I reached the top of Pirates

Chapter 229, Section 228: Melee! I don't want to spoil your fun!
The emerald green slash was instantly shattered, and at the same time, half of the slash fragments were guided towards Shanks.

Shanks chuckled lightly, "Who do you think you are?"

With a casual slash, he shattered the blade's edge.

The next moment, the two exchanged a glance and simultaneously unleashed a powerful slash towards Mihawk, who was charging towards them.

Seeing this, Mihawk's lips curled up, and he effortlessly swung his greatsword around himself, dense black and red arcs of electricity crackling around him.

Two strikes in an instant.

A beautiful arc of light appeared, hooking the two slashes onto the blade and then counterattacking.

Seeing this, Mercer's lips curled up; this technique was enough to join the battle.

Seeing Shanks' flying slash coming at him in retaliation, he casually slashed out with his sword, and with a bang, the slash was cut into tiny blades that swirled around him.

Seeing Mihawk charging towards him, he moved his feet and suddenly disappeared, appearing in front of Mihawk in the blink of an eye and slashing out with his sword.

Black Blade Night launched a powerful counterattack.

Clang!
Sparks were flying everywhere.

The two figures each staggered backward.

As Mercer retreated, he swung his sword, and a black-blue water blade hummed out, appearing in front of him in the blink of an eye.

Mihawk gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and unleashed a swirling blade of light.

With a loud bang, the two slashes collided and exploded into countless points of light.

At that moment, Shanks rushed over and laughed, "You two have gone too far, leaving me aside, God of War."

A blinding, massive black-red slash shot out like a laser beam as the sword was swung, its enormous range engulfing both Mercer and Mihawk.

Moses's gaze sharpened instantly, and black and red arcs of electricity crackled across the cold dew, with an incomparably sharp wave appearing within them.

"Chop."

In a flash, he swung his sword without a sound, striking the incoming attack with a crack! A perfectly smooth cross-section appeared at the center of the strike.

The immense force sent the broken slash flying to both sides.

The two slashes pierced the ice like hot knives cutting through butter, creating two huge, bottomless cracks on the ice.

At that moment, Shanks' eyes widened instantly, and the fleeting, chilling sensation that made his skin crawl surprised him greatly.

Mihawk's eyes also flashed with disbelief; that kind of strike that could only be delivered head-on had actually been split in two.

Feeling puzzled, I asked.

"What is that? A Devil Fruit ability? It seems to be able to cut through anything."

"Yeah, yeah, what's that? You didn't eat a Devil Fruit, did you?"

At this point, Shanks's gaze turned resentful, revealing his dissatisfaction.

If you, who wouldn't even eat Nika, were to eat any other fruit, you would be slapping me in the face.

Moses chuckled, “Both of you are among the world’s top swordsmen, so you should understand the breath of all things.”

Everything in this world possesses its own wondrous characteristics; simply put, it is the conceptual power of all things.

Just like the drying properties developed in Crocodile's Sasa berries that allow it to absorb water, it embodies the concept of drying.

"So, what you were using just now was a concept of cutting?"

Shanks' lips twitched; he didn't quite understand, but he was deeply shocked.

Mihawk's eyes flashed with a sharp light, as if a vast new world was unfolding before him.

The power of concepts? Concepts clinging to the blade? The breath of all things, the concepts of all things. At this moment, he felt as if he had glimpsed a realm akin to "the Tao."

The sword has no end.

"Because of breathing techniques?"

Shanks reacted quickly and realized, "The breath of all things, all things have their own unique breathing frequency fluctuations, or you could say a certain characteristic. Is the convergence of those characteristics what we call a concept?"

The dried-up concept developed from the Sand-Sand Fruit? Is this your reason for constantly demanding Devil Fruits?

Moses said calmly:
"The reason why Devil Fruits are so magical is that most of them possess unique conceptual power. After understanding and using them through breathing techniques, one can use them more freely."

Being a kept man is not shameful.

What an amazing metaphor!

Shanks' lips twitched, but upon reflection, it did seem to make some sense.

He was conflicted again, but he really didn't want to eat it.

Mihawk, his eyes burning with intensity, said decisively:
"Can you teach me that breathing technique?"

Shanks' lips twitched. "Hey, hey, hey, this guy didn't even teach me personally, how could he possibly teach you?" He couldn't help but roar inwardly.

Moses said calmly:
"Want to learn? Sure, I'll teach you, but you'll have to trade a Devil Fruit or a Devil Fruit user for it."

