Swish!
At that moment, two figures suddenly appeared on the deck of the Going Merry.
They were none other than Robin, whom Red had just sent out, and the one she had brought back with Teleport — the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
"Long time no see, Senior Mihawk."
Seeing who had arrived, Red was the first to speak.
His voice immediately drew the attention of everyone in the Straw Hat crew.
"Mihawk!"
Luffy and Zoro spun around at once, their eyes flashing as they locked onto Mihawk.
Although it had been nearly two years since their last meeting, the impression Mihawk had left on the Straw Hat Pirates was simply too profound.
After all, he had been the first truly top-tier powerhouse their crew had ever encountered, and also the first existence before whom the entire Straw Hat crew had exhausted every possible effort, yet still found themselves utterly helpless.
And Mihawk, who had been abruptly brought here by Robin, was stunned for a brief moment before his gaze suddenly deepened.
"The Straw Hat crew…"
Even though he had just gone through an embarrassingly humiliating shipwreck, the instant he appeared before others again, his entire bearing snapped back into place.
That cold, stern face and his taciturn manner immediately cloaked him in an air of mystery.
Of course, Mihawk was not deliberately acting aloof to maintain some sort of persona.
The main reason was that he genuinely had no idea what he was supposed to say.
Originally, he had received intelligence that an Eternal Pose pointing to the Final Island might appear during this celebration.
So even though his position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea had been revoked and the Marines were now hunting him down, he had still chosen to risk attending this celebration.
No pirate, no matter how cool-headed, could resist the temptation of the Final Island.
But while aboard Kaido's ship, he had already watched through the live broadcast everything the Straw Hat Pirates had done on Festa Island.
He knew that there was no longer any meaning in staying here.
Originally, when he jumped off the Beasts Pirates' warship, he had simply wanted to find some secluded corner, quietly locate a small boat, and leave this place with at least a shred of dignity intact.
Unexpectedly, before he could even find half a boat, Robin from the Straw Hat crew had already caught him and brought him here.
Now that he had been dragged into this situation, there was no way he could just turn around and leave.
"So…"
After a moment of thought, Mihawk cast a glance over the Straw Hat crew's main combatants and slowly asked:
"Why did you call me here?"
"Don't be so cold, Senior Mihawk."
Knowing full well that Mihawk's personality was not actually as indifferent as he seemed, Red smiled faintly. Then, with nothing more than a look, he signaled to the Zoro behind him not to rush in yet.
"Now that the celebration has just ended, our crew has gained new members, and we've had the rare chance to reunite…"
"How about we all sit down and have a proper drink together, to celebrate this great day? What do you think?"
"A banquet!?"
As a veteran pirate himself — and a friend of Shanks — Mihawk was no stranger to the Straw Hat Pirates' style.
But in the next instant, his gaze shifted toward Zoro, who was practically unable to suppress his fighting spirit any longer.
"So it's really just a banquet?"
Mihawk fell silent for a moment, and the Black Blade · Yoru on his back seemed to tremble soundlessly as though stirred by Zoro's battle intent.
At that moment, he seemed to understand why Red had insisted on bringing him here.
How astonishing.
Mihawk sighed inwardly.
He could feel that although the sword force around Zoro had not yet reached the point where it could truly contend with him, it had absolutely entered the ranks of the world's strongest.
Then again, that made sense.
After all, this was a man capable of slaying Akainu.
Even if there had been other forms of support involved, it was still enough to prove that Zoro had already grown to a level where even Mihawk could no longer look down on him.
And even more terrifying than that…
Mihawk's gaze shifted and landed on Luffy, who was tugging at Sanji and saying something.
It was as if some special switch had been flipped. Just moments ago, the Straw Hat boy had still been wary of him, but the instant he heard the words "hold a banquet," all of the imposing pressure around him vanished without a trace.
But Mihawk knew that if Zoro's growth could be called astonishing, to the point where he had reached a level where he could stand shoulder to shoulder with Mihawk, then Luffy's growth could only be described with two words:
Utterly monstrous.
Who could have imagined that this young man, drooling while ordering food, had now become the strongest person on this sea!?
Unlike ordinary pirates, Mihawk's understanding of the world situation far surpassed that of the average person.
And though he traveled alone, his intelligence-gathering ability was equally impressive. Otherwise, he never would have uncovered the hidden secret behind this Pirate Festival.
He already knew…
That Straw Hat Luffy had, not long ago, killed the Commander of the God's Knights — Saint Garling!
