Chapter 16: Defeat
"...Hawk-Eyes!"
Zoro was astonished to hear the na. He shot to his feet, his gaze fixed intently on the man in the corner.
His hands rested on his sword hilts, unconsciously gripping them tighter.
"What’s wrong, Zoro?" the others asked, puzzled.
Seeing this, Reiner knew exactly what Zoro intended to do, but...
*"The power gap is too huge. Should I stop him?"* Reiner couldn’t help but think.
He couldn’t guarantee the story would unfold as it originally did. If Zoro died right here...
However, when he looked up and saw the resolute determination in Zoro’s eyes, he abandoned the thought of intervening.
This was Zoro’s own path. Besides, even if he tried to persuade him, Zoro definitely wouldn’t listen.
Hawk-Eyes walked straight towards the exit, not sparing the intensely staring Zoro a second glance.
"Wait!" Zoro shouted. "You’re the World’s Greatest Swordsman, right?"
With that, he drew one sword and pointed it at Mihawk. "I challenge you!"
"I have no interest in the weak."
Hawk-Eyes spoke coolly, continuing towards the door without pause.
"Don’t be so arrogant, bastard!" Zoro gritted his teeth and chased after him.
"Hey, Zoro!" Nami called out urgently, then looked at the others. "Quick, stop him! Didn’t you hear? That guy cut a pirate ship in half with one slash!"
"It’s no use, Nami." Luffy had also put down his food, his expression serious. "I promised Zoro I wouldn’t stand in his way."
"Ah~, let’s go," Reiner sighed, getting up and heading towards the door.
The few cooks stood stunned for a mont, then imdiately ran towards the back kitchen.
"Hey, everyone co out and look! That custor is challenging Hawk-Eyes!"
"Seriously!?"
"Hey, wait, isn’t that guy a really famous bounty hunter?"
"It really is him! Roronoa Zoro!"
The back kitchen instantly erupted in commotion as cooks poured out of the restaurant.
Sanji, looking puzzled, put down his kitchen utensils and ca out. "Honestly, what’s with this group? Do they love dueling this much?"
---
On the deck outside the restaurant, Zoro blocked Mihawk’s path, the Wado Ichimonji already clenched between his teeth.
His purpose for setting sail was to find this very man before him.
To defeat him, make his na resound throughout the seas, and fulfill the promise he made long ago.
An unprecedented longing burned in Zoro’s eyes.
"I admire the look in your eyes. Since that’s the case, consider this so post-al exercise."
As Mihawk spoke, he removed the cross pendant from his chest, unsheathing a small knife from within. "I don’t carry a smaller blade than this. Co."
On the second-floor deck, besides Reiner and the others, stood the Baratie cooks led by Sanji, all watching the duel with eager anticipation.
"The World’s Greatest Swordsman versus Roronoa Zoro!"
"I never thought I’d witness a duel of this caliber."
"I can’t even imagine what it will look like when they fight."
All the cooks stared intently at the scene below. They only knew both fighters were strong, but they had no concrete concept of *how* strong.
Their own skills were far below either man’s level; they could only judge by reputation, and Zoro’s fa in the East Blue was already considerable.
However,
Three minutes later...
"Scars on the back..."
"...Are a swordsman’s sha!!!"
"..."
*Would it be rude to laugh right now?*
Witnessing this famous scene, Reiner found it both infuriating and amusing. While worry flickered in his eyes, his respect for Zoro deepened.
Mihawk drew his Black Blade, Yoru, bringing the battle to a close with one final strike.
Turning his back on the fallen Zoro, Mihawk departed with a leisurely stride, leaving only a quiet parting remark:
"Go and beco stronger, Roronoa. I will await you atop the throne of the World’s Strongest Swordsman."
Lying on the deck, Zoro covered his face with one hand, raising the Wado Ichimonji towards the sky:
"Until I defeat him! I will never lose again!!!"
It seed like a declaration for everyone present to hear.
And perhaps, also an oath sworn to soone in the heavens above...
---
The duel concluded. Reiner and Usopp imdiately rushed down, helping the fallen Zoro to his feet.
A ghastly wound stretched across his chest, starting from the upper right and extending across his entire torso.
Reiner jumped back onto their ship to grab dical supplies, and the two began bandaging Zoro’s injury.
anwhile, by the restaurant entrance...
