Just as Barrett was on the verge of completely losing control, the spectator who loved nothing more than chaos finally found his chance for revenge.
Enel—who had been itching to get back at both Hawk-Eye for beating him down earlier and Barrett for mocking him just moments ago—seized the opportunity without hesitation.
Suppressing the pain wracking his body, he leaned weakly against the remains of a broken wall. With his trademark, incendiary tone—dripping with mockery and deliberate provocation—he shouted loudly:
"Hey! Barrett! Did you hear that?! He said he doesn't want to waste time on you!"
Enel deliberately dragged out the word waste, a vicious grin spreading across his face.
"Tsk tsk tsk… looks like your big reputation doesn't impress him at all! He thinks you're not even worth it! Yehahaha!"
Those words were like pouring gasoline onto an open flame.
Barrett had already been displeased by Hawk-Eye's earlier remark. Now, with Enel fanning the flames so shamelessly, the battle lust burning in his eyes instantly turned a deeper, bloodshot red!
Terrifying killing intent mixed with unrestrained Conqueror's Haki erupted outward, thickening the air until it felt heavy and oppressive, as if it were pressing down on everyone present.
"You said… waste?!!"
Barrett's voice roared like something clawing its way up from hell itself as he locked his gaze onto Hawk-Eye, who stood calmly after sheathing his blade.
Every muscle in Barrett's body bulged once more, his pitch-black Armament Haki growing even denser and more ominous.
"Dracule Mihawk! Are you looking down on me?!"
His furious bellow exploded like thunder. Savage Conqueror's Haki surged outward, fused with killing intent so tangible it rattled the very ground—loose stones trembling and lifting slightly into the air.
Driven beyond restraint by Enel's taunts and Mihawk's indifferent attitude, Barrett's desire for battle drowned out all reason.
Before the echo of his roar had even faded—
BOOM!!
The ground beneath Barrett's feet collapsed into a massive crater.
In the next instant, a terrifying fist—coated in extreme Armament Haki, powerful enough to sink a warship with a single blow—ripped through the air like a colossal cannonball fired at point-blank range, hurtling straight toward Hawk-Eye, who stood there seemingly defenseless with his sword sheathed!
The speed and power of this punch far surpassed anything Barrett had shown before.
This was no mere outburst—Barrett was truly enraged, determined to smash this "arrogant" great swordsman straight into the ground!
Mihawk's pupils contracted slightly. Almost the instant Barrett erupted forward, Mihawk's right hand moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye, gripping the hilt of the blade on his back once more.
The cold edge of the Black Blade Yoru was about to be drawn again, ready to meet Barrett's earth-shattering blow head-on.
Mihawk's gaze sharpened to its absolute limit.
This strike—he would not hold anything back.
The full-force collision of two top-tier monsters was about to erupt.
Yet—at that very moment—
Whoosh!
A blurred stream of white particles, moving at a speed beyond visual perception, flickered into existence between them as if it had teleported.
Immediately after—
BOOM!!!
A suffocatingly heavy impact detonated, as though space itself had been dented inward.
A monstrous shockwave expanded outward in a perfect ring, staggering even Enel, who was closest, nearly knocking him flat.
At the center of the blast—
Barrett's all-out punch—capable of shattering mountains and splitting seas—was… forcibly stopped in midair.
A single hand, coated in equally deep, pitch-black Haki, had intercepted the fist with absolute precision and stability.
Where fist met palm, black-and-red lightning exploded wildly, crackling with an ear-piercing hiss.
Barrett's bloodshot eyes shrank violently, disbelief flooding his expression.
Because he saw—clearly—who had stopped him.
It was Gern Reginald Sigmar.
What shook Barrett even more was this—
Gern hadn't even turned to look at him.
Gern stood slightly sideways, one hand casually tucked into his pocket, the other calmly holding back Barrett's furious punch.
His gaze remained steady and unruffled, fixed entirely on Hawk-Eye across from him, as if Barrett's rage-fueled, full-power attack wasn't worth acknowledging.
That effortless, almost indifferent composure struck Barrett far harder than being blasted away ever could.
At nearly the same instant—
Another figure streaked into the battlefield like a phantom.
