The sea breeze died down, replaced by a suffocating, heavy tension that gripped the Baratie. The splintered remains of Don Krieg's massive galleon slowly sank beneath the waves, bubbling as the ocean swallowed it whole. But no one was looking at the sinking ship. Every pair of eyes on the restaurant's patio was locked onto the small, coffin-shaped boat and the man sitting effortlessly within it.
Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman, had arrived in the East Blue.
Zoro didn't hesitate. He stepped up onto the wooden railing of the Baratie, his eyes burning with a terrifying, single-minded intensity. He drew the Wado Ichimonji and placed it between his teeth, drawing the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri with his hands. He tied his dark green bandana around his head, the universal sign that Roronoa Zoro was preparing to fight for his life.
"I never expected to run into you out here, in the weakest of all seas," Zoro called out, his voice vibrating around the blade in his mouth. "I've been looking for you, Hawk-Eyes."
Mihawk slowly stood up in his tiny boat. His piercing, golden eyes locked onto Zoro, utterly devoid of emotion. "Looking for me? And what is your objective, weakling?"
"To become the strongest," Zoro declared, his grip tightening on his hilts. "To surpass you!"
Mihawk let out a soft, barely audible sigh. "What a foolishly straightforward ambition. If you possess even a shred of true strength, you should be able to see the insurmountable gap between us just by looking at me. To challenge me here... is it courage, or simply ignorance born of your own narrow worldview?"
"It's my ambition!" Zoro roared. He leaped from the railing, crashing onto the wooden debris floating in the ocean to close the distance. "And a promise I made to my captain and my best friend!"
Mihawk didn't reach for the massive black blade strapped to his back. Instead, he casually reached up to the cross-shaped necklace hanging around his neck. He pulled a tiny, two-inch dagger from the cross and held it out.
Zoro stopped on a floating piece of driftwood, a vein bulging on his forehead. "What is the meaning of that? Are you mocking me?!"
"I am not the kind of foolish beast who hunts a rabbit with a cannon," Mihawk replied evenly. "I don't happen to carry anything smaller than this to deal with a pest."
Infuriated, Zoro launched himself forward. "Don't regret this when you're dead!"
He swung his twin swords with ferocious power, aiming directly for Mihawk's neck. But in a flash of movement so fast the eye couldn't track it, Mihawk brought the tiny dagger up.
Clang!
The two massive katanas were stopped dead in their tracks, entirely blocked by the tip of the tiny knife. Zoro's eyes widened in shock. He pushed with all of his monstrous physical strength, but Mihawk didn't budge a single millimeter.
"Such a chaotic, unrefined sword style," Mihawk murmured, sounding genuinely bored.
Zoro gritted his teeth. He's a monster, Zoro realized. But I am not the same frog in the well I was a week ago!
Closing his eyes for a fraction of a second, Zoro dug deep into his spirit. He commanded his newly awakened Haki to flow. A pitch-black, metallic sheen erupted from his hands, racing up the steel of his three blades until they were coated in dense Armament Haki. The air around him cracked with pressure.
Mihawk's golden eyes widened a fraction of an inch, a genuine flicker of surprise crossing his stoic face.
"Haki?" Mihawk noted aloud, his tone shifting from bored to mildly intrigued. "To find a swordsman in the East Blue capable of manifesting the Color of Arms... that is a rare anomaly indeed. Very well. You are not a complete rabbit."
Despite his praise, Mihawk's movements didn't falter. As Zoro unleashed a relentless flurry of Haki-coated slashes, Mihawk parried every single one with the tiny knife. The clashes rang out across the ocean, sending shockwaves through the water. Zoro swung with the power to cut mountains, his Observation Haki trying to predict Mihawk's movements, but the Warlord was simply on an entirely different plane of existence.
"You have the foundation," Mihawk said, easily deflecting a black-coated thrust from the Yubashiri. "But your Haki is raw. It bleeds too much energy. True strength is absolute control."
