"Which idiot just burst out with Conqueror's Haki? "
An angry, high-pitched voice shattered the heavy atmosphere. It rang out sharply, with an undertone of annoyance and... odd excitement.
Then, a red nose popped into view, followed by a clownish yet unmistakably familiar face.
It was Buggy the Clown.
Only, he looked utterly disheveled. Bruised, battered, with a swollen cheek—clearly just finished getting thrashed.
He swaggered out with overconfidence, as if he had no clue where he was. But the moment his eyes scanned the gathering, his cocky demeanor vanished.
Gulp.
The new admiral, Fujitora. The world's strongest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk. And then... him.
The Grim Reaper—Kaelen Tsukishiro.
Buggy's heart pounded furiously. All those fearsome figures, and they were all... staring in his direction?
He forced an awkward grin, ready to mutter some excuse—but he never got the chance.
"How dare you insult Kaelen, scum. I'll make you pay for that!"
With a flash, Boa Hancock appeared at Buggy's side. Her long legs kicked upward, the heel of her boots smashing directly into Buggy's nose. He flew back like a missile.
BOOM!
Blood sprayed mid-air, and Buggy slammed into the ship's deck, crashing through it with a wail of pain.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH—"
Screaming in agony, Buggy emerged from the wreckage, clutching his broken nose, pointing a trembling finger at Hancock, his eyes practically shooting fire.
His face was soaked in blood. It was not a good look.
"Hmph."
Hancock snorted proudly. She didn't attack again.
But the moment she looked back at Kaelen, her expression changed completely. Her cheeks flushed pink. She averted her gaze shyly, fiddling with her fingers like a bashful maiden.
Kaelen blinked.
Women… change moods faster than the tide. He could only sigh inwardly.
"..."
Buggy, watching Hancock's complete disregard for him, nearly coughed up blood in frustration. He scanned the crowd again, now fully aware that this was not the place to be causing trouble.
Way too many big shots.
With no time to waste, Buggy stumbled backward and retreated toward his ship.
"Everyone, retreat! Let's get out of here!"
"Yes, Captain Buggy!"
Like a troupe of clowns in retreat, Buggy and his crew scrambled aboard and sailed off in a hurry.
As quickly as they arrived, they vanished.
Silence returned to the deck. Most had simply watched Buggy's performance with mild amusement.
Kaelen turned his attention back to the others.
"You're both here for World, I assume. What are your plans now?" he asked, glancing at Fujitora and Mihawk without concern.
Technically, both the Warlords and the Marines fall under the authority of the World Government. But Kaelen understood these two wouldn't be cooperating.
Fujitora was openly against the Warlord system, and Mihawk, with his solitary nature, wouldn't team up with anyone, much less the Marines.
And even if they did join forces—Kaelen wasn't worried.
Fujitora responded calmly, "Since you've already eliminated World, then, if it's no trouble, allow this old man to retrieve the body and his crew. We'll bring them back for formal reporting."
Fujitora's voice was steady, polite.
He wasn't the kind to follow orders blindly. For him, justice came from within, not from orders issued by the government.
Kaelen nodded. "As you wish."
He had no use for World's corpse or his henchmen. And besides, it wouldn't hurt to show goodwill to a man like Fujitora, one of the few Marines Kaelen respected.
"Thank you."
Fujitora nodded, then gave a small gesture. A few Marines boarded World's ship, collecting World's remains and escorting his surviving men.
Just then, Mihawk finally stepped forward.
"You use a sword, don't you?"
Kaelen turned toward him and gave a slight nod. "Not my primary weapon."
"Are you a swordsman or a master swordsman?"
"Great swordsman."
"Then let's duel."
Kaelen's eyes lit up slightly. "...Alright."
"When and where? Now, if you're available?"
"No objections."
The conversation felt like something straight out of an old martial arts tale—simple, direct, and without fuss. Yet the weight behind each word made those listening hold their breath.
A duel between the world's greatest swordsman and the man recognized as the strongest on the seas.
Even Fujitora, who had been preparing to leave, paused.
"Hancock," Kaelen called, turning toward her, "Is there a deserted island nearby? Somewhere we won't destroy anything."
Hancock blinked, then quickly nodded. "Yes! There's one nearby. Allow me to guide you there!"
"Much appreciated."
"No, not at all, I—"
Kaelen: "..."
With Hancock leading the way, it didn't take long before they reached an uninhabited island.
There, under the open sky and before the endless sea, two titans stood face-to-face.
A legendary clash was about to begin.
---
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