The Oro Jackson cut across the New World's churning waves, its black sails snapping sharply against the wind. Morning light glimmered on the deck where the Nyx Pirates gathered, enjoying a rare moment of calm.
Bullet was doing pushups using a sea king skull as weight.
Carrot was hopping around chasing Perona's ghosts.
Lilith was calibrating a bizarre device that hummed like a dying storm.
Hiyori poured tea for Okiku, who smiled gently.
Everything felt almost peaceful…
Until Mihawk stepped forward.
His boots clicked against the deck — slow, deliberate — drawing every eye. Ada lifted her head the moment she sensed the shift in his presence.
Mihawk rarely interrupted the morning.
He never made announcements.
He was the kind of man who simply did things.
So when he spoke, the crew knew it mattered.
"I will be leaving for a while," Mihawk said without preamble.
Bullet stopped mid-pushup.
Perona nearly dropped a ghost.
Lilith blinked, gears turning.
Hiyori looked up in surprise.
Ada folded her arms. "Leaving? Where?"
Mihawk's hand rested lightly against Yoru's hilt, eyes drifting toward the horizon — far, far beyond where any of them stood.
"The East Blue," he answered.
Silence.
Pure confusion.
Then—
Perona pointed at him. "The EAST BLUE?! What are you going to do there, teach seagulls sword etiquette?!"
Carrot tilted her head. "Isn't that the weakest sea?"
Bullet snorted. "What business do you have in that tiny pond?"
Mihawk didn't flinch.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But something is pulling me there. A feeling… as if fate itself is tugging at my sleeve."
Perona whispered to Lilith, "He's being dramatic."
Mihawk shot her a look. Perona hid behind Ada instantly.
Ada studied Mihawk quietly.
This wasn't a whim.
Mihawk didn't feel "calls."
He followed purpose.
And this time, she sensed he didn't even understand it himself.
"…Go," Ada finally said. "Follow it."
Mihawk nodded once.
Then Ada turned to Perona.
"Perona," she called out, calm and absolute, "you're going with him."
Perona's entire soul left her body.
"EXCUSE ME—WHAT?! WHY ME?! WHY HIM?! I DON'T WANT TO BABYSIT A HUMAN SWORD-FRUIT BAT!"
Mihawk narrowed his eyes. "I do not require a babysitter."
"You do if Ada says so!" Perona snapped.
Ada sighed. "Perona. Go with Mihawk to keep him in check. Someone needs to make sure he doesn't destroy half the East Blue just because he doesn't like the scenery."
Mihawk scowled.
Perona smirked smugly.
Bullet burst out laughing.
Ada continued. "Besides… something else is happening there."
The crew quieted.
Ada rested her elbow on the railing, eyes narrowing slightly as she remembered something Tesoro had told her through one of their secure transponders days prior.
"There's something else we need to address," she said.
The crew turned toward her.
"Tesoro sent word," Ada continued, voice steady but cold. "Arlong has been sighted in the East Blue… and there are rumors he's enslaving a village."
Mihawk's fingers stilled on the hilt of Yoru.
Bullet cracked his knuckles. "That bastard finally snapped."
Perona floated closer, frowning. "Isn't he friends with Tiger and Jinbe?"
Lilith adjusted her goggles. "I thought he left the Fish-Man District years ago…"
Ada shook her head slightly. "Tesoro's intel was clear. Arlong is taking tributes from humans. That can only mean one thing."
Hiyori inhaled sharply. "Enslavement."
Before anyone else could speak, Ada raised her chin. "I'll handle this properly."
She turned to Lilith. "Lilith. Call Fisher Tiger."
Lilith nodded, already tuning the den-den mushi. "Connecting… now."
Peroperopero… peroperopero… CACHAK.
Tiger's deep voice rumbled through the shell. "Tigar speaking. Ada—what's happened?"
Ada didn't hesitate. "Tiger. Tesoro's intelligence says Arlong is in the East Blue. Possibly enslaving humans."
