Mox’s footsteps echoed across the wooden platform stretching over the sea.
Every step landed like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of everyone watching.
Ripples visible to the naked eye spread through the air around him.
The wooden platform groaned beneath the pressure, while even the waves in the distance seemed intimidated by the invisible force, their violent surging gradually slowing.
Hawkeye Mihawk, who had been casually leaning against the railing of his ship, finally moved.
His sharp, hawk-like eyes narrowed slightly.
The Black Blade, Yoru, which he had been casually rotating between his fingers, suddenly came to a stop.
The Conqueror’s Haki surging around Mox was like a tangible tide, washing over the surrounding sea layer by layer.
This wasn’t an ordinary display of intimidation.
It was the exceedingly rare disposition of a natural-born king.
Even Mihawk had no choice but to take it seriously.
“You want to challenge me too?”
Mihawk’s voice was calm and emotionless, yet carried an undeniable pressure.
The Black Blade, Yoru, trembled slightly in his hand, its hum seemingly answering its master’s battle intent.
Mox hurriedly waved his hands, a rebellious smile curling across his lips.
“No, no, don’t misunderstand.”
“I just want to smash you to death—or get myself hacked to death by you.”
“What?!
Is that kid insane?”
“He actually dares to say something like that to the World’s Strongest Swordsman!”
The Baratie chefs immediately erupted into an uproar.
“If he angers Hawkeye, we’ll all be caught in the crossfire!”
“Keep your voice down!
Can’t you see Boss Zeff is completely calm?”
Zeff struck his cane firmly against the deck.
“What are you panicking about?
There’s no killing intent in Hawkeye’s blade.
That kid knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Mihawk raised an eyebrow.
The blade tilted slightly, cold light reflecting from its surface.
“Oh?”
“What are you relying on?”
Mox’s mind raced.
I obviously can’t tell him that my trump card is the Trash-Trash Fruit’s special resistance to slashing attacks after communicating with the system.
And I certainly can’t tell him that I want to collect the fragments he cuts apart so I can harvest special energy and forge two new swords for Zoro.
Nor can I admit that Garp has already cleared out most of the powerful figures in the East Blue, leaving me with no choice but to use Mihawk as a benchmark for my strength…
He straightened his back and spoke loudly.
“My trump card is a boast I once made.”
“I said I’d fight you for three days and three nights.”
“Now I’m here to make good on that promise!”
(Chapter 3 — The Club Pirates.)
“So it was you.”
A trace of understanding flashed through Mihawk’s eyes.
“The reason I came to the East Blue this time was precisely to see who was bold enough to borrow my name to make a name for himself.”
In the distance, Gin was secretly helping the badly wounded Krieg board the Baratie’s supply boat.
When Krieg heard Mihawk’s words, he trembled with rage.
“So that’s it!
Beating me was only something you did along the way!”
“You actually came here to meet that long-haired brat!”
“You just wait!
We’ll settle this in the Grand Line!”
“Boss, keep your voice down!”
Gin hurriedly covered Krieg’s mouth.
“They’re all focused over there.
Let’s take advantage of the chaos and leave!”
The two hid at the stern, watching the tense confrontation on the platform.
In the end, neither dared remain any longer.
Before the words had even finished leaving Mox’s mouth, the Black Blade, Yoru, was already moving.
Its pitch-black blade seemed to swallow all surrounding light.
Conqueror’s Haki erupted like ink exploding through water, spreading outward in waves.
Even the sea breeze seemed to freeze wherever the pressure passed.
Utensils on the deck clattered to the floor.
The more timid chefs had already hidden behind pillars.
“My god!
Is this the aura of the World’s Strongest Swordsman?!”
“I can’t even breathe from his pressure alone!”
“Look at Mox!
He’s not even moving!”
“Of course he isn’t!
Would anyone dare challenge Hawkeye without having something to back it up?”
The chefs whispered among themselves, nervous yet unable to tear their eyes away from the battle.
Mox, however, smiled.
Since I’ve started this, I might as well go completely crazy.
He slowly raised a hand toward the sky.
“Mo Yun—appear!”
As his voice rang out, the space before him seemed to split open.
A bizarre weapon materialized in his palm.
Its head was shaped like a lion’s head with curved horns.
A mane resembling steel needles exploded outward, conveniently concealing the connection between the lion’s head and the black steel shaft at its center.
Strange cloud-like patterns were engraved along the shaft.
