Loguetown Central Square.
Hawkeye stood three or four steps away, looking at Sig with a mix of shock and uncertainty.
Both of their swords had fallen to the ground.
Even Hawkeye himself was frowning, deep in thought about what had just happened.
As a swordsman, I actually let go of my sword voluntarily?
Hawkeye stared at the world's greatest black sword, Yoru, lying on the ground, lost in contemplation.
And Sig, standing a few steps in front of him...
He remained rooted to the spot, unable to speak.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Sig had relied on his "Hawkeye rowing with Yoru visualization technique" to barely suppress his fear.
Now that he had caught his breath, Sig was drenched in sweat, feeling a wave of post-fear realization.
A duel between swordsmen doesn't necessarily have to end in death—just a clear victor.
But when Hawkeye's black sword Yoru was about to strike, Sig had genuinely felt the threat of death...
Hawkeye is truly terrifying...
For a moment, Sig had no intention of speaking.
The two of them stood there, three or four steps apart, each lost in their own silence.
This bizarre scene left the crowd utterly confused.
"What... just happened?"
The 100% Disarmed ability(Empty Hand Catches Blade.) had lasted only an instant. To the onlookers, Sig and Hawkeye had clashed for a brief moment, and before they could even process Hawkeye's movements, he had reappeared three or four steps away.
Both of their swords were gone.
"Was their exchange so fast that we couldn't even react?"
"What just happened? Did Hawkeye and Sig end up in a draw? Both of their swords fell."
"Are we just too weak? Not only can we not withstand Sig's aura, but we can't even see their battle clearly?"
"Wait, if we can't understand, surely Crocodile, another Warlord, and the Marine Vice Admiral must have seen it clearly, right?"
Amidst the murmurs, someone raised this idea.
Then, many eyes turned toward Crocodile and the others.
And... they were shocked.
Crocodile took a deep drag from his cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke, his expression unreadable as he remained silent.
As for Momousagi... she was sheathing her sword, Konpira, which she had halfway drawn.
"Did he fuse Conqueror's Haki into his swordsmanship, creating a strike so powerful that even Hawkeye was momentarily overwhelmed?"
Momousagi muttered to herself.
She had originally planned to arrest Sig the moment he lost and was injured.
But now, she felt she needed to reconsider. Acting rashly might lead to a disadvantage.
The clash between the two had lasted only an instant.
Crocodile and Momousagi, with their strength, should have been able to clearly see the brief exchange.
But they were both preoccupied, their attention entirely focused on Sig, waiting for the moment he would lose. Their focus wasn't on the duel itself.
And so... they only vaguely saw that Hawkeye seemed to have dropped his sword, caught it with his bare hands, and then, as if unable to withstand the pressure, his body seemed to bend slightly...
As if Sig's strongest strike had briefly overwhelmed even Hawkeye?
However, the one most deeply shaken was Stussy, who had personally experienced this move before.
Stussy was likely the only one, aside from Hawkeye and Sig, who had clearly seen what had just happened.
Among the few powerful figures present, only she had been seriously watching the duel.
"Even Hawkeye couldn't withstand that sword..."
Stussy was utterly shocked.
She had hoped that Hawkeye, through his duel with Sig, would reveal Sig's true depth. She never expected this outcome.
She couldn't help but recall the warnings Sig had given her when they first arrived in Loguetown...
The duel, which had lasted only a brief moment, was over. But the entire square was now filled with strange murmurs.
This was completely different from what they had imagined!
That earth-shaking clash of auras had ended so quietly.
Sig finally caught his breath and silently picked up his sword from the ground.
"Huh? Someone said Hawkeye and I were evenly matched?"
Damn it, I'm on par with Hawkeye? Am I about to become famous again?
I really don't want to be famous anymore!
Thinking this, Sig immediately raised his voice:
"As expected of the world's greatest swordsman! You effortlessly blocked my strongest move!"
"I, Sig, admit defeat. I'm in a hurry, so I'll take my leave now!"
After saying this, Sig quickly turned and walked away.
Before anyone could react, he made his escape.
"Sig himself admitted he lost, so it must be true, right?"
"Is that how it is? Sig lost to Hawkeye? But even in defeat, it's still an honor, right? Look, he even knocked Hawkeye's sword out of his hand."
"Even if he lost, Sig only lost by a narrow margin, right?"
"Is he really that strong? Then what about that treasure he mentioned..."
Under countless complex gazes, Sig gradually walked away.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye remained standing in place.
This duel was completely different from what he had imagined.
The experience was terrible.
At some point, Yoru had returned to Hawkeye's hand. He silently watched Sig's retreating figure.
The fighting spirit that had surged within him remained unsatisfied. Several times, he couldn't help but want to draw his sword again.
But the scene from earlier lingered in his mind.
If it weren't for the fact that Sig's aura was undoubtedly that of an extremely powerful swordsman, Hawkeye might have even suspected that Sig's strange move wasn't swordsmanship at all, but some kind of Devil Fruit ability.
After delivering that strike, Sig hadn't put up much resistance, simply letting his sword fly out of his hand...
Hawkeye couldn't bring himself to immediately draw his sword against Sig again.
He suddenly called out to Sig.
Sig's heart froze, and he slowly turned around.
He saw those eyes, with their double golden rings, regaining their usual sharpness.
"Winning is winning! Losing is losing!"
"I, Dracule Mihawk, don't need you to preserve my reputation!"
Those eyes were unusually bright at this moment.
"Your move was strange, but this time, I truly lost!"
As Hawkeye's words fell, the entire square fell silent. Countless shocked gazes turned toward them.
"No! I'm the one who lost!"
Sig, realizing what was happening, quickly shouted:
"Hawkeye, you don't need to spare my pride! You blocked my strongest move without a scratch. There's no doubt I lost!"
"Let's end this here!"
After firmly stating this, Sig quickened his pace, rejoining his subordinates.