There was silence.
Not confusion.
Not disbelief.
A heavy, sinking shame.
Then—
"…Arlong?" Tiger muttered, voice low with disbelief. "He wouldn't—"
But another voice cut in, firm and steady.
"Tiger. He would."
Jinbe.
He must've been standing beside him.
Jinbe's tone carried heartbreak more than anger. "He blamed humans for everything. He despised them. But to go this far…"
Tiger exhaled sharply, the pain in his voice undeniable. "He was one of ours. We raised him. If he has fallen this low—"
Ada finished the sentence for him. "—then it's on you to set things right."
Jinbe didn't even hesitate. "Captain Ada… I will go."
His voice deepened with conviction. "Arlong is my responsibility. I will confirm the truth. And if he is enslaving humans…"
A beat of silence.
"…then I will deliver judgement."
Ada nodded, even though they could not see it. "Good. Keep me updated."
CLICK.
The call ended.
The deck was quiet for a long moment.
Perona exhaled dramatically. "Well… crap."
Mihawk crossed his arms. "Arlong chose the wrong sea to hide in."
Carrot frowned. "East Blue has so many normal people… why would he target them?"
Ada looked out toward the horizon, eyes cold and sharp. "Because weak seas attract cowards."
She turned back to her crew, voice firm. "But not for long."
Ada then exhaled.
Then she looked at Mihawk and Perona.
"Your path and theirs may cross. Or it may not. But go."
Mihawk bowed his head slightly — a gesture he gave only to Ada. "I'll return when fate finishes speaking."
Perona grumbled while gathering her umbrella. "I swear, if fate makes me seasick, I'm suing destiny."
Mihawk didn't acknowledge that.
Together, they boarded a smaller vessel — sleek, dark, and built for speed. The crew watched as it cut through the waves, shrinking into the distance.
Ada stood at the railing, coat billowing.
"…East Blue," she murmured. "Everything begins now."
And she was right.
————————
East Blue - Baratie
Weeks Later
Waves crashed against the long stilts holding up the Baratie's massive fish-shaped body, rocking the floating restaurant with each swell. The lunch rush had just died down.
And then—
BANG!!
The doors were kicked open so hard they flew off their hinges.
Breathless cooks and stunned customers stared as a battered, skeletal Don Krieg staggered inside, collapsing to his knees with a heavy THUD.
His armor was cracked.
His cape was gone.
His eyes—sunken, hollow, desperate.
Behind him, Gin struggled to stay upright, gripping a shattered spear for balance.
Krieg slammed his forehead onto the floorboards.
"PLEASE!!! FEED US!!!"
Gasps rippled across the dining hall.
Sanji stepped forward, a frown already forming—
—but Patty got to Krieg first.
WHAM!
Patty punched him so hard he skidded across the floor.
"GET OUTTA HERE, YOU PIRATE TRASH!!!"
Carne came in right behind him with a flying kick.
"WE AIN'T FEEDING A PIRATE WITH A BOUNTY!!!"
Several chefs jumped in, furious and terrified, kicking Krieg while shouting:
"YOU'LL ROB US THE SECOND YOU EAT—!"
"GET LOST!!!"
"DON'T BRING TROUBLE HERE!"
Krieg didn't fight back.
He curled inward, trembling, hands shaking as he tried to shield Gin.
"We… haven't eaten… in days… please…"
Sanji exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. "That's enough!"
The chefs froze as Sanji stepped between them and Krieg. "Are you idiots trying to beat up a starving man?"
Patty snarled. "He's dangerous, Sanji!"
Carne yelled, "HE'S DON KRIEG!! HE'LL KILL US ALL!!"
Sanji ignored them, crouching in front of Krieg.
The pirate captain looked up at him—broken, starving, barely conscious.
Sanji stared back with quiet disgust.
"At least beg with some dignity," he muttered. "You look pathetic."
But he didn't touch him.
Didn't strike him.
Didn't turn his back.