At the other end extended a section of metallic chain resembling a whip’s tail.
At the end of the chain was a sharp steel spike shaped like a lion’s tail.
It trembled faintly.
At that exact moment, the sky suddenly darkened.
Black clouds churned overhead.
Several streaks of violet-blue lightning tore through them, illuminating Mox standing with the weapon in his hand.
A red gleam flashed through the lion’s eyes.
Its mouth slowly opened and closed.
A low growl emerged.
It looked almost alive.
“Wow… that’s amazing!”
“Is that Mox’s weapon?”
Luffy clung to the railing, his eyes practically popping out of his head as he clenched his fists excitedly.
“I’ve never seen him use that before!”
“Is he getting serious?”
“Whoa!
The lion’s head moves!”
“Usopp, look!
That’s so cool!”
Usopp’s face had gone pale, but he couldn’t resist poking his head out.
“Hey, Luffy… th-that… what kind of monster is that weapon?!”
“A weapon with a life of its own?!
I’ve never even heard of such a thing!”
“Usopp, help me up.”
Zoro gritted his teeth.
Blood and grime covered his face, but his stubborn expression hadn’t changed.
Even seriously wounded, he was determined to watch the battle with his own eyes.
Sanji lit a cigarette, blue smoke rings drifting away in the wind.
“So this is your real strength, Mox?”
Nami watched the battlefield anxiously.
Then she turned and saw Luffy practically bouncing with excitement.
She punched him directly on the head.
“Try looking a little more worried, idiot captain!”
“Your opponent is a legendary monster!”
The Baratie chefs were already dumbfounded.
“No way…”
“That pressure isn’t inferior to Hawkeye’s at all!”
“What the hell has Mox been through during the past year?”
“We knew he was decent at cooking, but we never imagined he could fight like this!”
“Was he always this strong?”
“Then why was he hiding it all this time?!”
Mox ignored the commotion around him and silently communicated with the system.
“System, put all available Energy into the Eight Trigrams Staff.”
[Ding!
Energy consumed.
Eight Trigrams Staff proficiency increased to Mastery.]
A warm current instantly spread throughout his body.
His understanding of the Eight Trigrams Staff techniques became as clear as though the knowledge had been carved directly into his bones.
He tightened his grip on Mo Yun with one hand.
The lion’s head on its tip released a low growl.
Mox pointed it directly at Mihawk.
“Mox.
Eight Trigrams Staff.”
“Please enlighten me.”
Before the words had even finished, he launched himself forward using the Eight Trigrams footwork technique known as Shooting Step.
His body shot forward like an arrow, kicking up a fierce gust that sent splinters of wood flying across the deck.
In the blink of an eye, he reached Mihawk.
Mo Yun descended with immense force, its shaft stretched taut.
It was Autumn Wind Sweeps the Fallen Leaves, a technique from the “Sweep” principle of the Eight Trigrams Staff.
But halfway through the strike, Mox abruptly changed techniques.
The lion’s head suddenly dipped.
Its jaws snapped toward Mihawk’s sword hand.
“Oh?”
A faint smile appeared on Mihawk’s face.
“That is interesting.”
His wrist turned slightly.
The Black Blade, Yoru, crossed his body at an incredible angle.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the weapons collided.
The steel shaft of Mo Yun bent slightly from the impact.
But Mox used the rebound to wrap the weapon around Yoru.
This was the essence of the Entangle principle.
Like a venomous snake coiling around a tree, Mo Yun slid along Yoru’s blade, instantly neutralizing the force behind Mihawk’s block.
“What an incredibly fast change of technique!”
“That staff style looks simple at first, but there are actually so many tricks hidden inside it!”
“He blocked one of Hawkeye’s attacks without losing ground!”
“This kid really is something!”
A trace of surprise flashed through Mihawk’s eyes.
His wrist twisted sharply, creating a flourish of steel.
Yoru swept out like a crescent moon, forcing Mox to retreat half a step.
“This weapon is rather strange.”
Mihawk’s eyes briefly settled on the lion’s head.
“Is it the product of a SMILE Fruit ability?”
His swordsmanship, however, did not slow.
Yoru seemed to have come alive in his hand.
Every slash carried enough power to tear through space.
The blade wind swept across the wooden platform, slicing it apart in perfectly clean lines.
Mox didn’t retreat.
He advanced instead.
His feet moved through the Hook-and-Sway Step of the Eight Trigrams footwork, his body weaving through the shadows of the blades like a swimming dragon.
