You're Koby?

Xia Le shook his head, then turned around. "I'll leave things here to you. I still have to wait for Teacher Garp."

As soon as he finished speaking, his body became a bolt of lightning and vanished into the distance.

Kuzan stood there, surveyed the wreckage before him, and sighed.

"Should I call you lucky or unlucky?"

Time slipped by, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

On a nameless island in the New World.

Cold flames swayed from side to side, burning quietly. With the world's strongest blade, the Black Blade Yoru, on his back, a man sat with his legs crossed, his sharp eyes fixed on the island ahead.

The bandages wrapped around his chest were clearly visible. Even after more than ten days, the wound still throbbed faintly.

The Coffin Boat reached shore.

Mihawk leaped off and headed inland.

A short while later, he heard boisterous laughter. Smoke curled upward as a group of people gathered around a fire, gulping down drinks.

Suddenly, the crowd ahead fell silent. Eyes turned toward him, fixing on his figure.

Seated in the center, the one-armed, red-haired man spoke coolly, his gaze cold.

"I don't have time for you right now, Mihawk!"

Mihawk's expression remained unchanged as he replied just as coolly, "I have no interest in crossing blades with you now that you've lost an arm, either."

Shanks froze, then burst out laughing. "You're not here to fight?"

"Then come on over! We're having a banquet!"

A moment later, Mihawk was pulled over and seated beside Shanks. The crowd's silence gave way to lively chatter.

"I'm not here for your boring banquet, either!"

Mihawk accepted a drink and spoke in a low voice, his eyes grave.

"Then what brings you here?"

Red-Haired Shanks looked startled. Then