With a flick of his wrist, Mihawk slipped past Zoro's guard. The tiny dagger pierced Zoro's chest, sinking deep near his heart.
Zoro froze. The black coating on his swords slowly faded back to silver. Blood dripped from his chest onto the floating debris.
"Do you want a sword through the heart?" Mihawk asked, genuinely curious. "Why do you not step back?"
"I don't know..." Zoro rasped, a fierce, unbreakable grin forming on his face. "But I feel like... if I were to take even one step backward right now, all the promises I've made, every vow I've sworn... they would all be broken. I would never be able to face my captain again."
Mihawk stared at him, a profound sense of respect finally entering his golden eyes. "That is called defeat. And yet, you choose death over it?"
"Death is better than a life of defeat," Zoro answered.
Mihawk pulled the tiny dagger out. "A strong will. State your name, swordsman!"
Zoro sheathed his two hand swords, turning to face Mihawk fully with only the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth. He crossed his arms over his bleeding chest. "Roronoa Zoro!"
"I will remember that name. It has been a long time since I met someone with such a strong spirit," Mihawk said. He finally reached over his shoulder, drawing the legendary Black Blade, Yoru. "As a reward for your resolve and your latent potential, I shall sink you with the world's strongest black sword!"
Zoro spun his swords, unleashing his ultimate technique. "Three-Sword Style Secret Technique... Three Thousand Worlds!"
He charged. Mihawk swung Yoru in a devastating, elegant arc. The two swordsmen crossed paths in a blur of motion.
A moment of silence hung in the air. Then, the Sandai Kitetsu and the Yubashiri shattered in Zoro's hands, their broken halves splashing into the ocean. Only the Wado Ichimonji remained intact.
Zoro slowly turned around to face Mihawk. He sheathed his remaining sword and spread his arms wide, exposing his chest completely.
"What are you doing?" Mihawk asked.
"A scar on the back... is a swordsman's greatest shame," Zoro smiled fiercely.
Mihawk couldn't help but smirk. "Magnificent."
With a swift, controlled slash, Mihawk cut across Zoro's chest. Blood sprayed into the air, and Zoro fell backward, plunging into the ocean.
"Zoro!" Usopp and Johnny screamed, diving into the water to fish out the heavily wounded swordsman.
Luffy watched the entire exchange from the patio of the Baratie. He didn't intervene. He knew Zoro needed this crushing defeat to understand the true peak of the world. As Usopp dragged Zoro onto a small wooden dinghy, Zoro raised his one remaining sword toward the sky, coughing up blood.
"Luffy... can you hear me?" Zoro cried out, tears mixing with the seawater on his face. "I'm sorry! If I don't become the greatest swordsman in the world, it'll embarrass you, won't it?! I swear... I will never lose again! Until I defeat him and take his title... I will never be defeated again! Any problems with that... Pirate King?!"
Luffy's signature, blinding grin stretched across his face. "Shishishishi! None at all!"
Mihawk watched the exchange, his interest deeply piqued. He sheathed Yoru and turned his golden eyes toward the boy standing on the restaurant deck. For the first time, Mihawk truly looked at him. He noticed the casual, imposing stance, the complete lack of fear, and finally, the worn straw hat resting on the boy's head.
Mihawk's eyes narrowed. That hat... it belongs to Red-Haired Shanks. The man bet his arm on a new era in the East Blue. Is this the boy?
"You have an interesting crew, boy," Mihawk called out over the water. "And a very nostalgic hat. Tell me... where did you get it?"
Luffy jumped up onto the wooden railing, balancing effortlessly. He looked down at the Warlord with a calm, absolute confidence that made the Baratie cooks sweat.
"You want to know about my hat?" Luffy grinned, cracking his knuckles. "I'll tell you... if you can defeat me."
Mihawk's eyebrow twitched upward. He hadn't expected such a brazen challenge, especially after the boy had just witnessed the absolute destruction of his first mate. Yet, looking into Luffy's eyes, Mihawk saw no bluff. He saw the eyes of an apex predator.
