After firing a shot at Shanks, Diarmuid was in a great mood. To the bewildered gaze of the Marine Commander, he returned to his small stool and continued fishing.
"Admiral, that guy…?" the Commander asked hesitantly, standing behind Diarmuid.
"He'll be a pirate sooner or later. I was just saying hello. Hmm…" Diarmuid mused for a moment, then said, "Send a note to Headquarters. If that guy becomes a pirate, tell them to call him 'Straw Hat' Shanks. Forget about 'Red-Haired.' It looks like he won't be able to give that straw hat away, so he might as well wear it himself."
I can hear your words clearly, but I have no idea what they mean together. What's this about a straw hat? The Commander complained in his mind, but outwardly he remained serious. "Yes, sir."
His job was just to pass on the Admiral's message; the rest wasn't his concern. Before long, Diarmuid was back to fishing, pondering why he had run into Shanks in this particular spot. After a moment, it hit him. Right, if I'm not mistaken, Shanks is here to find Yasopp. Then, he realized he had completely forgotten about the great Usopp. If nothing unexpected happened, Usopp should have just been born.
Yasopp was truly a scumbag. His wife had just given birth, and the guy just went off with Shanks to be a pirate. As a result, his son, Usopp, grew up as an orphan, and his wife died without ever seeing Yasopp again. If Dragon, who just lost his wife, found out about this, he'd probably beat Yasopp to death.
Pirates really aren't good people!
As for Usopp, Diarmuid smiled again. He was a natural talent who could always turn the tables in a desperate situation. Because his father was a pirate, Usopp had always dreamed of becoming one. Unless he was raised by the Marines from a young age, it was unlikely he would join them.
But on second thought, it wasn't necessary. If he never met Luffy, Usopp might not rush to sea. He might just continue to protect his small village, playing pirate games with the kids, and live a happy, peaceful life with his childhood sweetheart, Kaya. That would be a good life, much better than his good-for-nothing father's. And even if Usopp did set out to sea, it wasn't a big deal.
Thinking this, Diarmuid didn't pay any more attention to the young man. As for Yasopp, Diarmuid couldn't be bothered.
After the warship had sailed for a while, Gion emerged from the cabin, carrying a glass of juice, her eyes still a bit hazy.
"I think I heard a cannon fire just now? What happened?" she asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
Diarmuid turned to look at the languid Gion and smiled. "Nothing much. Just ran into a little nobody…" He paused for a moment, then laughed teasingly. "Did you sleep in too much? Do you even call yourself a swordswoman? You're not diligent at all."
Gion didn't care about Diarmuid's "little nobody" comment. Instead, she just gave him a blank look. "If you can't sleep in on vacation, then the holiday is meaningless."
As soon as she finished speaking, she set her juice down. Her other hand reached for her blade, Konpira, at her waist, and as she stepped forward, Konpira slid out of its sheath. With a flash of lightning, dazzling electricity instantly covered the blade, and a deep blue slash flew toward the calm sea in the distance. When the attack hit the water, it cut cleanly through the surface without slowing down. A massive amount of electricity scattered through the water, stirring up countless waves.
"Would you call me a swordswoman now?" Gion asked, twirling the electrified Konpira before sheathing it, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. Yes, I would," Diarmuid said, nodding seriously.
Just then, Diarmuid and Gion both turned their heads to look at an unseen direction on the distant horizon. The surface of the sea was sliced open, and a pale green slash, unstoppable in its momentum, flew toward the warship.
"What is that?" Diarmuid didn't panic at all. Instead, he stroked his chin, thinking. This looks very familiar!
A glint of light flashed in Gion's eyes. "It's him!"
"Who?" Diarmuid asked instinctively.
"Dracule Mihawk, the man known as 'Hawk-Eyes.' I hear he's calling himself the number one swordsman now," Gion said softly.
"Number one swordsman?" Diarmuid asked. "Shouldn't it be the 'World's Greatest Swordsman' or 'World's Strongest Swordsman'?"
"No, not quite yet. But he's close. I heard he declared himself the number one after challenging a master of the New Shadow Style recently. I think this is a change in strategy," Gion said with a smile.
Just then, the slash arrived in front of the warship. Diarmuid casually flicked his fishing rod. Powerful gravity flowed down the fishing line, and the soft line, bolstered by the gravitational force, was strong enough to redirect the pale green slash, sending it flying into the sky.
"He used to constantly challenge swordsmen all over the world to build his reputation, and now he's calling himself the number one. I bet he wants to lure out anyone who doesn't agree and beat them all. Once he's done with that, he'll truly be the number one and can rightfully claim the title of 'World's Greatest Swordsman'," Diarmuid said calmly, shaking his fishing rod.
Gion didn't seem surprised at all that Diarmuid had effortlessly deflected Mihawk's slash with a fishing rod. As an accomplished great swordswoman herself, she could see right away that Mihawk's attack was all flash and no substance. It looked powerful, but it didn't contain much force. It was more of a greeting. Of course, if they had been destroyed by this flashy slash, Mihawk would have immediately lost interest in them. This also showed Mihawk's eccentricity; he didn't care what kind of ship it was or what the situation was. He just made his entrance.
"That's exactly right," Gion nodded, then continued, "He was probably attracted by the aura of my attack. What a pain…"
"But I just saw you looking like you were ready to fight him," Diarmuid said, surprised.
Gion touched Konpira at her waist, then shook her head. "If I hadn't eaten the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, I might have considered fighting him again. But now, I'm no longer just a swordsman. And besides… he can't beat me." Gion took a sip of juice to moisten her throat before continuing. "It wouldn't be a fair fight."
"Wow, now you're getting cocky, too?" Diarmuid said, giving Gion a sidelong glance.
Soon, a small boat appeared on the horizon, riding the waves and coming into view. On the boat sat a man in noble clothing with a top hat. A large cross-shaped object was strapped to his back. He sat with his legs crossed, looking like a powerful leader. That cross was his sword, Yoru. Even more bizarrely, there were lit candles on both sides of his small boat. The whole setup was a spectacle designed for the sake of posturing.
"This guy is so arrogant…" Diarmuid muttered, then added, "He doesn't even have a paddle. I bet when we couldn't see him, he was paddling with that sword of his. He only took this pose once he was close enough for us to see…."
Gion, who had been observing Mihawk, paused for a moment at Diarmuid's words. She imagined Mihawk using his Black Blade, Yoru, one of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords, to paddle. She couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Diarmuid, looking at the posturing Mihawk, said to himself with a hint of emotion, "First Shanks, now Mihawk. The East Blue is so vast, how is this a coincidence?"
But then it dawned on him, and a knowing look crossed his face. If he hadn't been here, this might have been the moment Mihawk and Shanks's rivalry began. Two people who set out to sea on small boats, meeting by chance on the vast ocean, both swordsmen, and both men of great pride. They would have likely started a fight that would lead to a friendship forged in battle. After all, there had been no rumors of Mihawk and Shanks clashing before this. This must be where it all began.
"What a shame. Your friend Shanks's boat has already been blown up by me, so you two probably won't be meeting in the East Blue," Diarmuid muttered. Then, he looked at the still-posturing Mihawk and called out to the Marine Commander. "Bring the cannon!"
The Commander was surprised for a moment but quickly nodded and went to carry out the order.
Unlike Shanks, Mihawk's eccentric behavior had caused significant damage and losses, so the Marines had forcibly designated him a pirate and given him a bounty. Diarmuid didn't know the exact amount, but there was no doubt he could be considered a pirate, and there would be no problem in attacking him.
Mihawk, meanwhile, was a little flustered. He had come to the East Blue out of boredom, having heard about a dojo with a reclusive great swordswoman. He had suddenly felt a sharp aura in the direction he was headed, a slash that had cut the sea, as if a swordswoman was greeting him.
Mihawk had no idea that she was just randomly slashing the sea and not actually greeting him; who would do that? So, as a gesture of "swordsman's etiquette," he had immediately returned the favor with a flying slash toward the source of the aura.
Then, he paddled his small boat in that direction. And what do you know? A Marine Headquarters warship was sitting there. Mihawk was baffled. Isn't this a bait-and-switch?!
But he couldn't turn and run; he was a prideful man. He had to maintain his composure, sitting still on his small boat with the air of a great figure. However, the closer he got, the more confused he became.
A Marine Admiral? Mihawk, with his hawk-like eyes, had excellent vision and could clearly make out Diarmuid from a long distance. He also recognized the woman next to him, the Marine Vice Admiral Gion. He had fought her a few years ago. Although he had won, she was undeniably a powerful woman. As for Diarmuid, he was a legend, responsible for the downfall of so many great pirates!
Just as Mihawk was considering his options, he saw someone wheeling a cannon next to the Marine Admiral. Then, the guy just used his raw strength to pick up the heavy cannon. And then he aimed it at him?
What the…
Before Mihawk could think any more, a bang rang out, and a dark cannonball, accompanied by a flash of fire, came flying toward him!
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