Mihawk: What's the Point of Treating a Rookie Like Red-Hair as an Opponent? Come Fight Me!

But Ortolan was no longer the man he used to be. He had now evolved into Homelander—how could he let Shanks get away?

Lightning flashed around him, and Ortolan appeared above Shanks. Without a word, he brought the Warhammer crashing down on Shanks's head.

Though Shanks was still an apprentice pirate, he had seen plenty of the world while following the Roger Pirates. His reaction was incredibly fast. The moment he sensed danger, he coated his hand in Armament Haki, shoved Buggy away, and lunged forward like a rabid dog pouncing on prey.

It might not have been a graceful move, but it was extremely effective—a godly evasive technique on the same level as rolling around like a lazy donkey.

By the narrowest margin, that desperate lunge avoided Ortolan's heavy hammer. Shanks then drew his blade and slashed backward.

Ortolan moved just as quickly. When his strike missed, the heavy hammerhead had not even hit the ground before he flexed his wrist and stopped the Warhammer mid-swing, displaying both his immense strength and flawless control over such a heavy weapon.

As he halted the Warhammer, he happened to block Shanks's counterattack. Lightning flashed in Ortolan's eyes, and two Laser Beams shot out.

This time, Shanks was not so lucky. Caught off guard, he was hit squarely in the chest by the lasers brimming with powerful lightning. Black smoke rose from his body as he was blasted away and slammed into Buggy's back!

"You really are strong!" Mihawk's voice came from behind Ortolan.

At the same time, Ortolan instinctively sensed a sharp, piercing aura. Without the slightest hesitation, he spun the Warhammer in his hand, twisting halfway around with it before swinging it behind him.

With a clang, Ortolan's Warhammer blocked Mihawk's Black Blade Yoru.

"Can't you read the situation? Can't you see I'm in the middle of a fight!?" Ortolan cursed at Mihawk.

Mihawk was not angry. Instead, excitement flashed in his eyes. "What's the point of treating that red-haired rookie as an opponent? If you want to fight, fight me!"

A rookie? That was one of your few—perhaps even your only—close friends in the future, and you called him that?

Well... thinking about it, Shanks really was a rookie right now!

While Mihawk insulted Shanks, his hands never stopped moving. His blade slid along the hammerhead of Ortolan's Warhammer, slipping past it before slashing straight down at Ortolan's chest!

Generally speaking, a weapon like a Warhammer—especially a long-handled one like Ortolan's—was something only burly men could wield, and it usually required both hands to use properly.

But Ortolan possessed natural monstrous strength, so one hand was enough. As Mihawk's slash came in, Ortolan released the hammer shaft with his left hand and coated it in Armament Haki, grabbing Mihawk's blade directly. Then violent lightning erupted from his hand and surged along the blade toward Mihawk!

However, Mihawk seemed to possess extensive combat experience and was likewise highly skilled with Haki. He reinforced his Armament Haki to withstand Ortolan's lightning, then retreated and stomped down hard, putting several meters between them first.

The entire sequence happened in an instant. After opening a distance of three or four meters, Mihawk swung Yoru through the air, releasing a flying slash!

As he launched the slash, Mihawk continued, "I've been meaning to ask—are you the legendary Goro Goro no Mi user? Though from the looks of it, you haven't developed your ability very skillfully yet?"

Lightning flashed over Ortolan's body. Before the flying slash could reach him, he vanished from where he stood. In the next instant, he appeared behind Mihawk, gripped the hammer shaft with both hands, and smashed down!

That strike earned the achievement of 'forcing the future world's greatest Great Swordsman to roll around like a lazy donkey.' Was it because Mihawk and Shanks would become such good friends later on? One was good at lunging like a rabid dog, while the other was good at rolling around like a lazy donkey?

That was right. From the instant they had exchanged blows, Mihawk had felt Ortolan's terrifying strength. He did not dare take Ortolan's Warhammer head-on. As the strike from behind came down, Mihawk immediately abandoned all dignity, slipped beneath his feet, and rolled around like a lazy donkey to evade it!

Meanwhile, Buggy hauled the smoking Shanks up from the ground and asked nervously, "Hey, hey, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Black smoke poured from Shanks's mouth as he struggled to say, "I almost got cooked by electricity. What do you think? How did that guy suddenly become a Devil Fruit user?"