"Very well," Mihawk said, a rare, terrifying smile pulling at the corner of his lips. He slowly drew the Black Blade, Yoru, for a second time. "Come down here, boy. Let me test the weight of the era Red Hair bet on."
"Luffy! Are you crazy?!" Nami screamed, grabbing the railing. "You just saw what he did to Zoro! He cut a galleon in half!"
"Don't worry, Nami," Luffy said calmly. "Hold my hat."
He tossed the Straw Hat to his navigator, who caught it with trembling hands. Luffy took a deep breath, his demeanor shifting entirely. The carefree, goofy captain vanished.
"Gear Second," Luffy muttered. His blood flow accelerated to impossible speeds. His skin flushed a deep, glowing pink, and hot steam began to hiss from his pores.
But he didn't stop there. He bit his thumb, blowing a massive amount of air into his bones and muscles, inflating his body. The Haki in his system flared.
"Gear Fourth..." Luffy announced, his voice echoing with a strange, metallic distortion.
Luffy forcefully compressed the air and rubber down into his legs and core. His body became incredibly lean, resembling an Olympic sprinter. Deep, pitch-black Armament Haki coated his arms, legs, and torso, forming jagged, flame-like patterns that looked like the spots of a wild cat. The steam curled around his shoulders like a white scarf.
"...Cheetah!"
The cooks of the Baratie, Usopp, and even Zoro, who was bleeding out on the dinghy, stared in absolute, jaw-dropping shock.
Mihawk's golden eyes sharpened to pinpricks. The aura radiating from the boy was explosive. It was dense, refined, and incredibly dangerous.
BOOM!
Luffy vanished. The sound barrier shattered, a sonic boom cracking the air where he had just been standing. He didn't fly; he kicked the air itself with Geppo, moving at a speed that left afterimages lingering across the sky.
He appeared directly above Mihawk, his Haki-coated leg descending like a falling meteor. "Gum-Gum... Felines shot!"
Mihawk swung Yoru upward with astonishing speed.
The black leg clashed against the black blade.
KRACK-A-DOOM!
A massive, terrifying shockwave erupted from the point of impact. The ocean split open beneath them, water rocketing hundreds of feet into the air. The Baratie violently lurched sideways, the cooks screaming as they held onto the tables for dear life.
Mihawk's tiny boat groaned under the pressure, but the Warlord held his ground, his eyes wide with genuine thrill. The boy wasn't just fast; the density of his Armament Haki was staggering.
Luffy didn't let up. Using the recoil from the clash, he bounced off the blade, kicking the air and rocketing around Mihawk in a dizzying, hexagonal pattern. He was a blur of pink skin and black Haki, attacking from every conceivable angle.
"Gum-Gum... Gatling Claw!"
Dozens of high-speed, condensed punches rained down on Mihawk. The Warlord moved with flawless grace, swinging Yoru in a mesmerizing dance of defense. Sparks rained down over the ocean like fireworks as Haki clashed against Haki. Every time Luffy struck, the ocean trembled. Every time Mihawk parried, a rogue slash of air pressure shot off into the distance, cleanly slicing through the clouds above.
Sanji, who had stepped out onto the patio, dropped his cigarette. His jaw was slack. "What the hell am I looking at? Are they even human?"
Zeff watched the clash with wide eyes, a grin slowly forming under his massive mustache. "So that's the monster who knocked out Krieg's entire fleet with his will alone. I see... the East Blue has birthed another freak of nature."
The battle raged for several minutes, though the sheer speed made it feel like seconds. Neither fighter was going all out; there were no lethal intent or ultimate, island-destroying techniques being thrown. It was a high-speed spar, a conversation of fists and blades. Luffy was testing his new, self-developed speed form, and Mihawk was measuring the depths of the boy's potential.
Finally, Luffy materialized a dozen yards away, floating in the air. He coated his arm in an even denser layer of Haki. Mihawk raised Yoru with both hands, a terrifying green aura enveloping the black blade.
They rushed each other one last time.