"That idiot is your companion, right? Why didn’t you stop him?" Sanji lit a cigarette and asked Luffy standing nearby.
Luffy glanced at Sanji. "That’s his dream. Zoro has his own path to follow."
"Is it necessary to go that far?" Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke, looking up. "...A dream, huh? Is sothing so vague and ethereal really worth staking your life on?"
"Mm, that’s why it’s called a dream," Luffy replied, his tone calm yet firm. "Don’t you have anything in your heart worth risking your life for?"
"Sothing worth risking my life for..."
Leaning against the wall, Sanji closed his eyes. After a long mont, he spoke, "Have you ever heard of the All Blue?"
"All Blue?"
"It’s a legendary sea where fish from all four oceans gather..."
"They say it’s sowhere in the Grand Line. When the old geezer dies, I’ll head to the Grand Line. Even if it takes my whole life, I will find that sea."
Luffy couldn’t help but glance at Sanji, a strange expression crossing his face. "Heeheehee, we’re heading there too! And we happen to need a cook. Co with us!"
"No. I have reasons why I must stay here."
"What? Didn’t you just say you wanted to go to the Grand Line?"
On the third-floor deck, Zeff leaned on the railing with both hands, looking down at Sanji and Luffy below. A faint smile touched his lips as he murmured:
’You’re smiling quite happily, aren’t you, brat? Perhaps you’ve finally found a ship worth boarding.’
---
Reiner finished bandaging Zoro and helped him inside the restaurant. Fortunately, the blow hadn’t struck his heart; Mihawk had shown appreciation for his talent after all.
Although the wound was deep, it only seed to affect skin and muscle. With Zoro’s constitution, he’d recover after so rest.
Seeing Zoro wasn’t in critical danger, the crew relaxed.
Reiner, Nami, and Usopp slowly enjoyed their al, while Luffy and Sanji continued their own "duel."
It’s worth noting that, under Luffy’s persistence, they had made a bet on this contest: If Luffy won, Sanji would join their crew. If Luffy lost, they would never return to the Baratie to bother him again—
—except for Nami.
"With Luffy’s appetite, he’s guaranteed to win," Nami said confidently. She had just witnessed yesterday how Luffy had exhausted five villagers trying to cook for him.
Reiner, however, was skeptical. "With Sanji, it’s hard to say. I’m already considering how to cheat."
’Yes, I’m despicable, correct.’
However, before Reiner could act, soone else in the kitchen made the first move.
"Sanji, it’s ti for you to leave here," Zeff stated plainly.
Sanji remained unmoved, engrossed in his culinary battle with Luffy, his full attention on the utensils in his hands.
"I said, you’re fired, Sanji," Zeff continued.
Only then did Sanji slowly put down his utensils, his expression gradually turning grim:
"Damn old man! What kind of joke is this!?"
"Do you want to die filled with regret? Go out to sea, Sanji. I don’t want to be the chain holding you back."
"What chains are you talking about!? I want to stay here! It has nothing to do with you!"
"Then what about the All Blue?" Zeff’s voice remained calm.
"I’ll go to sea when you’re dead!"
"Instead of waiting to see off, better tell while I still have a few years left that the All Blue truly exists."
Zeff turned to look out the window, where the blue sky and calm sea reflected each other. "Between the two of us, soone has to go see it, don’t they?"
...
The kitchen gradually fell silent. Sanji lowered his head, taking the cigarette from his lips. His blond hair hid his face, obscuring the expression beneath the shadows.
Plink.
Until a large teardrop traced a path down his cheek and fell. He suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, pressing his hands and forehead firmly against the floor in a deep bow.
"Thank you!" Sanji cried out, tears streaming down his face.
"Thank you! Old Man! I will never forget your great kindness for all eternity!"
The kitchen was utterly silent; all the other cooks had consciously left when Zeff entered.
Zeff looked down at the young man he had raised, his own eyes stinging slightly with tears. But he quickly wiped them away, because an inopportune man had just snuck in.
"Uh, excuse , wrong way."
Reiner stood frozen in the kitchen doorway, feeling so awkward his toes were practically digging cracks into the floor. This touching scene... was a bit embarrassing to walk in on.
He looked down at the handful of ants he was holding – undead ants he had just created outside, preparing to sneak in and cause so trouble.
But he had stumbled upon this scene right as he entered.
"Sorry, I didn’t see anything."
Sanji: "..."
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