With a smile playing on his lips, Mihawk glanced deeply into the entrance of the Baratie before leaping onto his small boat and leaving. He had only followed the Krieg Pirates to the East Blue out of boredom, and now that he had found a more interesting pirate crew, there was no need to keep chasing after Don Krieg.
Has he spotted us?
"With such murderous intent, how could you not be detected? My illusion isn't omnipotent; even a powerhouse of his level can detect it."
"What? Are you jealous? Should we go after him?"
"Wait a minute, there's more to the show."
"You're worried something might happen to that orange-haired beauty, aren't you!"
What? Are you jealous?
"Snort!"
Dracule Mihawk is gone, Zoro is seriously injured and unable to fight, but he has fully regained consciousness thanks to Usopp's treatment, and then made a heartfelt confession to Luffy.
The gist of it is that I'm sorry for making you worry this time, but I won't lose again, at least not until I defeat Mihawk. So, do you agree? The future Pirate King? Luffy naturally has no objection, and the bond between the two has deepened.
"Men! The battle was interrupted, but the real fight is just beginning! Capture that ship!"
With no worries about his future, Don Krieg bared his fangs again; he now looked down on everyone.
Although Straw Hat Boy had just displayed the power of Devil Fruit, he didn't take such a weak ability seriously. He already had a plan in place, and then Don Krieg waved his sleeve, ordering the entire pirate crew to attack the Baratie.
"Uncle! If I chase them away, will I not have to do odd jobs anymore?"
"Whatever!"
When the Krieg Pirates charged in, our kind-hearted and clever Luffy came up with a brilliant idea that saved him from having to work odd jobs at the restaurant: help Zeff drive Don Krieg's crew away.
Zeff has already accepted Luffy's crew based on previous events and is very satisfied with Luffy's character. He has decided to let Sanji join the crew, which is a crew that even the Shichibukai Dracule Mihawk approves of.
If they truly want to find All Blue and fulfill their own and Sanji's dreams, perhaps only this pirate crew in the East Blue can do it. In the end, watching the Straw Hat Boy ' battle should decide the outcome.
Even without Nami's departure, the Baratie's fighting force is still sufficient. Luffy fights against Don Krieg, the strongest pirate in the East Blue, while Gin faces his benefactor Sanji, and Pearl carries two iron shells as a turtle, is Nami's opponent.
The other henchmen were dealt with by Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku, and the muscular cooks, while the restaurant owner, Zeff, stood on high ground, overseeing the entire operation.
Unbeknownst to everyone, one table of customers who had been eating in the restaurant earlier had not fled; they were the ones truly observing the battle from the sidelines.
Don Krieg has temporarily gained the upper hand over Luffy with his various weapons, Luffy has been unable to get close to Don Krieg, with each strong attack being deflected by special bullets.
The battle between Sanji and Gin was evenly matched. This time, without Gin's sneak attack, Sanji did not suffer any internal injuries and fought Gin to a standstill. It seems that one can only unleash their strongest fighting power when fighting their benefactor.
Because Pearl was covered in shields, he was as difficult to attack as a turtle. Nami was also helpless against him, as her stick always hit the shields without causing any damage. On the other hand, Usopp's duo and the chef's team gained the upper hand by taking advantage of the terrain.
You think they're a good fit?
"Never underestimate anyone. They may be weak now, but people grow. You must learn to look beyond the present and see the future!"
My Observation Haki isn't good enough to see the future.
"I didn't mention Observation Haki. Didn't Hawk-Eye see their future? Otherwise, why would he be so concerned?"
Are you saying I have no taste?
No! I've noticed you're talking a lot today, it's unlike you.
"Hehe!"
"..."
Luffy's perseverance and unwavering will despite his injuries finally brought him close to Don Krieg, and the two began a close-quarters battle. However, Don Krieg produced a new weapon, the Mighty Battle Spear, which caused a massive explosion wherever the tip of the gun struck.
Luffy suffered a setback when he first encountered the Mighty Battle Spear, but after a few times he learned his lesson, and his super high battle IQ quickly led Luffy to find a way to defeat the Mighty Battle Spear.
This allowed Zeff, who had been watching Luffy closely, to see the rare qualities in Luffy: fearlessness in the face of failure, perseverance, courage, unwavering will, and exceptional combat talent—all essential qualities for becoming a strong person!
With a captain like that and the swordsman who's lying down, this pirate crew is bound to be extraordinary in the future. He's already made up his mind to get Sanji on board.
Nami has been unable to do anything about Pearl, and she is very anxious. Although she has become much stronger over the years, without external pressure and often sneaking out to practice her thieving skills, it's unrealistic to say that she is very strong!
The events of this period have been too frequent, with one fight after another, and Nami is either fighting or on her way to a fight, so she hasn't been able to adjust her mindset yet.
Having witnessed the battles between Hawk-Eye and Zoro, Luffy and Don Krieg today, she realized her own level and finally changed her mindset. She is now a pirate, and she will go to the Grand Line in the future!
Are the enemies in the East Blue already this strong? How strong must the enemies in the Grand Line be? There must be many Devil Fruit User like Luffy there! The enemies in the future will only get stronger, so she can't afford to be complacent anymore. She needs to become stronger too, only then can she live to see Vic again!
However, since they were currently in the middle of a battle, and she didn't have the fighting talent to grow stronger while fighting, the two could only remain locked in a stalemate, and she was now somewhat exhausted!
"She seems to be barely holding on, are you really not going to help?"
"I don't need to lift a finger; I've already seen the future."
So, you still care a lot!
What's wrong with you today?
"Hehe!"
"..."
Nami was indeed exhausted. Not only Vic and Kuina noticed, but Zeff, who had a comprehensive view of the situation, also saw it. However, Vic didn't see him make the move, but rather Zoro lying on the sidelines watching the battle.
Zoro noticed this as well, and ignoring his own wounds, he used Lion Song to cleave all of Pearl's shields in two! The price he paid was that his newly treated and bandaged wounds burst open, and blood gushed out through the bandages, staining the bandages and his coat red.