"!? Lady Amisu! Tell everyone to fall back!"
Hack was the first to notice it.
"Daz! Let's go to the front!"
Hack wasn't part of the crew, but he was probably the strongest fighter here. If he was telling them to back up, the enemy must be very dangerous.
I knew they'd have a skilled guard watching the warehouse!
"Amisu, Hack! Daz and I will handle the enemy! While we do that, you get inside the building! Rescue the people trapped inside and get out of here!"
The target building was right in front of them. Luckily, the weaker enemies were already gone. It didn't matter how strong this new enemy was. They just had to buy enough time for the rescue, and then run for it.
SWOOSH!!
Just as he thought that, the building in front of him was sliced in half.
...
In half?
"I should have known no decent Marines would show up this month. You fools..."
As the building collapsed behind him, a man—a swordsman—walked out, dragging a bloody man with him. He had sharp eyes like a hawk. This can't be real.
This CAN'T be real!!!!???
"No way... Mihawk, the Marine Hunter!?"
What!? What kind of name is that? I don't remember Mihawk being called that!
"Lady Amisu, you know him?"
"Yes. He's a wanted man who has been attacking high-ranking Marine officers for the past few years! He was supposed to be in the Grand Line... Why is he in the West Blue!?"
What is he doing here!?
Well, the Seven Warlords are pirates, so of course they would do things to make the government mad!
O-o-o-okay, it's fine. If he's only after Marines, we're still safe. We just need to talk. Let's try to talk—
"But I'm lucky in the end. The man I was curious about came to see me."
Who is he talking about? Hack?
"Silent Step Kuro, the pirate with a bounty over 100 million, even though he's not in the Grand Line."
"..."
Who is that?
"Lord Mihawk, our goal is to rescue the people trapped in there."
"I see. My goal right now is you. Draw your weapon."
Please! Can we just talk!?
You're really this eager to fight... of course, you are! You sink entire fleets just for fun! Especially when you were younger!
"Captain, I'll—"
"No, stay back! That's an order! Perona, Robin, don't interfere!"
Daz tried to step forward, but you're no match for Mihawk!
This sea, the West Blue, is connected to the New World through the Calm Belt. If he came here from the Grand Line by crossing the Calm Belt, it's very likely he already knows Haki.
Daz's fighting style is more like a tank. He takes hits with his steel body. That's a terrible matchup against a swordsman with Haki like Mihawk.
Actually, no one here can beat him! If he has Haki, Perona's ghosts won't work on him either, just like with Moria!
"Marine Hunter, do you know what this facility is for?"
"I do. I haven't seen them, but the prisoners are under a hidden door. If you want to save them, do as you please."
If I try to go over there, you're just going to cut me down, aren't you!? I know your tricks!
"They seemed very important, though. There were even guards posted inside the warehouse. You should be careful."
"...You're being very helpful."
"It's better if your men have more reasons to go."
You're not wrong!!
"...Daz, you heard him. I'll hold him off somehow. You and Amisu's team need to free the prisoners as fast as you can and run back to the ship. If you have to, you can fire the cannons on this whole area, even with me in it."
I can dodge cannonballs, and if it distracts him even a little, it might give me a chance to escape.
"By the way, have you seen the prisoners?"
"No. I'm not interested."
Yeah, I figured. I wanted to at least see if they were members of the fish-man pioneer group, but it sounds like they're surrounded by sea-stone again.
"Daz, hurry. The faster you move, the more energy I'll have left."
But if he slices me up before then, I'm really sorry! In that case, just run with everything you've got!
–
"One Flash!"
CLANG!
A strike so fast it seemed to break the sound barrier was blocked. A kick from the side knocked the blade away as it flew toward his neck.
"I see... so this is the strongest pirate in the West Blue."
The man known as Hawk-Eyes came to the West Blue because it had become as dangerous as the Grand Line. It wasn't just pirates and mafia; there were many high-ranking Vice Admirals from Marine Headquarters here. The mafia forces were being relentlessly targeted by these Marines, and Hawk-Eyes saw them as good bait.
