"Leave the Mariejois defense map to me. I'll get it."
Doflamingo was the first to answer, his usual grin curling beneath the shades. His tone carried no hesitation.
Beyond that, silence filled the room.
"Buggy, we're all lone wolves," Rain finally said, glancing at Bullet's and Mihawk's half-interested expressions.
"Unless you want us to go charging through the Holy Land itself… there's not much we can do."
"I know."
Buggy nodded quickly, shaking his head. "I don't intend to push you into Mary Geoise."
That had never been his plan.
"Then why call us here?"
Rain's brows lifted. He didn't buy that Buggy had gathered so many heavy hitters just to brag about Revolutionary Army rumors.
Buggy took a deep breath. "…I need protection."
The words landed heavier than expected.
"Even if I move carefully, I can't guarantee CP0 or the World Government won't trace things back to me. If the worst happens… I want to know I can count on you to cover my escape."
His gaze swept across them, lingering for a moment on Rain. "I'll pay. I've already prepared funds. If nothing happens, I'll still pay you as thanks."
"I don't have a problem with that. What about you guys?"
Rain answered first without hesitation.
In his eyes, Buggy's absurd luck was nearly divine. If fate itself protected him, then there was no risk. Supporting him was practically guaranteed profit.
"Rain…"
Buggy didn't say anything aloud, but his heart swelled at the instant support. As expected of my first partner in this insane venture. He's not like the others… he's different. Reliable.
Bullet gave a grunt of acknowledgment. Mihawk only inclined his head, but it was enough...the deal was sealed.
"Thanks… everyone."
Buggy's voice carried genuine gratitude this time.
The group dispersed afterward, Buggy arranging a villa for their stay. Yet as they left the office, Mihawk's hawk-like gaze followed Rain.
It wasn't hostility. It was hunger.
"Pirate King Roger's blade… Ace," Mihawk finally said, stepping closer. His golden eyes glinted like blades themselves.
"One of the twelve Supreme Grade swords, isn't it?"
Though he phrased it as a question, his tone was certain.
"What about it? Do you want to compete with me?"
Rain tilted his head, studying Mihawk. He couldn't quite read the man's intentions.
"Correct…" Mihawk's voice was calm, but his eyes burned with an unmistakable fanaticism.
"There's no one who has heard of you and doesn't want to cross blades, Rain."
He had long been aware of Rain's strength, and the desire to test himself against that blade had only grown.
The problem was simple: Rain, like Mihawk, was a wanderer.
Finding him on the seas was like chasing shadows. But fate had brought them together here...Mihawk would not let this chance slip away.
"…"
Bullet leaned against the wall, watching silently. He didn't even need to speak. A duel? With Rain?
If Mihawk really wanted to test himself, fine but Bullet knew all too well. Rain wasn't just a swordsman.
He was like Roger a man whose strength bent the very world, whose swordsmanship rode on overwhelming Haki.
It wasn't just crossing blades. It was like asking a storm to spar with lightning.
"Alright, let's have a test then."
Rain's lips curved into a grin. He hadn't sparred with a true swordsman in all this time. Thinking about it, the idea stirred something within him. Perhaps this would be fun.
"Let's find an uninhabited island nearby."
His gaze flicked around the chamber before settling back on Mihawk. "If we fight here, Buggy's headquarters will be on the seafloor before our blades cross a third time."
"I see no problem with that."
Mihawk nodded. His agreement was quiet, but in his eyes—the sharp glint of excitement who had finally found another worthy opponent.
Just as the two were about to head toward the sea, Bullet knowing the island would be reduced to rubble if they fought unchecked raised a hand to stop them.
"There's no need. You two can fight here. Don't worry… I'll keep the island intact."
His tone carried absolute conviction.
"???"
Rain and Mihawk exchanged surprised glances. But if anyone could contain the destruction of two monsters, it was Douglas Bullet.
They chose an open square in the center of Saint Louis Island.
The moment they faced each other across the stone courtyard, their auras surged.
Mihawk's presence sharpened like the edge of his blade—keen, cutting, refined to the point it felt as though it could slice even the wind itself.
Rain's aura was different. It was overwhelming, regal, pressing down on the world like a king staring down all beneath him.
Bullet stood to the side, a wild grin spreading across his face. "Hahaha… perfect. Show me how this ends, Rain!"
"Yoru!"
Mihawk raised the Supreme Grade blade with both hands. Against Rain, he showed no hesitation. His opening strike was pure and merciless...the true challenge of a swordsman.
Rain's lips curled upward. "Well come!"
He lifted Ace, his stance steady, and met Mihawk's strike head-on.
Steel rang against steel.
For the first few exchanges, Rain suppressed his Haki. He wanted to measure Mihawk by swordsmanship alone.
To his surprise, Mihawk's blade did not falter. Every clash grew sharper, faster...their swords screaming as they tore through the air.
Rain's eyes narrowed. His technique improves with every strike… as expected of the man destined to become the world's greatest swordsman.
Mihawk felt it too. Each blow cut deeper into his spirit, igniting his hunger. The difference in power was clear, but Rain's flawless precision forced him to evolve in real time, pushing his sword to greater heights.
"This is…" Mihawk's golden eyes gleamed. "So this is the level I've been seeking."
Yet he knew...the weight behind Ace was still far beyond his current strength.
At last, Rain unleashed his power. Dark red lightning danced along Ace, the unmistakable infusion of Advanced Conqueror's Haki.
"Divine Departure!"
When the blades collided, the world itself seemed to shatter.
"BOOM!!!"
The shockwave split the square apart. Mihawk was hurled backwards, crashing across the ground before forcing himself upright. His chest heaved, blood streaking the corner of his mouth.
"Hahahaha!" Bullet roared, his grin widening. The result was obvious.
"My sword…" Rain exhaled, lowering Ace. "It feels perfect."
That powerful sword attack he unleashed with his Conqueror's Haki infusion… it was a blow that would echo in memory for years to come for Mihawk.
Across from him, Mihawk stood still. His expression was calm, almost serene. He wasn't angry, nor ashamed.
Truth be told, it was a scene not unlike when Oden charged at Roger and got flattened in a single breath by Divine Departure.
But the difference was clear. Oden, even after being manhandled, rushed forward again as if a second attempt would magically change the outcome.
In truth, nothing he did would have mattered...he could never have reached Roger in that moment.
Mihawk, on the other hand, was different. He felt the weight of the gap between them and chose to stop.
He wasn't broken, only wounded, but he understood. There was no point in flailing against a wall he couldn't yet climb.
That was what set him apart...not blind stubbornness, but the clarity to recognize reality, and the will to carry that defeat as fuel for the blade he would sharpen tomorrow.
"I lost."
His grip on Yoru remained firm, his eyes burning with excitement. "But this defeat is what I sought. Rain… your sword surpasses mine. Yet I felt it… my blade grew sharper in this clash."
Rain's gaze softened. As expected of the man who will one day be the world's greatest swordsman. Even now, so young, his growth is limitless.
Mihawk slowly sheathed Yoru.
"To cross blades with you was worth everything. Someday, Rain… I'll surpass even this."
Rain rested Ace on his shoulder, smiling faintly. "I'll be waiting."
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