"See? I told you—he's a man who doesn't keep his word!"
The moment Don Krieg moved, curses erupted from the chefs and guests all across the Baratie.
Even Ajin, standing beside him, could hardly believe what he was witnessing.
"It's good to be kind," Kaoru Tsubasa said calmly as he pulled Sanji back, "but sometimes, you need to think about your own safety first."
"Thank you," Sanji breathed, shaken. He hadn't expected Krieg to attack him so suddenly.
"This isn't what we agreed to, Chief Krieg," Ajin snapped, glaring at his captain. "I brought you here for food, not so you could pick a fight with this restaurant!"
"And that man saved our lives!" Ajin added angrily.
Krieg didn't even glance at him. Instead, he reached out and grabbed Ajin's right hand, crushing it with a sickening crack.
Kaoru winced at the sound. "You bastard…"
Luffy, furious, charged forward, but Kaoru's hand shot out to stop him. "Not here," he said quietly. "This is Zeff's place. You'll wreck it if you start swinging."
Krieg sneered, looking around the floating restaurant. "This place is perfect. I'll be taking it for myself!"
Before anyone could react, a shadow flickered in front of him—Kaoru moved.
In an instant, Krieg's feet left the ground as Kaoru's hand clamped around his neck and lifted him effortlessly into the air.
"Admiral Krieg," Kaoru said coldly, "I don't care if you eat here or even pick a fight with the chefs. But this restaurant is the dream of two men. You don't get to take that away."
Normally, Kaoru didn't involve himself in small conflicts, but this was Zeff's dream—his friend's dream.
After losing a leg, Zeff had abandoned his pursuit of the All Blue and poured everything he had into building this restaurant. That made it sacred.
"You told me not to fight," Luffy muttered, pouting as he watched Kaoru holding Krieg like a ragdoll.
Zeff looked on silently. He knew Kaoru was doing this for him—and that meant more than words could say.
"C–Chief Krieg…" Ajin stammered, trembling. He hadn't even seen Kaoru move.
"L–Let me go, you bastard!" Krieg struggled, but Kaoru's grip didn't budge.
"Goodbye," Kaoru said quietly. "Next time, think before you speak."
"Bone Fist: Shattered Gold!"
His punch landed squarely in Krieg's chest with a metallic crack. Golden fragments rained down from the man's armor as he hit the floor.
"…He fainted?" Kaoru tilted his head slightly. "That's it?"
The attack had only shattered Krieg's gold-plated armor—Kaoru had deliberately held back to avoid killing him.
He'd actually meant to hand Krieg over to Luffy for practice.
"What did you do to him?!" Ajin shouted, drawing his weapon.
"Nothing," Kaoru replied casually, tossing Krieg's unconscious body onto the deck. "He just fainted from fear."
He turned to the chefs. "Tie him up and call the Navy once we're gone."
Paddy and the others quickly obeyed. Ajin said nothing—he knew this was Krieg's fault. Still, his men were starving.
"Sanji," Ajin said, lowering his voice, "please… give me food for a thousand people."
The room went silent. Every chef in Baratie immediately refused—Krieg's men might come back for revenge.
But Zeff stepped forward. "Here," he said, tossing a massive sack onto the floor. "A thousand servings. Take it and go."
The other chefs were stunned. "Chef Zeff?!"
Ignoring them, Zeff gestured toward the door. "Get your crew fed, Ajin."
Ajin bowed deeply. "Thank you… thank you so much." He grabbed the food and hurried away.
As Ajin rowed off, Kaoru's eyes narrowed. Through his Observation Haki, he sensed something powerful approaching—the aura of a lone man, rowing a tiny coffin-shaped boat… with a black blade.
Moments later, the Baratie chefs and Luffy rushed outside, just in time to see Krieg's already half-destroyed flagship split cleanly in two.
"The ship… it's been sliced in half!" Usopp gasped.
He'd seen Zoro cut down a navy ship before, but this was different—Krieg's was massive.
"That's…" Zoro's eyes gleamed with excitement as he stared at the approaching figure. "Hawk-Eye Mihawk…"
Though Mihawk was no longer the world's number one swordsman—Kaoru Tsubasa now held that title—he remained the second best. And Zoro wanted to challenge him.
Ajin stood trembling in front of Mihawk. "Why?! We already escaped! Why won't you let us go?!"
"Nothing personal," Mihawk said flatly. "Just killing time."
"You have a strange way of passing the time," Kaoru said with a faint smile. "Rowing a coffin through the sea just to slice ships apart?"
Mihawk's golden eyes flicked toward him. "Kaoru Tsubasa… I didn't expect to find you here."
"I'm sailing the Grand Line with my captain," Kaoru replied.
"Captain?" Mihawk's gaze shifted. Luffy stepped forward proudly.
