Wow~ Brother Finn Is Really Growing Up (2/5)

Suddenly, Hawkeye stood up abruptly, drawing everyone's attention. Their gazes turned toward him with curiosity and confusion.

"Mihawk, what's wrong with you?" Vice Admiral Crane asked suspiciously.

"This person... is he Monkey D. Finn?" Hawkeye's sharp eyes were fixed on the photo, his expression serious.

"Yes," Garp nodded, his tone calm. "That's my grandson, Finn. Why? Do you have something to say about him?"

A protective glint flashed in Garp's eyes. His grandson was destined to be a great Marine, and if anyone had an issue with him, Garp wouldn't take it lightly.

"No." Hawkeye shook his head slowly, his voice steady. "He's the young swordsman who defeated me."

The room went silent. Everyone froze, trying to process what they had just heard. The room, previously filled with chatter and tension, fell into a stunned silence.

"What?!" Sengoku's eyes widened, disbelief clear on his face.

The great swordsman who defeated Mihawk—the man known as the strongest swordsman in the world—was Finn? The very same Finn who had captured Crocodile and defeated Jinbei? The room buzzed with incredulity.

Doflamingo broke the silence first, chuckling. "Fufufufu... This is quite the discovery. Seems like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, eh? A family full of monsters!"

Momousagi's hand covered her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. She remembered the mischievous, playful Finn from Headquarters. "Is he really that powerful?" she murmured to herself, unable to reconcile the image of the jokester with the swordsman capable of defeating Mihawk.

Sengoku was still in disbelief. "Finn... my word..." He glanced at Garp, his voice filled with exasperation. "Old man! Did you even know about this?"

"I knew he was strong," Garp admitted, shrugging, "but I didn't know he was this strong."

Hawkeye remained calm, even as the revelation hung in the air like a thunderclap. "Since Finn is now after the Sword Immortal, I have no more business here." He turned to leave, speaking over his shoulder. "If I catch up to him, I'll find them both."

Without waiting for a reply, Hawkeye strode out of the room, his mind already on the next battle, his pursuit of Finn and the Sword Immortal now his only focus.

Doflamingo leaned back, legs crossed, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, Sengoku, what now? If there's nothing else, I think it's time for us to go too."

Sengoku exhaled deeply, the weight of the situation easing somewhat. "It's not as bad as it first seemed," he said after a moment. "If Finn is the great swordsman who defeated Mihawk, then the only real threat left is the Sword Immortal. And if the Sword Immortal turns out to be a pirate, at least we have Finn to balance things out on our side. Overall, our strength hasn't diminished."

Doflamingo chuckled, but then his tone shifted to something more contemplative. "But... if the Sword Immortal is just a young man, why haven't you considered that Finn and the Sword Immortal might be one and the same?"

Sengoku shot him a sharp look. "If Finn were the Sword Immortal, don't you think Kizaru would have recognized him already?"

Doflamingo raised his hands in mock surrender, grinning. "Fair enough. Forget I said anything."

"Alright," Sengoku said, standing. "Meeting adjourned. The main task now is to investigate the identity of the Sword Immortal. Jinbei, I'll speak with you privately about your situation."

…

Meanwhile, deep in the New World, in the Calm Belt, the Fish-Men Island had moved under the protection of the ancient sea king, Ao.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have received a reward: Advanced Multiplication Technique!" The system's notification echoed in Finn's mind as new knowledge of the technique flooded his thoughts.

"Brother Finn!" A sweet voice interrupted his thoughts. Shirahoshi's innocent face looked up at him, her large eyes brimming with curiosity. "My father said I should stay with you from now on. Does he want you to take care of me?"

Finn smiled, reaching out to gently tap her on the nose. "No, it's because your father is following your mother's last wish. She wanted you to be safe with me."

Shirahoshi blinked. "My mother's last wish? Wasn't her last wish for the Fish-Men Island to live under the sun? That's already happened, right?"

Finn nodded but then leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Yes, but there's one part of her last wish I haven't told you yet."

Shirahoshi tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "What's that, Brother Finn?"

With a playful grin, Finn said, "Your mother also arranged for us to be married when you grow up."

Shirahoshi's eyes widened in surprise, her innocent face lighting up. "Ha?! But Brother Finn, you're so young! Can we really get married?"

Finn chuckled. "Young? I'm plenty big enough!"

Before she could respond, Finn activated the advanced multiplication technique, channeling chakra throughout his body. His form expanded rapidly, growing larger and larger until he was the same size as Shirahoshi. With ease, he lifted her in a princess carry, his grin widening as he said, "See? I can be as big as you want me to be!"

Shirahoshi giggled in amazement, her eyes sparkling. "Wow~ Brother Finn, you're really big now!"