16 Chapter 16

The following morning found the crew gathered for breakfast in the restaurant, their spirits high from the events of the previous day. Even Nami, initially reluctant, now dedicated herself to mastering the Will arts, diligently honing her abilities. As a result, their appetites were notably heartier than usual.

Mid-bite of his meat legs, Zoro glanced around, puzzled by Luffy's sudden absence. "Where's Luffy rushing off to today? He seems unusually secretive."

Nami, nonchalantly spearing her salad with her fork, replied, "Isn't he off trying to recruit that peculiar cook?"

Zoro furrowed his brow. "The blonde guy with the curly eyebrows?"

Sanji had certainly made an impression on Zoro, his memory still vivid.

Ussop chimed in between mouthfuls. "Yeah, the one we asked about yesterday. Apparently, he's quite the skilled chef. Luffy's determined to recruit him, even though the guy turned him down..."

"Well, the situation is quite complicated. This guy, Sanji, seems to be impressed by Luffy, but he just can't leave his home and his old man behind. But don't worry, the opportunity to persuade him to come aboard is on the horizon..."

The three of them looked at him, their curiosity piqued.

Seph suddenly turned his gaze to Zoro, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he spoke teasingly.

"By the way, Zoro, you must be quite eager to test your newfound strength."

Recognizing the playful tone, Zoro's hand instinctively found its way to the hilt of the swords at his waist.

"Is there a strong opponent nearby?"

Nami and Ussop exchanged surprised glances. The revelation that there might be formidable foes in East Blue needing Seph's attention left them astonished. After taking the serum, they finally grasped the true meaning of power.

For instance, Nami could effortlessly lift hundreds of tons, her punches delivering thousands of tons of force. With this level of power, even Vice Admirals lacking advanced Haki might not pose a threat. Only veterans, admirals, and emperors could potentially surpass Nami, and even then, her self-healing, resilience, and defense made defeating her a daunting task. Even a direct hit from Whitebeard might only result in a mild injury.

Seph looked at Zoro with admiration, nodding in agreement.

"One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Dracule 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk, a world-famous pirate known as the 'Strongest Swordsman in the World'."

Zoro's body trembled with excitement, his eyes blazing with an intense fighting spirit. His voice quivered as he spoke.

"Is it true?! I can't believe I'll actually get to meet him..."

Nami and Ussop exchanged worried glances. They were no longer ignorant of the world's complexities. Seph had explained the power dynamics of this world thoroughly: power techniques, levels of swordsmanship, the three types of Haki, and the limits of power levels. Despite their monstrous bodies and incomprehensible strength, they lacked experience and refinement.

Thus, Nami looked at the enthralled Zoro and spoke candidly.

"Hey, even though you're a Great Swordsman, Seph mentioned that you're only at an initial level, while Mihawk has undoubtedly reached the pinnacle and may have mastered all three types of Haki. You could be in for a rough time..."

Ussop's expression mirrored Nami's concern.

"Yes, Zoro, it might be best not to put yourself in harm's way."

However, Zoro remained undeterred, his gaze fixed on Seph. If Seph suggested it, he must have his reasons.

Seph chuckled knowingly.

"At any rate, you won't die. Even if Mihawk wanted to kill you, your resilient physique would make it nearly impossible. Consider him a valuable whetstone to gauge your skill, to glimpse the ultimate swordsmanship, and to test Haki abilities in advance."

Zoro sneered with anticipation.

He felt that Seph truly understood his aspirations. Defeat mattered little to him now; he no longer sought to be the Greatest Swordsman, but to ascend to the rank of Sword God!

As the four of them engaged in lively conversation, the tranquility of the restaurant was shattered once again. The sounds of guests wailing and crying disrupted their meal.

[Sign-in successful]

[Congratulations to the host for acquiring: Goddess-Weather Artifact/Tempestas]

Seph, acknowledging the reward, thought to himself, 'Nice reward. At least, I don't need to waste an energy core to create the staff for Nami.'

