Because the fight between Luffy and Don Krieg had ended so quickly, Sanji and Gin had only exchanged a few blows before he saw his captain get blasted off the ship.
Seeing this, Gin immediately broke off his attack and dove into the sea to save him.
The pirates' assault on the Baratie was over, just like that.
Sanji pressed a hand to his chest where Gin had landed a solid hit, and walked over to "Red-Leg" Zeff.
"Old man, did we win?"
Zeff was about to say yes, but then he frowned. Something was wrong.
On Krieg's side, only Gin was left, and he had clearly lost the will to fight.
So why did Ray and Luffy on the roof, and Zoro on the platform, still look like they were ready for a battle?
…
Nami and Usopp, seeing that the fighting was over, let out huge sighs of relief.
"You guys did great!" Usopp announced proudly, his hands on his hips. "The only shame is that you didn't get to see me and Nami in action!"
"Exactly!" Nami chimed in, slinging her staff over her shoulder.
The moment Sanji heard her voice, he rushed over, his eyes turning into hearts.
"With me here, I would never let such a beautiful lady get her hands dirty with those pirate scumbags!"
Ray and Luffy, still focused on the horizon, completely ignored the boastful duo below.
Zoro was the same, his entire body tense, his gaze fixed on the sea.
The only sounds were the wind and the flapping of flags.
The atmosphere was getting awkward.
Seeing his "goddess" being ignored, Sanji flew into a rage.
"How dare you disregard Nami-swaann! You, Mosshead, are going to pay for this!"
But Zoro didn't even look at him.
"Shut up," he said calmly, his voice was dangerously low.
A vein bulged on Sanji's forehead. "What did you—"
Before he could finish, two sharp clangs of a sword being swung echoed across the water.
In the distance, Don Krieg's massive galleon suddenly split apart.
The enormous ship was sliced into several clean sections, which then collapsed into the sea, sending huge waves crashing violently against the Baratie.
Luckily, Johnny and Yosaku had already moved the Going Merry a safe distance away, or it would have been sunk on the spot.
…
Amid the churning waves, Zoro's body, which had been perfectly calm a moment before, began to tremble with uncontrollable excitement.
His heart pounded in his chest.
He slowly tied his black bandana around his head, his grip on his swords tightening as an intense fighting spirit burned in his eyes.
From the rooftop, Ray noticed his friend losing control.
"Zoro," he called out softly, "stay calm."
Though Ray's voice was quiet, it cut through the noise and reached Zoro's ears.
Zoro gave a slight nod and took a deep breath.
His heartbeat gradually steadied, but the fire in his eyes remained.
…
The sea slowly calmed, leaving the wreckage of the giant ship floating on the surface.
The surviving pirates from Krieg's crew, who had been hiding in the water, broke out in a cold sweat.
"N-no way… He chased us all the way to the East Blue?!"
"A slash that terrifying… it can only be him."
"Look! That tiny boat… that giant sword… it's him!"
"We're done for. We're completely done for."
The pirates watched in despair as the small, coffin-shaped boat drew closer.
Finally, one of them couldn't take it anymore.
He swam frantically toward the Baratie, screaming like a child.
"It's Hawkeye! The man who destroyed our entire fleet is here! Someone save us!"
…
Zeff instantly understood.
From the very beginning, Ray, Luffy, and Zoro hadn't been focused on the Krieg Pirates at all.
Their attention had been fixed on one man: the Warlord, the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk.
But why would he be here? Zeff wondered.
He stepped forward to greet the newcomer.
"What brings the world's greatest swordsman to a small place like the East Blue?"
Mihawk glanced at Zeff for a second before his gaze shifted to Zoro and the rest of the Straw Hats.
He stepped off his small boat and onto a piece of floating wreckage.
"I was bored," he replied simply.
Krieg, who had just been pulled from the water by Gin, overheard him.
"Then why did you hunt us down?!" he roared.
"To pass the time."
Hearing that his 5,000-man fleet was destroyed simply because this man was bored, Krieg snapped.
He shoved Gin aside and charged at Mihawk, his face purple with rage.
"I won't lose! I am the strongest!"
Mihawk just frowned. "Step aside. I've lost interest in you."
But Krieg, driven mad by the humiliation, ignored the warning.
"Fool," Mihawk sighed, drawing the small knife from his necklace, ready to end Krieg's life.
At that moment, a green blur shot past Krieg.
Zoro's twin swords flashed, slashing Krieg's legs and sending him crashing to the ground.
Then, Zoro flipped his sword and brought the hilt down hard on the back of Krieg's head, knocking him unconscious.
Gin immediately rushed over and dragged his captain away.
"Impressive skill," Mihawk remarked, watching Zoro.
"He wasn't worthy of fighting you," Zoro replied, his voice as calm as he could make it.
"The one who will challenge you is me."
With that, he clenched his white-sheathed sword, Wado Ichimonji, between his teeth.
"Three-Sword Style swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, at your service."