Chapter 31: Mihawk – What's the Point of Treating That Weakling Red-Hair as an Opponent? Fight Me Instead!

Ortoren was no longer the man he used to be. He had evolved into a true native of his homeland—there was no way he'd let Shanks get away.

With a crackle of lightning, Ortoren's figure flashed above Shanks. Without a word, he swung his warhammer straight down at Shanks' head.

Though still just a Pirate Apprentice, Shanks had sailed with Roger's crew and witnessed enough of the world to hone his instincts. The moment he sensed danger, he wrapped himself in Armament Haki and shoved Buggy aside, lunging forward like a vicious dog.

Ugly as it looked, the move worked—just like that desperate donkey roll dodge, it was a tried-and-true lifesaver.

Shanks narrowly dodged Ortoren's heavy hammer by a hair and immediately drew his blade, slashing backward.

Ortoren reacted just as quickly. Though his hammer missed, it never hit the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he brought it to a halt midair—an impressive display of raw strength and flawless control over the heavy weapon.

At the same time, he caught Shanks' counterstrike. Sparks lit up in Ortoren's eyes, and two searing laser beams burst forth.

This time, Shanks wasn't so lucky. Caught completely off guard, he took the full brunt of the lightning-charged lasers to the chest. Smoke rose from his scorched body as he was blasted backward—right into Buggy!

"You really are a master!" came Mihawk's voice from behind Ortoren.

At that moment, Ortoren instinctively felt a sharp presence. Without hesitation, he twisted his body mid-turn, swinging his hammer behind him.

Clang!

Ortoren's warhammer intercepted Mihawk's Black Blade—Yoru.

"Are you kidding me? Can't you see I'm in the middle of a fight?!" Ortoren barked.

Mihawk didn't take offense. In fact, he looked thrilled. "What's the fun in beating up that red-haired mutt? If you want a real fight—try me!"

Mutt? That's your future best friend, your only true comrade... and you're calling him that?

Then again... given Shanks' current state, "mutt" might not be far off.

Mihawk kept insulting Shanks, but his hands never stopped moving. His blade slid along the hammer's shaft, bypassing it entirely before slicing toward Ortoren's chest.

Normally, a warhammer—especially one as massive as Ortoren's long-handled type—required two hands and considerable strength.

But Ortoren was born with monstrous power. One hand was enough.

As Mihawk's blade came in, Ortoren released the hammer with his left hand, wrapped it in Armament Haki, and grabbed the blade mid-swing. Then, a surge of crackling lightning burst from his grip, channeling down the blade straight toward Mihawk.

But Mihawk was no rookie either. His combat instincts were sharp, and his mastery of Haki allowed him to withstand the lightning surge. He quickly stepped back, stomping hard to create distance.

The whole exchange happened in a flash. Once he retreated three or four meters, Mihawk slashed the air with Yoru, sending a flying slash toward Ortoren.

As he attacked, Mihawk continued, "I meant to ask—are you the rumored Goro Goro no Mi user? You don't seem to have full control over your abilities yet, huh?"

A flash of lightning sparked across Ortoren's body—he vanished just as the slash was about to hit, and in the next instant, appeared behind Mihawk. Gripping the hammer with both hands, he swung it down hard.

That strike earned him a strange accomplishment: "forcing the future world's greatest swordsman to use the donkey roll."

Maybe that's why Mihawk and Shanks became such good friends in the future—one's a master of the vicious dog lunge, the other's a pro at lazy donkey rolls?

No doubt about it. The moment their weapons clashed, Mihawk felt Ortoren's terrifying strength. He knew better than to take that hammer blow head-on. So, without caring about appearances, he slid his feet and rolled like a donkey—dodging the blow in the nick of time!

On the other side, Buggy hurriedly pulled the still-smoking Shanks up from the ground and asked nervously, "Hey, hey, are you okay? You alright?"

Black smoke puffed from Shanks' mouth as he struggled to speak. "I was almost cooked alive. What do you think? And how did that guy suddenly become a Devil Fruit user?"

From the fact he could still complain, it was clear that while the Goro Goro no Mi strike had injured Shanks, it hadn't caused serious damage.

