hawkeye muttered, noting Logan's rising aura and the gleam of his blade.
"Slash Wave!!"
Logan moved first. Wado Ichimonji sliced through the air twice, sending two golden arcs of sword energy tearing toward Hawkeye, splitting the night sky.
"That move…" Hawkeye's eyes narrowed.
Why did it feel so familiar?
No time to think—he swung Yoru in a clean, effortless motion.
The two slashes collided midair with an explosive boom that shook the sea.
"Not bad," Hawkeye said flatly. "But not good enough."
Before his words had even faded, his figure vanished. The Black Blade swung down at lightning speed toward Logan.
"Oh, speed, huh?" Logan's lips curled into a grin. "You picked the wrong guy to race!"
The next instant—
Hawkeye's blade cut through empty air.
Every instinct in his body screamed danger from behind.
His Observation Haki flared wildly as he instantly coated himself in Armament Haki, a black armor forming across his body.
Sparks flew.
The sound of clashing metal rang out as Wado Ichimonji struck his back.
Fast reaction, Logan thought, impressed.
He'd used teleportation—the moment Hawkeye saw him disappear was the exact moment his sword had already landed.
And even then, the man had time to defend.
Hawkeye's pupils shrank. For the first time, his face twisted into something ugly.
He leapt back, putting distance between them.
What the hell was that ability?
Even his Observation Haki couldn't keep up.
No—that wasn't right. It had sensed Logan's position, but the moment he reacted, Logan was already somewhere else.
Then—Logan vanished again.
No time to think, no time to breathe.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In the air, Logan flickered dozens of times in a second, leaving afterimages everywhere, each one swinging a blade.
Golden arcs filled the night sky, forming a dense web of sword energy that trapped Hawkeye from every angle.
By the time Hawkeye realized it, escape was impossible.
His face darkened.
This brat…
He slashed Yoru again and again, cutting down as many attacks as he could, while coating himself in Armament Haki to tank the rest.
Damn it!
He'd never had such a frustrating fight—not even against Admiral Kizaru and his Light Fruit.
At least with Kizaru, he could predict the light's path.
But Logan's movements were pure chaos—unreadable, random, impossible to follow.
He could sense him but never catch him.
Kizaru's teleportation was just a figure of speech.
Logan's was the real thing.
Several golden slashes struck Hawkeye's back. They couldn't break his Haki armor, but the impact sent him stumbling forward, almost face-first into the deck.
Then—
A terrifying sword aura burst from within him, dispersing the impact.
The air vibrated. The ground split with deep sword marks.
He was furious.
Even against Red-Haired Shanks, he'd never felt humiliated.
And now some unknown upstart had made him look like a fool?
Worse than when someone caught him rowing his coffin boat with Yoru.
Unforgivable.
"This is what I wanted!" Logan roared, battle spirit surging.
He still hadn't had enough.
With all the new powers he'd gained recently, he needed a real fight to bring them together.
"Hahaha! Hawkeye! Let me show you what Infinite Slash feels like!"
Laughing wildly, Logan launched his assault again.
Teleportation. Swordsmanship. Over and over.
It drained his stamina fast—
—but with the Healing Fruit in play, every bit of exhaustion and damage vanished in seconds.
And so the night filled with the relentless clash of steel.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound echoed across the sea, metal shrieking and sparks flying.
Hawkeye's expression darkened even more as he struggled under Logan's relentless barrage, slashes raining on him like a hurricane.
He'd barely locate Logan before his Haki screamed from another direction.
How the hell do you fight this?!
Furious, Hawkeye unleashed his full power. Sword energy ripped through the air, Yoru's black blade leaving afterimages as he destroyed slash after slash—
—but a few still got through, striking his armor and sending sparks flying.
From a distance, it looked less like a duel between masters… and more like someone hammering metal.
"....."