Chapter One - Prologue
The noise around him was deafening. Shouts and cheers erupted from the crowd as his opponent started swaying and finally crashed onto the floor. Zoro had won once again. Now only two opponents were left between him and his aim-Dracule Mihawk-the world's greatest swordsman.
Looking down on Ryuma's blood drenched body Zoro searched for signs of life on him.
Killing your opponent was strictly forbidden in underground cage fights and would be severely punished, since nothing but trouble came from getting rid of dead bodies-even if you were a shichibukai just like the host of these battles and today's special guest. Both of them were head of one of the seven Mafia families which were holding the world in their grasp. Nonetheless, it didn't mean that they would not turn to drastic measures immediately if they were publicly disobeyed. Being banned from ever setting foot in here was therefore just the tip of the iceberg of measures possible. But exactly that iceberg was hovering over Zoro now. He couldn't afford being banned. Not when he was so close to reaching his aim. When he was so close to Mihawk.
He practically willed Ryuma to breathe and a wave of relief floated through him as soon as the other man clenched his fist and rolled on his back gasping for air.
"The Demon Cutter won the third round of today's battles and therefore takes place in the finals!" announced the so called referee whose job it was to see whether the only two rules were being obeyed: Fights were one on one, no matter what; and no killing. Easy enough rules for the most retarded brute to remember and obey.
Zoro wiped the blood from his katanas' blades and sheathed them. The slight clank of metal on metal sounded through the cage while the adrenaline in his blood subsided way too quickly and left him with a furious pounding in his side. He couldn't afford to have gotten injured more than he had already been before this very fight had started. The minor cuts and quite heavy bruises he had gotten during his three fights weren't worth bothering about them; but this felt different. Worse. He shrugged it off.
Tonight was his night. It had to be.
Making his way out of the cage he was welcomed by even louder cheers and applause. There was a mixture of respect and fear on the spectators' faces but it all didn't matter to him. All that mattered were Mihawk's eyes watching his every move since he had entered this tournament.
An arm was laid around his shoulders, resting heavily on them and directing him through the crowd right back to the fighters' waiting area. Zoro didn't bother to look up, he knew Kid was just there so the people wouldn't stand in his way when he was trying to get to the waiting lounge-and because Kid had the crazy idea Zoro could get lost on his way there. It was ridiculous but politeness was written in big letters here, even though it ended when entering the cage. Thus Trafalgar Law, host of the Supernova underground battle scene in Grand Line City, insisted on everyone entering these holy halls obeying his "wish" for courtesy and Kid was the one to enforce his wish.
He was one fearsome hulk of a man-if not for his frighteningly gaudy outfits then for his disturbingly creepy grin promising murder and mayhem to whoever dared to cross his path. Still, Zoro had never seen him being rude or just raising his voice during tournaments. He honestly took all this courtesy shit way too serious.
"Nice fight," Kid said when they had reached their rather quiet destination. Zoro's ears had started ringing from all the screaming around him and finally he turned to face him. The red-haired hulk grinned at him, baring his marvellous teeth. He somehow reminded Zoro of a hyena.
"Did you expect anything else?" Zoro asked and cocked an eyebrow at him.
"But of course not," Kid replied jovially and turned to face the other two fighters in the waiting lounge. Except for Zoro those were the last fighters capable of winning this match. One of them would be his last obstacle. Their fight would be next and then Zoro would be facing the winner and show him where his place was. There was no way in hell he would lose to either of them.
"Ten minutes until your fight. Better get ready," Kid said and left.
Zoro exhaled. Tonight things would end differently than how they had ended a year ago when Mihawk had defeated him. Tonight he would prove that he was worth Mihawk's while; that he was worth fighting him again. A lighter clicked right next to him. He turned around to face the so called Mr Prince who was casually lighting his cigarette and looking at him with slight disgust. Mr Prince sure was a stupid name for a fighter. Still it fit this strange guy and his posh black suit. It was beyond Zoro why anyone in his right mind would show up for a tournament in a freaking suit but it didn't change the fact that the other man had. The guy stood there in all his glory, smoking a cigarette as if he didn't have a care in the world. The most striking thing about him were his yellow sunglasses. They were ridiculous and for most people it would have been more than just a little dangerous to fight wearing glasses. Nonetheless, Zoro had to admit that this guy's fighting style was extraordinary and close to being flawless. That much credit he could give him.
