After that one-sided duel ended, Dracule Mihawk picked up his sword from the ground. He looked miserable as he hurried away from the G-17 Branch.
Aiden watched his back as he left. With a casual wave of his hand, a blue arc of electricity shot out and fused the steel gate back together, making it look as if nothing had happened.
The Marines at the base didn't pay much attention to it. To them, it was just a small break in their dull patrol routine.
To everyone at the G-17 Branch, Base Commander Aiden was already another word for "invincible."
Dealing with a young swordsman who had appeared out of nowhere was easy, wasn't it? The soldiers chatted and laughed for a bit, then scattered and went back to their duties.
However, something happened that no one expected.
Early the next morning, when the first sunlight touched the repaired steel gate, the man with the cross-shaped greatsword appeared again.
He stood right in front of the gate, took a deep breath, and shouted toward the base, "Please teach me swordsmanship! I want to get stronger!"
His voice rang out like a bell, startling the guards on duty. They looked at the man who had coughed up blood yesterday as if he had gone crazy. He had been beaten that badly, yet he still hadn't left and even wanted to become a student?
Even though it sounded ridiculous, the guards still reported it up the chain of command.
At that moment, in the top-floor office of the base.
Aiden was holding a cup of morning tea and looking at the plaza below through the window. He didn't even need the guards to report it. His Observation Haki had already sensed that stubborn presence at the gate.
"Base Commander, that man named Mihawk..."
"I know."
Before the officer could finish, Aiden waved his hand without even turning around. "Let him be. A proud young man like that is just acting on impulse. Let him stand in the sun for two days. He'll get bored and leave on his own."
Aiden didn't take it seriously. In his view, this was just an overreaction from a young man who had suffered a setback. Once he calmed down, he would naturally give up.
However, Aiden had underestimated how obsessed this man was.
One day passed, and Mihawk didn't leave.
Two days passed, and he was still standing there.
Three days... four days... five days...
Whether the sun was blazing or the sea wind was raging, that figure stayed there without moving at all. He didn't drink, he didn't eat, and he didn't even change his posture once.
At first, the soldiers pointed at him and whispered behind his back. Later, after seeing that he really was just standing at the gate, they checked with Aiden again and then simply ignored him.
This went on until a full month had passed.
The weather on the Grand Line was always unpredictable.
That night, a rare and violent rainstorm swept across the sea.
Rumble!!!
Wild thunder tore through the night sky. Raindrops as big as beans were driven by the wind, crashing into the ground like bullets and filling the air with loud, nonstop noise.
Inside the warm restaurant on the top floor of the base.
Aiden sat in front of a steaming copper hot pot. The red broth bubbled, and slices of mutton rose and fell in the soup, giving off a rich smell.
"Whew..."
Aiden picked up a piece of cooked meat, dipped it in sesame sauce, and put it into his mouth. A satisfied look appeared on his face.
In weather like this, hot pot was the best thing in the world.
"Hey, Aiden."
Smoker, who was sitting across from him, didn't have much of an appetite. He looked at the black curtain of rain outside the window and frowned. The chopsticks in his hand poked at his plate without purpose. "That guy at the gate... he's still standing there."
"It's been a month. No food, no water, just standing there. And now it's raining this hard..." Smoker said with annoyance. "Even a man made of iron couldn't hold on forever. If he really dies at our gate, it'll bring bad luck, and it won't look good for us either."
Aiden swallowed the meat and didn't react much. He only replied calmly, "He won't die."
In this pirate world full of monsters, the human body couldn't be judged by normal logic.
Back then, Sanji and Zeff had survived for eighty days on a deserted island after their food ran out.
Compared to that, for a swordsman of Mihawk's level, a one-month fast wasn't even close to his limit.
Aiden put down his chopsticks, and a faint light flashed in his dark eyes.
Through his Observation Haki, he could tell that Mihawk's life force had not weakened because of the rain and cold. Instead, it felt more and more focused, like a blade becoming sharper under pressure.
Still, as Smoker had said, this couldn't go on forever.
"What a stubborn pain in the neck," Aiden sighed and said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
He had thought the guy would leave after a few days, but the man's willpower was far stronger than he had expected.
"Fine, I'll go take a look."
Aiden stood up, grabbed his coat from the rack, threw it over his shoulders, and walked toward the door.
Outside the base gate.
The rain beat down on Mihawk without mercy.
His wine-red shirt was soaked through and stuck tightly to his body. His black coat had become heavy from the rain.
But he still didn't move.
