Ortolan, Mihawk, Shanks, and Buggy

Over the next few days, Ortolan remained on Porlis Island, hoping to wait for Zunesha to appear nearby so he could witness the legendary spectacle for himself.

Perhaps because Zunesha was likely to appear near Porlis Island soon, Ortolan could clearly sense that the number of people on the island was steadily increasing.

Zunesha's whereabouts were a mystery. Though enormous, in the vast New World, it was no more than a lone boat adrift at sea. The chance of encountering Zunesha was truly slim!

It was said that many long-established adventurers and Great Pirates had spent years roaming the New World without ever catching so much as a glimpse of Zunesha.

This time, Zunesha had only been spotted by reporters from the World Economy News Paper after many years, and its whereabouts had then been published in the newspaper.

Thinking about it that way, it was only natural that people would come to join in the excitement. Wasn't Ortolan one of them himself?

As more people arrived on Porlis Island, the town, which had originally suffered through pirate turmoil, began to shine anew and regained some of its former prosperity.

That was just how the New World was. Whether people or towns, anything that survived in these waters possessed an unexpectedly tenacious vitality.

Early in the morning, Ortolan was having breakfast in the inn's dining hall. With a steamed bun in his mouth, he was just about to get himself a cup of the local specialty milk tea when he suddenly heard the guests at several nearby tables talking.

"Did you hear? Tenkai-ryu's dojo received a challenge letter last night!"

"Tenkai-ryu?"

"You haven't been on the island long, so you might not know. Tenkai-ryu is a local school of swordsmanship. But you've definitely heard of its dojo master—the Great Swordsman Horton, said to have split the sea with a single sword, leaving sea and sky indistinguishable!"

"The Horton from the rumors? The one Golden Lion Shiki admired for his formidable swordsmanship and therefore exempted Porlis Island from paying taxes?"

"Yes, yes, that's him!"

"But isn't this supposed to be Big Mom Pirates territory now? When the Big Mom Pirates took this place before, why didn't we hear about that Horton stepping up?"

"What was he supposed to step up for? Isn't that just how the New World is? Today it's Shiki's territory, tomorrow it's Big Mom's, and in a couple of days it might be Whitebeard's. If he stepped up every time, even Horton wouldn't be able to handle it!"

"Hiss... That makes sense! By the way, who's challenging Horton?"

"Seems to be some swordsmanship expert who only emerged last year. His name was... Mihawk, I think? He wasn't well-known before, but from last year to this year, he's challenged six long-established swordsmanship masters in a row and won every time. He even arrogantly declared that he would become the world's greatest swordsman or something. Who knows whether the rumors are true?"

"I've heard of him! His nickname is Hawk Eyes. They say he has eyes like a hawk's—unbelievably sharp—and can unleash sword energy. Whoever he stares at dies!"

"Yes, yes, that's him. They also say he can fly on a sword and take someone's head from a thousand miles away!"

As the conversation grew increasingly absurd, Ortolan withdrew his attention.

"Mihawk is on this island too?" Ortolan was somewhat surprised. Then he wolfed down the steamed bun, drained his milk tea in one gulp, rose to his feet, and walked out of the dining hall.

Ortolan had passed by Tenkai-ryu's dojo while wandering around the island before. But he personally had little interest in swordsmanship; he preferred using the heavy hammer on his back, so he had not paid it much attention.

He hadn't expected there to be such a renowned master on this island. Still, this Horton fellow was unlucky to run into someone like Mihawk.

Ortolan was quite interested in Mihawk. After all, this was the man who would one day truly reach the pinnacle and become the world's greatest swordsman.

Judging from the rumors, he had likely only begun making a name for himself in the past couple of years. By constantly challenging swordsmen from all walks of life, he honed his swordsmanship while climbing toward its very peak.

As Ortolan recalled, this guy was later given a bounty by the Marines and called something like the "Marine Hunter," wasn't he?

If you think this book is good and don't want to lose it next time, please remember to add it to your bookshelf.