The amount of information is a bit overwhelming.

Shanks' eyes narrowed instantly, looking at Moses with disbelief, and he blurted out:
"You brat, you can actually strip Devil Fruit powers from a Devil Fruit user's body?"

A slight smile curved the corners of Moses's lips:
"Devil Fruit abilities are incredibly diverse, and some abilities possess a unique quality. Whether it's devouring, gravity, or domination, is it really that strange to be able to do it?"

With a twitch at the corner of his mouth, Shanks' gaze immediately became very wary as he watched this guy put on an act: "Let me tell you, you're not allowed to make a move on Uta."

Mercer looked at him like he was an idiot. "If I told you that my concept of that world came from Uta..."

Seeing the disdain in Moses' eyes, Shanks' lips twitched again, and he felt that what he had said seemed a bit idiotic.

He knows his own character well. Although he's not a good person, he's not the kind of person who would betray his friends.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that they are very friendly to their friends.

Mihawk nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll bring it to you later."

Shanks' lips twitched again. Damn it, Hawkeye is going to cause trouble on the high seas again.

Those pirates are going to be in for a rough time.

Moses then said calmly, "I can integrate the power of Devil Fruits into my weapons, and because the life weapon is connected to me, I can also use the Devil Fruit ability through the weapon."

This added fuel to the fire for them.

The two of them widened their eyes slightly.

Moses chuckled softly:
"As a friendly price, if you find an ability you like, I can fuse it into your weapon for free."

Shanks looked exasperated. "Are you really not a reincarnation of the devil? How can you be so good at seducing people?"

Mihawk said calmly, "I'll find it for you as soon as possible. Which Devil Fruit do you think I should give Night to eat?"

Mercer laughed and said, "Whatever you like."

If you want an ability, go for a Logia or Paramecia type; if you want a partner, go for a Zoan type. If you want both, get a Mythical Zoan.

It must be said that this statement is quite appealing.

Mihawk nodded, raised his black sword Night, his eyes burning:

"Now, let me spar with you, the pioneer of this new way of kendo."

The power of a conceptual strike must be experienced and appreciated firsthand.

Shanks' eyes also burned with fervor; fighting strong opponents was something he loved. And if the opponent used a sword, the pleasure would be doubled.

The two exchanged a glance and laughed simultaneously. They rushed over at lightning speed, unleashing their slashing attacks as they ran.

Mercer's eye twitched. The two men came up at the same time, and the next second, they moved in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Shanks, unleashing a terrifying frost aura from his longsword. Black and red arcs of electricity crackled around Shanks, shattering the frost that had formed on his body. Clang! The two weapons clashed.

Immediately afterwards, Mihawk rushed over, swung his greatsword, and unleashed a terrifying, dark slash towards the two of them.

Moses deflected Shanks with his sword, retreated to avoid the slash, and swung his sword at Mihawk as he attacked again.

Clang!
Terrifying ravines appeared beneath their feet.

A snap! A sound accompanied by sparks rang out.

The immense reaction force caused both of them to retreat simultaneously, shattering the ice with one foot and instantly charging forward, their swords clashing at high speed.

Bang! Clang clang clang clang clang!

Mihawk wielded the greatsword with effortless ease, as if it were weightless in his hand, swinging it with unparalleled skill, unleashing terrifying arcs of light.

Mercer's figure was silent yet incredibly swift, unleashing sword strikes like thunder, the crisp sound of steel ringing out in waves.

Shanks, who was not far away, deflected Mihawk's attack and watched the battle between Messer and Mihawk with intense eyes.

Suddenly, it was discovered that Mercer's physical strength was being used perfectly, with not a single bit of excess force leaking out.

The exertion of force is like the beauty of power, from zero to one hundred.

A dazed look crept into his eyes as he maximized his perception, greedily sensing Mercer's body movements and breathing. How could his precious Uta's breathing compare to this guy's?

I am constantly learning and reflecting.

Moses and Mihawk were both paying attention to Shanks, and they then discovered that he was actually secretly learning.

Mihawk's lips twitched. This bastard actually wanted him to work for free. The next moment, a blinding red light flashed in his eyes, and he did his best to show off his swordsmanship to Messer.

It doesn't matter; the clash of swords and blades allows one to better appreciate their power.

He used only the most basic Armament Haki to wrap his blade, and competed with Moses using his own skills.

Clang! A terrifying ring-shaped shockwave spread out from around the two of them.

The impact caused both of them to take a step back.

