Chapter 39: Hawk-Eye

East Blue.

Loguetown.

In the center of the port.

After Smoker arrested the entire gang of troublemaking pirates with the momentum of thunder, he wiped the sweat from his face, sat aside, and began to check the latest newspaper.

Yet a scene he had witnessed a half-month ago at Raven Port involuntarily floated into his mind.

Commoners attacking the Marines to help pirates escape trouble?

Such a thing had never occurred not only in the East Blue, but anywhere in the world.

And Gao Wen, the so-called Knight at the center of the incident, lingered in Smoker's mind like a nightmare, refusing to fade.

"Who exactly are you?"

"A pirate, yet you acted for the local commoners without any benefit to yourself?"

"What kind of pirate is there in this world!"

Smoker took a deep drag on the cigar in his mouth; the more he thought, the more confusion filled his mind.

He simply stopped thinking and turned to ask about other matters:

"Still no reply from the rat's report?"

Tashigi gritted her teeth and shook her head:

"No."

"I even feel that the letter was intercepted before it could even leave the East Blue."

"Colonel Smoker, this is absolutely wrong!"

"How could the Marines tolerate an existence like the rat?"

"This is a desecration of justice!"

"Heh."

A hint of mockery curled Smoker's lips:

"To some people, money and status are justice."

"I also sent people to investigate the money-laundering in Raven Port, but the trail ended as soon as it reached a certain Admiral; even the men I sent were detained."

"There must be other hands behind this matter. To solve it completely, we must go to the Marine Criminal Investigation Department, but according to their rules, the two of us would also have to undergo investigation."

"Ah? This..."

Tashigi silently looked at Smoker; the latter's old face turned red:

"Once I rise to the top, I'll tear that troublesome department apart sooner or later."

Knowing himself best, Smoker had also done things that violated the rules but not his own conscience.

Once exposed, it would bring even more trouble.

Tashigi quietly changed the subject:

"However, regarding the Knight Gao Wen, the headquarters has finally responded; Gao Wen's bounty will be raised once again."

"Hmm."

Smoker nodded; this did not surprise him:

"In just over a month, the bounty has risen twice; even in history, this is the first time."

"Tashigi."

"Yes!"

"My premonition grows stronger; once that fellow enters the Grand Line this time, the East Blue will truly produce an extraordinary pirate!"

Smoker clenched his teeth:

"We must keep him in the East Blue! Even at the cost of our lives!"

"Yes!"

Both fell silent at once.

In the distant sky, several messenger birds flew by, dropped a newspaper, and then flapped their wings and flew away.

Smoker reached down, picked up the newspaper from the ground, and upon opening it, a familiar face immediately came into view:

"Knight Gao Wen, bounty... if this number appears in the East Blue, Admiral Garp will probably be unable to sit still."

"How much?"

"Eighty-five million Berries!"

New World.

On a desolate island.

The Red Force was anchored in a bay.

The skull flag printed on the sails was exceptionally conspicuous; even dozens of nautical miles away, it could be seen clearly, causing the pirates lurking nearby to flee at the mere sight of it.

For this skull flag represented the youngest of the Four Emperors of the New World, and the undisputed number one in Haki on the seas today.

Red-Haired Shanks.

He once had hope to compete for the throne of the greatest swordsman with Hawk-Eye, but all of that came to a complete end when the Red-Haired left his arm in the East Blue.

At this moment, by the beach.

The rising bonfire cast flickering shadows, reflecting on everyone's faces.

The aroma of grilled meat, various fruits, and countless fine wines and delicacies were scattered together; the strong smell of alcohol in the air could not be blown away even by the sea breeze.

"Really, you've been drinking nonstop since three days ago—there's a limit to hangovers!"

As Beckman was speaking, he was dragged into the fray by the red-haired man.

Seeing this, everyone rushed in, pinning Beckman down tightly, then poured an entire large pitcher of beer straight into his mouth.

"Hahahahaha~!"

The crowd burst into laughter; by the time Beckman barely broke free, his face already carried a distinct hint of drunkenness.

"You bastards—none of you who just poured beer down me are getting away!"

"Hahahahaha~"

The red-haired man slapped his thigh and roared with laughter, but his expression froze the next instant.

For out on the distant sea, a pirate ship—crudely stitched together from a few logs, too shabby to even be called a vessel—was slowly drifting toward this deserted island, its familiar flag fluttering in the wind.

And the man sitting on that ship, the red-haired man knew all too well.

From the man's unmasked, soaring sword intent, there radiated an absolute confidence unmatched in this age.

He was the unsurpassable peak of swordsmanship in this era, the opponent every swordsman dreamed of defeating—

The World's Greatest Swordsman!

Hawk-Eye—Mihawk!

"Hey, Mihawk~ over here, over here~"

Hawk-Eye blinked slightly, recognized the red-haired man, and moored his boat to shore.

Before Hawk-Eye could approach,

the red-haired man shoved a pitcher of beer into his hands, slung an arm over his shoulder, and urged:

"Drink up~ drink up~"

Hawk-Eye frowned slightly at the red-haired man:

"You were hungover again yesterday, weren't you?"

"That's what a party is!"

At that moment, Jesus Bu and Lachi Lu nearby also began cheering; seeing this, Hawk-Eye helplessly drained the beer in his cup.

With Hawk-Eye's arrival, the party surged into another peak, lasting until deep into the night.

Now, everyone except the red-haired man, Hawk-Eye, and Beckman were utterly drunk, sprawled on the ground.

Occasional snores echoed around them.

Yet Hawk-Eye showed not a trace of intoxication; he pulled a bounty poster from his pocket and placed it in the red-haired man's hand:

"A fascinating pirate has appeared in the East Blue."

"Luffy?"

The red-haired man perked up, glanced at the poster—and saw a stranger's face; his interest instantly faded.

Hawk-Eye paid no mind; he continued:

"Gao Wen. Bounty: forty-eight million Berries."

"From his eyes, I can tell—he is a swordsman."

"A swordsman with absolute confidence, bordering on arrogance."

"I don't know where this confidence comes from, but perhaps he'll yield a satisfying fruit."

Hawk-Eye glanced at the red-haired man's severed arm:

"Since you lost your arm, I haven't encountered a worthy opponent in far too long."

"If you want a fight, I won't refuse."

"You no longer interest me."

Hawk-Eye said coolly.

Beside him, Beckman suddenly snatched the bounty poster from the red-haired man's hand, studied it closely, then grinned at Hawk-Eye:

"Your intel is outdated—his bounty has been updated."

Saying this,

Beckman pulled out today's freshly acquired newspaper, extracted one bounty poster from the stack tucked inside, and handed it to Hawk-Eye.

Hawk-Eye's eyes flickered with sudden interest:

"Eighty-five million Berries?"

"Interesting."

"I've decided—next stop: East Blue!"

(End of Chapter)