Rainwater ran down his forehead and into his eyes, but his golden eyes never closed. He kept staring at the tightly shut steel gate.
Creak...
At that moment, the closed gate slowly opened a crack.
Warm yellow light spilled out through the opening and stretched Mihawk's shaking shadow.
A tall figure stepped out from the light.
Click.
Aiden opened a black umbrella and blocked the wind and rain. He walked up to Mihawk and looked down at the young swordsman who had stood there for more than a month just to become stronger.
The two looked at each other in the rain.
After a long silence.
Aiden finally spoke in a helpless tone. "I really have to ask, is this necessary?"
"It's been a month. No food, no water. Are you trying to starve yourself to death and make me pay for your funeral?"
Mihawk didn't answer. He only looked at Aiden with a stubborn gaze, as if he would collapse the moment he opened his mouth and let out his breath.
Aiden stared back at him for a moment, then said, "Hey, kid, let me ask you something."
Aiden leaned a little closer and looked at him with suspicion. "Why do you want to be strong so badly?"
"Do you have some childhood friend you made a promise to? Something about making your name reach the heavens or becoming the world's greatest swordsman?"
"Is that why you're pushing yourself this far?"
When he heard that, Mihawk was clearly stunned.
A rare look of confusion appeared on his face.
"Childhood friend? A promise?"
Mihawk frowned and seemed to seriously think about Aiden's words. Then he honestly shook his head. "No."
"I don't have those things."
His voice was hoarse and rough like sandpaper because of the extreme dehydration, but his tone was still firm. "I simply... want to be strong."
"I want to reach the end of the path of the sword. I want to see what the strongest point on that path actually looks like."
"That is all."
Aiden: ( -_- )
"That's it?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. "You stood here for a month just for that?"
"Is that not enough?"
Mihawk asked in return. He then raised his head, and his golden eyes burned with determination. "As you said that day, I am weak."
"If I turn around now and continue wandering the sea alone, challenging second-rate and third-rate swordsmen, then maybe I will become very strong in ten or twenty years."
"But..."
Mihawk stared at Aiden and spoke word by word. "If I do that, I will never surpass you, the man who defeated me with a butter knife."
"Your talent is higher than mine, and you are stronger than me. While I improve, you will improve too."
"Normally, all I would ever see is your back."
"The only chance to change that is to learn from you."
"Only by understanding your power and your weaknesses can I have even the slightest chance of defeating you one day!"
Boom!!!
A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up Mihawk's face. He sounded honest, but also unbelievably arrogant.
Aiden was speechless for a moment.
What a strange way of thinking.
What a crazy man.
To defeat me, he wants to become my student? That sounded absurd. It was the same as asking your enemy to train you so you could beat him later.
But Aiden had to admit it.
As he looked at the young Hawk-Eyes in front of him, he felt a trace of admiration for his talent.
That kind of pure obsession, being willing to throw away all dignity and even bow to an enemy just to grow stronger, really was the kind of quality needed to become the world's best.
"When did I start thinking like an old man..."
He was still very young. Why was he acting like an old man who couldn't help but guide a talented junior?
Aiden let out a long sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I give up."
He made his choice.
"Fine."
Aiden relaxed his brow and looked at Mihawk, his tone slightly annoyed. "Since you've said all that, if I still refuse, it'll look like I'm afraid of you."
The light in Mihawk's dull eyes instantly grew bright, and his whole body straightened.
"Don't get excited yet."
Aiden raised a hand and interrupted him coldly. "I will only teach you for one month. How much you learn will depend on yourself."
"Also, I have one condition."
"What condition?" Mihawk asked at once, his voice urgent. "Whatever it is, I can..."
"It's not that complicated."
Aiden waved his hand. His expression turned cold as he looked straight into Mihawk's eyes. "I only have one condition."
"From now on, whether you roam the sea or challenge the strong, that is your freedom."
"However..."
Aiden's voice sounded like a final judgment. "You are absolutely not allowed to actively hunt Marines."
"You can fight back in self-defense, but I don't want to see some stupid title like 'Marine Hunter' hanging over your head in the future."
"The sword I teach is not meant to slaughter people wearing the same uniform as me."
This condition was not something Aiden said on a whim. He knew that in the original story, Mihawk once had the title of "Marine Hunter." Even if the reason was unknown, it had clearly caused a lot of trouble for the Marines.
Since that had not happened yet, he couldn't kill the current Mihawk for a crime he had not committed. That would be unfair.