Suddenly rising from the table, Seph declared, "Let's go, our guests are about to arrive."

The three companions were taken aback. Zoro sprang up eagerly, while Ussop's movements were sluggish, almost as if in slow motion. Nami, observing from behind, couldn't help but shake her head.

"This guy, even though he's so powerful, he's still the same chicken guy from before," she mused.

'No wonder Seph said that only through tempering and fighting can one be called a powerful man!' she thought to herself.

Seph, despite his immense power, was not foolish enough to consider himself invincible arrogantly like Enel. After all, Devil Fruit abilities, Admirals, and Emperors could attain striking power similar to hundreds of thousands of tons or even more through the privilege of Haki.

While he might be hundreds of times stronger than them, he had yet to master the art of using all his power efficiently against opponents due to alck of fighting and datas of the strong in this world.

There was an excitement in the idea of using the same or even lower power to crush them and transcend the realms.

In that moment, he felt a connection to the mentality of those Chinese main characters who spent hundreds of chapters tempering their foundation realm.

The four of them soon reached the site of the commotion. Sanji was lying on the ground, blood staining his face, while the chefs looked on with worry.

The guests were split; some had fled in fear, while others remained, either too frightened to move or showing confidence in the Baratie staff.

Luffy sat beside Sanji leisurely, seizing the opportunity to recruit him to the crew. He pestered him persistently.

"Hey, how about I beat up that mean guy, and you join my crew?"

"I refuse!!"

"I refuse your refusal!"

"Damn it, you crazy guy!!"

Seph, along with the other three, watched the scene with interest. Luffy was truly thick-skinned, unfazed by rejection.

The next moment, Seph suddenly spoke.

"Did you feel it?"

Zoro and Luffy halted, their expressions turning grave as they directed their attention toward the exit of the restaurant.

Zoro wore a solemn expression.

"Is this the aura of the strong? Incredible!!"

Nami was taken aback.

"How is this possible?! He is definitely weaker than me, but why do I feel such a suffocating aura?!!"

Ussop's legs started shaking. Their instincts were sharp; they could gauge Hawkeye's strength clearly.

Meanwhile, reclining on his black, coffin-like boat miles away, Hawkeye's eyes widened in astonishment.

"What a bunch of little monsters!!!"

"Who would have thought, by a whim, I could actually encounter something so exciting!"

Although Hawkeye was more interested in fighting swordsmasters, he wouldn't refuse to face strong opponents. His body instincts were warning him; there was a master who could actually make his body quiver in fear.

Even Shanks and other admirals and emperors couldn't evoke such a feeling from him. His eyes sharpened as he found it hard to suppress his fighting spirit.

With a swish, his hand was already on the black, big sword on his back. Without any nonsense, his hand swung with lightning speed, sending a huge green sword slash flying towards the Baratie ship.

The slash, hundreds of meters in length, moved aggressively, cutting through the sea on its path. Unluckily, Don Krieg and his ship were in the same trajectory of the slash, and they were crushed by the powerful aura in an instant.

Hawkeye was no longer playing around.

On the other side, Zoro sneered wildly.

"Is this the style of the strong?"

The crew could feel the power behind Hawkeye's slash, but they were not moved. Such a slash was just a fancy attack in their eyes; they felt no threat.

"Luffy, don't even think about it!! That's my prey!!"

Zoro already had his sword out as he stopped the eager Luffy with his serious eyes. In a flash, he disappeared.

At that moment, the onlookers finally sensed the powerful slash approaching the ship and were thrown into another turmoil.

Zoro appeared outside the restaurant and, in the same swift motion, sent a huge white-blue slash of the same size and form.

As the two slashes met, the whole sky changed color. The clouds seemed to be blown away, and the sea water instinctively avoided the slashes. Don Krieg's ship was once again washed by another powerful impact, leaving no survivors on board.

After a stalemate, Hawkeye's slash was crushed into specks of light, while Zoro's slash gained more momentum and carried on towards the surprised Hawkeye.

