Three days ago.
Near the Sabaody Archipelago.
Two patrolling Navy fleets had been sliced cleanly in half.
The surviving marines clung desperately to the wreckage of their shattered ships, their eyes wide with terror as they stared at the drowsy man before them.
"Navy Hunter... Hawk Eyes!!!"
They couldn't tear their eyes away from the ornate, diamond-encrusted longsword resting casually in the man's hand.
Clamping their hands over their mouths, the marines didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, terrified of provoking him again.
They had merely drifted into his path by accident.
And with one swing upon waking, Hawk Eyes had cut their ships in two.
An overwhelming display of power!
Since the death of the Pirate King, Roger, the man known as Hawk Eyes had been roaming the seas, hunting down renowned swordsmen—both pirates and marines alike.
If you were a swordsman, it didn't matter who you served. You were on his list.
And because the Navy, with its organized training programs, produced far more swordsmen than the pirate world did, he had earned a new nickname:
"Navy Hunter."
"So boring."
With a slight flick, Hawk Eyes sheathed Yoru, his Supreme Grade sword, across his back.
Without sparing the trembling marines a second glance, he stepped onto his tiny coffin boat and sailed right through the devastated fleet, completely ignoring the tense lines of men who dared not move a muscle.
His drowsy, half-lidded eyes swept over them one last time, sending a fresh wave of terror down every spine.
"There's no one here worth hunting."
Hawk Eyes turned his gaze toward the Red Line.
He was planning to head for the New World.
Surely, amidst the chaos of the New World—and in the fabled Land of Wano, home of the dragon-slaying samurai—he would find worthy prey.
...
After a short time, a reinforcement fleet arrived and picked up the surviving marines.
All that was left behind was a scattering of wreckage floating silently on the waves.
Once the Navy had cleared out—
A pirate crew, also bound for the New World, drifted slowly into the area.
On the deck, Shanks was throwing a party with his crew.
Ever since parting ways with Buggy in Loguetown, more than three years ago, the once solitary Shanks now had a ship full of reliable comrades.
"Hey, look over there!"
From the crow's nest, Yasopp, with his sniper's keen eyesight, shouted down excitedly.
"A Navy fleet got wrecked!"
"No way! Someone actually had the guts? Even our Captain runs when it's the Navy!"
"Let me see too!"
Other than the ever-calm Beckman, every crewmember rushed to the railings to get a better look.
"Whoa, it's true!"
"They got chopped up just like that?!"
"That slash looks... kinda familiar."
Standing nearby, Shanks scratched his head and gave an awkward smile.
Pirates were supposed to run from the Navy—that's what Captain Roger always taught him.
He adjusted the straw hat on his head, then pushed past Roux and clapped a hand over his mouth to shut him up.
Staring at the massive sword slash marks on the wreckage, Shanks couldn't help the excitement bubbling inside him. A swordsman like that... was someone worth challenging.
"Alright, boys, pick up the speed! I'm gonna invite him to join our crew!"
"Yeahhh! Full speed ahead!"
...
Half a day ago.
After a lively clash that ended in camaraderie, Shanks and Mihawk had departed Fish-Man Island together.
"Mihawk, come on, join my pirate crew!"
Grinning ear to ear, Shanks leaned against the rail, shouting as they approached the surface.
Mihawk didn't respond.
Instead, he simply turned his head to face away from Shanks, avoiding eye contact.
...
By the time Hawk Eyes, relentlessly pursued by Shanks, reached the waters near Raijin Island, a ship appeared slowly approaching the coast.
Irritated and restless, Mihawk's eyes lit up sharply.
Without hesitation, he drew Yoru and swung.
"No, stop!!"
Behind him, Shanks' pupils shrank in horror the moment he recognized the pink ship.
That was the ship once captained by the Golden Lion—the very man who had nearly forced Roger into a corner.
And now it belonged to Doflamingo, the man who had slain the Golden Lion himself.
A slash as vast as a storm wave tore through the sky.
The titanic blow could have split a giant in two with ease.
It was headed straight for the Numancia Flamingo, intending to obliterate it completely.
In a flash—
The Numancia Flamingo was wrapped in pitch-black threads, shrinking into a tight black sphere.
BOOM!
Huff!
Ben Beckman, cigar clenched between his teeth, frowned deeply.
"This... is bad."
Born in the North Blue, he knew better than most how terrifying the true king of the North could be.
At his words, every member of the Red-Haired Pirates gripped their weapons tighter.
As the smoke slowly cleared, the Numancia Flamingo reemerged—soaring upward like a bird reborn from the ashes.
"Fufufufufufu~"
From within the dark cocoon, Doflamingo's furious face appeared like a demon's grimace burned into everyone's mind.
There was no way Mihawk's attack had gone unnoticed.
He had been fully aware of the chase between Mihawk and Shanks across the sea.
Originally, Doflamingo had thought it would be an amusing reunion of abandoned Celestial Dragon offspring.
But now—
To launch such a casual, contemptuous attack?
It was an unforgivable insult!
The black threads burst apart and reformed behind Doflamingo into massive, flapping wings.
Mihawk, Shanks, and Beckman all watched in grim silence.
This was the very same form Doflamingo had used to kill the Golden Lion, Shiki.
The Demon.
"You really live up to that saying... When old friends meet, the first thing they do is draw blood."
Doflamingo's voice was a low snarl, his gaze locked onto Mihawk.
"Mihawk, you clueless bastard!!!"
As he roared—
A wave of Conqueror's Haki, thick enough to feel tangible, exploded from Doflamingo's body.
The thunderclouds above them boiled and cracked, drawn into the turbulence.
The sea around Mihawk and Shanks' ships surged wildly, as if the world itself were ending.
Other than Ben Beckman and Yasopp, every crew member dropped where they stood, unconscious.
BOOM!
Another wave of Conqueror's Haki burst out—this time from Red-Haired Shanks, though slightly weaker.
Between the two clashing torrents of willpower, Mihawk stood unbothered, turning over Doflamingo's words in his mind.
"Old friends...?"
"Fufufufu, Mihawk, have you been away from the Holy Land so long you forgot about me?"
"The Holy Land?"
For the first time, a flicker of change crossed Mihawk's face.
Shanks, struggling to stay conscious, was equally shocked as he stared at Mihawk.
Captain Roger had told Shanks about his own hidden past...
But Mihawk?
Yasopp and Beckman exchanged bewildered glances. They didn't understand this cryptic conversation, but they prepared themselves for another round of combat.
Doflamingo's sneer widened as he caught sight of Shanks' discomfort.
"And you— the last scion of the Figarland family. My father was sure your bloodline had been wiped out."
Now it was Mihawk's turn to stare intently at Shanks.
Shanks scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
Before anyone could react further—
A barrage of crimson-feathered projectiles rained down like cannon fire, blanketing the sea around them.
-----------
(For each review +1 additional chapter)
Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg