"Why do you look so pale, little Hawk?"
"You disappeared before we even finished the match..."
Mihawk's face darkened slightly as he looked at Orin, who was lounging aboard a Marine warship like he was on vacation, holding a glass of orange juice and leisurely reading a newspaper.
A nameless fire flared up in Mihawk's chest.
Their duel hadn't been decided yet—the clash had reached its most intense phase—when Orin suddenly swung a slash into the distance and then mysteriously vanished.
It left Mihawk with the frustrating feeling of being forced to stop just when things were getting exciting.
"You should've realized it by now—when it comes to pure swordsmanship, I'm a little behind you. But the difference in mastery over Conqueror's Haki Infusion is enough to make up for that, maybe even surpass it."
There was no denying it—
Conqueror's Haki Infusion really was the chosen power of this pirate era. With it, Orin had forced Mihawk into a disadvantage, successfully defending his title as the "World's Greatest Swordsman."
Even though that wasn't originally Orin's intention—
He had wanted to specialize in marksmanship, but his talent in other areas was simply too strong, so he ended up being decent at everything.
Incidentally,
His gun had already been delivered by Vegapunk's people. Its precision and recoil were downright ridiculous—and correspondingly, so was its power.
As long as one could handle the weapon's force, pair it with the custom bullets from Vegapunk, and blowing apart a mountain with a single shot was entirely possible.
This divine weapon made Orin's strength even more terrifying.
Seeing Orin enjoying life like this in front of him, Mihawk could only shake his head.
He had to admit, there was still quite a gap in power between them.
This guy's progress was downright monstrous—impossible to keep up with.
Orin's vacation-like demeanor naturally drew the attention of many Marines.
Over the past few days, they had gradually gotten used to the scene, but there were always a few hard-headed Marines who dared to challenge the authority of the Black Emperor.
"Crack crack crack..."
Orin looked up from his newspaper, just about to take another sip of orange juice—only to realize that the liquid had slowly frozen. The orange juice had turned into solid ice, the glass now stuck to the frozen contents.
"..."
How childish,
Kuzan.
With a casual shake of his hand, the ice inside the glass cracked and softened from the inside out, turning into finely crushed snow-like slush.
He poured it into his mouth and found the taste surprisingly enjoyable.
"Tch..."
Some sneaky instigator quietly clicked his tongue.
The Kingdom of Duramos had sent out a large ship. Unless necessary, veterans like Keek, Mihawk, and Crocodile all stayed aboard that ship to rest.
Keek, having been part of the Rocks Pirates in the past, naturally disliked the Marines. Mihawk was a Marine Hunter. Crocodile—well, she had a nasty personality.
Only Doflamingo liked to hang out with Orin on the Marine warship, always smiling with his signature "fufufufu" laugh.
Maybe he felt it was poetic revenge, parading himself around in front of the people who once chased him down?
"Hey, Marine buddy, could you get me another glass of orange juice?"
Orin rested his head on one hand and looked toward a guard stationed on the deck. His request clearly put the soldier in a tough spot.
"Uh… this…"
He looked helplessly at Vice Admiral Borsalino, who was also loafing around nearby, enjoying the breeze.
"Go ahead~ I was thinking of having one too~"
Borsalino didn't want any more trouble. He just wanted the mission to go smoothly—no drama.
If a fight broke out with Orin, Mihawk, and the others… even if they somehow won, they'd still get scolded back at Marine Headquarters.
As a seasoned cog in the machine, Borsalino understood that very well.
"Yes, sir!!!"
Relieved, the deck guard took off toward the kitchen.
...
"Borsalino, from the moment I first saw you, I knew—we're the same kind of people."
"Oh? But I'm no pirate~"
"I'm not talking about that. I mean in other ways."
Like Orin, Borsalino was lounging comfortably on the deck in a chair, legs crossed, enjoying the sea breeze.
He took the large glass of orange juice from the soldier, took a sip, and smiled at the pleasantly sweet taste.
"Hey, Borsalino, what's so great about a Marine's dead-end salary? Come with me—massages anywhere in the world, shop till you drop without spending a single Belly. As much money as you want..."
With a tempting tone, Orin extended an offer to Borsalino.
He was openly trying to poach someone who was about to become one of the World Government's strongest assets—and the terms were beyond enticing.
Nearly infinite wealth. The freedom to roam the seas backed by Orin's name. Unmatched prestige...
In short, everything the Marines or World Government could offer—Orin could match it, even double it.
Borsalino had to admit—it was a tempting offer. But he finally shook his head, wearing a helpless smile.
"That's really hard to refuse~ But I've gotten used to this lifestyle~"
"Is that so… What a shame. Still, you should think about it."
With a thought, Orin made Borsalino pause. He felt something had appeared in his pocket.
He reached in and pulled out a card.
"A universal VIP card for all the entertainment venues in the Sabaody Archipelago. If you're interested, go slack off a bit now and then."
Orin didn't dislike Borsalino—after all, he was a fellow master of slacking off. They could enjoy massages and foot baths together sometime.
"Oh~ What a generous gift~"
The world believed Orin to be a fearsome pirate who stirred chaos across the seas, a notorious monster...
But after just a few days, Borsalino saw something different.
Orin was surprisingly easy-going. Or perhaps it was better to say—he simply did whatever he wanted, just to amuse himself.
He'd tease Kuzan into making ice cubes for his drinks.
He'd casually stroll into Sakazuki's area, prompting the latter to hide like they were playing hide-and-seek.
He'd occasionally mess with the Marine soldiers on board, watching with a smile as they scrambled in confusion.
This guy—if he wasn't plotting something sinister by attending the Levely...
Then most likely—
He was just here for fun.
All this security for his escort?
It was like... cooking a whole feast just to get some dipping sauce.
How despicable... Orin.
Everything you've accomplished so far—the power you hold, the intricate web of influence you've spun across the sea...
Was it all just to...
Toy with the entire world?
And to think Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku believed Orin's lack of ambition was a good thing.
But in truth, this is the greatest ambition of all...