One Piece: Starting with the execution of Pirate King Roger

After all, in this pirate world full of freaks, people's physical condition cannot be judged by common sense.

It's worth noting that Sanji and Zeff survived for seventy or eighty days on a deserted island after running out of food before being rescued.

In comparison, for a swordsman of Mihawk's caliber, a mere month of fasting is hardly even an extreme challenge.

Raine put down his chopsticks, a glint of light flashing in his dark eyes.

According to his Observation Haki, Mihawk's life force was not weakened by the rain and cold; on the contrary, it was like a sword being tempered, becoming more refined and sharper.

However, as Smoker said, this can't go on forever.

"What a... troublesome paranoiac."

Ryan sighed and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.

He originally thought this guy would get bored after a few days and leave on his own, but he didn't expect this person's tenacity to be so outrageous.

"Never mind, I'll go take a look."

Ryan stood up, casually picked up the coat hanging on the hanger, draped it over his shoulders, and walked towards the door.

Outside the base gate.

The torrential rain relentlessly lashed at Mihawk.

His burgundy shirt was soaked through and clung tightly to his body, while his black trench coat was saturated with water and had become incredibly heavy.

But he remained motionless.

Rainwater slid down his angular forehead and into his eyes, but his golden eyes remained open, fixed on the tightly closed steel door.

"crunch-"

Just then, the tightly closed door slowly opened a crack.

A warm yellow light leaked from the crack in the door, lengthening Mihawk's swaying shadow.

A tall figure emerged from the light.

"Clap."

Raine opened a black umbrella, shielding him from the wind and rain. He walked up to Mihawk, looking down at the young swordsman who had been standing there for over a month in his quest to become stronger.

The two looked at each other in the rain.

a long time.

Ryan finally couldn't help but speak, his tone filled with helplessness:

"I said, is it really that serious?"

"It's been a month. You haven't eaten or drunk anything. Are you planning to die of exhaustion and then extort money from me for your funeral expenses?"

Mihawk did not answer, but just stared at Ryan with a terrifyingly persistent look in his eyes, as if the man would collapse if he opened his mouth and let out that last breath.

Renn felt a little uneasy under his gaze and couldn't help but retort:

"Hey kid, I have a question for you."

Renn leaned forward, looking at him suspiciously:

Why are you working so hard to become stronger?

"Don't you have some kind of childhood sweetheart with whom you made a promise when you were young, like 'You must make your name resound throughout heaven' or 'Become the world's greatest swordsman'?"

"So that's why you're so desperate to become stronger?"

Mihawk was visibly taken aback upon hearing this.

A look of bewilderment appeared on his face, something extremely rare for him.

"Childhood sweethearts? A promise?"

Mihawk frowned, seemingly deep in thought about Ryan's question, then shook his head very honestly:

"No."

"There are no such things."

His voice was hoarse and rough from extreme dehydration, like sandpaper scraping, but his tone was unusually firm:

"I just... simply want to become stronger."

"I want to reach the end of the sword path, I want to see what that so-called strongest scenery is really like."

"That's all."

Rennes: (?_?)

"That's it?" Renn raised an eyebrow. "You've been standing here for a month just for this?"

"Isn't that enough?"

Mihawk countered with a question, then raised his head, his golden eagle eyes burning with a moving fervor:

"Just like you said that day, I am a weakling."

"If I turn away now and continue to wander the seas alone, challenging those second- or third-rate swordsmen, perhaps in ten or twenty years, I will become very strong."

"but……"

Mihawk stared intently at Renn and said, word by word:

"In that case, I will never be able to surpass you, the man who defeated me with just a dinner knife, in my entire life."

"Your talent is greater than mine, and your strength is greater than mine. I am improving, and you will improve as well."

"Following the normal trajectory, I will only ever be able to see your back."

"The only variable is that I will learn from you."

"Only by standing on the shoulders of giants, understanding their weaknesses, and learning their strengths, will I have even a one in ten thousand chance of cutting off a giant's head someday!"

Boom—!

A bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating Mihawk's face, which was honest to the point of arrogance.

Upon hearing these words, Ryan was momentarily speechless.

What a unique thought process.

