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The battle between Mihawk and White Ghost ended in a draw.
Many people said the title of world's strongest swordsman should belong to White Ghost, because he had not used his full strength at all.
Others argued back, saying White Ghost himself had said that when fighting Hawkeye, fairness mattered—and that he respected Mihawk as a pure swordsman.
Many people began arguing over it.
Morgans even interviewed White Ghost, who openly and generously said one thing:
"A draw."
Mihawk nodded as well.
This battle had ended in a draw between the two of them.
So that was what the newspapers wrote.
On the ship, White Ghost looked at the paper with a dark face and cursed loudly.
"That bastard Morgans. I should've beaten him up when I had the chance. Damn it, he really dared to write this."
Ain had just finished bathing and came out wearing a bathrobe when she saw her man cursing at the newspaper. Curious, she walked over and took a look.
Immediately, Ain covered her mouth and laughed.
The paper claimed that White Ghost had been "conquered" by Mihawk's charm and had abandoned his own abilities to challenge Mihawk fairly and openly.
And in the gossip section, it even wrote that Dragon Emperor White Ghost liked young girls the most, complete with photos of Uta and the others.
Probably because Morgans had been zapped by Nami, Nami's photo was especially large and obvious.
It was even specially marked:
This girl is White Ghost's favorite.
White Ghost now wanted to grab his great sword, march up to Morgans, and ask him whether the blade looked sharp enough.
Hearing the laughter, White Ghost turned around with a dark face.
"You don't believe that too, do you?"
Ain smiled as she sat on White Ghost's lap, her beautiful eyes looking at her man.
"As for Mihawk, one could say you respect him.
"But the part about you liking young girls and married women… that's hard to deny."
White Ghost's face darkened even further.
He wrapped an arm around Ain's slender waist and stared at her with burning eyes.
"I see breaking through to Great Swordsman has made you a little bold."
Ain naturally looped her arms around White Ghost's neck, her cheeks heating up and her eyes turning misty.
"And what do you want to do about it?"
White Ghost was just preparing to give Ain a harsh lesson and tell her that even after becoming a Great Swordsman, she was still someone he could handle however he pleased—
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
White Ghost looked up and saw Ilena smiling at the two of them.
He cursed inwardly.
How had he forgotten to close the door?
Ain's face turned red. She hurriedly wriggled out of White Ghost's arms, dove into the blankets, and refused to show her head again.
Ilena walked over with a smile and kissed White Ghost's cheek.
"Time to eat, you two. If you want to fight, do it later."
White Ghost gave Ilena a look that clearly said just you wait, then left first.
Though Ain usually looked bold and carefree, she was actually the easiest one to make shy.
When White Ghost arrived at the dining room, everyone else had already gathered. Ain and Ilena soon arrived as well.
Mihawk was elegantly tasting the red wine White Ghost had been saving.
After the battle ended, White Ghost's crew had found a small island to rest.
When Mihawk heard that White Ghost's next destination was Sorbet Kingdom, he used "it's on the way" as an excuse to hang his raft behind the Dragon Emperor.
White Ghost seriously suspected the man was just being lazy.
To make himself feel better, he had been making Mihawk serve as a sparring partner for his crew these past two days.
"The soup is here!"
Wanda carried over a huge basin of tomato egg soup and set it on the table.
White Ghost couldn't be bothered with nonsense.
In his previous life, he had hated leaders who turned every little thing into a long speech.
"Eat."
The group immediately started eating, and the room became lively.
White Ghost loved this kind of atmosphere.
It felt solid. Real.
"I didn't expect Miss Wanda's cooking to be this good," Mihawk praised while eating.
"If it tastes good, eat more!"
Wanda's favorite thing now was hearing people praise her cooking.
White Ghost took a gulp of wine and looked at Mihawk.
"Your cooking isn't bad either. Want to find a chance to compete with Wanda?"
The moment their captain said that, everyone looked at Mihawk.
This guy could cook?
And cook well?
The world's strongest swordsman could cook?
Mihawk glanced at White Ghost, his face still calm and emotionless.
"My cooking is poor. I only practice the sword."
A wicked smile appeared on White Ghost's face. He shifted closer to Mihawk and threw an arm around his shoulder, lowering his voice.
"Don't lie to me. Shanks said your cooking is the best he's ever eaten.
"So when are you going to show us?"
Mihawk slapped away White Ghost's greasy hand.
"He was talking nonsense."
Inwardly, he cursed Shanks and his big mouth.
White Ghost narrowed his eyes.
"I don't think he lied."
Then he pointed at Wanda.
"They say people who practice the sword are also good at cooking. What do you think?"
Mihawk gave only a flat reply.
"Drink your wine."
White Ghost burst into laughter.
This tsundere bastard.
What was there to be shy about?
Didn't he know a man who could cook earned extra points?
After dinner, White Ghost went alone to his personal spot and enjoyed the sea breeze.
He had barely lain down when footsteps sounded behind him.
Mihawk walked over carrying a bottle of red wine and lay down on the chair beside him.
The two quietly watched the waves over the sea.
After a while, White Ghost looked at the moon reflected on the water.
"Do you plan to keep drifting alone like this forever?"
Mihawk looked at the empty bottle in his hand and said nothing.
White Ghost rolled his eyes.
If you want more wine, just say it. Why deliberately hold an empty bottle in front of me?
Hawkeye accepted the red wine White Ghost handed him, looked at it, and nodded in satisfaction.
A noble reserve from the East Blue. One of the finest flavors.
Only after taking a sip did Hawkeye answer White Ghost's earlier question.
"I like living alone."
Still short and direct as ever.
White Ghost tossed him a cigar.
"Have you ever thought that the Marines might turn on you? No—the World Government might turn on you."
Mihawk nodded.
"I have.
"It's not a big deal. Who hasn't fought their way through life?
"Besides, when that day comes, my blade should not yet be rusted."
White Ghost thought inwardly:
Right. In the original story, that's exactly what you did. You cut down the warships sent to surround you, then ran off to Buggy.
Thinking of Buggy made White Ghost want to laugh.
That guy truly was a user of Conqueror's Luck.
Back when White Ghost and the others went looking for him in the East Blue, they found out Buggy had heard that White Ghost had returned to the East Blue and immediately taken his people to hide.
White Ghost had been so angry at the time that he laughed.
Mihawk noticed the smile on his lips.
"What did you think of?"
White Ghost shook his head.
"I thought of a guy with ridiculously good luck. So good it's explosive."
"Not interested."
Mihawk had no interest in luck.
His own luck had always seemed rather poor.
White Ghost smoked his cigar and turned to look at him.
"Want to join me?
"Not as my subordinate. As a friend."
Mihawk looked at him in surprise.
This man was really direct.
Mihawk drank his wine.
"I'll say the same thing. I like living alone."
White Ghost turned back to continue watching the sea.
That was just his personality.
It had never changed.
In the original story, he seemed to have formed an alliance with Crocodile later.
After a moment of silence, White Ghost said, "If one day you have nowhere to go, come find me.
"My territory lacks an instructor.
"A pure swordsmanship instructor."
This time, Mihawk said nothing.
He neither nodded nor shook his head.
He only drank his red wine and watched the moon on the sea, no one knowing what he was thinking.
The two remained there quietly, staring out over the waves.
Neither spoke again.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ White Ghost has extended an invitation to Mihawk—not as a subordinate, but as a friend.
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