Chapter 424: Transmigrators Are All Variables
Hawk-Eye left without even saying a word of farewell.
But Ian understood that this was normal. Hawk-Eye had always been cold and reserved. Even among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he was an outlier, never forming his own pirate crew and always moving alone in solitude.
If not for Ian's identity this time, he probably wouldn't have spoken so much. But this was already his limit.
Watching Hawk-Eye's ship disappear into the distance, Ian sighed and said, "Ah, what a loss. Meeting my junior uncle for the first time and not even getting a greeting gift. What a failure!"
Robin couldn't help but giggle at this remark. Ace also felt like laughing, as he knew Ian's personality well—the guy was a money-grubber.
Only Reiju's expression dimmed slightly. She hadn't expected Ian to have such deep connections with so many of the Seven Warlords. Even Hawk-Eye, the recognized aloof great swordsman, was his junior uncle.
Her father, Judge, had made a foolish decision by provoking someone like this...
"Let's go. We'll continue our journey!" Ian said to Ace. "We've been delayed for quite a while by Hawk-Eye... I mean, by my junior uncle."
And so, everyone set sail once more.
What Ian didn't know was that after leaving this time, Hawk-Eye specifically went to find his friend, the Four Emperor Red-Haired Shanks.
History here had deviated slightly again. Originally, Hawk-Eye had gone to see Red-Haired Shanks to bring him news about Luffy. When Shanks returned from the East Blue having lost an arm, Mihawk had known about it and even asked him about it. So he knew Shanks had met a young friend in the East Blue and given him his treasured hat.
But this time, Mihawk hadn't gone to the East Blue, so he hadn't yet encountered Straw Hat Luffy. His visit to Red-Haired this time was for other matters.
On an unnamed island, Hawk-Eye found Red-Haired Shanks. His sudden appearance startled the Red Hair Pirates' underlings.
But Shanks laughed heartily and welcomed Hawk-Eye Mihawk.
"Hawk-Eye, what are you doing here?" Shanks asked, draped in his coat, looking somewhat puzzled.
"I came to drink with you!" Hawk-Eye said.
"How rare!" Shanks exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you came to fight me again!"
"Not in the mood!" Hawk-Eye glanced at him. "Because before I came here, I just fought someone else."
"Oh!?" Shanks asked curiously, "Who did you fight? You must have won, right?"
However, Hawk-Eye didn't mention the outcome. He took a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke: "Shanks, you know what? I met one of my junior nephews... He's the disciple and adopted son of my senior brother, Koushirou!"
Shanks was shocked. "Don't tell me you fought your junior nephew?"
Imagining this scenario, Shanks couldn't help but jump up from the ground. "You... you! You didn't accidentally kill your junior nephew and come here out of guilt to seek comfort from me, did you!?"
"Nonsense!" Even the usually cold Hawk-Eye couldn't help but curse. "If I had killed him, how would I have known he was my junior nephew? Use your brain, will you?"
Because of their unique relationship as both rivals and friends, Hawk-Eye could open up more in front of Shanks. That was why he chose to come here to talk.
But the problem was that although Shanks was incredibly powerful, he could be quite scatterbrained and reckless in his words and actions, making people laugh or cry.
After being scolded by Mihawk, Shanks scratched his head and suddenly understood. "Oh, I see!"
He patted Mihawk's shoulder and laughed heartily. "Really, you should have said so earlier. You had me worried!"
Mihawk looked at Shanks speechlessly. "I came to you because there's something I'm concerned about!"
"Go ahead!" Shanks picked up his cup and gulped down his drink.
Mihawk said, "It's about the scar on your temple."
Hearing this topic, Shanks' expression suddenly darkened. He put down his cup and asked Mihawk seriously, "Didn't you already know about this?"
"I did," Mihawk nodded. "It's about Blackbeard Teach. Is that man really that formidable?"
Shanks let out a long sigh and said to Mihawk, "Hawk-Eye, I want to tell you that when I fought Teach, I wasn't careless at all. He left this scar on my face through sheer strength..."
