"…What?"
Mihawk slowly opened his eyes again — but this time, his gaze fell directly on me.
My heart froze for a second.
Wait… why is he looking at me like that? That posture… that expression…Oi, oi, don't tell me—could it be that he's interested in my beauty?!
N-no way, right? This is Mihawk we're talking about! The world's strongest swordsman! Surely he wouldn't be… attracted?
…Would he?
Just in case, I quietly loosened Raikiri from its scabbard. If Mihawk really intended to attack me here, I had to strike first. Letting him make the first move would be suicide.
And we were still at sea. That alone was already incredibly dangerous for me — a Devil Fruit user. Fall into the water even once, and that's it. Game over. No continues. Death by drowning like a helpless landlubber.
So if things went wrong, I had to act first.
But…Mihawk didn't move.
He only spared me a brief glance — then looked away, staring out toward the sea instead.
…Huh?
I blinked. That's it? Wasn't looking at me? Didn't seem like he had any intention to attack me either. So he wasn't… interested?
My confusion only deepened. Mihawk's attention wasn't on me — but rather, on something else.
Something… in the sea.
His senses were sharper than mine — his Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki) was on a different level entirely. If even I could tell he looked uneasy… then he must have sensed something serious.
There was something out there.
Something big.
Something dangerous.
My instincts kicked in. I glanced around in every direction — but there was nothing. Only endless blue water.
So what exactly was Mihawk guarding against…?
The sea, once calm and gentle, began to ripple — then churn violently.
That was when I realized it too.
There was something down there.
Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone. If something could draw Mihawk's attention, it definitely wasn't ordinary. I opened the map.
And there it was.
A massive red dot — three thousand meters below the surface. Rising rapidly. Its color… as dark and ominous as Mihawk's presence.
My eyes widened. My brain froze.
My mouth moved on its own.
"—You've got to be kidding me… A Sea King?!"
Not just any Sea King, either. From its size and threat level…This was a Sea King-Class beast. Emperor Level.
Why?! Why was something this insane in the East Blue of all places?! Isn't this supposed to be the weakest sea?!
Sister… God of Besta… CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS TO ME?!If that thing hadn't shown up just to farm EXP, I swear — I would've stood on the execution platform in Loguetown, wearing a skirt, UPSIDE DOWN, and sworn repentance!
And then—
The sea surface began to bulge.
A dark shadow appeared beneath the waves — blurry at first… then sharper… then larger…
BOOOOM!!
The ocean EXPLODED upward — a gigantic wave shaped like a hemisphere erupted nearly a hundred meters high. Our boat was launched backward like a leaf caught in a storm, nearly thrown off its course entirely.
I grabbed the mast just in time, clutching it with both hands. My legs shook uncontrollably.
If I let go now — I'd drown instantly.
ROOOOOOOAARR!!
A roar exploded from beneath the sea, so loud it felt like my eardrums shattered. My head spun. Pain exploded in my skull.
A deluge of seawater crashed down on me like cold lead. My limbs went numb — my body felt weak as if gravity had suddenly doubled.
But at least… I wasn't completely submerged.
I had clung on just long enough to avoid death.
"…Tch…"
A shadow loomed over me — and when I finally looked up clearly…
I couldn't help it. I swore out loud.
Eight enormous tentacles, each covered with massive suckers, swayed and crashed around like mountains come to life. Its gargantuan body towered over us — compared to those tentacles, I was smaller than an ant.
The God of Besta definitely did this on purpose.
SHE KNEW I hated tentacle monsters. She KNEW—
She must be laughing right now. Ruthless… far too ruthless…!
Mihawk, however, only snorted. "So it's this creature… hmph."
Even in front of something this terrifying, he didn't seem afraid — just slightly annoyed. Killing it would be troublesome… but his eyes held no fear.
He was even evaluating whether it would retreat if he used his Conqueror's Haki.
But I wasn't so lucky.
One tentacle lifted high into the sky — then came crashing down toward us.
BOOOOM!!
Our boat was destroyed instantly. The ocean erupted again — waves soared nearly a hundred meters high, fragments of wood scattering across the surface like confetti.
For a second… something in Mihawk's expression changed.
"…Did she die?"
To him… I was already gone.
