"Is this a store?"
Mihawk began to take an interest in Dak only after sensing the unique suppressive force within the Nursery.
Had this been just any ordinary store, he would have already left.
"Yes."
Dak smiled and nodded.
At this moment, Darkrai also came over, holding an egg.
"..."
Mihawk stared at Darkrai for a while before shifting his gaze to the egg, which he quickly moved away from.
Clearly, he had no interest in these colorful ostrich eggs, not planning on making egg fried rice or anything of the sort for dinner.
Observing Mihawk's evident disinterest, Dak just smiled lightly.
Knowing these original characters well, he was clear on how to persuade them to buy Pokémon eggs, understanding which individuals could be sold to and which could not.
Piquing Mihawk's interest in Pokémon was easy.
Very easy.
"This is Darkrai, my family, and also a Pokémon."
Dak first introduced Darkrai before continuing, "And this, is an egg that can hatch into various Pokémon. There are over a thousand Pokémon species, each with unparalleled potential and charm."
"Oh."
Mihawk responded indifferently, but his gaze lingered on the egg, showing a slight interest.
"Among them, some Pokémon are special, born with a high talent in the realm of swordsmanship. At higher levels, they can become very powerful swordsmasters. If you have the patience, you could even train one to surpass yourself as the world's greatest swordsman."
"Huh?"
Although it was still a one-word response, Dak could hear anticipation in Mihawk's tone this time.
"Talking about it might not convince you, so how about a duel with Darkrai? Although he's not a Pokémon specialized in swordsmanship, it could still prove the potential of Pokémon."
A cunning glint appeared in Dak's eyes.
At this point in time, with Shanks having lost an arm, Mihawk was without a rival, likely leading a mundane life. It wasn't hard to guess that he was in need of something interesting to spice up his existence.
It would be nine years before Zoro entered his view.
Instead of letting Mihawk wait idly for nine years, it was better to let him train a powerful swordmaster himself.
Considering how Mihawk had taken care of Perona in the original story, a Pokémon under Mihawk's care would presumably not be mistreated and could be considered a decent customer.
"Alright."
Mihawk smirked, turning to walk outside.
Since Mihawk had left the door open when he entered, the outside remained as he had found it.
Dak looked outside to see a forest, not at all a place suitable for human habitation.
"Bon, want to come and watch?"
Dak turned to Bon Clay.
"Yes!"
Bon Clay nodded vigorously.
How strong Mihawk was, how strong Darkrai was, and what abilities and potential Pokémon possessed were all things he was extremely curious about.
"Alright, let's all go."
Dak nodded and led Bon Clay and Darkrai outside.
The outside was indeed a forest, but further away, a castle could be seen, leaving its location a mystery.
Looking back, they saw a neatly built cabin, which didn't seem like something Mihawk would construct.
"..."
After stepping outside, Mihawk looked at his hands, feeling his strength fully restored.
He was also curious about how his home had turned into a shop.
Though curious, he was more eager for the upcoming battle.
"Go, Darkrai."
"Dak."
Darkrai didn't waste words, nor did he prepare specially, simply floating forward quietly.
"Sorry, Darkrai seems to think you're not much of a challenge, so his fighting spirit is a bit low."
Dak spoke to Mihawk with a smile.
Darkrai glanced at his unscrupulous manager, beginning to understand a bit about his partner's modus operandi.
Dak might not fully understand what Darkrai meant given their current level of closeness.
But he said it anyway.
"Is that so."
Mihawk's eyes narrowed, his gaze becoming dangerous.
He had his pride. Without drawing his giant black sword, Yoru, he instead took out a small dagger from around his neck, making his contempt for Darkrai clear.
"..."
Dak maintained a smiling demeanor, knowing his provocation had worked.
Just surprising Mihawk would create a significant gap in expectations and a strong interest in Pokémon.
Then it would be [Customer +1]
Finding a high-quality human like Mihawk, who was powerful, didn't cause trouble, could do housework, and had a cold exterior but a warm heart, was hard.
To find a good home for his Pokémon babies, Dak had really gone out of his way, almost stopping at nothing.
This whole process even moved Dak himself.
"Then, please make your move, Mihawk."
Dak gestured with an open hand.
"Quite arrogant."
Since becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, no one had dared to look down on him like this.
For Mihawk, this was a rare experience.
Mihawk made no pleasantries, launching a huge green flying slash as his opening move, attacking Darkrai with a world-splitting force.
"Shadow Clone."
At Dak's command, Darkrai instantly created numerous clones, momentarily confusing even Dak as to which was the real one.
However, Mihawk immediately identified Darkrai's true form and charged forward.
"Shadow clones are useless against Observation Haki."
This was a test, and the outcome left Dak slightly disappointed. Now, with Mihawk moving swiftly, he was too fast for Dak's naked eye.
"Dark Void."
But that didn't stop Dak from continuing to direct the battle.
Pirates' fighting styles were simple, mostly relying on close combat. Especially for a non-Devil Fruit user like Mihawk, if it were Logia users like Law, Apoo, or Robin, Dak might not easily predict their actions.
But predicting Mihawk, who was simply closing in on Darkrai to enter his attack range, was straightforward.
Thus, dealing with him became easy.
Darkrai released a giant dark void from its center.
Mihawk's eyes widened as he realized the dark void was upon him.
Unable to retreat in time, he stabbed forward with his dagger.
"Armament Haki is useless, good."
Dak nodded, satisfied with this outcome, though he couldn't help but remark on Mihawk's action being similar to using kunai against Zetsu.
As expected, Mihawk was knocked unconscious into the dark void on impact.
In a head-on fight, Darkrai might have defeated Mihawk, but it would have required some effort.
Unfortunately, most Pokémon don't need to engage in physical combat. Ghost, Flying, and Psychic types, for instance, might not even be touched by physical attacks.
"Ha~, people from the world of pirates are so simple in battle."
(End of Chapter)