"What do you want?" he snapped and brushed past the guy to sit down on one of the armchairs provided for them.
"You should bandage that," Mr Prince replied pointing his cigarette at Zoro's side, causing him to look down his chest.
Looking down he found the heavy pounding beneath his ribcage to be caused by a deep cut which was bleeding quite profusely. Not enough to get Zoro worried but enough to affect him sooner or later if he didn't do something about it. Luckily, their host had been far-sighted enough to put a first aid kit in their lounge.
"Damn," he hissed and got up again to get a bandage.
"Don't expect me to show mercy to you in our fight later, boy" Absalom, an utterly flashy guy with a huge blonde mane and a lion-like face spoke up to Zoro.
When Zoro shot him a short glance he wondered again how anyone in his right mind would wear something as flashy as he did for an underground fight. He wore loud blue pants, a white button-down shirt with black crosses on it and a more than unnecessary black coat as well as a super ridiculous huge white and blue hat. It was gruesome. On the other hand, it fit the appearance of Mr Prince perfectly. Their fight sure as hell was going to be interesting. Zoro didn't know how the two of them had done it so far but their getups were still almost unstained while he was already dressed in tatters.
"What makes you think you are going to fight him?" Mr Prince asked him with a frown and almost childlike curiosity.
"Oh, come on, blonie. Just look at you. I am everything you could ever want to be. I'm not the most handsome ladies' man for nothing. All the girls here will just straight out fall into my lap after I've dealt with the two of you. And you, Mr Prince? You are just a skinny prick. I could never lose to you," Absalom snarled, self-confidence pouring out of every pore of his body.
"Treating ladies not as the ethereal beings they are is not something I can allow you, asshole," Mr Prince said quietly and cracked a smile. It was almost invisible but Zoro saw it nonetheless. It was just as murderous as Kid's, just more refined. Zoro was beginning to look forward to fighting this guy. He didn't doubt his victory for a second after having seen both of them fight. Absalom's speed was making him nearly invisible but that was all there was to it. The Prince was at an advantage when it came to everything else. He had the force behind his attacks, he had the speed to match Absalom and he had the better technique, as far as Zoro could judge from their previous fights. The lion-like idiot would eat his words in a couple of minutes; Zoro was sure of that.
"Anyway," the Prince added and directed his attention back to Zoro and took the bandage and wound dressing from his hand without giving him a chance to resist. "Take off your shirt."
Zoro didn't. He just glared at the other man from under his bandana, trying to look as irritated as he was. He didn't need help.
"I'm trying to save your grace here. Imagine how ridiculous you'll look trying to wrap that shit around your chest by yourself. Accept my help or I'll force you to," he insisted when he noticed Zoro's refusal.
"Fuck you," Zoro grunted and lifted his shirt far enough to expose the cut and half his chest. Like hell he would take off his shirt.
"I'm just trying to help myself. I can't fight you when you are dead, you know?"
"That's stupid."
"I don't care. Do you have a better reason for fighting here?"
It was a strange question to Zoro. Of course he had a ton of better reasons but why would anyone give a shit about knowing them?
"None of your bloody business," he therefore replied.
"If this isn't love I don't know what it might be," Kid teased as he returned to pick up the fighters for their match and for the first time Zoro could see something like real amusement glistening in the red-head's eyes. It was just as scary as every other expression on Kid's face.
"Now, Mr Prince, get your shit done and fight. After that you can fumble him to your heart's content," Kid rushed and then faced Absalom. "Absalom, I'd be delighted if you cared to follow us," he added and it was obvious that he didn't really like that Absalom guy. Sure, he didn't like anybody else either but he usually didn't show it to this extent. Based on that premise, it didn't really bother Zoro that Kid was actually mocking him and Mr Prince. On the contrary, it was so highly unusual he didn't know how to react, so he decided on ignoring it.
Mr Prince finished bandaging him without the slightest bit of haste and pulled down Zoro's shirt. Lighting another cigarette he went over to Kid and left with him and Absalom without saying another word. Nothing would have betrayed his seething if Zoro hadn't felt the difference in his touch as soon as Kid had shown up. He had tensed and pulled at the bandage rougher than necessary. Zoro couldn't make sense of it.
