Hawkeye Mihawk

Cifer's destination this trip was Cocos Village.

He wanted to see if the plot had progressed there yet. If not, he'd deal with it casually and then head back to the Grand Line to continue his travels.

If it had, then he would need to start making arrangements for his next itinerary.

"Mr. Cifer, can I ask why you're going to a village I've never heard of?"

She had to search the sea charts for a long time to find such an obscure little village, as Cifer had only mentioned it was in the East Blue and nothing else.

"To show you this world!"

Important people always liked to speak in riddles. She was used to it.

By the time Tashigi, who served as both navigator and cook, brought plates of food to the table, the dishes that had been there were already completely gone.

Are all strong people this gluttonous? Tashigi mused to herself.

"Yeeeee-Hahahaha! The food we've eaten these past few days is what a God should eat!" Enel laughed heartily as he stuffed meat into his mouth. Before Tashigi joined them, after finishing the instant meals in the ship's cabin, they had been eating grilled fish and grilled Sea Kings every day.

And even with such simple cooking methods, the two of them managed to make it taste awful. She was about to lose her mind from the blandness.

"Eat up. With our appetites, we'd work you to death trying to make enough."

Seeing Tashigi wiping sweat from her brow, Cifer hesitated for a moment before pushing a plate of fried rice near his hand towards her.

"Thank you, Mr. Cifer!"

Having spent two or three days together, Tashigi had come to feel Cifer's friendliness. Being with him felt as free and relaxed as being at a Marine base.

It was just that the two of them were a little strange. Mr. Cifer was like a riddle-teller, and she couldn't understand anything he said. Mr. Enel was even stranger, constantly referring to himself as a god and occasionally sitting on the ground in a daze.

Enel, who had been eating heartily, suddenly stopped.

"You feel it too, don't you!"

"Mm, a formidable individual has arrived!"

He immediately wiped his mouth and hands with a paper towel, grabbed his Ruyi Jingu Bang, and rushed out onto the deck.

It had been a week since they arrived in the Blue Sea, and this was the first time he had encountered a strong opponent.

"Mr. Enel, what is he..."

Tashigi looked confused. She hadn't learned Haki yet, so she naturally didn't know what Cifer and Enel were talking about.

"You'll know if you go out and see. Perhaps he's even your idol."

At this time, an opponent of this caliber, and in the East Blue no less. Could it be that she had just happened to run into that man?

A small boat, shaped like a coffin with a cross at the stern, drifted near the Little Ul. A man with an elegant demeanor and a European-style hat sat in it. His eyes were as piercing and awe-inspiring as a hawk's. Anyone slightly weaker would tremble uncontrollably upon seeing those eyes, completely unable to muster any will to resist.

"Hawkeye Mihawk!"

Tashigi's pupils dilated beneath her glasses. She never imagined that after serving as a navigator for one of the Shichibukai for a while, she would encounter another Shichibukai. And it was the man she most wanted to surpass, the World's Greatest Swordsman! If they weren't on the vast sea, she would have loved to return to the cabin, draw her sword, and spar with this great swordsman.

"Yeeeee-Hahahaha~ Are you trying to challenge a god?" Enel, who had already boarded Cifer's pirate ship, had been itching for a fight. On Sky Island, he could at least punish illegal entrants. Since arriving in the Blue Sea, he had only encountered civilians and hadn't seen a single pirate. Moreover, he couldn't defeat Cifer. Every training session where Cifer joined in ended with him being beaten one-sidedly. He hadn't learned Haki in all these days, but his durability had certainly improved.

"Ulquiorra Cifer!"

Mihawk paid no mind to Enel's chuunibyou declaration, clearly recognizing the newly appointed Shichibukai. He had always kept an eye on world affairs.

"Mihawk! Are you playing some boring game, you bastard?"

"Just a group of pathetic fools asking for death!"

Just as I thought! It was exactly as Cifer had predicted. It seemed Luffy had already found Sanji, and the next stop was Cocos Village. Did I just happen to stumble upon this? But they were already very close to Cocos Village. Even though he knew how the plot would unfold, it wouldn't hurt to deal with Arlong first. It was a simple matter.

"Mihawk, are you interested in joining my crew and becoming my comrade?" Cifer extended his right hand. Enel hadn't learned Armament Haki for so long, and Cifer suspected he might have misunderstood something. With a top-tier Haki user right in front of him, it would be best to bring him under his command, and it would also solve the problem of navigation.

"I have no intention of joining someone else's pirate crew."

"That's a pity. If you were a swordsman, I might have wanted to spar with you."

Since becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye no longer bothered with the weaklings who challenged him, his heart yearning for a legendary battle against a top-tier swordsman.

He wasn't afraid of being defeated; he was afraid of no one ever surpassing him. Could the path he walked truly continue?

The path of the sword had not yet reached its peak.

"That is indeed a shame. My crewmate wishes to spar with you. What do you think?"

Glancing at Enel, who was sulking beside him for being ignored, Cifer still made a request for a spar with Hawkeye.

He just hoped this guy wouldn't be beaten to the point of questioning his entire existence.

"Let's have a simple try!"

Having just encountered a man whose inner strength he admired, and in a good mood, he readily agreed.

"Divine Judgment!"

Impatient, Enel immediately unleashed a bolt of lightning.

Despite the incredibly swift attack, it seemed like slow motion to Hawkeye. He slowly drew the long sword from behind him and with a mere flick, the lightning, as if solid, changed direction and struck elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Tashigi had already taken out her small notebook, diligently recording descriptions of Hawkeye. This was possibly the first and last time in her life she would ever see him!

That was the weapon wielded by the world's strongest swordsman: the Black Blade - Yoru, one of the Supreme Grade Swords!

A famous sword held immense allure for a swordsman. She was practically drooling.

"60 Million Volts - Raigo!"

Disbelieving, Enel struck the two taiko drums on either side, summoning a massive dragon-shaped lightning beast that fiercely lunged at Hawkeye.

Hawkeye's expression remained as calm as still water. With a gentle swing, he shattered the lightning beast into pieces.

"How is this possible..."

Enel's face once again contorted into an expression like a meme. He accepted being easily defeated by Cifer, one of the strongest in the Blue Sea.

But why was it that just bumping into some swordsman on the road, he seemed so at ease facing his powerful attacks?

Was his own strength merely that of a small fry in the Blue Sea? Just as Cifer had predicted, Enel began to doubt his life.

"Enel, the world is far vaster than you imagine. Don't underestimate the heroes of this world!"

Cifer patted Enel, who was still lost in self-doubt.

"Let's go! We have things to do!"

Hawkeye gave a slight nod. The chance encounter between the two Shichibukai came to an end.