Unlike someone like Big Mom, who was all bark and no bite, Garling Saint was a genuine top-tier powerhouse — one of the true strongest beings visible in this world, on the same level as Whitebeard and Red-Haired Shanks.
And yet, even an existence like that had not been given the slightest chance to escape from Luffy's hands.
That was just too terrifying.
If it were me… would I even be able to escape from Straw Hat Luffy's hands?
For a moment, Mihawk sank into deep thought.
"Senior Mihawk… Senior Mihawk!?"
Just then, a crisp voice suddenly interrupted Mihawk's thoughts.
He lifted his head and saw the vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Red, looking at him with a smile.
For some reason, when Mihawk met Red's calm eyes, he had the strange sensation that his heart had been seen through.
The Straw Hat Pirates truly are hiding dragons and crouching tigers. How terrifying.
Mihawk's heart gave a violent shudder, but outwardly he still maintained a composed expression as he asked:
"What is it!?"
"Nothing much…" Red laughed softly and smoothly pulled over the Zoro who had been waiting for a long while.
"It's just that preparing the banquet will take some time. Before that, would you like to do a little warm-up exercise or something?"
"For example… maybe give my partner some pointers in swordsmanship?"
"Pointers?" Mihawk's lips curled slightly, as if he had expected this all along, and he calmly looked toward Zoro. "Is it really just pointers?"
As he spoke, a powerful aura suddenly burst from his body. Yet rather than surging outward like Conqueror's Haki, it quickly drew inward after emerging, finally seeming to condense entirely into Mihawk's sharp eyes.
Though he was astonished by the Straw Hats' growth and strength, the title of world's greatest swordsman had not been handed to Mihawk through empty praise!
If he lacked the resolve to face powerful enemies, how could he possibly have reached his current position!?
What was more…
"You want to use me as a stepping stone!?"
With a cold smile, Mihawk's eyes sharpened as he spoke directly to Red and Zoro:
"There's no need to bother with all that polite prelude nonsense!"
"You want the title above my head, don't you? Then if you're capable, come and take it!!!"
"As expected of Senior Mihawk~ Your presence truly is extraordinary!"
Having taken in Mihawk's state completely through Aura, Red immediately offered a flattering compliment.
After seeing so many top-tier experts already, he naturally wouldn't be shocked by Mihawk's current display.
But after a simple comparison, Red also knew…
Without using Mega Evolution, there was practically no possibility that Zoro, with the strength and methods he currently possessed, could defeat Mihawk.
Just as he had predicted.
Today's battle, like the one back in East Blue, would merely be another tempering for Zoro. Nothing more.
That said, a battle between two world-class powerhouses would be far too lonely without at least some audience.
Red chuckled inwardly, and in the next moment, an enormous amount of Psychic Power burst out from his body.
In an instant, Treasure Island — which had already been shattered into countless pieces from the earlier battles — was gathered together once more under Red's Psychic Power, forming a brand-new barren island that settled right in the center of the celebration grounds.
"Hm!? What's that!?"
In the already devastated center of the venue, the pirates who had miraculously survived disaster noticed the changes on Treasure Island and immediately looked up in curiosity.
Then they saw several figures walking out from the Going Merry in the sky and slowly descending onto Treasure Island.
"That's… former Seven Warlords of the Sea, Dracule Mihawk!? Why is he coming out of the Straw Hat Pirates' ship!?"
"Hey, don't tell me… even Dracule Mihawk has chosen to join the Straw Hat Pirates!?"
"Heh… First Knight of the Sea Jinbe, Gecko Moria, and the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock are already under Straw Hat's banner. What's so strange about adding another Warlord?"
"They're all just abandoned pawns of the World Government and the Marines anyway!"
"What's so strange about it!? Open your damn eyes! That's the world's greatest swordsman who can fight Red-Haired Shanks to a draw!!!"
"And you're telling me that's not strange!? Have the Straw Hat Pirates raised your standards that badly!?"
"For crying out loud, you have nothing to do with the Straw Hat crew, so can you stop projecting so hard and show at least a little of the shock an ordinary pirate is supposed to have!?"
"..."
"..."
Because of Mihawk's sudden appearance, the pirates erupted into heated discussion once more.
Three Seven Warlords of the Sea, one legendary pirate, and now the world's greatest swordsman on top of that…
At this rate, they were almost too embarrassed to keep calling the Straw Hat Pirates one of the Four Emperors.
