21. Crossing Swords with the Swordsman, Part 2

Hawkeye’s reaction speed was, naturally, incomparable to that of an ordinary person.

Yoru, almost as tall as he was, stood before him, intercepting the strike. The clash of blades rang out with a piercing sound.

"Good speed, and sufficient strength. It seems your swordsmanship will not disappoint me," Hawkeye said with a touch of admiration.

Mihawk was confident in his own swordsmanship. Even under Shariya’s assault, he remained at ease. Hearing praise from a powerhouse like Hawkeye did not make Shariya happy; if anything, her desire to defeat him only intensified.

"Ha? You think you can block that?" Shariya sneered.

Her eyes sharpened. Gripping her hilt with all her might, she forced her blade downward, pushing against Hawkeye’s sword.

When a human consumes a Devil Fruit, they receive a boost from its power, significantly enhancing their physical attributes and strength. This enhancement persists even if the user is shackled by Seastone.

Even though she was restrained by Seastone, as long as her "strength" attribute remained at its maximum value, she still possessed immense power.

With raw force, she pushed Hawkeye’s longsword, Yoru, further down, causing Mihawk’s boots to sink deeper into the snow.

"Quite a lot of strength," Hawkeye remarked, looking up at his opponent with a hint of surprise.

Gone was his previous laid-back demeanor; the woman now truly looked like a skilled swordswoman. With a slight flick of Yoru’s blade, he effortlessly neutralized her attack and deflected it.

Relying on her agile frame and immense strength, Shariya continued her offensive, while Hawkeye remained in a defensive stance.

Not far away, those in the Red Hair Pirates whose minds weren't clouded by alcohol noticed the battle and turned to watch from afar. Benn Beckman gazed at the slender figure fighting Hawkeye, slowly exhaling a ring of smoke.

"Is this the new recruit you’ve set your sights on? She has impressive strength."

"Hahaha, of course she does!" Shanks laughed, clapping Beckman on the shoulder with one hand while holding a drink in the other. "And she’s incredibly wealthy! If she joins our crew, we could hold a banquet every single day."

Yasopp, polishing his gun, overheard this as he walked past his captain and couldn't help but retort, "Boss, it sounds like you’re only interested in her money."

Lucky Roux, gnawing on a large piece of meat with a hearty smile on his face, waddled over with his protruding belly. "If that’s the case, Boss, you’d better get her to join as soon as possible."

The Red Hair Pirates were a group of penniless souls. If someone wealthy were to join, the quality of their ship's provisions would certainly improve by several grades. Aside from anything else, the fact that she had already gifted the crew so much free alcohol made most of the pirates hope that this newcomer would join them posthaste.

Shanks tilted his head back, gulping down his drink. A few drops trickled down his jaw, but he didn't care. He laughed again.

"What do you think, Beck? If she joins us, doesn't that sound amazing?"

Beckman gently tapped his cigarette, causing the ash to fall. He replied calmly, "But I don't think she has any intention of joining us, does she?"

Otherwise, given the Captain's personality, he would have already thrown a party to welcome her.