The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

The ground was cracked, and a huge rock, several meters thick and covered with a layer of hard rock, was...

He literally dug himself out of the ground and used him as a shield to block himself and Van Augur!

"boom!!!"

The slash slammed down hard on the boulder!

The ear-piercing sound of metal cutting and the sound of rocks shattering exploded at the same time!

A deep slash was carved into the surface of the boulder, almost splitting it in two!

For a moment, this makeshift shield was practically useless, so Burgess had no choice but to use his full Armament Haki to take the hit!

Even with Burgess's superhuman strength from his Devil Fruit powers and the enhancement of Armament Haki, plus this makeshift giant rock shield...

He was still being pushed backward by the terrifying power contained in the slash, sliding wildly.

He braced his feet against the ground, carving two deep furrows, and the veins on his forehead bulged as he barely managed to hold on!

Van Augur was also forced to retreat along with the shield, his face grim.

Only when the force of the strike dissipated did Bages, panting heavily, throw the nearly split boulder aside with a thud.

Then, enraged, he turned to Shiryu and berated him.

"Damn it! Shiryu!! Are you trying to betray Captain Teach?! To ambush your own people?!"

He naturally assumed that, apart from Shiryu who was just wiping his sword, who else could have unleashed such a powerful slash?

Could it be that the green-headed swordsman who was rescued by CP0 and is now severely injured and weak has returned?

However, Shiryu's reaction to Bages's questioning surprised the two of them once again.

Shiryu's face was grim, and he almost dropped the cigar from his mouth.

"Betray your mother!!!"

Shiryu, unusually, swore, his voice filled with exasperation.

With a "whoosh," he drew the "Thunderstorm" sword from his waist, its blade pointing in the direction from which the attack had just come.

It was also behind and to the side of Van Oka and Burgess!

The wound on his chest, which had just stopped bleeding, started bleeding again due to the strenuous activity.

But he was completely oblivious, staring intently in that direction, panting.

"That wasn't my attack! You two idiots!! Open your eyes and see clearly!!!"

"It's not yours...that's..."

Van Augur realized something was wrong, turned around abruptly, and in the direction Shiliu was pointing, the word "who" stuck in his throat.

"Tap...tap...tap..."

The sound of unhurried footsteps came from the depths of the ruins, filled with smoke and collapsed metal structures, where Shiryu's blade was aimed.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

He wore a black top hat adorned with elegant white fur and a burgundy patterned shirt that was half-open.

He wore a long, pure black trench coat over his clothes, paired with white slim-fit trousers and black knee-high ankle boots.

As always, a small cross-shaped knife hung on his chest.

In his hand, he casually twirled a long sword, its blade entirely black with chaotic, intricate patterns resembling a T, its design simple yet elegant, its hilt ornate.

The Supreme Grade Swords Twelve Techniques: "Night"!

Looking at the person before him, Shiryu bit down hard on his cigar, his sinister eyes filled with...

His expression slowly changed, from surprise to fear, and a hint of... almost instinctive trembling!

There's no way around it; this man is universally acknowledged as the strongest swordsman on the high seas!

The world's greatest swordsman

"Hawkeye...Joraco Mihawk..."

"Why...why is this guy on this island?!"

Shouldn't Hawkeye be staying on Navy G-10 or sailing somewhere in the New World?

How did he get involved in the chaos in Egherd?!

Or has the Navy also entered into the situation in Egherd?

So, this special combat force was dispatched?

Burgess and Van Auger were completely stunned, their minds blank.

Hawkeye Mihawk... This legend who stands at the pinnacle of world swordsmanship carries far more weight than the Straw Hat Pirates' first mate or CP0's strongest genius!

What does his presence here signify?!

Mihawk stopped and stood on the ruins, the sea breeze ruffling the hem of his trench coat and the white fur on his top hat.

Then he slightly raised his hawk-like eyes and swept them over Shiryu, who looked as if facing a formidable enemy.

Van Augur was bewildered, and Bagges was still somewhat taken aback.

He slowly brought the black sword "Night" that he was spinning in his hand to a stop, the tip of the blade pointing diagonally towards the ground.

A silent gesture is more oppressive than any declaration.

The hearts of the three Blackbeard Pirates officers sank to the bottom.

They were just discussing going to support the captain, and in the blink of an eye, they had to face an even more troublesome and deadly obstacle!

Moreover, it is the highest peak that almost everyone on the path of swordsmanship needs to look up to!

"Tsk, pathetic weaklings."

