<div>
<div>
Early one morning, a distinguished guest arrived at Thriller Bark.
<div>
<div>
Noir, still groggy from sleep, walked out of his room. His eyes widened as he recognized the man standing before him.
<div>
<div>
"Hawkeye! What brings you here?"
<div>
<div>
Noir exclaimed in delight. Mihawk resisted the urge to draw his sword. "I was passing through. I heard you were here, so I decided to pay you a visit."
<div>
<div>
Mihawk''s golden eyes swept over the people surrounding Noir. Apart from Robin, whom he had met before, the rest were unfamiliar faces.
<div>
<div>
"It seems you''ve built up your own forces."
<div>
<div>
Noir smiled proudly. He had met Hawkeye before reaching Skypiea, back when he only had Robin by his side.
<div>
<div>
Mihawk suddenly pointed behind him. "I encountered two individuals on my way here. They said they escaped from your custody."
<div>
<div>
Noir turned and chuckled. It was Perona and Hogback.
<div>
<div>
According to Jabra''s report, their escape had been due to his own playful negligence.
<div>
<div>
After all, Noir had only ordered them to be confined, and Jabra and the others hadn''t been overly strict.
<div>
<div>
But he hadn''t expected them to be caught by Mihawk.
<div>
<div>
Perona spat at them. "You''re all birds of a feather! A bunch of villains!"
<div>
<div>
Hogback quickly pulled her back, preventing her from acting rashly.
<div>
<div>
Noir alone was a formidable opponent, let alone with Hawkeye by his side.
<div>
<div>
Noir looked at her with a smile. "Are you seeking revenge for Moria? Do you think you''re capable of that?"
<div>
<div>
Perona glared at him, her eyes red-rimmed, but she remained silent.
<div>
<div>
The gap in their strength was insurmountable. Unlike the power-hungry Supernovas, Perona could never hope to catch up to Noir.
<div>
<div>
Mihawk, sensing something, frowned. "You killed Moria?"
<div>
<div>
Noir nodded. "Yes. His territory is vacant now."
<div>
<div>
Mihawk nodded thoughtfully. "That explains it. I heard the Marines are looking for a new Warlord."
<div>
<div>
Noir''s interest was piqued. "They found a replacement so quickly? Who is it?"
<div>
<div>
Mihawk''s voice was calm. "There are two candidates. One is Fire Fist Ace, and the other..."
<div>
<div>
He looked at Noir, who exclaimed in surprise, "Me?"
<div>
<div>
Mihawk chuckled softly. "That seems unlikely now, considering the Heavenly Tribute heist. That was you and Fire Fist, wasn''t it?"
<div>
<div>
Noir was taken aback. "You know about that?"
<div>
<div>
"It''s no secret," Mihawk replied. "You two pulled off quite a feat. I doubt they''ll be considering you now."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
<div>
<div>
Noir smirked. "Not necessarily. I accomplished something else, something that might force them to reconsider."
<div>
<div>
Hawkeye looked at him curiously but didn''t say a word.
<div>
<div>
Noir, surprised, asked, "You haven''t heard about what happened in Mary Geoise?"
<div>
<div>
Mihawk shook his head. "What happened?"
<div>
<div>
The burning of Mary Geoise was a major event. How could it be kept secret?
<div>
<div>
It was impossible. Even if the freed slaves, unlike during Fisher Tiger''s raid, hadn''t been taken away, there had been countless witnesses that day!
<div>
<div>
Noir briefly recounted his actions in Mary Geoise. Mihawk listened intently, then spoke calmly,
<div>
<div>
"It''s not surprising that the Government is covering it up. Another incident at Mary Geoise would make them appear vulnerable. Even the World Economic News wouldn''t dare publish such a story."
<div>
<div>
"But when your bounty goes up, the news will inevitably spread throughout the Grand Line."
<div>
<div>
"Sabaody Archipelago is teeming with all sorts of people. Even the Government can''t completely control the flow of information."
