Hawkeye Has Arrived; Zoro Suffers a Crushing Defeat

Moya protected the girls as they walked out onto the deck.

In the distance, they saw a tiny boat drifting toward them, shaped like a coffin. A man sat aboard it, wearing a European-style swordsman's hat and carrying an enormous black sword on his back. His gaze was razor-sharp, and his eyes looked just like a hawk's.

Moya and Zoro spoke at the same time. "The World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye!"

The people from the Straw Hat Pirates and the Moya Adventure Group trembled as they looked at the world-famous figure!

Zoro wouldn't give up on the reason he'd gone to sea just because of Hawkeye's reputation. He hurried to the spot where Hawkeye was coming ashore, forcing down his fear.

"I challenge you, Hawkeye, the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

"East Blue is such a weak place. There's no one here worth drawing my sword for." Hawkeye glanced at Zoro and replied indifferently.

At that moment, Krieg came out onto the deck as well and shouted at Hawkeye, "Why are you hunting us down? We never did anything to you! You demon!"

"There's no reason. I was drifting at sea and getting bored. As it happened, you disturbed my nap."

Hawkeye still looked cold and indifferent, like some peerless master.

The world's strong were terrifying indeed.

Just because he was bored and they'd disturbed his nap, he'd cut down the Krieg Pirates, the East Blue's greatest pirate fleet, with over five thousand men.

"Hey, don't ignore me! I went to sea so I could challenge you!" Zoro said, already drawing his swords.

"You dare draw your swords against me? Then you must be ready to face the consequences! I don't have a smaller blade than this."

Hawkeye wore a haughty, lecherous expression as he slowly drew the small knife hanging at his chest.

"You think so little of me? Damn you!" Zoro was furious at the way Hawkeye humiliated him.

"You're only worth this much, you weak and ignorant East Blue man!"

Without another word, Zoro charged in with "Tiger Hunt."

But Hawkeye easily blocked it with his small knife.

"Three-Sword Style: Three Thousand Worlds!"

Zoro's strongest Three-Sword Style technique was useless, too. Hawkeye even shattered two of his ordinary swords.

Zoro's pupils trembled as he stood frozen in place. He slowly closed his eyes, his face full of unwillingness.

"I've lost!" Zoro turned around, spread his arms, and faced Hawkeye head-on.

"Come on, then. A swordsman doesn't let his back be wounded!"

Hawkeye began to take Zoro a little more seriously. "Tell me what you're fighting for!"

"I promised someone that I'd carry on her efforts and become the World's Greatest Swordsman!" Zoro shouted.

"Good. I look forward to seeing how you grow. Don't die."

Hawkeye drew his Black Blade, Yoru, and leaped forward, cutting Zoro down with a single stroke.

He sheathed his sword and turned to leave, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. It seemed he found it amusing to have met a promising young swordsman.

Yosaku and Johnny shouted, "Luffy, let us go! We're going to cut down that bastard Hawkeye!"

A legendary scene between a sword god and a sword saint.

Luffy had been holding Yosaku and Johnny back. Once he let them go, he dashed over to the wounded Zoro and asked anxiously, "Zoro, are you okay?"

"Captain, I won't lose again before I become the World's Greatest Swordsman!" Zoro shouted through his tears, covering his eyes.

Luffy smiled. "I believe in you! The future Pirate King's crewmates can't be weak!"

"The Pirate King? How foolish." Hawkeye spoke indifferently.

"My name is Luffy. I'm the man who's going to become the Pirate King!" Luffy grinned.

"Hm? That hat?"

"Shanks gave it to me. I'll find powerful crewmates of my own, go to the Grand Line, and become the Pirate King. Then I'll return this hat to him!"

"He entrusted his hat to you? And lost an arm in East Blue? What a pointless waste." Hawkeye murmured.

He paid Luffy no further attention and turned to leave. He'd met two interesting people on this trip. It was time to go back.

Moya steeled himself and called out to Hawkeye. "Would you be willing to join me aboard my ship, Senior Hawkeye?"

"Not interested." Hawkeye didn't even look at Moya. It was that simple, and that direct.

"I think you might be interested in the swordsmanship theories of an exceptionally powerful master from the past. Also, one of Shanks's good friends is aboard my ship. I hope you'll meet him, Senior Hawkeye!"

Moya went straight for the bait, and Buggy.

"Oh? Swordsmanship theories, and a good friend of Shanks? I hope you're not lying to me. Lead the way!" Hawkeye said with interest.

