"Have you forgotten? The promise between Mihawk and that man," Red-Haired Shanks said with a smile, his mind drifting back to the silhouette of an old man he had seen ten years ago.
"Oh! Right, right, right! I almost forgot about that. Counting the time, it's just about that day," Lucky Roux said, looking dejected. "So sad... the banquet is actually canceled."
Meanwhile, on the island.
Hawkeye Mihawk suddenly snapped his eyes open. Within those sharp, hawk-like pupils, a glint of keen edge flashed and vanished. Following this, the sword intent permeating the entire island surged back toward him, all of it retracted into his body.
He picked up the massive Black Blade, gave it a stylish flourish in the air, and sheathed it across his back. The moment the blade left his hand, the sword intent on the island and the pillar of light piercing the sky vanished completely, as if they had never existed.
If not for the sword gashes covering the island and his still-piercing gaze, the current Mihawk looked like an ordinary man with no special traits. He walked to the edge of the island, leaped up, and landed on the Red Force. Exposing the sword intent mark on the back of his left hand, he spoke in a low voice to Shanks.
"Shanks, I'll be troubling you this time."
Shanks slung an arm around Mihawk's shoulder and laughed. "Hahaha! Don't be a stranger, brat. Even if you didn't ask, I'd go. How could I, as a spectator, miss a clash between two of the world's top swordsmen?"
With that, Shanks shouted at the top of his lungs, "Boys! Raise the sails! We're setting off to watch a good show!"
"Yo-ho!" "Hahaha! Boss, has the time finally come? I've been waiting forever!" "A duel between the World's Greatest Swordsman and the Marine Godfather Rowan... tsk, tsk, I'm really looking forward to it." "I heard that Marine Godfather Rowan has been causing quite a stir lately, even provoking Shichibukai Doflamingo. He's certainly not a man who stays quiet."
Amidst the chatter of the Red-Haired Pirates, the Red Force slowly gained speed. Guided by the sword intent on the back of Mihawk's hand, it began its journey toward a certain location in the New World.
Meanwhile, in another stretch of sea in the New World.
A warship was sailing slowly across the ocean. This was the vessel carrying Rowan, having just departed from the G9 Marine Branch that morning.
As usual, Rowan was reclining in his rattan chair, enjoying the sea breeze. On the deck before him, Zoro and Luffy were undergoing their respective training regimes, a sight that made the surrounding Marines' hearts skip a beat.
"Who is that skinny kid to Mr. Rowan? Can his stamina even hold up under that kind of training?" "This training is just too sadistic, isn't it?" "I heard he's Vice Admiral Garp's grandson, following Mr. Rowan to train." "Did Mr. Garp undergo this kind of devilish training back in the day to become this strong?" "And that little guy with the three swords... he's so young, yet he can go back and forth with Vice Admiral Momonga. Truly worthy of being Mr. Rowan's unofficial disciple..." "When can I join Mr. Rowan's tutelage and become his student?" "Give it a rest. With your talent, you think you're worthy of his pointers? To be his student, you'd need Admiral-level talent at the very least!" "Exactly. In the current Navy, besides the three Admirals, only the two Admiral candidates are probably qualified."
"REPORT!!!"
Amidst the Marines' chatter, a loud shout came from above. Everyone looked up. Even Vice Admiral Momonga, who was sparring with Zoro, knit his brows. Seeing the sentry's terrified face, it was clear they had discovered something monumental.
"Reporting to Vice Admiral Momonga! At the two o'clock position, approximately 1.5 nautical miles away, we have spotted vessels belonging to the Yonko Hundred Beasts Pirates and the Yonko Whitebeard Pirates!"
The sentry's panicked voice echoed across the ship. The soldiers' expressions turned tense instantly.
Yonko ships? And we met two at the same time?!
Every Marine knew that in the New World, the four Emperors were the absolute overlords. Even Marine Headquarters wouldn't move against them lightly. These four and their subordinates represented the pinnacle of piracy in this era.
"Hundred Beasts and Whitebeard?"
As a Headquarters elite, Momonga reacted much more calmly. With a few leaps, he reached the railing and stared in the direction the sentry indicated. Even with the naked eye, one could vaguely see several pirate ships firing cannons at each other, firelight constantly flashing.
"A skirmish between Yonko?" Momonga's eyes narrowed. Though they shared the title of Emperor, they were often at each other's throats. It was precisely because of this internal friction that the Navy could hold the center of the Grand Line and maintain the stalemate. If the four ever truly united, even the entire Navy would struggle to withstand such a force.
"Can you see who specifically is on the ships?" Momonga asked the sentry seriously.
Truthfully, he didn't want to get involved. Every Yonko crew had powerhouses. Whitebeard's sixteen division commanders each led a thousand men, and none of them were weaker than a Marine Vice Admiral. Masters like Phoenix Marco and Diamond Jozu were even stronger than him. The Hundred Beasts Pirates were the same; their "Three Calamities" were even more ruthless, each boasting a bounty of over a billion Berries.
If this battle involved Division Commanders or Calamities, Momonga would immediately order the ship to steer clear.
"I see him! That person is... the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Fire Fist Ace!"
As the sentry shouted the name, his voice audibly trembled.