"Pop—"
Feeling something was off, the bubble of snot burst, and Buggy's eyes shot open. He sat up abruptly.
He was already back at the base. The place was quiet—no one else around except for one of his crewmates waiting outside the door.
"Captain Buggy, you're awake!!!"
"Where's Orin?!"
Buggy couldn't be bothered to waste time with small talk and immediately questioned the man.
These past few days, he'd been together with Orin constantly—partying, drinking, even blowing up Sea Kings with Buggy Bombs from time to time. It almost felt like being a kid again.
"Uh… Orin-sama already left."
"What?!!!"
Buggy's jaw dropped, fury flashing across his face. He grabbed the crewmate by the collar and roared,
"You bastard!!! Something that important, and you didn't wake me up?!!!"
The poor crewmate trembled under Buggy's furious spray of spit, too scared to even respond.
But deep down, he was just as frustrated!
When Orin-sama left, they had tried to wake the captain—but with just one glance from Orin, all of them froze in place, unable to move or speak.
In the end, Orin simply took a barrel of "Perfect Orange Juice" and left one message for Buggy before riding away on a giant bird.
"Captain Buggy… Orin-sama told me to pass on a message."
Even while facing Buggy's wrath, the crewmate forced himself to speak.
"What?! Say it already!!!"
Buggy blinked in confusion.
"Orin-sama said:
'We'll meet again on the Grand Line. When that time comes, don't you dare go back on your word!'"
Hearing that, Buggy released his grip and took a few steps back, dazed and bewildered.
"Go back on my word? I… I said something like that before???"
At that moment, the other crewmates suddenly popped out from all directions, staring at Buggy with eyes full of admiration.
Some were even crying tears of emotion.
"Captain Buggy!!!"
"Did you forget? During one of the banquets, you told Orin-sama that you…"
"You would definitely become the Pirate King one day!!!"
"What?!!!"
Buggy froze, his entire expression shattering into disbelief. His inner soul turned to stone, cracking apart under the sheer absurdity.
Him? Become Pirate King?
Compete against those world-shattering monsters?!
He'd be lucky not to die from the aftermath of their fights!
"Yeah!!! Even Orin-sama acknowledged it!!!"
"Someone who once dominated an entire era—he actually believes in you, Captain Buggy!!!"
"Pirate King!! Pirate King!!! Pirate King!!!"
The crew erupted into cheers, chanting his new title over and over.
None of them noticed that behind Buggy's forced grin, faint tears shimmered at the corners of his eyes…
...
"Ahahahaha! So this is the sea restaurant?!!!"
After punching a hole straight through the Baratie with his body, Luffy was dragged into the kitchen by the furious chefs. After being scolded and threatened, he ended up doing chores.
There, they met Sanji—the chef who opened the Baratie alongside Zeff.
Everyone bickered, laughed, and made a mess—completely unaware that a massive pirate ship was sailing toward them.
"You've got to be kidding me!!! My grand fleet!!!"
Covered in wounds, bleeding and beaten, Don Krieg stood on his ship in disbelief, watching his terrified subordinates.
Then, in the next instant—
Whoosh!
A sharp, swift slicing sound filled the air. Incredibly, the massive ship split neatly in two.
The deck collapsed, pirates screamed as they tumbled into the sea, and only a handful managed to cling to debris. Their eyes darted around wildly.
Suddenly, someone shouted.
"Look over there!!!"
"It's him!!!"
Everyone turned in terror toward the small boat floating in the distance—
"Boss! That's him! That's the guy who destroyed our entire fleet!!!"
The cry drew everyone's attention, including the Straw Hats standing on the Baratie's outer deck.
They all looked toward the horizon—but none more intently than Zoro, whose face was dripping with sweat and tension.
"T-That man…"
Gulp…
Everyone was trembling in fear.
Even Don Krieg, once called the strongest pirate in the East Blue, didn't dare make a sound.
Only Luffy stood there, confused, looking from side to side.
"Who's that guy?"
He didn't even notice the strange look in Zoro's eyes.
"That's 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk—the world's strongest swordsman."
Even Zeff, who had once sailed the Grand Line, folded his arms and muttered gravely,
"The Great Swordsman, 'Hawk Eyes'… the man who stands at the very peak of all swordmasters in the world!!!"
On the small plank boat sat Mihawk himself, legs crossed, eyes gleaming like a predator in the sky.
"Why did you destroy our fleet, bastard?!"
One of the surviving pirates shouted from a shattered ship.
But the cold-eyed hawk didn't care.
"I was merely… passing the time."
He had been searching for a certain man—and happened to stumble upon their fleet.
"Look! Someone's sailing through the Grand Line… on a wooden plank… and using his sword as an oar! Hahahahaha!!!"
He tilted his head, drew his blade without hesitation—
And from that moment, he'd been chasing them all the way from the Grand Line to the East Blue.
He hadn't ended it right away, simply because he was bored and wanted to pass the time.
But then Zoro stepped forward.
If he could defeat "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk, he'd surpass Kuina—and fulfill his promise with Orin!
Even if anyone could see the overwhelming difference between them, he still drew his swords.
"Was it with that black blade that you sliced the ship apart?"
"That's right."
Zoro's face dripped with sweat, yet a fierce grin spread across it.
"I see… So that's the strength of a swordsman equal to that man."
"I set out to sea for one reason—because of you!!!"
Mihawk's eyes sharpened with intrigue.
"Oh? And why is that?"
Zoro tied his bandana, his gaze fierce, unsheathing all three blades from his waist.
"To become the strongest!!!"
"And to fulfill a promise with the one who taught me swordsmanship!!!"
At those words, Mihawk finally looked at him seriously.
But when his eyes fell upon the sword clenched in Zoro's mouth, he paused.
His sharp gaze narrowed slightly, filled with pressure that could slice through the air itself—
"The black blade… Where did you get it?!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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