Chapter 73: Hawkeye, Stop Humiliating Yourself.

Upon hearing the Vice Admiral speak, the sailors seemed to regain their courage and surged forward.

Even if the opponent was the world's greatest swordsman, so what? No matter how powerful he was, he was still just one person.

This was Naval Headquarters!

Hawkeye glanced around, observing the hostile faces, a hint of disdain flickering in his eyes.

"Where's Carlos? Bring him out," he demanded.

Onigumo frowned, a fire of indignation igniting within him. After all, he was a dignified Vice Admiral of Naval Headquarters. Despite his repeated warnings, the other party continued to disregard him completely.

The glances from the sailors behind him made him feel even more embarrassed.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Get out of here quickly. Otherwise, don't blame us for being rude!" he barked.

As soon as the words left his mouth, his hair began to grow at an astonishing speed, visible to the naked eye. In an instant, it gathered into dark, menacing "hands." These living extensions of himself pulled out seven sharp swords from beneath his wide Marine cloak in the blink of an eye.

Hawkeye narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression growing serious.

"Since you've chosen to draw your sword, be prepared to lose your life," he stated coldly.

Without hesitation, Hawkeye gripped his black sword, Yoru, with both hands and swung it forcefully. A powerful, domineering slash roared out, spanning tens of meters in an instant, cutting through everything in its path!

Smoke and dust filled the air, and gravel scattered as a massive trench was carved into the thick, hard ground.

"Impossible!" Onigumo's face went pale, his body frozen in place. He never imagined that the opponent would dare to make a move in front of Marine officers like them!

The surrounding sailors had no time to react, helplessly watching the scene unfold before them, despair etched on their faces.

Just then, the temperature around them skyrocketed, and waves of scorching heat surged forward. A tall figure suddenly appeared in front of everyone.

The person was none other than Marine Admiral Akainu!

He swung his massive lava fist, intercepting the oncoming slash. The cloak of justice fluttered in the wind behind him, and everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Onigumo, still trembling, realized his back was drenched in sweat.

Akainu kept a stern expression as he shouted, "Hawkeye! This is not the place for you to be arrogant! Don't forget the countless crimes you've committed!"

He hadn't forgotten that before becoming the world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye was known as the "Marine Hunter." Marine had tried to send troops to capture him, but countless Marines—hundreds, if not thousands—had perished at his hands. After paying a heavy price repeatedly, they were forced to recruit him as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Among the fallen were many of Akainu's comrades. How could he forget such a blood feud?

Under the constraints of the World Government, Marine was prohibited from attacking the Shichibukai without authorization. Even if Akainu wanted to, his hands were tied.

But this time was different. Even if Hawkeye were killed here, the World Government would have no grounds for complaint.

The next moment, a brilliant golden light flared up and then condensed into a human form. A peculiar old man wearing a yellow striped suit, and sunglasses appeared beside Akainu.

With a crooked smile, he put one hand in his pocket and pointed a finger at Hawkeye with the other. His fingertip glowed with a bright golden light.

Gone was his usual casual demeanor, replaced by a serious expression.

"Hawkeye, I suggest you carefully consider the consequences of your actions here," Kizaru warned.

Hawkeye's frown deepened as he faced the two Admirals.

"Akainu, Kizaru... I have no intention of fighting you. Bring out Carlos. He has a duel to fulfill with me."

At these words, everyone in the square exchanged shocked glances, tension thick in the air.

"Duel? Is this guy out of his mind? How dare he come to Marine Headquarters for a duel alone?"

"Even though Marine has reformed, we still have two Admirals here—Akainu and Kizaru. Not even Whitebeard would walk away unscathed from this!"

"Are you joking? The Admirals don't even need to lift a finger. There are over 50,000 of us here. Just one spit from each of us could drown this guy!"

The air was filled with ridicule and jeers, but Hawkeye remained unmoved.

To him, this crowd was nothing more than a swarm of ants. And who cares about the feelings of ants?

He sighed softly.

"Carlos, I didn't expect a strong man like you to go back on your word. Or is it that you don't even have the courage to show up?"

Hawkeye gave a long, hard look at the two Admirals before him, then sheathed his black sword, Yoru.

"In that case, I won't waste any more of your time."

"It's quite amusing that such a coward has been allowed to become Marine's Marshal."

Akainu frowned and stepped in front of Hawkeye.

"Hold on! Who said you could leave?"

Hawkeye's expression immediately turned icy.

"I have no interest in fighting you. Get out of my way, or don't blame me for leveling all of Marineford."

"How arrogant! You'll pay for the lives of the Marines!"

Just as the tension was about to explode into violence, the atmosphere in the square froze.

"Stop."

A commanding voice rang out from the distance.

Everyone turned to see two figures, a man and a woman, approaching the square.

"It's Carlos!"

Surrounded by the crowd, Carlos walked over slowly.

Seeing the fighting spirit on Hawkeye's face, he couldn't help but sigh.

Ever since he had acquired the S+ level Killing Sword Intent, his perspective had changed entirely. In the realm of swordsmanship, he had shattered the ceiling of this world.

This duel no longer stirred any interest in him. The title of the "World's Greatest Swordsman" now seemed like nothing more than a joke.

"Hawkeye, Marine has just undergone significant changes, and I don't have time to entertain you right now."

Hawkeye's expression froze, and for a moment, he thought he had misheard.

When the realization hit, anger flared in his eyes.

"Entertain? Is that all this duel means to you?"

Carlos remained expressionless, nodding slightly.

"In my view, there's no need to continue this duel."

"Of course, my promise still stands. We can discuss the duel later."

Hawkeye's expression darkened.

"No need? Are you mocking me?"

"No, I'm not mocking you. It's just that, at the moment, organizing Marine's affairs takes precedence."

The straightforward answer only fueled Hawkeye's anger.

"So, you're looking down on me?"

Carlos nodded again.

"You could say that."

"You've fought countless battles and gained vast experience. Your swordsmanship is fierce and powerful, capable of splitting the sea with a single strike. The world praises you as the greatest swordsman, but to me, that's all you are."

"In the journey of swordsmanship, I've gone further than you and seen a broader path."

"You're no match for me, so don't humiliate yourself."

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