Chapter 70: The Greatest Swordsman in the World

“Eagle-like eyes?”

Suddenly, Buzhi’s mind conjured up a man Gao Wen had mentioned.

“Eagle Eye—Mihawk?”

“That man called the greatest swordsman in the world? The guy Greenhair talks about every day?”

Saying this.

Buzhi’s face darkened with gravity as he turned to Xia Mu.

“If it really is him, then except the captain, no one here can match him.”

Xia Mu blinked slightly, then waved his hand casually.

Didn't the captain himself say that someone like Eagle Eye is a top-tier strength even in the New World? How could he possibly come to the East Blue, the weakest of the four seas?

“Maybe it’s just a similar appearance.”

“After all, there are many people in this world who look alike—the captain himself is like that actor…”

“Hehehe~”

Hearing this, Buzhi let out a long breath.

“It must be a misunderstanding.”

He picked up the receiver and spoke to the pirate on the other end:

“Keep watching. I’m coming with Xia Mu right away.”

“For this target, we’ve searched for over a month. Once confirmed, I’ll notify the captain!”

“Yes!”

He hung up the phone.

Buzhi hastily shoved several cakes into his mouth, then handed the remaining biscuits to the children gathered around him before leaving with Xia Mu.

Moments later, the pirate ship at the harbor hoisted sail and raced toward the location of the Baratie, the sea restaurant.

……

……

……

Several hours later.

Dozens of nautical miles off the coast of Crow Harbor.

A pirate ship, severed in half, slowly sank beneath the waves, its skull flag with a round shield gradually swallowed by the sea.

The Baratie, the sea restaurant, floated quietly on the sea not far away.

In the kitchen.

Chefs bustled back and forth, placing exquisite dishes on the table—all for the sole guest.

“Who would have thought such a big shot would appear in the East Blue?”

“The man called the greatest swordsman in the world, and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea granted a license to plunder by the World Government—Eagle Eye—Mihawk!”

“Even Old Chef Zhep, when he saw that man, broke out in cold sweat.”

“But luckily, his target is the Gao Wen Pirates, not us.”

As they spoke,

Patty, the chef whose face resembled Popeye, rugged and coarse, yet wearing a pink scarf around his chest, wiped sweat from his brow and glanced nervously into the dining area.

There sat a man wearing a black felt hat, his expression cold and composed, calmly eating the exquisite dishes on the table.

His movements were supremely elegant, yet his pace of eating was terrifyingly fast.

In just half an hour, the untouched plates piled into a small mountain, yet the man showed no sign of stopping.

Only when the kitchen staff were too exhausted to stand straight did the man finally pause, elegantly wiping his mouth.

The man was naturally Mihawk, who had fought his way from the New World to the East Blue, and his sole purpose in coming was clear.

“Are you men of the Gao Wen Pirates?”

His hawk-like piercing gaze fell upon the two cat-people, their faces bruised and swollen.

They stammered, unable to utter a single coherent sentence, for the shock this man inspired was overwhelming.

Several kilometers away, a greenish-blue sword aura had sliced their pirate ship clean in half, its momentum unbroken, flying all the way to the horizon.

The cat-people hadn’t even had time to react before the battle was over—luckily, no one aboard had been killed.

In the cat-people’s memory, even their monstrously strong captain, Gao Wen, could not have done such a thing!

Seeing their incoherent replies, Mihawk’s patience wore thin.

He drew the black longsword behind him, shaped like a cross, and pressed its blade against Xia Mu’s throat.

“If you want to live, tell me where Gao Wen is now!”

“I…”

Xia Mu trembled all over but refused to betray Gao Wen; he clenched his jaw and said:

“Even if you kill me, you won’t get a single word about the captain from me!”

“Fascinating!”

“Not only that bloodthirsty gaze, but also such loyalty from his subordinates—my interest in this man grows stronger.”

Mihawk’s lips curled into a faint smile, then he turned to Buzhi and said calmly:

“I’ll give you two choices: watch your companion die here, or send word to Gao Wen and make him come to me.”

“I…”

“Buzhi!”

Xia Mu turned to the hesitating Buzhi and shouted:

“Don’t forget who gave you a second chance at life—even if you die, you must not betray that man!”

“It doesn’t matter if we die here—we’re just repaying old debts.”

“But he’s different—he still has to lead everyone—!”

Xia Mu’s rising emotion was cut short as Mihawk pressed the blade another inch forward; crimson blood trickled from his neck.

He instantly held his breath—the blade was now so close it could sever his carotid artery with the slightest movement.

“Stop!”

Buzhi cried out to halt Mihawk’s action:

“I’ll get the captain here!”

Seeing Mihawk pause,

Buzhi’s trembling hand reached into his chest and pulled out a Den Den Mushi, hesitated a moment, then dialed a familiar number.

If the blade were at his own throat, he might have held out—but watching Xia Mu die right before his eyes, he could never accept it.

Soon,

A familiar voice came from the other end:

“Moshi moshi~”

“Buzhi, did you find the target?”

Mihawk snatched the Den Den Mushi from Buzhi’s hand and said calmly:

“If you want your men to live, come to the Baratie, the sea restaurant. Coordinates are…”

On the other end of the line,

Gao Wen’s face darkened instantly.

Currently, the Gao Wen Pirates dominated the East Blue almost entirely.

Aside from the Marines, no faction would dare attack his people—even if the Marines did, they wouldn’t act this way.

Besides, whether any Marine in the East Blue even dared to target his men was still questionable.

So the answer could only be one…

“A pirate from the Grand Line?”

“I don’t recall ever crossing paths with any pirate from there.”

“Who are you?”

Mihawk replied calmly:

“A swordsman, a little bored, who enjoys watching new seeds sprout.”

“I happened to spot a decent seed in the East Blue, curious to see what kind of flower it might bloom into.”

“….”

Instantly, a figure flashed through Gao Wen’s mind:

“Eagle Eye—Mihawk?!”

“Sharp perception.”

Mihawk slowly sheathed his black blade, his interest in Gao Wen deepening further:

“From now until sunset tomorrow, if you don’t arrive, your men who would rather die than betray you… will drown in the sea.”

“Duuu—!”

Gao Wen stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, its glow fading, his expression shifting between dark and uncertain.

He knew little of Mihawk’s temperament.

He only knew this was a man who once slaughtered an entire fleet of five thousand just because someone disturbed his nap, then chased them all the way from the Grand Line to the East Blue.

“This time… trouble’s big…”

"What kind of milk is this damn mouth giving?!"

(End of Chapter)