Suddenly feeling Finn's hand on hers, Tashigi's proud stance wavered slightly.
Girls?
Hey, hey, hey~
You're three years younger than me!
Why call me a girl?
And—
What's happening right now?
Protecting me?
Though Tashigi always saw Finn as more of a younger brother, the fact that he was stepping in to protect her filled her heart with an unexpected warmth.
While her thoughts raced, Finn had already taken Xiaoye Shiyu from her hand.
"Lend me the sword. Wait behind me," Finn commanded calmly.
"Oh~"
Tashigi nodded and took a few steps back.
Why?
Why did I just obey so easily?
Her cheeks flushed slightly with confusion, Tashigi quickly grabbed Finn and anxiously warned, "Master Finn, don't do anything reckless! That's Hawkeye!"
Though she had witnessed Finn's punch against Smoker earlier, that was different—Smoker had been caught off guard, and Finn had hit him when he wasn't defending himself. Comparing Smoker's strength to Hawkeye's was like comparing a pig to a lion. They weren't even in the same league!
Seeing Finn so nonchalantly stepping up to help her, Tashigi felt a mix of gratitude and panic. She worried that Finn didn't grasp just how powerful their opponent was.
"Relax! Just watch from behind; I'll handle this," Finn said, brushing off Tashigi's concerns as he gently freed his hand from her grip and walked toward Mihawk.
Finn glanced at the mini knife in Hawkeye's hand and smirked. "Come on, Master, let's see what your knife can do."
But before Finn could finish speaking, he saw Hawkeye calmly place the mini knife back into the cross pendant. Hawkeye then raised his right hand high above his head, grasping the cross-shaped handle of the black blade, Yoru.
As the supreme-grade sword was drawn, it seemed as though the sunlight was instantly absorbed by the black blade, dimming the surrounding light.
An inexplicable sword intent enveloped the square, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.
"He changed to the black blade!!!"
"Why? This kid looks even younger than the female soldier from earlier, and he shouldn't be as strong as her! Why is Hawkeye using an even more powerful weapon against him??"
"This is getting interesting—Hawkeye is taking this teenage opponent so seriously."
"I don't think it's about strength. Maybe it's something the kid said?"
"Exactly! Didn't he just challenge Hawkeye to stop bullying girls and to take on a boy? Now Hawkeye's going to show him what that really means~"
"Pfft! This is going to be something else..."
The onlookers laughed in anticipation.
Tashigi's face paled slightly, and she bit her lip, deeply worried.
Master Finn...
Can you really stand up to someone as terrifying as Kamui?
If you're killed by Hawkeye, I'll avenge you!
Even if it means dying by Hawkeye's sword alongside you!
Hawkeye held the hilt of Yoru in one hand and the guard in the other, angling the blade towards the ground. His gaze fixed calmly on the boy before him.
I wasn't mistaken...
The moment the boy gripped the sword, Hawkeye sensed a sword intent unlike anything he had ever encountered before—a natural sword intent.
Though the boy seemed to stand there leisurely, with no battle-ready stance, Hawkeye had the distinct impression that the young man's sword intent was emanating from deep within his heart.
A flicker of excitement flashed in Hawkeye's yellow eyes. It had been a long time since he had felt this way! Only those who pursued the pinnacle of swordsmanship could understand Hawkeye's current mood.
In this vast sea, there were few who could match him in swordsmanship. Even the red-haired Shanks wasn't a pure swordsman, and having lost one arm, he no longer piqued Hawkeye's interest.
But in the young man standing before him, Hawkeye rediscovered a long-lost feeling. It wasn't about raw combat power—it was the thrill of clashing different sword styles that he yearned for.
"Your Excellency, you are worthy of my full strength," Hawkeye declared.
His powerful hands adjusted Yoru into a ready stance, his eagle eyes aligning with the blade, his tone serious.
What!!!
At these words, everyone around them was stunned.
Did the world's greatest swordsman just say that?
That boy...
He's worthy of Hawkeye's all-out effort???