Chapter 629 Safe Journey Ahead!

An explosion, unlike the Thunder Halberd, cannot simply be deflected. Mihawk wasn't Kuma, who had the Paw-Paw Fruit and its absurd powers.

So this blow from the 'Raigo - Thunder Greeting: Confounder' hit Mihawk with full force.

"...!"

With a muffled groan, Mihawk ignored his scorched and blood-covered back, twisting his body sharply amidst the flames.

He drew his sword, then slashed!

If he remained restrained in place, his fate would be sealed.

Without any flashy or intricate moves, it was just a simple, straightforward slash. However, in Mihawk's hands, any grandiose technique would pale in comparison to the terrifying brilliance of this slash.

'Shua!!'

The stone slabs beneath his feet shattered, and a massive circle of sword shadows radiated from him, slicing outward in every direction.

At the height of his swing, all the debris and rubble split cleanly in half, cut into two perfect pieces.

'Buzz!…'

'Crackle!'

The flash of the sword's shadow faded quickly, but it continued for hundreds of meters before dissipating, slicing through the clouds in the sky and leaving nothing in its way. The bright sunlight poured down, illuminating the Black Blade, which absorbed the light without reflecting, allowing Mihawk to observe his opponent's movements clearly.

But since the dark blade didn't cause any glare for him, it wouldn't do so for his opponent, either!

Rowen leaped over the slash, then took a step forward into the void, diving in a fierce charge.

'Geppo!'

'Soru!'

Like a meteor crashing down, Rowen streaked an "L"-shaped blue line through the air, landing with a powerful launch, reaching Mihawk in an instant.

His speed was so fast that Mihawk hadn't even recovered his Black Blade to a defensive position and was still caught in the follow-through of his sidelong strike.

"Not good!"

The lingering gravity weighed down Mihawk, impeding his movements significantly. Facing Soryu (Azure Dragon)'s speed-based attack, Mihawk felt, for the first time in his life, a sense of helplessness.

His mind could react, but his body couldn't match the speed.

'Shh!'

'Crackle!'

Rowen didn't let the opportunity slip. Fujitora's 'Gravito - Gravity Blade' would only last a few seconds, a limit Fujitora couldn't alter, as the natural gravitational forces of the planet counteracted this foreign power, gradually stabilizing the gravity fluctuations.

Decisively thrusting his Thunder Halberd, Rowen sent a burst of lightning searing through the air. As the effect of 'Gravito - Gravity Blade' ended, a spray of blood erupted.

'Psh!!!'

Although it happened in an instant, Mihawk had sustained unimaginable damage in that brief moment from his furious counter-slash to Rowen's attack and reappearance.

"Gah!"

Mihawk coughed up blood as he was knocked into the air. A deep, bone-revealing gash now marked his exposed upper body.

Just a few centimeters more and his heart would've been sliced to pieces!

"Tch, he dodged, huh?"

Savoring the feel of his last strike, Rowen clicked his tongue in mild disappointment, then looked forward.

"Your move, Issho!"

"Understood!"

As a swordsman without any special powers— even as the World's Strongest Swordsman— Mihawk's ability to adapt to air combat had its limits.

This perfect opportunity was something Fujitora wouldn't miss. Just as Mihawk's unyielding Hawk Eyes had no doubt in their path, neither did Fujitora's resolve waver in the slightest.

Rowen's recent attack required a moment to catch his breath, and Fujitora seized the moment, charging forward, his blade slicing horizontally.

"'Gravity Blade: Heavenly Burial!'"

'Boom!!'

A purple pillar of light descended directly on Mihawk mid-air, detonating in a wave of intense gravity. 

These gravity waves compressed in a single direction, pinning Mihawk in place. From a distance, it looked as if he'd crashed into an invisible wall and was embedded within it.

But Mihawk knew better—he wasn't embedded 'outside' the wall; he was wedged 'between' them!

The gravitational forces pressing from all sides could warp steel, and the immobilized Mihawk couldn't even move a finger.

Were it not for his high-level Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), he would've been crushed into a paste.

Yet, this wasn't necessarily a good thing.

'Rumble!'

Within the vast range of this gravity field, broken rocks defied natural laws, rising upward like cannonballs and continuously slamming into Mihawk.

''Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!''

Tons of Island Cloud continued to collide and compress, forming a massive rock sphere over a hundred meters in diameter, hanging high in the sky.