"Yeah! I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Mihawk chuckled softly. "Pirate King? You? Hmph. There are thousands who dream that dream—and none have succeeded."
"I'll make it happen!" Luffy declared. "No matter what!"
Mihawk's smirk faded slightly as his eyes lingered on Luffy's straw hat. That hat… was once Shanks's.
"So," Mihawk murmured, "that's how it is."
Then Zoro stepped forward, drawing his three swords. "Mihawk! I went to sea to find you. You might not be my target anymore… but I still want to test myself against you!"
"The world's second greatest swordsman," said a voice—Zoro's cursed blade, Bloodthirster. "Let's see what you can do, old man."
"A talking sword?" Mihawk raised an eyebrow, momentarily intrigued.
"Sorry," he said calmly, drawing a knife the size of a dagger, "I don't have a smaller blade."
"What the hell!?" Zoro barked. "You're mocking me?"
When he'd fought Kaoru, Kaoru had drawn both his blades. Mihawk, though, didn't even consider him worth using his main sword against.
"You're not qualified to face Yoru," Mihawk said simply, turning away.
"Don't underestimate me!" Zoro roared, launching forward. But Mihawk dodged with a casual twist of his body.
Zoro gritted his teeth, disbelief flashing in his eyes. How… how can the gap be this wide?
Mihawk parried with a single swing, knocking Zoro backward. "Now you see it—the difference between us."
"Three-Sword Style: Blood Demon – Fang of Ruin!" Zoro shouted.
A crimson apparition erupted behind him, jaws wide. Mihawk sliced through it effortlessly. "Weakling," he said. "Why struggle? What are you fighting for?"
"To be the strongest," Zoro answered without hesitation.
Mihawk sneered. "Arrogant fool. You think you can achieve what even I cannot?"
"I made a promise," Zoro said fiercely. "I'll become the greatest swordsman in the world—so my name echoes through the heavens!"
Bloodthirster trembled faintly at his words. Something about that vow stirred a memory deep within her, something she'd long forgotten.
"Interesting," Mihawk murmured. "Then show me your resolve, swordsman."
He slid Yoru—the black blade—free from its sheath. The air grew heavy as its edge gleamed with Armament Haki.
Zoro crossed his three blades. "Secret Art of the Three-Sword Style: One World—Three Thousand Great Realms!"
He charged, spinning into a cyclone of steel. Mihawk met him head-on.
Steel clashed. Blood flew.
Mihawk's blade cut deep across Zoro's chest, leaving a scar identical to his own. But before he could step back, the wound began to close—Zoro's flesh knitting itself back together.
"Impossible… you're immortal?" Mihawk muttered, recognizing the same regenerative power Kaoru possessed.
Zoro smirked weakly. "Guess so."
Then his eyes hardened. "Now it's my turn. Bloodthirster—let's go all out."
"Are you insane?!" the sword's voice snapped. "That move will kill you!"
"I don't care," Zoro said. "I want to see the gap between me and Kaoru."
"Interesting," Mihawk said, lips curling into a rare smile. "Come, then. Show me everything."
Bloodthirster sighed. "Oi, Kaoru! Get a mountain of meat ready. He's gonna need it."
Kaoru blinked, but gestured for Zeff to prepare the meat anyway. The chefs rushed into the kitchen.
"The Secret of the Three Blood Swords… Blood Demon!"
Zoro roared as a towering, crimson demon—ten meters tall—rose behind him.
"Whoa! That's awesome!" Luffy and Usopp cried in unison, eyes sparkling.
Kaoru, however, noticed Zoro's pale face—and how Bloodthirster trembled in his hands. That technique drained every drop of their combined blood.
"Moon Shadow—Demon's Fang!" Zoro slashed forward, sending the blood demon barreling toward Mihawk.
Mihawk crossed Yoru before him—but the impact was monstrous. He slid back across the deck, boots scraping wood, as cracks spread along his blade. The same black sword he'd reforged through Armament Haki… was fracturing.
When the attack finally dissipated, Mihawk stood at the edge of the shattered deck, breathing hard.
"…Impressive," he admitted quietly. "I underestimated you."
Zoro collapsed, blood pooling around him. Bloodthirster's voice called out urgently, "Kaoru! The meat—now!"
Kaoru waved his hand, using his energy to transport the meat beside them. As the raw slabs vanished one by one, Zoro's color slowly returned—his strength restored as Bloodthirster absorbed the life essence from the food.
When it was over, Zoro's chest rose and fell steadily again.
"Idiot," Bloodthirster scolded, her form materializing—a woman of flowing crimson light who immediately wrapped Zoro in her arms. "You could've died!"
Kaoru blinked. Luffy had told him Bloodthirster was male—but the figure before him was clearly a woman.
And strangely… her silhouette felt familiar, as if he'd seen it somewhere long ago.
...
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