Chapter 67: A Legendary Scene
The Dreadnought Saber, a massive warship, was sliced clean in two. The sight sent waves of shock through almost everyone present at the floating restaurant, Baratie.
Luffy and Zoro were no exception.
At this point, both were still greenhorns in the East Blue. They hadn't yet set foot in the Grand Line, and no one had ever truly explained to them just how vast and terrifying the world really was.
To put it simply, they were like frogs at the bottom of a well.
Luffy's grandfather, Garp, might be one of the strongest fighters at the pinnacle of the world, but the man was perpetually busy. Whenever he returned to Foosha Village, if he wasn't busy training Luffy, he was busy... well, training Luffy some more. He never bothered to tell the boy stories about the global power balance or the legends of the sea.
Because of this, neither of them had an accurate concept of just how powerful the world's elite truly were.
Today, seeing that colossal ship split like a piece of fruit, their first reaction wasn't one of understanding—it was pure, unadulterated shock.
As a small boat slowly drifted into everyone's field of vision, Zoro, standing on the deck of the Baratie, began to tremble. It wasn't fear, but a visceral reaction to seeing the ultimate goal he had spent his life chasing.
The Greatest Swordsman in the World, Dracule Mihawk.
Without a second thought, before his brain could even process the risk, Zoro's body moved. In the blink of an eye, he had dashed forward to stand before Mihawk.
"I want to challenge you, Hawk-Eyes."
Faced with the young man's challenge, Mihawk's first thought was... where did this reckless fool come from?
He used to encounter people like this often when he was first making a name for himself. But as his reputation grew and he claimed the title of the world's strongest, those numbers dwindled to almost nothing. He hadn't expected to run into such a "fool" here in the East Blue, the weakest of all the seas.
Truthfully, Mihawk had no intention of entertaining such nonsense. But since he was feeling a bit bored, he figured he might as well play along for a moment.
Mihawk stood up, looking down at Zoro from his higher vantage point.
"A pitiful weakling. If you truly are a swordsman, you should have realized the gap between us without even needing to fight."
"I'm curious," Mihawk continued, his voice cold. "Is it courage that drives you to challenge me, or simply ignorance?"
Zoro didn't flinch at the mockery. He drew a sword and clamped it firmly between his teeth.
"This is my dream. And a promise I made to a dear friend."
He gripped a katana in each of his remaining hands.
Roronoa Zoro's Three-Sword Style was ready for battle.
Facing a Zoro who was pouring his entire soul into the fight, Mihawk's expression remained flat. He reached for the small pendant around his neck and unsheathed a tiny knife.
And so, the first legendary scene Kazuma Yumesaki witnessed after arriving in the world of One Piece began.
"Unfortunately, I don't have a blade smaller than this."
Watching this unfold, Yumesaki nearly burst out laughing. This was interesting—seriously, incredibly interesting. Back when he read the manga, he thought this scene was iconic. But seeing it happen right in front of him? Watching this legendary moment with his own eyes was far more entertaining than he had imagined.
Zoro was naturally livid at Mihawk's blatant disrespect, but sometimes, the rage of the weak does nothing to change reality. Even though Zoro unleashed everything he had, performing the strongest slash of his life up to that point, the result was the same.
Mihawk blocked it effortlessly with that tiny little knife.
The difference in their strength was simply too vast to comprehend.
Soon enough, the second legendary scene followed right on schedule.
"A wound on the back is a swordsman's shame!"
Those words clearly struck a chord with Mihawk. Moved by the young man's spirit, Mihawk asked for Zoro's full name before delivering his famous declaration:
"No matter how many years pass, I will wait for you at the strongest seat in the world. Surpass this blade! Surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!"
Afterward came the moment where Zoro swore to Luffy that he would never lose again.
Watching the scene play out, Yumesaki couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"As expected of a hot-blooded series. Just watching this makes my blood boil."
Robin nodded beside him. "It is quite stirring. In that case, Mr. Yumesaki, since you're so fired up, wouldn't you like to go down there and have a one-on-one with Mihawk?"
"Fight him? What for?"
Yumesaki looked at Robin with a look of pure confusion, his face practically screaming, Why on earth would I do that?
Robin smiled playfully. "Aren't men supposed to be passionate and love a good scrap? When they see someone strong, they like to use their fists or swords to understand each other, gain mutual respect, and end it all with a happy party."
She gestured toward the restaurant. "We're already at the Baratie. If we throw a party, we've got the chefs and the ingredients right here. I'm sure it would be quite grand. Plenty of food, fine liquor, honest friends, and a lively atmosphere. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Yumesaki rubbed his chin, the image Robin described flickering through his mind. He found himself nodding along for a second.
"That's a nice explanation. Don't ever say it again."
He gave her a flat look. "Didn't I tell you before? I just want to travel, eat, and see sights I've never seen. I have zero interest in all that killing and fighting business. If you're so eager for a party, why don't you go down and fight Mihawk yourself?"
"If you win, we party. If you lose, well... we can eat at your funeral."
Robin gave a faint smile. She stood up from her chair, tied her hair back into a ponytail, and began walking straight toward Mihawk.
Yumesaki's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?!"
Hold on, sis! I was just talking smack! You're actually going to challenge Mihawk?
Sure, Robin had been working hard, extracting Chakra every day and training in Ninjutsu, which had boosted her strength significantly. But wasn't it a bit too early to be picking a fight with the World's Greatest Swordsman?
"Don't do it! Don't do it!"
Yumesaki scrambled up and grabbed Robin's arm. "Easy now, calm down! You're not a match for Mihawk yet. Don't just go running off to throw your life away!"
Judging by Mihawk's performance in the manga, he was easily on the level of a Marine Admiral—maybe even higher. Challenging someone like that was the opposite of a "wise move."
Robin rolled her eyes at him. "Mr. Yumesaki, do you really think I'm that foolish? I simply have a few things I'd like to ask him. Why would I ever challenge him to a fight?"
Hearing that, Yumesaki let out a sheepish laugh and muttered, "Well, the second I stopped talking, you started marching toward him. I really thought you were going for it."
Seeing Robin's speechless expression, Yumesaki quickly changed the subject.
"You're looking for Mihawk... are you planning to recruit him as an ally against the Celestial Dragons?"
Robin nodded. That was exactly what she was thinking.
In the later parts of the story, after the Seven Warlords of the Sea system was abolished, Mihawk and Crocodile founded an organization called Cross Guild, putting bounties on Marines and openly provoking the World Government. It was clear that Mihawk wasn't on the government's side.
If she wanted to topple the World Government, she needed to unite everyone who could be united.
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