Mihawk heard Kenji's teasing, but he didn't react. It wasn't that he didn't want to react, he truly couldn't.
Patrick, far away on the opposite side, hadn't released his Conqueror's Haki, yet his mere aura completely awed Mihawk.
At this moment, this budding swordsman was still too far from the world's peak. Clearly, Mihawk himself realized this, his eyes showing not only awe but also shock.
"Hahaha! This is the adults' battlefield, little kids should stay far away." Having teased little Mihawk enough, Kenji chuckled and stood back in his original position.
When he stepped forward, in Mihawk's eyes, it was as if a great mountain had suddenly appeared before him, blocking all the imposing aura that had swept over him like a fierce blizzard.
Mihawk found his limbs finally regaining sensation, then he suddenly clutched his chest, gasping for air, sweat pouring down his forehead like a rain curtain.
"Is this... the world's peak...?"
At this moment, Mihawk forced himself to suppress his violently surging emotions, and with a resolute expression, he raised his head, deeply gazing at Kenji's back before him.
Light flickered in his hawk-like sharp eyes, as if his gaze could penetrate Kenji and see Patrick in the distance.
"The world's peak... it's a bit too early for me."
"But one day..."
With determination in his eyes, Mihawk abruptly turned and walked in the direction the training camp cadets had left earlier.
Kenji didn't pay attention to when Mihawk left. He was currently carefully observing Patrick far across from him because the first glance he took earlier felt off.
Huh? Where did his blood-red coat go?
He didn't pawn his coat because he didn't have money for the fare, did he?
Kenji made a somewhat amused, casual guess.
However, the disappearance of his coat did indeed catch Kenji's attention.
Kenji's many years of Marine experience told him that 'Devils' often hide in the details.
Of course, this experience was something he summarized when he was relatively weaker.
To see the sun the next day after every mission, he, with his mediocre talent, had to do whatever he could.
If one is strong, why bother with details? Just crush them directly.
Decades of experience had already formed a certain habit.
At this moment, Kenji subconsciously looked further away, searching for Patrick's coat.
In fact, after discovering an anomaly, he instinctively wanted to find the 'answer' nearby. Whether he found it or not was not that important.
But surprisingly, Kenji did find part of the 'answer'.
"Eh? That red cloth by the sea looks familiar... Could it be a fragment of his coat?"
Kenji gazed at the sea outside the island, and with his eyesight, he could clearly see a piece of red cloth floating near the shore of the island.
The color of the red cloth was the same as Patrick's clothing.
"Why are there fragments of Patrick's coat in the sea?"
"Could it be..."
Kenji had a guess in his mind, and his brows couldn't help but furrow.
"He just had to come here and cause me big trouble..."
"That Red Count!"
Unconsciously, Kenji's fists clenched.
At the same time, a system prompt appeared.
[You have accepted Marineford's order and are determined to participate in the operation to subjugate Red Count, Patrick Redfield! However, you will not be fighting alone. Marineford's top combat power will come to participate in the battle!]
[Mission (Main): Assist Marineford's top combat power in subjugating Red Count, Patrick Redfield and survive.]
[Reward: Upgrade a random owned trait 3 times!]
"This kind of reward... hmm, an assistance mission, the difficulty isn't really that high."
Kenji scanned the mission content, knowing what 'assist in combat' meant.
It meant that providing logistics to the combat troops, or helping soldiers transport ammunition for cannons, would all be considered 'assisting in combat'.
"So, the main difficulty of this mission is... survival?"
"Indeed, in battles between top powerhouses, it's easy to get caught in the aftermath and be taken out in one wave..."
Kenji recalled some unpleasant memories.
"According to the mission requirements, as long as I assist Marineford's top combat power... wait!"
He suddenly realized a not-so-small problem and began to silently ponder.
"Sengoku, Marineford's top combat power, is currently guarding Pangaea Castle for the World Conference, so even if he rushes here immediately, it would be a bit too late."
"Garp is still tracking Roger and is nowhere to be found..."
"Could the system be counting me, an Admiral, as well?"
Kenji quickly dismissed this speculation.
"No, in the system's timeline, I'm still just a newly promoted Marineford Rear Admiral, far from meeting the standard for the Marine's top combat power."
After some careful thought, he finally concluded, "Could this damn system have a bug?"
"It feels highly probable, it awakened fifty years late before..."
The 'assist in combat' mission inexplicably turned into 'I assist myself'?
Kenji was a bit annoyed. Although even with other top combat powers of Marine helping, he would most likely still exert significant effort in the battle to get extra rewards, that would be his own active choice.
At any time, an active stance versus a passive stance leads to very different experiences.
"Huh?"
At this moment, Patrick, far across, showed a look of confusion in his eyes.
He hadn't even made a move, so what was Kenji opposite him getting angry about?
"It seems the rumors were wrong. Shirojishi's temper isn't as good as rumored."
Patrick shook his head inwardly, but then his eyes shifted, as if he thought of something, and a deep smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
The next moment, he spoke first, talking about his experiences during this period.
"Long time no see, Admiral Shirojishi!"
"A few days ago, I heard you came to East Blue, so I followed you all the way."
"I just stayed a few extra days when passing through Reverse Mountain... otherwise, I would have met you in Loguetown."
Upon hearing this, Kenji felt quite helpless and said, "Why are you looking for me for no reason? Can't wait to go to Impel Down for advanced studies?"
However, thinking of Reverse Mountain, his heart suddenly stirred, and he said thoughtfully, "You stayed so long at Reverse Mountain. You must have wanted to commemorate something, right?"
"But that person now..."
Far across, Patrick's pupils imperceptibly dilated slightly, and he focused intently, listening carefully.
However, at this moment, Kenji stopped speaking and shifted the topic to the current situation, "Coming all this way to find me, you probably want to fight me, right?"
"But as you are now, you probably don't stand a chance."