Dracule Mihawk boarded the ship with Yoriichi Tsugikuni and the others, but not as a new Marine recruit.
Although Yoriichi called him a "prison laborer," once Mihawk stepped aboard, he wasn't assigned any menial tasks. He wasn't shackled like a criminal, nor were his movements restricted.
In fact, Mihawk was treated more like a civilian guest visiting the ship. He was even freer than many of the enlisted Marines.
After returning to the ship, Yoriichi privately asked one of Garp's intelligence officers to look into Mihawk's background. His reasoning was simple: if Mihawk really had become a "Marine Hunter," then his prison sentence needed to be formalized.
But the results surprised Yoriichi.
The young Mihawk was, in fact, a bounty hunter.
Or rather, the Marine records listed multiple incidents where Mihawk had exchanged the heads of wanted criminals for bounties.
Beyond that, there was little else about him in Marine files. At barely twenty years old, Mihawk had yet to make a name for himself in this world.
No one knew yet why he would later be labeled a "Marine Hunter" or how he would eventually form an unlikely bond with the future Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks. But to Yoriichi, those mysteries no longer mattered.
Because now that Mihawk had been brought into the Navy, regardless of how he boarded the ship, his future held only one identity:
A Marine.
Yoriichi had already made that decision silently.
Not long after their return to the ship, two familiar figures appeared at the harbor.
The head of Isshin Dojo, Shimotsuki Kōshirō, arrived at the dock with his father, Shimotsuki Kozaburō, carrying a small travel pack.
When they reached the dock, Yoriichi was seated at the bow, meditating. Kyros was the first to notice their arrival and waved to them from the deck.
On the shore, the two Shimotsukis spotted the dog-headed warship and Kyros waving to them.
Kozaburō glanced at Kyros before turning to his son with a heavy tone, full of guilt:
"Kōshirō… this might be hard for you."
"That Marine, he clearly knows a great deal about Wano. And I suspect he already knows our Shimotsuki bloodline originates from there."
"Wano holds secrets powerful enough to shake the world. I don't know how much he knows about our family, but we can't afford to gamble, Kōshirō."
"For the sake of everyone who wishes to live peacefully here…"
Before Kozaburō could finish, Kōshirō gently interrupted:
"Father, you don't have to say more. I understand."
"I may not know their exact intentions… but they haven't shown any hostility, right?"
"And it's just an invitation to join the Marines. Truth be told, I've always wanted to see more of this vast ocean."
"One day, I'd like to return to Wano too."
"Take care of yourself while I'm gone, Father."
With that, Kōshirō bid his father farewell. After a long exchange of words, he strapped the pack onto his back, adjusted the long sword at his waist, and stepped toward the warship.
Kyros had already called for the ladder to be lowered. When Kōshirō stepped onto the deck, Kyros greeted him with a warm smile.
"Welcome aboard, Shimotsuki Kōshirō!"
"Thank you." Kōshirō adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and nodded with a calm smile.
Under Kyros's guidance, he proceeded toward the bow to meet Yoriichi.
Yoriichi was clearly pleased to see Kōshirō join.
Unlike Mihawk, Kōshirō was formally registered, given a Marine uniform, and officially became part of the Navy.
Under the quartermaster's orders, Mihawk and Kōshirō were assigned a two-person cabin.
Yoriichi had ensured both received special treatment, particularly Mihawk, who, despite being labeled a "prison laborer," was being treated humanely.
After changing into his new uniform, Kōshirō returned to the deck.
Yoriichi had finished his meditation by then and was sparring with Mihawk, using bamboo swords.
With the warship docked and waiting for Garp's return, there weren't many duties left. The Marines on board spent their time either playing cards, training below deck, or catching up on rest.
Except for the guards on rotation, the rest were quite free.
Especially Yoriichi and his group, who weren't even part of the ship's original roster.
Mihawk, being a battle maniac, didn't wallow in defeat. Now that he had a clear goal, he threw himself straight into training.
With Yoriichi present, Mihawk lacked no worthy opponent.
And Yoriichi welcomed the challenge. Though Mihawk wasn't yet on his level, he was more than adequate as a sparring partner.
Before Mihawk came aboard, Yoriichi had been frustrated with the lack of suitable partners. Issho was a Devil Fruit user, not ideal for pure sword training. But Mihawk, a true swordsman, was perfect.
Clack! Clack!
The sound of bamboo blades clashing echoed across the deck as the two dueled in flashes of motion.
Yoriichi, out of respect for training, didn't use his Breath of the Sun or Selfless State. He held back his Haki to a reasonable level, fighting Mihawk with matched speed and power.
Their exchanges focused purely on swordsmanship.
Yet even in this domain, Mihawk found himself at a constant disadvantage.
In Yoriichi's Transparent World, every move Mihawk made was exposed.
During their bouts, Mihawk felt completely naked, no matter what he tried, his opponent could read him perfectly.
Thwack!
Yoriichi parried a thrust and struck Mihawk's wrist. Mihawk's grip loosened and his bamboo sword fell.
Yoriichi stopped, calmly nudged the sword back toward him with his blade.
Without a word, Mihawk picked it up and lunged again.
Kōshirō, now on deck, walked over to Issho and Kyros, watching with intrigue.
"May I ask… what's going on here?" he said, glancing at the duel. "That young man sparring with Vice Admiral Tsugikuni, he seems very strong."
Mihawk's shirt was already torn in several places, revealing red welts from repeated strikes.
Yet he charged in again, grinning like a madman, completely unbothered by the pain.
Kōshirō could sense his overwhelming battle spirit, and couldn't help but feel curious.
