One Piece: Starting at the War of the Best

"Luffy, you leave first. Leave this to me."

At this moment, he no longer had the energy to protect Luffy. Letting him go was the best choice. All of the Navy's top forces were now being held off by the Whitebeard Pirates, and with Ivankov, Jinbei, and the others protecting him, Luffy would be safe even in the middle of the chaos.

"Be careful."

Although Luffy had a lot of questions, he knew the situation was dangerous—and that man called Hawkeye had come again!

But he felt deeply unwilling and frustrated. This war had made him realize just how many powerful figures existed in this world. The Navy's three Admirals stood before him like three insurmountable mountains, and Whitebeard was as overwhelmingly strong as his own grandfather.

Then there was that young woman named Katie. When they first met, Luffy hadn't thought much of her strength. But now, he had to admit—he was far weaker than Katie, and the gap wasn't small.

At this moment, Luffy made up his mind: once this battle was over, he would train harder than ever to become stronger!

"Mission complete. Rewards have been issued. Please check, Host."

However, before Katie could actually check, another notification sounded.

Mission Description: Only by fighting true powerhouses can one recognize their own shortcomings and grow faster.

[Mission Complete. Reward issued. Host, please check your account.]

Before Katie could even check, another system prompt followed:

Mission Brief: Only by fighting true powerhouses can one discover their weaknesses and grow stronger faster.

Mission Objective: Battle the world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, and last ten minutes without defeat.

Mission Reward: 5,000,000 exchange points, 50 skill points.

If it were in the past, Katie would've been thrilled at such a massive reward. But now, there was no excitement—only tension and pressure.

Dracule Mihawk—the world's acknowledged greatest swordsman. With sharp eyes like a hawk's, he was known as "Hawkeye" to the world. He wielded Yoru, one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords. He was practically a god-like man.

In Katie's memory, Mihawk had always used only one move—basic attacks. No flash, no flair. Just plain, terrifying sword strikes.

Whether he was slicing bullets, ships, or even meteors—it was always the same basic strike. It was hard to tell whether it was because his power was overwhelming or because his opponents were just too weak.

Every time, he looked relaxed, as if he never took things seriously. Even though the mission only required lasting ten minutes, Katie had no absolute confidence in doing so.

"You're a swordsman too, right? Draw your sword."

At that moment, Katie received a duel invitation—from the world's number one swordsman. And not just any duel, a sword duel.

Even if he lost, no one would think less of him. On the contrary, people would consider Katie powerful for earning Hawkeye's recognition. After all, not just anyone could get an invitation from Mihawk.

Many dream of fighting him, but Mihawk didn't have time for just anyone. He only made a move if he found someone worthy, and issuing a challenge himself was even rarer—perhaps only once a year, if that.

Katie silently drew his blade Voidcleaver. This was a battle he couldn't and wouldn't back down from. Even if Mihawk hadn't approached him, he would've gone looking for him. He had to complete the system mission!

Focused and calm, Katie's mind reached a level of concentration he had never experienced before. He dared not hold anything back.

While Katie was watching Mihawk, Mihawk was staring at Katie's sword. From the moment Katie drew Voidcleaver, Mihawk's eyes never left it.

He didn't know why, but Mihawk felt something… alive from the blade. It was a sensation he had never experienced—a living sword. What that meant, he couldn't say.

It had been a long time since Mihawk felt curiosity. Now, even the look in his eyes toward Katie changed—more serious. Maybe this battle would show him something different.

[Master-level swordsmanship detected in Dracule Mihawk. Copy and extract?]

"Yes!"

A wave of warmth surged through Katie. Finally, he had a bit more confidence going into this battle. The last piece he was missing had just been filled.

Now, all his major skills had reached the peak of the master level. While not yet transcendent, with his unique abilities and Devil Fruit powers, Katie now stood on par with top-tier vice-admirals.

"Take this!"

With Mihawk's final warning, his black blade Yoru flew from its sheath. In an instant, a green energy slash came hurtling toward Katie.

It may have been just a basic attack—but the threat it carried was overwhelming. Even from more than ten meters away, Katie's skin tingled with pain.

"Aurora Slash!"

Katie didn't use his ultimate technique to counter. After all, this was just a casual swing from Mihawk. If he had to use his best move this early, there'd be no point in continuing the fight.

A flash of silver light burst out—Voidcleaver met Mihawk's slash head-on. Katie unleashed his full power, and after a moment of resistance, the green energy slash shattered into glowing fragments and disappeared.

Only after the actual clash did Katie realize just how powerful that "basic" attack really was. If his physical stats hadn't improved recently, he might not have been able to block it.

In comparison, Mihawk's casual swing carried as much power as Shiryu's full-force attack.

Realizing Mihawk's strength, Katie dared not stand idly anymore. He launched an attack of his own. If he didn't, Mihawk could just wear him down one swing at a time. Katie knew he couldn't block that level of attack a hundred times. Ten minutes? He'd be lucky to last one.

He didn't doubt anything—except maybe Mihawk's absurd sword speed.

Clang!

Silver-white Voidcleaver met the pitch-black Yoru. Though neither of them moved visibly, the ice beneath them shattered into countless pieces, and the surrounding air exploded with razor-sharp slashes that howled like a storm through the bay.

At that moment, the war between tens of thousands of Marines and pirates came to a halt.

Not because they didn't want to fight—but because they couldn't.

The entire bay had become a battlefield for eight monsters—the three Navy Admirals, Mihawk from the Shichibukai, and the strongest trio of the Whitebeard Pirates plus fugitive Katie.

Their battle had reached a level no ordinary person could join. Even those who wanted to help couldn't—it was beyond them.

And among these fights, the clash between Katie and Mihawk became the one the world watched most closely.

As the world's greatest swordsman, Mihawk had always drawn attention. And now, the one challenging him—Katie—was the wild card everyone was curious about.

Who was this man who appeared from nowhere? What kind of power did he truly hold? And… what was his goal?