"DAMN YOU, HAMMER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YORU!?"
"Way of the Sword, Righteous Path!"
"I tore my dreams all night long…"
Mihawk: '..Not again!'
Mihawk was furious! He didn't care if the sword sang or not anymore; he slashed a powerful strike straight at the Warhammer's bow.
"Kuzan! Block him! Lance, turn the ship, WE'RE OUTTA HERE!"
"Wait, Hammer-san, why me?!"
"What do you mean why? You're his 'designated rival,' duh!"
"Fine, I'm on it, ICE AGE!!"
Once Hammer mentioned "designated rival," Kuzan immediately got the message. He leaped into the air as ice, unleashing a freezing blast that collided with Mihawk's slash.
"Yo, Mihawk-kun, you can't hurt Hammer. If you wanna fight, fight me instead!"
Kuzan smiled as he stared Mihawk down.
But Mihawk was seething. He didn't care about bounties or who was a Marine. All he wanted was to cut Hammer down and get his sword back to normal.
Too bad Kuzan wasn't going to let that happen.
Their battle ignited on the spot, slashes and freezing air crossed in a dance of green light.
"I tore a dream in one night..."
"One night soaked in rain..."
"An old phonebook torn in one page..."
"Two people tried all night..."
"Your cold tears soaked the night..."
"Your cold tears soaked the night…"
Kuzan: 'Damn it, how do I focus with this going on?!
Mihawk: "I'm gonna lose my mind! Why is it always NIGHT?!"
Hammer: "Well, the song is called 'Tear the Night,' after all."
"Kuzan! I'm leaving the Jewel Ice in your hands. If it works, call me. I'M OUT!"
"Mihawk, I still think 'Tearing the Night' suits you perfectly! Keep up the good work—HAAHAHAHAHA!"
As the Warhammer gained distance, Hammer shouted his message at the still-fighting duo.
The sound of his voice made both of them pause.
Mihawk was angrier than ever, but he knew without Haki, there was no way he could beat this ice freak. He was already suffering from frostbite.
Meanwhile, Kuzan was thrilled. 'What a chance, fighting a sword prodigy this young before he even learns Haki! Easy dubs!'
"Hmph! I won't forget this… Marine!"
Mihawk hissed before sheathing his sword and storming off.
Kuzan stood confused, unsure of what Mihawk meant by that.
Once Mihawk was gone, Kuzan resumed his journey.
Several days later, Grand Line, First Half
"WHAT THE HELL! HOW IS THIS MY FAULT?!"
"How was I supposed to know the brat would flip like that?!"
"Old man Sengoku, you're outta line! Fine! Do you want a custom weapon? YOU'LL GET IT WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER!"
Hammer slammed the transponder snail shut and chucked it toward the sea.
Just before it splashed, Lance leaped and caught it midair.
"Dude, what's wrong? Why so pissed?"
"You'll find out soon enough… I bet the News Coo's on its way right now."
Hammer huffed and stormed into the forge.
When angry? Forge weapons.
Soon after, the sound of hammering echoed through the ship. A trembling News Coo cautiously flew overhead.
This bird had been warned: Never mess with the silver-white Marine warship. A devil lives aboard who loves to murder news birds for fun.
This one had to be careful.
It dropped the paper and flapped anxiously.
Lance tossed it a coin, which it caught in midair before locking eyes with him. Then it turned and flew away.
'...Why's it looking at me like that? Am I that scary?'
Lance shrugged off the weird encounter and unfolded the paper.
"Holy crap, this kid really did it…"
The front page screamed:
[Dracule Mihawk Declares Himself a Marine Hunter!]
[What dark secret exists between the young swordsman and the Marine? Why is he targeting the Marines?]
[Singing Slashes? All signs point to Master Smith, Hammer!]
"That Mihawk actually dares to hunt Marines? Some young punk who doesn't know his place!"
Lance was a true Marine at heart. The idea of someone hunting his comrades infuriated him, and he briefly considered going after Mihawk himself.
"Seems the higher-ups aren't happy,"
Shirley appeared beside Lance, also reading the paper.
"Of course. The whole thing started after Mihawk met Hammer."
"Technically... Hammer did cause it."
Lance was speechless. Hammer's powers were awesome, yes. But sometimes they just caused more trouble than they were worth.
Hammer himself? Just as helpless.
All he did was tap the sword a little. Who knew it would trigger a ridiculous side-effect?
Worst part: the sword's owner? A humorless, cold-blooded swordsman, definitely not the joking type.
Sengoku glared at the den den mushi that had just been hung up on him. His mustache twitched with rage.
"That damn Hammer! HE HUNG UP ON ME?!"
"Next time I see him, I'm stuffing a Shockwave down his throat!"
Ever since the last battle with Whitebeard, Sengoku's ego had ballooned. He and Zephyr had actually landed a solid beating on Whitebeard, even landing a Shockwave straight to the face.
Watching Whitebeard cough up smoke that day? Pure bliss.
Now he wanted everyone to taste his Shockwave firsthand.
"Tsuru, what do you think?"
Fleet Admiral Kong sat at the head of the table, frowning. The emergence of a "Marine Hunter" embarrassed him deeply.
Vice Admiral Tsuru looked equally serious.
"This is a terrible situation. In all these years, no one's ever so openly declared war on the Marine, calling himself a Marine Hunter?"
"I spoke to Kuzan. It really did start because Hammer tampered with Mihawk's Supreme Blade Yoru. That's what enraged him."
Kong rubbed his head in frustration.
'Damn Hammer! Such a promising recruit, now turned into a potential threat, all because of some stupid prank...'
'Wait, promising recruit?'
"Tsuru… What if… we make the brat a Warlord?"
That stunned everyone. Tsuru fell into deep thought.
"No way, Fleet Admiral Kong. The World Government's standards for the Seven Warlords require both strength and reputation."
"That kid might be strong, but he's practically unknown."
Sengoku offered a logical take, but Kong wasn't done.
"Reputation? We can make that happen."
"We've got plenty of swordsmen in the Marine, don't we?"
"Send every sword-wielding officer to 'spar' with Mihawk. If they win, say nothing. If they lose, no big deal."
"As long as they fight him, I'll have Hammer forge each of them one of those blades, what were they called again?"
"Oh right, Tangdao and Miaodao!"
"We'll pressure the brat from all sides. Make him regret going after the Marine. Build up his fame. Eventually, he'll have no choice but to accept our Warlord offer."
"It's a win-win, punish the punk and recruit a powerhouse!"
No doubt about it, Kong still had it.
His master plan left Sengoku and Tsuru stunned.
Sengoku: 'Since when did the old man get so smart?!'
Tsuru: '...Don't look at me. If I said Hammer's been a bad influence on him, would you believe me? These ideas are unhinged…'
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu