Chapter 26: Hakweye defeat

Hawkeye's black blade, Yoru, surged with the lingering flames, blood, and sword energy from his previous attacks.

In an instant, everything exploded, sending a powerful shockwave toward Kaido.

However, every bit of force and damage was met head-on by Kaido's Conqueror's Haki.

The impact force clashed with Kaido's Haki, creating a stalemate.

At the same time, Hawkeye's black blade was locked in a deadlock with Kaido's kanabo, the Eight Precepts.

For a brief moment, neither side could gain the upper hand.

But after just a few seconds, Kaido began to overpower him.

After all, Kaido's overwhelming strength completely outclassed Hawkeye's.

Now, Hawkeye was struggling.

Even with his strongest techniques, he could only hold Kaido at bay for a fleeting few seconds.

The flames and blood surrounding Yoru dissipated, and even the many swords lingering around it vanished.

The weight of Kaido's might bore down on him, pushing the back of Hawkeye's black blade closer to his own body.

Kaido's suppression grew stronger.

As the struggle continued, a massive wave of purple lightning, born from the clash of their Haki, devastated a larger portion of Marineford, reducing more of the Navy Headquarters to rubble.

Spectators watched in horror as the battle unfolded.

Sweat began to bead on Hawkeye's forehead.

His arms started to tremble.

The once steady black blade wavered.

"This... power…"

Hawkeye was unwilling to concede.

He had poured everything he had into this attack, at great personal cost.

But even that wasn't enough. Kaido's strength seemed bottomless, an unending well of power.

The suppression increased, pushing Hawkeye to his limit.

First, his arms trembled. Then, his blade.

Now, his entire body shook.

Sweat poured from him.

Though filled with resolve, Hawkeye's body could no longer endure.

He didn't want to lose. He couldn't lose.

Digging deep, he unleashed the last remnants of his strength.

But it only raised the black blade by a few centimeters before Kaido's unrelenting power forced it back down.

The deadlock dragged on for about ten seconds.

Ten short seconds.

But to Hawkeye, it felt like an eternity.

Finally, his strength gave out.

His hands went numb.

Yoru slipped from his grasp.

At that exact moment—

BOOM!

Kaido's Eight Precepts came crashing down.

Hawkeye's vision darkened.

From the perspective of onlookers, it was clear that—

Mihawk had been struck down.

His body was slammed into the ground, forming a crater in the shape of his body.

Cracks spread across the battlefield as the immense power of Kaido's blow rippled through the earth.

When the dust settled and the last vestiges of Kaido's attack dissipated, he withdrew his kanabo, looking down at Mihawk lying in the pit. Though barely alive, Mihawk's faint breath confirmed he had lost.

He was on the verge of death.

Moments later, the destructive aftermath of the clash dissipated.

The onlookers, frozen in shock, could finally see what had transpired.

Hawkeye had lost.

The winner of this emperor-level duel was clear:

Kaido.

"Hawkeye lost!!!"

"The black blade fell at Kaido's feet!"

"Hiss!!!"

"The world's strongest swordsman was defeated by Kaido's kanabo!!!"

"Kaido won... That monster really won!"

"Even Hawkeye is no match for Kaido?!"

"Who else can possibly defeat Kaido?!"

"This monster... This monster!!"

The elite navy officers erupted in a cacophony of panic and fear.

The uproar echoed through the sky, enveloping all of Marineford.

Shock, terror, and despair hung heavy in the air.

In the Sabaody Archipelago, the reaction was no different.

The fear there was even more palpable.

"Hawkeye actually lost! And so quickly!!!!!!"

"Oh my god…"

"I imagined Hawkeye might lose, but I thought it would be a close battle, where both he and Kaido would be severely injured and Kaido would scrape out a narrow victory. But now… Kaido is unscathed and Hawkeye is defeated!!"

"Is the gap between them really this huge?"

"Wasn't it said that Hawkeye could even cut off Red-Haired Shanks' arm, making him stronger than Shanks? How could he lose to Kaido so easily…?"

"This proves it. Kaido is far stronger than Red-Hair…"

"Hiss!!!"

"Is the difference between the Four Emperors really this vast? Aren't they supposed to be evenly matched?"

"Who can defeat this monster Kaido now? Can the admirals? The fleet admiral? Hero Garp?"

"I don't know. No one knows."

"And now Kaido has formed an alliance with Whitebeard. Do they truly intend to destroy the world?!"

"If those two join forces… They really might be able to destroy everything."

"This is terrifying…"

"Who will save us... The end of the world is coming..."

"Wororororo!!"

Despair hung over the Sabaody Archipelago.

People had seen firsthand just how powerful Mihawk was.

With a single swing of his sword, his massive sword beam could cleave through ships with ease.

With strength like that, Mihawk could sail across the Grand Line with impunity.

His abilities rivaled those of the admirals and even the Four Emperors.

Yet, even such a mighty swordsman couldn't land a single wound on Kaido.

Kaido smashed Hawkeye into the ground with his kanabo.

It's hard to tell if anyone can even dig him out.

Hawkeye lay motionless in the crater.

Even if he wasn't dead, he was undoubtedly gravely injured.

The stronger Hawkeye was, the more terrified people became of Kaido.

Now, if someone told them Kaido could destroy the world, they'd believe it without question.

Facing such a brutal and powerful pirate, how could people not be afraid? Not terrified?

Even in the Sabaody Archipelago, someone snapped.

One man, gripped by madness, believed that since Kaido was invincible and the navy could never bring him down, the world would end tomorrow. With Kaido and Whitebeard at the helm, he saw no point in restraint. Seizing the moment, he attacked a group of innocent women.

However, he was swiftly subdued and beaten down by nearby marines.

After all, many family members of navy officers had been evacuated to the Sabaody Archipelago, and there was protection in place. Though these marines weren't elite and didn't qualify to fight in Marineford, they were more than capable of handling a few lunatics.

Still, this incident highlighted how deeply Kaido's presence affected people.

…

The Holy Land, Marijoa.

The Five Elders sat, watching the Den Den Mushi broadcast of the battle.

"Kaido defeated Hawkeye Mihawk so easily..."

"Mihawk possesses supreme destructive power... but Kaido's is even greater."

"And his vitality... It's nearly impossible to bring him down."

"What should we do?"

"Should we deploy the weapon Vegapunk invented?"

"If we use that weapon, the entire Marine Headquarters could be wiped out. Maybe every marine and pirate—Admiral, Sengoku, Garp, all of them—would be wiped out as well."

"It's a troublesome situation."

"Prepare it, just in case. If the navy can't defeat Kaido, and his threat becomes unstoppable, we'll activate the weapon immediately."

"That's an option."

"Let's make sure we're ready."

After a tense discussion, the Five Elders decided to prepare the weapon, one that even they felt apprehensive about.

They briefly considered consulting Lord Imu for permission.

But since Imu hadn't shown any concern or given instructions, they chose not to disturb him.

High above the clouds, a colossal flying weapon stood by, ready to be deployed.

Even the Five Elders felt suffocated just looking at it.

If they were forced to use this weapon on Marineford, the navy would have to be rebuilt from scratch, and they'd need a new headquarters altogether.

...

Marineford.

Kaido stood towering over Hawkeye, raising his kanabo, the Eight Precepts, into the air.

"Hawkeye, there's no other way. You need to die," Kaido said calmly.

He had a task to complete. There was no room for hesitation.

Kaido swung his kanabo.

But at that moment—

"Ah."

A voice interrupted the battlefield.

It came from beneath the execution platform.

One of the Three Admirals—Aokiji—finally made his move.

The marines hadn't cared about letting Gekko Moriah die earlier. After all, Moriah was a failed Shichibukai, beaten by the Straw Hats and not worth protecting.

But Mihawk was different. Mihawk was worth saving.

As Aokiji acted, ice spread rapidly across Kaido's body.

In the blink of an eye, Kaido was frozen solid.