What would the world beco?
Even without seeing it, anyone could answer without hesitation:
Chaotic.
And that chaos needed very little ti to surface.
One year would be enough.
The news of the Pirate King's death spread across the seas the very next day.
People cheered—
Until they learned that Roger had left all his treasure sowhere on the Grand Line.
Greed ignited like wildfire.
The number of pirates surged overnight.
Many of these "new pirates" were nothing more than ordinary civilians blinded by desire. Individually weak, easy to deal with—
Yet they consud enormous Marine manpower.
anwhile, the kings of the New World stirred.
Old monsters long in hiding resurfaced.
The Navy was stretched to its limits.
Extraordinary tis demanded extraordinary asures.
The Marines began preparations for another World Military Draft.
For once, the World Governnt loosened its purse strings, increasing naval funding by thirty percent.
Not out of generosity—
But necessity.
Even the Five Elders did not wish to see the seas descend into complete anarchy—
Nor the true Great Treasure revealed.
None of that concerned Roldyat the mont.
He lay on the deck of the lbis, three beach chairs lined up neatly.
Beside him reclined Crocodile and Sheen.
After witnessing the execution, they were returning to the New World—to their base.
But the journey would not be as smooth as expected.
"Pfft—Hahahaha! Get over here! Look at that idiot!"
A pirate burst into laughter, waving others over.
Long voyages were dull.
Entertainnt was rare.
Even Roldysat up, curious, and walked to the railing.
What he saw was… remarkable.
A tiny coffin-shaped boat.
On it stood a young man of striking presence, wielding an enormous black blade.
He was using it—
As an oar.
Swinging with full force to propel himself forward, desperately chasing the lbis.
Even seasoned New World pirates couldn't help but roar with laughter.
"Using a sword as a paddle? That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen!"
"That boat's so small, one wave and he's gone!"
"Wait—how does he even use the bathroom on that thing?"
"Overboard, obviously!"
The deck erupted in chaos.
Roldynearly laughed—
Until he saw the young man's face clearly.
"…Hm?"
He narrowed his eyes.
Crocodile and Sheen appeared at his side.
Sheen laughed freely.
Crocodile, far more malicious, calmly pulled out a Den Den Mushi cara.
Click.
"Boss, isn't that the Marine Hunter? What was his na… Dracule Mihawk?"
Sheen wiped tears from his eyes.
"Yes," Roldygrinned.
"The man called 'Hawk-Eye.'"
So he'd co for .
Delivered himself right to the doorstep.
There was no reason not to accept.
Mihawk, noticing the laughter, darkened.
He was no naless rookie.
If he weren't pressed for ti, he would never tolerate such humiliation.
He stopped rowing.
Both hands gripped the black blade.
His hawk-like eyes flashed.
The next second—
A towering erald slash, over a hundred ters high, split the sea and roared toward the lbis.
The ocean itself parted.
The sky seed on the verge of splitting.
"Gahahaha!"
"Now that's a greeting worthy of boiling blood!"
Roldylaughed heartily.
This was no ordinary slash.
It was the strike of a Great Swordsman.
So young—
And already at this level?
Fate indeed.
The pirates stopped laughing.
The sheer scale of the attack startled them.
Yet none panicked.
Roldywas here.
That was enough.
Still—
There was no need for him to move yet.
"Impressive blade work!"
"Let entertain you!"
Sheen's eyes glead.
He leapt straight into the sea.
As a shark fish-man, the ocean was his domain.
After years under Roldi's command, his strength had grown terrifying.
"Fish-Man Karate—Arabesque Tile True Punch!"
He surged forward across the waves.
Armant Haki coated his fists.
But this was no ordinary coating—
It flowed like liquid.
Advanced application—
Ryuo.
His punch t the slash.
The size difference was absurd.
Yet—
The blade stopped.
Sheen stood on the sea's surface, arm extended, smiling at Mihawk as he approached.
Roldi's intent was clear.
No words needed.
"Well, well—if it isn't the fad Hawk-Eye Mihawk."
"To what do we owe the honor of being attacked?"
Mihawk did not answer.
He raised his blade—
Yoru—
And pointed it straight at Roldi.
"I ca to challenge you."
"?"
Roldypointed at himself.
Mihawk was known across the seas for challenging swordsn.
He cared not for context or consent.
If you were a swordsman—
He would test you.
After defeating a Marine swordsman, he'd earned the title Marine Hunter—
And a bounty to match.
True.
Roldywas a swordsman.
Trained under Golden Lion Shiki and Batista.
A top-tier dual-wielding Great Swordsman.
Though lately, his bare-handed combat surpassed even his blade.
He'd originally learned swordsmanship partly because—
It looked cool.
If Mihawk wanted a swordsman—
Why not challenge Shiki instead?
But that hardly mattered.
"Gahahaha!"
"You've got courage, kid."
"But why should I accept?"
Mihawk's voice was steady.
"This is a swordsman's invitation."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
On these seas—
So things were sacred.
A formal challenge between swordsn was one of them.
Few nad swordsn would refuse.
"Even so," Roldymused,
"There's little aning in fighting you. Why challenge ?"
"To defeat you."
"To grow stronger."
"I will beco the world's greatest swordsman."
This Mihawk lacked the detached calm of twenty years later.
His blood burned hot—
No less than future Zoro.
"Very well."
Roldysighed theatrically.
"I accept."
Then he grinned.
"But."
"I like wagers."
"With stakes on the line, I fight at one hundred and twenty percent."
Mihawk did not hesitate.
"Na it."
"If you defeat while fighting seriously—"
"My life is yours."
"If I fall here, it only ans I am a man of this level."
"Excellent!"
Roldyapplauded loudly.
But that expression—
It was the unmistakable look of a man whose sche had just succeeded.
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