He just watched, assessing with a cook's eyes.
Behind him, the other chefs whispered fearfully.
"Tch… Sanji's soft…"
"He's gonna get us killed…"
"That guy's a monster…"
Zeff leaned on the railing, arms crossed.
"Let the boy do what he wants," he grumbled.
Sanji clicked his tongue. "Tch. This is why I hate pirates."
Krieg trembled violently. "A… a single swordsman… destroyed… destroyed everything…"
The entire restaurant went quiet.
Sanji stiffened.
Zoro opened one eye.
Zeff's cigarette burned lower.
Krieg's voice shook as he forced out the words. "He hunted us down… A MAN WITH A BLACK SWORD… he cut through all my ships… every mast… every crew member—"
Zoro's grip tightened on his swords.
Sanji whispered, "No way…"
Zoro's eyes widened just slightly. "There's only one man like that."
Zeff went rigid. "…So the rumor's true."
Krieg's voice cracked. "He came for us on a tiny coffin boat… hunting us for sport… HE'S A DEMON IN HUMAN SHAPE!!"
Outside—
A wave crashed.
Something heavy pressed against the air like a suffocating weight.
Sanji shivered. "This feeling…"
Zeff's voice dropped. "He's here."
Luffy hopped off his barstool, grinning wide. "Sounds fun."
Krieg staggered to his feet, still shaking.
Then he looked straight at Zeff.
"You…" he whispered. "You're Red-Leg Zeff. A Captain from the Grand Line. You sailed the Grand Line for a whole year."
The chefs stiffened.
"How—"
"No way—"
Krieg pointed at Zeff with trembling fury. "You survived a WHOLE YEAR in that sea. your logbook — hand it over."
Zeff raised a brow. "Why?"
Krieg snarled like a desperate animal. "With your logbook… with your experience… I can rebuild my armada! I'll conquer the Grand Line! I'll become Pirate King!"
Luffy laughed.
Not nervously.
Not politely.
Just openly and loudly.
Everyone turned toward him in shock.
"You sound stupid," Luffy said simply. "I'm the one who's gonna be Pirate King."
The entire restaurant.
"EHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!?"
Krieg's veins bulged. "You little brat…!"
Luffy shrugged. "I don't need a logbook. I just need my crew."
Zoro smirked. "He's serious."
Sanji blinked. "Is he insane?"
Zeff chuckled lightly. "A man chasing a dream shouldn't need directions."
Krieg growled in frustration. "Enough! Bring me food! Now!"
Sanji finally sighed, walking forward with two sacks of food.
Patty and Carne freaked out instantly.
"SANJI, YOU IDIOT!!!"
"DON'T FEED THEM!!!"
Sanji dropped the sacks onto Krieg and Gin's laps.
"Shut up," he said without looking back. "A cook's job is to feed the hungry."
Patty roared. "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO THOSE PIRATES ARE?!"
Sanji glared. "You've clearly never been starving before."
Zeff's voice thundered across the entire restaurant. "That's enough!"
Everything stopped.
Zeff walked past them all, peg leg echoing sharply. "You brats don't understand it."
He placed a hand on Sanji's shoulder. "What it means to starve."
Silence settled.
The chefs backed down.
But Luffy nodded, understanding more than most realized.
Krieg suddenly staggered to the door. "My men… they're here…"
Outside, dozens of wrecked ships—barely afloat—scraped along the Baratie.
Starving, skeletal pirates cried out weakly.
"C-captain… food…"
"Help… please…"
Krieg turned to Sanji. "Bring it out."
Sanji clicked his tongue but obeyed, carrying massive pots of stew to the battered crew.
The pirates devoured food like animals.
Then—
Krieg turned around…
…and punched Sanji in the gut, sending him crashing into the wall.
"You idiot," Krieg snarled. "This floating restaurant is mine now."
The chefs rushed forward.
"YOU BASTARD!!"
"HE FED YOU!!"
