The swordsman, later revealed as Dracule Mihawk, was not what Takuro had expected. Based on the immense power, or "aura," that Takuro had sensed—which felt sharp and imposing, like a sword already drawn—he had imagined that the man who owned it would be an extremely cold, solemn, and unsmiling master swordsman.
However, the "cold swordsman" in person proved Takuro's initial thoughts completely wrong. Mihawk was certainly a swordsman, but he wasn't "cold" at all. His hair was greasy and matted from being unwashed for a long time and battered by the sea breeze. His beard was scruffy and untrimmed. His greenish eyes, which usually resembled a hawk's, gleamed like those of a starving ghost when he spotted the Sea Kings' corpses floating nearby. In fact, his overall appearance was somewhat listless from his long, solitary journey across the sea. His first impression was not that of an aloof powerhouse, but rather a poor soul who had just survived a shipwreck and hadn't eaten in a long time.
'What in the Grand Line did this guy go through?' Takuro thought to himself.
Takuro watched the man, trying to keep a straight face to maintain his own dignity, but his gaze kept drifting toward the floating corpses of the Sea Kings. A hint of sympathy rose in Takuro's eyes.
Finally, Takuro spoke, deciding to act on his sympathy. "Looking at you like this, mate, you must've run into some trouble at sea, right? You poor guy, you don't even have a proper paddle for your boat". As he said this, Takuro made sure to glance specifically at the giant black sword, Yoru, which the other man was currently using as a makeshift 'paddle'.
After that remark, Takuro clearly saw the perpetually stern and composed face of the other man twitch uncontrollably. The hand tightly gripping the hilt of the giant black sword also trembled oddly.
Seeing this reaction, Takuro was a little confused. He continued to ask, his voice dripping with "kindness" and "concern," "What's wrong? Mate, are you so hungry that your Ki is dropping? Can't even hold your weapon straight anymore?".
Mihawk's face immediately darkened further.
'Will this guy please stop talking?!' Mihawk screamed internally. 'Don't I, Dracule Mihawk, have any pride left?!'.
To stop Takuro from saying anything else that could potentially make his heart fail on the spot, Mihawk decided he had to speak. He forcibly suppressed the agonizing hunger in his stomach, straightened his proud posture, and introduced himself in the calmest, steadiest tone he could manage.
"I am Dracule Mihawk," he announced. "I am not a shipwreck survivor. I am a swordsman". He repeated the word "swordsman" once more, just in case Takuro hadn't heard him clearly.
"Oh, I see," Takuro replied, his tone understanding.
Takuro realized immediately that this man was the type who cared too much about how he looked to others. So, he decided to play along and gave the man a very casual compliment.
"It's an honor to meet you," Takuro said. He then continued to look at Mihawk and asked, "So, since you didn't have a shipwreck, what is the 'Greatest Swordsman in the World' doing out here in the middle of nowhere?".
"Uh..." Mihawk was momentarily stumped.
Then, his eyes caught sight of the massive Sea Kings' corpse floating silently on the surface of the sea not far away. His golden hawk-like eyes instantly lit up.
"I... I came to fish!" he blurted out. "Yes! To fish!". As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and pointed at the enormous, lifeless body. "That Sea King, I killed it! It is my prey!".
"Oh, I see," Takuro drawled, deliberately slowing his tone. He looked at Mihawk with an amused expression.
'This guy really is obsessed with appearances,' Takuro mused. 'But... he's actually quite interesting.'.
Sailing on the vast, monotonous ocean was genuinely boring. Although Takuro didn't have to worry about food or drink, and he often had "deep" intellectual conversations with Nico Robin every day, it still got tedious after a long time. Not to mention the Fish-Man, Jinbe, who was also a serious and rigid fellow, just like the Namekian, Piccolo.
To encounter such an interesting person, who clearly possessed immense strength—likely placing him in the Tier 3: World-Class Powers or even Tier 4: Galactic Emperors & Yonko categories in the unified rankings —but who was also inexplicably fussy about his appearance, was a great source of novelty for Takuro in the middle of the ocean.
So, Takuro extended an invitation.
"Hey, um... Mihawk, was it?" Takuro began. "It's getting late. We're about to have a grand feast on my ship, the Conqueror. How about it? Want to join us?".
Mihawk stared silently at Takuro. He had absolute confidence in his overwhelming strength, a level of mastery over his sword and Armament Haki that few mortals could ever hope to reach. Because of this, he didn't fear any potential danger. If the other party dared to have any ill intentions toward him, he would simply end the threat with a single, quick slash.
Most importantly, the hunger in his stomach was protesting wildly.
Finally, Mihawk gave a silent nod and squeezed out a single word. "...Okay".
No matter what, he needed to fill his stomach first. At the very least, he absolutely did not want to eat another plate of grilled fish.
Time passed, and dusk approached.
The deck of the Conqueror was brightly lit, and a grand banquet was now in full swing. After a short period of rest, Mihawk finally looked presentable again, having changed into a fresh set of clothes.
He came to the deck and sat upright at a large dining table. The table was covered with dishes made from the Sea Kings, all giving off an incredibly enticing aroma. In front of him was a plate of pan-fried Sea King loin.
The meat was cooked to perfection. The outside was fried to a golden crisp, while the inside remained tender and incredibly juicy. It was paired with a rich, secret sauce prepared carefully with over a dozen rare and precious spices. Just one sniff was enough to make any hungry person feel instantly intoxicated.
Mihawk could resist no longer. He picked up his knife and fork, cut off a small piece of the loin, and put it into his mouth.
The very next second, his sharp, golden hawk eyes instantly widened. An indescribable, multi-layered, ultimate deliciousness, like a violent storm, instantly swept across all his taste buds.
'Delicious!'
'Too... too delicious!'
Tears of pure joy immediately streamed down Mihawk's face. This was what a civilized person should be eating. He instantly abandoned any pretense of elegance and began to feast heartily.
At some point, Takuro walked up to him, with the Fish-Man Jinbe following close behind. Takuro held two large wine glasses, one of which he handed to Mihawk, then said:
"You can't just eat! A proper banquet is for drinking! You, my friend, can't tell me a swordsman of your caliber is a lightweight, can you?".
Mihawk's eyes sharpened, and a truly astonishing Ki and Conqueror's Haki aura emanated from him. On the high seas, if someone were to imply his swordsmanship was lacking, he would just smile and dismiss it, confident in his status as the best. But dare to suggest his drinking capacity was poor? Then, he would very politely but firmly show the person exactly who the boss was.
Mihawk took the wine glass, a challenging glint in his eyes, and said only one word.
"Cheers!".
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I was on vacation, so I couldn't upload chapters for the past 10 days. From today, chapter uploads will resume daily without breaks. Starting tomorrow, bonus chapters will also be released.
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion