Chapter 438: It's Been a Long Time
The air in the hall felt frozen, a dead silence spreading amidst the flickering torchlight.
Just as everyone was holding their breath in lingering fear, Lafitte stepped out with a leisurely pace. His cane tapped lightly against the stone floor, his voice elegant: "Hehehe... It's good that everyone understands the Captain's intentions."
"Since the rules have been set, naturally, they must be followed."
"But everyone should also learn to be mindful of the Captain's wrath."
He offered a slight bow, giving Teach an out. His smooth yet meaningful words fell on everyone's ears, seemingly softening the tension in the room just a bit.
Van Augur swept his cold gaze around, the room's temperature dropping again with his icy interjection: "However—the fact remains that he did attack a civilian cargo ship."
"The Marines may not simply sit back and watch. We must be prepared."
Beside him, Burgess flexed his bulging muscles, his chest even more massive than it was two years ago. The power of the Island-Island Fruit made him look like a moving mountain of steel.
He patted his chest, roaring wildly: "Wiiihahaha! Boss, you're overthinking it! We're the third largest power on the seas right now!!!"
"It was just a small cargo ship! The Marines aren't going to go out of their way to cause trouble for us over that!"
Doc Q was still slumped over his sickly horse. His body swayed as he coughed weakly twice, slowly chiming in with a hoarse voice:
"Cough... Indeed, Burgess is right... The Marines... aren't that free..."
Teach narrowed his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping over the brazen faces and confident postures below.
In his eyes, these officers who had followed him all this time now held a bit more confidence, perhaps even an inflated arrogance.
He sighed coldly in his heart: It seems our rapid expansion over the last two years... has made their heads a little too big.
On the surface, however, he suddenly threw his head back and laughed, the sound shaking the hall.
"Zehahahaha—! Of course!!!" He spread his arms as if embracing this glory.
His tone shifted, his smile suddenly hardening as a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "But since the rules have been set, they must be followed."
His voice dropped lower, carrying an irrefutable threat: "Otherwise—"
Before he finished, the ground beneath his feet faintly churned. Black mud writhed between the cracks of the stone tiles, looking as if it would swallow a person whole in the next second.
Teach's gaze was severe, his sinister grin as sharp as a blade: "Don't blame me for burying you myself."
That single sentence instantly extinguished all levity and wishful thinking. The people in the hall were immediately struck with fear, nodding frantically with pale faces.
They knew all too well that these were no empty words.
Over the past two years, countless enemies and traitors had been buried alive by Teach's swamp powers. The agonizing suffocation and horrific sight of drowning in mud remained deeply etched in their memories.
The air was suffocatingly heavy until Teach waved his hand.
"Dismissed."
The crowd felt as if they had received a grand pardon. They hastily bowed and retreated, their messy footsteps quickly fading into the depths of the stone corridors.
Only Van Augur remained in place, standing coldly at the edge of the firelight.
With only the two of them left in the hall, the crackling flames stretched their shadows, making them look long and menacing.
Teach slowly sat back in the main seat. His fingers tapped against the armrest—thud, thud—in a dull, oppressive rhythm.
He spoke in a low voice: "You've noticed it too, haven't you..."
Van Augur's expression was grim. He nodded slightly: "Ah... their egos have inflated."
Those few short words sliced through the air like a knife.
Teach raised his eyes slightly, his gaze deep and his voice hoarse: "Even though I've already developed the power of these two fruits... to this level."
His fingertips slowly clenched, his knuckles emitting faint cracks.
"But—whenever I think of that man..."
The smile vanished from Teach's lips, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "In my heart... there is still nothing but a profound sense of powerlessness."
That statement caused Van Augur's expression to shift, revealing a trace of shock.
—Two years have passed, yet the shadow in the Captain's heart has still not dissipated?
In the firelight, Teach lowered his head, shadows obscuring his face. "Lately..."
He lowered his voice: "Increase the patrols in the waters around the island."
"I have a premonition—" He slowly raised his head, his eyes as cold as a venomous snake's. "The Marines won't pass up this opportunity to suppress us."
Van Augur met his gaze and responded coldly: "Understood."
...
Kuraigana Island · Night
The wind howled; the ancient castle stood tall and solitary amidst the wasteland.
Mihawk had just sat down at the table. The flickering candlelight illuminated his stern face.
Perona floated over, placing a glass of red wine in front of him. Her tone was teasing: "What's wrong? Those two brats haven't been gone for long, and you're already looking so lonely?"
Mihawk took the glass and took a small sip, his eyes as calm as an ancient well: "It's nothing... I'm just not used to the sudden quiet."
Hearing this, Perona stifled a giggle, covering her mouth with her hand: "Isn't that a given? There aren't many swordsmen who can trade blows with you."
Over the past two years, Zoro and Kuina had practically lived on this island.
The clash of blades rang out day and night, sparks and sword aura soaring into the sky during their fierce battles.
Fighting and training daily, the two of them took turns challenging Mihawk, the flash of swords never ceasing on the island.
Kuina had completely integrated her Devil Fruit abilities into her Shimotsuki sword style, creating her own unique techniques;
Zoro, bolstered by his Wano-crafted Three Swords, had steadily approached the threshold of the "World's Strongest Swordsman" through endless sparring and intense pressure.
Recalling the sharp glint in their eyes, a faint smile actually surfaced on Mihawk's lips: "A world like this... is what makes things interesting."
Perona paused, then crossed her arms, averting her gaze and muttering softly: "Hmph... tsundere."
However, the lighthearted atmosphere was abruptly cut short.
Mihawk's eyebrows twitched slightly. His fingertips trembled, causing the wine glass to emit a crisp clink.
A presence, both familiar and unfamiliar, slowly set foot on the island.
He extended his Observation Haki. In the next instant, Mihawk's pupils contracted: "...It's actually him?"
Without hesitation, he slung Yoru onto his back. His cape snapped in the wind as he strode toward the port.
Seeing this, Perona froze for a moment before hurriedly floating after him: "Hey! What's gotten into you?!"
The night wind grew fiercer, waves crashing against the island's reefs.
When the two reached the port, the light of the torches illuminated the newcomer's figure—
Perona's eyes instantly widened. She covered her mouth with both hands, nearly screaming: "No way...!!!"
Meanwhile, Mihawk stared dead at the man, a fanatic battle intent that he hadn't felt in years igniting in his eyes.
—That man's arms were both intact.
His left hand gripped a longsword, slowly raising it. The blade reflected the moonlight. Even without releasing any sword aura, its edge was sharp enough to slice the air.
For the first time in years, Mihawk's chest heaved rapidly. A suppressed voice slipped through his lips:
"...It's been a long time."
He murmured softly, his voice seeming to hold back an irrepressible craving.
Behind him, Perona felt as though Mihawk had suddenly opened his eyes like a slumbering beast, his aura becoming so sharp it was suffocating.
Above the port, the invisible battle intent between swordsmen ignited the entire night sky.
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