One Piece pirates salty life

"So, what is your purpose?"

After listening to Leo's succinct summary, Mihawk's sharp eyes slowly scanned him up and down, a hint of skepticism lacing his tone.

"Purpose?" Leo repeated calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I want to test the peak power of this world."

The moment Leo spoke, Creek and his crew, who had been silently observing nearby, were stunned into silence.

They had just witnessed the fierce battle between Mihawk and Zoro. The overwhelming victory had clearly demonstrated Mihawk's immense strength—unmatched and absolute.

Yet, despite this huge gap in power, here was someone who dared to challenge Mihawk without fear of death. To them, this was simply incomprehensible.

In their eyes, Leo was nothing more than a fool, a clown even. After all, many of the guests who had witnessed Leo's own powers had fled the scene as soon as Creek arrived.

And the most insulting thing to these swordsmen? Leo chose to wield a simple cane in battle. Was he not aware that this was a direct affront to a swordsman's honor?

This wasn't just foolish—it was suicide.

"I see," Mihawk said calmly, his gaze narrowing slightly. "But I will show no mercy to those who are not swordsmen."

Mihawk had yet to see Leo's true form, but judging from the aura he sensed, this was no ordinary opponent. A cane was technically a weapon, but hardly one worthy of the battlefield.

"Look at him!" Creek's crew whispered among themselves on the other deck. "He's actually using a businessman's cane to fight?"

"Does he think fighting is some kind of game? One good slash with a sword would be enough to end him."

"That guy is a complete joke!"

They laughed among themselves, unwilling to take Leo seriously.

Meanwhile, on the Baratie's deck, the Pirates of the Creekhaze Regiment emerged from the water, their faces a mix of disbelief and ridicule.

Leo adjusted the top hat perched on his head and casually shook his cane, a playful glint in his eyes.

"You're strong," Leo said, voice low and inviting, "but you're not a swordsman."

Mihawk's expression remained unreadable. "I have no desire to attack you."

Leo's voice took on a bewitching quality. "I may not be a swordsman, but if you are one, shouldn't you respond when someone challenges you?"

There was a charged silence between them.

"So," Leo said, stepping forward, "are you accepting my challenge?"

Mihawk's eyes flickered with interest. "Very well. Think of it as avenging your comrades. I will do my best to defeat you."

Leo bowed slightly, twirling his cane with a flourish. "I couldn't ask for more, Hawk of the Seas. Please, show me your strength."

With that, Leo gently waved his cane, signaling Nami, his group, and the rescued Zoro to move back to the safety of the Baratie's deck. As for Creek's pirates, Leo showed no mercy—they were unworthy of his attention and deserved to die.

Mihawk's interest was clearly piqued by Leo's confident and nonchalant demeanor.

Respecting strength above all else, Mihawk drew the infamous black blade from his back once more. The palpable pressure in the air signaled that he was preparing to unleash his full power.

"Don't die, magician," Mihawk warned, his voice calm yet filled with deadly intent.

Leo was about to respond, but suddenly, Mihawk's face turned serious. In a fluid, almost imperceptible motion, Mihawk shifted his stance and swung the black blade from back to front in a blazing arc.

A brilliant dark green slash erupted from the blade, cutting through the air with terrifying speed and precision.

The slash was so powerful that it seemed to cleave the very sky in two.

The onlookers, whether Creek's pirates or those aboard the Baratie, widened their eyes in disbelief.

"The sky... the sky is cut in half!" someone gasped.

"This is... the gap between him and me?" Leo wondered inwardly, heart pounding.

Zoro, still leaning weakly against the railing after his rescue by Johnny and Joseph, stared at the scene in awe, his eyes burning with determination. He vowed silently that one day, he would wield a strike just as spectacular.

To everyone else, Leo appeared as nothing more than an insignificant ant facing this overwhelming strike.

"Interesting," Leo murmured, recognizing the origin of this slash immediately.

This was the same technique Mihawk had used against Whitebeard during the Summit War.

Without hesitation, Leo grasped the end of his cane tightly as the magic power coursed through his veins, responding in kind.

"Ice Eternity!" he commanded.