Sitting down in the armchair again Zoro noticed how much better he already felt after having gotten the bandage tied around his chest. The pounding in his side had numbed and anticipation of his fight did the rest for him, he had already forgotten the pain when the fight of Mr Prince and Absalom began.
The raw power radiating from the cage was enough to make his neck tingle. The tension in the air was almost tangible and when the gong rang and initiated the fight, the crowd started roaring with excitement.
Absalom was the first to launch at Mr Prince. Zoro knew the fight was over the instant Absalom moved. Making the first move onto an unknown opponent could be wise to test his strength but in this case, it was not. Mr Prince had been angry when he had entered the cage and was therefore unpredictable at the moment. Zoro would have waited for him to make a move to be sure he was calm enough to act at least a little reasonable or mad enough to make mistakes.
Absalom launched a kick at Prince's head but he flipped back and spun on his hands sweeping Absalom of his feet out of the same movement. * The blond hulk crashed into the floor roaring like a wounded animal. The crowd erupted in jeers and cheers.
Mr Prince lit another cigarette and blew out the smoke lazily.
"Is that all you've got?" he asked mockingly and shoved his hands into his pockets to emphasize his boredom. And then things got ugly.
Absalom moved so fast Zoro almost couldn't see him anymore. He kicked Mr Prince so quickly and with a vengeance Zoro wouldn't have thought he was capable of. Mr Prince didn't stand a chance to defend himself from the forceful attacks and was sent flying only a moment later. He hit the bars but instead of going down he somehow managed to use the momentum to launch himself back at Absalom, his knee forcefully connecting with his jaw. The noise in the room was almost deafening by now.
Absalom grabbed Mr Prince's leg and slammed him into the floor before he viciously stomped on his back and kicked his head. Blood started flowing from Mr Prince's lips and forehead, slowly covering his face and trickling on his blue shirt when he got on his knees and glared up at Absalom.
"Is that all you've got?" Absalom mocked and grinned. "Maybe we should up the ante. I bet you have a beautiful girlfriend who is already sick of you and looking for a real man. How about I make her my bride after this fight? Winner takes it all, don't you agree, scum? Oh, you look irritated." An amused grin spread on Absalom's face.
Mr Prince rose to his feet and lit another cigarette before he replied: "Did you say I was irritated? I'm far beyond that. I'm about to explode because of my anger!"
Still, he didn't do anything to block the vicious kick of Absalom directed at his kidney. He sank to his knees coughing blood while Absalom's malicious laughter echoed from the walls of the hall.
"You damn bastard!" the Prince yelled and shot up from his knees faster than anything Zoro had ever seen before. Whatever he did, he did it so fast Zoro couldn't really see it. Absalom was suddenly flying through the air and hitting the metal bars of the cage so hard they bent.
He slumped to the floor of the cage unconscious, blood gushing from his nose.
The crowd went silent in shock from the sheer force of Mr Prince's attack. Then they cheered and shouted in joy and celebrated Mr Prince like they had never seen anyone winning a fight before. It was annoying how fickle spectators could be. Still, Zoro had to admit the fight had been more than intriguing.
He was really looking forward to fighting the other man himself. Leaning back in his armchair he was going through everything he had witnessed just now to see where the weak spots of Mr Prince's attacks were. Obviously he was focused on his legs, so naturally his weak spot must be his arms and hands. Zoro was sure he would come up with something sufficient when the time was right.
When Mr Prince came back to the lounge he looked quite relaxed again. His shirt was bloodstained by now but apart from that and the already dried blood on his face he was not really injured. Good for him. He would need his strength in a couple of minutes.
"I can't believe this shitty bastard ruined my favourite shirt," he hissed and glared at Zoro. "I guess your bad luck is rubbing off on me, shitty swordsman."
Zoro raised an eyebrow at him. Why the hell would it be his fault now that the idiot wore expensive stuff to an underground fight?
"Now, tell me why you are doing this. I think I deserve at least that much as compensation."
"No."
"Oh, come on. There must be a reason why you are willing to fight a shitty mutant ape after fighting me. Given the fact that you beat me."
