Chapter 154: The Appearance of Hawkeye

Returning to the warship, Luo Lan learned of Hawkeye's arrival from the marine liaison.

For a Shichibukai of Hawkeye's immense influence, while the Marines might not actively track their every move, they certainly kept an eye on where they were likely to appear next.

In that sense, Luo Lan felt that the information he had obtained from Sabo was somewhat of a bad deal.

However, things could not be calculated quite like that. After all, telling Sabo about Luffy was part of his own agenda, not a direct intelligence trade.

Looking at it that way, Luo Lan actually came out ahead.

After instructing the liaison to continue monitoring Hawkeye's movements, Luo Lan turned and headed to the infirmary, intending to share the news with Zoro.

Yet the moment he pushed the door open, Luo Lan was utterly dumbfounded.

Good grief, was this guy Zoro an immortal cockroach?

During his battle with Laffitte that very morning, not only had he sustained severe injuries, but later, in grasping the concept of cutting iron, he had pushed himself to the absolute limit to shatter Laffitte's weapon.

And what about now? He was sitting on the hospital bed doing push-ups as if nothing had happened at all.

If there weren't a complete absence of female nurses and doctors aboard the ship, Luo Lan might have suspected Zoro was up to something entirely different.

Whether Zoro had already caught wind of Hawkeye's impending arrival or not, he was currently in a state of high agitation, completely absorbed in his training to the point that he hadn't even noticed Luo Lan enter the room.

It was fortunate that this was aboard a Marine warship where no one would harbor malicious intent toward Zoro; otherwise, there was no telling how he might have met his end.

"Did you already know Hawkeye is coming?"

Luo Lan patted Zoro's shoulder and asked curiously.

"Ah, it's you, Luo Lan. Sneaking up and appearing out of nowhere like that is enough to scare someone to death, you know!"

Suddenly patted on the back, Zoro jerked violently, leaped off the bed, and scanned his surroundings with sharp vigilance.

Realizing the intruder was only Luo Lan, Zoro let out a sigh of relief. He wiped away the sweat mixed with fear and pain from his forehead and said helplessly.

Only after doing all this did Zoro seem to process Luo Lan's earlier question. He exclaimed excitedly, "That's right, Luo Lan! Hawkeye is coming! I don't know what brings him to Salvador Island, but at last, I finally have a chance to challenge him."

Zoro's reaction to Hawkeye's arrival was intense indeed. At least looking at him now, no one would ever guess he was a guy who had just emerged from a fierce battle and collapsed from total exhaustion.

"You'd better stay put and rest properly then. Your wounds haven't even healed yet, and you're already thinking about challenging Hawkeye? Are you afraid you aren't dying fast enough, or do you think Hawkeye is just some pushover?"

Patting the gauze-wrapped wounds on Zoro's back, Luo Lan watched the wincing swordsman and said with a helpless expression.

"Luo Lan, you did that on purpose, didn't you? You clearly knew Laffitte beat me half to death, yet you deliberately went for my injuries!"

Zoro leaped far away, glaring at Luo Lan with utmost caution, terrified that the guy might pull the same stunt again.

"You still remember you're severely injured? Then why aren't you seizing the time to properly recover? Otherwise, when Hawkeye gets here, what are you going to use to fight him?"

Luo Lan put on a stern face and scolded, "If I catch you sneaking around doing secret training again in the next two days, you can kiss your chance of seeing Hawkeye goodbye. I'll have Penglies get you under strict surveillance."

"Ah..."

Zoro instantly turned despairing. Being forced to rest idly for three whole days without any training—how agonizing would that be?

Yet compared to a duel with Hawkeye, Zoro decided the latter was far more important.

Slacking off and skipping training for a few days was one thing, but if he missed Hawkeye, goodness knows when he would ever get another chance to see him.

Obediently returning to the hospital bed to lie down, Zoro immediately sprang back up the next second. He hollered at the ship's doctor to come in, and upon peeling back the gauze on his back, they discovered his wounds had split open.

