Why Did You Come Back?

Junichi burst out laughing but did not refute him.

His talent was not actually that strong; he relied entirely on cheats. But there was no need to explain that.

He would never tell anyone about the cheats.

"Let's go back and eat, Mr. Mihawk," Junichi said, changing the subject.

Hawk-Eye took several deep breaths before calming down and replying, "All right."

"Oh, right. I'm going to the blacksmith's first to have some weights made," Junichi added. "Mr. Mihawk, go back and eat first. You don't need to wait for me."

His physical condition had improved greatly during this period.

He could begin training with weights now.

"Mm." Hawk-Eye nodded.

Shakky's Rip-off Bar.

"I'm starving!"

Hancock sprawled across the table and said weakly, "Why isn't Junichi back yet?"

She had trained all morning, and her stomach had long been empty.

But lunchtime had arrived, and Junichi was still nowhere to be seen.

"Let's stop waiting and start eating," Rayleigh said after thinking it over.

"Why?" Hancock looked puzzled. She was merely complaining; she had not truly intended not to wait for Junichi.

Rayleigh smiled. "Hancock, you can feel the urgency in his heart too, can't you?"

"Uh, why bring that up all of a sudden?" Hancock was even more confused.

Of course she could tell.

It was just that Junichi had not said anything, so neither she nor the others had presumptuously asked.

"Because he's so desperate, he's hit a wall now. There's a good chance he won't give up easily," Rayleigh said slowly. "He might not come back at all. He may train himself madly until he's completely exhausted before he gives up."

"I see..." Hancock froze for a moment, her expression turning complicated.

Mr. Rayleigh had a point.

But if that was the case...

Wouldn't that mean she would not get to see Junichi?

Hancock immediately became depressed.

"All right, we won't wait for them," Shakuyaku said as well.

"Okay," Hancock replied listlessly.

Just as they were about to start eating—

Jingle!

The tavern door was pushed open.

But it was Dracule Mihawk who entered, with no sign of Junichi.

"Just as expected..."

Rayleigh and Shakuyaku did not look surprised.

Junichi really had gone mad with training and did not plan to return for lunch.

Hancock looked even more dejected.

"?"

Hawk-Eye was somewhat puzzled. The atmosphere felt strange somehow.

The way Rayleigh and Shakuyaku looked at him seemed to carry some deeper meaning.

Hawk-Eye did not think too much about it. He relayed Junichi's words, saying, "Junichi told us to eat first. He'll be here soon."

He'll be here soon?

Rayleigh and Shakuyaku found it somewhat amusing.

Who would believe that kind of brush-off?

Once he started training, he would definitely lose track of time. By the time he came to his senses, it would already be evening.

They had experienced that state before.

"Then we won't wait for him." Rayleigh shrugged. "Sit down, Mihawk."

"All right."

Although Hawk-Eye found it strange, he still sat down.

The four of them were ready to eat.

"Don't touch these. Leave them for Junichi." Shakuyaku set aside one-sixth of the food. "When we're done, we'll bring it over to him."

"I'll deliver it!" Hancock immediately raised her hand.

"The hell you will. Don't forget you have to train too!" Shakuyaku rejected the suggestion outright.

Hancock pouted, looking thoroughly unwilling. "Got it."

Only Hawk-Eye was utterly confused.

Why did they need to bring it to him?

Hadn't he just said that Junichi would be here soon?

Had he relayed the message wrong?

He was just about to say something.

"Eh?"

Rayleigh and Shakuyaku both paused.

Jingle!

The tavern door opened again, and Junichi, who had ordered his weights, walked in.

"I'm back."

He smiled and greeted Rayleigh and the others.

"Why did you come back?" Rayleigh, Shakuyaku, and Hancock responded with astonished expressions.

Junichi blinked, then asked in confusion, "I can't come back?"

"Yeah, why are you all so surprised?" Hawk-Eye looked equally puzzled.

Rayleigh and the other two were a mess.

Something was wrong.

Wasn't Junichi supposed to be immersed in training, skipping lunch entirely?

Why had he suddenly come back?

With how desperately he wanted to become a Great Swordsman, he could actually put aside his training and leisurely return for lunch?

"Aren't you training Flying Slash?" Rayleigh could not help asking.

"Yeah."

Junichi nodded and said brightly, "I succeeded, didn't I? It took a little time, but luckily I didn't miss lunch."

"Huh?" ×3

Rayleigh and the other two were stunned, their mouths hanging open.

They immediately turned to Hawk-Eye.

"Mihawk, is that true?"

"Didn't you say it would take three years?"

"Yeah, Mr. Mihawk, you sounded so certain last night!"

Hawk-Eye fell silent, looking slightly awkward.

Yesterday, he had confidently declared that Junichi would need at least three years to find the opportunity to break through to the realm of a Great Swordsman.

Yet the very next day, Junichi had become a Great Swordsman.

That slap to the face had come far too quickly.

"Ahem. Under normal circumstances, it really would take at least three years of travel to sense that opportunity," Hawk-Eye said with a cough.

He did his best to salvage his dignity. "Even if you asked another Great Swordsman, their judgment would definitely be the same as mine."

"So it isn't that my judgment was wrong."

"It's that Junichi's talent is so monstrous that it defies common sense."

"He actually used just one day to cross the accumulation that takes others three years and become a Great Swordsman!"

After hearing that, Rayleigh and the other two stared in disbelief.

It was actually true!

Junichi had truly comprehended Flying Slash and become a Great Swordsman!

"You're all way too surprised." Junichi walked over and sat down, looking somewhat helpless as he laughed. "Haven't I shown my talent plenty of times already?"

"Armament Haki, Observation Haki, Cutting Steel..."

"What has ever stopped me?"

As he spoke, he picked up a table knife.

He casually made a motion with it.

Swish!

A slender slash wave shot through the air and smoothly cut through the marrow bone in front of him.

The marrow within was exposed.

A rich fragrance wafted out.

Hawk-Eye's pupils contracted slightly at the sight.

What astonishing control!

He had casually unleashed Flying Slash with a small knife!

That was something he could not do.

When Hawk-Eye used Flying Slash, he had to get serious and muster all his strength.

"Your Flying Slash..."

Surprise flashed through Rayleigh's eyes as well. "You're already that proficient with it?"

He was also a Great Swordsman and understood Flying Slash.

Of course, to him, a sword was merely a weapon to use.

Still, that did not stop Rayleigh from knowing that Flying Slash was not something one could unleash casually.

It was power born from the fusion of a Great Swordsman's heart, intent, spirit, strength, and technique—power that could only be unleashed by going all out.

Yet in Junichi's hands, it was as effortless as spreading his fingers.

"It's all right."

Junichi looked unconcerned as he said casually, "Once you understand the technique behind Flying Slash, it becomes simple."

"After getting a little familiar with it, you can use it whenever you want."

"It's not hard."

Rayleigh and Hawk-Eye both fell silent after hearing that.

The two exchanged a glance and slowly nodded.

That confirmed it.

The problem was not with them.

No normal Great Swordsman had ever found Flying Slash easy to use. It was power that required serious effort.

Only a monster like Junichi found it easy.

"All right, all right, let's eat," Shakuyaku interjected. "Otherwise, the food will get cold."

"Right, right, let's eat." Rayleigh readily went along with it.

Hawk-Eye silently picked up his table knife as well.

The two tacitly decided not to look too deeply into how Junichi had managed it, lest they suffer a mental blow.