"That's Dracule Mihawk," Issho replied with a smile. "His goal is to become the world's greatest swordsman."
"Right now, Vice Admiral Tsugikuni is helping him grow."
Just as Issho finished speaking, Yoriichi landed another heavy strike. This time, he used a touch more Haki.
Mihawk was blown clean off the deck.
Splash!
A fountain of seawater rose from where he hit the sea.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry!" Yoriichi called out, sheepishly scratching his head. "I got a little carried away."
He ran to the railing, peering over before shouting back:
"Kyros! Mind fishing him out for me?"
"If he swallowed water, he might actually drown."
Yoriichi smiled awkwardly, and Kyros shook his head with a sigh. "As you can see," he said to Kōshirō, "they're just 'sparring.'"
Kyros dove into the sea.
"Sparring…?"
"This is practically abuse…"
Kōshirō didn't say it aloud, but the thought echoed in his heart.
Still, when he looked at Yoriichi again, he couldn't help but feel a newfound sense of respect, and just a hint of fear.
If I can help it… I'd really rather not spar with this man.
Yoriichi noticed Kōshirō's stare and gave him a friendly smile.
But to Kōshirō, it felt more like the grin of a tiger sizing up prey. He quickly looked away and stared at the ocean.
He really didn't want to be "invited" to spar.
Soon, Kyros returned to the deck, dragging Mihawk back on board.
Yoriichi's strike had been pretty strong, Mihawk had, in fact, choked on seawater. Now coughing violently, he keeled over and spat out mouthfuls of water.
"You okay, Mihawk? Sorry about that!" Yoriichi crouched beside him, gently patting his back.
But the more he patted, the harder Mihawk coughed.
Yoriichi paused, scratching his cheek as he noticed Mihawk's death glare.
"Let's call training done for today. Your clothes are shredded, go change."
"No prison uniform on board, so feel free to wear a Marine uniform."
"I don't mind."
He patted Mihawk's shoulder, then stood up smiling. He signaled Kyros with a glance, and Kyros helped Mihawk back below deck.
Mihawk now somewhat understood what Yoriichi was trying to do.
But he didn't resist.
Becoming a Marine didn't matter to him. What mattered was growing stronger, defeating Yoriichi, and one day, surpassing even greater swordsmen to become the best in the world.
Strength. That was all Mihawk pursued.
Everything else? Let it be.
After the two left, Yoriichi sheathed his bamboo sword and walked to the front of the ship, leaning against the railing.
The setting sun cast golden light across the sea. Gulls soared through the glowing horizon. The breeze, cool and salty, carried away the sweat clinging to his skin. Yoriichi closed his eyes in contentment.
"It's getting chilly," came Issho's voice, as he draped the Justice cloak across Yoriichi's shoulders.
"Thanks, Issho."
Yoriichi smiled without turning around, still gazing at the sea.
Issho remained silently behind him.
Kōshirō joined them, glancing at Yoriichi from the side. The serene young Vice Admiral before him was hard to reconcile with the terrifying force who had just "beaten" Mihawk moments ago.
"Welcome to the Marines, Kōshirō," Yoriichi suddenly said.
Before Kōshirō could respond, Yoriichi turned slightly and extended his hand.
"I invited you because I see potential in you, nothing more."
"And I don't believe someone like you should remain stuck in that quiet town."
"This world is vast, Kōshirō. Come see it with me."
"Of course, if you've changed your mind, I won't stop you. And… sorry, for what I said at the dojo that day."
After sparring with Mihawk, Yoriichi had calmed down. Now, he reflected: maybe forcing Kōshirō to join the Navy had been a mistake.
He didn't want people to join under pressure. People like that rarely became the seeds of change.
Yoriichi took building his own division seriously, and he wanted it done right.
Mihawk was different. He was pure. Moldable.
"Changed my mind?"
"Vice Admiral Tsugikuni, you must be joking."
"I joined the Navy willingly. One day, I do hope to return to Wano."
"But I won't spend my life guarding that little village like my father did."
"I long for the ocean too."
Now that things had been said openly, Kōshirō smiled and shared his true feelings. His glasses reflected Yoriichi's warm face. The unease in his heart finally disappeared.
"Welcome, Kōshirō."
"This time, I truly mean it, welcome to the Marines."
Kōshirō grasped Yoriichi's hand. Sensing his sincerity, Yoriichi's smile widened even more.
As they spoke, Mihawk returned to the deck with Kyros, now wearing a white Marine shirt and black fitted trousers.
When Yoriichi saw him, his hand instinctively rubbed his temples.
Why does this guy always leave his buttons undone? Is he afraid of overheating?!
Once they reached him, Yoriichi introduced Mihawk and Kōshirō to each other.
The sun set low over the horizon. Golden rays bathed the deck.
The three young men, newly acquainted, stood together by the railing, chatting and watching the sea.
By the time Vice Admiral Garp returned from visiting his son, night had already fallen.
He was greeted by none other than Yoriichi and the others.
As Garp stepped onto the deck, he immediately noticed two unfamiliar faces behind Yoriichi.
Suspicious, he activated Kenbunshoku Haki to probe their auras.
His expression immediately shifted.
Scratching his head, he finally asked:
"Yoriichi, where the hell did you dig up these two gems?"
Yoriichi chuckled.
"I didn't dig them up."
"Fate brings like-minded people together."
Garp snorted through his nose and grumbled,
"Brat… always acting like some damn philosopher."
"Let's go. We're heading back to Water 7. Your ship's blueprints should be ready by now."
"Let's see what kind of crazy thing Tom has built this time."
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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