Slender Shad's ridicule didn't faze the man in black.
Though he was deeply wary of Rojen's crew, the force backing his own organization was no joke either. In his mind, no one could possibly ignore that battle-hardened powerhouse who had survived countless wars, a man with the potential to become one of the sovereigns of the New World.
"They won't refuse the Boss's request!" the man in black barked, grit teeth.
Leaving Slender Shad behind, he immediately began digging for info on Rojen's whereabouts. It took his men only half an hour to find out where the crew had gone. They boarded their ship, changed course, and headed straight for the opposite side of Jaya.
"You're looking for me? But I don't know any of you," Mont Blanc Cricket replied coldly after a brief pause. He clearly had no interest in talking to Rojen's group, his expression remaining completely indifferent.
"What if I told you we're here because of Skypiea?" Rojen said casually, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"What?!"
Cricket froze, genuine shock flashing in his eyes. He had spent years on this island, and not a single person had ever believed the legend of Skypiea. Over time, even he had begun to doubt it. But the beliefs passed down by his ancestors were buried too deep for him to ever completely let go.
"You should know a way to get there, the route to Skypiea," Rojen continued, unbothered by Cricket's silence.
Cricket stared at him blankly, suspicion creeping into his eyes. He still couldn't bring himself to believe these people were actually here for the Sky Island.
"Whether Skypiea even exists is still a question. You should leave," Cricket said in a low voice, lighting a cigarette. He hadn't even figured it out for himself yet; how was he supposed to help anyone else?
"No. Skypiea exists," Rojen answered with absolute certainty. "Look."
As he spoke, two figures stepped forward from behind him, one large, one small. Both had wings and looked distinctly different from ordinary humans. It was Dina and her father.
"This is...?!"
Cricket was stunned. As he stared at the pair, his entire worldview shifted. The doubts and uncertainty he had carried for years instantly vanished, replaced by pure conviction.
"Just like the records left by my ancestors... Winged Shandians. A land made of white clouds. Skypiea really does exist in this world," he murmured to himself, a storm of emotions swirling inside him.
From the day he was born, he had carried the stigma of being a descendant of the "Liar" Mont Blanc Noland. The world's ridicule, the endless doubts, the years spent researching, diving, and searching for proof... at this very moment, it was finally confirmed that none of it had been in vain.
"Skypiea... really exists?" he asked again, almost dazed.
"It exists!" Dina shouted back. She couldn't understand why these blue-sea people always refused to believe her home was real.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Cricket stared at Dina for a long moment, then suddenly burst into roaring laughter. It was a laugh of pure, unadulterated joy. He laughed so hard that tears welled up and streamed down his face. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he wiped at his eyes, letting the tears run freely down his cheeks.
"After all these years... Mont Blanc Noland was right. He never lied!" The certainty in his voice echoed clearly across the shore, a massive smile finally breaking across his face.
Rojen asked again, "Will you help us, Mont Blanc Cricket?"
Cricket exhaled a thick puff of smoke and nodded, his smile steady despite the tear stains on his face. "Yeah. I'll help you."
Behind Rojen, the members of the Nether Soul Pirates all broke into grins.
Just as Rojen's group and Cricket reached an agreement, a small vessel slowly approached Mock Town's harbor.
To be more precise, it wasn't really a ship at all. It was a strange, coffin-like raft. Candles burning with eerie blue flames stood upon it, and its enormous mast resembled the hilt of a giant sword.
A man sat aboard the raft with one leg crossed over the other. He wore a dark patterned shirt, a black coat, and a wide-brimmed hat. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. Expressionless, he gazed at the bustling town ahead, a dangerous glint reflecting in his eyes.
As the raft touched the shore, a few pirates noticed the bizarre vessel and its lone passenger. But the moment they got a clear look at him, their jaws dropped, and they quickly shut their mouths, terrified to utter a single word. On the streets, those who recognized the man and his raft went dead silent and hurriedly stepped aside, desperate to stay out of his way.
They watched in breathless silence as the eagle-eyed swordsman stepped ashore. With a massive black sword strapped to his back, he asked a few locals for directions before heading toward a nearby bar.
It was the exact same tavern where Rojen's group had been mocked the day before. Inside, several pirates familiar with Kabuki were drinking and chatting.
"Just who the hell was that guy yesterday? Way too creepy."
"I heard that after Kabuki knelt down, nobody could get him back up, no matter how hard they pulled."
"Hey, did you hear? Kabuki already set out a little while ago. After finally standing up, he couldn't take the humiliation. He probably went to hunt that guy down."
"Really? Kabuki's got guts. Still, that crew didn't look like pushovers."
"Come on, this is Kabuki we're talking about, the 'Meat Grinder' with a 58 million Beli bounty! That guy probably just used some weird trick. If Kabuki goes all out, he'll crush him."
The group kept drinking, cup after cup disappearing as the alcohol fueled their excitement.
"I'd say those rookies are finished today. Once Kabuki blows his top, he'll tear 'em to pieces!"
"When Kabuki gets mad, nobody survives."
"Poor rookies. What a waste of life."
Their words sounded sympathetic, but their faces were twisted with gloating amusement.
"Well, that's just the rule of the sea. The strong eat the…"
Before the pirate could finish his speech on survival, a brilliant slash suddenly flashed through the air.
Right before their shocked eyes, the tavern doors were instantly split apart, shattering into splinters. In the next breath, the flying slash slammed into the pirates standing near the entrance, blasting them away as blood sprayed through the air.
The blade flashed again. The edge of the attack skimmed right past several pirates' faces, completely shredding the bar counter into toothpicks.
"W-What the hell?!" the pirates screamed in pure panic.
Before the words could even leave their mouths, a figure stepped through the ruined doorway. The sheer pressure radiating from him froze everyone in place. And when they finally recognized the man, every single pirate swallowed hard.
"Hawk-Eye Mihawk!"
"My God... why is he here?!"
The entire bar fell deathly silent. No one dared to breathe loudly, let alone speak.
Rojen's crew had been missing for four or five years, so it made sense that the newer pirates didn't recognize them. But Hawk-Eye Mihawk was different. This monster was a name etched deeply into the nightmares of every pirate on the sea.
"H-Hawk-Eye Mihawk... the man with a 450 million Beli bounty!" one pirate gasped, his voice trembling violently.
"H-Hawk-Eye... what brings you here?" another pirate stammered, desperately gathering his courage.
Mihawk swept his sharp gaze across the room and answered indifferently.
"I heard Kabuki was here."
"Where is he?"
"H-He isn't here! Why are you looking for him?" the pirates squeaked.
Mihawk's expression didn't change at all.
"To kill him."
(End Of This Chapter)
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