"Are you sure it's okay? Leaving her alone on that island."
The evening breeze rustled the hem of Mihawk's white shirt as it fluttered gently in the wind.
The coastline was getting farther and farther away, and now he could only barely make out a tiny black dot on the shore waving with all her might.
"You seem awfully concerned about that little brat."
Orin munched on potato chips, watching Mihawk's back as he faced the shore, teasing him a little.
"…"
Mihawk said nothing. He simply carried his sword and walked toward the stern of the ship.
Orin's voice called out from behind him.
"I left her a Vivre Card, and I already swept the area with Observation Haki. There aren't any gangsters or scumbags in that town. Besides, you should trust her survival instincts, Little Hawk."
Mihawk didn't respond. But after Orin finished speaking, his slow steps suddenly sped up.
Still so stubborn, huh… Mihawk.
Orin chuckled softly.
Life aboard the Oro Jackson didn't change much with Robin's arrival—or her departure.
After finishing his meal at the dining table, Orin slumped back in his chair, rubbing his stomach.
At that moment, as if suddenly remembering something, he pulled out a small notebook and glanced at it.
"Right, Little Hawk—don't throw away the Log Pose from Ohara like it's garbage. It's still useful."
At this, Mihawk furrowed his brows, a little confused.
He hadn't actually thrown it away yet, but Ohara was already destroyed. What was the point of keeping the Log Pose to a dead island?
Orin propped his legs up on the table—now spotless after dinner.
"Gonna spend a few months back home, then head to Ohara again. A few very interesting people will show up there~"
"I've already contacted Sammi and told her to station her people on Ohara. Getting two of the people I've been looking for in one place? That's not easy."
Mihawk listened carefully. He didn't ask why or who those people were.
After all, this was a man he acknowledged. If it was a place Orin wanted to go to, even if it were Mary Geoise—not just Ohara—Mihawk would be willing to charge in with him.
"Things like that—you decide. But I'm more interested in whether there's a swordsman in the New World stronger than you."
Mihawk's sharp eyes stared at Orin.
He had long heard rumors about the New World, but before coming of age, he had wandered only the Paradise and the Four Blues.
Before witnessing Orin's strength firsthand, he'd once believed he had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
But after meeting Orin, he realized— this world was far broader than he'd ever imagined.
If there really was someone stronger than Orin… then life ahead surely wouldn't be boring.
Orin stroked his chin thoughtfully, considering Mihawk's question.
"Well… in the New World, there are definitely swordsmen who qualify as great swordmasters. But if you're asking who's stronger than me? There probably aren't many."
In his mind, if he had to name people whose swordsmanship might surpass his and who still retained their strength— maybe Rayleigh, or Saint Garlin, and that's about it.
Golden Lion? Probably done for. Got a ship's wheel stuck in his head, and his swords are tied to his legs. If his sword skills are still at 50-60% strength, that'd be generous.
As for the other monsters in the New World, most of them weren't true swordsmen.
Truth be told, at just over twenty, Mihawk—thanks to his exceptional talent in swordsmanship—was already about to break into the top tier of swordsmen.
He probably just needed to awaken Conqueror's Haki and wrap it around his blade.
Talking about the New World…
It was clear Orin had thought about this a lot—or maybe he'd already had the idea for a long time.
"Hey, Little Hawk, I've actually had an idea for quite a while now."
He rested his elbow on the table, leaned forward, and looked at Mihawk, who was sipping wine, pulling his attention back in.
"What idea?"
"That is… I want to take control of the entire underground world!"
As for the Four Emperors and such, Orin didn't seem too interested.
Dividing up the New World and ruling a chunk of land—playing warlord—that didn't suit his personality.
Fulfilling Captain Roger's will, using overwhelming strength to maintain balance in this vast ocean?
That's what Shanks was already doing~
If Orin went, it would just be more icing on the cake.
Even though he had the talent and strength, Orin didn't want to become the next Rocks of the New World.
He wanted to control the global flow of trade and finance—to become the true mastermind of the underground world.
By then, his influence might even rival that of the World Government.
He could live in wild luxury while still maintaining an air of dignity.
Orin was very pleased with this plan.
Hearing the full plan, Mihawk couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
"If you're serious about this… you might be taking on the pressure of the whole world."
It wasn't that he was afraid. He just couldn't help being surprised at Orin's outrageous ideas especially since Orin himself didn't seem to feel how absurd they were.
Orin smiled, unfazed.
"What's the big deal? You still don't trust my strength? Besides, I'm not going to build some massive army to conquer the world~"
He clenched his fist. A faint crackle of black-and-red lightning sparked around it.
"I'll just beat all the underworld bosses into submission. Then what's there to be afraid of?"
A subtle smirk crept onto this "king's" face. His eyes grew intense, a hint of crimson flickering within them.
"Either way—I don't believe anyone in this world can slip through my grasp."
On that point, Mihawk had no doubts.
Because he knew that if Orin really wanted to find someone, the chances of them escaping were basically zero.
Unless they hid on some remote island for life and never made contact with the outside world once Orin's intelligence network was up and running, enhanced by Observation Haki that spanned tens of thousands of meters, and the power of the Warp-Warp Fruit, even if someone hid at the bottom of the sea, Orin could warp straight to them and drag them out.
Mihawk had faith in Orin's strength. But he also believed in his own power.
He placed his wineglass on the table and smiled at Orin.
"Then I suppose along the way, we'll meet plenty of powerful swordsmen."
Maybe it was fate, or maybe history really does repeat itself but with just a few casual words, two powerful men made a decision that would change the course of the world's future.
Just like the last captain of the Oro Jackson once had.
Thinking back on it…
Orin figured the reason he joined the Roger Pirates back then wasn't exactly a lie.
After all, he really did have what it took to turn the world upside down.
And the best part? It didn't even conflict with Roger's final will.
The one who inherits Roger's will would sail freely and pursue his dream and what did that have to do with Orin becoming the mastermind who controlled the world?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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