Luffy clung to the massive trunk of a towering tree, craning his neck as he stared into the distance.
"Huh? It feels like things quieted down over there after that explosion?"
"Luffy, don't lower your guard!"
Sanji leaned against a nearby tree with an unlit cigarette between his lips. His eyes were sharp as he listened carefully to the lingering echoes in the forest.
"Anyone who hasn't been dealt with by Shirogai for this long isn't normal," he said in a low voice. "That kind of presence is easily at Emperors level."
"Huh? That's weird."
Luffy raised a hand to shield his eyes and squinted into the distance.
"Sanji, I think I saw someone familiar just now."
Sanji stiffened.
"Someone you know? Who?"
"The guy with the black longsword," Luffy said slowly. "The one who almost killed Zoro back then."
Before Luffy could finish his sentence, a terrifying wave of sword pressure tore through the forest.
"Move!"
Sanji barely had time to shout before vanishing from his spot.
Boom!!
Several massive tree trunks, each thicker than three men standing side by side, were sliced cleanly in half.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
The severed trunks were cut again midair into perfectly even segments before crashing heavily to the ground.
Rumble. Rumble.
Dust exploded upward, swallowing the forest in a choking haze.
…
From the edge of the ruined woodland, a tall man stepped forward slowly.
A massive black longsword rested across his back.
His sharp golden eyes swept indifferently across the destruction, watching the still-rolling tree segments without the slightest change in expression.
…
There was no emotion on his face, only cold detachment.
If not for the conditions he had agreed upon with Shirogai Yamikuro, he would never have bothered appearing personally just to intimidate a group of fledgling pirates.
…
Moments earlier.
"Hey, Mihawk, how about doing me a favor?"
Shirogai's calm, smiling voice echoed in Dracule Mihawk's mind.
"You've been holding back for a long time. Ever since Red Hair lost that arm, you haven't had a proper whetstone, have you?"
"What is it you want?" Mihawk asked coldly.
"Help me pressure my companions," Shirogai said with a light laugh. "Let them witness the bearing of the World's Greatest Swordsman."
"I need them to feel what true power is like. Just enough to push them forward."
"You could do this yourself," Mihawk replied, puzzled.
Pressure from a true powerhouse was something Shirogai could easily provide.
"They've never seen me as an enemy," Shirogai said helplessly. "No matter how strong I am, they don't feel threatened by me. It only makes them more relaxed."
Especially Nami, Usopp, and Chopper.
Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro were fine. Each of them had their own paths and convictions.
But Shirogai's presence had unintentionally sheltered the crew.
Battles against powerful enemies and being hunted by stronger foes were essential trials.
"A genuine life-and-death threat," Shirogai continued, his tone calm. "Without facing death head-on, they won't truly grow. And I can't bring myself to do that to them."
"The world has already changed course," he added quietly. "I need real monsters like you to remind them what death feels like."
"I see."
Mihawk's lips curled slightly, an unusual smile forming.
"You want to sharpen your crew using my blade."
"Exactly," Shirogai laughed. "And I won't take it for free. Once this is over, I'll fight you seriously. No restraint."
…
Mihawk fell silent for a moment.
"Very well," he said coldly.
…
Whoosh.
Sanji landed heavily on the ground, his expression grim as he stared at the devastated forest.
"What terrifying sword pressure," he muttered. "Even stronger than that moss-headed idiot…"
Before the slash even arrived, his Observation Haki had screamed danger.
At the instant the blade was unleashed, he barely managed to warn Luffy before using Moonwalk to escape.
"I hope Luffy dodged it…"
Sanji clenched his teeth.
"What a troublesome opponent."
His bitter smile faded as he stared at the figure holding the sword.
"Luffy wasn't wrong," he murmured. "I've definitely seen him before."
The man before him was unmistakable.
Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, just like Gecko Moria, the master of this island.
"You are the chef from that floating restaurant," Mihawk said calmly, lowering the black blade Yoru. "You are now Straw Hat Luffy's companion? Curious. I don't recall seeing you clearly on a wanted poster."
"Well… about that…"
Sanji looked down, lit his cigarette, and took a deep drag.
Thinking about the crude sketch on his poster, he exhaled slowly.
"Let's just pretend I don't exist."
He lifted his gaze and smiled faintly.
"Two Warlords showing up here is strange," Sanji said lightly. "Are you all hosting a banquet? Need a chef?"
"The Marines intend to annihilate your crew," Mihawk replied flatly. "That is why the Seven Warlords were summoned."
"Our duty is simple. Eliminate any Straw Hat Pirates we encounter."
Sanji's expression hardened instantly.
"So it's a Marine trap…"
Understanding dawned on him.
That explained why the fighting on Shirogai's side had yet to stop.
"So Shirogai is being held back by the Admirals," Sanji muttered.
He believed it without question.
A crew with a total bounty exceeding 5 Billion Berries was more than enough to provoke a full-scale Marine operation.
…
Water 7.
The day Shirogai left.
The crew stared in shock at the freshly issued wanted posters.
"What?! Did I read that wrong?"
Nami covered her mouth, her face red with excitement as she stared at the endless string of numbers beneath Shirogai's smiling portrait.
"Are these all ours?!"
Everyone crowded closer.
Among all the posters, one stood out overwhelmingly.
Arrogant Emperor
Shirogai Yamikuro
Bounty: 5,000,000,000 Berries
"Five billion Berries!" Nami screamed. "Weapons! I need weapons! I'm turning him in myself!"
"Shirogai is famous!" Luffy shouted, eyes sparkling. "That's insane!"
"An Emperors level bounty," Zoro said with a grin. "That alone puts us among the top pirate crews."
Arrogant Emperor
Shirogai Yamikuro
Bounty: 5,000,000,000 Berries
Reason: None
Extremely Dangerous
Capture Alive Only
There was no listed crime.
Only a silent acknowledgment of how dangerous he was.
---