Zoro, still injured on the ground, heard that Moya wanted to discuss the swordsmanship theories of an ancient master with Hawkeye. He fought through the pain and asked in a trembling voice,

"Captain Moya, would you let me come aboard too, so I can listen?"

"Zoro, you're badly hurt. You need to rest!" Usopp and the others said anxiously.

"I'm fine. Nothing matters more than an opportunity to get stronger!" Zoro looked at Moya earnestly.

Moya looked at Zoro, then at Hawkeye, who didn't seem to mind.

"All right. Help Zoro aboard. Luffy, I'll leave Krieg and his men to you!"

"Yeah, no problem! Take care of Zoro. I'll defeat Krieg to earn my freedom, and I'm going to get Sanji to be our cook, too!"

Luffy thumped his chest and confidently took on the task.

"Senior Hawkeye, this way, please."

Moya wore a respectful expression.

Everyone boarded the Moya Adventure Group's flagship, the Yanhuang.

Aboard the Yanhuang, Moya and Hawkeye sat opposite each other in the reception hall. Buggy, Nami, and the others stood behind Moya.

The injured Zoro sat against the wall to one side, listening intently.

"Go ahead. What is it you really want?" Hawkeye spoke first, getting straight to the point.

He knew Moya must want something from him.

Still, he was interested in hearing someone else's swordsmanship theories. As for Shanks's good friend, Hawkeye guessed he was probably just some ordinary acquaintance Shanks had met by chance.

"Heh, Senior Hawkeye, you're certainly direct!" Moya said, a little embarrassed at being found out.

"Actually, I want to learn Haki—Observation Haki and Armament Haki. I've been studying the basics of Haki lately, but I've hit a bottleneck. I was hoping you could let me experience your Haki, Senior Hawkeye." Moya's eyes burned with eagerness.

"Oh? I didn't expect someone in East Blue to know about Haki. You must have an unusual background." Hawkeye glanced at Moya and spoke coolly.

Zoro and Nami had never heard the word "Haki" before and were very curious. Buggy, meanwhile, seemed lost in his memories.

"Senior Hawkeye, I'm just an ordinary person. I only heard a few things from a friend who came back from the Grand Line and the New World."

Moya spoke half-truthfully.

"Is this Shanks's good friend?" Hawkeye asked.

"Uh, yes, that's right. It's Buggy, who was an apprentice pirate aboard the ship of the Pirate King, Roger, alongside Shanks!"

Moya smoothly shifted the focus to Buggy.

"What!!! Buggy was a crew member of the Pirate King, Roger??"

Everyone stared at Buggy in shock.

Buggy, who had lost his memories, was utterly confused. Forcing down his panic, he put on a cool, impressive front.

"So you finally found out. It's true. I was one of Captain Roger's crew back then."

But inside, he was thinking,

You bastard captain, what are you going on about? I don't know the Pirate King! I don't know Shanks either!!

Before he could finish, Nami expertly grabbed Buggy by the neck. Her eyes shone with a crazed hunger for gold and treasure.

"Where's Roger's treasure?"

As she spoke, she kept shaking Buggy's head.

"I don't know! I've never been to Laugh Tale. Shanks and I left the ship before it reached Laugh Tale!" Buggy said with difficulty as Nami pinned him down. Somehow, he'd even managed to blurt out the truth.

Buggy's luck really was worthy of a Conqueror's Haki of luck. Moya let out a breath of relief.

Hawkeye frowned as he watched the pair of clowns. "Then why doesn't he know Haki himself?"

"Uh..." Moya looked at Buggy with exasperation.

"I'm not learning Haki. It's way too much trouble! I'm a Devil Fruit User!" Buggy yelled.

Moya's training had been too brutal these past few days.

"Actually, Buggy's been too busy searching for treasure and neglected his Haki training," Moya explained weakly.

"To think a crew member of the Pirate King, Roger, would be holed up here in East Blue, the weakest sea. What a disappointment." Hawkeye spoke with a hint of contempt.

"What did you say? Don't you dare insult Captain Roger!"

Buggy stopped and spoke seriously, continuing to pretend to be tough.

The atmosphere immediately grew tense.

"Senior Hawkeye, you should know how East Blue got its reputation as the weakest sea, shouldn't you?" Moya cut in, forcing a change of subject as he challenged Hawkeye.

Hawkeye's eyes narrowed, as though he'd pictured the towering figure laughing on the Execution Platform.