Malphegor
patreon
UTBW: Ch. 16
🕑 Added 2025-04-15 19:35:10 +0000 UTCMihawk stopped and glanced at the building's sign—Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
"This is the place." He nodded and pushed the door open.
Ding-a-ling!
The bell on the door rang crisply.
"Welcome."
Inside the bar, Shakky looked up and greeted him.
Seeing it was Mihawk, a smile appeared on her face. "Ah, if it isn't the most talked-about swordsman lately—Hawk Eyes!"
"Shakky." Mihawk gave no particular reaction, just nodded slightly. Then his eyes turned toward the man sitting at the bar—Rayleigh.
"Rayleigh," he said as he walked over and sat down. "Where is the one I'm supposed to teach?"
"No need to rush. Have a drink first." Rayleigh chuckled, pulling out a fresh glass and pouring Mihawk a drink. "By my estimate, the boy should be back in about half an hour."
"Is that so." Mihawk picked up the glass and took a sip.
---
Half an hour later, the bar door opened again.
Ding-a-ling!
A handsome young man stepped inside.
"Welcome back," Shakky said with a cheerful smile.
"Junichi, come here..." Rayleigh waved him over with a grin, pointing to the man beside him. "This is the teacher I brought in for you — the rising star of the sea, the famed swordsman Dracule Mihawk."
Mihawk!?
Junichi looked over in surprise.
There sat a man with short black hair, sharp features, and eyes like a hawk—piercing and intense.
A dangerously sharp aura surrounded him. He seemed like a sword himself—one that could be drawn at any moment.
He actually got Mihawk to teach me?
He was astonished. I didn't expect Rayleigh to already know him at this point in time...
Despite his surprise, he smiled politely and greeted him:
"Hello."
Mihawk didn't respond. He was studying Junichi, but after only a few glances, his brow furrowed.
No good!
Almost instantly, he mentally wrote him off.
This boy was not a swordsman. There was no sense of sincerity or passion for the sword in him.
"As I recall, we had an agreement..." he turned away from Junichi without acknowledging him and looked at Rayleigh. "I don't teach the mediocre."
He raised a hand, pointing at Junichi with a sour expression. "This one isn't even a swordsman, you want me to teach a complete outsider?"
The mood in the bar instantly turned cold.
"Don't be so hasty," Rayleigh said quickly. "They boy has talent. He's definitely not ordinary, he just lacks proper guidance."
"Trust Rayleigh's judgment," Shakky added.
"Is that so?"
Mihawk remained skeptical, turning to glare at the boy with doubt.
Rayleigh and Shakky looked at him with concern. Anyone would be upset being questioned like that, right?
But to their surprise, his expression was unchanged, his tone light as he chuckled. "It's true I'm not a swordsman. I've always handled swords in a rough, unrefined way. That's why I need your guidance."
"At least you're a little self-aware," Mihawk grunted.
Junichi's smile didn't waver. He wasn't offended at all. A strong man had the right to be arrogant.
Mihawk was stronger than him and a master of the sword, he had every right to judge.
And to be fair, Mihawk wasn't wrong.
He wasn't a swordsman. But that didn't bother him. As long as he could learn from Mihawk and grow stronger, that was all that mattered.
Say whatever you want, reputation was just fluff. Strength was what really mattered in this world.
"Ahem…" Rayleigh stood up to ease the tension. "Anyway, just give teaching the boy a try. His talent will definitely impress you."
"I hope so." Mihawk stood up with a cold expression and put his hat back on. He looked at Junichi with a distant gaze. "My time is valuable. Let's begin now."
"Alright." Junichi nodded with a smile.
His time was valuable too.
"Follow me. I know a place where we won't be disturbed." Junichi turned and opened the door, walking out of the bar.
He led the way, and Mihawk followed behind. The two quickly disappeared from sight.
"Sigh…"
Rayleigh and Shakky both let out a long sigh. Mihawk's personality was… difficult, to say the least.
Would they get along? They didn't know.
"Why'd you ask him, of all people?" Shakky said helplessly. "You know his temperament is full of issues."
"He's the best teacher I could find," Rayleigh replied with a shrug of innocence.
Shakky couldn't argue with that, but she still looked even more resigned. "Let's just hope they get along."
Rayleigh, on the other hand, was confident. Smiling, he said, "Don't worry. Once he shows his skills, Mihawk's attitude will definitely change."
---
Junichi brought Mihawk to a small tree-covered island where he'd been training recently. There was no one around. It was the perfect place to train.
"Let's begin." Mihawk crossed his arms. "Show me what level you're at, just how bad are you?"
"Alright." Junichi calmly drew his ninja blade.
He automatically filtered out the sharp edge in Mihawk's tone.
Whoosh!
He immediately began demonstrating the Uchiha-style swordsmanship.
It was something he had practiced since he was a child. As he moved, his blade let out deep, howling sounds. His style was fierce, aggressive, and relentlessly forward-driving.
"…" Mihawk watched, his brow furrowing deeper with every passing second.
When Junichi finished, he didn't hold back. "This sword style is meant to be paired with some kind of energy or power, isn't it?"
"Wind?"
"Fire?"
He casually guessed and hit the nail on the head.
Junichi was inwardly surprised. No wonder he's the world's top swordsman. That insight was no joke.
The Uchiha-style swordsmanship was indeed designed to be used with Fire Release techniques, amplifying its power significantly. In essence, it was a fusion of swordsmanship and taijutsu.
"No matter what power it's meant to be paired with, it doesn't matter," Mihawk said. "Using external powers like that? It's third-rate at best. If we're talking pure swordsmanship, it's honestly an eyesore. The transitions, the rhythm, the execution, it's as rough as a child's crayon scribble."
Junichi couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Come on… this style has been passed down through the Uchiha clan for a thousand years. Did you have to roast it that hard?
"Practicing this kind of stuff won't take you anywhere." Mihawk said coldly, scanning Junichi up and down. "I'll teach you from scratch, teach you what real swordsmanship is."
"Breathing, footwork, rhythm, power generation, stance… If you walk the right path, spend twenty or thirty years refining your skills, you might reach the point of cutting steel and become a true swordsman."
At this, he paused. Then he added, "I won't be teaching you for long."
"Two months, tops. Just enough to set you on the right path. After that, it's up to you whether you can grasp it."
Hearing this, Junichi didn't object. He simply nodded and said, "No problem, Master Mihawk."
Two months was more than enough time for him to grind out his proficiency, and unlock "Cutting Steel."
