Chapter 19: The Coffin Ship! The Wrath of Hawk-Eye Mihawk!
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Kaya followed Overlord Chu to the second level of the deck, where they looked down over the entire scene.
“Huh? Isn’t that the unlucky Admiral Krieg?”
Kaya raised her head toward Overlord Chu, her expression full of surprise. “Over... Overlord, you know him?”
As far as she knew, Overlord Chu had never even left the village before. How, then, could he possibly know Admiral Krieg?
Pointing toward Krieg, Overlord Chu gave a faint smile.
“To put it plainly, Krieg, the tyrant of the East Blue, is a treacherous and deceitful man. He even deliberately disguised himself as a Marine supply ship in order to attack villages and other vessels. He is a thoroughly irredeemable villain.”
Kaya asked in confusion, “If Krieg is so cunning, why call him unlucky?”
Overlord Chu shook his head with a laugh.
“Perhaps he committed too many evil deeds and finally suffered heaven’s retribution.
“Though the Grand Line is known as the graveyard of pirates, Red-Leg Zeff spent a year there, while the Rumbar Pirates sailed it for three. Their strength may not have been top-tier, but each of them managed to roam freely across the Grand Line for some time.
“Yet the Krieg Pirates, despite being the largest fleet of them all, encountered one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Dracule Mihawk—after only a week of sailing. Their entire super-fleet of fifty ships was cut to pieces by him alone!
“If they had not run into a storm at sea, they probably would not have survived at all.”
“The so-called Seven Warlords of the Sea are seven great pirates recognized by the World Government. Each possesses catastrophic destructive power and military strength rivaling that of an entire nation.
“The title of Warlord symbolizes freedom and status. On the surface, they are neutral pirates, though they are nominally known as the Navy’s lackeys.
“In truth, every Warlord has his own reason for accepting the title. Because they cannot abandon the authority and status it grants them, they merely use one another—the Warlords and the World Government.”
Red-Leg Zeff was inwardly shocked. He gave Overlord Chu a long, searching look and thought to himself:
“Who exactly is this man? His kicking skills are extraordinary, yet he also knows so much about the secret dealings between the World Government and the Seven Warlords of the Sea.”
Luffy came bounding up to Zeff and stared at him with eager anticipation.
“Old Chef! If I defeat Admiral Krieg and successfully protect Baratie, does that mean I won’t have to work here anymore?”
The moment he finished speaking, Luffy felt the profound contempt radiating from his companions.
Luffy turned toward his friends and raged helplessly, “You bunch of heartless bastards! Why are you looking at me like that?!”
Zoro’s contempt for you +1 +1 +1...
Nami’s contempt for you +1 +1 +1...
Usopp’s contempt for you +1 +1 +1...
Sanji’s curled eyebrow twitched slightly. He then lit the cigarette in his hand and said disdainfully:
“You’re not worthy of protecting the sea restaurant Baratie.”
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Krieg, imposing and fearsome, swept his gaze across the trembling crowd and smiled with satisfaction.
But the smile vanished the instant his eyes met Overlord Chu, who stood there chatting with such effortless composure.
“This bastard is looking at me as though I were some insignificant insect!”
“Damn him. I’ll use him to make an example of the others later!”
“Hm? That woman is rather attractive. I could bring her aboard and amuse myself with her when I get bored.”
Krieg did not take Overlord Chu seriously.
And Overlord Chu likewise did not take Krieg seriously!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A dark figure suddenly descended from the sky. Its enormous body and bizarre equipment left everyone gasping for breath.
Krieg’s remaining men began cheering the figure’s name.
“It’s Pearl! Iron Wall Pearl!”
“Boss Pearl is going to make his move! No one can break through Iron Wall Pearl’s defenses!”
Luffy stared at Iron Wall Pearl—the combat commander of the Krieg Pirates—whose body was draped with two shields shaped like enormous gongs. His mouth fell open in astonishment.
“Wow! He has so many shields! That’s so cool!”
Sanji: “...”
The Straw Hat crew: “...”
Krieg: “...”
It had to be said: sometimes Luffy’s sense of beauty was truly refreshing.
Perhaps he simply possessed a pair of eyes capable of discovering beauty wherever it hid.
Just as Sanji was preparing to battle Iron Wall Pearl, a wave of cries suddenly erupted from the Krieg Pirates.
“A-Admiral Krieg, that man has appeared again!”
Some of Krieg’s men collapsed to their knees in despair. Others began howling and sobbing without the slightest regard for their dignity.
“That bastard! All we did was disturb his sleep! Why? Why does he insist on hunting us down to the death?!”
As though sensing something in advance, Red-Leg Zeff, Roronoa Zoro, Admiral Krieg, and Black Leg Sanji all turned to stare into the distance.
Even Red-Leg Zeff, who had weathered countless storms, could not remain calm at that moment. His voice was bitter as he spoke:
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“It’s unbelievable. That man has actually appeared in the weakest sea in the world—the East Blue!”
“He sails aboard a coffin-shaped ship, a lone wolf drifting through the Grand Line on an endless adventure. He is a swordsman hailed as one of the strongest in the New World, and his temperament is notoriously unpredictable!”
“Black hair, piercing yellow eyes as sharp as an eagle’s, a short beard, and a black top hat trimmed with white fur. He wears a burgundy patterned shirt, a black vest, and white trousers!”
“Those razor-sharp eyes are enough to send a chill down the spine of even the mightiest warrior!”
“One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the world’s strongest swordsman—Hawk-Eye Dracule Mihawk!”
“With a single swing of the black blade on his back, he could cleave a massive sailing ship in two!”
Then Red-Leg Zeff’s expression turned puzzled.
Sanji asked solemnly, “Old man, is something wrong?”
Red-Leg Zeff carefully examined Dracule Mihawk’s coffin ship once more before finally confirming the truth.
The world’s greatest swordsman—the man who had stood at the summit of swordsmanship for so many years—was missing the one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades carried upon his back.
The Black Blade, Yoru.
It was gone!
A swordsman’s blade was his life!
Red-Leg Zeff’s expression grew grave, and a fine layer of sweat appeared across his forehead.
This was the first time he had ever been so utterly flustered.
If someone had managed to take Mihawk’s sword, then had that person’s swordsmanship already reached a transcendent, divine level?
Suddenly, the moss-headed Zoro wrapped his bandanna around his head, a massive cross strapped to his back.
“Hey! World’s Greatest Swordsman! Dracule Mihawk, are you looking for your sword?”
Mihawk’s gaze instantly became razor-sharp.
No one in the world knew the Black Blade Yoru better than he did.
Even Mihawk himself had never imagined that the sword he had searched for so desperately would appear in the hands of such a small boy.
Mihawk spoke. His voice was as cold as ice that had endured for ten thousand years.
His eagle-sharp yellow eyes locked firmly onto the enormous cross in Zoro’s hands.
“Boy, who exactly are you? How dare you steal the weapon belonging to the world’s greatest swordsman, Hawk-Eye Mihawk!”