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As the news of the sea restaurant fighting against three Admiral-level opponents spread throughout the Grand Line, Zyhark and his crew's fame and prestige spread across the seas.
Even those greedy pirates, who were envious of the bounties, became much more subdued and stopped appearing, so even unknown small fry dared not come over anymore.
Even the bounty hunters with some reputation only kept their distance!
Although they lost a considerable income, correspondingly, Zyhark and his crew's life at sea became more leisurely.
On this day, Zyhark was sitting on the sofa in the first-floor hall, reading the newspaper as usual.
— The remodeled Endless Dream still had a spacious area for activities, even though it no longer had a restaurant filled with tables and chairs.
Kanna was lying on the coffee table in the middle, learning etiquette from Brook and Meowth.
Don't be fooled by their appearances—one being a perverted skeleton and the other a cute and charming villain. Their knowledge of etiquette was quite commendable.
King was on the deck, doing his daily physical training.
Compared to the monotonous dumbbells of the past, he had added a hundred-kilogram barbell and a high-speed treadmill, while also practicing with some heavy artillery weapons.
With his physique, honed through countless days and nights, these exercises posed no significant challenge.
His serious demeanor even ignited Aqua's competitive spirit, making her want to hone her banquet skills to avoid being overshadowed by King's newly developed entertainment activities!
However, her serious state didn't last long. Being adept at slacking off, Aqua soon gave up, picked up a fishing rod, and went to the stern to fish.
That spot was precisely where the propeller of the Endless Dream was, a place where no fish could possibly appear.
The fresh and unique thought process of the dumb goddess remained as stable as ever.
Inside the hall, after finishing reading today's news, Zyhark slowly put away the newspaper and took a sip of the red tea Aqua had prepared in advance.
Hmm, unsurprisingly, it was purified holy water…
Putting down the teacup, Zyhark slowly closed his eyes and began to empty his thoughts.
After the Sabaody Archipelago came the Thriller Bark and Water 7, and the time was too tight.
And now, during this rare moment of leisure, it was time to study the Conqueror's Haki that had awakened earlier.
Weak arcs of electricity flowed over his body. With the unique advantage of the Goro Goro no Mi, Zyhark, who was highly focused, quickly sensed the power lurking within him.
Although he didn't have a formal teacher, during his earlier encounters with Shanks and Garp, he learned some techniques from them for future use.
Additionally, the Goro Goro no Mi amplified his mental power, making it much easier for him to control the Conqueror's Haki compared to other novices.
Buzz! As his spirit reached its peak, Zyhark suddenly opened his eyes, and a terrifying aura erupted.
Dark thunder raged, the colors of the world dimmed, and everything fell into a pure black and white world, covering the entire Endless Dream!
Thud.
Not far away, Meowth, who was teaching Kanna the proper way to hold a wine glass, suddenly rolled his eyes and collapsed on the coffee table.
Brook, who was sitting at the same table, fared a bit better, with a few cold sweat drops appearing on his skull head, remaining motionless.
Thanks to the Yomi Yomi no Mi, which increased his soul's strength, he could mostly resist the intimidation of the Conqueror's Haki.
Kanna, Aqua, and King on the deck were the least affected, just raising their heads in surprise and staring in the direction of the Conqueror's Haki storm.
Once again, Meowth's world was hurt!
"It seems it still takes some time to freely control this power…"
Zyhark withdrew his Conqueror's Haki, holding his chin in thought.
With his current proficiency, he could release it at will, but he seemed unable to differentiate between friend and foe.
Just now, his intention wasn't to target Meowth, his companion.
"You jerk, Zyhark, it was you, right? Suddenly interrupting someone's speech is extremely rude, meow!!"
Having woken up, Meowth immediately locked onto the culprit, ranting at Zyhark with his jagged teeth.
Even as a Pokémon, he had his dignity! However, judging by the time it took him to wake up, his immunity to Conqueror's Haki had increased considerably.
Perhaps this is why long-time companions like Usopp and Buggy in the Straw Hat and Roger Pirates didn't pass out when faced with top-tier Conqueror's Haki?
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry, I still can't control the precision yet."
Zyhark scratched his head with a smile, apologizing to the furious Meowth.
"Hey, Zyhark-san, if I'm not mistaken, what you just used was the legendary Conqueror's Haki, right?"
Brook seemed very astonished.
Having been in the Grand Line for so many years, he had only heard of this kingly aptitude, which appears in one in a million people. This was his first time experiencing it in person.
"That's right, but it just awakened, and it'll take a long time to master it." Zyhark nodded.
