Chapter 1023: You, the One Who Never Announces Techniques!
Chapter 1023: You, the One Who Never Announces Techniques!
This wasn't the first time he and Dracule Mihawk had clashed in combat.
Their only previous duel occurred three years ago in the East Blue, ending abruptly when Kuro’s blade shattered during that encounter.
But now, his blade could never shatter again.
What Dracule Mihawk truly wished to witness was Kuro’s legendary “mythical beasts swordsmanship.”
Across the Grand Line, those who had battled Kuro understood the terrifying power of his swordplay. While he often referred to his techniques as the “Shinmeiryu Style,” others preferred calling it the “mythical beasts swordsmanship” because his slashes conjured spectral forms of divine beasts accompanying each strike.
Though Kuro was renowned for his speed, his swordsmanship itself was lightning-fast. Yet his true trump card remained the “Shinmeiryu Style”—the foundation upon which all his current Mystic Arts were built.
“The unfinished battle from three years ago… Let’s restart it now.”
Kuro’s two fingers traced the blade’s edge before gripping the hilt with both hands, raising it overhead as he faced Dracule Mihawk.
“Unenlightened Divine Wind Murderous Sword!”
Dracule Mihawk tightened his grip on the Black Blade ‘Yoru,’ smirking. “I won’t just let you strike me.”
“Azure Dragon (Jiaolong)!”
Whoosh!!
A golden glow erupted instantaneously, too swift to react—a feat few spectators could even follow. All they saw was Kuro raising his blade before a slash of divine light appeared before Dracule Mihawk in the blink of an eye.
“Such incredible speed…”
Red-Haired Shanks muttered, “Faster than before.”
As he spoke, his hand instinctively brushed the scar on his chest.
The power behind that slash felt eerily similar to the one that had struck him years ago.
Ben Beckman, puffing a cigarette, watched gravely. “And far more dangerous.”
This Navy officer was unlike the others. If Ben once viewed Kuro as merely a threat, he now ranked alongside monsters like Akainu—or perhaps even more tyrannical.
That Killing Intent? Akainu never wielded anything comparable.
Ben wasn’t foolish. He could easily gauge the shifting balance across the Grand Line.
Kuro’s record was simply too dazzling. From the moment he entered the War of the Best, his rise had been meteoric. Shanks’ affirmation of his death at Kuro’s hands, the luck of acquiring his ability—
Then came Lucius, Luo Shen, Buggy the Clown, Giruon, Blackbeard, Kaido, and Charlotte Big Mom. Some fell; others survived. Regardless, Kuro’s position surged like wildfire.
Admiral candidate? He was one step from becoming an Admiral.
At his age, ascending to Fleet Admiral wasn’t just possible—it was likely. And if someone brimming with Killing Intent, daring enough to challenge the Four Emperors, controlled the Navy… the world’s future would be grim.
Even Akainu hesitated to provoke the Emperors directly. But Kuro? He was different.
This could spark a full-scale war.
Yet now—
“Hey, Red-Haired Shanks,” Ben Beckman asked, “you know this is a trap, right? We came here on your whim, and you summoned Dracule Mihawk to help Kuro. The higher he climbs, the worse it’ll be for us.”
“Hahahaha! Why?”
Red-Haired Shanks scratched his head, grinning. “No problem at all. Dracule Mihawk’s my friend—he’s always wanted to test Kuro’s swordsmanship. This was the perfect chance. As for Marshall D. Teach, I’m wary of him, but I’m here just to see what happens. If Marshall D. Teach shows up, great! But since he’s not… well, we got used. Still, Kuro as an Admiral beats the alternative. Luffy can’t fall to him.”
“Luffy, huh?”
Ben Beckman mused, “You really think he can defeat Kaido and Charlotte Big Mom?”
Red-Haired Shanks’ eyes softened as he stared at the distant island. After a long pause, he murmured, “I believe in him. He’ll be the next Joy Boy.”
Clang!!
When that Black Radiance slashed toward Dracule Mihawk, he met it head-on with a single strike. The Black Blade ‘Yoru’ unleashed an emerald-green arc, slicing through Kuro’s attack as the two clashed.
Dracule Mihawk emerged behind the dissipating Black Radiance, while Kuro reappeared, the two standing back-to-back.
Hoo…
A sea breeze swept between them.
Hiss…
A soft tearing sound echoed as Dracule Mihawk glanced at the tiny slash on his collar, smirking before turning.
Kuro also turned, revealing a horizontal tear across his chest where his clothing split, a faint bloody line beneath.
“That familiar dance of blood,” Dracule Mihawk remarked.
“Not finished yet.”
Kuro lifted his blade again, fingers swiftly tracing the edge before gripping it with both hands. “Shinmeiryu Style: Mystic Art!”
Whoosh!
Sea water along the island’s edge surged violently, forming colossal waves that crashed upward.
No ability—just raw swordsmanship churning the ocean, splitting the waves themselves.
“Azure Dragon!!”
With a slash, the sea behind Kuro twisted into serpentine water dragons, soaring into the air behind him. The spectral beasts roared soundlessly at Dracule Mihawk before lunging, encircling him in a whirlwind of liquid fangs.
“A technique that looks like water but hides slashes within. If you touch it, you’ll face the same ‘Azure Dragon (Jiaolong)’ attack all over again.”
This time, Dracule Mihawk experienced it firsthand, not merely watching Kuro battle others.
He spoke with genuine admiration.
“Mythical Beasts Swordsmanship—its reputation is well-earned. But…”
Dracule Mihawk spun his blade, unleashing a sweeping emerald arc. The slash expanded in a circular wave, slicing through the water dragons. Upon contact, the aquatic beasts didn’t just split—they shattered, crushed internally by the Haki-infused destruction.
Only complete annihilation could counter such a Mystic Art.
The emerald slash rippled toward Kuro, obliterating the water dragons in its path.
Kuro narrowed his eyes, summoning the Autumn Water. “Shinmeiryu Style: Mystic Art – Black Tortoise!”
Bang!!
The emerald slash halted abruptly. Before it, a phantom tortoise shell materialized, coiled with a serpent whose glowing eyes locked onto Dracule Mihawk, staring him down.
“Oh? A Haki-based aura lock, paralyzing the enemy—that’s layered defense, a shield woven from intersecting slashes. Impressive!” Dracule Mihawk praised again.
Experiencing it firsthand? More than satisfying!
“That’s what I want to see, Kuro! Show me your full swordsmanship! Only then can we truly test our strength!” Dracule Mihawk roared.
“Shut up, you bastard who never announces techniques!” Kuro shouted furiously.
(End of Chapter)
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