5: Chapter 005 Roger Left Astounded by the Swordsmanship!
5: Chapter 005 Roger Left Astounded by the Swordsmanship!
“Ah, the passion of youth always flares up so suddenly, hahaha…” Rayleigh stood up naturally.
After all these years of looking after Shanks and Buggy, he’d started to feel a bit like a “mother hen” himself, managing everything and keeping those two rascals in line.
Now, seeing someone else’s child so composed and dignified, he couldn’t help but shake his head.
“Hey, Shanks, don’t be rude to our host.” Roger, on the other hand, was watching Richard with keen interest and called out cheerfully: “Hey, you’re pretty strong, aren’t you?” A man so admired by his younger brother…
that was certainly enviable.
That calm kid, who could argue without turning red in the face, was far more mature than Shanks.
Richard smiled warmly.
He was very strict with Mihawk, but towards outsiders and the people who had come to seek refuge on his lands over the years, he was generally gentle.
“Of course…
in a little brother’s eyes, his big brother is always the strongest.
An elder brother is like a father, after all.” “Ah, that’s true.
So, shall we stop these two kids from fighting?” Roger wore an easy smile.
In all his years roaming the seas, every single thing he encountered brought him joy.
Even watching youngsters squabble seemed full of entertainment value.
Richard spread his hands and slowly rose to his feet, a look of amusement on his face as he watched Shanks.
“I would never interfere in a duel between men.” “Haha!!
Well said!” Rayleigh patted Shanks on the head, then looked up and saw Buggy still stuffing his face, his mouth so full it was practically bulging.
Rayleigh’s mouth twitched, and he shouted: “Buggy!!!
Shanks is about to duel someone…
aren’t you going to cheer him on?!!” “Eeeh?!
Is Shanks causing trouble again?!
I’m eating so well…
I haven’t had a proper full meal in ages!!” Buggy’s red nose stood out especially prominently as he huffed and puffed, eating as if he had a personal vendetta against the food.
He completely ignored Rayleigh’s stern scolding and continued his voracious feast.
Bullet and the others all burst out laughing.
Buggy and Shanks…
they were truly the ship’s comic relief.
Mihawk’s brow remained tightly furrowed.
He was naturally a quiet person, but today there were so many guests…
he’d lost count of how many waves had come.
He vaguely remembered that some time ago…
maybe a year ago, or half a year, he couldn’t quite recall…
His brother had once hosted a pirate named Whitebeard and sold him a few jugs of liquor.
Now here was another one called Roger.
They were all so noisy, and the worst part was that they kept saying his brother wasn’t the strongest.
That was the most infuriating thing of all.
“Hey!
Find us a spot…
let’s have a match.” Shanks was already rubbing his hands together eagerly.
Just as Mihawk could not tolerate anyone saying Richard wasn’t the strongest, Shanks could not tolerate anyone saying Roger wasn’t the strongest either!
“Alright.” Mihawk stood up.
The cross-shaped black blade on his back was quite eye-catching.
To those skilled in swordsmanship…
and both Roger and Rayleigh were…
one glance was enough to tell that the black blade on this boy’s back was a treasure.
A unique masterpiece among all the renowned blades of the sea!!!
“What a fine blade,” Roger murmured to himself, his expression turning serious.
“Well then, let’s go check it out!!” He raised his arm and called out.
All the monsters from Roger’s ship followed behind Richard, heading to an outer outskirts training ground located amid the ruins beyond the castle hall.
Fighting there wouldn’t cause any significant damage.
Shanks drew his sword…
a rapier with a handguard.
“Hey, my sword is called Gryphon…
it’s a monster that devours people!!
Are you ready?!!” The ten-year-old Shanks wore an utterly serious expression, his red hair fluttering in the wind, which Richard found quite amusing.
To think that the future Emperor of the Sea had been this adorable as a child.
So headstrong.
“Oh, make your move.” Mihawk said flatly, without even seeming to draw his sword.
Instead, he picked up a somewhat worn wooden practice sword.
“Ha?!
You little punk…
are you looking down on me?!
Damn you…” Shanks gritted his teeth, then let out a low growl and dashed toward Mihawk with rapid, steady steps…
clearly someone who had seen a bit of combat.
Though young, he was already quite composed.
“Not bad…
Shanks has been improving lately.” Rayleigh raised an eyebrow, a look of confidence flashing in his eyes.
“That’s all thanks to my excellent teaching.” “Tch,” Gaban clicked his tongue.
“Hey, what’s that ‘tch’ for?!” Rayleigh’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
“Cut it out…
look!!” Roger suddenly wore a serious expression, his eyes locked on the scene ahead, his pupils quivering nonstop.
With his hawk-like eyes fixed intently on Shanks’ movements, Mihawk held his wooden sword in one hand.
Just as Shanks lunged at him, he made a sudden forward thrusting draw-cut motion to the left front.
Fast as lightning!!
Thwack!!
It struck Shanks squarely in the abdomen.
The force of the blow made Shanks’ eyes widen in shock.
Then, his body went limp and pitched forward, crashing into the rubble.
Mihawk said calmly: “You lost.
My brother is the strongest man in the sea!” “Huh…” “Huh…” Roger’s throat let out a few dry, raspy sounds.
Then his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“This…
is a natural-born swordsman…” Mihawk’s movements, his demeanor, his perception…
they were all flawless.
Like a swordsman who had been famous for years.
And the technique he had used was merely the most basic draw-cut.
Thinking of this, Roger quietly took another look at Richard.
A swordsman like that…
was this man the one who had taught him?