Mihawk really didn't have any money!
Even if he did, he wouldn't carry it on him. And since his small boat had long disappeared, he was now even poorer than Bell-mère.
Of course, if he were to sell his black blade, he would instantly become incredibly wealthy.
But that was obviously impossible!
As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the world's greatest swordsman, no matter how down on his luck he was, there was no way he'd sell his sword just to survive. If it came down to it, one swing of his blade would bring him endless treasure anyway.
"I do have money!"
Just as Mihawk declared he had none, Arashi immediately spoke up. "But I left it on the Traveler. Could you help me go get it?"
"…Fine."
Mihawk thought it sounded reasonable—as long as he didn't have to pay out of his own pocket.
However, when Mihawk returned to the Traveler and found the chest containing Arashi's Beli, he suddenly froze.
Then he slowly raised his head, his expression indescribably complex.
Clearly… he had fallen for Arashi's trick again.
Even if he didn't have money, that had nothing to do with him! It was Arashi who wanted to contract the grove, not him. So why was he the one running errands to fetch the money?
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became.
But since he had agreed to it himself, he could only sulk inwardly, reluctantly picking up the 200,000 Beli and heading back.
Ten minutes later—
"That was fast, Mihawk…"
Sitting across from Bell-mère, Arashi waved at him enthusiastically as he pushed the door open and walked in with the money. "Thanks for the hard work! Come, come—tonight we drink until we drop!"
Mihawk said nothing. He walked over and sat down at the table with a cold expression, his face dark.
Seeing this, Bell-mère quickly stood up, looking somewhat nervous. "Um… Mr. Mihawk, I—I'll go get you a bowl!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and hurried into the kitchen.
The moment she entered, she leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.
Back when she was still a Marine, she had only seen Mihawk in newspapers and heard about his feats in rumors. She had known he was powerful—but now that he stood right before her, she truly understood what it meant to be strong… what it meant to be the world's greatest swordsman.
That overwhelming aura of power, even when unintentional, pressed down on her like nothing she had ever felt before. If she stayed in the living room any longer, she feared she wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Mihawk's presence was completely unrestrained—domineering, overwhelming, and keeping others at a distance.
In contrast, Arashi was gentle, like a friendly neighbor, giving off a warm and approachable feeling that made people instinctively want to get closer.
One was a renowned Warlord of the Sea—the world's greatest swordsman.
The other was an unknown traveler and contractor.
Two people who should have had nothing to do with each other… yet they were companions, appearing together before her.
Even Bell-mère, who had once been a delinquent, found herself momentarily stunned.
But it was precisely because of their stark contrast—completely different styles and presences—that her curiosity about Arashi deepened.
She truly wanted to know—what kind of mysterious and powerful person could push someone like Mihawk to the brink of exploding, yet leave him completely helpless?
Taking a deep breath, Bell-mère picked up a bowl and returned to the living room.
"Mr. Mihawk, please enjoy."
After placing the bowl in front of him, she tried her best to stay calm, but her nervousness didn't escape Mihawk's notice.
"You know who I am?"
Filling his bowl with wine, Mihawk looked up at her. "You don't seem like an ordinary villager. If I'm not mistaken, you've received training before… and participated in combat. Were you a Marine? Or rather—once one?"
Bell-mère hadn't expected Mihawk to see through her so easily. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively glanced at Arashi.
Seeing Arashi respond with a reassuring smile, her tension eased slightly. She nodded and said, "Yes… a few years ago, I fought as a Marine. But in that battle, we—"
"Wow, Bell-mère was a Marine?!"
Before she could finish, Arashi suddenly interrupted, his expression exaggerated. "Is that true? That's amazing!"
Just then, little Nami and Nojiko walked in together.
The two girls were clearly a bit afraid of Mihawk.
And it wasn't surprising—Mihawk looked incredibly cold, especially those hawk-like sharp eyes… they were downright terrifying!
Nami glanced at him timidly before walking over to Arashi and whispering, "Mr. Kairo D. Arashi, I secretly drew another map just now. Can you take a look at it for me?"
"Of course."
Arashi nodded with a smile. "But not right now. See that guy over there with the super scary eyes? If I don't drink with him properly today, coughing up a couple pounds of blood might still be fine—but the real problem is, he might explode…"
"Nami…"
Hearing this, Bell-mère quickly walked over, pulling Nami aside while saying to Nojiko, "Nojiko, take Nami to the market for a while."
Little Nami obediently stuck out her tongue playfully at Arashi before turning and leaving with Nojiko.
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