In the sky, the meteor was about to crash down.
One after another, Flame Slashes rained down from the sky.
Hawkeye, who hadn't yet sheathed his sword, seemed to be influenced and raised his hand to send out a few more Sword Slashes.
Boom!
The meteor crashed into the sea.
The pirate ship directly beneath the meteor vanished instantly, and the resulting waves capsized and smashed the nearby pirate ships.
Cyrus sheathed his sword and landed.
Hawkeye also slung Yoru back onto his back.
Issho propped his on the bow.
Robin looked at the three men standing together, then at the scene on the surrounding sea.
Flames and wreckage were everywhere.
And she had actually wanted to go around them just now!
Cyrus raised his hand and fired a shockwave, blasting away the wreckage blocking the small boat's path and clearing a way.
The small boat moved forward slowly, crossing through the debris-strewn sea.
The pursuing warships had already stopped.
Watching the small boat approach, the Navy soldiers on the warships were all tense.
What had just happened was definitely related to this small boat.
Standing on the warship, Momonga tightened his grip on his sword, his expression grave as he watched the approaching boat.
"Have the other warships make way." Momonga said to his adjutant beside him.
"Ah? Yes, sir!"
The adjutant was stunned for a moment, then immediately took out a Den Den Mushi to issue the order.
The warships in front of the small boat immediately parted to the sides.
Momonga stood at the bow of the warship, his gaze falling on the small boat and then he froze.
'Hawkeye!'
Compared to Cyrus and Issho, Hawkeye was clearly more famous and recognizable at this time.
Most importantly, he had been beaten by Hawkeye before.
Back when Hawkeye was traveling the world challenging master swordsmen, the Navy, due to its systematic training, had quite a few master swordsmen.
Because of this, the Navy became Hawkeye's primary target.
He was one of them.
'But who were the people standing with Hawkeye?'
Momonga's gaze shifted to Cyrus and Issho beside Hawkeye.
Then, he saw the younger-looking person next to Hawkeye turn to look his way and suddenly break into a grin.
Momonga's heart skipped a beat.
The next moment, a blaze of fire was right in front of him.
He subconsciously tightened his grip on his sword.
The surrounding Navy soldiers also went on alert.
From within the blaze of fire, Cyrus's figure appeared.
"That Pirate Crew just now had bounties, right?"
Just as Momonga was on high alert, Cyrus, who had appeared from the flames, spoke.
"Uh, yes!" Momonga was taken aback, then nodded.
"That's good. Deposit the bounty money into my bank account. Garp-san knows what to do."
After saying that, Cyrus's figure once again turned into flames and returned to the small boat.
Only after Cyrus left did Momonga let out a sigh of relief.
'Vice Admiral Garp knows? and this person looks familiar.'
'Wait, it's that Cyrus.'
Momonga's mind raced, and he immediately recognized Cyrus's face.
"So it was him!"
As a high-ranking officer in the Navy, Momonga knew a few things.
He knew the Navy had once tried to recruit Cyrus, but was rejected.
And of course, there was the matter of him fighting two of the Admirals.
After watching the small boat sail through the cleared path, Momonga had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly frowned.
"Wait a minute, I was the one hunting those pirates!" Momonga's eyes widened as he muttered.
He had pretty much already cornered those pirates.
But this thought only flashed through his mind for a moment.
"Forget it. Since he said so, I'd better report this to the Fleet Admiral."
"Clear the sea. If there are any survivors, capture them."
After giving the order, Momonga returned to his cabin, preparing to report the incident to Sengoku.
...
On the small boat.
"What did you go do?" Robin looked at Cyrus, curious about his recent actions.
"Nothing much. We just helped catch some pirates. We can't not take the bounty." Cyrus said with a wave of his hand.
"Huh? Weren't those pirates being captured by the Navy?"
Robin's eyes widened upon hearing this.
"What do you mean, captured by the Navy? We were clearly the ones who took them out."
Cyrus immediately retorted, looking very righteous.
"Alright!"
Seeing Cyrus's expression, Robin had no intention of arguing.
She just nodded and focused on steering the boat.
"To what extent can you combine your flames and your Swordsmanship?" Hawkeye asked out of the blue.
"Well, you'll find out when we fight later." Cyrus replied with a wave of his hand.
"There are no islands along this route."
Hawkeye's peculiar eyes stared at Cyrus.
"The sea is so big, and this is my first time on the Grand Line. I don't know. Issho, do you know?"
Cyrus spread his hands, then looked at Issho and asked.
"This old man cannot see. I have always traveled by hitching rides on others' ships." Issho said unhurriedly.
Hawkeye looked at Cyrus, then at Issho.
The meteor just now and Cyrus's Flame Slashes had made his hands itch for a fight.
Cyrus's Swordsmanship when they fought before wasn't very refined.
But Cyrus was clearly the same type as Issho.
The power of their Swordsmanship was largely due to their Devil Fruits.
Such strong opponents... let alone recently, even from the time he set out to sea until he became the Greatest Swordsman, and up until now, he had only met one or two such people.
One of them had even lost an arm.
Thinking of this, Hawkeye closed his eyes and said no more.
For a good opponent, he had plenty of patience.
Cyrus and Robin exchanged a look.
Robin gave Cyrus an inquisitive glance, asking if she should take over the boat.
Cyrus shook his head, flipped onto the roof of the cabin, and lay down.
Robin sighed and continued to serve as the boatman.
...
Marineford.
"I understand. I will tell Garp about the bounty." Sengoku said into the Den Den Mushi before hanging up.
"Hawkeye, the person who summoned the meteor, and Cyrus."
He already knew that Hawkeye and Cyrus had been in contact.
Darcy, the commander of the Naval Base near Alabasta, had already reported that Hawkeye and Cyrus had met.
But he hadn't expected Hawkeye to actually be traveling with Cyrus.
A trace of gravity flashed in Sengoku's eyes.
He knew Hawkeye's strength, even against an Admiral he will not lose.
And now these three were together.
That kind of power!
Perhaps if they were in the New World, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage even against Whitebeard's or Charlotte Linlin's Pirate Crew.
'Three of the sea's top powerhouses, gathered together.'
Sengoku suddenly felt that things were spiraling far beyond his control.
What kind of charisma did this Cyrus possess?
Even the ever-solitary Hawkeye had team up with him?
"No, I must figure out his objective." Sengoku muttered to himself after a moment of deep thought.
Even if he wouldn't become a pirate, with these three together now, they could easily cause some major incidents.
Only by understanding his objective could Sengoku rest easy.
Of course, the objective had to be within a range the Navy could accept.
Then, Sengoku contacted Garp.
When Garp heard what Sengoku said, he was also dumbfounded.
"For real? I knew that guy Hawkeye fought Cyrus in Alabasta, but why would Hawkeye be traveling with Cyrus?" Garp asked, picking his nose as he received the news.
"That's why I'm telling you to go find Cyrus and ask about the situation. At least figure out his objective."
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