Honestly, at this point, why not just change the title altogether and crown them king already!?
How the hell were they supposed to compete with this!!!
Fortunately, the scene they had imagined — Mihawk joining the Straw Hats — never came to pass.
After arriving on Treasure Island, Roronoa Zoro, the man who had once slain the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, immediately began battling Mihawk atop the island.
In an instant, all of Treasure Island and the surrounding area were engulfed by endless, terrifying sword slashes.
And upon seeing this, the pirates instantly understood…
So Mihawk had not been recruited after all. It was simply that ordinary combatant of the Straw Hat crew challenging the world's greatest swordsman.
Although that "ordinary combatant" happened to have a record of killing a Fleet Admiral, this was still far easier for them to accept than Mihawk joining the Straw Hats.
…
…
"Is this your strongest power!?"
"If this is all you've got, then I'm afraid it won't be long before I can head back and join your banquet!"
Clang!!!
Four sword blades, all coated in Armament Haki and blackened into Black Blades, slammed violently together in midair, erupting in dazzling sparks.
Whoosh!!!
Behind the two of them, a fierce current of air suddenly surged upward and transformed into a howling storm of sword blades that hacked into the land behind them.
In the blink of an eye, countless deep trenches carved by sword energy appeared across the already pieced-together ground.
Then Zoro and Mihawk separated with the momentum.
Holding Wado Ichimonji between his teeth, Zoro's brows lifted, and his eyes shone with a mixture of battle intent and delight.
It's rising! It's rising!
It's really rising!
At that moment, Zoro could clearly feel that as he came to understand Mihawk's sword force and sword intent, his own comprehension of the Black Blade was becoming more and more natural.
This was a thrill that ordinary battles could never give him!
More importantly, unlike when he had fought Saint Nusjuro not long ago, this time Zoro could feel that all three of his swords were showing signs of evolving toward Black Blades.
And as a fellow top-class swordsman, Zoro could roughly guess the reason behind it.
Saint Nusjuro's Black Blade had relied on the special properties of a cursed blade. Through endless killing intent and slaughter, he had naturally evolved Shodai Kitetsu, that cursed sword, into an even more powerful Black Blade.
In a sense, there had been a degree of trickery involved.
That was why Zoro could only absorb the energy it radiated when fighting with a similarly cursed sword like Sandai Kitetsu.
Mihawk, however, was completely different.
His sword intent followed the path of absolute simplicity.
Through the strongest sword intent and the strongest blade, he unleashed the strongest slash!
So when fighting against him, Zoro could clearly sense the most primal and most correct source of a swordsman's strength.
And within that very thing lay the process of refining one's blade into a Black Blade.
Thus, after absorbing and digesting it, it became part of Zoro's own path toward the Black Blade.
Of course, this all sounded simple enough in words.
But in the entire world, there would not be more than a handful of people capable of reaching Zoro's current level.
And among those who could actually have the opportunity to spar with Mihawk, there might only be one or two.
"You want to see my strongest power!?"
Suppressing the joy in his heart, Zoro immediately answered Mihawk's provocation with a grin.
In the next instant, the Pokémon energy inside his body began to circulate wildly.
Boom!!!
A terrifying aura suddenly burst from Zoro's body and swept in all directions.
It was as though a dragon were roaring in the void itself, twisting the space around them.
Swish!
Zoro took up a perfect stance, then raised the corners of his mouth.
"Watch closely! This is my — strongest form!!!"
The moment those words fell, Zoro's eyes were suddenly covered by an energy brimming with destructive aura, and subtle changes began to occur throughout his body.
Yet at that exact moment—
"Urgh~!!!"
Mihawk, who had been quietly waiting for Zoro to finish evolving, suddenly had his expression change. His steps even stumbled forward.
In the next instant, the might radiating from Zoro formed into a violent hurricane that came crashing straight at Mihawk.
And for some unknown reason, Mihawk was like an ordinary grown man facing Zoro's storm of pressure — completely unable to resist. He was sent flying straight away from Black Blade · Yoru in his hand.
His entire body shot backward like a cannonball and smashed into a mountain ridge, leaving spiderweb cracks all across it.
Then a streak of crimson blood trickled from the corner of Mihawk's mouth. He lifted a finger weakly and pointed at Zoro.
But in the end, only a powerless choking sound came from his throat before he abruptly lost consciousness.
(End of Chapter)