The Shichibukai's Hidden Agendas

The Grand Line, beside a reef on a deserted Deserted Island.

"Master, is that person Hawk-Eyes?"

Luo adjusted his polka-dot hat, gazing at the man in black on the reef in the distance, his voice low.

Ron stretched his newly changed Vice Admiral's overcoat; the fabric still had a crisp, resilient feel.

"What, you don't look like him?"

"More frightening than it looks in the newspaper..."

Mihawk had already gripped the Black Blade Night.

"Ron, I've figured out a way to counter that move you used last time."

"So fast?"

Ron laughed, "So, this challenge letter of yours is just an assignment to complete?"

Mihawk glanced at the kid beside him, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing bringing a child here?"

"My apprentice, Luo. Show him what a true swordsman is like."

"Can you use a sword?"

Luo gripped the standard-issue knife at his waist and nodded. "A little."

"Then keep your eyes wide open and watch carefully."

Before he could finish speaking, Mihawk raised his hand and swung his sword.

Swish--

The dark green slash skimmed across the sea surface.

A narrow slit was cut into the distant cliff, and even the seawater parted along with the sword energy, revealing a deep black trench for a moment.

Luo's mouth opened slowly, and remained open for a long time.

"Master... when you usually talk about practicing basic skills, is this kind of basic skill?"

"Don't think that far ahead, hide in the back."

Ron casually opened a door and led Luo to the stone wall at the back.

Just then, Mihawk swung his knife again!

Dark green sword energy rushed towards them.

"Good timing!"

Ron drew his Zhenyuan and charged straight at the enemy!

Clang--!

The moment the swords clashed, the rocks beneath their feet shattered, sending shards of rock flying everywhere.

As soon as the swords and blades parted, Ron slashed open an Air Door beside him.

Zhenyuan then led him into the doorway.

At the same time, another door opened behind Mihawk, and a sword was aimed straight at his shoulder!

Mihawk seemed to have anticipated this, and parried with his Black Blade.

Clang!

The sword's edge was firmly blocked at the doorway.

"You've got a pretty good eye this time."

"I learned my lesson the hard way last time."

The two fought faster and faster.

Ding ding--!

The Black Blade's sword energy sliced away half of the stone slope, while Zhenyuan's spatial slash cut the rolling boulder into several neat pieces.

Mihawk stopped wildly hacking at each door and fixed his gaze on Ron's shoulder and the wrist holding the sword.

The door can be opened at will, but the action of drawing a sword and exerting force cannot be faked.

Ron noticed this, so he simply opened the door at his feet, suddenly shifted his position, and sent out a Dimension Slash.

Boom!

The two sword energies collided in mid-air, engulfing the entire island in flying sand and stones.

Luo huddled against the side of the stone wall, desperately trying to see what the two were doing.

But just as he caught a glimpse of a sword flash, the next collision came from another direction.

All that could be heard was the crisp sound of metal clashing; even the afterimage was too fleeting to grasp.

After fighting for several hours, as the sun began to set, the two simultaneously sheathed their swords.

Mihawk's sleeve was torn, and Ron's right hand, gripping his sword, tightened slightly.

That's enough for today, we'll play again next time.

Only then did Luo dare to run over, staring blankly at the neat cracks on the cliff.

"Master, you could have easily dodged that sword strike by opening the door, why did you insist on taking it head-on?"

"Didn't you want to learn swordsmanship?"

"Um."

"Then don't just think about the results when things happen. A door can deliver a sword behind someone's back, but how to wield it and how to sheathe it is up to your own hand."

Mihawk walked up to Luo, his gaze falling on the standard-issue knife in Luo's hand.

"Kid, draw your sword."

Luo was taken aback, and quickly drew his knife, striking a very serious pose.

Mihawk glanced at the knife, then looked at Ron.

Ron shrugged. "Don't look at me, I'm looking for a suitable knife for him."

"We can change the sword later; first, let's master the power and angle of each strike."

Mihawk paused, then added, "Your master learned a lesson the hard way about this."

Ron's lips twitched. "Hey, Eagle! If you're going to teach a disciple, fine, but don't expose my weaknesses!"

Luo couldn't help but laugh, but he gripped the knife in his hand even tighter.

He used to use the ROOM, thinking that as long as the knife could reach the target, it was fine.

I only understood today that at the same distance, a difference of half an inch in the sword strike can lead to vastly different results.

North Blue, the Secret Base of the Donquixote Family.

Caesar's shrill laughter came through the Den Den Mushi.

"Whoosh! JOKER, send me another sum of money! We're almost done extracting the Lineage Factors, and the Artificial Zoan will be ready soon—"

"You said the same thing last time."

Doflamingo slammed a photograph of an experiment onto the table.

The experimental animal in the photo had grown several crooked scales.

The note next to it reads: [The beast-like characteristics lasted for less than three minutes, then faded on their own.]

"You call this an achievement?"

"Failure is the mother of success! Once the technology is stable, you can build as many Zoan as you want!"

"Fufu... you can pay me back."

