The battle between Alvin and Kizaru was never reported in the newspapers, so only a handful of factions who were paying attention to Red Hawk Alvin were aware of it.
Being able to fight a Marine Admiral and even injure him, while also sustaining heavy injuries himself, was enough to shock many powerful figures.
Red Hawk Alvin officially entered the sight of numerous top-tier forces, and they no longer regarded him as a mere rookie.
However, because the news was never made public, some long-established and arrogant individuals still did not take Red Hawk seriously.
— — — —
These matters meant little to Alvin. All he wanted was to leave as soon as possible and continue cutting down his enemies.
It seemed that Queen Ella had already foreseen that Alvin would depart from the Floran Kingdom once the Log Pose finished storing its magnetic field, and she became extremely anxious.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a week had gone by.
Inside the Queen's bedchamber, aside from Alvin and Queen Ella, only the maid Linna remained, quietly waiting beside the bathtub.
At this moment, Linna, dressed in a revealing bikini, sat idly near the bathtub, resting her chin on her hands as she stared at the calm, motionless surface of the water.
From the adjacent room, occasional cries from intense "battles" could be heard, but Linna had long grown accustomed to such sounds, her expression remaining unchanged.
"Lord Alvin... it seems he will be leaving the Floran Kingdom in a few days, sigh..." As soon as she thought about Alvin's departure, Linna felt a heavy weight press down on her heart, filling her with sadness.
"Linna, come help me clean Queen Ella," Alvin's familiar voice suddenly called out.
"Coming!" Linna immediately stood up, only to see Alvin walking in while carrying the flushed and exhausted Queen Ella.
Alvin gently placed Ella onto the soft cushion beside the bathtub, and Linna skillfully began to clean her body.
Meanwhile, Alvin slowly stepped into the bathtub alone, then leaned back, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to float comfortably in the warm water.
Linna subconsciously glanced at him before quickly looking away, her cheeks faintly flushed.
Why was Lord Alvin not wearing anything? Even though she had seen him before and had been close to him, she still felt a little shy.
"Your Majesty, it is done," Linna softly said after finishing, seeing that Ella was nearly asleep.
"Mmm... This concubine will rest for a while. Go clean Alvin," Ella replied weakly without even opening her eyes.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Linna bowed and then carefully entered the bathtub, skillfully beginning to clean Alvin.
"Thank you, Linna." Feeling her attentive service, Alvin could not help but think that perhaps he should find a personal secretary. As the saying goes, when there is work, the secretary handles it, when there is no work...
"No trouble at all, Lord Alvin. Do you want more today?" Linna asked in a voice as soft as a whisper.
"Not today. There is not a drop left. Queen Ella was quite fierce today," Alvin replied casually, his eyes still closed.
"Oh..." Linna nodded obediently.
She then quietly glanced at Queen Ella and saw that she had already fallen asleep, her breathing soft and steady.
As if gathering her courage, Linna quickly leaned forward and kissed Alvin on the face, her expression filled with quiet joy, as though she had secretly kissed the one she loved.
Alvin had long grown used to Linna's small gestures. After all, did he not have a few of his own at this moment?
— — — —
Kuraigana Island.
At this time, inside the eerie castle, Dracule Mihawk was speaking through a Den Den Mushi with a certain one-armed swordsman from the New World.
"Mihawk, do you have some kind of secret that allows someone to quickly become a Great Swordsman?" Shank's voice carried both excitement and curiosity.
"I do not understand what you mean," Mihawk replied indifferently.
"Red Hawk. A few days ago, he fought Marine Admiral Kizaru. The most important thing is that during that battle, he displayed slashes at the level of a Great Swordsman. Do not tell me you did not know?" Shanks said, his tone filled with astonishment.
"Oh? That is indeed interesting..." Upon hearing this, Mihawk's sharp, hawk-like eyes lit up slightly.
That young man had already reached the level of a Great Swordsman? And he could even contend with an Admiral?
He had exceeded Mihawk's expectations.
"From what you are saying, you really did not know?" Shanks sounded somewhat puzzled.
"I have not gone out to sea recently. I have been rather busy. The crops in my field require fertilizing and irrigation," Mihawk replied calmly, as if stating a simple fact.
"Ya hahahaha!" Shanks' loud laughter echoed through the Den Den Mushi, forcing Mihawk to hold it farther away from his ear.
"The great World's Strongest Swordsman actually farming his own land. That is truly something to envy..." Shanks said, his tone shifting from amusement to genuine admiration.
"Even so, I have no intention of accepting help from someone who only has one arm left," Mihawk said flatly.
"Damn it! You bastard! Mihawk, that is discrimination against a disabled person! I am going to challenge you to a duel!" Shanks roared in frustration.
"Is there anything else? If not, I still have fields to tend," Mihawk said, completely ignoring Shanks' outrage.
"Red Hawk Alvin... his swordsmanship was not taught by you, was it?" Shanks asked, his voice turning serious.
"No," Mihawk answered simply.
"I see... If it was not you, then Red Hawk... a monster even stronger than you may have appeared..." Shanks said, his words filled with emotion and a trace of unease.
"Would that not make life more interesting?" Mihawk's lips curled slightly, his fighting spirit quietly rising.
He was truly looking forward to the day he would cross blades with Alvin.
"Hahaha, you are right. I hope he enters the New World soon. I want to meet this extraordinary rookie as well!" Shanks said, his excitement clearly audible.
"I will end the call here. I still have several acres to weed today," Mihawk said calmly.
Click.
The Den Den Mushi went silent. Mihawk looked out the window toward the distant sea. After a few seconds, he withdrew his gaze and turned toward the Black Blade hanging on the wall.
"I am truly looking forward to it..."
...
Re@d adv@nce ch@pters on p@t
guilt_free_daoist
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