During this period, Hawkeye Mihawk had remained with Red-Haired Shanks.
Speculation was rife across the seas—many wondered if the world's greatest swordsman had officially joined a Yonko crew. The Five Elders had even dispatched agents to question him. After all, as a Royal Shichibukai, Mihawk was technically a tool of the World Government; loitering indefinitely with Shanks was a bad look for the "balance of power."
But Mihawk ignored the spies completely. He stayed on the Red Force, divided his time between rigorous sword practice and deep meditation.
Shanks had eventually realized the truth: the man was essentially using his ship as a high-end mobile canteen.
Shanks didn't mind the extra mouth to feed, but Mihawk's icy silence was starting to get under his skin. I provide the food, the booze, and the bed, and you still act like the landlord, Shanks mused. So you lost one duel and your title—is it really worth being this moody?
However, Shanks soon discovered the one thing that could snap Mihawk out of his trance: news of Marine Godfather Rowan.
Even if Shanks was joking, the moment he mentioned Rowan, Mihawk would drop everything and appear instantly.
"Here, I'm not lying this time," Shanks said, grinning as he handed over the latest newspaper.
Mihawk took it. As his eyes scanned the report, the corners of his mouth actually twitched upward into a faint, rare smile.
Shanks felt a pang of mock hurt. I give you my heart and soul, and I'm still second place to the old man who hacked you into surgery? Does Mihawk have Stockholm Syndrome?
Of course, Shanks only grumbled internally. He understood better than anyone that for a man who had stood at the peak of the world for so long, witnessing a higher level of the "Way of the Sword" was the only thing that could truly set his soul on fire.
The Whitebeard Territory: The Moby Dick.
"Pops, more news on Rowan. Take a look."
Marco, the First Division Commander, entered the cabin and handed the paper to Whitebeard. The giant man scanned the news of Crocodile's death and snorted. "Just a brat who plays with sand. The 'Seven Warlords'? Nothing but a joke."
Whitebeard tossed the paper aside, but Marco looked worried. "Pops, this old man has taken down Doflamingo and Crocodile in back-to-back moves. Do you think... we'll eventually have to face him head-on?"
Marco still felt a chill when he remembered how powerless he had been against Rowan. If Ace hadn't known the man, Marco might have ended up like Jack the Drought.
"A head-on clash?" Whitebeard narrowed his eyes. "That day... it will come."
Whitebeard was prepared. If that war arrived, he would shoulder it all. His "sons" were still young; they shouldn't be consumed by the flames of a monster like Rowan.
Totto Land: Big Mom. "This old man..." Linlin licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with a predatory light as she gripped the paper.
Beast Territory: Kaido. Kaido slammed down his sake jug and let out a roar that shook the mountains. "Come then! Marine Godfather Rowan! I'll be right here waiting for you!"
Alabasta: Port of Alubarna.
The Marine soldiers were all aboard the warship, standing by. Rowan, Gion, and Zoro stood on the pier, seeing off the royal family.
Rowan had no idea he was once again the center of a global hurricane. He was currently preoccupied with Princess Vivi, who had turned into a complete fountain of tears.
It was a headache. Yesterday she acted like she hated him for bringing Robin; today, she was the one most heartbroken to see him go.
"Grandpa Rowan... you'll come back, right?" the girl sobbed, clutching the hem of his Hawaiian shirt.
Rowan looked at her pitiful expression and couldn't help but pat her head. "Don't worry. I'll definitely be back."
He lowered his voice. "But you have to promise Grandpa—no bullying Sister Robin. If I hear you've been mean to her, I'll be very angry when I return."
Vivi immediately raised four fingers in a "pinky swear" gesture. "I promise! I'll treat Sister Robin like my very own flesh and blood!"
"Good girl. When I have time, I'll come visit, okay?"
"Pinky swear," she insisted, extending her smallest finger. Rowan sighed and hooked his finger with hers. "Fine, fine. Pinky swear, a hundred years, no changes."
Once on the ship, Gion didn't miss the chance to stick close to Rowan. Thinking of how doting he had been with the Princess, she felt a distinct wave of jealousy.
"Mr. Rowan, you certainly seem to get along well with Princess Vivi, don't you?"
"That girl... she cries a bit too much. She's young; she lacks the composure and steady air a princess should have," Rowan muttered to himself as Alabasta shrank into the distance. He was completely oblivious to the "vinegar" scent emanating from Gion.
Decades of being a bachelor had made Rowan remarkably immune to subtle romantic cues.
"Mr. Rowan, where to next?" Zoro asked, taking a rare break from his self-torture training to scan the news. "Are we continuing the hunt, or heading back to Marine Headquarters? The waves from this one won't be smaller than the last."
Zoro wasn't stupid. From Doflamingo to Mihawk to Crocodile, he could see the pattern. He wondered which Warlord was next on the list.
"Mission accomplished," Rowan said, lounging on his deck chair in his striped casual wear. "We're heading back to Headquarters. I want to see if that brat Zephyr's injuries have fully healed yet."
With his sunglasses on and the sun warming his face, Rowan looked for all the world like a harmless, retired grandfather on vacation.