An orange-red blur tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound, moving just as terrifyingly fast—its target not Barrett, but Hawk-Eye's nearly fully drawn Black Blade.
"Nine Serpents Style · Morning Flowers, Evening Fallen!"
Snake Princess Toritoma had appeared out of nowhere.
Her slender saber, wrapped in tightly condensed Haki, did not meet Yoru head-on. Instead, her blade moved with exquisite flexibility, coiling upward like a living serpent.
With absolute precision, she latched onto the area near the guard of the Black Blade Yoru and sharply pulled to the side.
Clang—!
A crisp yet piercing screech of steel rang out.
Hawk-Eye's strike—imbued with his full power—was forcibly diverted by Snake Princess's perfectly timed, supple force, shifted by mere inches!
The blade sliced past Gern's back, cleaving the air itself, yet failing to touch its intended target.
Mihawk's sword cut empty space. His attack deflected, a flicker of surprise crossed his otherwise impassive face.
He instinctively stepped back half a pace, sharp eyes sweeping over the sudden intruder. Recognition followed immediately—this former officer of the Kuja Pirates, a great swordswoman in her own right.
"…You?" Mihawk said evenly. "Snake Princess."
His tone remained calm, but there was now a trace of scrutiny in his gaze.
Snake Princess withdrew after a single exchange, gracefully twirling her blade before letting it rest diagonally toward the ground, positioning herself just behind and to the side of Gern.
A lazy yet vigilant smile curved her exquisite features.
"Drawing your blade at my man while you're a guest on someone else's territory…" she said lightly, eyes never leaving Mihawk."That's hardly proper etiquette, is it, Hawk-Eye Mihawk?"
For a moment, a delicate stalemate settled over the dock.
Gern held back the enraged Barrett with one hand, his expression calm and unreadable.
Snake Princess stood guard with her blade drawn, firmly separating Mihawk from Gern.
Mihawk remained standing with his sword, gaze shifting between Gern and Snake Princess.
Barrett, restrained by Gern, simmered with unwillingness—but did not dare disobey.
And the true instigator, Enel, stared in wide-eyed shock from the sidelines, never having imagined things would escalate to this extent.
"G… Gern?" Barrett muttered instinctively, the power in his fist slackening on its own.
He could disregard anyone else.
But toward Gern, he held genuine reverence.
After all, to this very day, Barrett challenged him once every six months—and his win rate was effectively zero.
Hearing Barrett's voice, Gern finally turned his head, giving him a brief glance. His tone was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
"Barrett. Stand down."
Just four simple words—yet they struck like an invisible hammer, crushing the boiling rage and battle lust around Barrett.
He clenched his teeth. Unwilling though he was, he still withdrew his fist.
The Armament Haki covering his body slowly faded as he stepped back with a heavy snort, his eyes still glaring resentfully at Hawk-Eye.
Only after Barrett withdrew did Gern fully shift his attention to Mihawk. A faint hint of amusement entered his voice.
"Long time no see."
"Our 'man who will never lose again,' Mihawk."
With that, Gern waved a hand toward Snake Princess—still on guard—and the visibly annoyed Barrett.
"It's fine here. Go take care of your business."
Then, glancing at Enel, who was sprawled nearby, he added casually:
"Enel, just stay down. Lipo will come treat you in a bit."
All three responded with nods—each wearing a very different expression.
Only then did Gern turn back to Mihawk, gesturing politely.
"This isn't the place to talk."
"After ten years… how about we sit down in the new garden behind the base? It was only finished recently, but the scenery's not bad."
Mihawk took a slow breath, forcibly suppressing the lingering awkwardness. His usual cold composure returned, though a trace of stiffness still lingered in his eyes.
He nodded, re-securing the Black Blade Yoru on his back, and followed silently behind Gern.
The two walked one after the other, passing through the still partially damaged corridors of the base, until they reached the rear of a relatively intact building.
What had once been nothing but rubble had now been cleared away. Strange flowers and plants from the New World had been transplanted here, arranged into a simple, compact courtyard.
Though modest, for an island serving as a forward outpost of the G-10 base, it was a rare pocket of quiet tranquility.