In the world of pirates, Conqueror's Haki coating wasn't necessarily the strongest attack method, but it was definitely a hallmark of top-tier fighters.
This, along with the body strengthening and ability acquisition from the Wishing Pool, was a crucial way for him to become stronger!
"As expected, you also possess the qualities to become a king." Brook sighed deeply.
"As your captain, isn't that to be expected?" This time, Zyhark did not show any humility.
"Hey, Zyhark, that was so cool just now, can I learn it?"
Kanna stood up, her delicate face full of curiosity, raising her hand like a schoolgirl.
"Awakening Conqueror's Haki is incredibly difficult, Kanna, but compared to that…"
Recalling his companions' descriptions of Kanna's battle with Akainu, Zyhark walked up to her, raised his arm, and quietly activated Armament Haki.
Whoosh.
Black Haki wrapped around, covering his entire arm in a deep black.
"Armament Haki, which can hit Logia users' real bodies, is more suitable for you."
Kanna's combat power was undeniable. At full power, she could even suppress Sakazuki at this stage.
However, she was too passive against Logia users' elemental forms.
The opponent didn't even need to make a move to easily evade all of Kanna's attacks! Thus, it was necessary to let Kanna try to train in Armament Haki.
"Wow~ Majii Yabaku Ne."
Kanna stared intently at Zyhark's blackened arm, blinking, "So with this, Kanna can hit that magma guy!"
No doubt, this title that would make Akainu spit magma on the spot was learned from the dumb goddess.
"Exactly."
Zyhark retracted his arm and began explaining the basic principles and techniques of releasing Armament Haki to Kanna.
After a general explanation, his mouth was dry, and he turned to take a sip of the tea filled with Aqua's holy water, pondering.
Kanna, being an ancient dragon with infinite potential, should have no problem learning Armament Haki.
The only question was how long it would take for her immature mind to grasp it. With his guidance, she should be able to achieve it within a month, which would be just in time to reach the New World!
As he came to this conclusion, a sudden "buzz" sounded from behind him, indicating the activation of Haki.
"Hey, Zyhark, is it like this?"
Turning around, Zyhark spat out his holy water with a "pfft."
Kanna stood there, eyes wide with curiosity, examining her slightly blackened hand!
Although very faint, the aura it emitted was unmistakable. It was indeed Armament Haki!
"Isn't this it?" Kanna noticed Zyhark's unusual expression. "Correct, but Kanna, how did you manage it?" Zyhark couldn't help but ask.
Even Brook and Meowth leaned in with curiosity.
Though Brook was just a skeleton without ears~ Kanna tilted her head, dismissing the Armament Haki, and said matter-of-factly, "I just did what you said, Zyhark."
Zyhark: "..."
Recalling his tough days of Haki training in Windmill Village, constantly chased by beasts, he suddenly realized that comparing people (or dragons) was futile.
Come to think of it, even the dumb goddess Aqua grasped the essence of Observation Haki in the blink of an eye.
Such enviable talent among these unconventional companions…
As he pondered this, Aqua, who had been fishing at the stern, laughed and ran down excitedly.
"Zyhark, Zyhark, you all have to see this. It's hilarious. Someone is sitting on a broken boat, paddling with a sword, hahaha!"
The content of her laughter made Zyhark's heart skip a beat.
A broken boat? Paddling with a sword? Just as he was about to head to the deck to verify his suspicion, a flash of red light appeared in his eyes.
A vast, overwhelming sense of danger suddenly appeared, enveloping the entire Endless Dream!
Without a word, Zyhark used his Goro Goro no Mi ability to instantly teleport to the sea outside.
Upon arrival, the Endless Dream sounded an urgent danger alert.
Ahead, a massive green slash rapidly approached, filling his entire vision! Having sensed the situation in advance through Observation Haki, Zyhark clapped his hands together, releasing a roaring thunder dragon towards the terrifying slash.
Boom!
The thunder dragon and the green slash collided violently in mid-air, causing the calm sea to surge with massive waves! "What's going on? Are we under attack?"
Brook, Meowth, Aqua, and Kanna followed closely behind, looking at the black-clad man standing on the small broken boat, holding a sword.
"That man is…"
King's pupils contracted. Having met him once in East Blue, he quickly recognized the intruder's true identity, "Hawkeye, Dracule Mihawk!"
Electric arcs danced as the turbulent sea gradually calmed.
"What an unexpected way to say hello."
Zyhark raised his hand, gripping the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri he had taken from the ship's hold using his fruit ability, staring intently at Hawkeye with a serious expression, "The World's Greatest Swordsman."
"I didn't expect to encounter the infamous rising star of the current world, Zyhark the Evil Thunder, in such a place."
