“Eh?!” Mihawk’s sharp, hawk-like eyes flickered with a tremor.
For three years, his brother had been strict and demanding in his teachings.
And today, he was telling him that he had passed?!
That meant…
I could finally get that sword!!
Mihawk’s heart suddenly began to pound with excitement.
…
The Sword Tomb…
the royal vault of the Dracule Family.
Among its treasures, the most legendary of all was a black blade forged by a legendary master from the Land of Wano, further refined by countless skilled artisans.
It had become the supreme black blade representing the royal family’s status.
Its name was “Yoru.” It meant loneliness and aloofness…
and only the strongest swordsman with a heart of solitude was worthy of wielding it.
“This sword is called the Black Blade Yoru.” The hilt was a large cross-shaped design, adorned with jewels and intricate patterns symbolizing honor and nobility, giving the blade an air of unrestrained sharpness.
Its jet-black edge featured overlapping patterns with heavy blossom cross-shaped pattern, and the dark body of the blade marked it as the strongest of all black blades.
“Only the strongest swordsman is worthy of the strongest black blade.” Mihawk would always remember those words.
His hawk-like eyes gazed upon the black blade before him, his pupils radiating a gentle yet fervent longing.
“Brother…
this sword…
is it really for me?” Richard nodded.
“You’ve passed.
In every aspect…
form, agility, adaptability in a pinch, raw power…
you’ve met all my requirements.
Now, the next step is real combat experience.
Do you have someone precious that you want to protect?” “Yes.
That would be you, Brother.” Mihawk lifted his head and looked at Richard with earnest eyes.
In that moment, his gaze was clear and pure, completely devoid of the sharp edge he would later carry as a great swordsman.
It reflected the sincerity of his heart.
“Oh, is that so?” Richard smiled, unable to keep the corners of his mouth from curling upward.
Hearing those words from the younger brother he had raised for over a decade was genuinely touching.
“Then, ascend to the throne of the strongest, and use that honor to protect everything you hold dear.” “The throne of the strongest.” Mihawk picked up the blade.
In his youth, he and the Black Blade Yoru suited each other perfectly.
He was truly a spirited young man now.
“But Brother, I still have one question.” Mihawk’s eyes were filled with solemnity.
“Why don’t you take this sword yourself?
Aren’t you the strongest swordsman?!” In his understanding…
although he had never left Kuraigana Island in all his life…
there was absolutely no way there could be a stronger swordsman in the entire world than his brother.
“I may not be the strongest right now.
This world is vast, and we’ll have to go out and see it for ourselves one day.” “Besides, I don’t like the Black Blade Yoru.
It’s too heavy, and far too flashy.” Flashy, huh?
Mihawk glanced at Richard’s own sword.
Come to think of it, during our fight earlier, Brother hadn’t even drawn that blade.
Richard’s sword was called Shintei.
(T/N: The actual name is actually Xinting, but I changed it to Japanese one.) Shintei was a long, slender blade, with a smooth, glossy black finish and gold-threaded engravings, as noble and regal as an emperor’s scepter.
When drawn from its sheath, the blade revealed a white, cross-shaped pattern, sharp as a razor and thin to the point of translucency, with a faint layer of flowing brilliance shimmering around it.
Mihawk had seen it before.
Even though such a blade, paired with a gourd of fine liquor, might seem mismatched with his brother’s cream-colored shirt at first glance, the overall aura suited him perfectly.
As if he was always meant to be that way.
His brother’s capacity for alcohol was also extraordinary…
he could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.
In the past few years, he had gotten quite a few passing merchants completely plastered and had them agree to gift him a large number of treasures.
“Brother, starting today, I will carry the Black Blade Yoru and strive to become the strongest swordsman!!” Mihawk’s small eyes burned with intense passion.
That passion seemed to burn Richard’s eyes as well.
They felt slightly dry.
My foolish little brother, whom I had personally raised, had finally grown up.
Surely this called for a great drink!!!
…
Drunk, slightly tipsy…
a grand banquet was held inside the Black Rose Castle.
Unlike the original story, where Mihawk grew up alone and reclusive, Richard’s presence had drawn in many professionally trained chefs, maids, gardeners, and castle guards to protect and care for the young Mihawk during his childhood.
After all, Richard spent most of his time training in swordsmanship.
So when all the household servants learned that the young master Mihawk had received the Black Blade Yoru, they all broke into joyful song.
Even the once-impoverished musician had found his comfortable niche in the castle, playing beautiful piano melodies at banquets to provide an elegant atmosphere.
It was a warm and harmonious “family” gathering.
The elderly butler and the older maidservants managed to get the young, newly-coming-of-age master thoroughly drunk, his handsome face flushing slightly and his eyes growing hazy.
Meanwhile, Richard sat upon his throne, elegantly crossing his legs, propping his chin up with one hand as he opened the achievement panel of his system interface.
[Achievement: Raise a Great Swordsman.] [Progress: Complete (Perfect)] [Rewards: Strength +30, Agility +30, Sword Technique Strength upgraded to S, Acquired Skill “Slash Radiance,” Acquired Passive “Grandmaster Swordsman,” Acquired Random Supreme Sword Technique Fragments ×50 (out of 100)] [Slash Radiance: Slashes have a chance to unleash massive sword beams, the scale of which increases with physical stamina expenditure.] [Grandmaster Swordsman: No learning bottlenecks for any sword techniques, and sword technique attack power increased by 50%.]