BOOM!!!
Along with that heaven-rending slash, Don Krieg's massive galleon collapsed. The resulting tidal wave slammed into the foundation of the Baratie like a tsunami. The entire restaurant shook violently, as if hit by a magnitude 8 earthquake.
"Waaaaah!"
Inside, people couldn't keep their footing. The sound of shattering plates and glasses filled the air.
"What happened?!" "Is it a tsunami? An earthquake?!" Guests fell to the floor, staring in horror at the rolling waves outside.
By then, Luffy's group had already sprinted out of the restaurant onto the swaying deck. When they saw the scene before them, everyone's breath hitched.
"Whoa!! What is that?!" Luffy's jaw nearly hit the deck as he gripped the railing.
The gargantuan three-story pirate ship was now neatly severed into three segments, slowly sinking into the dark ocean. The cut surfaces were as smooth as mirrors, looking as though they had been sliced by a god's surgical scalpel.
"The ship... it was split open..." Usopp's legs shook uncontrollably. "A monster of a ship like that... cut in half?!"
"No... you've got to be kidding me..." Zoro's brow furrowed, his expression grimmer than ever. His hand clamped onto his hilt, his eyes searching the turbulent waters like a hawk, hunting for the terrifying source.
Suddenly, his gaze locked. Among the floating debris and wreckage, two familiar figures were thrashing in the water, screaming for help.
"Help! Zoro-aniki!!"
Zoro blinked. "What? Johnny and Yosaku? Why are they in the water? Luffy! Fish them out, quick!"
Luffy followed Zoro's gaze and saw the two flailing arms. "Oh! Leave it to me! Gum-Gum—Catch!!"
Luffy's arms stretched out like fishing lines, grabbing the two by their collars and swinging them onto the Baratie's deck.
Cough, cough, wheeze!!
The rescued pair collapsed on the deck, drenched and panting heavily, looking utterly pathetic. Viktor looked at them, then at the empty sea beyond the wreckage. The smile usually plastered on his face faded, replaced by a rare silence.
It seems our navigator finally made her choice... quite the little thief cat, isn't she?
Pat.
Viktor expressionlessly grabbed one leg of the still-fainting crow, Kray, and began shaking it violently. "Wake up. Stop sleeping."
"Caw... gaga?" Kray woke up dizzy and dazed, looking at Viktor with confusion. "What's wrong... Master... is it time for dinner?"
"Nothing. I just felt like shaking you."
"GAA??!"
Usopp leaned in curiously, looking at the two men on the floor. "Hey, what's the situation with you two? Instead of guarding the Merry, you're having a swimming competition?"
At the mention of the "Merry," Johnny and Yosaku looked like their tails had been stepped on. They burst into tears and lunged for Zoro's legs.
"Waaaaah!! Sorry!! Zoro-aniki!!" Johnny wailed, snot and tears streaming down his face. "You trusted us to watch the ship, but... we failed you! Waaaaah!"
"Huh? What happened to the ship?" A bad premonition rose in Zoro's chest.
Yosaku took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. "Nami-ane suddenly pushed us into the sea... She said our paths were diverging... and then... she sailed away with the ship!! We're so sorry!!"
"WHAAAT?!"
Zoro exploded in rage, veins popping on his temple. He slammed a fist into the restaurant wall. BANG! "That woman! She chose this moment to loot us! I knew she was nothing but a greedy thief!"
"What?!" Usopp felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. "That's the ship Kaya gave us!! How could she steal it?!"
Luffy didn't speak. He jumped onto the railing, shading his eyes as he looked into the distance. On the vast ocean, a tiny black speck was rapidly receding.
"Ah! I can still see it!" Luffy turned to Johnny. "Hey, where's your own boat?"
"Ah... our boat is still here, tied up over there," Johnny pointed to a corner.
"Yosh!" Luffy didn't hesitate, immediately issuing a Captain's order: "Zoro! Usopp! Head out right now! Take Johnny's boat and bring Nami back!"
