CHAPTER 16 : CLASH WITH MIHAWK
CHAPTER 16 : CLASH WITH MIHHAWK
Listening to Mihawk, who was probably looking for something to kill his boredom, Alex decided to test his strength. Jumping from the main ship, he stood in front of Mihawk, locking eyes in a tense standoff.
Mihawk, seeing Alex ready himself, took out Yoru from his back and placed it between them, the blade gleaming menacingly in the sunlight. "Brace yourself," Mihawk called out as he swung his blade from one side to the other, drawing a horizontal green energy slash heading towards Alex at supersonic speed. Coupled with Mihawk's deadly haki, it was no worse than a death strike.
Seeing the slash, a moment before Mihawk and now in front of him, Alex had no other option. Instinctively, he used Tekkai. The energy slash collided with Alex's body, now harder than steel, illuminating the atmosphere with a green hue.
The clash of energy and steel was deafening. After what felt like an eternity to Alex but was merely seconds, the green energy wave started to fade, leaving a wounded Alex with broken elbows and blood-dripping arms. The pain was excruciating, but Alex stood his ground, his breathing heavy and ragged.
He glanced at Mihawk, who was preparing to use another attack. Just one attack had shattered Alex's morale. Seeing the immense gap between them, Alex decided to retreat for now. "I can't lose my arms too early," he thought.
Suddenly feeling something warm in his hands, he looked down and realized that they were healing. Albeit slowly, it was something. Determined, Alex took out a recovery potion from his inventory. Drinking it quickly and throwing the empty bottle aside, he braced himself for another fight. His purpose? Only one—to bring out his body's potential and finally unlock his armament haki.
"Hmm... your hands have already recovered. Was it due to that liquid?" asked Mihawk, observing something unusual. "Can you restore someone's lost limbs with this?" Mihawk's question carried a sudden, hidden excitement.
"That can't happen," replied Alex, understanding the context.
Realizing Mihawk was slightly distracted, Alex kicked the ground a dozen times, accelerating himself before the naked eye, reaching Mihawk in an instant. Mihawk, slightly distracted but with his observation haki locked onto Alex, still couldn't respond to this sudden attack. Mihawk only had time to place the sword in front of him in a defensive position.
Alex, in the air, noticing the arrival of the black blade Yoru in front of him, used Tekkai again, making his muscles harder but limiting his motion. Feeling the effect of Tekkai clashing with the sword, he pushed Mihawk back a few steps, with the recoil sending him back a few steps as well.
Standing up, Alex recalled the feeling of having his skin as hard as steel. Trying to bring that feeling back, suddenly an invisible layer of energy surrounded his right hand. Feeling the strength of this energy, Alex knew he had reached the required level—just a little more, and he could use it.
"You're persistent," Mihawk remarked, a hint of amusement in his tone.
Alex launched himself at Mihawk again with Soru. Mihawk, this time ready, swung his sword horizontally, attempting to cut Alex in two. Alex, bringing out the spiritual force within him, clashed with the sword. The two were locked in a stalemate, with Alex's arm slowly turning blackish, neither backing down.
"You have a good physique," said Mihawk, acknowledging Alex's physical strength. "But that's it," Mihawk added as he pushed Yoru, the 'black blade,' a little more. Alex, exerting all his strength but still unable to break through Mihawk's defense, again used Tekkai to counter the blade.
The battle lasted three more rounds, with Mihawk losing interest and Alex having exerted his strength. His arms broke multiple times, stopping him from pushing forward. Every clash of steel and haki sent shockwaves through the air, the surrounding ships trembling from the sheer force of their battle.
With one last slash from Mihawk, Alex lay in the ruins of the sliced-off ships. Mihawk sheathed Yoru, his interest waning. "You have potential," he said, turning away.
Alex, trying to open his eyes, saw Mihawk sailing away on his mini-ship and the pirate ship escaping. He took a deep breath, knowing he had a long way to go. His body ached, and every movement sent pain shooting through his arms.
Deciding he needed to recover, Alex found a relatively intact part of the shipwreck to rest. He slumped against the wooden remains, his breathing steadying as he closed his eyes. The exhaustion from the battle and the healing process began to take its toll.
"I need to get stronger," he thought, his mind drifting as sleep began to overtake him. The sounds of the ocean and the creaking of the shipwreck faded into the background. As the sun set, casting an orange glow over the horizon, Alex fell into a deep, restorative sleep,
After an unknown amount of time, Alex began to stir. The sound of waves crashing against the remains of the ship and the distant cries of seagulls reached his ears. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh sunlight streaming down from a clear sky.
Groaning, Alex sat up, his body stiff and sore from the battle. He looked around, taking in the scene of destruction. The once mighty ship was now reduced to splintered wood and debris scattered across the water.
"How long was I out?" he wondered aloud, rubbing his temples. His arms, which had been broken and bloodied, now felt significantly better, though still tender. The recovery potion and the natural healing had worked wonders, but he knew he couldn't rely on them forever.
Alex stood up, stretching his limbs and wincing slightly at the residual pain. He needed to find out where he was and what had happened while he was unconscious. Spotting a piece of driftwood, he used it as a makeshift crutch and began to navigate the wreckage.
"Nothing new, guess I wasn't out for too long," Alex muttered to himself, surveying the wreckage around him. He winced slightly, feeling the lingering pain in his arms.
As he took in his surroundings, the familiar notification sound of his system suddenly chimed. Curious, Alex decided to check it out.
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**RECRUITED USOPP: 10000 Points**
**RECRUITED SANJI: 10000 Points**
**MISSION: Recruit 5 Members**
**STATUS: Complete**
**REWARD: Unlocking Build Mode**
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Excitement bubbled within Alex as he scrolled through the notifications. He decided to check out the new mode.
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**b-u-i-l-d ---------> BUILD**
**<------------------------------ >**
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Alex navigated to the new Build Mode, his heart racing with anticipation. After examining the new feature, he couldn't help but feel pure excitement.
The new feature allowed him to convert the world's currency to points at varying rates, depending on his current state and circumstances.
"Wow, I can pretty much make anything I can think of using points," Alex thought, eyes wide with amazement. The possibilities were endless. The new feature enabled him to create anything from his fantasies, with the only limitation being his own conscious mind.
Eager to test it out, Alex began converting the money he had into points.
"It must have been a while. Let's see how the crew is doing," he mused. Feeling invigorated, Alex used Geppo to step into the air. With a powerful launch, he directed himself towards Baratie, eager to reunite with his crew.