"Isn't this thing pretty much a 'Planetary Devastation'?" Rowen wondered aloud as he looked at the massive white sphere Fujitora had swiftly summoned with his gravity powers. But realizing this wasn't the time to be concerned about copyright, he quickly asked, "Is it over?"

After all, their opponent was none other than Mihawk. Even with an unrelenting onslaught from the formidable team of "Fujitora + Soryu (Azure Dragon)," it would still take some time to defeat him.

Fujitora shook his head. "Not yet, he's…"

Before he could finish, the massive Island Cloud sphere in the sky suddenly exploded, and a barrage of Sword Energy ripped through it, crisscrossing in the shape of pincers and tearing it apart.

'Boom! Boom! Boom!'

'Thud!'

With a series of thunderous crashes, the Island Cloud sphere shattered completely, scattering into a cloud of debris.

Standing atop a platform of Island Cloud, Mihawk, slightly out of breath, noticed that the broken fragments were still targeting him. He immediately leaped forward, trying to escape the center point.

"Prepare yourself. I'll lock him down," Rowen said as brilliant flashes of electricity engulfed his body. In an instant, he vanished, transforming into a blinding pillar of white light that shot straight toward Mihawk.

Under normal circumstances, Mihawk could easily evade or slice through an attack at this speed. However, under the interference of Fujitora's Gravity Wave, simply maintaining his balance was already taxing.

Noticing the white light approaching in his direction, Mihawk barely managed to pull his Black Blade "Yoru" back into position, the determination in his bloodied, battered body surging forth.

"You're not getting me that easily, Soryu (Azure Dragon)!!"

'Buzz!'

An overwhelming sword aura erupted, so fierce it seemed ready to split the heavens. Sword intent blazing, Mihawk annihilated the Gravity Wave, regained control of his body, and raised his Black Blade high to meet the white light head-on.

"Slash!!"

'Shriek!!!'

A piercing, grating sound reverberated through the sky, its high frequency shattering eardrums and causing people to bleed from their eyes and ears.

For a moment, white and black lights clashed, reaching a critical point before crossing paths.

'Shua! Shua!'

Two figures fell from the sky. Mihawk maintained a stern expression, his blade still raised in a down-slash stance. Behind him… Rowen's body lay torn open from shoulder to abdomen, his exposed organs and blood scattering in the air.

"Nicely…done…" Rowen staggered forward, his eyes flashing with intensity as his wounds began to knit together. Gripping his Thunder Dragon crescent halberd tightly, he roared.

"But this is where it ends!!!"

'Awakening Art: Prison Dragon Lock Sky Formation!'

'Thud!'

The thunder halberd plunged into the ground, surrounded by crackling lightning.

'Rumble!!!'

An enormous area centered around Mihawk sank into a vast pit, as if from nowhere. At the same time, a sharp crack sounded through the sky. The supports keeping the floating island aloft broke, and like a bird with clipped wings, it began plummeting rapidly toward the Blue Sea.

"Fujitora!"

"Leave it to me!" Fujitora roared, sheathing his blade and preparing his next move as the island plunged downward.

'Gravito - Gravity Blade: Fire Festival!'

From afar, the Skypieans watching in horror saw the enormous island crashing down from 7000 meters, colliding with the White Sea and obliterating an enormous section of it.

Tons of seawater erupted skyward, transforming into a misty, white fog that covered the entire sky.

Yet a deafening roar followed from above. Blazing orange flames replaced the sunlight, illuminating the sky and sea with a powerful, oppressive force.

'Bang! Bang! Bang!'

The sky turned into a sea of fire as meteors the size of Marine battleships emerged from the dense fog, carpeted across the heavens with no gaps, completely obscuring the sky.

Rowen stood, his upper body rapidly healing, beside his thunder halberd, his gaze locked onto Mihawk, who remained kneeling motionless in the pit below.

Sensing something, Mihawk lifted his head with great effort, meeting Rowen's gaze.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound emerged.

Perhaps he spoke, but amid the roar of meteors crashing down, Rowen couldn't hear anything through the Heavenly Network.

All he could offer was a farewell.

"Farewell, Mihawk."

'Boom…'

The vast White Sea erupted violently, and in an instant, the sea that was home to countless Skypiean ocean creatures was engulfed in flames. The meteors descended unstoppably, sweeping across the battlefield and submerging the entire island.

Then…

'Rumble!!!'

(End Of Chapter)

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