Zoro was slowly but surely getting fed up. Law and Kid were not his friends but they were paying him his fair share of stakes. Cash. Every time he came here to fight and, of course, win. Wasn't that enough of a reason anyone could think of? So far he had been a safe investment for them and tonight it wouldn't be different. He couldn't afford to lose, even though he didn't need the money.
He still didn't know how it had happened but one night a guy named Shanks had shown up here and offered to manage Zoro and promote him to be the next kendo champion. Legal work, tailor-made for him and fairly paid. Zoro would have refused him, if not his best friend Luffy had been with the guy. No one could refuse Luffy anything and Luffy had practically begged Zoro to become the coolest guy in the world. Who could have said no to that?
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It was a shame how weak he was when it came to his friends.
But, being a kendo champion didn't mean you didn't want to seriously kick some butt and he had never promised not to come here again. When Law had informed him that Mihawk would be here tonight he had left all reason behind and practically run here to finally be able to prove he was worth being recognised by the world's best swordfighter. The real champion, if there was anything like that among the real deal of swordsmen.
"You are not here for the money, that much is for certain. So why?" Mr Prince stated and exhaled a cloud of smoke in Zoro's face. The persistence of the other man was affecting Zoro and the fact that he was not hostile but honestly interested. Something in the way he interacted with Zoro pleased the swordsman to an extent he didn't understand while it annoyed the hell out of him at the same time.
"Mihawk," he answered taciturn and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Now leave me alone I have a fight to focus on."
Mr Prince seemed satisfied with his answer but that didn't keep him from babbling on.
"So you want to be the best swordsman one day?" Zoro just glared at him. "Of course you want to be the best. That was a stupid question, sorry."
"All lovey-dovey again, I see," Kid interrupted them and grinned wickedly. "You ready for the showdown?"
When he entered the cage again his blood was immediately boiling with adrenaline. He turned to face his opponent and couldn't stop himself from admiring him for the relaxed confidence he emitted. Zoro unsheathed his swords, put Wado's hilt in his mouth and took his fighting stance. This was going to be an amazing fight he wouldn't forget anytime soon. The gong rang and the crowd started cheering again.
Neither Zoro nor Mr Prince moved. They kept surveying each other and Zoro pondered where to place his first strike. Both of them weren't into making the first move but standing there doing nothing wouldn't take them anywhere, Zoro mused. As if someone had flipped a switch both men launched themselves at each other. The sheer force of their clash was overwhelming, still Zoro's attack was neatly blocked by Mr Prince's shin. No one had ever done anything bold and reckless like that before and Zoro was glad he always used the back of his swords to strike. A wild smile spread on his lips.
Before he knew what was going on Mr Prince bent backwards and the heel of his shoe connected with Zoro's jaw, sending him flying backwards. Tensing his muscles he flipped in the air and landed with his feet against a metal bar, thrusting off it and hurtling towards the other again. He was kicked in the neck again but this time he was prepared for it and didn't even flinch but let Sandai Kitetsu slip from his grasp and gripped the leg tightly.
"What will you do now?" he growled and was surprised to see the other man grin at him.
"This," he said and Zoro could feel him shifting his weight to the foot he was holding and doing a vertical spin, connecting his other foot with Zoro's head, throwing him over. It was a miracle Mr Prince had managed to not have his foot cut off or at least pierced by Wado which was still resting in Zoro's mouth. Zoro was rendered speechless and couldn't stop himself from smiling evilly. It was time to get serious. He rose to his feet and picked up Sandai Kitetsu before he faced his opponent again.
"Ready for getting serious?" he asked and got a bright smile as an answer.
"So you were holding back, shitty marimo. I knew it," Mr Prince replied and did something Zoro would never have expected. He declared his defeat.
"I surrender!" he exclaimed and the crowd fell silent. Zoro wasn't sure if something like that had ever happened before but it felt wrong on a fundamental level.
"Don't you dare!" Zoro yelled, fury striking him but there was nothing he could do. Rules were rules and attacking a defeated opponent was forbidden. Damn it!
"This is not over!"
"It is and there's nothing you can do about it. So don't disappoint me and do something stupid like losing to that ugly ape, got it?" he said and was a moment later out of the cage. Zoro felt betrayed. This was in no way a win he could accept. He stood there, his hands gripping his swords so tight his knuckles turned white. He was as furious as never before in his life.