"What a pure sword art!!"

Hawkeye was shocked. In this world, strength was often advanced through luck and opportunity, lacking a clear system. However, Zoro, who benefited from Seph's kendo talent enlightenment, hadn't even had a single fight. His foundation was very solid, meaning his potential was even greater.

It wasn't surprising that Hawkeye would be fascinated. After all, even he was far beyond when it came to this.

He was even more excited as he met the slash forcefully, destroying it. His eyes widened in more surprise.

"What a harvest!!"

...

[Sign-in successful]

[Congratulations to the host for acquiring: AllFamousSwordsmen knowledge. (Past, Modern, Future)]

Seph received another rewarding sign-in notification, expanding his knowledge of famous swordsmen from various eras, past, present, and future. With this acquisition, his understanding of swordsmanship would become even more comprehensive, encompassing the techniques and styles of legendary swordsmen throughout history.

As Seph's powerful computing brain absorbed the extensive knowledge of famous swordsmen, his Kendo talent ignited a profound transformation. His peak swordsman realm, which already surpassed that of Hawkeye, seemed to reach new heights of power and refinement.

With the influx of information and the activation of his innate abilities, Seph's understanding of swordsmanship transcended limits. His movements became more fluid, his strikes more precise, and his mastery over the blade more profound than ever before.

In this moment of transformation, Seph felt the surge of energy coursing through his veins, resonating with the legacy of countless legendary swordsmen.

Kendo Law!

Seph, who was watching the exciting show of Zoro and Mihawk, was suddenly blinded.

"I've become a Sword God?"

Kendo Law: The ability to cut through everything—life and death, the five senses, pain, memory, Will, dreams, ideals and even devil fruit and haki. The kendo had transcended to a low-class concept, reaching new heights.

The fighting contest between Zoro and Hawkeye continued. This time, they no longer used fancy slashes; their swords met head-on.

Their movements were so fast that the onlookers, who were attracted by the fight, couldn't even see their swords. They only heard the sounds of clashing and watched as the sea kept raging.

Sanji, who was smoking a cigarette, looked in shock. "Is that your crew member?"

His question made Luffy laugh happily. "That's right! Zoro is strong, right?"

Hearing this, Zeff, who was also watching the fight with beads of sweat on his forehead, was more shocked. He looked at Luffy deeply and seemed to make a decision.

Surprisingly, Hawkeye was suppressed, but he seemed to enjoy the feeling. He appeared eager to decipher Zoro's secret of sword purity.

Zoro, similarly, seemed to enjoy honing his swordsmanship. With the great enhancement of his talent, he could feel that he was advancing by leaps and bounds amidst the combat.

Mihawk looked at Zoro's sword, which kept getting finer, with admiration in his eyes. "What an envious talent!"

With a strong clash, the two of them were ejected ten meters away.

Mihawk looked at Zoro. "I'll get serious next!!"

Zoro was also eager to see more. He suddenly felt that Mihawk's sword seemed to be coated with a kind of invisible power.

He muttered, "Haki.."

With a swish, Hawkeye's speed seemed to increase many times. But Zoro was no pushover. Although he didn't have Haki, his physical fitness was beyond Mihawk's level. His intuition and reflexes were sharp, allowing him to easily follow Hawkeye's trajectory.

However, at the moment of contact, Hawkeye's sword seemed to gain an overwhelming weight.

Despite Zoro's preparation, he was still sent flying tens of meters behind.

Luffy on the side looked serious. "Seph, is this Haki you mentioned? It's really incredible... he is tens of times stronger than before, and he's not even going all out!!"

Seph, who had already become a Sword God, watched with interest. At the same time, his brain was collecting data. He planned to use Hawkeye's data as a reference to create more powerful opponents with his image training ability.

"Yes... his power and speed increased, and now his power can easily burst tens of thousands of tons of damage..."

Nami and Ussop gasped in shock. They finally understood how powerful the Will that Seph mentioned before was. It was truly impactful.