Krieg backhanded Patty so hard he flew into Carne. "Shut up. This ship will be my new flagship."
Then loudly—
"MEN!!! TAKE THE BARATIE!!!"
The cooks paled.
Krieg grinned viciously. "AND BRING ME THE LOGBOOK OF RED-LEG ZEFF!!!"
Suddenly—
CRACK—SHAAAAA!!!
A massive sound echoed across the sea.
All eyes whipped to the horizon.
A massive galleon — one of Krieg's remaining ships —
was sliced in half.
Clean.
Effortless.
As if reality itself had been cut.
Pieces crashed into the ocean like falling mountains.
Zoro instantly stood. "That's him."
Krieg fell backward, eyes wide with horror. "No… no, no, no—HE'S STILL AFTER ME—?!"
The chefs trembled.
Sanji's cigarette burned down to the filter.
Luffy's grin spread wider.
Zeff exhaled. "…Hawk-Eyes. Dracule Mihawk."
———————-
The sea grew unnaturally calm.
The wind dulled.
Even the birds circling above fled.
From the distant horizon…
a tiny coffin-boat drifted toward the Baratie, slicing through the waves like a razor through silk.
On that bizarre black vessel sat a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat, coat billowing like wings, and a massive black sword resting on his back.
Dracule Mihawk.
Floating casually beside him—arms crossed, pink dress fluttering in the breeze—was Perona.
She scanned the Baratie with mild disgust.
"Ugh. It's so crowded. And why does the East Blue smell like… poverty?"
Mihawk didn't respond.
His eyes were fixed forward — sharp, cold, precise.
The closer the small craft came, the heavier the air became.
Inside the Baratie, cooks and customers froze mid-breath.
Gin trembled.
Krieg fell backward, screaming. "HE FOLLOWED ME ALL THE WAY HERE?! THAT DEMON—!!"
Sanji stiffened, cigarette falling from his lips.
Zeff muttered, "This is bad…"
But at the table, Zoro slowly stood.
"…That aura…"
Luffy tilted his head, confused. "Oi, Zoro. Who's that guy?"
Zoro swallowed hard, hands shaking—not from fear, but from anticipation.
"That man…"
His voice was low, reverent, burning with ambition.
"…is Dracule Mihawk. The strongest swordsman in the world."
Luffy blinked. "The strongest? So you wanna fight him?"
Zoro didn't look away from Mihawk's silhouette. "To become the world's greatest swordsman… I have to defeat him. No one else."
Luffy stared for a moment…then grinned. "Well then, I won't get in your way."
Zoro's chest tightened — not with fear, but gratitude.
Luffy trusted him.
Trusted his dream.
And that made Zoro stand taller.
——————-
Before Zoro could take another step, Don Krieg lurched to his feet, face twisting with raw hatred.
"MIHAWK…!! YOU DAMN MONSTER!!"
He ripped his arm up, metal plates snapping open—
BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
Bullet after bullet shot straight toward Mihawk's head and chest—
—and Mihawk didn't even blink.
CLINK. CLINK. CLINK. CLINK.
With one lazy flick of his wrist, he moved Yoru's tip by millimeters.
Each bullet deflected harmlessly into the sea.
The entire Baratie shook from the force.
Luffy's jaw dropped.
Sanji's cigarette fell.
Even Zeff stiffened.
Perona sighed. "Mihawk, can you NOT let peasants yell at you? It hurts my ears."
Krieg hissed, eyes crazed. "WHY DID YOU FOLLOW ME!? WHY HUNT MY FLEET TO THE ENDS OF THE OCEAN!?"
Mihawk finally looked at him.
Not with anger.
With boredom.
"I was bored."
Everyone froze.
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
Gin nearly fainted.
Krieg's veins bulged in rage. "YOU DESTROYED FIFTY SHIPS BECAUSE YOU WERE BORED!?"
Mihawk shrugged. "I sail where the wind blows."
Krieg's fury exploded. "MEN! KILL HIM!!! RIGHT NOW!!"
