The appearance of the Arlong Pirates didn't bring much impact to Cocoyasi Village.
And all of that was thanks to Mihawk's presence.
With Mihawk around, Arashi naturally had it easy.
The coffin-shaped boat bobbed gently with the waves, as if welcoming its master's return.
When Mihawk arrived at the shore and confirmed it was indeed his boat, the frown on his face finally eased.
"Since you've found it again, take good care of it."
Hearing the voice behind him, Mihawk didn't hesitate. He leapt lightly onto the small boat and sat down steadily.
"Huh?"
Arashi, who had just arrived at the shore, paused for a moment, confused. "You're… leaving already?"
"Yes."
Mihawk lifted his chin slightly, his sharp hawk-like eyes glinting as he replied decisively, "I've already delayed too long in the East Blue. It's time to leave."
Hearing this, Arashi glanced back toward Cocoyasi Village and said, frowning slightly, "The villagers are preparing a banquet to thank you. Isn't it a bit rude to leave just like that?"
"They should be thanking you."
Mihawk shook his head. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have appeared here, nor would I have bothered killing those trash. So the banquet… you can attend it yourself."
"That… actually makes sense."
Arashi nodded, readily accepting the reasoning. "In that case, off you go."
"Hah?"
Mihawk's eyes widened as he stared at Arashi.
What kind of farewell is that?
Well… whatever.
He didn't want to stay with this guy any longer anyway. Now that his boat was back, he needed to leave immediately.
Thinking this, Mihawk revealed a rare smile. "Arashi, I'm looking forward to seeing how you perform in the Grand Line."
"What you've encountered in the East Blue are nothing but minor characters. Once you enter the Grand Line, you'll realize just how absurd your idea of avoiding conflict really is."
"However…"
His gaze suddenly turned sharp as he said in a low voice, "I have a feeling you don't care about any of that. And someone who can remain so indifferent… must be quite strong. So before I leave, I want to see whether you've been hiding your strength."
"?????"
Arashi stared at Mihawk, utterly surprised.
So this guy actually wanted a real spar before leaving?
Ridiculous!
Do I look like someone who enjoys fighting?
If you've got the guts, let's play rock-paper-scissors!
"So you want a real fight before leaving?"
A sly smile curved Arashi's lips. "Sure. Beat me in rock-paper-scissors first. If you win, I'll spar with you."
Mihawk suddenly stood up, his voice deep. "I know you're strong. If you weren't, you wouldn't have remained calm while watching me cut down those fish-men. That calmness wasn't superficial—it came from within."
"More importantly, when I unleashed that slash, you didn't even blink. As if such power meant nothing to you."
"Alright."
Seeing that Mihawk had already seen through him so clearly, Arashi decided not to hide it any longer. Otherwise, it would just seem pretentious.
Spreading his hands slightly, he said, "Fine, I admit it. Like you said, I suppose I'm a swordsman too. But sorry—I'm not going to spar with you…"
"No. You want to."
Mihawk grew visibly excited—not because he simply wanted a duel, but because he wanted to know just how strong Arashi really was.
"No, I don't!"
Arashi shook his head firmly. "Are you leaving or not? If not, get off that boat and come drink!"
"You're lying to yourself…"
Mihawk leapt back onto the shore, staring at Arashi without blinking. "I can feel it—you want to challenge me. Before, you didn't react because you hadn't seen my true strength. But after witnessing my slash, I know you were moved!"
"So come—let's fight!"
"Fight my foot!"
Seeing Mihawk getting more and more worked up, Arashi turned and walked away. "Even if we fight, at least give me a decent sword! What kind of hero shows off with a giant black blade like that?!"
"!!!!"
Mihawk blinked, completely caught off guard.
He truly couldn't keep up with Arashi's logic.
It was just a spar—what did it have to do with Yoru?
By the time he reacted, Arashi had already walked far away.
Watching Arashi's retreating figure as he returned to Cocoyasi Village, Mihawk felt a lump in his throat. Several times, he tried to speak—but no words came out.
If he could, he really wanted to give this utterly unpredictable man a full-force slash.
But that was only a thought.
Though they had only met by chance, Mihawk had already considered Arashi a friend.
When he was with Arashi, he didn't need to care about his identity as the world's greatest swordsman. He could simply let himself go and enjoy the moment.
This kind of complete relaxation was something he had never experienced before.
And so, he cherished this friendship—a pure one, unrelated to status or strength.
Of course, if Mihawk truly wanted friends, there would be no shortage of people willing. After all, he didn't need to care about whether they were strong or not—because none of them would surpass him anyway.
But even if he didn't want to let go—
He couldn't help it.
Over these past few days, he had realized that Arashi possessed a strange, almost magical quality.
An invisible yet irresistible force.
And under its influence—even someone as powerful as him would be unconsciously drawn in.
For friends, this was a blessing.
But for enemies—
It was a nightmare.
Because this "force" could subtly influence those around Arashi, making them willingly stand by his side and fight for him.
Mihawk had just experienced it himself.
When he heard about the fish-man pirates attacking Cocoyasi Village, his first instinct had been to cut them down—to clear the path for Arashi's journey.
Under normal circumstances, as long as it didn't concern him, he wouldn't even bother to open his eyes.
At first, Mihawk hadn't realized this.
But now—
He understood.
And the realization shocked even him, who stood at the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
This was an invisible power.
A force that required no techniques or abilities to draw others in.
And those who possessed such power—
Were the most terrifying beings on this sea.
Even if, for now, all Mihawk could see was Arashi earning the trust of Cocoyasi Village's villagers—and himself unconsciously wanting to help clear obstacles for him—
It was already enough to prove—
Arashi possessed that power.
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