Sanji, Zeff, and the other chefs looked at the calm crew, who seemed leisurely, and were in deep awe.

Johnny and Yosaku were equally astounded by Zoro's strength.

"Aniki is so strong?!!" they exclaimed.

"Zoro-Aniki, beat him down!!" They cheered enthusiastically for Zoro from the Merry.

Even Merry watched the fight with interest. "I wonder if I can blast that guy with my newly created weapons?" She was eager to bomb Hawkeye and test her combat data.

Hawkeye looked at Zoro in surprise and a lack of understanding.

"Why didn't you use your Haki?" he inquired.

In Hawkeye's perception, Zoro possessed a very strong physical fitness and willpower, simply a monster, and it seemed easy for him to master Haki.

Zoro's face reddened as he could only quibble, "It's the East Blue. I never thought it was so strong, so I didn't learn it."

Hawkeye was left speechless, but at the same time, deeply shocked by Zoro's strength. If he were to master Haki, Hawkeye couldn't fathom what kind of monster Zoro would become. He was eagerly anticipating that day. Therefore, he made a decision.

"Then take this fight as a lesson."

Hawkeye's Haki grew even stronger, and he started using Observation Haki. Their clashes became more violent, but Zoro was greatly suppressed and injured dozens of times. However, even so, he would heal instantly, which shocked Hawkeye even more.

He watched as Zoro grew stronger, even reaching the middle stage of his realm, which was quite shocking. Such advancement usually required years of hard work but was easily bridged by Zoro. Hawkeye's eyes shone with more intense light.

He was more excited than Zoro because he could see the hope for reaching a higher realm from Zoro.

Within the fight, Zoro gained an even clearer idea of how powerful Haki could be. Even his intuition could be deceived, and his attack trajectories could be easily seen through. It was very unsettling, but at the same time, it filled him with the idea of becoming more powerful.

The onlookers were already numb.

Sanji looked at Zoro, who seemed unbeatable. From his perspective, Zoro was battered badly, his body covered in blood, yet he fought aggressively without fear of death.

He muttered to himself, "Why?!"

Luffy tilted his head, failing to understand Sanji's reaction.

Fortunately, Seph answered, "Because he has his own determination and dream. Even if he dies, it won't make him back down. You also have your own dreams, but compared with him, you are still far behind..."

Zeff looked solemn. He could understand what Seph meant. As an old veteran, he knew that dreams are very important to an individual. They can fill you with power from nowhere. He feared that if Sanji remained locked here, he would soon be wasted.

Sanji looked at the beautiful man beside him, a man who even surpassed the beauty of women, and felt a little ashamed.

Nami also chimed in from the side like a fan girl. "Zoro looks so handsome fighting so wildly!"

Ussop's eyes shone with anticipation. He also dreamed that one day, he could be like Zoro and fight without any fear of death.

Sanji, observing Nami's expression, felt even more helpless. He seemed to understand the way to impress girls.

Seph smirked amusingly as he patted Nami's head. "You are really working hard..."

Nami stuck out her tongue in amusement.

As the fight continued, Luffy soon grew bored.

"When will they stop fighting? It's been five hours!! I'm so hungry!!" Luffy complained.

The onlookers were shocked by Luffy's nonchalant attitude toward what they considered a god-like battle. But then they remembered, he was the captain. They looked at him with a mix of admiration and awe.

Seph replied casually, "Mihawk seems to want to push Zoro to his limits and explore higher realms. But this will take at least a month..."

Nami and Ussop were taken aback, while the crowd grew even more frightened. A month of fighting? Are these guys even human?

Luffy's eyes bulged comically. "What?!! No, no, we have our adventure. We can't stay here with this guy!!"

Seph suddenly had an idea. He took out a golden scepter engraved with precious and colorful gems and handed it to the excited Nami beside him. The moment she saw the scepter adorned with gold and gems, her eyes turned into love-hearts.

