Next Bonus, 100!!
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One day later.
The sky was clear, and seagulls flew overhead.
Viola, however, sensed something and steered the Merry into a sharp turn.
BOOM!
A cannon roared.
A cannonball screamed through the air and crashed into the sea not far from the Merry, sending up a massive plume of spray.
Luffy, who had been sitting on the sheep figurehead, shot up. "A Marine ship!"
Usopp and Zoro looked over. A warship had appeared on the horizon.
"A pirate ship?? Take them down!"
On the deck of the warship, Fullbody, his head wrapped in a bandage, shook his fist, venting his frustration and anger. A short while ago, he and his date had been "humiliated" at the Baratie by that damned cook. Now, seeing a pirate ship was his chance to let off some steam.
A full broadside of cannon fire screamed toward them.
"What a pain," Zoro said. He leaped into the air, swords drawn.
A series of fiery blossoms erupted in mid-air.
"Who is that??"
"He cut through the cannonballs!"
The Marine soldiers gasped. Someone had just cut through all six cannonballs from a full broadside.
"Lieutenant Fullbody! That's the pirate hunter from the Bounty Hunters' Guild, Zoro!"
"Huh?" Fullbody whipped his head around. "The Bounty Hunters' Guild??"
He grabbed the soldier by the collar. "Why didn't you say so sooner?? Quick! Turn the ship around!"
He may have been a spoiled brat, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew who he could mess with and who he couldn't.
The Bounty Hunters' Guild... founded by the Warlord Crocodile, and supposedly backed by that king.
Was that a fight he could win?
Not a chance.
The recent battle had sent shockwaves through the Marines. Captain Lambert was missing, presumed dead... If he angered them, would they really care about a mere lieutenant?
On the deck of the Merry, Luffy was cracking his knuckles, ready for a fight, when he saw the Marine ship make a sharp turn and beat a hasty retreat.
He was stunned.
They just fired and ran?
The brief skirmish over, the Merry continued on its way. With Viola's Glare-Glare Fruit, which acted as a human radar, they soon spotted a massive ship in the distance.
"Whoa! That's a huge ship!" Luffy exclaimed.
"This is the restaurant known as 'The Battlefield'!" Usopp said.
"Johnny and Yosaku said he's been here," Zoro said, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "If I can just run into him... that would be perfect."
The Merry docked.
Luffy strode into the restaurant and loudly announced that he was there to find the best cook to join his crew and sail to the Grand Line.
The other diners were all stunned. Who is this kid??
"Luffy, you're being too direct," Usopp said as he, Zoro, and Viola rushed in after him. Luffy really was a handful.
"Hey. Don't block the doorway," a voice said.
Sanji, having just poured a glass of wine for a customer, shot them a look. "If you're here to eat, there are empty seats over there. If you're here to fight... take it outside."
Under Sanji's sharp gaze, they took a seat.
When they were ordering, Luffy asked who the best cook was.
"That would be me, of course," Sanji said without a hint of modesty.
"Really?" Viola asked.
"Yes, my dear lady," Sanji said, his demeanor instantly turning suave. "What can I get for you?"
Zoro asked about "Hawkeye Mihawk."
Sanji shot him a sidelong glance. "So you're a swordsman. That explains it."
"Huh?" Zoro said. "What's with that look? And that tone?"
For some reason, he really didn't like this guy. Maybe some people were just destined to be rivals.
"You're the best cook here," Luffy said with a grin. "Join my crew. Let's go to the Grand Line together."
Sanji lit a cigarette. "You idiots. Don't you know that's a one-way trip to the grave? They call the Grand Line the 'Pirate Graveyard' for a reason. Countless ships have been lost in those waters."
"When I decided to become the world's greatest swordsman, I left my fear of death behind," Zoro said. "You can call me an idiot if you want. This is the path I've chosen."
"Tch," Sanji scoffed. "Trying to act all cool, are you, Mosshead?"
"What'd you say, you curly-browed bastard??"
Just as the two of them were about to come to blows, a small, coffin-shaped vessel drifted slowly toward them. A handsome, impeccably dressed man sat on board.
Mihawk.
He waited for the boat to dock, then leaped ashore and pushed open the door to the restaurant. A small bell chimed, alerting the staff to a new customer.
Zoro looked over, his pupils contracting.
"It's him."
His heart began to pound in his chest.
Mihawk sensed the intense gaze, the racing heartbeat, and turned his head slightly.
His eyes, as sharp as a hawk's, locked onto Zoro.
The sea breeze blew in through the open door.
Zoro and Mihawk stared at each other.
His gaze was a physical force—sharp and piercing as the edge of a blade.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. For a great swordsman like Mihawk, his gaze was an extension of his will, his spirit. An ordinary person wouldn't dare to meet his eyes.
An exaggeration? Not at all. Even the great pirates of the Grand Line, with their hundred-million Berri bounties, would feel a chill run down their spine under that gaze.
In that gaze, Zoro saw a phantom storm of slashes, a thousand phantom blades stabbing at his very soul.
The pressure was immense.
Zoro began to tremble, sweat beading on his temples.
But after a single glance, Mihawk looked away.
As he was now, Zoro was just one of the countless swordsmen who dreamed of defeating him. There was nothing special about him.
Mihawk took a seat at an empty table. He moved with the grace of a nobleman.
After he had entered, the restaurant had grown quiet. The other diners, whoever they were, all began to eat faster.
For the people of the East Blue, this man was a legend. The pressure of eating in the same room as him was too much.
Even Usopp and Viola were on edge. Only Luffy, oblivious as ever, was still loudly demanding his food.
And Zoro... he couldn't take his eyes off Mihawk, his heart pounding with excitement.
Soon, the restaurant was nearly empty. Only Luffy's table and Mihawk's table remained.
After they had finished their meal and Mihawk was about to leave, Zoro stood up. He walked over to Mihawk, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his eyes burning with intensity.
Mihawk looked at him.
"That sword..." Zoro said. "Is that one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords, the Black Blade, Yoru?"
"It is," Mihawk replied.
"You're the reason I set out to sea."
"And what is it you want?"
Zoro untied the black bandana from his arm and wrapped it around his head. This was it.
"To be the strongest," he said, drawing his swords. "Let's settle this."
The few remaining people in the restaurant—Usopp, Viola, Sanji, and the other staff—were all stunned.
"Is that guy insane? He's challenging the World's Greatest Swordsman?" Sanji couldn't believe it. "Who is he?"
"Three swords? The Three-Sword Style? Don't tell me... he's that Zoro??"
"The Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro!"
The name was well-known in the East Blue. The cooks often heard the pirates talking about him.
"So that's him," Sanji said, surprised.
"Luffy! We have to stop him!" Usopp said, worried. "That's Mihawk! One of the Seven Warlords! A fight like this... it's too one-sided!"
Luffy just grinned. "I trust Zoro. He's my friend. Whatever he decides to do... I'm going to be the King of the Pirates. And Zoro is going to be the World's Greatest Swordsman!"
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