One Piece: I will become stronger by checking in

A grin spread across Zoro's face as he heard Hawkeye's words. "Just what I wanted!"

Zoro spun his two swords in his hands, readying his next attack. "Three Thousand Worlds!"

The two warriors passed each other in a blur, standing still for a brief moment. Then, Zoro fell to his knees, both of his swords shattered from the immense force.

He lowered his head, murmuring to himself, "So this is what the world's strongest swordsman feels like?"

But Zoro wasn't done. He pushed himself back to his feet, facing Hawkeye with his arms spread wide. Hawkeye, surprised by Zoro's action, asked, "What are you doing?"

"The scars on a swordsman's back are a mark of shame!" Zoro declared defiantly.

Hawkeye's eyes gleamed with respect. "Interesting, boy."

With a swift motion, Hawkeye slashed his black blade across Zoro's chest, leaving a massive wound. The impact sent Zoro flying backward, crashing into the sea.

"ZORO!" Luffy screamed, ready to rush in, but Kai grabbed him by the arm.

"Relax, Zoro's not dead yet," Kai said calmly.

"Huh?!" Luffy's shock was evident. He had been convinced that Zoro was done for.

Kai watched Hawkeye closely, his eyes flickering with rising anticipation. Zoro's battle was over, and now it was his turn. Kai had been waiting for this moment—a chance to truly test his own strength against a world-class opponent.

Hawkeye, after sheathing his black blade, seemed to sense something and turned to meet Kai's intense gaze. Kai gave a small, confident smile. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Hawkeye, startling everyone around.

"How did he get there so fast?!" gasped one of the surrounding pirates.

Hawkeye's sharp gaze met Kai's, but unlike others, Kai showed no fear. "Mihawk, I want to fight you!" Kai stated clearly.

Hawkeye frowned, his voice now calm and almost dismissive. "I'm not interested. I've had my fun for the day. Besides… you're not a swordsman, are you?"

Kai smirked. "Does it matter if I'm not a swordsman? Can't I challenge you regardless?"

Hawkeye gave a slight shrug. "It's not that. I'm simply not interested in fighting you." He turned to leave, uninterested in the encounter.

Kai couldn't let the opportunity slip away. As Hawkeye moved to walk away, Kai quickly thought of a plan. "Wait, Mihawk! Shanks is my uncle. How about you fight me for his sake?"

That caught Hawkeye's attention. He stopped in his tracks and turned back to Kai, eyes narrowing. "Shanks… your uncle? Do you have proof?"

Kai gestured toward Luffy, who stood wearing his straw hat. "See that straw hat? Shanks gave that to him. I grew up in Windmill Village where Shanks stayed for a time. That's when I met him, and he told me all about his rivalry with you. How else would I know about your connection to him?"

Kai spoke with such confidence that Hawkeye believed him, at least for the moment. Even if he discovered the truth later, it wouldn't matter now. Hawkeye pondered for a moment, then nodded. "If you truly are Shanks' nephew, I'll grant you this fight."

Hawkeye drew his black blade, Yoru, instead of the smaller blade he had used against Zoro. He could sense something dangerous about Kai that demanded more respect.

Kai grinned as Hawkeye entered his fighting stance. In response, Kai pulled out a sturdy iron staff he had taken from Captain Kuro's ship. Everyone around, including Luffy and Zoro, who had just been rescued from the water, stared in disbelief.

Luffy, confused and a little annoyed, shouted, "So you didn't let me fight him just because you wanted to?! Kai, you sneaky bastard!"

Despite the banter, most of the onlookers weren't optimistic about Kai's chances. They had all seen how Zoro, a skilled bounty hunter, had been utterly outmatched by Hawkeye. What chance did Kai have?

Even Zoro, now conscious, doubted that Kai could fare much better than him. But he watched, interested nonetheless. Kai's true strength was still a mystery.

Suddenly, Kai vanished and reappeared above Hawkeye in an instant. He swung his iron staff down hard, aiming for Hawkeye's head. Hawkeye wasn't one to be caught off guard. He blocked with Yoru, and the force of their collision sent shockwaves through the air.

A massive wave erupted from the clash, rising dozens of meters high, and for a moment, it seemed as if a small tsunami had formed. Everyone around screamed in terror as the shockwave pushed them back, leaving them a thousand meters away from the battlefield.

"Is this… even humanly possible?" one of the pirates muttered in awe, trying to comprehend the sheer power of the battle.

As the dust and waves settled, Hawkeye and Kai stood at the center of it all, their expressions unreadable. Hawkeye was genuinely surprised. The force behind Kai's strike had made his sword arm tremble—a rare occurrence for the world's strongest swordsman.

His sharp eyes caught a glint of black energy surrounding Kai's iron staff. Armament Haki—a rare skill in the East Blue, one typically only seen in the New World.

Hawkeye's curiosity piqued further. Who is this young man? It was uncommon for anyone in these seas to wield Haki, let alone so skillfully. Meanwhile, Kai, his hands tingling from the impact, felt a rush of excitement. Hawkeye had taken his full-force attack and barely flinched.

But this was only the beginning. Kai's smile widened as he prepared for the next round. With fluid movements, Kai unleashed a barrage of rapid attacks, his Six Powers techniques flowing seamlessly into his strikes. His combination of speed and technique began to put pressure on Hawkeye, who found himself being slightly pushed back.

For the first time in a long while, Mihawk felt a spark of genuine interest in his opponent.