As one of the sea's wandering swordsmen, Mihawk hadn't met with Shanks since their last casual bout.
After all, once that remarkable opponent from the East Blue lost an arm in an accident, Mihawk's eagerness to cross blades with him had faded.
He'd turned down Shanks' invitation to go "stir up trouble together," choosing instead to drift aimlessly across the Grand Line in his tiny boat—hoping, perhaps, to stumble upon a worthy opponent.
Of course, even as he entertained that thought, he didn't expect much.
After all, a swordsman of true caliber never grows in silence.
Anyone worth crossing swords with would already have made their mark on the world.
But now
the latest article from the World Economic News stirred something in Mihawk's chest.
From the photo, it didn't quite look like a simple sword slash… but still
"Don, huh?"
He murmured the name.
He remembered it—he'd seen it in the headlines more than once.
The clearest memory was of Don's clashes against two Marine Admirals.
"…Seems worth the trip."
He was probably a worthy opponent indeed.
Mihawk set the paper down, drew his blade, and
A moment later, the small craft cut through the waves, no longer drifting idly with the current.
Alabasta, Nanohana
When Rear Admiral Darcy returned, the Den Den Mushi in his hands was already ringing with a lively buru buru buru.
Don raised an eyebrow and took it from him.
"You brat—so you've gone to the Grand Line without even telling this old man! The last transponder snail I gave you couldn't reach you at all!"
Garp's booming voice came through, the Den Den Mushi mimicking his face perfectly.
"Oh, that one? I forgot to feed it. Starved to death," Don said lightly.
At once, Robin, Issho, and even Darcy froze, each wearing the same blank look.
Even Garp on the other end went silent for a few seconds.
"…You know, one feeding lasts a month or two. How the hell did you starve it?"
"Forgot," Don replied flatly.
"Right, fine, not important. Anyway, the reason I'm calling"
"About the former Admiral Zephyr being attacked, right?"
Don cut him off neatly.
"Eh? So you already guessed. I knew you were sharp, kid."
Garp chuckled, his tone somewhere between admiration and resignation.
"I don't have time for this, Garp. I'll be staying in Paradise for a while—I've got a lot on my plate."
"Hold on, don't turn me down so fast! I know you've got things to do, but… you can name your price."
"Oh?" Don's tone shifted slightly. "Then tell me, Vice Admiral Garp—are you speaking for yourself, or for the Navy?"
"…What if it's me personally?"
"Then sorry. I can't think of anything you could offer that'd interest me."
"And if it's on behalf of the Navy?"
"That, we can talk about."
Garp's grin widened at the other end. "Good! Then let's hear your terms."
"The Navy's Six Powers training method," Don said simply.
"No problem. Rear Admiral Darcy can hand it over right now."
Garp agreed without hesitation.
"If it's only that, it's too easy," Don replied, smirking slightly.
"Ah, I knew it wouldn't be that simple." Garp sighed. "Go on then, what else?"
"Relax. Just one more thing."
"If the Navy can meet this one, I'll consider stepping in—even once we reach the New World."
"…Alright, I'm ready. Let's hear it."
"A Devil Fruit."
Garp blinked. "A… Devil Fruit?"
That one caught him off guard.
"Even for the Navy, that's not easy. Devil Fruits are rare enough—and with how many personnel we have, they're always eaten almost immediately after discovery."
"That's not my concern. And—make it a Logia type."
Silence.
On the other end, Garp went completely quiet.
A Logia-type Devil Fruit?
That kid really dared to ask.
Even Robin, Issho, and Darcy traded awkward looks.
Devil Fruits were already rare—but Logias? They were rarer still.
There were barely a dozen known types recorded in the current Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, and each one that surfaced was devoured almost instantly.
"Anyway," Don continued calmly, "you can bring that up with the higher-ups. No need for you to come in person—I'll only be in Alabasta another two days. If the Navy agrees, send me word once I reach the New World."
And before Garp could respond, he hung up.
Sliding the snail into his coat, Don turned to leave.
Darcy glanced at the Den Den Mushi, his lips twitching slightly.
He really wanted to point out that it wasn't a government-issued snail—he'd bought that one with his own money.
But, well… best not to mention it.
With a resigned sigh, he took his leave.
"You really plan to help the Navy?" Robin asked once Darcy was gone, clearly surprised.
"If they can offer a Logia Fruit," Issho said calmly, "then it's worth it."
"Honestly," he added, "if we ran into that situation later, I'd have acted anyway—even without payment."
Don chuckled. "Then we'll see when the time comes. It's not like it costs me anything to name my price. If the Navy agrees, it's just a bit of time wasted, that's all."
A Logia Fruit would be invaluable—no matter the purpose.
It could even serve as a prize within the Hunter Association, much like Doflamingo's Flame-Flame Fruit tournament years later.
Robin nodded thoughtfully. "Without a location from the Navy, finding a specific target in the open sea would be nearly impossible."
"Exactly," Don said. "Anyway, it's not our concern for now. The Log Pose needs another day to complete its magnetic recording—go get supplies. Once it's done, we're leaving."
"Understood." Robin smiled faintly and went off to make preparations.
Meanwhile, aboard the Doghead warship, Garp stared at the Den Den Mushi in silence.
Bogard sighed beside him.
"Vice Admiral Garp… there's no way the Fleet Admiral will approve that condition."
Garp glanced over, then shook his head.
"Maybe. But it's not impossible either. The real issue is—why does Don want a Logia Fruit at all? He's already a Devil Fruit user."
That, he genuinely couldn't wrap his head around.
A person couldn't eat two Fruits—everyone knew that.
The Flame-Flame Fruit Don already possessed was a top-tier Logia.
Was he planning to… trade it?
Garp thought for a while, then exhaled. "Nah. Even if we had one, the cost of a Logia's worth can't be compared to anything else."
END OF CHAPTER
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