When Mihawk brought Yoru down in a powerful vertical slash, Mox neither dodged nor retreated.
Instead, he swung Mo Yun in a wide circle.
The staff cut a perfect arc through the air with a fierce roar.
It was Wind-Fire Wheel, from the “Circle” principle.
The technique forcibly redirected Yoru’s descending slash to the side.
Taking advantage of the moment when Mihawk’s initial force had been exhausted and his next movement had yet to develop, Mox gave his wrist a subtle flick.
The steel spike at the end of Mo Yun suddenly shot forward.
Like a white snake striking its prey, it thrust toward Mihawk’s chest.
It was the explosive short-range force of the Snap principle.
“Beautiful!”
“He actually found an opening between Hawkeye’s slashes and counterattacked!”
“This isn’t a fight anymore!”
“They’re dancing on the edge of a blade!”
Mihawk pivoted sharply around his left foot.
Yoru swept close to his body, leaving behind an afterimage.
He precisely deflected the steel spike.
At the instant blade and spike collided, Mihawk suddenly changed techniques.
Yoru flipped and swept horizontally.
Its angle was extremely tricky, aimed directly at Mox’s waist.
Mox was already prepared.
He slid backward half a foot using the Mud-Walking Step of the Eight Trigrams footwork.
At the same time, Mo Yun suddenly dropped.
The base of the staff thrust upward, striking directly against the spine of Yoru.
It was the principle of Using a Long Weapon at Short Range.
Mox used the butt of the staff to receive the attack.
Then the tip suddenly rose.
Like a dragonfly lightly touching the surface of water, it struck toward Mihawk’s left hand—the hand holding his hat.
It was the precise striking technique of the Point principle.
Ding!
Mihawk simply raised his left hand.
His index and middle fingers caught the incoming staff tip.
He hadn’t expected this seemingly chaotic staff style to be so sophisticated.
Its transitions between hardness and softness were completely fluid, as though the weapon had become an extension of its wielder’s body.
The two immediately became locked in close combat.
The black light of Yoru spread across the battlefield like splashed ink.
Every slash contained enough force to cleave a massive ship apart.
Mo Yun, meanwhile, moved like a serpent through the shadows of the blade.
Sometimes it swept outward like a raging autumn wind.
At other times, it struck with the subtle precision of fine rain piercing through a needle’s eye.
The lion’s head at its tip would occasionally snap its jaws.
The steel spike at the end of the flexible chain was even more difficult to defend against.
Several times, it passed dangerously close to Mihawk’s cheek, the resulting gust whipping his black hair into disarray.
“My god!
They’re moving too fast!”
“I can’t even see their techniques!”
“Hawkeye is actually being tied down?!”
“Who would believe this if we told them?!”
“Come on, Mox!”
“Show those Grand Line pirates what the East Blue can do!”
The chefs became increasingly excited.
Before they even realized it, they were cheering for Mox.
Mox pushed the Change principle of the Eight Trigrams Staff to its absolute limit.
His techniques were impossible to predict.
What appeared to be a sweeping strike concealed a thrust.
What looked like a defensive maneuver instantly became an entangling attack.
He moved like an elite dancer walking along the edge of death, his footwork exquisite.
The staff constantly remained close to Yoru, moving around the blade.
It resembled the principle of Reading the opponent’s movements from Taijiquan, allowing him to neutralize Mihawk’s attacks by the smallest possible margin.
But Mihawk was, after all, the World’s Strongest Swordsman.
After several dozen exchanges, he had already figured out the principles behind Mox’s staff techniques.
When Mox once again used the Entangle principle to wrap around Yoru—
Mihawk suddenly shouted.
His Conqueror’s Haki and Armament Haki erupted simultaneously.
Yoru suddenly vibrated violently.
A tremendous force surged through the blade.
Crack!
Mox’s arm went numb.
His entangling technique was instantly broken.
He used the impact to retreat rapidly.
But the blade followed him like his shadow.
The edge passed across his cheek, leaving a thin line of blood.
Mox touched his cheek.
A layer of pale-blue gelatinous material emerged over the wound, slowly filling the damaged skin.
This was one of the properties of his Devil Fruit ability.
His body possessed unusual regenerative resistance against slashing attacks.
But it wasn’t completely invulnerable.
The muscles beneath the gelatin still throbbed with pain.
Mihawk’s casual slash had clearly penetrated his surface defenses.
