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As Mihawk scrutinized King, King also noticed the man carrying the strange cross-shaped greatsword.
Although his strength was lacking, years of mingling in the Hero Association had exposed him to various powerhouses and monsters, giving him a far greater insight than ordinary people.
His intuition told him that this swordsman, with eyes sharper than an eagle's, was no ordinary opponent.
It was even highly possible that the exaggerated green light slash that had just occurred was unleashed by this man!
Now, King was even more panicked than before, his heart racing so fast it felt like it might burst out of his chest.
Thud, thud, thud!
Thud, thud, thud, thud!!!
The thunderous beats drowned out the sound of the waves completely.
"A rare strong opponent? I didn't expect the weakest sea, the East Blue, to have a man like you."
Feeling the incredibly strong will to fight from the other side, Mihawk's brows furrowed slightly, a rare occurrence.
Whether it was his presence or spirit, the blond man with his arms crossed seemed as insignificant as a mere foot soldier.
Even now, he was full of openings. Using the black blade, Yoru, seemed like a waste, not to mention even drawing the small knife he wore at his chest.
However, the issue was, no ordinary weakling could remain so calm after witnessing that slash.
And that heart beating like a large machine engine didn't seem like a trait of a weakling either!
Could it be that the openings were intentionally shown?
For a moment, Mihawk couldn't quite grasp the true level of his opponent.
If that's the case...
Then let's give it a try, with this, the world's greatest black blade!
Mihawk reached for Yoru, his back-carrying cross-shaped black blade, his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, brimming with combativeness.
King, tense throughout, maintained a calm expression on his face, though his inner turmoil was anything but.
I'm going to die!
He's drawing his sword, this man, more terrifying than a Dragon-level monster, is coming to slash at me!
What do I do, what now?
Would kneeling and begging for mercy work, would he mercifully spare me?!
In this brief moment, King's brain went into overdrive.
Finally, just before Mihawk could draw Yoru, King came up with a possibly viable excuse.
"A swordsman, huh? That's unfortunate; it involves a field I'm not good at."
"Sorry, I've got important things to do right now, could you please not get in my way?"
His deep voice, backed by the Emperor Engine's soundtrack, carried an added sense of dominance.
This man isn't a swordsman?
Upon hearing this, Mihawk's rising battle spirit immediately dissipated significantly, and he slowly loosened his grip on the sword hilt.
Since the other party had no intention of fighting, he didn't want to waste his energy.
After all, his main purpose for coming to the East Blue was to spar with Red-Haired Shanks.
As for this blond man he had never heard of...
If he truly was an unknown powerhouse, they would surely meet in the New World eventually. If he was just a nobody, what was the need to draw his sword?
Thus, a disinterested Mihawk sheathed Yoru and steered his candle-lit boat away, disappearing into the misty depths of the sea.
King, blessed by unparalleled luck, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, grateful to have escaped the ordeal.
Then, Colonel Morse's naval fleet arrived from another direction...
Although the fog over the sea obscured most of the view, the marines conducting surveillance managed to spot the towering green blade and the subsequently vanished coast with their telescopes.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the island, they only saw King standing alone on the deck.
Due to a series of misunderstandings, they naturally assumed King, with his oppressive presence, to be the "terrifying powerhouse" responsible for destroying the beach.
Faced with such a monster, Colonel Morse dared not act rashly, leading to a thrilling standoff.
And this was the scene that Kuro, who had fled to the nearby sea, witnessed!
"That blond man... he obliterated an entire beach..."
Kuro, sitting defeated on the ground, was utterly despondent.
With enemies in front and behind, surrounded by sea and land, where could he flee?
Bang!
In his confusion, a fist as heavy as a sandbag descended from the sky, smashing him deep into the hard ground.
Zyhark, following the trail of blood, successfully subdued Kuro and casually greeted him, "We meet again, Captain Kuro."
Kuro, his face buried deep in the dirt: "..."
The navy and King, both tense, were immediately drawn to the commotion of the fight, directing their gazes toward it.
"It's the owner of the Sea Restaurant, quick, bring the warship closer!"
Colonel Morse, as if seeing a savior, hurriedly ordered his marines to approach.
Compared to the fierce-looking blond man who might lash out at any moment, Colonel Morse much preferred dealing with the restaurant owner with a bright smile.
"Hello, if I'm not mistaken, you must be Zyhark, the owner of the Sea Restaurant Endless Dream?"
Colonel Morse, cloaked in a naval cape, approached Zyhark with his aides and marines, his sinister face sporting a forced smile.
Glancing at Kuro, pinned to the ground, Morse's eyes briefly flickered with ruthlessness.
"I didn't expect you to have subdued Kuro, the notorious captain of the Black Cat Pirate Crew. On behalf of the Navy, I express our utmost gratitude."
Saying this, Morse bowed deeply to Zyhark in a pretentious manner, "Thank you for making such a significant contribution to the plight of the civilians!"
Zyhark caught Morse reaching for his sidearm but didn't stop him.
As expected, the next second, after finishing his bow, Colonel Morse abruptly raised his pistol and fired three shots, ending Kuro's life.
This man knew too much about Morse's secrets; he couldn't be left alive under any circumstances!
"Sorry, sorry, thinking about the civilians harmed by this scum, I couldn't help myself."
Morse feigned apology, holstering his pistol, "Don't worry, the bounty is still yours!"
Though resentful, he wasn't foolish enough to confront the crew of the Sea Restaurant.
The blond man who destroyed a beach, the young owner who defeated Kuro, and the beautiful girl with potential Devil Fruit powers, none were entities he could afford to provoke.
After years in the Navy, Morse had learned to recognize his limits.
"I'm not some paragon of justice, but there are some things even I can't stand..."
Zyhark slowly stood up, his hair obscuring his eyes, hiding his expression at that moment.
"People like Kuro, who do nothing but evil, I believe no one would tolerate them. I understand your feelings," said Colonel Morse with a smile.
Relieved to have eliminated the major threat of Kuro, he was about to inquire about the whereabouts of the other pirates when the young man suddenly vanished from his sight.
When Zyhark reappeared, Morse's vision was completely filled by an infinitely magnified fist.
"I'm talking about you!"
"How dare someone like you utter words on behalf of the Navy!"
Bang!!
Speed equals power. The fast-moving fist hit Morse squarely in the face, sending him flying without defense, crashing into sharp rocks, and sinking into the sea.
(End of Chapter)