Three days had passed since the execution of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. His final words had sent shockwaves across the globe, setting dark currents swirling beneath the surface of the world. Greed and ambition began to sprout like weeds in the hearts of men. From countless corners of the earth, people packed their bags and set sail for the vast oceans, seeking Roger's legendary treasure. This was a burgeoning trend, an unstoppable tide that would only swell and intensify with time.
Pirates from the Four Blues swarmed towards the New World like locusts. Meanwhile, the pirates already inhabiting the New World grew even more frantic and wild, desperately searching for the hidden hoard. The New World was the first to descend into chaos, with pirate crews clashing constantly in their frenzied hunt.
The Marine bases scattered throughout the New World were utterly incapable of suppressing the escalating chaos. Attempting to control an era that had already spiraled out of control was destined to incur devastating costs – a foreshadowing of why, in the years to come, only a single major Marine stronghold would remain viable in those tumultuous seas.
Yet, this was merely the beginning. Greater troubles were only just starting to brew. As countless individuals poured onto the seas, like grains of sand sifted by waves, the truly strong would inevitably rise to the top. More rising stars – heroes, villains, adventurers, and warlords – would emerge to take their place on the grand, chaotic stage of the Great Pirate Era, making the age ignited by Roger even more dazzling and star-studded.
It was not, by any measure, a good era. It was an age of chaos, an age of rampant evil. But simultaneously, without a doubt, it was also a great era, one destined to be etched forever into the annals of history.
After departing Loguetown, Capone Bege did not immediately return to Skypiea. Instead, he made his way to Jaya Island. He had made a promise to Hawk-Eye Mihawk to duel him there, and Bege was not one to break his word.
Mihawk traveled at a considerably slower pace. Bege ended up waiting on Jaya for nearly half a month before the swordsman finally arrived.
In a desolate stretch of wilderness on Jaya Island, Bege and Mihawk stood facing each other. Nearby, Gecko Moria and other members of Bege's crew watched the unfolding confrontation. None of them recognized Mihawk, but the mere fact that Bege had waited half a month for this opponent was enough to command their full attention and respect.
Mihawk's hawk-like eyes gleamed with undisguised excitement, his typically stern face lit with anticipation. He slowly drew the longsword from his hip. The blade emanated a chilling aura; it was clearly no ordinary weapon.
"This blade," Mihawk stated formally, "is Nagasone Kotetsu, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. Please afford it due respect."
Bege slowly drew his own Fire Cloud Sword, his face mirroring Mihawk's look of keen anticipation. "This sword is named Fire Cloud Sword," he announced. "It represents the lifeblood and masterwork of Skypiea's most outstanding Cloud Craftsmen. Though it may not be one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, it is not far behind."
"A fine sword!" Mihawk declared, his expert eyes instantly discerning the exceptional quality of Bege's blade. As peerless swordsmen, they possessed an innate, sharp judgment for such things.
Facing each other, having announced their blades, astonishing pressures suddenly erupted from both men simultaneously. Their Sword Auras flared, sharp and palpable. Bege's Sword Aura was tyrannical and violent, brimming with destructive, savage energy. Mihawk's, in contrast, was relentlessly sharp, a pure, focused cutting edge seemingly capable of slicing through anything in existence.
The two opposing sword pressures slammed into each other, generating a gale force wind filled with invisible cutting edges. The onlookers were stunned by the sheer intensity. Modi, himself a skilled swordsman, felt Mihawk's presence and his expression immediately turned solemn. "A very strong swordsman," he murmured, gripping the hilt of his own sword tighter, battle intent flickering in his eyes.
"Here I come!" Mihawk's eyes narrowed, his sword aura pulsing with even greater intensity. In that moment, he seemed to merge completely with his blade, his entire being radiating lethal sharpness. He performed a swift, seemingly empty slash towards Bege. The Nagasone Kotetsu flared with brilliant light, and the onlookers perceived an incredibly sharp, blindingly fast blade of energy slicing through the void towards Bege.
Bege reacted instantaneously, unleashing his own slash. His violent, savage sword energy crashed into Mihawk's attack, shattering it and creating an even more ferocious storm of residual energy. The shockwave blasted outwards; nearby trees and rocks caught in the gale were instantly sliced into neat sections, as if cleaved by countless invisible blades.
Like a hawk diving through the tempest, Mihawk burst through the swirling energy, closing the distance at astonishing speed, his intensely sharp longsword descending in a deadly arc. Bege met the attack without yielding, swinging his Fire Cloud Sword upwards.
CLANG!
The two blades crashed together. Their respective sword pressures collided like two immense mountains smashing into one another. The very air around them seemed to shred like cheap cloth. A circular shockwave of pure sword energy erupted outwards from the point of impact, instantly felling the surrounding trees and clearing the forest floor.
"Such powerful sword pressure!" Moria and the others exclaimed, their expressions changing as they rapidly retreated, cloaking themselves in Armament Haki to defend against the radiating energy. They didn't stop until they were over a hundred meters away, finally clear of the devastating shockwave.
Weevil, reacting a fraction too slow, cried out, "Ouch!" A shallow cut appeared on his arm from a stray wisp of energy, leaving him grimacing and distinctly annoyed.
"Decent sword pressure," Bege commented, looking up and meeting Mihawk's intensely excited gaze. He laughed aloud. "But your raw strength seems a little lacking." With a surge of power, Bege's blade forced Mihawk's back, and he immediately followed up with another swift, powerful slash.
Mihawk's reaction speed was phenomenal. Using the force of Bege's pushback, he kicked off the ground with his right foot, launching himself backward even faster, narrowly evading Bege's follow-up attack. As he moved, he swung his longsword in a powerful arc.
"Hawk Slash!"
A blindingly bright slash, shaped distinctly like a giant hawk, erupted from his blade and soared towards Bege. Bege sidestepped nimblely. The Hawk Slash slammed into the earth where he had been standing, carving a staggering trench over one hundred meters long and five meters deep, as if the very ground had been split open.
They locked eyes once more, both combatants radiating exhilarated battle intent. Almost simultaneously, by unspoken agreement, they charged, sprinting towards each other.
"One Sword Style—Flaming Flying Dragon!" Bege roared. His blade ignited with a hiss, flames erupting along its length. He slashed outwards, the fire coalescing and extending through the air, forming a ferocious, roaring dragon of fire that radiated searing heat.
"Undivided Mind, Thoughtless Slash!" Mihawk countered, unleashing an incredibly powerful slash of his own. The pure blade energy cleaved through the Flaming Flying Dragon, sending fiery embers scattering in all directions. Bege, in turn, met Mihawk's remaining energy, shattering it with a precise cut from his own blade.
Their eyes met again as they continued their charge. The instant the residual energies from their named attacks dissipated, they plunged into the volatile air between them. A deafening CRASH echoed as flames surged skyward and sword light swept outwards. They collided once more in a furious exchange.
In the next instant, a violent gale exploded outwards from their clash point, the sheer force of the impact scouring the ground with countless fresh sword marks. They broke apart immediately, only to clash again, their movements blurring, too fast for the eye to truly follow. Sword flashes flickered constantly, carving new fissures into the ravaged earth with every exchange.
The earlier blows had merely been probing tests. Now, the real battle had begun. The thunderous ring of steel on steel echoed through the wilderness, sharp sword energy saturated the air, and flames danced and lashed out with reckless abandon.