"..." Mihawk was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "You know, when I met my junior nephew, I found someone with him—the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Fire Fist Ace! They're together. So I'm a bit worried..."
"Hmm!?" Shanks frowned and asked, "Who exactly is your junior nephew?"
"You must know him," Mihawk said, crossing his hands on his knees and looking at Shanks. "He's the newly appointed member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Black Dragon Ian!"
"Wh... what!?" Shanks was truly shocked this time. He asked Hawk-Eye incredulously, "He's your junior nephew!?"
"Absolutely true," Mihawk nodded.
Shanks couldn't help but stand up and pace back and forth, looking somewhat troubled.
Then he suddenly stopped, sat down in front of Mihawk, and said, "A while ago, I heard that the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Fire Fist Ace, had already set out to pursue Blackbeard Teach. But later, I learned that after Ace left the sea, he didn't go directly after Teach. Instead, he first went to Travira Island, and then he and Black Dragon Ian appeared together in Dressrosa. Along with a group of Seven Warlords, they turned the country of the Celestial Night Raider Doflamingo upside down... Because of this, I thought the news about Ace pursuing Teach was a mistake. But now it seems that Fire Fist Ace has teamed up with Black Dragon Ian to pursue Teach together..."
Mihawk nodded. "Very likely. I noticed that Ian and Ace seem to have a really good relationship."
"How could it not be good?" Shanks shook his head. "I've heard that Whitebeard Old Man once considered making Ian his adopted son, but later, because Ian assassinated Teach, he was expelled..."
Mihawk looked puzzled. "Since Ian assassinated Teach once, it means there's enmity between them. That makes sense to me. But if that's the case, their strength should be about equal!"
"No, it's not that simple!" Shanks shook his head. "Ian's attack that time was probably a sneak attack. But even so, he couldn't kill Teach."
"So, you think that even Fire Fist Ace and Ian combined are no match for Teach?" Mihawk asked the question he most wanted to ask.
This was why Mihawk had come to see Shanks. Because he had heard about Teach from Shanks before, after leaving Ian's ship, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. The Whitebeard Pirates' pursuit of the traitor Teach was now known throughout the Grand Line. Ian and Ace appearing together must have some purpose. Out of concern for his junior nephew Ian, Mihawk had come to ask Shanks for his opinion.
As for Mihawk's question, Shanks thought for a long time before shaking his head. "I don't know either. I've never fought or met the newly appointed Seven Warlord Black Dragon Ian, so I don't know how strong he is. But if Fire Fist Ace were pursuing Teach alone, it would be very dangerous. If Ian is also there, it's hard to say."
"You seem even more worried than I am," Mihawk couldn't help but say.
"Yes," Shanks nodded very seriously. "Hawk-Eye, what do you think of the current state of the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"Delicate," Mihawk thought for a moment and gave this assessment.
"Indeed, delicate," Shanks nodded. "Whitebeard Old Man's health is declining day by day. He might die from his condition before long. But do you think the Marines will just sit back and watch Whitebeard die of old age?"
"No, impossible!" Shanks answered his own question before Hawk-Eye could respond. "Whitebeard Edward Newgate is a figure from the same era as Pirate King Roger. Captain Roger is dead, but Whitebeard is still alive. As long as he lives, he is a symbol of an era, a benchmark for pirates. If the Marines and the World Government want to end the Great Pirate Era, they must move against Whitebeard. Only by completely destroying him can they shatter the pirates' beliefs and will."
Shanks concluded, "They can't let Whitebeard just die of old age. So I estimate that in the near future, they will find an opportunity to strike at the Whitebeard Pirates! Whitebeard is old, but he is the pirate known as the strongest. Destroying him is the same as destroying Pirate King Roger!"
"And in such a sensitive time, a figure like Teach appears. So I always have a bad feeling," Shanks sighed. "If Fire Fist Ace is captured because he can't defeat Teach, then the opportunity the Marines want might appear... Then the entire Grand Line and the New World will fall into chaos. The balance between the Four Emperors and the Marines will be completely shattered!"
Shanks finally said, "As for Ian... he is a variable! Maybe I should go find him and have a chat..."