At the same time—
Arashi's Traveler ship passed through the portal and entered the waters of the West Blue.
The moment the ship arrived, a system notification sounded in his mind.
[System Notification]
[Congratulations to the host for arriving at a new destination. Please begin your enjoyable journey!]
Rumble—!
Deafening thunder, blinding lightning tearing through the sky, and torrential rain crashing down instantly left Arashi stunned.
When he left Loguetown, the sea had been calm and peaceful—so why was the weather here this terrible?
Was the teleport random? As long as it landed somewhere in the West Blue, it didn't care about conditions?
Suddenly—
"Ahhh!!! Where's the captain?! Where did the captain go?!"
"The captain's dead! He got struck down! Help!!!"
"What's wrong with this Mihawk guy?! It would've been fine if he just killed the captain—why did he cut our ship too?! We're doomed!"
"!!!!"
Hearing the panicked screams coming from ahead, Arashi blinked in slight confusion before turning toward the source.
Crack! Crack!
Another bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the sea like daylight.
In that flash, Mihawk's drenched, utterly miserable figure came into view.
At the same time—
Mihawk, who had been about to finish off the remaining two pirate ships, suddenly paused as he noticed a very familiar large ship appearing not far to his front-right.
The words "Traveler" gleamed clearly under the lightning.
Damn it… this guy actually came to the West Blue?
He really goes wherever he wants, huh…
"Wow, Mihawk, how did you end up soaked again?"
Standing on the deck, Arashi burst out laughing at Mihawk's bedraggled state. "Didn't I tell you to add some shelter to your boat? If nothing else, you could at least hide inside that coffin! Do you enjoy getting drenched like this? Or do you think it looks cool?"
But as soon as he finished speaking, Arashi's gaze shifted—
To the pirate ship that had been sliced apart.
Looking at the wreckage scattered across the sea and the dazed pirates floating among it, Arashi's expression instantly turned blank.
"…Alright. This guy is cutting people again!!!"
Rubbing his forehead, Arashi waved casually. "Pretend I'm not here. Carry on!"
However, the moment Mihawk saw Arashi, he completely lost interest in continuing his slaughter.
Compared to these pirates—
He'd much rather cut Arashi.
"Why are you in the West Blue?"
Without sparing the surviving pirates a glance, Mihawk steered his small boat over and stopped opposite Arashi. "Aren't you supposed to be traveling?"
"I am traveling—by coming to the West Blue. What kind of question is that?"
Arashi blinked and grinned. "Honestly, Mihawk, this isn't working out for you. When I met you in the East Blue, you were drenched. Now you're in the West Blue… and still drenched! Come on, stop pretending—get up here and take shelter!"
"Mihawk—"
Being called a "drowned rat" over and over again nearly pushed Mihawk to the brink. He instinctively grabbed the hilt of his black blade and leaned forward, clearly ready to strike.
"Today… you will fight me!"
"Sure!"
Arashi rolled up his sleeves and agreed immediately. "Same rules as before!"
Meanwhile, the pirates on the remaining two ships had gone from terror… to confusion… to sheer dread.
"Who is that guy?!"
"He looks insanely strong!"
"He knows Mihawk?! And he's calling him a drowned rat…?"
"!!! That's terrifying…"
"They're about to fight! We're dead!!"
"Forget that—RUN while you can!!!"
"Ahhh!!!"
Hearing the chaotic shouting behind him, Mihawk suddenly turned around.
The next instant—
Black Blade Yoru flashed once more.
A brilliant arc of light tore through the air, instantly cleaving through the remaining two pirate ships.
With a thunderous shockwave, the pirates were flung into the sky before raining down into the sea alongside the shattered wreckage.
In an instant—
The entire ocean was filled with wails and screams.
"…Wow."
Arashi blinked slowly, then rolled his eyes.
This guy really wasn't just cutting people—
He was on his way to cutting people at all times.
Was that how he became the world's greatest swordsman? Just slash, slash, slash all the way up?
"Come!"
After effortlessly destroying the last two ships, Mihawk turned back, his fighting spirit blazing. "If I beat you at rock-paper-scissors, you'll fight me!"
"Of course."
Arashi nodded with a smile.
As soon as he spoke, Mihawk leapt onto the deck and immediately shouted, "Rock-paper-scissors—GO!!!"
"..."
Arashi looked at the overly eager Mihawk and kindly reminded him, "Let's go inside first. Otherwise, your image is completely ruined."
Mihawk paused slightly.
…He really did lose all composure whenever he met Arashi.
Thinking that, he glanced back at the sea filled with crying pirates, then shook his head and followed Arashi into the cabin.
Inside, Arashi headed straight for the wine cabinet. "Drink?"
Mihawk nodded instinctively. "Alright."
Then he suddenly snapped back, his sharp eyes widening. "Don't change the subject—rock-paper-scissors."
"Fine, fine."
Arashi put the wine down. "But before we start…"
Seeing Arashi trying to stall again, Mihawk's expression turned cold. "Are you doing this or not?!"
"Yes, yes."
Arashi ignored Mihawk's irritation. "Definitely. Absolutely. But first—shouldn't you secure your little boat?"
"!!!!!!"
The moment Arashi said that, Mihawk spun around and dashed out immediately!
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