The fact that Shanks could still spout nonsense showed that although that Goro Goro no Mi strike had injured him, it was not serious.

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"While that guy's tied up with someone else, let's hurry and meet up with the captain and the others! We'll be safe then!" Buggy said hurriedly.

Shanks had no objections and immediately continued fleeing with Buggy!

Ortolan did not want to fight Mihawk here. There was no point to it, and they had no grudge against each other. So when Shanks started running, Ortolan feinted with his Warhammer to force Mihawk back. Lightning flickered around him, and in the next second, he was once again behind Shanks.

But Mihawk had gotten fired up and was unwilling to let such a worthy opponent as Ortolan slip away. Without another word, he gave chase again.

And so, Shanks and Buggy fled ahead, while Ortolan dealt with the clingy Mihawk behind him even as he pursued the red-haired man and Red Nose in front.

The three sides caused a massive commotion throughout the town, sending the nearby crowds scattering in panic as chaos erupted everywhere.

Just as Ortolan seized an opening, struck Mihawk's blade with his Warhammer, and used the immense force to send Mihawk flying dozens of meters away, he turned to deliver a vicious blow to Shanks—only for a slash far sharper than anything Mihawk could produce at the moment to streak toward him from the front!

"Hey, hey, hey, stop going after the kids on our ship!"

Ortolan held the Warhammer across his body and shoved it forward, immediately blocking the slash. Yet the attack carried tremendous force. Even with Ortolan's immense strength, he was forced back two steps, crushing two slabs of the hard stone pavement beneath his feet before finally stopping it.

The one who had acted was the Roger Pirates' vice-captain—Silvers Rayleigh!

Looking again, Shanks and Buggy had already hidden behind Rayleigh, both wearing expressions that clearly said, 'We're saved!'

Compared to unknown figures like Ortolan, Buggy, and Shanks, Rayleigh's reputation was far more renowned. Even Mihawk recognized him. Rather than attacking again, he watched the situation with a puzzled look.

"You bastards, I still haven't settled the score with you over Cake Island!" Ortolan swore the moment he saw Rayleigh.

Rayleigh had a good temperament and did not get angry at Ortolan's jab. Instead, he smiled and said, "You were the one who lost your senses and attacked us first. We were merely acting in self-defense."

"Self-defense? Pirates like you talk about the law?" Ortolan froze for a moment, then refused to back down. "Then I have no choice but to raise the banner of justice! Bastard pirates like you deserve to be executed by all! Take this!"

The moment his words fell, lightning flashed in Ortolan's eyes. He moved, his body transforming into lightning as he flashed directly before Rayleigh and brought the Warhammer down in a fierce strike!

Though he knew perfectly well that he could not defeat Rayleigh, a top-tier expert stood right before him, and the atmosphere was just right. How could he possibly retreat?

He also wanted to measure just how great the gap was between himself and those top experts who had made their names across the seas long ago!

Rayleigh neither dodged nor retreated. A dark layer of Armament Haki coated his sword as he raised it to block in place!

With a heavy bang, Ortolan's Warhammer smashed fiercely against Rayleigh's blade. Terrifying power erupted from his hands. Though Rayleigh had been prepared and knew Ortolan possessed natural monstrous strength, his brow still furrowed as the ground beneath his feet shattered into a spiderweb of cracks!

Immediately afterward, savage, violent lightning energy poured from the Warhammer like a curtain of silver light, engulfing Rayleigh.

The dazzling electric light was so intense that even the bold onlookers could no longer see what was happening within. They only saw the lightning suddenly dim, followed by Ortolan's burly body flying backward.

That's right. In that instant, Rayleigh moved with incredible speed, kicking Ortolan square in the chest and sending him flying.

Just then, Mihawk made his move. That guy really had guts. When Ortolan fought Shanks, he went after the stronger Ortolan. Now that Ortolan was fighting Rayleigh, he went after the strongest person present—Rayleigh. In short, whoever was stronger was the one he fought!

The moment Ortolan's feet touched the ground and he steadied himself, Mihawk had already swung his blade at Rayleigh!

Mihawk's a good man. When something happens, he really steps up, Ortolan thought with feeling.

At the same time, over at the harbor docks, Garp's Dog Head Warship was slowly pulling in as well. At a glance, he spotted the slashes and flashes of lightning erupting from time to time in the center of town, and asked in confusion, "What's going on?"