The clash of Luffy's fist and Mihawk's sword didn't even make a sound at first. The air simply vacuumed inward, pulling the ocean water up in a massive dome. Then, the shockwave hit. A gale-force wind swept over the Baratie, snapping the masts of the surrounding anchored ships.
When the sea spray finally settled, Luffy and Mihawk were standing back to back on the floating debris of Krieg's ship.
Luffy slowly let the air out of his muscles, his Haki fading as he returned to his normal size. He exhaled a cloud of steam, a massive grin on his face. Not a single scratch marred his skin.
Mihawk lowered Yoru, breathing evenly, his elegant clothes entirely unruffled. He turned to look at the teenager, his golden eyes glowing with a rare, profound satisfaction.
"I see," Mihawk said, a smirk playing on his lips. "You have certainly proven the weight of that hat. It seems Red Hair has not lost his eye for potential. The era he bet on is terrifying indeed."
Luffy laughed, jumping back up onto the deck of the Baratie. He caught his straw hat from Nami and plopped it back onto his head. "Shishishishi! You're pretty strong yourself, Hawk-Eyes! I can see why Zoro wants to beat you so badly!"
"I look forward to the day he tries again," Mihawk said, sheathing his massive blade. He sat back down in his tiny boat, which had miraculously survived the shockwaves. "And I look forward to watching your journey, Monkey D. Luffy. The New World will certainly be entertained by your arrival."
With a flare of green flames from his candles, Mihawk's boat slowly drifted away, disappearing into the mist of the East Blue.
The silence on the Baratie was absolute. The cooks, Johnny, Yosaku, and even Nami stared at Luffy as if he were a completely alien entity. He had just fought the World's Greatest Swordsman to a standstill, shaking the very ocean, and he was acting like he had just finished a light morning jog.
Sanji picked up a fresh cigarette, lighting it with a slightly trembling hand. He looked at the pristine, futuristic galleon floating nearby, and then at the grinning, rubber boy.
If I want to find the All Blue, Sanji thought, a fiery determination replacing his shock, sailing with a monster like him might be the only way to survive the trip.
Unnoticed amidst the chaos and awe, a man hiding behind a barrel on an anchored Marine patrol ship was shaking violently. It was Lieutenant Fullbody of the Marines. He held a terrified, sobbing Den Den Mushi to his ear.
"H-Headquarters!" Fullbody stammered, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. "This is Lieutenant Fullbody! Priority Alpha Report! The pirate known as Monkey D. Luffy... he just engaged Dracule Mihawk in single combat! They fought to a standstill! Repeat, a rookie from the East Blue just fought a Warlord of the Sea to a dead tie!"
Meanwhile, in the highest office of Marineford, the heavy mahogany doors burst open.
Commodore Brannew scrambled into the room, his uniform soaked in nervous sweat. He slammed a frantic Den Den Mushi onto the Fleet Admiral's desk, scattering classified documents.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir!" Brannew gasped, struggling to catch his breath. "Priority Alpha Emergency Report! We just received a direct transmission from Lieutenant Fullbody in the East Blue!"
Sengoku looked up, massaging his temples. The seagull on his hat bobbed as he sighed. Sitting on the nearby sofa, Vice Admiral Tsuru calmly sipped her green tea.
"Calm down, Brannew," Sengoku commanded, his voice rumbling with authority. "What is it? Has Monkey D. Luffy caused another incident?"
"Y-Yes, sir! But it's worse than we could have ever imagined!" Brannew stammered, his eyes wide with sheer terror. "Dracule Mihawk arrived at the Baratie. Monkey D. Luffy engaged him in single combat... and fought the World's Greatest Swordsman to an absolute, dead standstill!"
Silence slammed into the office.
Tsuru's teacup froze halfway to her lips. Sengoku stared at the Commodore, his tactical mind completely short-circuiting.
"A... a standstill?" Sengoku whispered, the color draining from his face. "Against Hawkeye?"
