Clang.
A faint ring.
So slight it was almost completely drowned out by the sound of the rain.
It was the sound of a blade being sheathed.
Kane hadn't even fully drawn Zangetsu, merely allowing that profound black to flash briefly in the world before sealing it back into its scabbard.
What had he done?
No one saw clearly.
Even those future overlords below the platform, who prided themselves on their exceptional dynamic vision, only felt their eyes blur.
Immediately after.
Splat—!
A line of blood burst open without warning across Mihawk's chest.
It was a slash running diagonally from his left shoulder to his right abdomen, deep enough to reveal bone, almost splitting him in two.
"Ugh…"
Mihawk didn't even have time to scream before his entire body was sent flying backward as if struck head-on by a speeding sea train!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He smashed through three layers of the execution platform's guardrails in succession, splinters flying everywhere, before finally crashing heavily onto the slick stone pavement in the center of the square.
The entire square fell deathly silent.
Only the sound of raindrops striking the ground and the uncontrollable gurgling of blood in Mihawk's throat remained.
The strange grin on Doflamingo's face vanished completely, cold sweat trickling down his temples, soaking his flashy sunglasses.
He couldn't see it.
He couldn't see it at all!
His innate King's Disposition, in the face of that slash, only sensed a tremor from the deepest part of his soul.
If that slash had been aimed at him…
No, there would have been no difference.
On the other side, the cigar Crocodile had been biting snapped in half and fell to the ground, quickly ruined by the rain.
He stared fixedly at Kane, his sinister eyes revealing, for the first time, a clear emotion called "fear."
"Is this… the power that suppresses the seas in this chaotic era?"
…
"Tsk, young people these days are still too weak."
On the execution platform, Kane dug at his ear, shaking his head with a look of disappointment.
"I used less than ten percent of my strength, and he's already down?"
The surrounding Navy officers twitched at the corners of their mouths, lowering their heads, not daring to respond.
Sir, you call that slash—the one that could split the clouds—"less than ten percent of your strength"? Are you trying to level all of Loguetown?
In the center of the square.
Mihawk lay in a pool of blood, the cold rain mercilessly washing over his searing wound.
Pain.
Excruciating pain.
But what hurt more than the physical agony was the collapse of his conviction.
He had lost.
Lost utterly and completely.
From drawing his sword to defeat, it hadn't even taken five minutes.
The swordsmanship he had bet everything on, the pride he held so dear, was as fragile as a three-year-old's scribble before that man.
The world… was truly this far away.
Just as everyone thought this arrogant young man would lose consciousness.
A trembling hand—a hand covered in calluses, unwilling to release its grip on the sword hilt even if unconscious—clutched the Black Blade "Yoru" planted beside him.
Crack… Crack…
Amidst a chorus of sharp intakes of breath, Mihawk used his sword as a crutch, drenched in blood, swaying unsteadily as he rose to his feet once more.
He stood unsteadily, like a candle in the wind, ready to flicker out at any moment.
But he stood up.
He raised his head, his golden pupils—once sharp as an eagle's—now somewhat unfocused, yet still locked firmly on the man atop the high platform.
"It's not… over yet…"
His voice was hoarse, mixed with bloody froth in his throat.
"As long as I'm alive… one day… I will surpass you!"
The surrounding crowd stirred.
"Is this kid insane?"
"He dares to talk tough even in this state?"
"He really doesn't want to live!"
Yet Kane, on the high platform, was amused.
He blew out a smoke ring, watching the figure swaying on the verge of collapse but refusing to yield, his mind calculating rapidly.
This kind of stubborn sword fanatic.
This kind of top-tier prodigy whose mind held nothing but the pursuit of strength.
He was practically perfect tool material.
If Kane didn't squeeze out every last drop of his value, he'd feel he was doing a disservice to the "Justice" coat he wore.
"Surpass me?"
Kane shifted to a more comfortable sitting position, leisurely lighting a new cigar, his tone carrying a hint of coaxing persuasion.
"You felt it too, didn't you? That despair-inducing gap."
"How many years do you think it would take, stumbling around the seas like a headless fly, sparring with third-rate pirates, to catch up to my shadow?"
"Ten years? Twenty? Or maybe… a lifetime?"
Mihawk fell silent.
As much as he hated to admit it, he knew the other was speaking the truth.
That chasm of strength was like an impassable abyss—not something that could be bridged by sheer passion and solitary training.
"So, even though this Admiral is very busy, I've always been quite lenient toward promising young talents."