Just then, Shanks suddenly burst into laughter and charged forward:

"Gods avoid."

A black and red flash of light enveloped the two of them.

Mihawk's eyes flashed, and he quickly retreated.

Suddenly, a vortex of gray-black mist surged in front of Messer, like the terrifying maw of a gluttonous beast that swallowed his slash whole. Inside the "small world," viscous mist wreathed in black and red arcs of electricity churned and devoured Shanks's entangled slash.

The figure burst through the gray-black mist and suddenly appeared in front of him, its dragon breath rising and falling, the concept of the dragon empowering itself.

At the same time, crimson, high-temperature flames swirled around the cold dew, and behind Moses, it was as if a ferocious dragon with its gaping maw was appearing, its sinister aura assaulting Shanks' consciousness.

With a loud laugh, Shanks' eyes shone with a blinding red light, his body was enveloped in Conqueror's Haki, flames rose from his body, and behind him appeared a terrifying griffin phantom.

Without fear, he swung his sword.

Boom!
A terrifying explosion of flames occurred.

The ice around the two people shattered in a ring.

The blade and sword clashed violently, and in the next instant, flashes of light rippled around the two of them.

Clang, clang, bang, clang!

A series of dull, metallic clangs rang out.

With a single sword strike, he repelled Shanks.

It is chillingly cold, capable of freezing everything, yet it contains an unparalleled, severing will.

Shanks' pupils contracted sharply as he watched the flashing sword strike unleashed by the charging Moses.

With a loud shout, black and red flames and lightning condensed on the blade. Using his Observation Haki to foresee the future angle of the sword strike, he pulled the longsword back, took a heavy step forward with his left foot, and shattered the ice surface as he swung the sword.

The knife and sword collided suddenly, as if a frame had been dropped.

Boom!

Terrifying, branch-shaped arcs of black and red electricity shot into the sky, instantly shattering the dark clouds.

Black and red arcs of electricity spread out from around the two of them and behind them.

The ice beneath our feet was shattered into a deeper layer.

Mihawk, who was not far away, watched the two attack each other. His eyes suddenly flashed with a brilliant light. The next second, he took a half step forward with his left foot, his body slightly bent, and he carried the black sword Night on his shoulder.

A domineering aura enveloped the blade, which suddenly burst forth, unleashing a terrifying yet incredibly refined deep green, dazzling slash.

"The night cries out!"

The two men's expressions changed slightly, and in an instant, they unleashed their power to retreat, a dazzling deep green slash flashing between them.

They disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.

The entire ice surface is stretched out to the end by a deep ravine and disappears into the sea.

Moses looked at Mihawk with amazement. The power of this strike was terrifying, no less than Shanks's divine evasion.

The next second, the two attacked Mihawk together, showing no fear. They swung their greatswords, creating a series of round, terrifying slashing beams that rippled around them, constantly drawing their attacks together.

But ten seconds later, Mihawk was sent flying by the two men.

At the same time, Messer turned around and slashed Shanks away with his sword.

The three people stood in a triangle.

He was breathing slightly heavily.

On the deck not far from the shore, Crocodile watched this scene with a pursed mouth and twitching eyes. That Hawkeye actually had this kind of strength.

It's that domineering aura of the Conqueror's Haki again.

When did this kind of domineering aura become so common that just anyone can possess it?

He clenched his fists, feeling the still immature but domineering power within his body, and a hint of defiance gradually appeared in his eyes.

Watching the three people on the other side of the distance charge into a chaotic battle again, and seeing the satisfied smiles on their faces, I couldn't help but feel a longing rising in my heart.

Looking back, I was in the same boat, fighting that Barrett. I imagine I felt the same way back then. When did things change?

Was it because of that crushing defeat?
Uta stared blankly at the battlefield where the three were fighting. "They're moving too fast. Uta can't see them at all."

Erii blinked and whispered:
"Shanks and Hawkeye are fighting their brother together, and the brother gets slashed and sent flying. Oh, now it's the brother and Hawkeye beating up Shanks, and Shanks is coughing up blood. Huh, this time it's Hawkeye coughing up blood."

"Uh?"

Uta stared at Erii with a bewildered expression, looking at her friend in disbelief:
"No way, Erii, you can actually see it clearly?"

Erii nodded slightly.

But he didn't turn around to look at her; his beautiful, mysterious eyes were fixed on the battlefield.

clang!
Moses and Mihawk's swords clashed, and they were pushed backward by the force of the impact.