Chapter 666 You Have No Right to Ask Me

Just before Van Oka, Burgess, and Shiliu encountered Hawkeye, on the other side, in an area relatively close to the coast.

"The Cursed Doctor" Samuel Kronos slowly rose from a pile of rubble enveloped in mycelium, which had cushioned most of the impact.

A faint green light flickered around it as the mycelium quickly retracted into its body, repairing the minor shock injuries.

When he came to his senses, he realized that Kuzan was standing quietly not far away from him.

"Kuzan!" Samuel exclaimed immediately upon seeing this. "Are you alright? Hurry, we need to get to Captain Teach right away!"

The straw hat brat's strength seems off; the captain might need backup!

As he spoke, he walked toward Kuzan, his mycelium surfacing again as if probing for a path and issuing warnings.

However, Kuzan remained unmoved by Samuel's urging and suggestions.

He didn't even turn his head completely, only glancing at Samuel out of the corner of his eye.

Then, in a calm, almost casual tone, he slowly began to speak.

“Samuel Kronos…”

Kuzan's voice wasn't loud, but it reached Samuel's ears clearly, causing him to pause in his tracks.

"Ok?"

"You seem to be going a little too far with your enthusiasm."

“I remember…” Kuzan continued unhurriedly.

“You, Shiryu, and Katrin Demi are all like them; they all ‘joined’ Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach’s ranks after they came out of Impel Down.”

"This shouldn't be happening! You shouldn't be doing this."

"You already possess quite powerful Fungus Fruit abilities."

So Blackbeard didn't specifically hunt for you or steal any other Devil Fruits..."

“Logically speaking,” Kuzan said, a hint of barely perceptible amusement in his voice.

"You should be like Butterfly, the Evil King, and those others who came out of Impel Down, and maintain a certain attitude towards Blackbeard..."

Yes, a more 'superficial' attitude would be better.

Ultimately, everyone is simply 'taking what they need' to some extent.

“But your current behavior…” Kuzan looked at Samuel, “is like you really consider yourself a ‘loyal dog’ of the Blackbeard Pirates.”

These words instantly pierced through Samuel's seemingly anxious facade.

Samuel was completely stunned.

He never expected that at this critical juncture, when every second counted and the captain might be facing a tough battle, Kuzan would suddenly say such a thing.

Samuel then turned completely around, facing Kuzan directly.

"Kuzan... what are you saying?"

Kuzan seemed unsurprised by his reaction, simply shaking his head slightly before continuing:

"Samuel Kronos, bounty of 1.14 billion Berries..."

In the 'Legendary Age', he was also a renowned 'Cursed Doctor' pirate who was famous throughout the New World and feared by countless people.

Even if you were later arrested and imprisoned in Impel Down, this 'experience' and 'strength' would still earn you respect and fear anywhere.

"So what?" Samuel's voice rose slightly, tinged with annoyance at the stirrings of unpleasant memories.

"In the face of 'Skyquake' Gern Reginald Sigmar..."

Wasn't I just like a dead dog, beaten to a pulp by his own hands and then dragged into the deepest part of Impel Down?!

This 'qualification' is utterly worthless in the face of absolute power!

He acknowledged his past defeats, his tone filled with apprehension, even...fear, towards Gern.

“But Teach is different!” Samuel’s tone shifted, becoming fervent again, even bordering on fanaticism.

"His ambition, his mastery of two top-tier Devil Fruit abilities, his ruthlessness and forbearance in pursuing his goals by any means necessary..."

It showed me another possibility!

Samuel took a step forward, his eerie green eyes fixed on Kuzan:

"Following him, perhaps... my life can become very exciting!"

No longer confined to a dark and sunless prison to rot away, nor like those stray dogs of the old days...

Living a so-called 'life' by hiding and running away!

Together, we can shake up the world and take everything we want!

Wealth, power, fame... even..."

By the end, Samuel's voice was filled with longing, and he even let out a low laugh.

“But you, Kuzan…” His laughter stopped, his tone sharpening, scrutinizing.

"It really surprises me that you would say something like this to me at this critical moment."

Samuel looked Kuzan up and down.

"Especially in the current situation."

With only the two of us present, no other officers around, and Captain Teach temporarily held back by the Straw Hat Boy…

"However, since that's the case... we've already come this far."

Then I'll ask my own curiosity too...

Samuel lowered his voice even further.

"You, a former admiral, one of the symbols of the Navy's highest combat power..."

Why would someone choose to 'join' a pirate, especially one as ambitious and infamous as Blackbeard?

"What exactly... do you want to do?"

Don't give me that nonsense about freedom!

"I'm more interested in knowing..."