<div>
<div>
Noir scratched his head. "I thought this would make me famous."
<div>
<div>
Mihawk and Noir entered the castle. Hawkeye''s eyes immediately fell upon the wine cabinet. He casually grabbed two bottles of wine and said,
<div>
<div>
"You''re already famous enough. At least among the Warlords. Besides myself, who prefers solitude, the others must have heard about your exploits."
<div>
<div>
The people who had awakened from their nightmares had tidied up the castle and prepared a feast to welcome Mihawk.
<div>
<div>
Mihawk gracefully raised his glass, taking a few sips of wine. Noir stared at him, a bewildered expression on his face.
<div>
<div>
Drinking wine this early in the morning felt… strange.
<div>
<div>
Mihawk looked at Noir. "So, you plan to make this your base?"
<div>
<div>
Noir shook his head, his brow furrowed. "It''s just a temporary base. I want to find an island in the New World to establish my territory."
<div>
<div>
Mihawk glanced at him. "It seems you already have a target in mind."
<div>
<div>
Noir nodded. "I''m looking for a place called the Kingdom of Noitem."
<div>
<div>
Mihawk''s eyes widened. "The Great Nation of the D. Clan, Noitem?"
<div>
<div>
Noir was stunned. "You know about it?"
<div>
<div>
Mihawk seemed lost in thought. "I came across some information about Noitem during my travels, while honing my swordsmanship."
<div>
<div>
Noir''s heart leaped with joy. Hawkeye was a treasure trove of information!
<div>
<div>
The last time they met, Mihawk had given him a permanent pointer to Skypiea.
<div>
<div>
Now, he had brought him even better news.
<div>
<div>
Noir eagerly asked, "What did you find?"
<div>
<div>
Mihawk shook his head. "It was a stone tablet with inscriptions, detailing some of Noitem''s history."
<div>
<div>
"It said that the Kingdom of Noitem was founded by the D. Clan. The most unique aspect of this kingdom was that they raised dragon-like creatures."
<div>
<div>
"Every noble of Noitem, upon reaching adulthood, would undergo a ceremony to choose a dragon companion, a bond that would last a lifetime and could never be broken."
<div>
<div>
"For this reason, Noitem was also known as the ''Ancient Dragon Kingdom'', and it was a powerful nation."
<div>
<div>
Noir frowned. "If Noitem was so strong, how did it fall?"
<div>
<div>
Mihawk chuckled coldly. "I don''t know. But only the World Government could have accomplished such a feat."
<div>
<div>
Noir sighed in disappointment. "Do you know where Noitem is located?"
<div>
<div>
Mihawk narrowed his eyes. "I don''t. But someone might."
<div>
<div>
Someone? Who?
<div>
<div>
Noir looked at him questioningly. Mihawk continued, "When I discovered the stone tablet, I also wanted to find Noitem."
<div>
<div>
"But I was constantly thwarted by a group of people. I believe they were survivors of Noitem... a remnant organization of some sort."
<div>
<div>
Noir grimaced. This was like being told nothing at all. Finding people was far more difficult than finding a location.
<div>
<div>
The Grand Line was vast. Where could he possibly find a group of survivors from over twenty years ago?
<div>
<div>
It''s not like they would come looking for him…
<div>
<div>
Unbeknownst to Noir, he had unknowingly spoken the truth…
<div>
<div>
...
<div>
<div>
Out on the vast Grand Line, the Marines were frantically searching for him. His wanted posters were plastered everywhere.
<div>
<div>
In a hidden corner of the world, a burly man held one of the posters in his hand, a joyful expression spreading across his face.
<div>
<div>
"After all this time, since Water 7, we''ve finally found His Highness!"
<div>
<div>
"The Marines want to harm His Highness? Over our dead bodies!"
------
Read +77 Ad-va-nced Ch-ap-ters on my Pat-re-on!
patr-eon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
- There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available!