"Yes, sir! The boy used an advanced form of Armament Haki and matched the Warlord blow for blow! Mihawk left without landing a single scratch on him!"
Sengoku's face rapidly shifted from pale white to a terrifying, apoplectic purple. The veins on his forehead throbbed violently. He slammed his fists down, cracking the solid mahogany desk cleanly down the middle.
"GET ME GARP!" Sengoku roared, the sheer volume shaking the office windows. "CONNECT ME TO HIS BATTLESHIP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"
Thousands of miles away, cutting smoothly through the windless waters of the Calm Belt, a massive Marine battleship was already en route to the East Blue.
On the deck, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp was sprawled in a lawn chair, a massive snot bubble expanding from his nose as he snored loudly. Beside him, Admiral Kuzan—Aokiji—was slouched in an identical chair, a sleeping mask pulled over his eyes to block the afternoon sun.
Suddenly, the heavy, grating ring of the secure Den Den Mushi echoed across the deck.
Puru puru puru! Puru puru puru!
A nearby Marine nervously picked up the receiver. Instantly, the snail's face morphed into an expression of absolute, vein-popping fury.
"GARP! WAKE UP, YOU SENILE OLD FOOL!"
Sengoku's scream blasted through the speaker with such force that Garp's snot bubble popped. The older Marine jolted awake, blinking blearily as he grabbed a handful of rice crackers from his lap and shoved them into his mouth.
Aokiji lifted one side of his sleeping mask, letting out a lazy sigh. "Arara... the Fleet Admiral sounds a bit stressed today."
Garp ambled over to the receiver, a wide grin on his face. "Bwahahaha! What's got your panties in a twist, Sengoku? We're making good time! We'll be in the East Blue by tomorrow to drag my idiot grandson back by his rubber ears!"
"YOUR GRANDSON JUST FOUGHT DRACULE MIHAWK TO A DEAD STANDSTILL!" Sengoku shrieked through the speaker.
Garp stopped chewing. He stared at the angry snail.
Aokiji slowly sat up, pulling his sleeping mask off completely. His perpetually bored expression vanished, replaced by a sharp, calculating intensity.
"Lieutenant Fullbody witnessed the entire engagement!" Sengoku barked, his voice trembling with stress. "The boy matched Mihawk blow for blow, and he possesses Conqueror's Haki! Garp, if a rookie with Yonko-commander-level strength enters the Grand Line flying a pirate flag, it will throw the entire balance of the Three Great Powers into absolute chaos!"
For a long moment, Garp simply stared at the wooden deck. Then, his shoulders began to shake. A low chuckle vibrated in his chest, escalating into a full-blown, uproarious roar of laughter.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Garp howled, throwing his head back and slapping his knee. Tears of pure, unadulterated pride streamed down his face. "A tie with Hawkeye?! Bwahahaha! That's my boy! I told you he was a monster! I knew the brat was holding back when we sparred! Bwahahahaha!"
"STOP LAUGHING, YOU INSUFFERABLE IDIOT!" Sengoku roared. "This mission is now absolute priority! I sent you and Kuzan out there to bring him in quietly, but now... I don't care what you have to do! Beg him! Bribe him! Beat him senseless! Just put a Marine coat on his shoulders before the Emperors catch wind of him!"
"Don't sweat it, Sengoku!" Garp grinned, cracking his massive knuckles. "I'll talk some sense into him with a few Fists of Love! Bwahahaha!"
The line clicked dead.
Garp turned around, looking out at the endless expanse of the ocean. "Hear that, Kuzan? Looks like we aren't just picking up a rookie anymore!"
Aokiji scratched the back of his head, exhaling a small cloud of freezing mist. "Arara... what a massive pain. To think a kid from the weakest sea could throw the entire world off balance. I was hoping to just sleep through this voyage."
"Stay sharp, Kuzan!" Garp laughed loudly, his eyes shining with anticipation. "My grandson isn't going to come quietly! If he wants to be the Pirate King, we're going to have to show him exactly what the Marines are made of!"