"How can you be so sure?" Mihawk asked, his sharp gaze fixed on me.
"It's my instinct talking." I replied with calm confidence.
Mihawk gave a slight nod, taking this absurdly massive sword in his hands. "I need to know if you're the kind of man a swordsman like me could follow." He launched forward, pavement cracking beneath his feet.
"Alright." I said.
Mihawk moved, fast, but not fast enough.
I threw a few jabs that whistled through the air. He dodged, and drew that massive blade with a hiss. He swung low, aiming to cut me at the knees.
I jumped, and brought my foot crashing down. He blocked. The force sent him skidding back, boots grinding against the stone.
He came again. I caught the edge of his blade with my forearm, felt the sting as it sliced skin.
My knuckles slammed into his ribs. He grunted. Stepped back. Smirked. "Not bad…"
I wiped blood from my arm and caught his second swing, then drove a kick to his knees. Solid hit. He staggered but spun with it, bringing his blade toward my shoulder.
I jumped back, just in time.
We clashed again.
I grabbed his wrist mid-strike, twisted it hard, and slammed my elbow into his shoulder and threw a hook that caught him clean across the jaw.
He hit the wall, spit blood. 'The fact that we're in a small alley is to my advantage.'
Mihawk, lying flat on his back, didn't seem angry.
He chuckled, low and dry, then slowly rose, brushing dirt off his coat.
He went silent for a moment. Then, with a slight nod, he said. "Alright... I'm in." He extended his hand toward me. "Dracule Mihawk. And you, Captain? What should I call you?"
I took his hand firmly and said. "Caius."
He gave a nod.
"How many are we?" He asked.
I looked him and replied. "To be honest, you're my first recruit."
He didn't say anything, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he probably felt a little cheated.
"You staying at an inn or on a boat?" I asked.
"I've got a raft, but right now I'm staying at an inn." he replied.
"I'll follow you then. We'll figure out what to do later." I said, and we started walking toward the inn he was staying at.
Using the Berries Tod and Bob had left me with, I paid for a room.
The next morning, as I got ready, I could already hear the commotion outside from my room, the sound of a moving crowd, in the street, more than the day before. It was time. The execution of Gol D. Roger was about to begin.
Fully dressed, I stepped out of my room. Mihawk was already downstairs, calm as ever, standing near the exit of the inn.
"Let's go. I think we had come here, in Loguetown to see the same thing." I said.
"Yeah, let's go see it." He replied with a nod, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Together, we pushed through the doorway into the chaos of the street.
The city was packed. The entire street was a sea of people, civilians, pirates, merchants, Marines, and all kinds of people had gathered for one reason, to witness the death of the Pirate King. We made our way, weaving through the crowd.
As we reached the town square, the large bells began to toll ominously.
DONG... DONG...
All heads turned as the sound echoed through the city. There he was, Gol D. Roger himself, walking up the steps with heavy, but proud steps, flanked by two solemn executioners. His wrists were shackled, but his back was straight. His face… it was calm, even smiling, as if this was just another day.
It's frankly surprising to see this in real life, his serenity in the face of death.
He sat down atop the execution platform, towering above the sea of spectators. The square fell into a heavy silence, and then—
"Hey, Pirate King!" someone shouted from the crowd, desperation and excitement in his voice. "Where'd you hide your treasure?! We know you found it! The legendary treasure! The one that brings it all together, the One Piece!!!"
Roger's grin widened. Then, from up high, he laughed, loud.
"Wahahahahaha! My treasure? If you want it, you can have it..."
The executioners flinched, stepping forward to silence him, weapons raised—but he went on.
"...Find it! I left it all in that place!"
His voice rang out across the plaza, a spark lighting within the hearts of everyone listening.
"In that vast world!"
TSHING!
In a single synchronized motion, the executioners struck.
The swords pierced his body. And just like that, Gol D. Roger was dead.
But in that one final moment.
He'd lit the fire that would burn across the world.
We had just witnessed the birth of a new era.
People started running in every direction, shouting, pushing past one another, most of them rushing straight toward the port.
Amid the chaos, Mihawk stood still beside me, watching the frenzy unfold. He smiled. Just a little amused curve of the lips.
"I made the right call joining you, Caius." He said calmly, his eyes still on the crowd.
I gave him a nod in return. 'Obviously my simple speech the day before had not completely convinced him, but that's why I did it before he heard Roger's words.'
All around us, I noticed familiar faces, ones I'd only ever seen on a screen. A young Shanks eyes wide with grief, holding his straw hat to hide his face, and a young Buggy eyes filled with tears.
But what truly caught my attention was a tall man in a dark cloak, face half-shadowed by his hood.
Monkey D. Dragon.
He felt my gaze and locked eyes with me for a brief moment, then disappeared into the crowd.
'Right... Many characters... Hmph people were present here.' I thought, before turning my focus back.
"We need a real ship. A raft won't take us far, and we'll need a proper map too." I said.
"I've got a map. Let's get it from my raft first." Mihawk replied without hesitation.
"Good. After that, we take the first ship we can find."
With that plan set, we left the square and made our way to where Mihawk had moored his modest raft. True to his word, the map was tucked safely inside. He handed it to me, and we both turned toward the port.
By the time we arrived, most ships were already gone. Only a few vessels remained.
"Let's take that one." I said, pointing to the nearest ship that looked sturdy enough to handle open seas.
Without a word, I began untying the ropes securing it to the dock, while Mihawk leapt aboard and adjusted the sails.
The wind caught the sails.
The ship creaked as it pulled away from the dock.
And just like that…
We set sail.
As soon as we left the dock behind, the ship gently rocking beneath our feet, my thoughts drifted with the waves.
'Should I take us to Fishman Island?' I pondered. 'It might be the only place I can learn more about myself… maybe even get a better idea of how old I really am, from someone who actually understands Fishmen or Merfolk biology.'
I let out a slow breath. 'And I need to start training, Haki is a priority. If I want to reach the top of this world, I can't afford to get rusty.'
Suddenly, the door to the lower cabin creaked open behind me.
I turned sharply, instincts flaring. I could only make out a shadow stepping into the light, the sun outlining the figure in a faint glow.
The figure stood there in silence for a moment, then finally spoke, their voice laced with mock amusement.
"Well, well, well… I don't remember setting a course."
The voice was...
Familiar.