"Golden Ring Aeridar? A Warlord of the Sea? What's that?" Luffy tilted his head, looking confused.
"Golden Ring Aeridar, a great pirate with a bounty of 300 million Berries. He's also from the East Blue, hailed as the 'Pride of the East Blue' by pirates. He was recognized by the World Government and the Navy after defeating the former Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria, and took his place."
Zeff crossed his arms, his expression serious. "The Seven Warlords of the Sea are seven great pirates officially sanctioned by the World Government. Every one of them possesses catastrophic destructive power and fighting strength equal to a nation."
"They use their strength and reputation to suppress and deter ordinary pirates. Aside from being required to respond to mandatory summons from the World Government and paying a certain amount, they are free to act as they please without government interference."
"Furthermore, when they become a Warlord, their bounties are frozen, and the World Government won't pursue any of their previous crimes. Even if they engage in privateering, the World Government will turn a blind eye, as long as they pay tribute."
Having traveled the Grand Line, Zeff was well aware of the significance of the Warlords' title and the power they wielded. He summarized it in one sentence: "In short, anyone with the title of Warlord of the Sea is a monster!"
"Whoa!"
"3... 300 million Berries?!"
"How many zeroes is that?!"
"I think Krieg's bounty was only... only 17 million Berries!"
After hearing Zeff's detailed explanation, Luffy and the chefs gasped in unison. Some of them knew about the existence of the Seven Warlords, but since they hadn't been to the Grand Line, they naturally didn't have a clear understanding of them.
Catastrophic destructive power and strength equal to a nation! What did that even mean? Were they even human? No wonder they were called monsters! And a 300 million Berry bounty... that's too insane! The highest bounty in the East Blue right now is less than 30 million!
At this moment, Aeridar and Mihawk stared at each other.
"Hehehehe, Mihawk, it's my freedom what I do. Do you want to interfere with my freedom, Hawk-Eyes Mihawk?" Aeridar squinted, his eyes fearless as he met Mihawk's gaze.
"That's up to you. Or rather, do you want to fight me?" Mihawk said, looking at Aeridar directly.
"Hehehehe. Of course not. That would be a huge hassle for me, but..." Aeridar said, shaking his head.
Before he could finish, Aeridar vanished and reappeared in front of Mihawk, throwing a punch. "I still want to test my current strength!"
In a flash, Mihawk drew the giant black sword from his back and held it in front of his chest.
Thump!
A muffled, thunderous bang erupted. A terrifying force traveled through the air, causing a violent tremor. A circle of white air blasted outward, and the surrounding sea churned as if countless explosives had detonated in the water.
"Ah! What was that?!"
The terrifying shockwave swept over the wreckage of the Dreadnought Sabre, sending dozens of pirates flying. Even the Baratie and the small boat carrying Zoro, Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku were pushed far back. The small boat in particular was almost swallowed by the churning waves.
"What incredible power!" Mihawk said, surprised as he looked at Aeridar. "Your strength has improved to this extent. It seems the rumors of you killing Golden Lion might not be unfounded after all."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mihawk flicked his sword, sending Aeridar flying back. He then swung his sword, releasing a terrifying sword pressure that created a giant, emerald-green sword wave. Aeridar didn't take it head-on but dodged to the side. The huge sword wave cut through the air and sliced the sea.
Hiss!
In an instant, the sea split.
Like a fissure in the earth, a huge crack appeared in the ocean, stretching all the way to the horizon like a bottomless abyss. It was over ten meters wide, and it took over ten seconds for the water to rush in and fill the massive trench in the ocean.
"Wh... What kind of power is that?!"
"The sea... split in half!!!"
At that moment, everyone's eyes bulged. They were all speechless and frozen in place, unable to say a word. Zoro, who had just fought Mihawk, finally saw the true gap between them and the genuine power of the world's peak.
Sanji's cigarette dropped from his mouth, his face completely blank. Luffy's eyes were wide as he looked at the sight. Even he, with his naturally carefree nature and fearless attitude, was shocked beyond belief by the attack that split the sea. Usopp was so terrified his eyes almost fell out of his head. He immediately fell on his butt on the boat, trembling uncontrollably.
"Well, Golden Lion was old and had old wounds, so his strength was declining. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to take out a Golden Lion in his prime," Aeridar said casually, punching the air in Mihawk's direction.
Boom!
The air rippled, forming a huge, visible impact. The distant sea exploded, sending a massive wave into the sky and creating a crater tens of meters in diameter. It took a while for the seawater to fill the void.
"Hmph. At least you're honest," Mihawk scoffed, flipping his sword and slashing it at Aeridar. Aeridar tilted his body, and the wind passed by him. The invisible slash sliced the bow of the Dreadnought Sabre wreckage in two.
"You really hit hard."
"I don't see you holding back." Aeridar grinned, disappearing and reappearing in front of Mihawk to throw a punch. Mihawk tilted his head, dodging Aeridar's fist.
BOOM!
The force of the punch exploded in the seawater behind Mihawk, sending water splashing everywhere.
At the same time, Mihawk swung his black sword at Aeridar's waist as if to cut him in half.
Clang!
Aeridar's left hand became like black metal. He gripped the blade's edge while hardening his right hand with Armament Haki. It was like a giant hammer wrapped in a powerful gust of wind, and he smashed it toward Mihawk's head.
Thud!
A dull clanging sound rang out as Mihawk's blackened arm blocked Aeridar's fist. The collision created a violent blast of air.