OnePiece: Concept Space

Chapter 17: Humbled...



Chapter 17: Humbled...

The air grew still as Mihawk drew his iconic black sword, Yoru. Its obsidian blade glimmered under the sunlight like a night sky frozen in steel.

Zala and Kuina stood across from him, blades drawn, bodies tense—like tightly coiled springs ready to strike.

Kuina's single blade was elegant—a snow-white katana, clean and sharp, its minimalist beauty masking the lethality it carried.

But Zala…

Zala was different.

She unsheathed not one, not two—but three swords, each a twisted work of art.They were dark crimson, their blades matte and bloodstained in color.

"These swords…" Hawkeye muttered.

His trained gaze scanned every inch of their blades.

He could hear the faint harmonic resonance they emitted—something only supreme-grade blades possessed.

Not quite Supreme Grade… but dangerously close.

The craftsmanship… the potential… It was almost equal to Yoru—almost.

Then—

BOOM!

In a blur, their figures clashed mid-air.

The first impact was so fierce that the sea split apart below them, the waves themselves carved in two, water walls towering on either side before crashing down like tsunamis.

Slashes cut through the air in every direction—blades of wind sharp enough to slice masts, stone, and steel. Each swing of Mihawk's blade carried the weight of overwhelming force and near-absolute mastery. Every parry by the girls pushed them to the brink.

Zala laughed maniacally, her wild grin growing wider with every clash.

"This is it! THIS is the fight I've been craving!"

Mihawk's eyes narrowed with interest.

"Three-sword style… Hmph. Crude. But... these blades…"

He stepped forward, Yoru loosely held to his side, and let his trained eyes examine them between the first exchanges.

When her first the blades struck against Yoru—

CLANG!

The shockwave sent ripples through the air. Sparks scattered across the sky.

Kuina remained silent, her eyes burning with a cold fire, each motion of her blade becoming more fluid—more alive.

Mihawk's expression, once bored and unimpressed, slowly shifted to curiosity, and as the fight progress… then to astonishment.

They were growing.

Not gradually, not marginally—rapidly. Each exchange pushed them to new heights. Every mistake they made, they corrected in the next move. Their footwork sharpened, their strikes gained purpose, their instincts refined in real time.

Swordmanship, Haki, combat experience...

The sea roared beneath them, water boiling where their swords met. Gusts of compressed air exploded outward every time Mihawk clashed with both girls at once, creating shockwaves that rocked the Baratie and even sent ripples across the far-off Baphomet.

Yoru clashed against their blades with a thunderous CRACK, and for a moment—just a moment—Mihawk's footing slipped.

His eyes widened.

He gritted his teeth and grinned.

"Monsters… You're creating your own style as you fight. Not mimicking… but evolving."

Zala and Kuina's eyes locked for an instant—and something clicked.

They surged forward as one, blades wrapped in an invisible force, their presence sharper, denser.

Their Haki surged—not just infused into their blades but woven into their very will. Time itself seemed to slow, the sound around them fading into silence.

Then—a burst of power.

An unseen barrier shattered, and the world responded. The clouds above split in a spiral. The wind stopped. The sea calmed as if in awe.

The two women now radiated something different—a pressure akin to Mihawk himself. Their blades glowed faintly with a clarity and finality unique only to true masters.

Mihawk took a step back, eyes gleaming.

"You've done it…" he whispered. "The Greatswordman Realm…"

A moment later—

CLASH!

The girls struck together, and Mihawk had to bring his full strength to bear for the first time. He blocked the attack, yet hastily, his arm trembled slightly, and a line of shallow red formed on his cheek.

Blood.

A clean cut.

Mihawk chuckled softly, wiping it with a gloved hand.

"How thrilling. It's been decades…"

From the Baphomet, Luffy leaned forward slightly, a proud smile tugging at his lips.

Kaya clapped with wide eyes."They did it!"

Nami's mouth hung open.

"I can't believe they broke through in the middle of battle…"

Yasha crossed her arms, expression unreadable—but a small smirk betrayed her pride.

"They've earned it."

Even Zeff and Sanju, standing stunned on the wrecked Baratie, could barely process what they'd just witnessed.

Two women. One fight. One realm ascended.

Luffy knew that Hawkeye had lost his use.

It was time to send him off.