“He’s hurt!”
“Don’t worry!”
“Look!
The wound is healing by itself!”
“His physique is ridiculous!”
Mihawk watched the wound on Mox’s face rapidly close.
His gaze grew deeper.
Not only was the young man’s staff technique sophisticated, but his physique was also extremely strange.
Ordinary slashes could barely cause meaningful damage.
Even when reinforced with Armament Haki, a casual attack could only barely break through his defenses.
And then there was that bizarre weapon.
The lion’s head could bite.
The flexible steel spike was difficult to predict.
One mistake would be enough to get caught.
If this kid is allowed to mature…
He will undoubtedly become a monster.
As Mihawk considered this, Mox had already closed in.
Mo Yun seemed to come alive in his hands.
The shaft bent into an unnatural arc, wrapping around the hilt of Yoru from an impossible angle.
“Let go!”
Mox shouted.
Both arms exerted force.
The cloud patterns engraved on Mo Yun’s steel shaft began to glow faintly.
Mihawk twisted his wrist.
Yoru suddenly accelerated into a spin.
The air generated by the blade formed a vortex that forcibly shook Mo Yun away.
Mihawk took a step forward.
Yoru descended with overwhelming force.
This slash contained roughly ten percent of his strength.
Before the blade even arrived, cracks resembling a spiderweb had already spread across the platform from the force of the blade wind.
Mox’s pupils contracted.
His feet instantly shifted into the Eight Trigrams position.
His body bent backward at an angle that seemed to defy the laws of anatomy.
The blade passed within a hair’s breadth of his nose.
It cleaved straight through the wooden deck behind him.
At this critical moment between life and death, Mo Yun suddenly slipped from Mox’s hand.
It arced through the air.
He caught it behind his back and immediately swung it horizontally.
This was the pinnacle of the “Sweep” principle.
The staff tore through the air and slammed toward Mihawk’s waist.
“Too close!”
“I thought he was going to get cut in half!”
“That reaction speed is insane!”
“If that were me, I’d already be in two pieces!”
Mihawk turned Yoru and blocked.
BOOM!
The collision forced Mox several steps backward.
The wind generated by Mo Yun struck Mihawk’s cowboy hat.
The lion’s jaws bit into the brim, tearing out a chunk.
Mihawk raised a hand and adjusted his hat.
Mox staggered backward.
A deep, bone-exposing slash wound stretched across his chest.
Pale-blue gelatinous material surrounded the wound, but its healing speed had clearly slowed.
Although Mihawk’s previous slash had not struck him directly, the residual force of the blade had still torn through his defenses.
His stamina was clearly approaching its limit.
This exchange of offense and defense continued for two full hours.
The platform was already devastated.
Water poured through the broken sections, forming puddles across the battered deck.
As the sun began to set, Mox finally reached his limit.
His legs gave way.
He collapsed onto the deck.
The gelatinous layer covering his chest had dimmed considerably.
Even the regenerative power of his Devil Fruit was approaching its limit.
Mihawk stood before him with Yoru resting against his shoulder.
His breathing was slightly heavier than before.
His cowboy hat, its brim torn by the bite of the lion’s head, sat crookedly upon his head.
He looked down at Mox.
His golden eyes revealed emotions that were difficult to read.
Finally, Mihawk turned and walked toward his small boat.
His black coat fluttered in the sea breeze.
As he stepped aboard, he suddenly looked back at Zoro.
“The East Blue truly is an interesting place.”
“Surpass me, Roronoa Zoro.”
His gaze swept toward the excited Luffy and Nami in the distance.
“And that hat belongs to you, doesn’t it, kid?”
“Don’t bring shame upon it.”
He then looked toward Mox.
“Jelly Boy, if your physique is strong enough, then perhaps you really could fight me for three days and three nights.”
“I’ll admit that much.”
Mox grinned.
He wanted to say something, but all that came out was a cough accompanied by blood.
He no longer even had the strength to raise his hand.
“It’s over…”
“Even though Mox collapsed, lasting that long against Hawkeye is already a miracle!”
“After this battle, his name is going to spread throughout the East Blue!”
The chefs watched Mihawk’s departing boat before looking back at Mox.
They were filled with emotion.
The small boat cut through the waves and gradually disappeared beyond the horizon.
Mox lay on the deck, staring at the darkening sky.
He still tightly gripped Mo Yun in his hand.
The lion’s eyes flickered.
