Ajin brought Don Krieg to the restaurant, and Krieg collapsed to the ground from hunger.
Sanji cooked fried rice for him, but after eating, Krieg not only struck Sanji, but he also demanded that the chefs prepare meals for 100 people.
"Nami, are you leaving?" Lock, who was standing on the deck of the Baratie, asked.
"I'm sorry, Lock. I was really happy being with you, but I have to go now. We'll meet again someday~"
"Don't forget to say goodbye to Luffy and the others for me..."
Without waiting for Lock to reply, Nami sailed away.
"Hey, hey, hey! Is it okay to let Big Sister Nami leave like that?"
"Yeah, aren't you the vice-captain of this ship?"
Johnny and Joseph, who had just been kicked into the sea by Nami, asked Lock in confusion.
"You don't need to worry. I'll explain it to Luffy later."
With that, Lock returned to the restaurant.
"By the way, Gin... didn't you say you knew nothing about the Grand Line? But you've been there, haven't you?"
Luffy asked curiously.
Gulp—
"It's true that I don't know much... On the seventh day after we entered the Grand Line, we encountered an unimaginable monster!"
Gin held his head in fear as he remembered.
"He alone... destroyed our fleet of 50 ships, more than 5,000 men... only 100 of us survived his clutches."
"Alive!"
"We came back alive from that pirate graveyard!"
The remnants of Don Krieg's crew cheered in relief.
The corners of Krieg's mouth curled upward.
"That's right... Now we can challenge the Grand Line again."
"Eh?"
The pirates' joy quickly turned into dread and unwillingness.
"What's with those faces?!"
Krieg roared and shot a protesting pirate dead on the spot.
But they had no idea—the man who forced them back to the East Blue had already caught up with them.
Splash...
A small boat slowly approached Krieg's massive ship. Two candles burned with eerie green flames at their sides.
On the boat sat a man in a black and red coat, a wide-brimmed hat shadowing his calm, solemn face. Around his neck hung a cross-shaped pendant.
His eyes were lowered, lips shut tight, as though lost in thought.
As the boat drew closer, the man slowly unsheathed the massive black blade on his back—Yoru.
Whoosh—CLANG!
He swung the sword once, then returned it to its sheath.
Crack—BOOM!
In that instant, Krieg's massive galleon split down the middle, waves crashing violently across its deck.
"W-what happened?!" Krieg shouted in shock.
"C-Captain! It's him—Dracule Mihawk is here!"
Panic spread among the crew as their ship broke apart.
"You bastard! Why chase us all this way?!"
One desperate pirate yelled toward Mihawk.
Mihawk calmly replied, "It's just to kill time."
"Such a soft sword..."
Zoro stepped forward, his eyes locked on Mihawk.
Mihawk turned to him, expression unreadable.
"A sword with only brute force has no true strength."
"That sword... it cut this massive ship in half..."
"Exactly."
Excitement and nerves coursed through Zoro. He tied his bandana firmly on his head.
"I went to sea for one purpose... to defeat you."
"My goal is clear—The Strongest!"
Mihawk's lips curved into a faint smirk.
"How foolish..."
The clash between Zoro and Mihawk unfolded—Zoro's determination versus Mihawk's effortless dominance.
Despite his three-sword style and relentless attacks, Mihawk blocked everything with just the small knife from his cross pendant.
Zoro's strength was real, but his opponent was simply on another level.
Finally, Mihawk pierced Zoro's chest.
"Why don't you retreat?" Mihawk asked coldly.
"If I take one step back now, everything I've promised, everything I've sworn—it will all be lost. I can't retreat."
"You'd rather die?"
"Better dead than defeated!"
Moved by Zoro's resolve, Mihawk drew Yoru, the Black Sword.
"I will give you the honor of being struck down by the world's strongest blade."
The clash ended with Zoro's defeat—two swords shattered, his body broken, but his spirit unyielding.
Facing Mihawk, arms spread wide, Zoro declared:
"The scars on the back are a swordsman's shame!"
With respect, Mihawk dealt his final strike.
"Zoro—!"
Luffy cried out as his swordsman fell.
But Mihawk reassured him: "Your comrade still lives."
Zoro gasped through blood and tears:
"Luffy... if I can't become the strongest swordsman in the world... I'll only be a burden to you. I will never lose again! Until I defeat him, I will never lose again!"
Luffy smiled, shouting: "Of course! I'll be King of the Pirates, and you'll be the world's greatest swordsman!"
At that moment, Lock leapt from the Baratie into the air, flying straight toward Zoro's boat.
"Is that man... flying?!"
Chefs and pirates alike gawked in disbelief.
Hawkeye narrowed his eyes. "Is he also one of your crew?"
"Yes!" Luffy grinned. "That's my vice-captain—Lock! He even has magic!"
"Magic?" Mihawk muttered, intrigued.
Lock landed softly beside the wounded Zoro.
"You three, step aside. I'll treat him."
He placed his hand over Zoro's chest.
"Healing Without Trace."
Rustle—
Before everyone's eyes, Zoro's wounds vanished, not even scars remaining.
Zoro sat up in shock. "My injuries... they're gone? Not even a mark left..."
Lock smiled. "All taken care of."
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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