"This is all a misunderstanding! I think we can sit down and talk this through, Mr. Mihawk."
With danger looming, Loa's mind raced as he tried to placate Hawkeye, whose hand had already settled on the hilt of his Black Blade.
"Look, this island is so deserted that years could pass without anyone setting foot here, yet you and I happened to meet! Isn't that fate?"
"As the saying goes, fate can bring people together from a thousand miles apart, while without it, they can pass each other without ever meeting. So why don't we sit down, have a drink, and talk about life?"
As Loa spoke, cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
Damn it! He had only wanted to ask Hawkeye who his teacher was. He had never expected to get so worked up that he froze the man's boat in place!
To a powerhouse of Mihawk's caliber, that was an unmistakable challenge!
If he couldn't convince Hawkeye it was a misunderstanding, the man would absolutely draw his blade and slash him! How many people in this world would willingly take a blow from Hawkeye head-on?
Loa's clumsy attempt to smooth things over was laughable, but it did establish one thing for Hawkeye: Loa wasn't challenging him.
After all, who issued a challenge and then turned into a sniveling coward less than a second later?
Combined with what Red-Hair had told him about Loa, he was certain the man acted like an overexcited husky: impulsive, unpredictable, and quicker to move than to think.
Besides...
Just as Haisoken and Dalmatian had been wary of Mihawk's status as a Shichibukai, Hawkeye was wary of Loa's status as a Marine. So when Loa backed down, Mihawk slowly released the hilt of his Black Blade. "There's no need to talk. I know what