The man Takumi had been waiting for over two months, the holder of the title of "Greatest Swordsman in the World" and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Dracule Mihawk, had finally returned!
From afar, Mihawk noticed the Red-Haired Pirates' ship. He wasn't surprised to see Shanks visiting him out of the blue.
After docking his small boat, Mihawk casually made his way toward the castle, the location familiar to him.
Inside the castle, the banquet was in full swing. The atmosphere was so lively that no one even realized Mihawk had arrived.
That is, until the doors of the castle were pushed open...
"Well, well, if it isn't Mihawk! We just got to your place, and here you are. You sure know how to give me face, hahaha!" Shanks waved to Mihawk with a grin. "You're just in time. Come join us for a drink!"
Mihawk glanced around at the lively scene in his own hall, pausing briefly when his eyes landed on Takumi, who was seated next to Shanks. With a silent nod, he walked over to their table.
"Haha, we were starting to think you wouldn't make it back in time," Yasopp said with a grin.
Mihawk ignored him, walking right past.
Across the table, Lucky Roux took a bite of meat and chuckled. "Got ignored, didn't you? You know how Mihawk is. Serves you right."
"Hahaha, doesn't matter, doesn't matter," Yasopp said cheerfully, raising his glass. "Let's keep drinking! No one leaves sober tonight!"
Enel watched as Mihawk walked by, feeling a chill run down his spine. Though Mihawk said nothing, his mere presence sent a shiver through Enel.
"Is that the swordsman from the Seven Warlords?" Enel muttered.
Kaku nodded, his gaze fixed on Mihawk's back with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes. "Yes, that's Dracule Mihawk, the Greatest Swordsman. To earn the title of 'Great Swordsman' means he's incredibly strong."
"He feels more powerful than the woman from Amazon Lily," Enel commented, rubbing his chin.
"Of course!" Kaku replied. "Though this is my first time meeting Mihawk, any swordsman with ambition dreams of defeating him. I'm no different."
Enel looked unimpressed. "You have ambitions of being a swordsman? I thought your dream was just to be a great shipwright."
Kaku chuckled. "Before I became a shipwright, I was a swordsman. And even as a shipwright, I'll always be a swordsman at heart."
Mihawk finally reached the table where Shanks and Takumi sat. Shanks stood up and, with a smile, moved to make room for Mihawk. "Here, don't be shy."
Without waiting for Mihawk's reaction, Shanks placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him down into the seat. Then he poured a full glass of wine for Mihawk.
"Drink up! Hahaha! Don't be shy. Have plenty."
Mihawk silently took the glass in his hand.
Shanks, in high spirits, grabbed his own cup and clinked it against Mihawk's. He then glanced over at Takumi and teased, "What are you just sitting there for? Come on, join in!"
Takumi had to admit, Shanks' luck was extraordinary.
The Red-Haired Pirates had just arrived on Kuraigana Island, and Mihawk had returned almost immediately after. Meanwhile, Takumi had been waiting for over two months.
Still, two months wasn't so bad, considering it could've easily been two years...
Now, all Takumi had to do was challenge Mihawk to a duel.
As Shanks had mentioned earlier, Mihawk wasn't the type to reject a challenge. Takumi wasn't worried about being turned down.
At Shanks' urging, Takumi picked up his glass and clinked it with Mihawk and Shanks. Unlike Shanks, who was all smiles, both Takumi and Mihawk remained calm and drank their wine in silence.
Shanks clapped Mihawk on the back, laughing. "I've gotta tell you, this kid here is something special."
"I know," Mihawk said, his tone indifferent. "He killed a Celestial Dragon."
"That's only part of it!" Shanks grinned, showing his teeth. "He's also acquainted with Whitebeard, and he turned down my challenge. He wants to fight you instead!"
Mihawk turned his gaze to Takumi. His voice was as calm as ever. "You wish to challenge me?"
Takumi nodded slightly. "You can choose the time."
Mihawk thought for a moment before replying, "We can do it now."
"Huh? You're going to fight right now?" Shanks said in surprise. "But the banquet's just getting started! Can't you wait until it's over?"
Mihawk ignored Shanks, standing up from the table. "Let's go."
Takumi nodded and rose to his feet, following Mihawk outside the castle.
Shanks scratched his head and quickly followed them. "Hey, hey, you guys are really going to skip the drinks and start fighting?"
Back in the hall, the rest of the crew noticed Shanks, Mihawk, and Takumi heading outside, and their faces lit up with excitement.
"Is Takumi really going to challenge Mihawk? That kid's got guts! Come on, let's go watch!"
"Hahaha, we should make some bets! Alright, place your wagers—who's going to win, Takumi or Mihawk?"
"Hmm, that's a tough one. Takumi's the type to not care about the World Government and even killed a Celestial Dragon. Our captain recognizes his strength. But Mihawk is the greatest swordsman! I'll bet on Mihawk."
"I'll bet on Mihawk too. Takumi's only fifteen, no matter how strong he is. There's no way he's stronger than Mihawk, right?"
"I'm betting on Mihawk!"
"Mihawk's swordsmanship is legendary. Takumi's strong, sure, but he's still young. Maybe in a few more years, he'd stand a chance, but not now."
"Hey, hey, come on! Doesn't anyone think Takumi could win?" Yasopp smirked.
Lucky Roux took a bite of meat. "We know how strong Mihawk is. Even though Takumi's no slouch, it's hard to call. What do you think, Beckman?"
Benn Beckman took a drag of his cigarette, smiling slightly. "Roux is right. If it's purely swordsmanship, I'd say Mihawk won't lose."
"Hmph, you guys have no idea how terrifying Takumi is," Enel sneered.
Kaku rubbed his long nose, adding, "I respect Takumi's strength, but I still think Mihawk has the edge."
Enel rolled his eyes. "Which side are you on, Kaku?"
"Hahaha, since everyone's betting on Mihawk, I'll bet on the kid," Yasopp laughed.
Beckman took another puff and added, "I'm betting on Takumi too."
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