Amidst Luo Lan's face-palming gesture of utter helplessness, Zoro offered an honest, sheepish grin, urging the doctor to stitch him up quickly.

Seeing this, Luo Lan decided not to linger in the room any longer.

Even though he had little personal interest in Hawkeye's arrival, orders from headquarters were orders.

A Shichibukai inexplicably showing up on an island completely unrelated to swordsmanship was certainly a matter worthy of attention.

For now, he was still viewed as a well-behaved boy in Sengoku's eyes, so it was best to follow orders for the time being.

By evening, after all the Marines had returned from their shore leave, Luo Lan relayed the orders down the chain of command.

Upon learning that they would continue to enjoy several more days of rest, the enlisted men instantly burst into cheers.

As long as they could stay right here, they were willing to take on any mission; for a good portion of the marines, this place was practically paradise.

Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Today, the pier felt exceptionally tense, carrying an atmosphere far heavier and more solemn than the relaxed vibe of previous days.

Although the massive warship remained docked there, fewer than a third of the crew were left aboard.

The rest had been dispatched by Luo Lan across the island to continue investigating Hawkeye's true objective.

Indeed, after three full days, the marines had uncovered absolutely nothing.

Simply because they could not fathom what on earth could possibly interest a top-tier swordsman like Mihawk.

"He's here! He's here! Hawkeye Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, has arrived!"

A shout suddenly erupted from the warship.

Hearing the cry, Luo Lan instantly perked up. After instructing a private to notify Zoro, he leisurely walked over to the ship's rail and gazed out at the distant, boundless ocean.

"Is that Hawkeye?"

Across hundreds of meters of open sea, Luo Lan instantly spotted the coffin-like boat slowly cruising toward them, his pupils contracting slightly at the sight. The man's gaze was simply too piercing.

Separated by hundreds of meters of water, Luo Lan could still feel the sharpness of Hawkeye's glare. No wonder his epithet was Hawkeye; it was a kind of intensity Luo Lan had never experienced before.

It wasn't as though he had never witnessed the world's apex powerhouses. He had seen Golden Lion at age six, clashed with Sakazuki upon first entering headquarters, and later laid eyes on Sengoku and Zephyr.

Yet among all those figures, not a single one possessed a gaze quite like Hawkeye's.

It wasn't that their strength fell short of Hawkeye's, but rather that perhaps they weren't swordsmen, meaning their eyes lacked the sharp, surging killing intent inherent to a master of the blade.

"Marines? Why are there Marines here?"

It wasn't just Luo Lan who spotted Hawkeye; Hawkeye had likewise noticed the presence of the warship.

He felt a hint of puzzlement regarding the vessel anchored at the pier.

Even though he never concealed his travels, why did this warship look as if it had been docked here for days, giving the distinct impression that it was deliberately waiting for him?

"That young man?"

Aboard the warship, Hawkeye immediately laid eyes on Luo Lan.

Observing the figure who had previously appeared in the newspapers, Hawkeye's confusion deepened.

According to Marine plans, shouldn't this kid currently be en route to the Charmant Fortress? Why was he here on Salvador Island? And why was he waiting for him here?

Though he knew Luo Lan was a swordsman, he was equally aware that Luo Lan was not a purist of the blade.

A fellow like him, driven solely by the pursuit of power, shouldn't have any personal interest in him.

Could this be on the orders of Marine Headquarters, then?

While Hawkeye pondered the situation, another figure suddenly appeared on the warship's deck.

"Where is Hawkeye? Where is he?"

Trotting all the way out of the cabin onto the deck, Zoro clutched the Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu, looking around frantically in search of Hawkeye.

As he searched, he shouted at the top of his lungs, terrified that anyone might remain oblivious to his presence.

"Lieutenant Commander Zoro, Hawkeye is right over there—"

A marine pointed toward the coffin-like vessel closing in on the shore and shouted loudly.