Ch-55 The Horrors of the Magic Eyes.

"Can you withstand my attack?" Hawkeye Mihawk questioned Medusa with surprise.

"Woman, your strength is formidable, but presently, I seek the man behind you."

"If you wish to avoid harm, then step aside!"

"I am a follower of Li Fan, and it is my duty to protect him," Medusa declared, raising her head and beginning to remove her blindfold slowly.

"I won't permit anyone to harm him."

As she finished speaking, Medusa's blindfold had vanished entirely, and her captivating eyes emitted a mysterious and menacing purple glow.

"Huh? Your eyes?" Mihawk stared directly into Medusa's eyes.

He remained oblivious to how unwise his current actions were.

Before Mihawk could utter another word, his consciousness abruptly froze.

Hawkeye Mihawk was trapped in a petrified state.

"What... what?! Mihawk, petrified?!" Gion, who had been discreetly observing from the sidelines, widened his eyes in disbelief.

Hawkeye Mihawk, who was so formidable that he could rival an admiral, had been vanquished so swiftly.

Moreover, it appeared that he had lost all mobility.

"Very well, Medusa, put away your magic eyes for now."

"It could become complicated if other individuals are turned into stone."

Upon hearing Li Fan's instructions, Medusa nodded slightly, donned her blindfold once more, and sealed her magic eye.

Li Fan, too, was taken aback upon witnessing Hawkeye Mihawk's petrification. He had initially anticipated that he would need to take action, but he hadn't foreseen that Mihawk would be petrified by Medusa.

"That's right, I forgot that Medusa's magic eye level is rather high."

"Individuals with magic power ratings below B level will be petrified directly."

"As for Hawkeye, despite his might, he possesses no magic power."

"After all, in this world, no one possesses magic power."

"Does this imply that anyone can be petrified simply by looking at Medusa?"

Realizing this, Li Fan gazed at Medusa with an admiring expression. He suddenly grasped how fortunate he was to have been able to summon Medusa.

"Li Fan, is there something on my face?" Medusa inquired, her beautiful brow furrowed.

"No, I'm just thrilled that you could come to my aid, Medusa." In his excitement, Li Fan couldn't resist opening his arms to shield Medusa.

Observing Li Fan's elation, Medusa hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand and patted Li Fan on the back.

"Hey, Li Fan, is Mihawk dead?" Zoro approached with the assistance of others at that moment.

Upon gazing at the petrified Mihawk, Zoro was left in utter astonishment. Who could have predicted that Mihawk, who had earlier overwhelmed him with sheer might, would experience such a devastating defeat?

Zoro extended his hand toward Mihawk, seemingly attempting to confirm whether he was still alive.

"Hey, don't touch!" Li Fan's voice caused Zoro to freeze in place.

"In this state, if we wait a while, he can still be saved."

"If the statue is damaged while he's in this condition, he'll truly die."

"Is he still alive?" Zoro breathed a sigh of relief.

Mihawk was the one Zoro aspired to surpass, and he didn't wish for Mihawk to meet his end in this manner.

It would be acceptable if Mihawk were defeated by another swordsman, as Zoro could then strive to best that swordsman and, eventually, challenge Mihawk. However, it was evident that Medusa wasn't a swordsman. Even if she defeated Mihawk, the title of the world's greatest swordsman wouldn't be passed to her.

Zoro sighed deeply and cast a fearful glance in Medusa's direction.

"Is this woman truly so formidable?"

"Alright, let's disperse." Li Fan waved his hand.

"That one over there, come and assist in relocating Mihawk to an empty room."

"Be careful and avoid any accidental damage."

On the sidelines, Gion overheard Li Fan's words and volunteered to help transport Mihawk's statue to a vacant chamber.

As a Marine, Gion had no interest in witnessing any untoward events befall Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea appointed by the World Government.

Ahe also had no desire to witness Li Fan and his associates slay Mihawk.

Killing Shichibukai for no reason will definitely incur the displeasure of the World Government, and there may be a bounty for Li Fan and others.

Although it is possible to recruit Medusa to become a Shichibukai, the probability is too small.

This kind of situation is not what Gion wants to see.

'How on earth did Medusa do that?' Gion's thoughts quickly spread as she continued on her way.

'Based on the description of Medusa in the movie [fate/stay night].'

'She is not a very powerful Servant.'

'But why was it possible to petrify someone as powerful as Mihawk in an instant!'

'Is this ability similar to that of Empress Hancock? Can it petrify people who are charmed by her?'

'No, Hawkeye Mihawk would never do that,' Gion shook her head.

'He will never be seduced by beauty.'

'Then the problem lies elsewhere.'

'Could it be that, in addition to the plots told in the movie, Medusa has other abilities that have not been shown?'

Because he had been standing behind Medusa and Li Fan, and some other people were blocking his view, Gion did not see Medusa take off her blindfold.

'Maybe I should ask someone else.'

'Nami has been standing next to Li Fan. Maybe she saw something!'

Gion's idea is definitely not going to amount to anything.

What she didn't know was that while she was busy moving Mihawk's statue with others, Li Fan had already told people who might have seen Medusa's magic eye in action not to disclose it to others.

Whether it was out of respect for Li Fan or awe of Medusa, they all expressed their willingness to abide by what Li Fan said.