Snap!

The crowd gasped as Leo's cane collided with Mihawk's slash in a shower of sparkling ice shards.

A thin, shimmering layer of dark blue ice quickly formed on the surface of the cane. However, the slash was so strong that tiny cracks began to spiderweb along the icy coating.

Those cracks slowly grew as time passed, threatening to shatter the fragile shield.

"Interesting," Mihawk's eyes gleamed with respect.

He wondered, could Leo really block an attack of this caliber?

Sure enough, his instincts had been right.

"Take this!" Leo growled, gripping the cane tightly.

Although Leo expected to hold the strike, Mihawk's power was more than he had anticipated. The slight cracks in the icy layer were proof of the immense force behind the blow.

But Leo's control over the realm of time and ice was remarkable. The blue slash, now infused with chilling frost, rebounded swiftly.

The dark blue energy crackled with an icy chill as it roared back toward Mihawk.

Wherever the slash passed, thick ice formed on the sea's surface, splitting the water into frozen halves. The sky was soon filled with snowflakes swirling in the bone-chilling cold.

Mihawk laughed with excitement. "Well done!"

Without hesitation, he unleashed another devastating blow, the black blade slicing through the frigid air to meet the rolling blue slash head-on.

An eerie silence fell over the battlefield as the two immense energies clashed.

Snowflakes instantly froze midair, solidifying under their powerful control.

Then, a titanic shockwave erupted from the center of the collision, rippling across the sea.

Where the two forces met, the frozen surface shattered violently, as if a colossal explosion had erupted beneath the waves.

Creek and his men, standing closest to the battle, were struck by the blast like an unexpected disaster. Some were thrown into the water; others lay injured or worse. The exact toll was unknown.

"This... this is an unparalleled technique," Mihawk said sincerely, his voice tinged with admiration.

This was the first time he had ever seen his own attack blocked—let alone returned with such bone-chilling power.

"I will remember you, magician Leo."

Mihawk's voice carried a promise as he prepared to strike again.

Suddenly, his figure vanished in a blur, appearing instantly in front of Leo.

The black blade came down with blinding speed in a slash aimed to finish the fight.

Click!

Leo anticipated the swift attack, and his cane met Mihawk's blade with a violent clash.

Ice shards flew everywhere as the two weapons locked.

Behind the flying ice, Leo's eyes burned with fierce determination, sharp and unwavering—like an eagle's gaze locked onto its prey.

---

The battle had only just begun.

---

Expanded Scene and Reflections

The ocean breeze whipped around the ship, carrying with it the scent of salt and the promise of stormy weather.

The Baratie's wooden deck creaked beneath the feet of the gathered pirates, both spectators and participants in this extraordinary duel.

Leo's mind was razor-focused, yet a part of him thrilled at the challenge. Facing one of the world's strongest swordsmen with nothing but a cane and his mastery of ice magic was as thrilling as it was dangerous.

"I must test my limits," he thought. "To grow stronger, I must face the peak power of this world."

Mihawk, the "Hawk of the Seas," was no ordinary swordsman. His reputation was legendary—his black blade, a weapon feared across the oceans, capable of slicing through steel and stone with ease.

And yet, here Leo stood, undeterred by that terrifying reputation.

"Such courage," Mihawk mused internally, "or foolishness? I will find out soon enough."

As their weapons clashed once more, the air seemed to freeze around them, the sea itself reacting to their power.

Snowflakes danced like ghosts in the wind, sparkling like stars caught in a midnight storm.

Leo's cane, encased in a fragile but potent shell of ice, absorbed the pressure of Mihawk's strikes as best it could.

He could feel the cracks forming, small fissures that might grow and break if he weren't careful.

But retreat was not an option. This was his moment.

With every clash, Leo pushed harder, weaving his magic and technique into a defense that was as elegant as it was deadly.

On the sidelines, Zoro clenched his fists, absorbing every moment.

The fight was a lesson, a glimpse into the heights he aspired to reach.

Even Creek and his pirates, once dismissive, now watched in awed silence.

Leo was no fool; he was a magician of power and precision.

And the world had just begun to see it.

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