29. Tom Is Getting Serious!

Seeing the frightened Tom, who had lost his will to fight, Hawkeye emanated a strong sense of danger and spoke icily: "Cat, if you don't want to meet your end, give it your all!"

With those words, several fierce slashes came hurtling toward Tom.

"Ah...!" Tom exclaimed.

His hair stood on end as if hit by a bolt of lightning, his body contorting under the assault.

Miraculously, despite the onslaught, Tom emerged unscathed.

This left Hawkeye momentarily stunned. He remarked, "You possess impressive Observation Haki!"

Nevertheless, Hawkeye quickly resumed his composed demeanor, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Interesting, then let me test the strength of your Observation Haki!" Hawkeye's eyes narrowed slightly as an unseen force enveloped the entire battlefield.

In that moment, every move Tom made became clear to Hawkeye.

Tom suddenly felt a chill down his spine and glanced nervously at Al.

Al made a strained expression, nodded encouragingly at Tom, and grinned as if saying, "You've got this, Tom."

If Tom hadn't been preoccupied with dodging Hawkeye's attacks, he would have angrily confronted Al, saying, "What I got this?"

As Hawkeye's attacks grew swifter and more relentless, Tom visibly struggled, narrowly avoiding being struck several times.

Inside the restaurant, everyone watched the duel between Hawkeye and Tom with rapt attention. Simultaneously, they gained a better grasp of the world's greatest swordsman's prowess.

If one were to sum it up in a single sentence, it would be: "Beyond comprehension!"

Zoro's expression soured even more as he stared at his hands, muttering to himself, "Impossible, the distance can't be that vast!"

"The disparity between them and me can't be that significant!"

With that last sentence, Zoro nearly shouted in frustration.

Upon hearing Zoro's growl, Luffy whispered Zoro's name, a hint of concern in his eyes.

Sanji flicked the cigarette butt lightly, took a drag, and regarded Zoro with a complex expression.

Zeff crossed his arms and spoke coldly, "If you can't handle a setback like this, you might reconsider sailing the seas!"

Upon hearing this, Zoro stood up, his expression unwilling.

"Are you kidding me? I'm the man aiming to become the world's greatest swordsman! I want my name to echo across the seas!"

With those words, he strode toward the Going Merry without looking back.

Observing this, Usopp peeked out and inquired, "Hey, Zoro, where are you headed?"

Zoro simply replied, "Training!" and departed.

As for the upcoming battle, he had no interest in watching it any longer, nor was there any need.

He already understood that with his current strength, he stood no chance against Hawkeye Mihawk.

Hawkeye glanced at Zoro's resolute departure and sighed.

"I didn't anticipate finding characters like Al and Tom in this weakest of seas."

"Kid, tell me your name!"

Zoro hesitated for a moment but didn't turn back. A faint smile played on the corners of his mouth as he uttered his name.

"Roronoa Zoro."

Even though they had turned their backs to each other, their connection felt like that of two long-lost old friends reuniting.

"Seems like strong folks are naturally drawn to each other," Al remarked, watching the scene.

Upon witnessing this exchange, Al sighed and then shouted at Tom, "Tom, it's time to get serious!"

Tom shook his head vigorously, and determination flickered in their eyes.

Serious? I am as serious as it gets!

If there was anyone to blame, it was Hawkeye for being overwhelmingly powerful!

....

Time ticked away, with each passing minute and second.

Tom and Hawkeye had been locked in combat for almost ten minutes.

However, it was Hawkeye who was relentlessly attacking while Tom focused on evading.

After nearly ten minutes of intense fighting, Tom's stamina had reached its limit.

He panted heavily, sweat drenching his body as if he had just emerged from a sauna.

In contrast, Hawkeye slashed effortlessly, not even breaking a sweat.

Inside the restaurant, tension hung thick in the air.

For nearly ten minutes, their hearts raced like they were on a roller coaster ride, with no respite.

Some spectators dared not even blink, afraid of missing any crucial detail.

"The cat named Tom has actually held his ground under Hawkeye's assault for nearly ten minutes!"

"I can hardly believe it's happening!"

"He's too powerful!"

"..."

Gradually, the atmosphere grew more solemn.

They witnessed Tom once again dodging Hawkeye's blade with finesse, showing no signs of faltering.

Gasping for breath, he gestured for Hawkeye to pause momentarily, allowing him to catch his breath.

Hawkeye furrowed his brow slightly, momentarily taken aback. He ceased his attacks, seemingly curious to see what new strategies Tom might employ.

Simultaneously, he anticipated Tom picking up his sword and facing him head-on, rather than relying solely on evasion tactics.

But one thing Hawkeye had to acknowledge was that Tom's Observation Haki surpassed his own!

Otherwise, he would've been turned into minced meat by now!

However, what Hawkeye didn't realize was that Tom had no knowledge of Observation Haki!

He relied solely on his innate mastery of evasion, honed to perfection over time!

Just as Hawkeye lowered his black blade, Tom wiped off his sweat and pulled out a bottle of milk from behind his back, drinking several bottles in quick succession.

I noticed Tom's energy gradually returning to its peak, visibly revitalizing before my eyes.

Meanwhile, as Tom drank his milk, he approached Hawkeye and offered him a bottle.

Though Hawkeye didn't respond verbally, his chilly demeanor spurred Tom into a fighting stance.

It was clear: Hawkeye hoped Tom would pick up his sword and engage him directly!

Tom nodded decisively, spinning around to don his knight uniform. With a swift motion, he drew the western sword bestowed upon him by Al from its sheath at his waist.

He pointed the sword's tip directly at Hawkeye.

In that moment, Tom's aura underwent a dramatic transformation, exuding newfound determination and resolve.

Observing this, Hawkeye retrieved the black blade Yoru from behind him, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"Bring it on, cat. Show me what you've got with that sword!"

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