# Chapter 422: The World's Greatest Slash
Hawk-Eye's blade could not be dodged nor escaped. For a top-tier swordsman, locking onto an enemy with their aura was the most basic ability.
Ian felt an indescribable sense of danger wash over him as that massive black blade descended. It was like the feeling an unarmed person gets when facing a knife-wielding thug—an instinctive fear of the weapon's danger.
However, knowing full well how dangerous it was, Ian still stepped forward. He was no weakling after all.
His eyes locked tightly onto Mihawk's descending blade. Just as the sword was about to strike him, Ian's body moved with incredible speed.
Flash Slash!
Although Ian no longer used the Akechi Mitsuhide card, this Flash Slash swordsmanship had become instinct for him. While evading Mihawk's blade, his own Iron Sand Sword simultaneously slashed toward Mihawk's waist.
But Ian's speed was matched by Mihawk's. No one knew exactly how Mihawk controlled his massive black blade Yoru. As Ian struck toward him, Mihawk effortlessly twisted his wrist, instantly retracting his attack and turning his blade horizontally to parry Ian's Iron Sand Sword.
*Clang!* Ian's attack was blocked.
Effortless handling of a heavy blade! The phrase flashed through Ian's mind. He felt it was the perfect description for Mihawk's swordsmanship.
Yet Ian wasn't discouraged. He instantly withdrew his Iron Sand Sword, pulled it back, and then suddenly executed an upward slash.
Phoenix Wing Light Blade!
Since the Iron Sand Sword was black, what should have been a gleaming blade light turned pitch black instead. This black blade light struck Mihawk's sword with a sharp *ding*.
This attack carried tremendous force, enough to send someone flying. But Mihawk's combat experience was immense. He instantly perceived the subtlety of Ian's strike and forcefully pressed his black blade downward, suppressing Ian's upward momentum!
Being pressed down, Ian's movement stalled, creating an opening!
This opening might have been brief—only a fraction of a second—but in that moment, Mihawk's eyes sharpened. He seized the opening completely, raised his blade with both hands, and delivered a diagonal slash toward Ian!
His blade was so fast that Ian couldn't dodge. Watching the black light descend toward his chest, Ian had a flash of inspiration. The Iron Sand Sword in his hand instantly dispersed and formed a shield before him.
*Screech screech screech!* A continuous sound rang out as Mihawk's black blade Yoru cut into the shield, grinding against the iron sand within, producing harsh noises.
The black blade Yoru was coated with Mihawk's Armament Haki. The Iron Sand Shield was split in two. However, this buffer gave Ian the chance to step back, avoiding the slash.
"That was close!" Ian said, still shaken.
To be honest, their exchange had lasted only a few seconds, but Ian realized that Mihawk's swordsmanship flowed as naturally as if he were picking something up. What was most impressive was Mihawk's ability to seize opportunities in battle.
That massive black blade in his hands defended flawlessly. Under these circumstances, even when Ian had an opening to strike, landing a hit on him was extremely difficult.
Faster! I need to be faster! That was all Ian could think. Only with greater speed could he possibly break through Mihawk's black blade defense.
Ian extended his hand, opening his right palm. The scattered iron sand gathered again in his hand. He brought the Iron Sand Sword back to his waist and lowered his stance.
"Iaijutsu?" Mihawk recognized Ian's posture immediately and understood his intention. He too gripped his blade with both hands, positioning the broad blade of Yoru at his side, stepping into a bow stance, mirroring Ian's Iaijutsu posture.
"One-Sword Style Iaijutsu: Lightning Cutter!"
Ian paid no attention to Mihawk's stance. He knew that facing a top-tier swordsman like Hawk-Eye, any psychological hesitation meant losing the edge. So his mind was focused entirely on attacking, with no thought of defense.
In that moment, Ian's speed reached its peak. His figure vanished from the air instantly.
"Yoru: Shuten Doji!"
Hawk-Eye's eyes narrowed sharply as he unleashed his own Iaijutsu. To Ace and the others watching, both men had simultaneously disappeared from their positions.
Even Reiju was surprised. With her naked eye, she couldn't track their movements.
Fortunately, the next second, they reappeared. Ian stood where Mihawk had been, and Mihawk stood where Ian had been. Both maintained their slashing poses, frozen in place.
*Splash!* A gash suddenly opened on Ian's waist, spraying blood.
He had been cut by Hawk-Eye's black blade.
Although Mihawk had no visible wounds, anyone looking directly at his face would have seen a small cut on his cheek, also oozing blood, and the muscles of his face twitching!
Ian's speed had exceeded Mihawk's expectations. He hadn't imagined that Ian, at his peak explosive speed, could move faster than him.
Although Mihawk had landed a cut on Ian's waist, Ian's blade had also grazed Mihawk's face.