Starved pirates stood shakily, pulling out guns, spears, rusted blades—
Perona floated higher, eyes gleaming with a wicked grin.
Mihawk glanced sideways at her.
"…Perona."
She perked up. "Yes?"
"Would you like to have some fun?"
Krieg screamed, "STOP IGNORING MEEEE!!"
Perona giggled. "Oh, gladly."
She spread her arms, ghosts swirling around her like mist.
"Negative Hollow!!"
FWOOOOM
Hundreds of translucent specters shot across the deck—
Phasing through the pirates they touched.
"SOOOORRYYYY I EXISTTTTTT—!!"
"I'M TRASHHHHH—!!"
"I'LL NEVER SUCCEED IN ANYTHINGGG—!!"
Pirates collapsed instantly, sobbing into the floorboards.
Luffy's eyes sparkled. "WOAHHHH!! GHOSTS!! THAT'S SO COOL!!"
Perona heard him and preened proudly. "Of course it is."
Behind him—
Usopp fainted so violently he bounced off the floor. "G-G-G-GHOSTS—!? I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS!! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE TWICE!!!"
He curled into a ball, shaking uncontrollably.
Johnny and Yosaku were no better.
Johnny clung to the railing. "BROOOOOO—!! I ain't fighting NO spirits!! Someone tell them I'm already dead inside!!"
Yosaku hid behind a table, pointing at Perona with trembling hands. "What kinda nightmare woman did we just run into!? If THIS is the East Blue, I'm retiring TODAY!!"
Perona rolled her eyes. "You three are SO dramatic. They're just cute little ghosts."
Johnny wheezed. "C-c-cute!? Those things just shattered the souls of an entire pirate crew…!"
Usopp whimpered, "I felt my dreams die just WATCHING…"
Sanji stared at them all in disbelief. "What a pathetic bunch…"
Zeff shook his head. "These newcomers… cursed. Absolutely cursed."
Luffy just laughed . "Shishishishi! I like her!"
Perona floated higher, smirking smugly.
"As you should."
Even Zoro paused briefly. That girl… she's terrifying in a completely different way…
Perona struck a pose midair. "Hehe~ Fear me."
Krieg was shaking with rage. "DAMN YOU ALLLLLL—!!"
Zoro then stepped forward again.
His blades gleamed.
The fear vanished from his face.
Only resolve remained. "Dracule Mihawk."
Mihawk turned his head slightly.
Zoro raised his swords. "I challenge you."
Perona blinked. "Oh wow. He's serious."
Mihawk's golden eyes sharpened.
Finally… some interest.
"A challenge…? From a small fish in the weakest sea?"
Zoro didn't back down. "I don't care. I'm going to surpass you. And to do that—"
He leveled his swords. "I need to face you here. Now."
Luffy smiled proudly behind him. "Go get him, Zoro."
Perona blinked, floated a little closer, and deadpanned. "Wow. Bold. Also stupid."
Luffy tilted his head. "Eh? It's not stupid."
Perona raised a brow. "Oh really?"
Luffy grinned wider, eyes blazing with absolute certainty. "Yeah! 'Cause Zoro's following his dream."
For a moment — just a second — even Mihawk's eyes flicked toward Luffy with mild interest.
But Perona snorted, pointing directly at Zoro. "That doesn't change the fact he's still stupid. He can't beat Mihawk."
Zoro didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
Didn't even turn.
He simply tightened his grip on his swords, jaw set.
Luffy leaned forward, still smiling. "Maybe. But I believe in him."
Perona floated back with a huff. "Ugh. Idiots everywhere…"
Mihawk then raised an eyebrow—only slightly. "Face me…? How peculiar."
He rested a hand lightly on the hilt of Yoru.
"I don't believe we've met."
Zoro smirked, adrenaline burning through his veins. "You will today."
The deck trembled.
The greatest swordsman in the world…
Versus the strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue.
The duel was about to begin.