It gently rubbed against his palm, almost as though comforting him.
Zoro, supported by Usopp, stared intently in the direction Mihawk had disappeared.
“Just wait…”
“I’ll definitely surpass you.”
Luffy suddenly ran over and crouched beside Mox.
He poked Mox’s arm.
“Mox, are you okay?”
“You were amazing!”
“That lion’s head moves!”
“Is it actually alive?”
Mox shook his head weakly while panting.
“The reason I was able to fight him for so long is because Mihawk was interested in my staff techniques.”
“He probably used no more than ten percent of his strength.”
“And my ability naturally has an advantage against slashing attacks.”
He sighed.
“Looks like we’re still a long way from reaching the top.”
He then glanced at Luffy’s finger.
“And stop poking it.”
“It bites.”
Nami rolled her eyes.
But she still walked over and tossed a set of clean clothes toward Mox.
“Don’t be discouraged.”
“Being able to fight Hawkeye for that long means you’re going to become famous.”
“Now patch yourself up.
Don’t just lie there pretending to be dead.”
Mox smiled as he caught the clothes.
He looked down at his own shredded outfit.
There wasn’t a single undamaged section left.
Still, the torn section of Mihawk’s hat was his only real “trophy.”
The gap between them was indeed enormous.
Yet Mox wasn’t particularly discouraged.
The shattered deck around him and the iron plates split apart by Mihawk’s sword were still saturated with powerful traces of sword intent.
And that meant—
They were excellent sources of recyclable energy.
That should be enough to forge two good swords for Zoro, right?
His Haki was completely exhausted.
His physical strength was nearly gone as well.
But he still had enough strength to control his weapon.
Mox struggled upright.
He gripped Mo Yun and pointed it toward the pieces of wooden debris scattered across the sea.
The lion’s head at the tip slowly opened its mouth.
A faint but steady suction force emerged from within.
This was a special effect created by combining his Devil Fruit ability with the weapon.
It could absorb discarded objects containing residual energy.
[Ding!
Absorbed wood contaminated by sword intent.
Energy +1,000.
Decomposition yielded 10 units of Sword Stone!]
[Ding!
Absorbed iron plate containing residual Armament Haki.
Energy +3,000.
Decomposition yielded 35 units of Sword Stone!]
System notifications continued ringing.
Mox simply muted them.
Several minutes later, every piece of debris in the surrounding area had been completely absorbed.
Even the wooden boards beneath his feet, covered in sword scars, were “swallowed” by the lion’s head.
As Mox stood on the Baratie’s deck, Mo Yun suddenly began to grow warm.
The cloud patterns along its shaft lit up like stars.
The red glow in the lion’s eyes intensified.
It’s evolving?
Mox’s heart stirred.
Afraid of attracting attention, he immediately stored the weapon inside his System Storage Space.
His stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.
“Sanji, I’m hungry!”
“I am too!”
Luffy immediately joined in.
His stomach growled even louder than Mox’s.
Sanji poked his head out of the kitchen, a smile on his lips.
“You two are hopeless.”
He turned back toward the kitchen.
“Just wait.”
“Today, I’ll show you what real cooking is like!”
“I guarantee you’ll want to swallow your own tongues!”
Mox communicated with the System Storage Space and dumped out all the ingredients he had stockpiled.
They piled up into a small mountain.
“We’re treating everyone to this meal.”
He looked at Luffy.
“That’s okay with you, right?”
“Of course!”
“Let’s have a banquet!”
Luffy immediately jumped up and cheered.
He even waved toward the chefs.
“Everyone, come join us!”
“Tonight, nobody leaves sober!”
The chefs immediately perked up.
“Then I’ll show off my signature thyme-grilled meat!”
“Please.
With your cooking?”
“Watch me make butter lobster.
Even Miss Nami will love it!”
“Stop arguing and come help carry the ingredients!”
Everyone laughed and joked as they carried the ingredients inside.
Before long, Mox had changed his clothes and was already smelling the irresistible aromas drifting from the kitchen.
When Sanji pushed the food cart out, several chefs followed behind him.
Each carried enormous plates of food.
Sizzling grilled meat skewers.
Butter lobster nestled beneath golden puff pastry.
A fruit tart piled high with colorful berries, syrup slowly flowing down from its peak and glittering beneath the lights.
“Whoa!”
Luffy’s eyes went wide.
Before anyone could react, he lunged forward, grabbed a meat skewer, and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Delicious!