Given Mihawk's current behavior, there was a ninety-percent chance it was because he frequently forced challenges on swordsmanship experts in the Marines, until the Marines eventually branded him a troublesome pirate and put a bounty on him.

Tenkai-ryu's dojo was not in a remote location. It could even be said to stand in the center of town. After all, its master was a renowned Great Swordsman, and anyone who could afford to run a dojo was probably wealthy.

Ortolan left the inn, intending to join the excitement. He had just crossed Market Street when he heard a roar in the distance. Taking advantage of his height, he looked up and saw one of the tall buildings within Tenkai-ryu's dojo get sliced cleanly in half, crashing down inside the grounds.

Then fierce slashes shot into the sky. The people nearby began crying out in panic and fleeing, and Ortolan even saw a few unlucky souls get caught by the stray slashes spilling out of the dojo and killed on the spot!

For a moment, Ortolan seemed to understand how Mihawk—a man who spent his days on a solitary island, lived in a ghostly castle, and kept monkeys for company—had come to be viewed by the world as a villain and a pirate.

The battle between swordsmen erupted quickly and ended just as fast. Ortolan had not even reached the place when he saw the dojo's gates split open with a single slash. A figure covered in blood, seemingly missing an arm, staggered out from inside in a miserable state!

Then a young man with sharp black hair, a cold expression, and eyes like those of a hawk stepped out through the shattered doors of the sword dojo.

As he walked, he flicked the blood from the enormous black blade Yoru in his hand. Looking at the one-armed swordsman in the distance, he said with clear displeasure, "With skills like yours, how could Shiki possibly think highly of you?"

"Bastard..." Horton clutched his severed arm and glared at Mihawk with hatred.

But Mihawk seemed to have already lost interest in him. He did not spare Horton another glance, nor did he seem intent on finishing him off. He sheathed Yoru behind his back, turned around, and prepared to leave.

The moment he turned, however, he spotted Ortolan standing some distance away, watching the spectacle.

"Another master!?" Mihawk's eyes lit up. No one knew how he had determined that Ortolan was a "master," but he seemed to have suddenly taken an interest.

Ortolan froze for a moment, then laughed. "I'm no swordsman."

"It doesn't matter. How could swordsmanship be bound by such limitations? A sword can hone my path, and so can a hammer!" Mihawk replied at once.

Ortolan finally understood why Mihawk had always been alone with few friends in the original story, getting along only with Shanks. With that kind of temperament, he had probably offended plenty of people in his youth.

Just as Ortolan was about to say something else, another burst of voices suddenly came from across the street.

"Come on, Buggy! If we're any later, we'll miss all the excitement!"

"Idiot! If you want to watch, then go watch! Why are you dragging me along? I don't want to go!"

"It's a duel between swordsmen! Aren't you interested at all? I might be able to learn something..."

As soon as the voice faded, a red-haired kid in a straw hat came rushing around the street corner, forcefully dragging along someone with a huge red nose.

There was no doubt about it. They were Shanks and Buggy.

Although Shanks would later become good friends with Mihawk, he was actually four years younger than him. Mihawk already looked like a formidable young swordsman at this point, but whether Shanks simply had not grown into his looks yet or was underdeveloped, he gave off the air of an unreliable brat.

From this point in time, perhaps Mihawk already showed some of the presence of the future world's greatest swordsman. But Shanks? There was no sign whatsoever that he could stand alongside Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, Whitebeard, and the others as one of the Four Emperors.

Ortolan spotted Shanks, and Shanks spotted Ortolan as well, freezing on the spot.

Two seconds later, Shanks shouted, "It's that monster!"

"You're the fucking monster!" Ortolan immediately flew into a rage at those words. Coupled with the inexplicable beating he had taken on Cake Island, old grudges and new hatred erupted all at once. He pulled the Warhammer from his back and charged straight at Shanks.

Shanks had fought Ortolan once before and had even had an arm broken by him. His injuries had only healed two days ago, and knowing he was no match for him, he let out a strange cry and grabbed Buggy to run.