Earlier in the fight, Luffy had spied on Mihawk's ability—hoping to glimpse a [Cut] concept or some deeper dimensional law—but unfortunately, it was nothing of the sort. Just an advanced swordsman talent. Elegant, powerful, but ultimately...

Useless—to someone like him, a user of Ultra Instinct.

And ironically, just by watching their duel, Luffy's own swordsmanship had evolved—not gradually, but explosively. He now stood at the very limit of this world's swordsmanship. Insights poured into him like an overflowing tide.

To be honest…If someone called him the World's Strongest Swordsman right now, it wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Just as Mihawk's expression turned serious, his aura surging with will, and Supreme King Haki beginning to stir—the moment before he could unleash his true power—

Luffy appeared.

Instantly. Without sound. Without presence.

One moment, the battlefield held two.The next, three.

Even Zala and Kuina flinched.

But it was Hawkeye who looked the most shocked.

His Observation Haki—failed.He hadn't sensed a thing.

Not until Luffy was already in front of them.

"I'm very satisfied with your cooperation," Luffy said casually, his tone calm but absolute. "Thanks to you, my crewmates broke through the Great Swordsman Realm. To show my gratitude—I'll bring you near the brink of death. And I'll give you a gift, by the way…"

Zala and Kuina looked visibly displeased at the interruption… but also relieved.

They had felt it—just now.Had the fight continued, they wouldn't have gone down easily, but fatal injuries were certain.Maybe even death.

They were content with what they had achieved. They weren't ashamed.They were still young.

Mihawk's expression hardened.

He stared at the familiar straw hat… deep in thought.

"So this is why Shanks seemed so confident… back then."

While he was still lost in the past, Luffy casually took one of Zala's three swords without asking.

Turning his head slightly, he reminded them with a calm voice:

"Watch carefully. I'll show it just once—the swordsmanship at the limit of the world."

Zala and Kuina's eyes widened with anticipation.

They knew.When Luffy got serious… the results were always terrifying.

Even Mihawk's eyes narrowed, intrigued now more than ever.

If only he had realized—their entire duel… it had simply been resources for Luffy's growth.

Even if he hadn't practiced swordsmanship, Luffy's max-level talent let him touch its ceiling effortlessly.

Still, Mihawk scoffed."Limit, you say? I'm curious…"

Luffy smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Don't blink. Don't die."

"No Haki. No power. Just pure swordsmanship."

The moment Luffy finished speaking—He slashed.

Casually. Effortlessly.

Then returned the katana to Zala, turned, and began walking calmly back toward his ship.

The two girls stood stunned.Mihawk froze.

Because…

The slash couldn't be avoided.It couldn't be blocked.It ignored defense.It cut all things.

It looked casual—lazy, even—but in that single stroke, swordsmanship was pushed to the absolute extreme.It wasn't just cutting matter.

It was on the verge of cutting concepts. Laws. Reality.

From the ship, Nami, Yasha, and Kaya watched with awe.

They didn't fully understand what had happened, but their faces glowed.

"So cool… I love it…"

Sanju blushed under Luffy's overwhelming presence. Even Zeff—normally stoic—looked pale.

Shocked.

He looked at Hawkeye with genuine pity.

As for Mihawk…

His eyes were wide.His mind failed to process what had just happened.

Only after Luffy nearly reached his ship did a fountain of blood erupt from his chest.

A shallow cut—but terrifyingly precise.

Mihawk's hand slowly rose to the wound.His breath hitched.

"That… that wasn't even a deep strike…"

And yet, he knew.That cut could have ignored his Haki. Could have split him in half.Could have sliced through the sea itself across hundreds of miles—as easily as butter.

He stood there trembling.

A chill passed through him, but not from fear—from understanding.

He smiled.For the first time in years—he smiled with humility.

"Thank you… for showing mercy."

That strike had torn open not just his chest—but a window.A window into the true essence of swordsmanship.

A realm beyond strength. Beyond size. Beyond dominance.

He bowed.

Deeply.

Then turned and left—without hesitation.

Because today…He had encountered death.Felt his potential ignite.And understood clarity.

He didn't care about losing his title.He could already tell—Luffy wouldn't even accept it.

It would be meaningless.

And bowing to such a being… wasn't shameful.

It was reverence.

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