Kid entered the cage and looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and mild humour.
"Don't be disappointed. Lovers come and go," he teased and Zoro was close to forgetting his manners. He was sure if he added just a little more pressure he would bite through the hilt of Wado or break all his teeth.
"Fuck you, Kid," he finally growled and Kid burst into laughter.
"Do you need a break or do you want to enter into the fight with the humandrill right away?" he asked after having calmed down again.
"I don't need a break," Zoro simply said and waited for what was about to come.
"The rules for this fight are different," Kid explained, "You are allowed to kill the humandrill if need be. Furthermore, the humandrill will be wielding weapons as well. I don't think this fight will take long but I wish you luck, Zoro."
Zoro just nodded. He had always trusted in his luck and tonight it wouldn't be any different.
The crowd fell silent when the cage with the giant baboon was moved over to the cage where Zoro waited for his opponent in. The animal looked wild and really fierce. It's teeth were huge and it actually wore armour including a sword. Zoro had known this wouldn't be easy but facing a baboon soldier was weird in itself no matter how good or bad the creature would be fighting. When it entered the cage it didn't make a sound. It was creepy to see this huge figure move with a grace Zoro knew he had seen before. Something about it was definitely odd.
Zoro knew it wasn't the best move in his life but he would open the fight. He launched at the striking for its head but it flipped back and spun on his hands to sweep Zoro of his feet out of the same movement. It was a move Mr Prince had used earlier. Zoro instantly recognised that but couldn't to anything to avoid the collision of the ape's feet and his face. He was sent flying through the cage and hit the bars. The beast was also as quick as Absalom had been and before Zoro knew what was going on he was hit by a wave of forceful kicks and hits he didn't stand a chance to defend himself from. He could feel his ribs crack when he crashed into the bars opposite the one's he had just been thrown against. This would get really ugly if he didn't move quickly. He felt blood running down his face and anger welled up inside him. Being thrown around like a doll was more of a disgrace than he could handle. Breathing became unexpectedly hard and when he coughed he spat blood.
"How can you be so content to copy somebody else's skills? Don't mess with me!" he yelled.**
The humandrill launched at Zoro utterly unimpressed. It used the move Ryuma had before Zoro had struck him down. Mimicking others would be the downfall of this creature. Having defeated Ryuma with his standard three sword style he guessed within not even half a second that it wouldn't help him here. But he knew exactly what to do. He dropped his swords except for Shusui and launched himself at the beast. Their blades collided with such force, the sheer impact broke the humandrill's sword's blade and swiped the beast off its feet. The crowd erupted in cheers.
What happened then was something Zoro would never have expected. The humandrill climbed along the bars to pass Zoro by and tried to get a hold of his swords.
"Don't you dare!" Zoro yelled but he could already see Wado in the beast's hand. With full force he jumped forward and Shusui sunk to the hilt in the beast's chest.
The fight was over when the beast fell backwards to the floor, Wado sliding from its hand.
"I told you not to touch it," Zoro stated and collected his swords to sheathe them, Shusui singing in his hand with satisfaction.
He made it do the door of the cage before his legs gave way under him and he fell to his knees, throwing up blood.
"Zoro, you alright, man?" Kid asked and offered him an arm to hold on but Zoro refused his help. He was going to face Mihawk not like a cripple. He would stand tall and look him in the eye without even flinching.
"Nothing to get agitated over. Just minor bruises," he said and Kid nodded in appreciation before he silently guarded his way towards Mihawk.
"Roronoa Zoro," Mihawk greeted him and Zoro knew what he had to do. He cast aside his pride and knelt down before Mihawk, bowing his head.
"I'm begging you. Please, train me in the ways of the sword!"***
* The figh of Absalom and Mr Prince is very very close to the actual fight they had in the series. I do not own any rights regarding the idea behind their actions or dialogues during this fight.
**Parts of the fight between Zoro and the humandrill are also taken from the series/manga. I do not own any rights regarding them either.
*** This sentence was also taken from the manga.
Everything taken from the series/manga was to make the story more realistic and to worship Eiichiro Oda - because there are things you just can't improve.
Thank you for reading this Prologue. I am looking forward to reading your reviews on it so I can see where to improve my writing. I hope you enjoyed this so far. :)
Yours
Sanni-O
