21. Look! The Auto-Attacker has appeared!

Here it comes! The master of the basic attack!

Within his line of sight:
Green-haired, wearing three golden droplet earrings in his left ear, clad in a green haramaki, carrying three swords at his waist, and bearing several scars across his chest, Zoro tied his dark green bandana around his head!

"He's getting serious!" Luffy's close friend whispered.

"Roronoa Zoro!"
"Hawk-Eye Mihawk!"

After the two opponents stated their names, Zoro clamped a sharp blade in his mouth and gripped one in each hand, striking his signature offensive stance.

Mihawk’s pupils constricted sharply. His cold, piercing gaze locked onto the Wado Ichimonji, which was hovering in mid-air. He had not initially considered Zoro a threat, but this sword, capable of flight on its own, made him sense an intangible, lingering menace.

"Is this blade a masterpiece of the Overlord Chu?"

Mihawk did not believe that, with Zoro’s current strength, he could have earned the recognition of such a legendary weapon. After a moment’s deduction, he surmised that this was a welcoming gift from the Overlord Chu himself. If Zoro were truly his unofficial disciple, and he were to fail while wandering the seas, wouldn't that bring shame to the Overlord? A sentient spirit blade like this was likely a defensive measure granted by the master to his student.

"I envy this kid. Even an unofficial disciple can obtain such a terrifying spirit blade. If one were to become his own child, what kind of fortune would they receive?"

He wasn't sure what kind of treatment a biological child might receive, but looking at the benefits Nami had reaped since becoming an adopted daughter, one could easily guess! Though his expression remained calm, a flicker of envy and jealousy stirred within Mihawk. He, too, wanted a sentient treasure sword!

Just as Zoro and Mihawk were about to clash in a life-or-death struggle:
Suddenly!

A roar came from Admiral Don Krieg nearby. A dark, hollow cannon barrel suddenly emerged from his body, aiming directly at Zoro and Mihawk. He clearly intended to send both of these eyesores to the afterlife at once!

"You two bastards! Chatting away as if I, Admiral Don Krieg, don't even exist?"
"Die, you scum! Daring to strike at my fleet—Hawk-Eye, are you tired of living?"

BOOM!
Sparks erupted from the dark barrel, and the cannonball flew toward them like a meteor.

"Noisy!"
Mihawk scanned Krieg coldly and sheathed his black blade, Yoru.
SWISH!
The already battered flagship of Don Krieg was cleaved in two, man and ship alike, in the blink of an eye.

One strike.
Just one strike!
The massive flagship, capable of holding thousands, was severed as if it were made of paper!

Rumble, rumble.
The deck tore apart like a spiderweb. Don Krieg stared at the incomparably powerful Hawk-Eye, dumbstruck and paralyzed in shock!

Strong.
Simply too strong!
This man was worthy of the title of the world's greatest swordsman!

Cold sweat beaded on Zoro’s forehead, but his mindset shifted, and he laughed heartily:
"Hahahaha... the strength of the world's greatest swordsman truly lives up to its reputation. However, the harder it is to become the best, the more interesting it gets!"

Mihawk returned Yoru to its sheath and withdrew a small, cross-shaped fruit knife from his chest. Looking at the furious Zoro, Mihawk chuckled:
"Roronoa Zoro, I apologize, but given your current strength, it is not enough to make me draw Yoru."

Zoro’s mood turned as dark as a volcanic eruption. "What is that supposed to mean? Are you looking down on me?!"

Mihawk smiled faintly, unmoved. "I am not like a foolish beast that uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Even though you are a swordsman of some renown, this is, after all, the East Blue, the weakest of the four seas! Unfortunately, I have no smaller blade than this."

"You pitiful weakling. If you were truly a first-class swordsman, even without crossing blades, you would surely be able to see the gap in our power. To dare point your blade at me... should I call you courageous, or simply ignorant?"

Zoro flew into a rage and lunged at Mihawk. The Wado Ichimonji, in perfect harmony with Zoro’s will, hung in the sky and dove toward Mihawk from a bizarre angle.

"Hawk-Eye, there’s a limit to how much you can look down on me! Don't end up regretting this when you're dead!"

Luffy watched the battlefield intently, not wanting Zoro to be in mortal danger. Nami looked at the Overlord Chu anxiously, her voice laced with worry:
"Overlord, can Zoro beat Mihawk?"

"Of course he can't."
Nami: "..."

How could he be so calm? Wasn't he afraid Mihawk would kill Zoro? The Overlord Chu shrugged indifferently, his tone casual.
"Although Zoro has grasped a tiny fraction of the 'Art of Summoning Swords'—enough to easily slaughter trash like Krieg—Mihawk is the world's greatest swordsman. Zoro still has a long way to go to surpass him. As for killing Zoro? That is even more impossible! With me, the Overlord Chu, presiding here, not a single person among these thousands can kill Zoro without my consent!"

Nami breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although she had leveraged the bonds between Luffy, Zoro, and the others, it did not mean she didn't care for her companions. On the contrary, she hungered for such companionship!

"Master, then I’ll leave it to you to save Zoro’s life when the time comes."
Nami seized the chance to press a quick kiss to the Overlord Chu’s cheek. Before he could react, her surprise attack was already over!

"I suspect Nami is taking advantage of you, and I’ve caught the evidence!" Kaya’s face flushed as she glared at Nami.

"Hmph."
She knew Nami was up to no good, eyeing the Overlord’s affection every single day! Now that Nami had become his adopted daughter, she had finally been caught red-handed! Yet, Kaya couldn't even scold her! After all, Nami was now their adopted daughter. Was it so wrong for an adopted daughter to kiss her adopted father? Not really!

Seeing the signs of a "harem fire" breaking out, the Overlord Chu intentionally changed the subject, pointing at Mihawk, who had pulled out his fruit knife.
"Look! The master of the basic attack has appeared!"

Usopp gritted his teeth. "This guy is so arrogant! Facing Zoro, he actually pulled out a fruit knife?"

The atmosphere turned deathly silent. Zoro crossed his hands, unleashing his most common technique.

"Oni Giri!"

This move was called by many pirates "the ultimate technique where the enemy dies the moment it’s unleashed," with the third blade used to seal any gaps for the enemy to escape! Perhaps Oni Giri wasn't perfect yet, but with the addition of the sword spirit Xiao Wen, Zoro’s Three-Sword Style had begun to evolve toward a Four-Sword Style! The flaws of Oni Giri had been reduced to almost nothing!

HUM!
The roar of clashing metal rang out.
Zoro stared at the scene before him, dumbfounded and horrified.
"Nani! How is this possible?!"