"Mihawk, I've come to fulfill my promise."
Genrou stood before Mihawk, a relaxed smile on his face.
"Is that so? But didn't you just throw away your sword? Don't tell me… you intend to fight me with hand-to-hand combat?"
"If I did that, I imagine you'd slice me in half."
"Exactly."
Mihawk nodded without hesitation.
To Mihawk, the agreement they made earlier was one between swordsmen.
If they were to fight, it had to be with swords.
If Genrou didn't use a sword, that would be a breach of their contract.
And Mihawk would not hold back.
"Don't worry… my sword is coming."
Genrou smiled, and in the next instant, a golden aura burst from his body, wrapping him in radiant light.
Mihawk furrowed his brow slightly—he could clearly sense that Genrou's transformation felt similar to Zoro's earlier awakening.
One second later, as the golden glow faded, Genrou was fully clad in the Heroic Spirit Mimicry form of Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Heh… hahahaha! Then let's tear each other apart!"
In this state, Genrou's temperament was slightly influenced by Kenpachi's bloodlust.
Seeing Mihawk before him, Genrou didn't waste words. He simply raised the sword that once belonged to Zaraki and brought it crashing down toward Mihawk's head.
Even before the blade arrived, the Reiryoku (Spiritual Pressure) wrapped around the sword had already transformed into a golden arc of energy, crashing toward Mihawk like a tidal wave.
Mihawk's eyes narrowed as he swiftly raised Yoru.
BOOM!
The clash echoed like a thunderstrike.
"So? I told you I'd bring a fine blade, Mihawk."
Genrou pointed his weapon at Mihawk, his tone casual.
"If we overlook the damage along the blade's edge, it's indeed a fine weapon," Mihawk replied.
"Even with the chips and cracks… it's still a hell of a sword."
With that, Genrou wasted no time. Even with Kenpachi as his template, he wasn't foolish enough to take the world's greatest swordsman lightly.
He immediately shifted into dual-wielding mode.
As his blade fell once more, golden sparks surged outward.
Mihawk felt the raw weight behind Genrou's strikes and, finding the clash exhilarating, responded with even greater force from his own black blade.
When their swords met again, the impact released a cyclone of green and gold light, launching a pillar of color straight into the sky.
The spectators—most of whom had never seen such power—were dumbfounded.
They couldn't believe what they were witnessing was even humanly possible.
"Oi… this has to be a joke… is this really something people can do?!"
Sanji, who had just finished speaking with Zeff, widened his eyes in disbelief.
He had thought he'd already overestimated Genrou, but now…
"These two… The world's strongest swordsman and an 800 million bounty pirate—this battle is already beyond our understanding," Zeff muttered, shaking his head.
Watching Zoro's earlier battle, he had already guessed that Zoro's strength had some deep connection with Genrou.
If the Straw Hat Crew had comrades like these—and the potential to make Sanji stronger—how could Zeff not want him to go?
"What insane power… but this still isn't Genrou's full strength, is it?"
Zoro gritted his teeth, murmuring as he watched Genrou battle Mihawk.
In the vision from the Heroic Spirit Space, Kenpachi Zaraki was able to release his Zanpakutō. Zoro didn't believe that Genrou wouldn't be able to do the same.
"What?! That's not his full power yet?!"
Sanji looked at Zoro in shock.
This time, not only did Zoro nod—Luffy did too, and heavily.
"Genrou is strong. He won't lose," Luffy said confidently.
"That freak… seriously a monster," Sanji muttered as he saw the certainty in both Zoro and Luffy's eyes.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield—
"That last strike… at least you finally looked like you know how to use a sword."
"But if that's all you've got, it still won't satisfy me."
Mihawk, holding Yoru, didn't take even one step back—even against the sea-cleaving slash Genrou had just unleashed.
"…That really was one of my strongest attacks," Genrou muttered, shaking his head.
Though disappointed, he wasn't surprised.
After all, even if he had adopted Kenpachi Zaraki's form, that didn't mean he had inherited Kenpachi's full power.
"In that case… even if it's still a bit unstable, I'll have to use that technique."
Genrou's mouth twisted into a grin.
Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure radiated from him, enveloping several kilometers of the surrounding sea.
Those caught in the radius felt an instant heaviness in their chests—it became hard to breathe.
"Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki)? …No, it's similar—but not the same."
Mihawk frowned, staring into Genrou's eyes.
Genrou merely sneered. He didn't bother explaining what Reiryoku was.
Instead, he let out a thunderous roar—
"Devour—Nozarashi!"
A shrill screech rang out as Genrou's power spiked again—more than doubling.
What's more, the slender blade he wielded began to transform.
In less than three seconds, the delicate weapon morphed into a hulking executioner-style greatsword.
"Your sword… it changed?" Mihawk muttered, brows furrowing. With his perception, he could easily sense the anomaly in Genrou's blade.
"I told you, didn't I? My sword's awesome."
Genrou grinned madly and gripped the massive blade with both hands, swinging it upward with brutal force.
Even Mihawk was lifted into the air by the sheer impact—and he was still rising higher.
Then—Genrou bent his knees and launched himself from the deck with a mighty stomp.
The deck below him cracked and shattered from the force as he soared after Mihawk into the sky.
…
(End of Chapter)
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