This is the One Piece storyline, but twisted at the point where the Straw hat crew meets Hawkeye Mihawk… enjoy :)

ZoLu Pairing later on. I'm very indecisive about the title... it keeps changing.

PLEASE REVIEW!! It helps me to update faster!!

As Zoro's blades shattered under the force of Hawkeye's attack, the swordsman realized that he was beaten. He had challenged the shichibukai to a duel, but was obviously not meant to win. Even though he couldn't fulfill his promise to Kuina, Zoro had tried his best. It was better to be struck down pursuing a dream than to become a loser just to save his own life.

Throwing his arms out to either side, the former pirate hunter steadied himself for the touch of death. Hawkeye gave it to him with the same blow that destroyed Don Krieg's ship. Only one person was able to react.

"ZOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOO!"

Luffy's cry did not prevent him from taking action as he leapt across the scattered ship remnants, catching Zoro just inches before he landed in the ocean.

'Zoro sure is heavier than I thought he would be… maybe if he lost some weight he could have beaten Mihawk.'

The Straw-hat Captain carefully dragged Zoro back onto the ship fragment while Hawkeye watched. There was no visible trace of emotion in his expression, only that cold, hard glare of a man that had seen death in all its forms and was no longer bothered with it.

'Why is he just standing there, staring at me instead of attacking? He could easily cut me down too. What should I do?'

Meanwhile, An angry Don Krieg looked on from the side, anxious to get revenge for the loss of his fleet.

"I will never forget the name of Roronoa Zoro. Should we cross paths again, and should he be willing, I will accept a rematch. It is the least I can do for such courage."

Luffy took that to mean his first mate would make a full recovery and smiled his cheek-to-cheek grin. The only question now was how to get Zoro the proper medical treatment. The captain was about to start off for Baratie when an angry cry rang out from Krieg.

"Hawkeye Mihawk! I will avenge the destruction of my fleet right here and now!"

With that, Krieg threw a handful of explosive marbles onto the deck of his former ship, firing the poison darts into the veil of smoke. The explosion threw Luffy and Zoro off the deck, but Mihawk was nowhere to be seen. Straw-hat was not concerned by the man's disappearance in the slightest, grabbing Zoro mid-air as they slammed into the deck of Usopp's rescue ship… HARD.

The long-nosed sniper, as well as their bounty hunter friends were tossed off the ship as it sailed into open waters.

"Hey Luffy come back here and grab me before I drown! The Great Ussop-sama is too young to die in the water! Luffy? LUFFY! HELP!"

Ussop's cries went unheard to the Straw-hat captain, who had fallen unconscious under Zoro's dead weight during the fall. It's a wonder the deck didn't crack from the sheer force of their impact. The Captain and his badly injured first mate were cast out to sea, fueled by the now ferocious winds of the East Blue.

To be continued…

Short and simple introduction.

Continue forward, it gets better with every chapter, and every review!