After all, even he found this Sea King troublesome. He wouldn't be surprised if someone like me died instantly. It was almost a given.
"A shame," he whispered. "Such a beautiful face, too."
But right when he thought it was over—
"Hm?"
His eyes narrowed. A blur — lightning-fast — shot across one of the tentacles.
He frowned in surprise.
"She's… still alive? And climbing on top of it? Hmph. I underestimated her a little."
Damn right you did.
I used Infinite Dodge to leap toward the beast — it spared no time destroying the only foothold I had, so the only option was to climb the Sea King itself.
Its body was so enormous… it hadn't even noticed me.
This was my moment.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
Raikiri flashed. I slashed across the tentacle as I sprinted forward — tearing open a massive wound. A wave of foul-smelling blood burst forth like a geyser.
But that woke the beast up.
The octopus immediately responded — another tentacle whipped toward me, trying to grab me.
Dodge — Shadow Dance! The passive skill triggered perfectly.
A glowing light-blue phantom clone flew from my body — slicing across the Sea King's pale-yellow pupil.
Blood gushed from its eye. A direct hit. Even a giant like this had weaknesses.
"Oh? She's a Devil Fruit user," Mihawk commented from afar.
"ROOOOAR!!"
The Sea King thrashed violently, howling in agony — the clone tried to attack again but only managed a shallow cut across the eyelid before fading.
Still… that was enough. I had blinded it in one eye.
But then… I realized something.
The ocean's surface… was rising toward me.
No—I was sinking toward the ocean.
"Wait—no, no, no, don't tell me—!"
The octopus was diving.
I stood atop a Devil Fruit user's worst enemy. No foothold except this monster's slippery flesh. If it went underwater, I would die — without question.
"STOP! I'M A DEVIL FRUIT USER — THIS ISN'T FAIR!"
But the octopus didn't care. I slipped—And the moment my feet touched seawater—
SPLASH!
Cold. Weakness. Weight.
No strength. No balance.
The Sea King returned to its home — and its anger surged. It swam even faster now, filled with rage at the human who dared wound it.
A tentacle struck my back.
Crack.
The air in my lungs burst out as bubbles. Pain tore through my body. My consciousness blurred.
…Am I… dying?
My bones felt shattered. My vision darkened. My lungs filled with saltwater. I'd never felt despair so clearly before.
"…Hmph. Why am I interfering? Since when did I become this kind of person?"
Mihawk exhaled.
Then he removed his hat — and his coat — and dove into the sea like a hunting fish.
The nighttime sea breeze was freezing.
When I finally woke up… I turned to the side and vomited several mouthfuls of seawater.
"Cough—cough!"
Pain exploded in my chest immediately — definitely broken ribs. Probably internal bleeding too.
"You're awake?"
Mihawk's calm voice came from behind me.
I turned around — he was holding Raikiri, staring at it with focused interest. He didn't even bother looking at me.
So he had saved me. Dragged me out of the ocean. Me… a Devil Fruit user at death's door.
"…Thank you," I muttered weakly.
We drifted on his lone boat beneath the dark night sky. Only a faint green candle burned gently — it reflected shadows onto Mihawk's face, making him seem even more mysterious in the dim light.
"Don't thank me," he said flatly. "I saved you on one condition."
My pulse spiked.
I instinctively covered my chest and backed away toward the edge of the boat. "You… what do you want to do…?"
He stared silently for a moment — then sighed in disappointment.
"Don't misunderstand," he said. "I have no interest in your body."
…Oh.
Well. Ahem.
I coughed twice awkwardly.
Mihawk lifted Raikiri and spoke with absolute seriousness:
"As payment for saving you… I want this sword. I want Raikiri."
"…"
Raikiri?!
My heart tightened.
No way. That sword… I finally obtained it. It was mine!
But Mihawk's eyes held unwavering resolve. Even he, wielder of Yoru — one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades — was captivated by Raikiri's power.
"I can't give it to you!" I protested.
Mihawk slowly turned to look at me — his gaze like a blade itself.
"Miss… you have no right to negotiate with me right now."
Silence fell.
He was serious. And I was in no condition to fight.
Was I really going to lose Raikiri… after finally getting it?
I clenched my fists.
I had to think of a way… to protect my sword.
No matter what.