Hawkeye's sudden strike caught even Cyrus off guard.
'Whats with this guy?' Cyrus thought, his eyebrows rising.
The Black Blade Yoru, coated heavily in Armament Haki, swung down in a devastating arc.
A brilliant longsword formed from condensed golden light materialized to block the descending black blade.
The sheer force of the collision cleaved the hotel roof in two.
Cyrus squinted at the glowing blade in the Admiral's grip.
It was an impressive feat. A
weapon forged from pure elemental transformation had just parried a Supreme Grade sword infused with advanced Haki.
It made sense, while Armament Haki allowed a fighter to touch a Logia user's true body, it didn't negate the elemental material itself.
"You're paying for the property damage!"
Just as the two men locked blades and the air grew heavy with tension, Cyrus spoke up.
That single sentence shattered the freezing atmosphere.
"The Marines cannot be allowed to hear what you just said," Hawkeye stated, his eyes locked on Kizaru.
When it involved the Celestial Dragons, no amount of caution was too much, even if it meant fighting an Admiral in close quarters.
"It's fine. I was planning to notify Marine Headquarters in advance anyway," Cyrus waved a dismissive hand.
Hearing their casual exchange, Kizaru finally dropped his lazy smirk.
He stared at Cyrus, realizing the young man was far more audacious than any pirate sailing the seas.
To openly threaten the World Nobles in front of a Marine Admiral took a special kind of madness.
"You already know what I'm going to do, don't you?" Cyrus asked, stepping forward.
Kizaru pulled his light sword back, and Hawkeye silently sheathed Yoru on his back.
Rather than attack, Kizaru tossed a golden Den Den Mushi to Cyrus. "Someone wishes to speak with you."
After delivering the snail, Kizaru turned away, his body dissolving into a shower of golden specks before vanishing from the ruined room.
Looking at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, Cyrus had a very good idea of who was on the other end.
There were not many people in the world who could use Kizaru as a delivery boy.
Buru buru buru!
He didn't have to wait long.
The snail opened its eyes and began ringing. Cyrus sat down on an intact chair, glanced at Hawkeye, and picked up the receiver.
"This is Sengoku."
The Fleet Admiral's steady, commanding voice echoed into the room.
Hawkeye's pupils contracted slightly, his gaze fixed on the snail, though he remained silent.
"Fleet Admiral of the Marines," Cyrus replied in a calm tone. "What can I do for you?"
"If I ordered you to evacuate the Sabaody Archipelago right now, you would refuse."
"Oh? You won't know until you ask. What if I agree?" Cyrus smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"So, you agree to leave the island?"
"I do not."
Sengoku fell silent for a long moment, seemingly adjusting to Cyrus's infuriating conversation style.
"This old man did not call to trade jokes with you," Sengoku warned, his tone hardening.
"Then tell me, Sengoku-san, why did you want to speak with me?" Cyrus leaned back, perfectly at ease.
"My bottom line is the Celestial Dragons. You are not to touch them. If you agree to this, I can ignore everything else you do on that island."
"Well, that's something I cannot guarantee."
"I have heard about you from Garp. Pirate Hunter, you may not grasp the catastrophic consequences of attacking a World Noble."
"I'm well aware of the consequences."
"If a Celestial Dragon is harmed, the entire Sabaody Archipelago will burn."
"Are you threatening me?" Cyrus asked, feigning surprise. "Why would you think I care about the fate of this island?"
"Then what about your new Hunter Guild?" Sengoku countered.
"If the Marines suppress my Guild over this, it just means I hired the wrong staff. I will find new people and rebuild the organization somewhere else."
Sengoku had intended to use the Guild as leverage, but the threat bounced right off.
Cyrus knew the Fleet Admiral was baiting him, probing for a weakness.
"If that is your final stance, I will authorize Admiral Sakazuki and Admiral Borsalino to intervene. Let us see if you have the strength to handle them."
Click.
The line went dead.
Cyrus stared at the receiver, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
'As expected, the Fleet Admiral is holding his cards close to his chest.'
Were his only opponents going to be two Marine Admirals? It seemed Mary Geoise had no immediate plans to deploy their own hidden forces.
Cyrus closed his eyes to process the information, then stood up and tucked the snail into his coat.
"Night has fallen. I'm going out for a bit."
Cyrus looked at the darkening sky through the destroyed ceiling.
Nightfall wasn't very obvious on Sabaody due to the ambient, natural glow radiating from the Yarukiman Mangrove bubbles, but the shift in atmosphere was palpable.
Hawkeye watched him leave, his mind analyzing the cryptic exchange between the Pirate Hunter and the Fleet Admiral.
...
Cyrus walked through the grove and tracked down Rayleigh.
"So, you want me to coat your ship tomorrow, but you are staying behind?" Rayleigh asked, wiping down the bar counter as Cyrus walked in alone.
"I'm staying. I still have business here." Cyrus waved at Shakky, who slid a glass of fresh juice across the wood.
"Coating the ship is easy enough," Rayleigh sighed. "But are you genuinely going to assassinate a Celestial Dragon? That isn't your true objective, is it?"
Rayleigh felt the young man was acting out of character.
Since the day they met, Cyrus had operated with calculated rationality.
Triggering a Buster Call for a thrill didn't fit the profile.
"After arriving in this place, there are certain things I feel obligated to do. But you're right, my primary goal this time is not the Celestial Dragons." Cyrus smiled, taking a sip of his juice.
"At least, not right now."
'If it isn't his goal right now... does that mean he plans to do it later?' Rayleigh grabbed his rum bottle and took a heavy swig, his face a mask of weary confusion.
"Tell me, old man, what kind of epithet do you think would suit me?" Cyrus asked, pivoting the conversation out of nowhere.
"Huh?" Rayleigh blinked, thrown off by the sudden shift in topic.
"Think about it. 'Dark King' Rayleigh. 'Kaido of the Beasts.' 'Pirate King' Roger. Every top-tier fighter has a resounding, highly recognizable title," Cyrus mused, rubbing his chin.
"You cannot simply decide your own epithet," Rayleigh shook his head. "Titles are given by the world, based on your actions."
"I disagree. A good brand is important," Cyrus argued. "What should I pick? 'Hunter King' is far too tacky."
Rayleigh and Shakky exchanged a long, exasperated look.
'Is there something fundamentally wrong with this boy's brain?'
"I get the feeling you two are judging me," Cyrus noted.
"Not at all," Shakky smiled smoothly.
"As long as a title is memorable, it works. The man makes the name, not the other way around. If the person holding it is powerful enough, even an ordinary title becomes legendary."
"That makes a lot of sense." Cyrus turned to look at Shakky with genuine surprise. "Your decades on the sea weren't for nothing. You truly are a well of wisdom."
Rayleigh's eye twitched.
'You ungrateful brat. You didn't give me a single word of praise while I was breaking my back teaching you advanced Haki.'
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