He didn't know why, but the Marines were launching an all-out attack that was rare even in the Grand Line. It excited him. His blood boiled. He showed off his skills by fighting for the mafia, making sure he would be sent to the most intense battle zones. As a result, he had several good fights. He fought men who had mastered the sword, the gun, and the Six Powers. He fought those who had mastered their special abilities.
After fighting so many marines who trained to defeat pirates and keep order, he came to one conclusion: to truly master any of these skills, you need 'Haki.' Even with great skill, you would be beaten by someone with Haki. And even if you have Haki, you will be beaten by someone with stronger Haki.
That's why the battles in the West Blue, with its New World-level fighters, were so enjoyable for the swordsman known as Hawk-Eyes. Though lately, there hadn't been any good fights because of some annoying little tricks.
But this man—
The pirate called Silent Step was developing Haki, but it was still weak. It was not nearly ready for a real fight. If his opponent was a Logia-type, it would take many hits just to do a little bit of damage. He was far from a true Haki user. And yet—
He understands Haki, and he's still keeping up with me like this.
The pirate's main attacks came from his legs. The strange weapons on his fingers were dangerous, but few of them felt like a real threat to Hawk-Eyes. They were just for support.
Does he really plan to stop me using only his legs?
This pirate knew he couldn't win. He was right. In fact, if he focused more on attacking, Hawk-Eyes could cut off his leg or his head in an instant. If he focused only on defense, Hawk-Eyes could use a Haki-filled strike to smash his skull.
But the man did not break. He kept a perfect balance of offense and defense. He expertly deflected Hawk-Eyes's slashes and used his steel-plated shoes and clawed gloves to block the lighter strikes meant to slow him down.
And—
He can't be relaxed, yet he's smiling in a battle to the death.
Hawk-Eyes had never seen a man smile so calmly in a fight. It was a quiet, almost clear smile—like a saint.
"You're a pirate from one of the four seas, even if you have a big name. I thought that by defeating you, more strong fighters would come after me... but I was wrong. I apologize."
Seeing that smile, the man with the hawk eyes smiled back—a sharp smile, like a bird of prey.
"I will fight you with all my strength. Let's see how long you can protect that neck of yours."
In response, the pirate's smile did not fade. He quietly adjusted his glasses with his palm and readied his weapons.
–
"Here they come! It's the Black Cats!" (Note: I just noticed that Straw Hats & Black Cats Rhyme)
"They're all lined up! Fire!"
"It's your turn! We paid good money for you, now go get their heads!"
"Damn it, I'm counting on you guys... Selling these ones will bring in more than one or two hundred million. It's enough to bring the family back..."
Deep inside the warehouse, in a hidden room, was the fallen family's last hope. A dozen fish-men and mermaids were chained up. Next to them were three human girls and a safe that was wrapped tightly in chains.
"Boss, why don't we just let someone use what's in the safe?"
"You idiot! The client wants the whole set!"
"But, maybe just one..."
"Just one of them is worth over 500 million! We can't just let someone eat it!"
One of the family's top leaders—or rather, a man who was forced into the position after the real leaders were captured by the Marines—hit his subordinate on the head with an empty bottle.
"Damn it!"
The man grabbed the black hair of one of the three terrified girls—the prettiest one.
"Just wait. Once we take care of the guys outside, in a month you'll be a toy for a World Noble. After they brand you, they'll start by making all three of you eat those disgusting fruits. You won't be allowed to spit them out; they'll force you to swallow every last bite."
The man laughed a dirty laugh.
"You should be happy. You get to eat something worth over 500 million... maybe even a billion. Of course, those shackles you're wearing now will feel even worse then. You won't have any strength left, and you won't be able to resist at all."
"I wonder what kind of games they'll play with you then... Well, you should thank the World Noble who said he'll buy you with your friends. A collection of Devil Fruit User slaves is a strange hobby, I think."
"Don't blame me. It's your own fault for getting stranded near the Calm Belt."
The black-haired girl, who was about 10 years old, could only tremble like the girls next to her.
"Well, you're the infamous Kuja pirates, after all. You know that if you get captured, it's all over. Right?"
The snake-shaped earrings on the girl's ears jingled as she shook.
--
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