Time flew by.
The moment had come to leave. They'd lingered long enough on the island.
While one still has legs to walk, it's best to travel, enjoy the view, meet people, and savor life. You never know what tomorrow might bring—there may not be a tomorrow.
After quietly finishing breakfast, Kavi glanced at Mihawk. His face was serious, but the corners of his mouth twitched, betraying his mood.
Kavi scowled and raised a fist with a grin.
"Mihawk, boy, you look a little too happy that I'm leaving. Huh?"
Mihawk instinctively shrank his neck. "Of course not!"
"Senior Kavi, I'm heartbroken to hear you're leaving. Will you come back?" he asked with a face so solemn it was almost comedic.
Despite his act, Mihawk was already planning a private celebration in his head the moment Kavi left.
He respected the man, sure—but the pressure of having him around all the time was immense.
Now that he'd learned how to train properly, he figured he could handle the rest himself.
'Old man, I don't need you anymore. Shoo!'
Kavi squinted suspiciously. "You're really sad I'm leaving?"
Mihawk nodded vigorously. "Of course! My admiration for you flows like a mighty river, like—"
"How about I stay a few more days?" Kavi interrupted with a straight face.
Mihawk stiffened. His mask cracked. "S-Senior! Don't worry about me! You mustn't delay your important matters for my sake! I'd feel awful!"
Kavi sighed dramatically. "So, you're that kind of Mihawk. I misjudged you. I thought you were some aloof, cold-hearted, problem child…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"But you're just cold on the outside and scheming on the inside."
He could practically see Mihawk's thoughts spinning like a hamster wheel.
Still, Kavi let it go. No point in hitting him now, not at the farewell.
"Alright, I'm off. No need to see me out," he said, waving without looking back.
Mihawk, of course, followed anyway.
Even if he wouldn't say it aloud, Kavi had been a crucial figure in his growth. Maybe even the most important one.
They walked in silence until they reached the coast. There, a plain-looking merchant ship waited at the shore.
It was Kavi's trademark ride—humble, classic, and completely unassuming.
And just like that, he boarded and sailed off, alone.
Mihawk stood watching until the ship vanished on the horizon. He muttered under his breath, "Didn't he say there weren't any ships around?"
He shook his head and turned back, heading for the castle with no celebration. Just silence.
Alone again—just him, his sword, and a bunch of baboons.
The training cycle resumed, endless and unrelenting.
Meanwhile, Kavi leaned back on deck with a glass of red wine in hand.
"Tsk. Not bad. Mihawk had some good stuff hidden away," he said, swirling the wine lazily.
Naturally, the wine was pilfered from Mihawk's stash. As a token of "appreciation," he'd even left one bottle behind.
Not that Mihawk would notice his wine cellar was now emptier than a Marine's sense of humor.
Unaware, Mihawk was likely still fighting the baboon leader in intense training.
One Month Later.
Somewhere across the sea, a flamboyant pirate ship cut through the waters like a giant flamingo.
The ship's design was unmistakable—pink hull, a giant bird head with glasses.
Only one group could be so tastelessly extravagant.
The Donquixote Family.
Onboard, a scruffy man with small glasses and a constantly dripping nose sniffled and spoke up:
"Master, are you sure that's really Corazon? Could be a Navy spy…"
Donquixote Doflamingo, once a Celestial Dragon, stood with his signature pink feathered coat fluttering in the wind.
His shades gleamed under the sunlight as he grinned.
He had murdered his own father in pursuit of reclaiming his status, but the World Government hadn't accepted him back. Still, he hadn't given up.
Ambitious, cunning, and ruthless—Doflamingo had strength, too.
His mastery of the String-String Fruit had reached the awakening stage.
But compared to true monsters of the sea, he still had a long way to go.
He smirked. "Trebol, I've confirmed it. It's him. No mistake."
His heart raced with excitement. His long-lost brother, Corazon—finally, a chance to bring him back.
Trebol, the Sticky-Sticky Fruit user and a loyal cadre, sniffled again and pointed forward. "Young Master, there's a merchant ship ahead. Should we… uh… avoid it?"
Doflamingo glanced at the vessel in their path.
He was in a good mood and didn't particularly feel like spilling blood today. But give way?
"Fufufu…"
"Why should we get out of the way? They should."
Unyielding and arrogant, Doflamingo never backed down. The ship's flamboyance reflected his pride.
Trebol nodded in admiration. "As expected of the Young Master."
But he added cautiously, "Still… it doesn't look like that ship plans to move."
Doflamingo's grin faded.
"…Fufufu. Then don't blame me for being rude."
He raised a finger.
A near-invisible string zipped through the air, sharp and swift, aiming to slice the merchant ship in two.
That plain-looking ship?
None other than Kavi's.
Kavi, meanwhile, was napping.
He'd spent the morning fishing—caught nothing, as usual. But that didn't matter. The breeze was good, the wine was better, and life was simple.
Completely unaware that a self-important warlord was about to try and destroy his ship.
Back on Doflamingo's deck, he sneered.
"Fufufufufu… Let's see how you like this. Just a no-name merchant daring to block my path?"
He could already picture the ship snapping clean in two under his threads.
But…
He was in for a surprise.
...
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