Kane flicked the ash from his cigar, revealing his true intentions as a "kindly" smile spread across his face.
"Would you like to see the pinnacle of swordsmanship every single day?"
Mihawk nodded instinctively.
"Would you like the chance to challenge me daily, or even observe my swordsmanship whenever you wish?"
Mihawk nodded again, a flicker of longing in his eyes.
"Well, there you have it." Kane slapped his thigh. "Join the Navy."
"…"
"Huh?"
This syllable echoed simultaneously in Mihawk's mind and the minds of the tens of thousands in the plaza.
Join the Navy?
You cut him half to death, then tell him to join the Navy?
Isn't this move a bit too… abstract?
Kane paid no heed to the crowd's bewilderment and began earnestly spouting nonsense:
"Think about it—what is Marine Headquarters? It's a gathering place for monsters of the sea!"
"If you join, I'm stationed at the G-5 Branch every day. You can come find me anytime for a beating… ahem, I mean, sparring."
"If you ever get tired of fighting me, there's a guy at Headquarters named Garp whose fists are as hard as iron. There's also a teacher named Zephyr, a master of martial arts."
"And there's a sleazy flashy guy whose swordsmanship is a hundred thousand miles behind mine, but he's more than enough to serve as your training partner."
At this point, Kane leaned forward, lowering his voice to deliver the final blow:
"Most importantly, to defeat a monster, you must first understand the monster, become part of the monster. Only by standing closest to me can you truly see the trajectory of my sword, isn't that right?"
"And it includes room and board, a stable salary, five insurances and one fund, and if you ever kill someone, the Navy will have your back. Where else are you going to find such a good job?"
Mihawk was completely stunned.
His mind went blank, overwhelmed by this sudden flood of information.
Join the Navy...
And get to challenge this man every day?
And fight other strong opponents?
Is such a thing even possible?!
A swordsman's thinking can sometimes be this simple and pure.
To him, treasure, fame, and power were far less important than a good sword and a worthy opponent.
And now, an opportunity—a chance to reach the pinnacle as quickly as possible—was laid bare before him.
As for the Navy's rules? Discipline?
What are those? Can they help me get stronger?
"I..." Mihawk swallowed hard, struggling to speak, "...can I?"
"Of course!" Kane snapped his fingers. "Rogue Town Navy Base, turn right when you leave here, see it? That building flying the seagull flag. Go in and tell them I, Kane, sent you. They'll handle all the paperwork for you."
"Oh, and," he added, "remember to go to the infirmary first and get bandaged up. Don't die on your way to the job."
As soon as the words left his mouth.
Without another word, Mihawk hoisted his massive sword, "Yoru," which was taller than him, and turned around.
Dragging his severely injured body, leaving a trail of blood behind him, he hobbled step by step, with unwavering determination, toward the Navy base.
That limping figure actually radiated a sense of resolve, as if he would never regret his choice even if it meant facing death.
Just like that...
He had been completely fooled.
The entire Rogue Town square fell into dead silence.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Just like that... he was lured away?
That swordsman, who had burst onto the scene with overwhelming sword aura and was destined to shake the seas in the future, had been tricked into joining the Navy's melting pot with just a few words?
[Ding! Detected extremely malicious behavior from the host!]
[Through overwhelming force and manipulative persuasion, you have successfully altered the fate trajectory of the key character "Dracule Mihawk," luring him into the Navy faction!]
[Severely disrupted the original balance of power in the future seas, constituting an extreme violation of discipline!]
[Subversion Coefficient determination: Extremely high!]
[Violation Value reward: 150,000 points!]
Listening to the system notification echoing in his mind, Kane exhaled a long, satisfied puff of smoke.
He glanced in the direction Mihawk had disappeared, then looked up at the sky.
The dark clouds he had casually split apart earlier were beginning to gather again, and the sky grew increasingly gloomy.
"Alright, warm-up's over."
Kane's voice instantly turned cold, all traces of his earlier laziness and mockery vanishing.
In its place was the absolute authority befitting a Navy Admiral.
He turned to face the executioners, who had long been standing by.
"It's time."
"Bring up the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
"This grand funeral that the whole world has been waiting for..."
"It's time to begin."
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Starting by Picking Up an Elf Girl
At Mount Emei, Starting with a Golden Phrase
Honkai: Star Rail – What to Do When Fuli Shatters at the Start
Online Pet Appraisal: Bro, This Dog Thinks It's Training You
1984: Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Restaurant
Simultaneous Transmigration: Inheriting Legacies Across Worlds
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "GoddessTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!