Zoro paused, then threw his hands up in annoyance. "Forget it. Let a woman like that go. As for the ship... It's a shame, but we have money. We can just buy a new one. Right, Viktor? We still have enough, don't we?"
Viktor didn't say a word. He silently pointed to the Merry—now just a dot on the horizon. Then he pointed to his empty pockets and spread his hands with a helpless, bitter smile.
The meaning was clear: The money was on the ship. Which meant it was in Nami's hands. They were currently broke.
Zoro: "..."
"DAME (No way)!!" Luffy shouted, his eyes filled with absolute resolve. "I want her to be my navigator! It has to be her! Besides, Viktor feels the same way, doesn't he?"
Viktor, being called upon, sighed and nodded. "Go, Zoro. Usopp. To make sure you don't get lost or lose her..." Viktor handed over the dizzy Kray. "I'll let Kray go with you. He can fly, scout, and lead the way."
Zoro sighed, retightening his bandana. "Fine, fine... if both the Captain and Vice-Captain are giving orders, I have no choice. What a pain." He looked at Usopp. "Let's go, Usopp! Let's catch that witch!"
"Yeah!! We're definitely getting the Merry back!"
The two quickly boarded the small hunting vessel, the Joseph. On board, Usopp was poking at the dazed Kray, trying to cheer it up. As Zoro untied the lines, he looked back at Luffy on the railing.
"Luffy, what about you? Not coming?"
Luffy shook his head, looking toward the restaurant and then at the severed remains of the galleon. "I still have unfinished business at this restaurant. That cook hasn't said yes yet. I can't leave."
"Hmph, do what you want." Zoro didn't push, but he couldn't help a final warning: "Be careful. Things aren't normal here. The guy who destroyed Krieg's fleet is probably nearby. And... we don't have the money to bail you out this time."
He glanced deeply at the silent Viktor. "Viktor, look after this idiot."
Viktor smiled and nodded, waving goodbye.
On the sea nearby, the massive carcass of Krieg's ship was slowly sinking. Countless pirates who hadn't fallen into the water yet were clinging to the wreckage, howling in despair.
"What... what just happened..." "In an instant... the whole ship was sliced open?!"
A pirate clinging to a broken plank looked into the distance. His eyes widened to their limits, reflecting absolute terror. His finger trembled as he pointed at the clearing mist.
"Look... over there!!" "Ah... it's that man!! The demon who crushed our fifty-ship fleet!!"
The piercing scream caused both Zoro and Luffy to snap their heads toward the horizon.
The mist vanished. A small boat, shaped like a black coffin, floated calmly on the churning waves. It looked utterly out of place. Sitting upon it was a man.
He had short black hair, a groomed beard, and wore a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a white plume. He was dressed in a wine-red patterned shirt and a black trench coat.
But what drew every eye were his golden eyes—sharp as an eagle's—and the gargantuan black blade on his back, radiating an endless chill.
Zoro watched the man sitting elegantly on the small boat, and his pupils shrank. The blood in his body felt like it was boiling one second and freezing the next.
"That... that man is..." Zoro swallowed hard. His hand shook—not just with fear, but with an overwhelming excitement.
"It's him!!"
"Eh? Zoro, who is he?" Luffy scratched his head.
Zoro stared at the figure, his voice raspy: "The man I've been searching for... the entire reason I set out to sea..."
"Hawk-Eye Mihawk!!" "The World's Greatest Swordsman!!"
"Whoa! World's greatest?!" Luffy's jaw dropped. "Eh? Where's his weapon? I don't see it."
Viktor stood by the railing, looking deeply at the man standing at the apex of the world. He smiled and answered for Zoro:
"The weapon is on his back."
"One of the twelve Supreme Grade Blades, the Black Blade: Yoru."
Hearing the name, everyone fell silent, suppressed by an invisible, overwhelming pressure.
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