80 Mihawk and the Red-Hair Pirates!
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Brontes was deep in thought, his brow furrowed with the beginnings of a headache. "The last one to convince is Hawkeye Mihawk... he's likely in the New World. But getting him on board won't be easy; I need to offer him something really tempting to get him to agree." He thought in himself.
The first four recruits had been straightforward. Gecko Moria, Crocodile, and Jinbe each had their own reasons for needing the title of Shichibukai—whether it was to gather power, search for the legendary ancient weapons, or protect his hometown. They were likely to say yes without much fuss.
Even persuading Hancock had been a simple task; a threat would do the job. And if that didn't work, she could be taken out and replaced. Her beauty wasn't unique in the world, and the Shichibukai System could survive without her.
But Hawkeye was a different story. He wasn't driven by fame or wealth. He wasn't really a pirate at all, just a swordsman on a quest to reach the zenith of his art.
His reputation as the world's top swordsman was intimidating enough to keep even the mightiest pirates at bay, and Brontes knew that Hawkeye's power was comparable to that of the Marine-Admirals. The creation of the Seven Shichibukai was like forming a new, formidable pirate crew.
With the other six Shichibukai under Hawkeye's command, they would become a force only second to the Four Emperors' pirate crews in terms of strength.
The Emperors were meant to stand alone, not merge into a single entity like the Rocks Pirates.
Brontes knew that even Marineford would have trouble taking on two Emperors simultaneously, a fact that would become clear in the future during the Summit War.
If Whitebeard had been ten years younger, the Marines wouldn't have dared to start the Summit War.
Hawkeye's indifference and his status as the world's best swordsman posed a real challenge for Brontes in finding something enticing enough to catch his interest. For now, he could only attempt to make contact.
By chance, the World Government had shared information on Hawkeye's location, which was in the New World, within the territory controlled by Shanks.
...
Hawkeye's skill was already legendary, but he never stopped seeking to improve, always willing to learn even from those less skilled if they had knowledge to offer.
As the warship approached the island, Roy hadn't expected to see a pirate ship already docked at the shore.
"Hey, look, it's a marine warship." One of the pirates on the ship shouted, observing the approaching warship without any hint of surprise or fear.
"Hahah! What a strange-looking ship, it looks like it just flew in." Another pirate chuckled, making light of the situation.
"Be quiet!" A third pirate suddenly snapped at them.
"You new guys better zip it and go tell the boss we've got company, it's Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok!" He said to another pirate nearby in a shock and fear.
"Got it!"
With that, a pirate leaped from the ship and made a beeline for the heart of the island.
Brontes, eyeing the dragon-headed ship moored beside his own, stepped off the warship with his marines in tow.
The marines behind him walked with hesitation, their gazes locked on the pirate ship nearby, a mix of curiosity and unease in their eyes.
"Sir, that flag... it's..." Brontes's assistant stuttered, his voice trailing off as he pointed at the pirate flag fluttering on the other ship.
"The Red-Hair Pirates. Don't you recognize them?" Brontes replied calmly.
...
In the middle of the island, there was a lively little town, and at its center, a bar was teeming with activity and noise. The reason for the commotion was a pirate crew that had controlled the island.
Not long ago, another pirate crew had claimed the island, but they had abandoned it in fear when they saw a Red-Hair pirate ship arrive a few days ago.
They attempted to flee, but their ship was destroyed at sea, and their fate remained unknown.
"Did you used to run this place?" A man with a long sword strapped to his back asked the red-haired man at the bar.
"Yeah, it's been a while since I've been here—about a year. I almost forgot this was part of my territory." The red-haired man responded with a chuckle
"In the last year, aside from that encounter with the kid, not much has happened, right?" Hawkeye asked Shanks, the man known as "Red-Hair."
"That incident was serious enough." Shanks said, as his expression turned serious for a moment.
"You gave that kid your treasured hat, the one from Gol D. Roger, your old captain. And your arm... even though you're not left-handed, losing an arm has caused quite the buzz in the New World. Pirates are all talking, wondering who could make a 'Yonko' lose an arm." Hawkeye remarked with a grin.
"Dahaha! The rumors have really flown far and wide." Shanks laughed heartily.
"Many say you were gravely wounded and lost your left arm in a battle with the Marines." Hawkeye added, shaking his head.
"That's an exaggeration. Our captain is powerful, one of the Four Yonko. How could he lose an arm so easily unless it was his choice?" Lucky Roo interjected, ripping into a chunk of meat.
"Hahaha! It was a deliberate choice, a way to inspire Luffy." Jesus added, joining in the laughter.
