Konoha's Medical Ninja: One Punch to beat up Madara

(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)

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Although Hawkeye walked away with his usual composed demeanor, doubts lingered in his mind.

As a close friend of the red-haired Shanks, he naturally recognized the straw hat perched atop Luffy's head.

Shanks had mentioned Luffy to him once, albeit vaguely, hinting at the young man's potential.

To be honest, Hawkeye couldn't see what was so special about Luffy that Shanks valued him so highly. Were they both equally reckless?

The thought crossed Mihawk's mind before he quickly dismissed it. Shanks might appear carefree and lighthearted, but when the situation called for it, he was undoubtedly reliable.

Luffy, on the other hand, seemed genuinely foolish—yet somehow, he was also intriguing.

What puzzled Mihawk most was the mysterious connection between Luffy and the owner of that sword attack he had been pursuing.

The idea that someone of such caliber had made a bet with Luffy made Mihawk even more curious.

Had it not been for Kisame's promise to reveal the identity of that person, Mihawk would have stayed to interrogate Luffy himself.

"First things first," Mihawk muttered to himself, gripping the handle of his blade tightly.

"Meeting that person is enough to make my blood boil."

His piercing gaze sharpened, and for a moment, he stood as if he was facing a lifetime enemy, exuding an aura of indomitable fighting spirit.

Then, he began sailing away.

****

At the sea restaurant Baratie, Luffy groaned as he rose unsteadily to his feet.

The confrontation with Hawkeye had scared off all the guests, leaving only the Straw Hat crew and the Baratie staff behind.

Though Hawkeye had shown no intent to kill, the punch he delivered, imbued with [Armament Haki], was far from gentle.

Yes, before the world's strongest swordsman left, he delivered a punch to Luffy.

Usopp then cried out, "Luffy! Why didn't you tell us you had a grudge against the world's strongest swordsman? That's way too dangerous! I want to run away now!"

Luffy scratched his head, looking genuinely confused.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've never met that guy before!"

Carina crossed her arms and sighed, exasperated.

"Didn't you hear what he said? He was delivering a message from someone. Luffy, who did you make a bet with before?"

The entire crew turned their eyes toward Luffy, even Sanji, who had been tending to Zoro's wounds.

Faced with their expectant gazes, Luffy thought hard, his brow furrowing as he remembered a particular moment from years ago.

A smiling young man had approached him, exuding confidence.

"No one in this world can refuse my offer…" the man had said.

"If you win, you gain everything. If you lose, you'll hand over that straw hat."

Recounting the memory, Luffy explained, "It was this guy named Colt. He told me his name and said something about a bet."

Hearing this, the room fell into silence, the weight of Colt's name dawning on everyone.

From the doorway, Zeff, who had been eavesdropping, burst into the room.

His expression was serious as he addressed Luffy. "Did you just say Colt? The God Killer Colt?"

Startled by Zeff's sudden appearance, Luffy shook his head.

"I don't know anything about a God Killer. He just said his name was Colt."

Zeff rummaged through a stack of newspapers and pulled one out, handing it to Luffy.

"Take a look for yourself."

Luffy's eyes widened as he saw Colt's face on the front page, along with a bounty of over two billion berries.

"Two billion?!" Luffy exclaimed, his shock quickly replaced by determination.

"No matter how strong he is, I won't give him my hat. I'll definitely become the Pirate King!"

The rest of the crew shared mixed reactions to the revelation.

"He killed a Celestial Dragon?!" Usopp said, his voice trembling.

"That's insane!"

Carina, meanwhile, inspected Luffy's straw hat.

"What's so special about this thing, anyway? And why does Colt want it so badly?"

Zoro sat quietly, deep in thought.

If not for Colt's message, Hawkeye might have killed him outright during their duel.

For that alone, Zoro felt a strange sense of gratitude toward the man.

Even so, Zoro clenched his fists, his resolve unshaken.

"If anyone thinks they can stop my captain from becoming the Pirate King, they'll have to go through me first."

Zoro knew he still had a long way to go before he could stand on equal footing with the world's greatest swordsmen.

But self-pity was not his style. From this day forward, he would triple his training regimen and carve out a path for Luffy's dream with his swords.

****

After a brief rest, the Straw Hat crew prepared to leave the Baratie.

Zeff approached Sanji, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Go on, kid. This place is too small for someone with a dream like yours. The East Blue is too small."

Sanji froze, his cigarette hanging limply from his lips. "What are you saying? Are you kicking me out?"

Zeff laughed.

"You've already learned everything I can teach you. There's no point in staying here. Don't forget your dream, either."

The words struck a chord in Sanji. He thought about the camaraderie he had felt with Luffy and Zoro.

Traveling with them would surely be interesting.

Before he could respond, Luffy popped his head in with his signature grin. "Hey, Sanji! Join my crew! We need a great cook like you!"

Sanji smirked, his decision made.

The journey ahead with the Straw Hats promised to be nothing short of extraordinary.