But if he didn't make his position clear now, and this guy really became that terrifying "Marine Hunter" in the future, using the swordsmanship Aiden had taught him to cut down Marines, then that really would become a nightmare. What would that make him, as a teacher?
"Do you understand?"
Mihawk was stunned for a moment.
He had thought Aiden would ask for something extremely difficult, like loyalty or joining the Marines.
He hadn't expected a condition that barely felt like a restriction at all.
"I promise you."
Mihawk nodded heavily without any hesitation.
"My sword is only for challenging the strong. I have no interest in meaningless slaughter."
"Good."
A smile appeared at the corner of Aiden's mouth. He believed that once a powerhouse like Hawk-Eyes gave his word, he would keep it.
At that moment, history quietly changed. The future "Marine Hunter" who might have caused trouble for the Marines was stopped before it could happen. In his place, there might now be a purer and stronger swordsman.
"Then come in."
Aiden turned and walked toward the gate, waving a hand behind him. "Change your clothes, eat something, and go to the infirmary for an IV. Don't starve to death before training even starts."
"..."
"Tomorrow morning at five, be at the training ground on time."
"Don't be late. My teaching is very strict."
The next morning, on the G-17 Branch training ground.
The sky was only beginning to brighten, but Mihawk was already standing in the middle of the field. He had changed into clean clothes, and although his body was still a little weak, his spirit was high. His eyes were full of a strong desire to become stronger.
"So early?"
Aiden walked over while yawning, carrying a tree branch he had casually snapped off by the road.
"Are you ready?" Aiden swung the branch and made a sharp sound in the air.
"Anytime!" Mihawk drew his weapon and took a ready stance.
"Then let's begin."
Aiden's expression changed. The lazy look around him vanished at once and was replaced by a heavy pressure.
"First lesson."
Aiden raised the branch and pointed it at Mihawk. "Your sword is too rigid."
"What is too hard breaks easily. A sword that only knows how to clash head-on can never reach the highest level."
"Remember, a sword that cannot bend is not truly strong."
Before he even finished speaking, Aiden's figure vanished.
Snap!
A crisp sound rang out.
Mihawk felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and his weapon almost flew out of his hand.
He was shocked to discover that the dry branch in Aiden's hand had become harder than steel and was even wrapped in thin blue arcs of electricity.
That was... Armament Haki combined with lightning!
"Too slow! Too many wasted movements!"
Aiden's voice kept ringing in Mihawk's ears.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The branch came down again and again on Mihawk's body, arms, and legs. Every strike carried a numbing electric shock that kept throwing off his movements.
"Look with your heart! Feel with your body!"
"Softness is not weakness! It is resilience! It is change!"
The soldiers passing by saw what was happening. Even though they didn't know what was going on, they followed the rule that the Base Commander was always right and silently looked away.
In this brutal training, Mihawk's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He could feel that every one of Aiden's attacks, though painful, accurately pointed out a flaw in his swordsmanship. That idea of "softness" was opening a new door for him.
"Again!!"
Mihawk climbed back to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth, and charged forward once more.
Time passed quickly.
Under Aiden's teaching style, the month went by in the blink of an eye.
Mihawk's speed of growth even surprised Aiden.
At first, he had no power to fight back at all. Later, he could barely block a few moves. And finally...
Clang!!!
A loud clash rang out.
For the first time, Mihawk truly blocked Aiden's blade.
Although Aiden was only using thirty percent of his strength, that was enough to prove Mihawk's growth.
"Not bad."
Aiden sheathed his blade and looked at the man in front of him. Mihawk was breathing hard, but his whole presence had changed completely.
"The month is up."
Aiden said calmly, "It's time for you to leave."
Mihawk slowly put away his weapon and bowed deeply to Aiden.
This was the highest respect a swordsman could show a mentor.
"Thank you for your guidance over this past month."
Mihawk straightened up. His golden eyes were more determined than ever.
"I will remember this kindness."
"The next time we meet, I will not be the weak man you see today."
"I will stand before you again with the strongest sword."
After saying that, he did not add anything more. He turned without hesitation and walked toward the sunset.
The setting sun stretched their shadows out long.
Aiden watched his back and smiled. Then he stretched lazily and yawned without caring about his image at all.
"Ah... finally, some peace and quiet."
He rolled his shoulders and turned toward the command room, muttering to himself, "Getting up early every day for a month to train this kid was exhausting. Going back for a nap is the real priority..."
As for where Mihawk would go, who he would challenge, or whether he would become the world's greatest swordsman, that was all his own business.
For Aiden, this was just a small and unimportant episode.
To Be Continued
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