Mihawk slowly raised the black blade Yoru he had just swung, holding it horizontally in front of him.
The black blade reflected his sharp, eagle-like golden eyes.
Zyhark stretched out his arms, gripping the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri tightly, and smiled at Hawkeye, "For a man like you to have heard of my name?"
"It would be strange if I hadn't."
Hawkeye made a rare comment, his eyes shifting to Zyhark's two swords.
As the world's greatest swordsman, he instantly recognized the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri, "Well-tempered blades. Are you also a swordsman?"
"Just a hobby."
"Defeating even Admirals isn't something done as a hobby."
"So, Hawkeye, you didn't come here just to give compliments, did you?"
"I happened to be passing by and sensed the Conqueror's Haki in this direction, so I came to take a look."
"Was that slash, capable of splitting our ship, also a coincidence?"
Hearing this, Mihawk, who rarely smiled, curved his lips into a domineering smile, "That slash was out of interest."
"Such a weak explanation isn't very convincing…"
As he spoke, Zyhark's body crackled with lightning, his eyes narrowing as his aura continued to rise.
He caught the unmistakable battle intent in Hawkeye's sharp eyes.
After all, as a swordsman who wandered around looking for strong opponents to spar with, it was clear that Hawkeye was interested in him.
Since that was the case, he had no reason to back down.
Besides responding to the strong battle intent, he also wanted to improve himself and become stronger through a fight with a top-tier expert! Buzz! As Armament Haki fully manifested, the blades of the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri turned black.
Immediately following, compressed molten lava overflowed, adding a high-temperature explosive buff to the blades.
Finally, black lightning crackled violently, flowing along the wind blades as the final damage enhancement layer! After all, the opponent was the world's greatest swordsman, whose swordsmanship surpassed even Red-Haired Shanks. He dared not be arrogant and used all his abilities right from the start…
The strongest strike! "An awe-inspiring aura. Fighting a man like you will surely excite the world's strongest black blade, Yoru."
Mihawk lowered his stance, gripping Yoru's long hilt with both hands as fierce Haki erupted.
Dark red lightning burst forth, with golden glimmers, covering the black blade with an almost invisible barrier.
As Shanks's rival and Zoro's ultimate goal, Mihawk, though not explicitly stated in the original story, could obviously use the top-tier technique of Conqueror's Haki coating!
"Cliff Severing · Black Light · Godspeed · Thunder Flash!"
Encased in black lightning, Zyhark instantly appeared in front of Mihawk, unleashing his Conqueror's Haki and striking with his most powerful slash! Simultaneously, Mihawk, silent and without calling out his move, swung his blade!
Zzz!!!
Conqueror's Haki clashed with Conqueror's Haki, black blade Yoru collided with Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri, exploding with overwhelming dark red lightning! Dark red lightning shot into the sky, stirring up the clouds and ripping a terrifying rift in the heavens!
"Not only Conqueror's Haki, but you also even have advanced coating…"
Sensing the aura from the two blades, Mihawk squinted, "No, it's not Conqueror's Haki coating, just pure Devil Fruit power?"
With thunder raging behind him, Zyhark's hands trembled violently.
Merely withstanding Mihawk's Haki-coated slash, his strong physical defense was almost at its limit.
"You guessed right, but I was waiting for this fleeting moment of distraction!"
"Mihawk, witness the true power of the falling thunder!"
Boom!
From the depths of the split sky, thunder roared, and massive lightning bolts struck down, targeting Mihawk, who was still holding his blade in a slashing pose!
"Preparing to attack while launching an assault, a commendable strategy!"
Surrounded by endless falling thunder, Mihawk remained calm, acknowledging Zyhark's strategy. His hands gripping the hilt erupted with even stronger Haki.
With an even more powerful Conqueror's Haki coating, Zyhark couldn't hold on any longer, getting slashed away with his blades by Yoru! After repelling Zyhark, Mihawk, standing in the center of the falling thunder, took a step forward, holding his sword in reverse.
He unleashed a fierce green slash, shattering all the falling thunder into weak arcs of electricity! Zzz!
The rapidly advancing lightning absorbed all the loose electricity. Bathing in the lightning, Zyhark charged at Mihawk again.
His speed was so fast that it created ten afterimages, each holding twin swords! "Ten Shadows Burial · Starburst Stream!"
Ten afterimages trailed long lightning, surrounding Mihawk on the sea!
Mihawk's golden eagle-like eyes lit up with the red glow of Observation Haki. Facing such unreasonable speed slashes, even the world's greatest swordsman, Mihawk, had to get serious!
(End of Chapter)