Ian's disadvantage came from the length of his blade. Comparatively, his wound was deeper. But Mihawk wasn't much better off. Since Ian used Lightning Cutter, the Iron Sand Sword carried a powerful electric current. Even a graze delivered immense pain.
That was why Mihawk's facial muscles were twitching.
In that moment, Mihawk realized he had underestimated Ian!
True, Ian wasn't a pure swordsman anymore. His swordsmanship fell short compared to Mihawk's, but Ian had integrated his other abilities into his sword techniques, compensating for some of the gap.
Realizing this, Mihawk grew even more excited. If earlier he had fought Ian just to pass the time, now he fully regarded Ian as a worthy opponent.
The world hailed him as the greatest swordsman. Being the strongest often meant loneliness, which was why he frequently wandered out of boredom. But now, Mihawk found some amusement in Ian—the amusement of competing with special sword techniques!
Yes, Mihawk had classified Ian's swordsmanship as special techniques.
Thoroughly engaged, Mihawk suppressed his numbness, spun around, and swung his black blade Yoru, unleashing a massive sword slash toward Ian!
When Ian saw that slash, his pupils contracted. It was enormous—from the ground, it looked like a dozen stories high!
Ian's Psychic Power was now sufficient to produce massive slashes, but compared to Hawk-Eye's, his fell far short.
The World's Greatest Slash!?
The phrase flashed through Ian's mind. Without thinking, he stomped the ground and dodged to the side.
The next second, Hawk-Eye's slash split the ground, passing by Ian and cutting through the island's surface, flying out toward the sea!
This massive slash then split the ocean's surface, disappearing into the distant horizon. The parted sea took a while to close back together...
Ace, Matthew, and Dorry stared, their eyes nearly popping out. Reiju and Robin were also drenched in cold sweat. It was the first time either of them had seen such astonishing slashing power. Especially Reiju—Gaji had always told her she was the strongest, most perfect human, but seeing Hawk-Eye's attack, she realized there were non-human existences in this world.
Ian looked at the split sea behind him, then at the cracked ground beneath his feet. He realized Hawk-Eye's slash was indeed far stronger than his own. He had unleashed a similar slash in Dressrosa, but the trench on the ground hadn't been as deep. Hawk-Eye's slash was truly island-splitting—Ian could see water seeping up through the crack, meaning the slash's depth had reached the sea below...
Taking a deep breath, Ian mobilized all his power.
The air around him began to tremble—the Psychic tremor caused by large-scale Psychic Power use. Ian wanted to try unleashing a slash like Mihawk's, to see if he could match that level.
"Oh!? Conqueror's Haki!?" Mihawk felt the pressure and was somewhat surprised, but then he relaxed.
If a powerhouse like Ian didn't possess such superior qualities, that would truly be abnormal!
As Ian's Psychic Power surged, the clouds above the island began to scatter. Ian dispersed the Iron Sand Sword in his hand and gathered the cherry blossom petals swirling around him into the Thousand Cherry Blossoms blade. Gripping the hilt, he gently dropped the blade to the ground.
"Scatter! Thousand Cherry Blossoms: Final Release!"
Ian activated his Final Release. The next second, massive cherry blossom wings appeared behind him once more. The Final Form: White Emperor Sword materialized again!
Then, Ian swung his sword...
His movement was so gentle, yet the blade left only a trace of residual light in people's eyes.
A cherry-red slash appeared with his swing. It was equally massive—though not as tall as Hawk-Eye's earlier slash—but just as dazzling!
The slash skimmed the ground, flying toward Mihawk. Facing Ian's slash, Mihawk hesitated. He didn't know whether he should block it.
If he didn't block, he would have to dodge. That would be a disgrace for the world's greatest swordsman. But if he blocked, he wasn't sure he could withstand it!
Because Ian's slash also gave him a dangerous feeling.
In the end, Hawk-Eye chose to block. He positioned his blade horizontally before him. When the slash struck, the Armament Haki on his blade protected it, but Mihawk was pushed backward by the force.
Mihawk dug his feet in, carving two trenches in the ground. The slash's power exceeded his expectations. He didn't stop at the distance he had anticipated but was forced back over a hundred meters!
Realizing this wouldn't do—if he kept being pushed, he might end up in the sea—Mihawk roared and burst forth with his strongest power, pressing down hard on his blade.
He stopped. Finally, he stopped...
Mihawk's arms trembled slightly from overexertion, but he straightened himself and stood firm.
As for Ian, he was nearly exhausted. Panting heavily, he looked at Mihawk, finding it hard to believe.
Ian hadn't dared to block Mihawk's slash, but Mihawk had blocked his. This showed there was indeed a gap between them.
"..." Looking at the tracks his feet had carved, Mihawk remained silent. His curled mustache gave his expression a stern look. After a long moment, Mihawk suddenly withdrew his black blade and sheathed it on his back.
"Ian, who taught you swordsmanship?" Mihawk asked.
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(37 Chinese Net)