"Dahaha! I saw potential in Luffy, a chance to change the world for the better." Shanks said, still laughing.
"The captain always does what he wants." The other pirates, all members of Shanks' crew, said, laughing along.
They were accustomed to Shanks' whims and didn't take them too seriously, instead sharing in the mirth.
"Bang!"
The door suddenly flew open, and a pirate burst in, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. He struggled to speak, pausing to catch his breath. Someone handed him a glass of liquor, and without a word, he gulped it down.
"Glup!"
"Why are you in such a rush?" Shanks asked in a curios voice.
"Boss, the Marines are here!" The pirate exclaimed.
"The Marines? Why the panic? You're in such a hurry; is it an Admiral?" One of Shanks' crew asked jokingly.
"No, it's not an Admiral." The pirate said, shaking his head vigorously.
"Hahah! If it's not an Admiral, then what's got you so scared? Come on, have a drink with us!" The Red-Hair Pirates in the bar laughed uproariously at the thought.
"It's Fleet-Admiral R-Ragnarok!" The pirate finally blurted out.
"Pfff!"
The laughter in the bar stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere shifted instantly. It was as if everyone had simultaneously taken a bite of the Gum-Gum Fruit, like Luffy did back in the East Blue, and the shock made them spit out their drinks. Even Benn Beckman who is always calm was taken aback.
"Hey, hey, hey, how did that guy find us here? Is he looking for trouble again? This is bad!" Shanks said, his usual jovial demeanor replaced by a series expression.
"You seem to be quite familiar with Ragnarok. I recall he was an Admiral before." Hawkeye said, intrigued by the sudden change in the room's mood.
"Have you not been keeping up with the news?" Shanks asked in a surprised voice.
"I have. I'm aware he's the Fleet-Admiral now, but he's not one to be on the front lines. His role is to oversee the World Government's military operations. It's odd that he's coming after you. What's he planning, to send you to Impel Down?" Hawkeye asked seriously.
"If he had wanted to eliminate us, he could have done so a long time ago. We've had run-ins with him before. He chased us relentlessly, yet he never confronted us directly. Have you ever felt the torment of being struck by lightning every single day for two weeks? He toyed with us as if we were mere playthings." Shanks's voice filled with anger and frustration.
This incident dated back five years when the Red-Hair Pirates had already made a name for themselves in the New World. They had stood toe-to-toe with the Beasts Pirates and had established themselves as a formidable power. Few had the courage to challenge them.
But then they crossed paths with Brontes. They never saw him face-to-face; instead, Brontes harassed them with relentless lightning strikes from a distance. Despite having several powerful Observation Haki users among them, they couldn't pinpoint Brontes's location.
Being bombarded by lightning day in and day out for half a month nearly drove the Red-Hair Pirates to the brink of madness. Eventually, Shanks couldn't stand it any longer and found a chance to escape.
That encounter had given Shanks a stark realization of Brontes's formidable abilities. His strength was on par with the likes of Kaido and Whitebeard, Brontes's speed exceeded his', and his lightning-based attacks made him seem untouchable.
Shanks had never before encountered such a fearsome combination of power in one individual; it was like facing Whitebeard in his prime.
Eventually, Brontes lost interest and allowed them to escape.
The Red-Hair Pirates had only faced Brontes once, but that single encounter had left a deep impression on the seasoned crew members.
They knew all too well how powerful and troublesome Brontes could be. The news of Brontes's arrival on the island struck them with a fear that was deeply rooted in their previous experience.
"Is he coming for us again? It looks like we'll have to confront him. This time, we'll be the ones to drive him off." Shanks shouted loudly, as he stood up with determination.
"Do you think you can defeat him?" Beckman asked, taking a breath from his cigarette.
"Defeat him? I don't think we can win against him." Shanks admitted, sitting back down with a shake of his head.
"Is he really that strong?" Hawkeye pressed, his curiosity piqued.
"He's insanely strong. You haven't seen him in action. Let's just say he's like a second Whitebeard, maybe even more powerful in certain aspects." Shanks responded in serious voice.
"He's a monster." Beckman remarked, a note of awe in his voice.
"It's a shame he's not a swordsman." Hawkeye commented with a hint of regret.
"I know he's very strong, but we can't just run away. If we do, he'll chase us down just like last time." Shanks said, standing up once again.
"Boss, let's take him on." Lucky Roo chimed in, the memories of that harrowing half-month from five years ago still vivid in his mind. The experience had been so traumatic that even the sound of natural thunder would unsettle him.