Delicious!”
“Idiot!
Nobody’s going to steal it from you!”
Nami laughed as she slapped his hand away.
She couldn’t resist taking a piece of fruit tart herself.
After taking a small bite, her eyes immediately curved into crescents.
“Sanji, this cream is so refreshing.
It’s not greasy at all!”
Sanji immediately straightened proudly.
The corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears.
“Of course, Miss Nami!”
“A special fruit tart made just for you, along with my signature Bouncy-Bouncy Cake!”
He deliberately placed another slice of cake onto Nami’s plate.
“Hmph.
Always trying to impress women.”
Zoro curled his lip.
But he still picked up an entire grilled lobster, cracked open the shell with one hand, and took a large gulp of liquor.
“This drink isn’t bad, though.”
“Much stronger than that batch we stole last time.”
Mox was happily drinking a bowl of Seafood Chowder.
Hearing this, he looked up with a grin.
“Of course.”
“Buggy had been hiding this for three years, and even Red-Haired Shanks had his eye on it.”
“If we hadn’t just gone through such a brutal battle, I wouldn’t have brought it out.”
“Mox, you’re something else!”
A fat chef came over carrying a bowl of liquor.
His face was full of admiration.
“I’ve never seen such an incredible fight in my life!”
“You actually fought Hawkeye for that long!”
“Who taught you that staff technique?”
“It looks like dancing, but every move can block Yoru!”
“Exactly!”
Another chef immediately joined in.
“At first, I thought you’d gone crazy.”
“Turns out you really had the skills!”
“Your weapon is strange too.”
“That lion’s head actually bites people!”
“Did it eat some kind of Devil Fruit?”
Mox was just about to answer when Usopp cut in.
“You haven’t even seen his more incredible feats!”
“Last time we were on some island, he smashed a boulder three stories tall into powder with a single strike!”
“That lion’s head even breathed fire!”
Usopp waved his arms around dramatically, exaggerating Mox’s achievements to the heavens.
“The Liar King is at it again!”
Nami laughed.
“You probably dreamed all that.”
“I did not!”
Usopp’s face turned bright red.
“I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Mox even said…”
“He said he was going to bite a huge hole in Hawkeye’s hat!”
“And look!”
“He actually did it!”
Everyone followed Usopp’s gaze toward Mox.
When they remembered the chunk missing from Mihawk’s hat, the entire restaurant burst into laughter.
“Speaking of which…”
Zeff walked over to Mox, leaning on his cane.
He placed a bowl of liquor beside him.
“That Devil Fruit of yours really is unusual.”
“Special resistance to slashing attacks?”
“No wonder you were able to last so long.”
Mox raised his bowl and clinked it against Zeff’s.
He drained it before answering.
“Something like that.”
“But the main reason is that Hawkeye was interested in studying my techniques.”
“At his level, if he actually wanted to kill me, I wouldn’t last a single exchange.”
“To make someone like him fight seriously at all is already an impressive achievement.”
Zeff looked at him with approval.
“The East Blue hasn’t produced a promising new generation in a long time.”
“You brats…”
“You remind me of the sea when I was young.”
The banquet grew increasingly lively.
The chefs brought out their finest barrels of liquor.
Someone picked up a guitar and began playing a pirate song.
Luffy danced along with the rhythm.
Zoro and Mox played drinking games, and whoever lost had to down an entire bowl of strong liquor.
Before long, both were red-faced.
“Once we’re recovered, we’ll set out for the Grand Line!”
Luffy suddenly shouted, raising his bowl.
“We’re going to kick Arlong’s ass!”
“Yeah!”
Zoro and Mox raised their bowls at the same time.
Nami rolled her eyes, though the corners of her lips couldn’t help curving upward.
Usopp was so excited that he nearly fell off the table.
The Baratie chefs looked at the young pirates with envy in their eyes.
A young chef sighed.
“I envy them.”
“They actually dare to venture into the Grand Line.”
“Unlike us.
We’re satisfied just running this restaurant.”
“Who says otherwise?”
The fat chef took another drink.
“But watching them makes me feel young again.”
“Maybe one day, we’ll see their names in the newspaper.”
Late that night, the banquet gradually came to an end.
Drunken figures lay scattered across the deck, all wearing satisfied smiles.
Sanji leaned against the railing and watched his sleeping companions.
He flicked his cigarette into the sea.
The direction of the glowing ember was the direction of his journey.