One Piece: The Strongest Trait System novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43 - [43] : [BONUS] - Hawkeye Mihawk!

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Today, the fog was thick.

"When are we gonna set sail already?! Are we really gonna be stuck here for a whole year?!" Usopp complained helplessly from the deck of the Merry.

"Who knows? Look, Rowen doesn't seem worried," Zoro commented nonchalantly, polishing Wado Ichimonji.

"Rowen! Think of something!" Usopp pleaded, clasping his hands together as he looked at Rowen, who was leaning against the railing, eyes closed, enjoying the sea breeze.

"As captain, Luffy needs to solve the problems he causes himself. Besides, the cook hasn't officially joined yet," Rowen replied, opening his eyes and smiling at Usopp.

Mihawk is coming. Rowen needed to seize every moment to enhance his Haki using Born of the Sea (Apex Gold). For his own plans.

Hearing Rowen's words, Usopp deflated like a punctured balloon.

"Heave ho!" Just then, Luffy emerged from the restaurant carrying a large pile of garbage.

"Hey, Luffy! When are we finally leaving?" Usopp yelled immediately.

"Just wait a bit longer! I'm gonna go ask the old man again!" Luffy called back, his head poking out from behind the mountain of trash he was carrying.

"Hm?" Just after speaking, Luffy heard something and looked out towards the sea.

Through the thick fog, a massive ship slowly emerged.

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A black panther figurehead adorned its bow, and its Jolly Roger featured a grinning skull flanked by hourglasses.

This flag... no one in the East Blue didn't recognize it.

"It's... It's the Krieg Pirates!"

"W-Why is the Overlord of the East Blue here?!"

The restaurant customers instantly erupted in panic.

"Hey! Patty! Krieg is really here! You'll drive him away, right?!" one of the chefs yelled at Patty, his face pale with sweat.

"W-Why?! That's Don Krieg, the pirate admiral with 5,000 men under his command! Why would he come all this way just to avenge one subordinate?!" Patty clutched his head, remembering Gin whom he had beaten up earlier.

"Hey! This is bad! We gotta run!" Usopp stared at the enormous galleon, clutching his head in terror.

"How can a ship be that huge?!" Nami gasped, equally stunned. But seeing Rowen step calmly in front of her, a warmth spread through Nami's chest, replacing her fear with a sense of security.

"Whoa! What a big ship!" Luffy exclaimed, admiring the vessel.

"Think that Gin guy came back to repay your kindness?" Luffy grinned at Sanji, who had come out upon hearing the commotion.

"I don't think so... But something's strange," Sanji murmured, his eyes narrowing.

"Huh?" Luffy looked confused.

But the next moment, the colossal ship sailed completely out of the fog, revealing its full state to everyone.

"The ship is totally wrecked," Luffy observed, looking at the heavily damaged vessel.

"Doesn't look like cannon damage... but it doesn't look man-made either," Sanji analyzed, focusing on the most prominent damage near the center of the ship.

"Zoro—that gash—Doesn't it look like it was made by a sword?" Rowen asked, looking at the massive, clean horizontal slice across the ship's hull. A faint smile touched his lips, and his Haki began to stir, almost boiling with anticipation.

"Made by a sword? Impossible!" Zoro retorted instinctively. How could a sword possibly cut such a massive galleon in half?

But looking closer, Zoro fell silent.

That massive fissure... it truly did look like the mark left by a single, impossibly sharp blade.

A swordsman capable of such a feat... was...!

Remembering Johnny's words about rumors of the Hawk-Eyed man he sought being near here, Zoro gripped Wado Ichimonji tighter.

Just then, two figures descended from the massive galleon.

One was Gin, He was currently carrying a tall but extremely weakened figure.

It was the so-called Overlord of the East Blue—Don Krieg.

"Please... food and water... I have money," Krieg rasped weakly the moment he entered the restaurant.

Upon learning Krieg hadn't eaten in days and was completely drained of strength, Patty, who had been terrified moments before, instantly changed his tune, yelling for Krieg to get out. Feeding a dangerous pirate like him could lead to disaster!

But immediately after, Sanji emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of fried rice, placing it before Krieg.

Sanji demonstrated his principle through action: anyone hungry was his customer.

However, after Krieg finished eating...

WHAM!

With a swift elbow strike, Krieg slammed Sanji hard in the throat, catching him completely off guard and sending him crashing to the floor.

"Captain! That wasn't what we agreed! Mr. Sanji saved my life!" Gin cried out.

CRACK!

Gin, trying to intervene, had his arm snapped instantly by Krieg.

The restaurant customers screamed and fled in terror, but Krieg didn't stop them.

The Baratie chefs, led by Patty, tried to subdue Krieg but were swiftly defeated.

"Prepare food for one hundred men! My crew onboard is starving—!" Krieg ordered coldly.

"Never!" The Baratie chefs refused, naturally unwilling.

But then, they saw Sanji, whom Krieg had knocked down, slowly get back up and head towards the kitchen.

"What are you doing, Sanji?!" Patty roared.

"I don't have time to chat! There are a hundred meals to cook," Sanji replied calmly, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Ah!" The chefs menacingly raised their sharp kitchen knives, pointing them at Sanji.

"Are you a spy for the Krieg Pirates, Sanji?!" one chef yelled accusingly.

"I know he's a hopeless bastard! But I'm a cook! If someone's hungry, I feed them! Nothing else matters! Even if they attack this place afterward... the ones I fight will be well-fed bastards!" Sanji stated flatly.

"Here. This should be enough for a hundred men," Just as Sanji stood off against the other chefs, Zeff placed a massive bundle of food supplies on the floor.

"You're—'Red Leg' Zeff," Krieg recognized Zeff's identity, but immediately sneered.

"Hand over your logbook from your year sailing the Grand Line! With that logbook, I'll gather my men again, enter the Grand Line, take the ONE PIECE, and rule these seas!" Krieg demanded, glaring at Zeff.

"Hold on! I'm the one who's gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy, who had been watching quietly until now, immediately stepped forward upon hearing Krieg's claim, pointing angrily.

"Stay back, chore boy! You're no match for him!" Patty yelled urgently.

"I can't back down from this! Not this!" Luffy replied, a determined smile spreading across his face—a glimpse of his own 'Kingly Disposition'.

"Brat. This isn't playtime," Krieg sneered condescendingly.

"I'm serious!" Luffy retorted, standing his ground against Krieg.

"That's the Devil's Sea where my fleet of five thousand men was annihilated in just seven days! What makes a brat like you think you can survive there?!" Krieg roared.

"Since you want to die—maybe I should just finish you off right here!" Krieg's shoulder armor opened, revealing hidden cannons.

Luffy rolled up his sleeves, preparing to fight Krieg.

"Gonna fight him, Luffy?" Zoro's voice came from nearby.

"Need some help, Luffy?" Rowen asked, stepping forward, his lips curved slightly as he looked at Krieg.

What exactly did this guy do to get Hawk-Eyes to chase him all the way here?

"Rowen! You guys came? Nah, it's fine! Just watch from there!" Luffy replied, seeing Rowen and the others, patting his chest confidently.

Anyone who claimed they'd be King of the Pirates—Luffy would defeat them all!

"Hm?" Krieg glanced at Zoro, then at Zeff...

Finally, his gaze rested on Rowen.

This guy—his presence—feels completely different from that chore boy.

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When the chips were down, Usopp really didn't fold.