"While that guy's tied up, let's hurry and regroup with the captain and the others! We'll be safe once we do!" Buggy urged.

Shanks didn't argue and immediately took off running with Buggy.

Ortoren wasn't interested in a drawn-out fight with Mihawk. They had no bad blood, and this wasn't the time or place. So, when Shanks bolted, Ortoren swung his hammer in a feint to force Mihawk back. Lightning sparked around him as he flashed forward, instantly appearing behind Shanks again.

But Mihawk wasn't letting go of this worthy opponent so easily. Without a word, he gave chase once more.

And just like that, Shanks and Buggy fled ahead, while Ortoren, juggling Mihawk's relentless pursuit, continued to hunt the red-haired and red-nosed duo.

The three of them tore through the town, causing a massive commotion. Panicked townsfolk scattered as chaos engulfed the streets.

Just as Ortoren landed a blow on Mihawk's sword and used the force to send him flying dozens of meters, he turned to deal a vicious strike to Shanks—when a slash, far sharper and more dangerous than Mihawk's, came flying at him from the front!

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop picking on the brats from our crew!"

Ortoren raised his warhammer horizontally and shoved forward, blocking the incoming slash. But the power behind it was immense. Even with his overwhelming strength, he was pushed back two steps, his boots crushing the stone pavement beneath him before the force was finally neutralized.

The one who intervened was none other than Silvers Rayleigh, first mate of the Roger Pirates!

Behind him, Shanks and Buggy peeked out, their faces lit with the unmistakable relief of rescue.

Unlike the relatively unknown Ortoren, Shanks, and Buggy, Rayleigh was a legend. Even Mihawk recognized him immediately and halted his attack, eyeing the situation with visible curiosity.

"You bastards! I haven't even settled the score from Whole Cake Island!" Ortoren cursed the moment he saw Rayleigh.

But Rayleigh, calm and easygoing as ever, just smiled and replied, "You were the one who lost your mind and attacked us first. We only defended ourselves."

"Self-defense? You pirates actually talk about the law?" Ortoren blinked in disbelief, then sneered. "Guess I'll have to raise the banner of justice myself. Scum like you deserve to be wiped out. Take this!"

The instant the words left his mouth, lightning flashed in Ortoren's eyes. With a sudden step, his body turned into a bolt of thunder, and he reappeared right in front of Rayleigh, swinging his hammer down in a vicious strike!

He knew full well he couldn't win, but with a top-tier fighter standing before him and the tension already crackling in the air, how could he back down?

He wanted to test it for himself—just how far was he from these legendary powerhouses of the sea?

Rayleigh didn't flinch. His blade shimmered with dark Armament Haki as he raised it to meet the blow.

With a heavy thud, Ortoren's hammer slammed against Rayleigh's sword. Power exploded from the impact. Even though Rayleigh had been ready and knew of Ortoren's monstrous strength, his brow tightened as the ground beneath him split in a web of cracks.

Then came the surge of brutal lightning from the warhammer—a raging, silver wave that crashed toward Rayleigh like a curtain of thunder.

The electric light was so blinding that even those bold enough to watch couldn't make out what was happening. They only saw a sudden flicker—and then Ortoren's massive body went flying backward.

That's right. In that split-second, Rayleigh had moved with lightning speed and delivered a kick straight to Ortoren's chest, sending him hurtling through the air.

At that moment, Mihawk made his move. This guy was relentless. When Ortoren fought Shanks, he challenged the stronger Ortoren. Now that Ortoren was clashing with Rayleigh, he went straight for Rayleigh—the strongest one present. Simply put, he fought whoever was strongest.

Ortoren had just landed and barely regained his footing when Mihawk had already closed the gap, blade swinging toward Rayleigh!

"Mihawk's the real deal. When things go down, he's always ready to throw hands," Ortoren thought with grudging respect.

...

Meanwhile, at the port, Garp's dog-headed warship was slowly docking. From afar, he saw flashes of lightning and slashes erupting in the town center and muttered to himself in confusion, "What the hell's going on?"