"Wait... a giant sword?" Michael frowned. "Why is that guy Hawk Eyes already hanging around with Crocodile?"
Although a bit puzzled by the situation, Michael could understand it.
It was quite normal for powerful pirates to have met a few times on the sea in their youth, maybe even formed some bonds.
Otherwise, in the original storyline, the two wouldn't have hit it off so quickly—teaming up to kidnap Buggy and forming the Cross Guild right away.
Michael had just not expected them to meet this early.
But since Issho had already sensed it, and considering what Gion had told him before departure—that Hawk Eyes had been spotted near Alabasta—it all lined up.
Putting the pieces together, Michael concluded that these two future Seven Warlords had temporarily joined forces.
If his strength was still the same as it had been two years ago, this would have been a real problem.
But over these past two years, his power and Haki had steadily grown, and his mastery over the Seraph Fruit had progressed significantly. Michael's strength was now on a whole different level.
Especially his use of Holy Light and Holy Flame—Michael now looked just like a Holy Light magician.
And most importantly... he had Issho by his side.
"Even if Hawk Eyes and Crocodile have teamed up, this mission won't be too difficult." Michael nodded and said, "The real challenge is making them willingly accept becoming my subordinates... I mean, becoming Seven Warlords."
Issho nodded silently, but moved ahead swiftly, subtly adjusting their route.
The members of the SWORD Secret Special Force already knew about Issho's power—and especially about his terrifying Observation Haki.
So when they saw this reaction, they immediately understood that Issho had located the target, and without hesitation, they followed his lead and changed direction.
The group dashed at full speed through the bustling city of Rainbase, past the oasis, and once again entered the desert on the opposite side.
Northwest of Rainbase!
The very area where intel said the "Living Sandstorm" had appeared.
"Over there!"
From midair, Stella immediately spotted the massive sandstorm, obscuring most of the view.
Following Stella's indication, the SWORD Secret Special Force, led by Michael, approached the outer edge of the sandstorm.
Tilting his head, Michael examined the clearly unnatural storm and let out a small chuckle.
"Not coming out?"
He asked softly, but the sandstorm remained completely unmoved.
Michael shook his head, then drew the cross-shaped longsword at his waist—the Supreme Grade sword Myōjō.
With a rising slash, a flying strike wrapped in pure white Holy Flame erupted instantly. The sheer sharpness combined with the terrifying heat of the Holy Flame melted every grain of sand it touched into a murky, semi-transparent sludge that splashed onto the golden dunes.
Right after the slash landed, the "Living Sandstorm" began to fade, gradually dispersing entirely.
And the truth within was laid bare for all to see.
Crocodile was seated calmly on his "sand" couch, while Hawk Eyes stood nearby, already holding his black blade with both hands resting on the hilt.
Crocodile looked a bit grim. He hadn't expected the Navy to track him down so quickly after just a few days of hiding in Alabasta.
And judging by that slash just now, the intruder was clearly no pushover.
But Hawk Eyes, on the other hand, was not surprised that Michael had found them.
In fact, when he saw that pure white flying slash, a burst of indescribable excitement flashed through his eyes!
"That sacred white light... You're the one from the legends—the Navy officer leading that mysterious fleet!"
"Hawk Eyes, you actually found some clues... Impressive." Michael couldn't help but glance at Hawk Eyes.
"In that case, shouldn't we settle the score from a few years ago, when you slashed my subordinate's ship?"
"...You're saying that ship belonged to your subordinate? That group of mysterious marines?" Hawk Eyes's eyes widened slightly, which, for him, showed a huge emotional reaction. "I encountered you guys back then?"
"Not just encountered—you nearly killed us all!" Smoker huffed, still irritated from the memory. Not that he held a grudge—it was just a matter of being outmatched and dumped into the sea. "Four hundred million bounty, the infamous 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk!"
But Hawk Eyes didn't even glance at Smoker.
His hawk-like eyes stayed locked on Michael.
After a long silence, he finally spoke:
"I want a test."
"A test to determine whether you're worthy of having me join."
The moment he said this, the entire place went silent.
A few tumbleweeds rolled by, their rustling painfully clear in the absolute stillness.
"Wait a sec, Issho-san... I'm only twenty-three, but are my ears already going bad?" Michael scratched his ear in confusion. "Did I just hear this guy—Hawk Eyes—say he wants to join us? Join our SWORD Secret Special Force?"
Issho ran his fingers along what looked like a blind man's cane but was actually the Supreme Grade sword, and chuckled softly.
"Michael, you heard right. He said he wants to join—and that he's testing whether you're worthy to have him."
Compared to the regular SWORD members, Issho's current role was more like a strategic advisor to the Secret Special Force.
And every member's attitude toward him had evolved—from initial skepticism to complete trust.
Not just because of Issho's terrifying Observation Haki—but also because of his even more torturous Devil Fruit ability.
During their intense pre-deployment training, they were constantly subjected to the torment of gravity manipulation.
So, when Issho confirmed what Hawk Eyes said, the whole SWORD Secret Special Force blew up.
"The hell did you say!? Testing us!?"
"Who asked you to join anyway, you weird-eyed bastard!?"
"Don't think that just because you almost cut us down last time, you can win so easily again!"
"I've got a great temper. Not only am I not mad, I even wanna give you a little treat."
"Hina is still young, but Hina thinks you're full of crap."
The shouting instantly filled the air—honestly, it was kind of mentally exhausting.
Even someone like Crocodile, who prided himself on his composure, was clearly irritated as he glanced toward the noisy Secret Special Force.
But Michael wasn't fazed in the slightest. He casually twirled Myōjō in his hand.
"You want to be my subordinate?"
"And you want to test me?"
"Tch... then both of you come at me together. I'm in a hurry."
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