Okay... a rational madman.

To defeat me, you want to become my disciple? What kind of nonsense is this? It's as absurd as an assassin becoming their bodyguard before actually killing them.

But I have to admit.

Looking at the young Hawkeye in front of him, Renn felt a pang of appreciation for his talent.

This kind of pure, extreme obsession with becoming stronger, willing to abandon all dignity and even bow down to the enemy, truly gives one the potential to become the world's number one.

"Tsk, when did I start having such old-fashioned thoughts..."

He's still very young, so why does he act like a retired senior cadre, unable to resist mentoring any promising junior?

Renn sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I'm truly defeated by you."

He made a decision.

"alright."

Ryan relaxed his brow, looked at Mihawk, and said with a hint of impatience:

"Since you've put it that way, if I don't agree, it would seem like I'm afraid of you."

Mihawk's previously dim eyes suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, and he straightened his back instantly.

Don't be too happy yet.

Ryan raised his hand, coldly interrupting him:

"I'll only teach you for a month. How much you learn depends on your own abilities."

"Moreover, I have conditions."

"What are the conditions?" Mihawk asked immediately, his voice urgent. "Whatever it is, I'll do it..."

"It's not that complicated."

Renn waved his hand, his gaze turning deep and cold as he stared directly into Mihawk's eyes:

"I only have one condition."

"From now on, whether you wander the seas or challenge the strong, that is your freedom."

"but……"

Raine's voice was like a judgment:

"You are absolutely not allowed to actively hunt down the Navy."

“You can fight back to protect yourself, but I don’t want to see that boring title like ‘Naval Hunter’ hanging over your head in the newspapers in the future.”

"The swords I teach are not for slaughtering my colleagues who wear the same uniform as me."

This condition was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. Rein knew very well that in the original work, Mihawk had been known as the "Naval Hunter," and although the reason was unclear, it undoubtedly caused the Navy a great deal of trouble.

Since this hasn't happened yet, we can't just kill Mihawk now because of a fabricated charge; that would be too unfair.

But if he is not restrained, what if he really becomes that fearsome "Naval Hunter" in the future, and uses the swordsmanship he taught to kill other naval colleagues? That scene would be too hellish. Where would his reputation as his teacher be?

"Did you understand?"

Mihawk paused for a moment.

He had expected Rein to make some extremely demanding request, such as pledging allegiance to him or joining the Navy.

Unexpectedly, it was just such a condition, which was not even a constraint for him.

I promise you.

Mihawk nodded heavily without the slightest hesitation.

"My sword is only wielded to challenge the strong. I have no interest in those pointless killings."

"very good."

A satisfied smile curved the corners of Renn's lips. He believed that with Hawkeye's strong character, he would definitely keep his promise and would never go back on his word.

The course of history subtly shifted at that moment. The "Naval Hunter," who would later cause the Navy endless headaches, was nipped in the bud. In its place, perhaps, a more pure and powerful swordsman would emerge.

"Then, come in."

Ryan turned and walked toward the door, waving goodbye to Mihawk with his back turned.

"Change your clothes first, eat something, then go to the infirmary for an IV drip. Don't starve yourself before you even start practicing your swordsmanship."

"Be at the training ground at five o'clock sharp tomorrow morning."

"Don't be late, my 'teaching' is very strict."

……

The following morning, at the training ground of the G-17 branch.

As dawn broke, Mihawk was already standing in the center of the arena. He had changed into clean clothes, and although he was still somewhat weak, his spirits were exceptionally high, and his eyes were filled with a desire to become stronger.

"So early?"

Ryan walked over yawning, carrying a tree branch he had casually broken off from the roadside.

"Ready?" Renn casually waved the branch in his hand, making a "whoosh" sound as it cut through the air.

“Anytime!” Mihawk drew his weapon, assuming a ready-to-fight stance.

"Let's begin then."

Raine's expression changed, and the lazy aura around him vanished instantly, replaced by a suffocating sense of oppression.

"Lesson One".

Raine raised the branch in his hand and pointed it at Mihawk:

"Your sword is too powerful."

"Excessive rigidity leads to breakage. A sword that only knows how to fight head-on can never reach the highest level."