Doflamingo grinned, revealing his teeth, but his tone was cold. "But I want products that can be sold, not toys that will rot on their own."

After hanging up the phone, Trebol handed over two more secret letters.

"Doflamingo, Kaido's been pressing us again, asking when we can get the artificial Devil Fruit."

"What's the point of rushing us if the product isn't even finished?"

Doflamingo tapped another document with his fingertips; it was a secret letter he had obtained from his informant in Mary Geoise.

[The Heavenly Tribute transport route was attacked, forcing the disruption of gold delivery.]

Trebol's expression changed.

"Dover, things are in an uproar in Mary Geoise. The Heavenly Tribute keeps pouring in, but they don't dare send Admiral to attack you..."

"I heard that from now on, Ron will coordinate all joint missions involving the Shichibukai. We're practically family with him..."

Doflamingo paused for a moment while crossing his legs, then laughed again.

"Pfft... It's not like I'm going to be his subordinate."

"If the government doesn't give me a seat, I'll continue robbing the Heavenly Tribute."

Doflamingo waved the secret letter around.

"No seats, no one will have peace."

On that same day, a statement of terms was sent to the World Government.

Two days later, Mary Geoise finally replied.

The World Government agreed to grant Doflamingo the status of Shichibukai on the condition that he immediately cease plundering the Heavenly Tribute.

"Fufu..."

Doflamingo looked at the reply and laughed so hard his shoulders shook.

"If you had been this sensible earlier, wouldn't things have been much easier?"

He picked up his pen, signed his name, and tossed the document to Trebol.

"Send it back. We don't need to touch the Heavenly Tribute Ship for now."

In the Florian Triangle, a thick fog shrouded Thriller Bark, drifting slowly.

Moria stared at Kaido's information on the wall, his teeth grinding together.

"Hehe... Kaido!"

He would never forget the taste of that defeat.

"Captain, another recruitment notice for the Shichibukai has arrived."

"Shut up! Can't you see I'm busy?"

Moria turned around and caught sight of the Invitation Letter on the table.

"Shichibukai?"

He suddenly smiled.

"Hehe! Now that I've become Shichibukai, those Marines should stop bothering me so much, right?"

He picked up a pen and scribbled his name on the document.

"Once the Zombie Army is built, I'm going to settle the score with Kaido again!"

Alabasta.

Crocodile sat in an inconspicuous, dark room, a cigar dangling from his lips.

Several old intelligence reports about Alabasta were scattered on the table— Pluton.

But he couldn't even get his hands on the most crucial Palace archives.

"Snort."

"Being a pirate means you can't even get through the Palace gates."

He glanced at the recruitment notice for the Shichibukai on the table, picked up a pen, and signed his name.

"Once I become a hero of this country, let's see how you hide then."

A sea area in the New World.

"King of the Lizards" Hanafuda stood at the bow of the ship, flipping through several pages of information about Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits.

Since entrusting his two children to Kaido, he has been out searching for rare Devil Fruits for the Beasts Pirates.

"Kaido has sent another letter!"

A subordinate handed him a confidential letter.

"We also need Ancient Zoan, the more the better."

"Nonsense!"

Hanafuda cursed.

"Do you really think Ancient Zoan are fish caught from the sea?"

His subordinate quickly put on a fawning smile.

"Oh, and there's also a recruitment letter from the World Government..."

I took the Hanafuda and glanced at it.

"Shichibukai?"

He grinned.

"Anyway, Kaido only wants Ancient Zoan, so it'll be more convenient for me to use his name to get things done. He probably won't mind."

He picked up the pen and signed his name.

Mary Geoise.

The official breathed a long sigh of relief as he watched the last signature being delivered.

Seven files were neatly arranged on the table.

He flipped through a couple of pages at random, and suddenly felt a headache coming on.

"If these guys really go on a mission together, who can keep them in check?"

The colleague next to him pointed to the column for the person in charge.

[Ron]

"Isn't someone here?"

"... Too."

A few days later, on the Grand Line.

An unassuming sailboat veered off course and drifted slowly toward Jaya Island.

Ron, dressed in casual clothes, was fiddling with the Log Pose at the bow of the ship.

Wearing a spotted hat, Luo squatted down and carefully sharpened the standard-issue knife with a whetstone.

"Master."

"Um?"

Why aren't you even riding on warships anymore?

"Vice Admiral's coat is too conspicuous, and besides, this trip isn't about showing off."

"Then let's go catch the pirates?"

"You can grab a few if you like."

Luo stopped sharpening the knife and looked up at him. "Where are you going...?"

"Let's go to Jaya Island first."

What are you going there for?

"I need to find someone."

"Who?"

Ron didn't answer, but handed him a Log Pose.

Luo took it and was stunned.

The pointer wasn't pointing at the sea at all; instead, it was pointing straight up at the clouds overhead.

"Master, is this thing broken?"

"It's not broken."

"Then why is it pointing to the sky?"

Ron looked up at the churning clouds and smiled.

"Because the place we're looking for isn't actually at sea."