Chapter 201 (Patreon)

“Thank you, Mihawk-kun.”

As Hinata carried them back toward the three-masted sailboat, she suddenly spoke.

Mihawk gave a quiet snort.

“They attacked us, but that wasn’t enough to warrant killing them.”

Hinata had thanked him because, after reading Hancock’s memories, she had quietly asked him to spare the Kuja Pirates.

After knowing Mihawk for so many years, Hinata understood his nature better than anyone.

Man or woman, young or old—it made little difference to him. Unless there was a special reason to hold back, anyone he accepted as an enemy would be cut down without hesitation.

His remark about adults not getting angry with children had only been meant to humiliate Hancock.

Mihawk was not like Uchiha Madara, who sometimes toyed with weaker opponents for his own amusement. He either dealt with an enemy or decided they were not worth his attention.

The reason he had not activated the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and killed Hancock immediately was simple.

He wanted Hinata to search her memories for Amazon Lily’s Haki training methods.

Haki itself did not change from person to person, but every fighter and organization developed different ways of training and applying it.

Mihawk’s own Armament Haki had been refined through swordsmanship. His methods emphasized strengthening the blade, releasing Haki beyond the body, and penetrating an opponent’s defenses.

The Kuja tribe had spent generations developing its own training system. Nearly every warrior on Amazon Lily could use Haki, whether through archery, close combat, or weapon reinforcement.

Because those methods had been perfected by generations of female warriors, they were well suited to Hinata and Hanabi.

Mihawk intended to teach Saeko his own sword-oriented approach. Hinata and Hanabi, however, could study the Kuja tribe’s system and adapt it to their fighting styles.

While examining Hancock’s memories, Hinata had also seen the truth beneath her arrogance.

She saw Hancock’s childhood, the suffering endured by the three sisters, and the fear concealed behind the Pirate Empress’s pride. More than anything, she saw how desperately Hancock had worked to become strong enough to protect her sisters and the people of Amazon Lily.

As an older sister herself, Hinata could not help sympathizing with her.

That was why she had asked Mihawk to let them live.

Mihawk had readily agreed.

Even if Hinata had remained silent, he probably would not have personally executed Hancock. At worst, he would have cut apart the Kuja ship and left their survival to chance.

Sparing them completely could be considered payment for the Haki training methods and information they had provided.

It was much like how Mihawk had spared Luffy and Zoro after their presence confirmed which world he had entered.

Hinata lowered them onto the deck of their ship.

The captured treasure followed behind them, floating beneath the pull of her gravity.

Under the watchful eyes of Hancock and her sisters, the three-masted sailboat resumed its journey and gradually disappeared into the distance.

Hanabi and Saeko immediately began examining their spoils.

“Wow... Look at all this jewelry!”

Hanabi overturned one of the sacks.

Gold coins, silver ornaments, necklaces, rings, and gemstones spilled across the deck.

“Those women were incredibly rich!”

“They weren’t the rich ones,” Mihawk replied. “The people they robbed were.”

Hanabi paused.

“So that’s what pirates are like? They see a ship, attack without warning, and steal everything?”

“People like that are everywhere on this sea,” Mihawk said. “They’re as common here as missing-nin and hired killers are in our world.”

His expression became more serious.

“If you encounter pirates when Hinata and I aren’t with you, don’t hesitate once they attack. Finish the fight before they have another chance to hurt you.”

“Mm-hm.”

Hanabi nodded quickly.

“Yes, Sensei,” Saeko answered.

Mihawk and Hinata possessed enough strength to choose whether an enemy lived or died without worrying about the consequences.

Someone weak could swear revenge against them a thousand times and still pose no threat.

Hanabi and Saeko did not have that luxury.

Hanabi was capable for her age, but neither of them amounted to much by the standards of the New World. If they showed mercy to the wrong enemy, that hesitation could easily cost them their lives.

Until they became strong enough to make their own choices, Mihawk intended to teach them to act decisively.

Hanabi and Saeko resumed sorting through the treasure.

Hancock had already prepared herself to die, so there was little reason to believe she had hidden anything. These valuables were most likely everything the Kuja Pirates had acquired during their latest raiding expedition.

“Ah... What is this?”

Hanabi opened one of the smaller chests and pulled out a strange fruit.

It was blue, covered in swirling patterns, and shaped somewhat like a melon.

“A fruit?” she asked.

Saeko touched a finger to her lips as she examined it.

“Could that be...?”

“A Devil Fruit,” Hinata confirmed.

“Devil Fruit?”

Hanabi looked at her sister in surprise.

Hinata had now examined both Nami’s and Hancock’s memories. Her understanding of the world had deepened considerably.

She knew far more about Devil Fruits and Conqueror’s Haki, as well as the dangers of the New World. She had also learned about the corruption within the World Government and the cruelty of the Celestial Dragons.

“Eating one grants a mysterious ability,” Hinata explained. “You could think of it as something similar to acquiring a Kekkei Genkai. It doesn’t require chakra, though using its power usually consumes stamina.”

“That sounds amazing!”

“There’s a serious drawback,” Hinata continued. “Once you eat a Devil Fruit, the sea rejects you. You lose the ability to swim, and being submerged in water drains your strength.”

“Only seawater?”

Hinata shook her head.

“Any standing water can affect the user if enough of their body is submerged. Rivers, pools, and even a deep bathtub can leave them weak. Rain and ordinary splashes aren’t enough, though.”

Hanabi stared at the strange fruit.

Then she immediately placed it back inside the chest.

“No, thank you.”

Her expression was full of disgust.

“I like swimming, and I don’t want to become helpless every time I fall into deep water.”

Mihawk did not object.

On a world almost entirely covered by ocean, losing the ability to swim was a severe weakness.

For shinobi capable of walking across water, the sea normally offered an advantage. A Devil Fruit would take part of that advantage away.

Hanabi moved on to the next pile of treasure.

A short while later, she found a compass-like device without a wrist strap.

“Huh?”

She held it beside the Log Pose Hinata was wearing.

“This looks a lot like yours, Onee-san.”

Hinata glanced at it.

“That’s an Eternal Pose.”

“An Eternal Pose?”

“There are three main navigational tools based on the Grand Line’s magnetic fields,” Hinata explained. “A normal Log Pose is used throughout the first half of the Grand Line. In the New World, navigators use a special Log Pose with three needles.”

She pointed toward the object in Hanabi’s hand.

“An Eternal Pose is different. It permanently records the magnetic field of one specific island, so its needle will always point there.”

Every Eternal Pose had the name of its destination written on its casing.

Because each island required a different amount of time for a Log Pose to record its magnetic field, experienced pirates often carried Eternal Poses as backup. If they reached an island where the Log Pose needed months or even years to reset, an Eternal Pose allowed them to change course immediately.

Eternal Poses were not commonly sold outside the Grand Line.

Mihawk and Hinata had found none in Loguetown. They were usually available only on prosperous islands with established trade routes—or taken from other sailors.

Mihawk looked toward Hanabi.

“What does it say?”

Hanabi turned the Eternal Pose over and carefully read the words engraved on its base.

“Sandy Island...”

Her eyes widened as she read the second line.

“Alabasta!”