"Well then, thank you for your guidance. I'll be going now... Daren-san."
After a simple treatment and bandaging, Mihawk boarded the uniquely shaped "coffin boat."
Standing tall on the vessel, he turned and gave Daren a deep, respectful bow.
"What a polite little brat..."
Daren chuckled and waved casually at Mihawk, who stood there with a serious expression.
The treatment process, needless to say, had been identical to Gecko Moria's—after all, with Momonga's Goro Goro no Mi ability at hand, it would've been a waste not to use it.
Of course, unlike the cowardly Gecko Moria, Mihawk had gritted his teeth and endured the entire process in silence, his forehead dripping with sweat, even as the flesh around his wounds sizzled and smoked.
But then again, this reaction was completely fitting for Mihawk.
After all, this was a madman who had been ruthless enough to cut off his own arm.
That was an entire arm... and he had done it without hesitation.
Daren couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.
Honestly, when Mihawk had severed his own arm, even he had been a little shaken.
A fierce one indeed.
But soon after, another thought crossed Daren's mind.
If Shanks in the original story had also lost an arm to the Lord of the Coast, "betting his arm on the new era"...
When Mihawk and Shanks met again in the future, just how entertaining would that reunion be?
"Hang in there, Mihawk."
Daren smiled and called out from afar.
By now, any concerns he had about Mihawk's strength had completely vanished, replaced by deep anticipation.
Though he had lost his dominant arm, he had awakened his Conqueror's Haki under immense pressure.
With his shift in mindset, his growth in spirit, combined with his innate toughness and extraordinary swordsmanship talent, the future Mihawk would definitely not be inferior to the "world's greatest swordsman" of the original timeline.
No—he might even become stronger!
His potential had now risen to an entirely new height.
While Conqueror's Haki didn't offer much direct combat strength in the early stages—mostly clearing out small fry—it would later become a lethal trump card.
Combined with the world's finest swordsmanship, the future "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk could only surpass, never fall short of, his original path!
However...
There was one thing that still gnawed at Daren's mind.
Three swords.
Just three swords, and Mihawk's strength had undergone an earth-shattering transformation compared to when he first challenged him.
One sword to recognize his own strength.
One sword to comprehend the way of the sword.
One sword to awaken Conqueror's Haki...
Daren's mouth twitched uncontrollably, black lines practically covering his forehead.
This was no ordinary "famous teacher" situation anymore!
This was the same level of "famous teacher" as Kaidou-sensei!
An indescribable absurdity filled his chest, and Daren's emotions became a tangled mess.
He could finally understand the frustration Kaidou must have felt facing Luffy... and somehow, he even felt a strange sense of camaraderie with him.
"I have to say, this kid's got real style."
At that moment, Momonga walked over, watching the young swordsman on the coffin boat prepare to set sail, his face filled with admiration.
No one knew better than he did how agonizing that "treatment" was.
Yet Mihawk had gritted through it, enduring the pain without complaint—hard and unyielding to the extreme.
In comparison, Gecko Moria, who was nearly ten years older than Mihawk, had performed... embarrassingly poorly.
Thinking of this, Momonga couldn't help but cast a disdainful glance at Moria.
Gecko Moria: ...
"I wonder how he got to North Blue on that strange little boat..."
Momonga stroked the stubble on his chin and muttered.
Daren was just as puzzled.
Although the coffin boat had a small mast and sail, they were clearly only for minor assistance.
Curious, the two of them looked over.
And they saw...
The sharp-eyed, stylish young swordsman calmly lighting green-flamed candles on the coffin boat again, sitting quietly on the deck.
The eerie green flames, the pitch-black coffin, the cross-shaped giant sword, and the cold, stoic black-haired youth...
An overwhelming sense of mystery and awe instantly flooded the scene.
And then...
The massive, black, cross-like broken sword strapped to Mihawk's back dipped into the sea—and started rowing like an oar.
Crack!
The cool, mysterious atmosphere shattered like glass.
Daren: ...
Momonga: ...
Gecko Moria: ...
All the Marines: ...
"...I have to say, that kid's got some serious arm strength."
Momonga twitched at the corner of his mouth and managed to squeeze out a line after several seconds of silence.
"I finally understand how he's able to swing that massive black sword..."
Daren looked dumbfounded too.
The whiplash from this shift in style was just too much.
"Pfft—!!"
Next to them, Moria couldn't hold it in and let out a sharp laugh.
"Kishishishi..."
Suddenly—
A chilling wave of killing intent burst forth, locking onto him like a vice.
Gecko Moria felt a freezing chill crawl up his spine, and his laughter was cut off immediately.
"If you laugh again, I'll kill you."
Mihawk turned his head, his yellowish hawk eyes staring coldly at Moria.
'This guy's killing intent is terrifying...'
A bead of cold sweat slid down Gecko Moria's forehead.
He quickly covered his mouth with his remaining arm.
Daren: ...
Momonga: ...
Daren shook his head.
Wait!
Could it be... the "Ruler of the East Blue" Don Krieg was chased out of the Grand Line all the way to the East Blue because he once laughed at Mihawk rowing like this?
The sound of the waves gradually faded away as Mihawk, aboard his coffin boat, disappeared into the misty distance of the sea.
Like a ghost slipping into the darkness, mysterious and unfathomable.
...
"Well, time to head back."
Daren stretched lazily and yawned.
"After a big fight, I'm exhausted."
Momonga rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Big fight?
Moria doesn't even count, and you didn't even use Haki!
As for Mihawk... you didn't even move a step!
"Wait!"
Suddenly, a hoarse voice called out behind them.
Daren froze.
Momonga froze.
They turned around—and saw Gecko Moria staggering to his feet, his eyes blazing with boundless fighting spirit.
Their expressions instantly turned very strange.
"Rogers Daren... that fight doesn't count! I'm challenging you again!"
As Moria shouted, he felt like every pore in his body had opened, and courage surged through him.
Yes, this was the feeling!
If that brat Mihawk could do it, then so could he!
If he could survive one or two of Daren's moves, maybe he could also shout, "I understand!" afterward!
Moria's expression grew firm, as if mimicking the pose of a certain teenage swordsman.
"Do you have any objections, King of the North Blue!"
Daren: ...
Momonga covered his face in pure despair.