The two children eagerly charged at Mihawk, ready to challenge him.
Mihawk's gaze slightly lowered, sweeping across the faces of the two children before raising his eyes again, his expression unchanged, silent as ever.
"Hey! Mihawk!"
Seeing that he didn't even acknowledge him, Zoro grew impatient. He was truly desperate and even gripped the real sword that Kuina had pulled from the dojo's warehouse, pointing it at Mihawk.
"Co and duel with !"
"No, it's a battle with you should have!"
Kuina also stepped forward, loudly declaring.
She wanted to prove that even won could beco the strongest!
However, Mihawk showed no interest in even looking at them.
Shimotsuki Koushirou finally snapped out of it and stepped forward, pulling the two children back. "Stop fooling around, Zoro, Kuina! This isn't the ti for your antics!"
"But Dad!"
Kuina struggled, still resisting. "That's Mihawk!"
"Yeah, teacher!" Zoro yelled, equally unwilling to back down. "The world's greatest swordsman is right in front of us! How can we just ignore him!"
You know that's Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman! He's not soone you two can just challenge now!
Koushirou stepped back a few paces, handing the children over to the other disciples before turning back around.
Mihawk then calmly spoke. "Shimotsuki Koushirou, is he the swordsmith you ntioned?"
This was clearly directed at Iain.
Iain smiled lightly, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you hear the kids, Mihawk? They want to duel with you. Why not indulge them and et their expectations?"
"I'm not like those so-called gentle instructors."
Mihawk spoke calmly, "I have no interest in playing with children. What I seek is a true worthy opponent."
"Oh no."
Ian grinned weirdly. "So cold-hearted."
But he understood.
Mihawk, despite being close friends with Shanks, wasn't as easygoing as Shanks was.
He was proud and solitary, soone who could be said to look down on everyone. Not many people in the world could catch his attention.
For soone like him to entertain children, it really was a bit too much to ask.
"In that case," Ian stepped forward. "I'll just say it directly, where is Shimotsuki Kouzaburou?"
"We've already left Wano Country, and we have nothing to do with that country. The Beast Pirates have no reason to wipe us out!"
Koushirou gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, speaking seriously.
After all, he hadn't even returned to Wano Country. He had no sense of belonging to that place. Was he supposed to die just because of that?
And on top of that, drag his disciples and daughter down with him?
Wasn't that ridiculous? Koushirou could never accept it.
The sharp blade seed like it was about to be unsheathed in the next instant.
But, that mont never ca.
Ian grabbed Koushirou's wrist and pressed his sword firmly back into its sheath.
What?
Koushirou's eyes widened in shock, his pupils trembling.
How could this be happening?!
He couldn't react at all!
Forget about escaping, it felt like his wrist was going to be crushed!
This was... Ian the Skyfire!!
What kind of monster was he?!
"Dad!!"
From behind, Kuina couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
Zoro's face was full of confusion. "What just happened?"
How did that guy suddenly appear in front of the teacher?
"Exterminate them all?"
Ian said faintly, "Really, don't be so full of yourself."
Koushirou's strength was actually quite formidable, even stronger than Jack in so ways. In the East Blue, he could be considered overwhelmingly powerful.
However, this level of strength was really not enough to catch Ian's interest.
It wasn't even worth ntioning. Could anyone really expect soone with this level of power to stage a counterattack against Wano, or defeat the Beast Pirates?
Koushirou was stunned.
Then he gave a bitter smile.
So full of himself?
He had said that he would exterminate them all, but in the end, it was he who was being full of himself? What an arrogant man.
But.
He did have the capital to be arrogant.
In front of him, Koushirou couldn't even draw his sword.
And that was just the tip of the iceberg of his true power.
Moreover, this man even had Mihawk by his side!
A top-tier swordsman could instantly gauge the strength of their opponent just by eting them.
Koushirou knew better than anyone that Mihawk truly deserved to be called the world's greatest swordsman. That was a strength he simply couldn't contend with.
Their combination, plus the cadres aboard the Golden Dragon, was unstoppable.
They couldn't win. The result of any battle would only bring about their destruction.
"Don't make say it a fourth ti. Where is Shimotsuki Kouzaburou?"
Releasing his grip, Ian pointed at Mihawk. "This guy needs to repair his sword."
Repair his sword?
Mihawk?
Finally freed, Koushirou instinctively looked at Mihawk. The swordsman's instinct made him exclaim, "A swordsman like you can't even protect your own sword?"
Unbelievable. How could soone damage Mihawk's sword?
What kind of person could do sothing like that?
Koushirou was shocked inside.
Mihawk is the world's number one swordsman. Even if soone is stronger than him, it's difficult to damage the sword he wields.
Mihawk twitched the corner of his mouth.
You really have to bring that up, huh?
"If that's all—"
Koushirou slowly let out a sigh and gently nodded. "Then please follow ."
It seed that they weren't here to eliminate them.
Otherwise, with their strength, why would they waste so much ti talking to him?
But even if they had bad intentions, just delaying for a bit would be enough.
So, Koushirou led Ian and the others to et his father.
They t the man nad Shimotsuki Kouzaburou outside a small house on the coast, just outside the village.
Wearing a loose kimono, old and frail, one hand holding a pipe and the other holding a fishing rod, he was fishing, with a sword hanging at his waist.
"Hmm?"
The old man, with peculiar continuous eyebrows, turned around in surprise, looking at the group following behind his son.
Koushirou approached him and softly explained the situation.
Shimotsuki Kouzaburou glanced at Ian, but didn't say anything. He simply stood up, walked in front of Mihawk, and, without a word, stared at him.
Mihawk frowned slightly under the gaze.
"The world's number one swordsman is indeed well-deserved."
It was unclear what the old man saw in Mihawk, but he started by complinting him.
Mihawk paid no attention, likely accustod to this kind of verbal praise.
Then…
"But for a man like you to have your sword damaged?"
The old man seed curious.
Mihawk's eyelid twitched.
Still not done, huh?
"Anyway, let see it."
The old man extended his hand toward Mihawk.
Mihawk didn't hesitate much. He drew his beloved sword from his back and handed it to the old man.
He didn't think Ian would deceive him.
Moreover, this old man in front of him seed to have so skill.
"Oh!"
Shimotsuki Kouzaburou's eyes lit up. "Soft yet resilient, is this the Great Sword Yoru? Truly a treasured blade!"
Then, he noticed the chip on the blade, and his expression changed instantly. "How is this possible?! How could there be such a chip?!"
It was so smooth, there was no sign of any damage!
If it weren't for this glaring chip, which had grown large enough to affect the use of the entire sword, he might have thought it was there from the start!
What kind of attack could cause such a chip?
What kind of powerful person could have damaged this sword held by this man like this?
"Interesting! Interesting!!"
Shimotsuki Kouzaburou seed to have been touched by sothing strange, his face full of excitent as he looked at Mihawk.
"To think you could damage this treasured sword like this! Will you still fight that enemy?"
Mihawk glanced at Ian. "Of course."
"…"
Shimotsuki Kouzaburou noticed the look in Mihawk's eyes and already had a guess in his heart.
Is it Ian?
Could it be the legendary fla of destruction?
**********
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