One Piece: Starting with Breathing Techniques

The evening sun slanted across the ship, and the strong liquor brewed by the giants swirled in the clinking glasses, white foam flying everywhere.

Even after several rounds of drinks, the deck, though in a mess, remained noisy.

By the time the moon rose, the deck was covered with pirates lying haphazardly.

These powerful pirates, who were once renowned for their prowess, were now sprawled out on the ground, fast asleep, some with juicy, fragrant meat still in their mouths.

Wisps of white smoke rose from the cigarette dangling from Beckman's mouth as he squinted and flipped through the newspaper in his hand.

A moment later, Beckman gripped the newspaper tightly, took a deep breath, and looked on in disbelief.

He only realized what was happening when the cigarette in his mouth burned out and burned his lips.

"Hey, hey, Shanks!"

"Come and see this!"

He waved the newspaper in his hand and handed it to Shanks, who was having a drinking contest with Lucky.

Shanks, who was laughing loudly, was taken aback. He put down his wine glass, wiped the oil off his hands on Lucky's body, and took the newspaper that was handed to him.

As his gaze swept across the newspaper, the carefree smile faded, gradually replaced by solemnity and shock.

The newspaper headline boldly proclaimed:

Shocking! Revolutionary Army Launches Surprise Attack on Mary Geoise!

Chief of the General Staff Kiro single-handedly overpowers two generals in a direct confrontation!

The fates of six world-renowned nobles have shaken the world!

He could understand each word individually, but when they were put together, Shanks just couldn't comprehend them.

Kilo?!

That swordsman kid I met before?

He actually managed to do that!?

After a long while, Shanks finally came to his senses, the slight intoxication long gone.

He stood up, looked at Beckman who also looked puzzled, and remained silent for a long time.

"..."

"Looks like a new monster has appeared."

Beckman nodded slightly. "This ocean is never short of geniuses."

"If the news reports are true, this guy's swordsmanship probably surpasses that of a sword master!"

As Shanks' first mate, Beckman, though not a swordsman, had a general understanding of the different levels of swordsmanship.

As far as he knew, only two people had reached the realm above Sword Master.

It seems like we need to add another person now.

Shanks gave a wry smile. "They're clearly not remnants of the old era, yet their strength is so outrageous. This is really troublesome."

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously turned their gaze to the figure silently drinking at the stern of the boat.

"Hey, Mihawk!" Shanks shouted.

Upon hearing this, Hawkeye glanced at Shanks, raised an eyebrow, and stopped drinking.

"What is it?"

Shanks smiled and handed over the newspaper, which was crumpled in several places, while watching Hawkeye's reaction with anticipation.

As Shanks predicted.

Hawkeye, who always presented himself as a cool and aloof swordsman, gradually widened his eyes after seeing the somewhat shocking report about Kiro.

He was completely unaware that the glass in his hand was tilted and the beer was soaking his cuffs.

"...Is this really Kiro?"

Hawkeye rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his usually calm and sharp gaze momentarily stunned.

Looking at the calm figure in the photo, suspended high in the air, confronting the two naval admirals, his drunkenness vanished instantly.

He found it hard to associate this figure with the boy he had taught a few years ago.

Six years ago, Kiro had only just stepped into the realm of swordsmanship and was far from being a match for him.

At that time, Hawkeye only saw Kelo as a promising rookie with great potential who might become a good friend and spar with him in the future.

He never expected that day would come so soon.

If the news reports are true, then Kiro must have already possessed sword intent and entered the realm of a great swordsman.

After a long silence, Hawkeye felt his blood begin to boil.

A deep-seated excitement made him feel slightly apprehensive.

He abruptly stood up, suppressing his ever-growing fighting spirit, took a deep breath, and looked at Shanks.

He was about to speak when he suddenly froze, looking suspiciously at Shanks, who had a wicked grin on his face.

Suddenly, Hawkeye seemed to realize something, frowned, and stared intently at Shanks. "Wait..."

"Did you already know?"

"Did you know that Kiro had actually become a great swordsman?"

Shanks grinned mischievously and patted Hawkeye on the shoulder with a laugh.

"Mihawk, that shocked look on your face just now... hahahahaha!"

"I've been waiting for this moment for three months!"

After encountering Kiro that day and discovering that he had become a great swordsman, Shanks suppressed his impulse and refused to tell his friend Hawkeye about Kiro.

He knew that his dear friend, who was extremely passionate about swords, would definitely have a very interesting expression when he learned that Kiro had become a great swordsman.

Shanks laughed so hard his shoulders shook, wiping away tears of laughter, "Hahahaha—"

"Mihawk, the look on your face right now... all my efforts weren't in vain!"

"Hahahahaha!"

As Shanks laughed unrestrainedly, Mihawk's forehead veins bulged, and his right hand gripped the black sword Yoru tightly behind his back.

The next moment, the longsword was suddenly drawn, and an extremely sharp aura appeared out of thin air above the ship.

The laughter abruptly stopped.

Seeing Mihawk's unfriendly gaze, Shanks belatedly raised his hands.

"Hey, wait a minute, you're not really going to do this, are you...?"

Holy crap!

……

A moment later, Mihawk sheathed his black sword, Yoru, and looked at Shanks, whose face was now bruised and swollen.

Do you know the location of Kilo?

As fellow great swordsmen, Shanks keenly sensed the excitement in Mihawk's eyes, as if he had met his match.

He shrugged. "Obviously, I don't know."

"He's the World Government's most wanted criminal right now, the whole world is looking for him. I'm just a pirate who enjoys having parties."

"How would I know Kiro's location?"

Mihawk sighed, but his gaze remained unwavering.

"I will find him!"

Seeing this, Shanks tossed out a jug of wine and raised an eyebrow.

"It's almost dark. Instead of setting out to sea in the dark to find a needle in a haystack, why don't we stay a few more days?"

"Don't worry, there's plenty of alcohol!"

Hawkeye, who was about to step onto the coffin boat, paused and caught the wine that Shanks threw to him.

After hesitating for a moment, he stopped, turned around, and started chugging the bottle again.

"...Just one day."

"Let's leave tomorrow!"

Shanks laughed, straightened his straw hat, put his arm around Beckman's shoulder, and started a drinking contest with Hawkeye, who was sitting on the ground.

As night fell, the campfire on the sailboat remained as bright as ever.

……

On a remote island in Beihai, underground in an abandoned fortress.

Torrepol strode into a room.

He respectfully handed the newspaper to the boy in front of him, who wore sunglasses and always wore a cruel smile.

"Young Master, there's big news!!"

The 15-year-old Doflamingo took the newspaper that was handed to him.

"Oh?"

After watching for a moment, he suddenly covered his face and burst into laughter.

"Fufufufufufu!"

"Trebol, if I remember correctly, this swordsman named Kiro only became famous six years ago, right?"

"One against two? Holding off two generals?"

A sarcastic smirk curled at the corner of his lips. "These days, newspapers are just spouting complete nonsense!"

"But... you killed six Celestial Dragons?"

A dangerous glint flashed in the eyes hidden behind the sunglasses. "Kilo, I'll do it even more thoroughly than you!"

"I will make Mary Geoise disappear from this world completely!"

"I will make those Celestial Dragons, who are worse than pigs and dogs... pay for their crimes in blood!"