On the deck of the Moby Dick, both Shanks and those standing beside Whitebeard like Marco wore expressions of surprise, for the figure standing on the marine vessel was neither an admiral nor vice admiral.

None of them had expected Mihawk to be the one leading the warship.

"Truly unexpected," Shanks remarked.

As the warship drew near the Moby Dick before halting, Shanks rose from his cross-legged position, turning to face the massive vessel now close at hand.

His expression was complex as he gazed at Mihawk, who stood proudly at the ship's bow.

"Indeed, it is unexpected!"

Mihawk, standing on the warship's deck, swept a glance over Shanks before leaping onto the Moby Dick's deck.

Without a care for whether anyone followed, he strode confidently up to Shanks, then slightly raised his head to meet the gaze of Whitebeard, once hailed as the world's strongest man.

"I am Dracule Mihawk, Chief Swordsmanship Instructor of the Navy Headquarters, here under the orders of Fleet Admiral Orion to carry out a task."

"Kids these days grow more and more disrespectful by the minute!"

After looking down at Mihawk for a moment with the advantage of his height, Whitebeard suddenly spoke in a deep voice.

"First, Shanks came uninvited, and now you, the so-called World's Greatest Swordsman. What, do you all think? I'm too old to wield a sword?"

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Whitebeard abruptly raised his hand and grabbed the Supreme Grade Bisento Murakumogiri resting beside him.

Hum—

The moment Whitebeard's large hand gripped the hilt, Murakumogiri, which bore some resemblance to the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, erupted with a resonant hum.

Immediately after, the surrounding space began to vibrate at a low frequency.

In the next instant, the blade of murakumogiri imbued with terrifying power, sliced cleanly through the air as it descended toward Mihawk.

"You really have grown old, Whitebeard!"

Though Whitebeard had drawn his blade without hesitation, Mihawk showed no trace of panic.

As the blade carrying overwhelming force came down, he swiftly reached back and grasped the hilt of his own Supreme Grade Sword.

With a decisive motion, he raised his blade to meet the attack.

The dark, gleaming Black Blade Yoru also emitted a resonant hum as it surged upward to meet the strike.

Clang—

The sound of metal clashing rang out abruptly.

Immediately, a cataclysmic shockwave erupted from the point where the blades met, forming visible ripples in the air that instantly spread across a radius of several hundred meters.

BOOM—

As the slashing wave expanded, peals of thunder echoed from the heavens above.

Looking up at the sound, they saw the clouds thousands of meters above churning and rolling, parting like a tide to reveal a seemingly endless fissure in the sky.

As the clouds were split open, golden light poured down through the gap, casting a brilliant golden line across the boundless sea that stretched all the way to the horizon, as if cleaving the ocean in two.

The sight left everyone present with an indescribable sense of visual awe.

This was truly the phenomenon of a sword splitting the heavens and parting the clouds to reveal the sun.

Feeling the terrifying pressure emanating from the clash between Whitebeard and Mihawk, the division commanders on the deck of the Moby Dick looked up, their faces filled with fervor.

Vista, in particular, was the first to leap from his own ship, landing on the Moby Dick's deck with dual swords in hand, glaring intently at Mihawk, who had blocked Whitebeard's strike.

At the same time.

Perona, Jinbei, Yamato, Robin, Denjiro, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi, among others, jumped down from their warship and lined up behind Mihawk.

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you really going to start a fight without even talking?"

No sooner had she set foot on the Moby Dick's deck, Perona floated boldly to Mihawk's right side.

Using her Ghost-Ghost Fruit ability to hold an umbrella with one hand, she faced Whitebeard, who still gripped murakumogiri and pointed a finger at his nose and began taunting him.

"Whitebeard, you're an old man! Can't you be a little less impulsive? Drawing your sword to intimidate us the moment we meet—we weren't raised to be scared, you know! Horohorohoro~"

"!!!!!"

The two Marine lieutenants who had earlier scolded Perona were taken aback by her audacity.

Though they remained fearless as always, they were stunned by her brazen act of pointing at Whitebeard.

'Such a brave loli, no wonder their Fleet Admiral favors her so much!'

Not only were the marine officers on the warship's deck shocked by Perona's courage, but the division commanders on the Moby Dick's deck were also caught off guard, turning their heads in surprise one after another.

They stood frozen in place with dazed expressions, momentarily forgetting to step forward and reprimand this audacious loli who dared to point at their father's nose while speaking.

Similarly, Jinbei, Robin, and others also had their pupils shaking in disbelief as they stared at the petite figure floating in the air with an umbrella, facing Whitebeard directly.

Instinctively, they all assumed combat stances to prevent an enraged Whitebeard from going on a rampage.

The air suddenly froze, and the atmosphere on the Moby Dick's deck abruptly turned eerie.

Surprisingly, Whitebeard didn't become furious and lose control when Perona pointed at his nose.

After staring wide-eyed at Perona for several seconds, he suddenly sheathed his bisento and took a step back, then let out his signature hearty laugh.

"Gurarara, Mihawk, your strength has improved quite a bit. I wonder how you compare now to that Fleet Admiral brat? Who would come out on top?"

Hearing this, Mihawk also promptly sheathed his sword and placed it on his back, then took two steps back, stating bluntly.

"I am ashamed. Though I bear the title of the World's Greatest Swordsman, I am not even one-tenth as strong as Fleet Admiral Orion!"

At this point, Mihawk suddenly looked up, delivering a shocking statement.

"I might not even be one-hundredth as strong as Fleet Admiral Orion!"

These words sent shockwaves through the entire crowd.

Even Shanks, who had once sparred with Mihawk in swordplay and remained undefeated, narrowed his eyes sharply at this moment.

As one of the few powerhouses in the Grand Line capable of fighting Mihawk in swordsmanship without losing, he believed Mihawk wouldn't exaggerate to affirm someone else's strength.

Most importantly, he detected a hint of 'hopelessness at being unable to surpass the other' in Mihawk's tone.

"For the World's Greatest Swordsman to say such things, it seems that Fleet Admiral brat strength truly exceeds our imagination!"

Whitebeard didn't doubt Mihawk's 'exaggeration' either.

After handing murakumogiri to Marco beside him, he turned and walked to his exclusive seat to sit down, then spoke calmly.

"Though it's somewhat hard to believe, it's also within expectations."

Without formidable strength as his backing, how could he have made the World Government compromise after staging a coup to seize power?

Moreover, he wouldn't have been able to instill soul into the Marines in such a short time and swiftly take down two Emperor crews—the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates!

At this point, Whitebeard suddenly changed the subject, getting straight to the point.

"So, Mihawk, why have you come all the way into my territory?"

"Let me say it, let me say it, let me say it—"

Before Mihawk could answer, Perona immediately floated in front of Whitebeard, unfolding the 'pass' that Mihawk had entrusted to her and displaying it before Whitebeard's eyes.

"We came primarily for Fish-Man Island."

"By order of the Fleet Admiral, the Whitebeard Pirates are no longer permitted to interfere in Fish-Man Island's affairs!"

"This is a notice, not a negotiation!"

"If the Whitebeard Pirates meddle with Fish-Man Island after this, the Fleet Admiral will personally come here!"