One Piece: Getting Stronger by Writing a Diary

"Kid, aren't you afraid of me?" 

Mihawk asked coldly. 

"Heh, if I were afraid of you, I wouldn't have set out to sea." 

"Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman—you're the reason I went to sea," Zoro said, his voice trembling slightly. 

Sparring with Nami or even Arton might be important, but for Zoro, the ultimate goal was always to face Mihawk. 

"You seem free enough. Fight me," Zoro said, pointing his blade at Mihawk. 

"If you're truly a swordsman, you should understand the gap between us," Mihawk replied. 

"Besides, you couldn't even handle her." 

"Compared to you, she's more qualified to challenge me," Mihawk added, glancing at Nami. 

"Uh, yeah, I have no interest in fighting you," Nami retorted sarcastically. 

"I'll prove to you that I'm qualified," Zoro said resolutely. 

"After defeating you, I'll also defeat her and earn the right to fight Arton." 

"The land of unlimited blades—I will see it for myself." 

"Interesting. So you need to defeat her first to make Arton use that Unlimited Blade Works ability?" Mihawk mused. 

"Very well, that means if I defeat you, I'll get to fight Arton, right?" he said, looking at Nami with interest. 

"Uh, actually, you don't need to fight me to fight Captain Arton," Nami said, twitching at the corners of her mouth. 

She knew full well that Arton intended to treat Mihawk as a stepping stone to enhance the Shirou Emiya template. Unlike Zoro, Mihawk, as the world's greatest swordsman, could directly seek out Arton for a fierce and satisfying duel—something Arton would gladly accept. 

"Nami, your words make me, as your captain, feel quite disappointed," Arton said with a mock sigh. 

"You were willing to step up and handle those who caused me trouble before." 

"So why, now that you're facing Dracule Mihawk, are you throwing in the towel?" 

"Are you saying that when it comes to powerful enemies, you have no intention of protecting your captain?"

At that moment, Arton's voice reached Nami's ears.

"No, it's not like that, Arton," Nami quickly turned around and saw the seemingly disappointed look on Arton's face. In a rush, she tried to explain. 

She wanted to mention that Arton had already planned to fight Mihawk. 

However, as the words reached her lips, she found herself unable to say them. 

After all, whether or not it was appropriate to speak openly about it was one thing, but if she did, Arton might begin to suspect that others could see his diary. 

For Nami and others who wanted to earn points from Arton, this was something they absolutely didn't want to happen. 

If Arton knew that others could read his diary, there was no guarantee he would continue writing in it. 

"You must be Arton," Mihawk said, studying him with a hint of curiosity. 

Arton's appearance matched the descriptions in the newspapers. 

However, what puzzled Mihawk was that he couldn't sense the aura of a powerful swordsman from Arton. 

This wasn't surprising. While the strength of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's template was pure, it still fell short compared to Mihawk. 

And while Shirou Emiya's essence was tied to swords, Arton hadn't yet fully integrated Shirou Emiya's template. 

Thus, without activating Shirou Emiya's powers, Mihawk couldn't perceive much from him. 

"That's me. And you must be Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman," Arton said with a smile. 

Mihawk nodded slightly and said, 

"The news reports say you can create a world filled with swords, each one surpassing the Supreme Grade Blades." 

"They also claim you can replicate the swordsmanship of Shiki, correct?" 

"Go on, then. Show me your Unlimited Blade Works." 

"Let me see your land filled with swords." 

"Then show me if you can replicate my swordsmanship." 

"And let's see if the move you used to take down Shiki can take me down as well." 

Whatever doubts Mihawk initially had, he was no longer concerned. 

As long as Arton could demonstrate the abilities described in the newspapers, Mihawk wouldn't mind the apparent lack of a swordsman's aura around him. 

"You guys sure know how to underestimate people," someone muttered, breaking the tension. 

"Mihawk, I challenged you first!" 

At this moment, Zoro gritted his teeth, his face filled with frustration as he spoke. 

"A frog in a well—you have no idea how vast the sky truly is," Mihawk said coldly, turning to face Zoro. 

"Don't be so harsh, Dracule Mihawk," Arton interjected with a smile. 

"Who among great swordsmen didn't start from knowing nothing about wielding a blade?" 

"This one may still be a fledgling, but who knows—one day, he might grow into an eagle soaring through the skies." 

"Since he's so determined to challenge you, why not give him a chance? What do you say?" 

Arton's suggestion carried a hint of playfulness, but deep down, he didn't want Zoro's iconic moment to be taken away. 

"Oh? It seems you hold him in high regard," Mihawk replied, glancing at Zoro with renewed interest. 

"You could say that. Besides, I've never seen anyone use a three-sword style before. It's quite interesting, isn't it?" Arton said with a grin. 

"Since you suggested it, I'll grant you this favor," Mihawk said with a slight nod, taking the short dagger from around his neck and pointing it at Zoro. 

"I hope you'll satisfy me later as well." 

"Huh? What's the meaning of this?" Zoro's eyes widened in disbelief. 

"Apologies, but I don't have a shorter blade than this," Mihawk said coldly. 

"Damn it, even underestimating someone should have its limits!" 

Furious, Zoro stepped forward and charged at Mihawk. The two swords in his hands and the one in his mouth became a blur as he slashed toward Mihawk. 

However, no matter how fierce or swift Zoro's attacks were, Mihawk effortlessly intercepted them all with his small blade. 

"Dracule Mihawk is truly incredible," Nami said with a sigh, watching the scene unfold. 

"To block all of Zoro's strikes with just a short dagger… he's far stronger than me." 

"That's only because you haven't fully mastered the power of Musou no Hitotachi yet," Arton replied with a smile. 