The next instant, Shanks swung his sword.

A thick block of black ice, formed from a domineering aura, suddenly materialized beside Mercer, blocking his path.

Bang! The ice block was shattered with a single stroke.

Moses moved swiftly, kicking out, and Shanks' eyes flashed with a brilliant red light as he foresaw the future and raised his sword to block.

With a dull thud, he was kicked back by Messer.

Streams of water and sharp blades flew out, and Shanks hurriedly swung his sword as he retreated.

The next moment, Mihawk, who was not far away, leaped up and swung a crescent-shaped slash that enveloped both of them.

Moses's figure flashed silently, and Shanks, his lips twitching, swung his sword to sever the blade's edge.

"Have you two no shame? You're only chasing after me and hitting me?"

Moses smirked. "I'll kick you out of the game first."

The next second, Mihawk swung his giant blade at Messer.

Shanks' lips curled into a smile as he swung his sword in the same manner.

Moses's lips twitched. The two best buddies turned around and swung their knives at Mihawk, a clang ringing out.

At the same time, Death appeared in his left hand, black and red arcs of electricity wrapped around the gun, bang!

A bullet crackling with black and red electricity shot straight at Shanks' face.

His pupils contracted, anticipating the impact of being hit. He instantly adjusted the angle of his sword swing and unleashed a slash. With a clang, the bullet was deflected and sent flying.

However, he himself was also cut down and forced to retreat.

Shanks shouted in dissatisfaction, "How despicable! Using a gun! But you can actually use a gun?"

On the distant ship, Ben Beckman and Yasopp's eyes widened instantly. They were on different ships, but they spoke almost in unison.

"He can actually use a gun?"

Mercer swung his sword at Mihawk, and simultaneously, bang! bang! bang! bang! bang!

Bullets kept hitting Shanks's direction, and Shanks kept dodging, but then he saw the bullets chasing after him from a corner.

His lips twitched as he hurriedly brandished the knife.

At the same time, it was discovered that the bullet was heading towards the blade, and a special force was also detected on the blade.

A powerful aura surged forth to dispel it.

A few minutes later, pointing at Mercer with a twitching mouth, he cursed, "How disgusting! Your crappy gun even has a built-in mark? Yes, that's it."

The gray mist spread and solidified, the magazine opened, and bullets were loaded one by one. Mercer held the gun but did not fire, but Shanks was too afraid to rush over and get close.

He knows all too well how intimidating a sniper with such a powerful presence is.

Mihawk stared unhappily at the engrossed battle with Mercer, his lips twitching as he intently observed Mercer's breathing.

We can't let ourselves suffer a loss.

With each swing of his sword, the concept of slicing and cutting was like a blade hanging from his neck. Mihawk's eyes were extremely serious, and his highly refined domineering aura wrapped around the blade, defending against the power that seemed capable of cutting through anything.

With each clash of domineering spirit and will, this special power slowly unveils its mysterious veil before his eyes.

Feeling the breath of Mercer, one can perceive a unique fluctuation through the profound breath of all things, mysterious, hazy, and alluring, like a peerless sword.

You can see it but you can't touch it.

My heart aches like it's being scratched by a cat.

The force in his swings grew increasingly powerful, and the thirst for knowledge contained within the blade became ever more pronounced.

Sensing this sentiment, Moses withdrew the Grim Reaper and began to focus on his battle.

Each strike was powerful, heavy, and fast as lightning, yet silent.

The power was perfectly contained.

Light yet substantial.

A look of satisfaction appeared in Mihawk's eyes.

That's it, it's this kind of skill similar to mine.

Lift as lightly as heavy as possible.

Wielding the heavy night as if it were a light wooden stick, it effortlessly unleashed a series of slashing strikes, like waves crashing one after another.

Surrounded by swirling water, Mercer unleashed a powerful and heavy strike, like a reef buried deep in the sea, unmoved by the surging waves.

The two figures moved rapidly within a small space, their swords and blades flashing wildly.

The sound of steel, like muffled thunder, resounded loudly at that moment.

Tireless, keep attacking!
The ice surface around us emitted a dense, cracking sound, and terrifying cracks burst open at our feet.

Rumble!
At one point, the ice beneath their feet collapsed simultaneously, and they plummeted into the sea below.

Shanks' lips twitched; he was momentarily captivated by what he saw.

At the same time, seeing how excited Mihawk was, he didn't want to spoil his fun.

They quickly chased after them.

(End of this chapter)