Red Hair Vs "That Kid"

Time flies, and ten days have passed~

The news about what happened in Logue Town spread like wildfire.

"World's Greatest Swordsman Hawkeye Defeated by a Mysterious Young Swordsman in Logue Town—Left with a Shameful Scar on His Neck!"

"Hawkeye Admits Defeat and Voluntarily Relinquishes the Title of World's Greatest Swordsman—But the Mysterious Boy Rejects It!"

"Shocking! Mihawk, the Former World's Greatest Swordsman, Destroys a Tavern in Logue Town and is Forced to Pay Reparations by a Mysterious Youth!"

"Sword God Returns Home to Find His Father's Tavern Destroyed—In a Rage, He Beats Up the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

Headlines like these were released by major news agencies, captivating the world.

However, since the battle occurred suddenly and there were no reporters on the scene, there was no video footage of the confrontation.

The mysterious boy who defeated Hawkeye remained an enigma, his identity shrouded in mystery.

Somewhere in the New World.

On a pirate ship, a skull-and-crossbones flag fluttered in the wind. The skull held two knives, and three bloodstains ran down one of its eye sockets.

Any pirate worth their salt would recognize this flag—it belonged to the Red Hair Pirates, one of the Four Emperors!

The ship was called the Red Force.

At the bow, a red-haired, one-armed man gazed out at the horizon. "I heard you were defeated," he said. "Someone nearly took your head. Is that true?"

Not far from the Red Force, a small, coffin-like pirate ship floated silently on the sea.

Sitting on the coffin boat, Mihawk looked back at the red-haired, one-armed man with sharp eyes and calmly replied, "Yes, I lost."

At these words, the crew members around the red-haired man all showed expressions of shock.

"It's hard to imagine what kind of swordsman could defeat you!"

"I heard it was a boy. That's hard to believe! It must be some kind of Devil Fruit ability."

"Anyone who can defeat the world's greatest swordsman, regardless of age, is terrifyingly powerful!"

"This sea is becoming more interesting~"

The officers of the Red Hair Pirates looked at Mihawk with keen interest.

Shanks, the red-haired man, smiled playfully. "So, I guess someone won't have the right to laugh at me anymore, huh?"

"At most, I lost an arm, but you almost lost your headhaha!"

Mihawk's expression remained neutral, neither sad nor happy. "Shut up, you one-armed fool! Though I nearly died this time, I gained a lot from it."

Fool...

The officers of the Red Hair Pirates clicked their tongues in unison.

Only Mihawk could call Shanks a fool without angering him.

Indeed, Shanks wasn't upset at being called a fool.

He took a sip of his wine and looked at Mihawk with a grin. "What, have you decided to follow me and place your future in the hands of some brat?"

"Would you bet on that boy?" Mihawk's eyes narrowed slightly before he shook his head with a faint smile. "Ah, I don't have the right~"

As he spoke, the coffin boat began to move, seemingly propelled by the wind.

"Red-Hair, after I finish this retreat, the gap between our swordsmanship will grow wider. Soon, you won't even be qualified to be my opponent."

The coffin boat sailed into the distance.

"You bastard! Don't speak too soon. What if I meet that brat one day and defeat him? Wouldn't that embarrass you?"

Shanks leaned against the eaves of the boat, smiling as he watched the coffin boat disappear into the sea mist.

The boat paused for a moment!

Without turning around, Mihawk replied calmly, "I'll give you a chance to fight me after my retreat. I'll use his sword technique to show you the real difference between us!"

With that, the coffin boat vanished into the fog.

Shanks took another sip of wine~

He smiled and shook his head. "This guy is always so arrogant~"

"That's right, Boss," said Lucky Roo with a grin. "Hawkeye's getting a bit cocky, saying he'll defeat you after his retreat."

"No~ that's not what I meant when I called him arrogant."

Shanks set down his jug, his expression turning serious. "What he's implying is that after his retreat, he'll master the sword move that kid used to wound him."

"The difficulty of mastering a move that nearly killed him is beyond imagination."

"In the entire sea, only Mihawk has the confidence to make such a claim~"

The red-haired man put down his jug, feeling a surge of fighting spirit.

"I'd like to see what's so special about that kid's sword move—enough to drive someone like you into retreat!"

He…

Shanks began to look forward to the battle with Mihawk after his return!

"Bring me my sword!" Shanks shouted.

"Boss, are you going to practice?" Yasopp asked curiously.

With a faint smile, Shanks replied, "I can't afford to slack off for this battle~"

Yasopp scratched his head. "Ah, that's true. Hawkeye's swordsmanship was already the best in the world, and after this retreat, he'll be even scarier. Even you, Boss, can't take it easy~"

"Hehe, to be precise, it's not just Mihawk you'll be facing—it's that brat as well," the red-haired man chuckled.

Since Mihawk said he'd use that kid's sword move to defeat him, this battle is essentially Red Hair vs. "that kid" too!