"Once you've completely harnessed its power, even Dracule Mihawk won't be a match for you." 

Hearing this, Nami nodded in agreement. She had seen the might of Musou no Hitotachi—a slash capable of cutting the heavens and the earth. She knew Arton wasn't exaggerating. 

Although Nami didn't know exactly how strong Mihawk was, she at least knew he wouldn't possess powers that surpassed those of a god. 

"That Zoro sure is persistent," Uta commented. 

"And Mihawk is incredibly strong. As the world's greatest swordsman, I wonder how he compares to Shanks." 

She glanced at Arton with interest, knowing that, for someone like Arton, who seemed to know all the secrets of the world, this question would likely be a simple one. 

"From what I know, Shanks and Mihawk have fought before," Arton replied with a smile. 

"However, it seems their battles never had a clear winner." 

"And after Shanks lost an arm, Mihawk stopped seeking him out for duels." 

Arton continued, 

"Perhaps it's because Mihawk feels that if he defeated Shanks after he lost an arm, it wouldn't be an honorable victory. On the other hand, if he lost to a one-armed Shanks, that would be utterly humiliating." 

Hearing this, Uta couldn't help but nod in agreement. 

However, behind her, Luffy fell silent after hearing about Shanks losing his arm. 

Arton rubbed his chin and glanced at his diary system. 

The moment Zoro stepped forward to challenge Mihawk, Arton had activated the diary's recording feature to document the fight in real-time. 

He intended to capture iconic moments. 

What he didn't realize was that as he livestreamed the battle between Zoro and Mihawk, a large number of female viewers had already flooded into his "stream." 

Before long, Nami, Carina, Uta, and Kaya also noticed the ongoing recording. 

The four exchanged glances before stepping into the visible range of the camera. 

"Hmm? What are you all doing?" Arton asked, noticing Nami, Carina, and the others appearing in the corner of his livestream. 

"I want to stand closer and get a good look at Mihawk's slashes," Nami replied with a radiant smile. 

"After all, you mentioned earlier that I might end up fighting Mihawk, didn't you?" 

"I want to observe him up close first." 

Without hesitation, Nami confidently spoke her lie. 

"We're worried that Nami might get hurt, so we thought we'd stand closer to protect her," Carina said with a grin. 

"Right, Kaya?" 

Hearing this, Nami immediately pouted, while Kaya shyly lowered her head. 

"Hehe, you just said Mihawk fought Shanks, right?" 

"Shanks is my father, so I want to watch Mihawk's fight up close," Uta said with a playful smile, laughing lightly as she looked at Arton. 

"You four… really… Whatever, it doesn't matter," Arton said, shaking his head, unconcerned about the addition of four beautiful women to his recording. 

At the same time, his conversation with Uta and the others, along with the footage of Zoro and Mihawk's fight, was transmitted to the diary replica holders watching the livestream. 

Tashigi: "Zoro is actually fighting Dracule Mihawk! But Mihawk is only using a dagger that can't even be considered a proper blade?" 

Rebecca: "This is a completely one-sided battle. Mihawk seems way stronger than Soldier-san!" 

Whitey Bay: "That Mihawk is just toying with him. By the way, Uta and the others are really clever, aren't they?" 

Charlotte Smoothie: "Noticing that Arton started recording, they deliberately walked into the frame." 

Shyarly: "With that, when the recording ends and points are distributed, those four will get a massive amount of points again." 

Kozuki Hiyori: "I'm so jealous. If only I could be by Arton's side right now sigh..." 

Vivi: "At this rate, by the time Arton's ship reaches Alabasta, I might already have the strength to fight Crocodile." 

Gion: "Those four women are seriously troublesome. If this keeps up, it won't just be Arton that becomes hard to deal with!" 

Doll: "I feel like soon, even the four women around Arton will be more than I can handle. Sigh, what a headache." 

*

Meanwhile, just as Uta finished speaking, Mihawk, who had been effortlessly blocking Zoro's attacks, suddenly…

Mihawk immediately looked over. 

"Shanks' daughter?" 

"That guy has a daughter?" 

For the first time, a hint of confusion appeared on Mihawk's face. 

"You're distracted while fighting me?!" 

"Onigiri!" 

Zoro roared in fury, unleashing his signature attack. 

However, the move, powerful enough to instantly defeat most bounty-holding pirates in the East Blue, was effortlessly blocked by Mihawk's short blade. 

"How… how is this possible?!" 

Zoro stared in shock at the scene before him. 

"I told you, you know nothing of true power," Mihawk said coldly. 

"While Arton claims you have great potential, in my eyes, you're just one of many frogs in the well." 

After speaking, Mihawk sheathed his short blade and turned his gaze toward Uta. 

"You've piqued my interest with your words, and I've lost the desire to continue this fight," Mihawk said. 

"If you don't want to die here, I suggest you put away your swords." 

With that, Mihawk prepared to leave the battlefield. 

"Damn it! Don't underestimate me!" 

Zoro roared again, charging forward with his swords. 

Mihawk's eyes sharpened as he swiftly used his short blade to parry Zoro's three swords, deflecting them with ease. 

Finally, he delivered a straight thrust aimed directly at Zoro's heart. 

Slash!

Blood sprayed, staining Zoro's chest red. 

Tashigi: "The heart… was it stabbed through?" 

Ain: "Did the world line change? Is Mihawk going to kill his own disciple?" 

Charlotte Smoothie: "No, Mihawk's short blade didn't truly pierce Zoro's heart. But… something feels off." 

Gion: "That man, Zoro—he clearly had the ability to dodge, but he chose not to!" 

Whitey Bay: "I get the feeling… this Zoro carries something incredibly heavy on his shoulders. Something so weighty that it kept him from moving his feet!"