She hugged Seph tightly, planting a kiss on his cheek. Then, she jumped up and down happily as memories about how to use the scepter flooded her mind, shocking her even more and filling her with affection toward Seph.

Nami didn't hesitate for a moment.

With a swift movement, she grasped the scepter, and it seemed as though the weather itself responded to her touch. In the shocked eyes of the crowd, the scattered clouds caused by the impact of Zoro and Hawkeye's clashes began to condense and gather forcefully. Despite the powerful aftermath of the fighting, they couldn't disrupt her manipulation of the weather.

Lightning crackled through the air, and thunder echoed across the sky. The sea churned with excitement as storms and sea whirlpools slowly began to form.

Seph watched Nami's bold actions in shock. "Girl, I only told you to stop them, not to kill them!!" he exclaimed, half in jest.

Nami's actions only intensified the terror among the onlookers.

"This Straw Hat gang is simply legendary!" Sanji felt suffocated. Even someone as seemingly sweet as Nami was incredibly strong. What did that say about him? And why was Luffy, such a powerful individual, so eager to recruit him?

Nami laughed joyously, her heart racing with exhilaration. It felt as though the weather itself bowed to her will—a sensation so intoxicating that she couldn't help but revel in it. Was this what Seph meant by god-like power? It was addicting, to say the least.

In her mind, the fish-men were no longer a threat. With a mere thought, she could summon lightning to turn them to ash, or conjure storms to tear them apart.

Zoro and Hawkeye finally ceased their battle, both casting wary glances at the jubilant Nami.

 "Demon woman, are you trying to kill me?!" Zoro exclaimed, feeling a chill run down his spine.

On the other side, Hawkeye was now certain: these individuals were incredibly powerful, and there was someone among them even stronger than him.

As he scrutinized them, he finally noticed the Straw Hat guy, then Seph, and then he was stunned.

Despite Seph concealing his aura and his exaggerated external appearance and high charm, it was clear to someone of Hawkeye's caliber that he was so strong that he couldn't understand.

With just a glance from Seph, it felt as though his fighting spirit was severed.

No, it was really cut!

Hawkeye looked at Seph in awe. "That's... simply incredible..."

Zoro, too, was taken aback, expressing his admiration. "Seph is truly formidable! Do you know where I learned my Kendo and gained such purity? He's like my half-teacher. I never expected him to be this amazing. He can sever something as intangible as fighting spirit... truly a sword god!"

Hearing this, Hawkeye trembled, his eyes gleaming with intense light.

"Sword God?!!" He seems to gain an enlightement towards his future improvement.

He bowed slightly toward Seph, who returned the gesture with a smile.

He also added,

"Consider it a reward for showing leniency to our mischievous crewmate..."

The crowd watched Seph and Hawkeye's interaction with bewilderment, but astute individuals like Zeff and Sanji were deeply unsettled. They hadn't anticipated that such a charismatic man could conceal immense power beneath his exterior.

Hawkeye nodded in gratitude. Only he knew the staggering level of swordsmanship that Seph possessed. It was simply unfathomable.

With Hawkeye's departure, the onlookers breathed a collective sigh of relief. Only then did they realize the potentially greater threat posed by Luffy, but perhaps the crew's easy-going demeanor had reassured them unconsciously.

As Zoro approached, the crowd instinctively backed away, recognizing his immense power. However, upon closer inspection, they noticed that his once-bloodied attire showed no signs of injury, further deepening the mystery surrounding him.

Zeff made a decision; if Luffy, despite his strength, sought to recruit Sanji, then he would be even more ruthless towards Sanji next.

Zoro returned with a look of eagerness, his gaze fixed on Seph.

"Seph! What was that just now? It was incredible! I want to learn..."

Seph nodded with a chuckle.

"But not right now. Let's go and have a meal. Luffy is already hungry!"

Luffy, ever the enthusiast for food, began clamoring for a meal once again. Zeff, ever the hospitable host, soon invited the crew to partake in their most extravagant menu.