Chapter 165: Hawkeye: I'm Killing the Elite Marines!
Hawkeye had just stepped out of the eerie courtyard and was making his way deeper into the heart of the Island of Death.
Blocking his path was a group of Marines led by Captain Nezumi, recognizable by the mouse-eared cap he wore.
"Hawkeye!"
Captain Nezumi curled his lips into a smirk. "A new order has come down from Fleet Admiral Sengoku—every Marine and affiliated force must comply with central command. That includes the Seven Warlords of the Sea. All must participate in the operation to capture the world's top criminals."
Ordinarily, a low-ranking East Blue officer like him wouldn't have the guts to speak to Hawkeye in this tone.
But today was different. The order had come from Marine Headquarters, from the Fleet Admiral himself, and behind it stood the World Government and the Five Elders.
So even someone as powerful as Hawkeye, in his mind, had no choice but to obey.
That was how he saw the world.
Just like how, without any real power of his own, he had climbed the ranks through manipulation, deception, and trading assets with the Arlong Pirates. Slowly, he had clawed his way up to the position of branch captain, and was even close to returning to headquarters.
This was the taste of power: even the strongest Marines should be his subordinates.
In his eyes, even a Warlord like Hawkeye should obey orders from above.
What he had never considered was that once someone's strength reached a certain level, they could shred the very system built on that so-called power.
To those individuals, authority was nothing but a thin veil of shame.
Slash!
A streak of emerald flame-infused sword aura split down the street like a burning scar carved into the stone.
In an instant, more than half of Nezumi's unit was defeated, forced into resurrection mode.
"Y-You dare attack the Marines?!"
Captain Nezumi felt the residual sword aura scrape the air beside him, searing the skin on his cheek like fire.
What little courage he had summoned shattered completely.
Along with it crumbled the worldview he had constructed from years of basking in borrowed authority.
Just as his legs began to buckle beneath him, the Den Den Mushi in his arms suddenly rang.
[Notice: Cross-World Den Den Mushi usage fee: 20 reward points per second.]
Though the Trial Tower seemed fused with the East Blue, it was actually a separate dimension. Communication wasn't so simple.
"It's Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
Captain Nezumi clutched the Den Den Mushi like a lifeline and answered immediately.
The creature's face morphed into Sengoku's, and his voice came through: "Hawkeye, you were granted legal status by the World Government as a Warlord of the Sea. It's only natural that you follow orders from Marine Headquarters."
One could detect a note of helplessness in Sengoku's voice.
The Seven Warlords were notoriously difficult to manage, and Hawkeye was the most independent of them all—rarely attending Marine meetings.
If he weren't the world's strongest swordsman, the World Government would have replaced him long ago.
"That's true," Hawkeye nodded, then shook his head. "But I have more important things to do."
What annoyed him most was unnecessary trouble. He wasn't afraid of the Marines, but the consequences—like being pursued or having a bounty placed on his head—would attract swarms of flies and nobodies. A major nuisance.
"You mean the Tower Guardian in the island's center?"
Sengoku's voice continued, his pace slightly quicker. Even Marine HQ was beginning to wince at the cost of this call. "Monkey D. Dragon, the world's most dangerous criminal, is after the same target. You're bound to run into him. Headquarters wants him captured alive and expelled from the island."
Killing Dragon on the Island of Death would be meaningless—he'd just resurrect.
More importantly, the Marines didn't want to simply kill this rebel who dared challenge the Celestial Dragons. Like the Pirate King, he deserved a public execution.
It would not only preserve the World Government's authority, but serve as a warning to restless slaves and civilians: defy us, and this is your fate.
"Fine," Hawkeye responded with a slight nod.
He ignored the now-frozen Captain Nezumi and walked past him. Just as Sengoku was about to hang up to stop bleeding points, Hawkeye turned back.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," he said calmly, "it seems you've yet to understand what the arrival of the Game Merchant truly means. The Four Seas are no longer what you think they are from your seat in Marineford. A great change is coming."
"If you can't keep up, even the lofty Celestial Dragons..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
Because he disliked troublesome things.
The closer one stood to the top of the world, the more clearly they could feel the terrifying power the Game Merchant wielded—not like those clueless low-level pirates who still saw the Trial Tower as just another game between Marines and pirates.
From now on, the Four Seas would no longer be a safe haven for cowards or the weak.
Any of today's powerhouses—whether the Four Emperors, Marine Admirals, or even the world's strongest swordsman like himself—could be surpassed, left behind, and eventually buried in the dust of history.
As long as that being chose to remain in the pirate world, no one could stop what was coming.
Anyone who tried would die.
Sengoku, however, felt a thrill of opportunity. He hadn't expected to learn something new today. He quickly said, "Is that so, Hawkeye? Then you must've had close contact with the Game Merchant. Can you share any information on him with the Marines?"
"Sorry. No comment."
Hawkeye shook his head, already hearing the tone in Sengoku's voice.
Clearly, the man still saw the Game Merchant as some kind of special ability user—someone the Marines could deal with.
Foolish.
No... if Hawkeye hadn't experienced the Merchant's power firsthand, he probably wouldn't have believed it either.
He smirked. The Marines were in for a nasty surprise.
Elsewhere—
Vice Admiral Garp led a Marine squad into the [Ghost Town] at the heart of the Island of Death.
With his sealed abilities unlocked and battle experience unmatched, Garp was cutting through ghostly enemies with ease. He had even awakened a new, unique skill.
[Iron Fist]: Concentrates internal power to dramatically increase punch strength for a limited time.
Originating from the martial nation of Xuzhou, this skill came from a school focused solely on physical conditioning and punching technique. No flashy ki. No elaborate forms. Just fists and bodies trained to the peak.
Each strike released the full might of one's body.
Boom.
A punch, infused with Armament Haki and the force of Iron Fist, shook the very air around it.
"Ahahaha! What a terrifying power! So other worlds really have brawlers this strong?"
Garp charged barehanded into a haunted courtyard and unleashed a flurry of blows on the densely packed spirits.
The Marines behind him tried to follow, but an invisible force blocked them at the vermillion gate.
These ghostly courtyards functioned like mini-dungeons—only five players could enter at a time.
The rest could only stand outside and wait for the legendary hero to emerge.
"Vice Admiral Garp! We can't delay the capture operation! If we waste too much time, the top criminal might escape!"
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