As the unexpected turn of events unfolded, Magellan, the vice warden of Impel Down, known as the prison's strongest man, was utterly stunned.
Because before his very eyes, the meticulously prepared trap, reinforced by thousands of elite prison guards and dozens of heavy cannons, was almost completely destroyed in an instant!
And after those two beams of light vanished, more attacks came crashing down!
In just a moment, his entire setup was obliterated!
Before Magellan could even recover from the shock, an even greater surprise followed!
After the elite prison guards and dozens of cannons were utterly destroyed and incapacitated, the culprits finally appeared!
But when Magellan caught sight of Shiro and his companion, his shock deepened once more!
Although the news had mentioned that the Central Authority was filled with formidable cadres, he never expected this:
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! The World's Strongest Swordsman, Hawk Eyes Mihawk, was also one of the Central Authority's members, serving under Shiro?!
There was no room for doubt. Magellan could clearly confirm that Hawk Eyes Mihawk had definitely joined the Central Authority, choosing to follow Shiro!
Once again, Magellan was astounded. Although the news mentioned how powerful the Central Authority was, he never expected this outcome.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the World's Strongest Swordsman, Hawk Eyes Mihawk, was serving under Shiro!
There could be no mistake.
Magellan could now confirm beyond a doubt that Mihawk had joined the Central Authority. Otherwise, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Mihawk would never have attacked Impel Down.
Such an action would be tantamount to declaring war on the World Government!
Thus, Mihawk must have already joined the Central Authority!
Unbelievable!
The Central Authority, created not long ago, had already reached such terrifying heights in such a short time?!
It's worth noting that Hawk Eyes Mihawk, though one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was a special and extremely powerful figure among them.
As someone who once rivaled Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, the title of the World's Strongest Swordsman wasn't just for show!
With Mihawk's addition, the danger level of the Central Authority skyrocketed!
"What's wrong, Magellan? Are you already panicking?" Shiro sneered as he glanced at Mihawk and the others, then fixed his gaze on Magellan.
Before arriving at Impel Down, Shiro had already contacted Hawk Eyes Mihawk.
According to their agreement, as long as Shiro disrupted the World Draft, Mihawk would join the Central Authority.
And indeed, the World Draft was utterly destroyed, and the Navy Headquarters had suffered severe repercussions.
True to his title, Hawk Eyes Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman, seemed impressed by the outcome. After Shiro reached out, Mihawk quickly joined him in the New World.
Of course, Zoro and Perona came along with him.
Once the news of Mihawk's allegiance to the Central Authority spread, it would be without a doubt that both the World Government and the Navy Headquarters would revoke his title as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
They would attempt to hunt him down. Kuraigana Island would no longer be a safe haven for him.
Given this, Roronoa Zoro and Perona had no choice but to follow Mihawk.
Shiro was more than happy with this outcome.
Judging from Zoro's recent sword strikes, his swordsmanship had improved significantly.
There were still about two years left of the Straw Hat Pirates' agreed training period.
For these two years, Zoro could serve as a temporary recruit for the Central Authority.
As for what the world would look like two years later... who could say?!
Additionally, Perona was someone Shiro had already planned to recruit. After all, who could resist the appeal of a dark little princess who could use ghosts for soul massages?
"The World's Strongest Swordsman has become one of your cadres, Shiro. Quite an impressive move. If you plan to besiege me, I have nothing more to say. Let's fight! As the Vice Warden of Impel Down, I won't let criminals like you step into this prison!"
Facing the imposing presence of Hawk Eyes Mihawk and the even more terrifying power of Shiro, even someone like Magellan, known as the strongest man in the prison, couldn't help but feel intimidated.
His poison was formidable, no doubt.
But against these two, he knew his chances of victory were slim. Even if he could manage to wound one of them, the ultimate outcome would surely be defeat.
But so what?!
As long as he held this position, he would never back down!
This was his resolve!
"Hahaha! Don't worry, Magellan. I respect you as a true man. I don't mind using overwhelming force to win, but not this time."
"The upcoming battle... will be between you and me, one-on-one!"
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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg