"The troublesome guys are here, huh."
Sabo's expression grew serious as he looked at the CP0 members in front of him.
As a member of the Navy, he was quite familiar with CP0, an organization under the World Government.
These guys were powerful, even by the Navy's standards.
"Fire Fist Ace, rebel Corazon, Sabo... You guys are really bold."
The CP0 leader glanced at the ruined execution site, his voice low.
They had been prepared for someone to come and rescue the hostages, but they expected a large force.
Instead, only three of them showed up, and they had managed to bypass all the traps and defenses.
This was a humiliation for CP0!
However, Ace and his group were unaware of CP0's thoughts. From the moment they were tasked with rescuing the hostages, they were confident of success.
After all, the combination of the Silent Fruit and the Transparent Fruit was an unbeatable stealth combo. As for combat, Ace, who wielded the Flame-Flame Fruit, was more than capable.
"Fire Fist!"
Almost simultaneously, both CP0 and Ace's group moved.
Meanwhile, in front of Pangaea Castle.
Nicolas stepped forward, heading toward the castle.
The Five Elders and World Government reacted.
The bald, sword-wielding Elder was the first to move.
But just as he did, another figure appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
"Your opponent is me."
"It seems I can't deal with that guy unless I finish you off first," Nusjuro said, looking at Mihawk standing before him, full of battle spirit.
"In any era, only one swordsman can reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Let me see how powerful your sword skills are," Mihawk said briefly, stepping forward as his aura, as sharp as a blade, clashed with his black sword, rushing toward Nusjuro.
Clang!
The clash of blades sent a terrifying shockwave outwards.
The battle between the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, and one of the Five Elders had officially begun.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Mihawk's black sword and the First Generation Kitetsu clashed continuously in the air, sparks flying everywhere.
After some time, Nusjuro frowned. Mihawk's swordsmanship was beyond his expectations, nearly on par with his own.
Thinking this, the Elder tightened his grip on the First Generation Kitetsu, and suddenly, blood flames ignited along its blade as he slashed ferociously at Mihawk.
Blood Flame Slash!
A terrifying strike burst forth, accompanied by a phantom of a blood-red skull rushing toward Mihawk.
Mihawk responded by imbuing his long sword with ghostly green energy.
His Ghost Slash countered the Blood Flame Slash head-on.
Boom!
The two attacks collided, unleashing a powerful shockwave that spread in all directions.
Feeling the wave of energy, Nusjuro glanced at his tattered sleeve and said, "Your swordsmanship is quite impressive."
"Yours isn't bad either," Mihawk replied, tossing aside his hat, which had a corner sliced off, his sharp eyes locked on the Elder.
Both recognized each other's strength, knowing full well that only one could walk away from this fight, and perhaps neither would survive.
As swordsmen, they understood the lethal nature of such a battle better than anyone.
Meanwhile, the blond Elder, after adjusting his suit to reveal his muscular frame, looked at Garp.
"Iron Fist Garp, let's see how powerful your punches really are."
The blond Elder 'Saint Shepherd Ju Peter', known as the strongest in physical combat among the Five Elders, had long wanted to challenge Garp, famed for his hand-to-hand combat.
"You?" Garp frowned as he looked at the blond Elder.
Without a word, Garp removed his cape, signaling his readiness.
"Follow me, then," the blond Elder said, stomping the ground hard before leaping into the air, moving toward the outskirts of Pangaea Castle.
"Garp..." Sengoku began to speak, but stopped himself.
"Don't worry, Sengoku," Garp said before jumping into the air to follow.
Clearly, they knew that with so many strong fighters around, the confined space in front of Pangaea Castle wasn't ideal for such a battle.
One by one, the other fighters chose their opponents and moved to open battlefields.
"Your sword is strong, but it's no longer pure," Mihawk coldly remarked to Nusjuro, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"I started training at three, mastered my family's sword style at five, had no rivals in my clan by ten, mastered all the sword styles of Wano by twelve, defeated all the grandmasters by fifteen, and by seventeen, I roamed the seas undefeated. And you say my sword isn't pure?"
As Nusjuro spoke, he suddenly appeared in front of Mihawk, slashing fiercely.
This strike carried the wails of countless souls, leaving a trail as it slashed toward Mihawk.
But Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, wasn't fazed.
Boom!
As their blades clashed, it was like thunder erupting.
The impact, mixed with debris from their surroundings, shot out in all directions, clearing a hundred-meter circle of ground around them.
Nusjuro and Mihawk stood firm, swords in hand.
"Interesting young man," Nusjuro said softly before his figure vanished with the breeze.
Clang! Boom!
Their swords collided again and again.
After exchanging a few blows, Nusjuro realized Mihawk's swordsmanship had reached the same pinnacle as his own.
This realization excited the Elder, who hadn't felt the thrill of battle for many years.
"Slow! Slow! You're too slow! Faster! Faster!" Nusjuro's face twisted into a manic grin as his sword speed increased. A faint blood mist rose around him, giving him the appearance of a demon from the depths of hell.
Seeing this, Mihawk grew excited too. Such a fierce opponent was a challenge worth fighting.
"Losing focus in a fight?" Nusjuro suddenly appeared before Mihawk, his sword poised for a fatal strike.
Mihawk's pupils shrank. He knew he couldn't afford to get injured in this battle.
Just as the Elder's sword neared Mihawk, he sensed a deep danger.
Trusting his instincts, honed from countless battles, the Elder abandoned his attack.
Round Slash!
In that instant, Mihawk released a circular slash that spread outward from his position.
Fortunately, the Elder retreated in time; otherwise, both he and Mihawk would have suffered serious injuries.
The Elder swung his First Generation Kitetsu, easily shattering the oncoming slash.
Frowning, Nusjuro looked at Mihawk, surprised at his reckless fighting style.
Without hesitation, the Elder launched himself forward again.
Clang—
The Elder's slash was blocked by Mihawk's black sword.
Nusjuro thought he saw Mihawk blocking his strikes with increasing ease.
[AN - Imagine the fight with fate: Unlimited bladeworks animation 🔥🔥🔥🔥😭]