WARNING- This story is a combined effort between myself and my co-author, Jeschi, and as such, is unique in the style of writing. During creation of the story, we post back and forth, each of us controlling one of the two main characters in the story, Roronoa Zoro, played by Jesachi, and Dracule Ratikka, the non-canon and previously unknown daughter of Dracule "Hawkeye" Mihawk, is played by myself. As such, the story is told from both points of view from each of those two characters, including a few others, including Monkey D. Luffy played by Jesachi and Nami played by myself. These points of view will randomly changed between the two, as was dictating by the beginning of my separate post and then hers. My efforts have smoothed these often abrupt changes of view, but it is also important to maintain the original format. Also, we begain writing this before we watched all of the One Piece episodes, and so some facts are incorrect, but that is why this is an alternate universe story :) Thanks, and enjoy!

Disclaimer Most characters within this story are the property of Eiichiro Oda.

Dracule Ratikka (c) me

"There it is!" Dracule Ratikka, Tikka for short, exclaimed in a loud whisper to no one in particular, the excitement making her prone to talking to herself as she pointed to the pirate ship docking down by the shore.

She'd managed to find a secluded area on a hill that overlooked much of her father's castle and grounds, and built for herself a nest in the bushes. Thankfully it had been warm enough that she hadn't gotten cold, sleeping out in the open like this, in the four days she'd been there.

Tikka was a unique individual. She was the daughter of the most powerful swordsman in the world, Dracule Hawkeye Mihawk, but only a handful of people knew she existed. Her mother had died in childbirth, managing only to tell her father the name she wished for her daughter and to tell him she loved him before she passed away.

Tikka took mostly after her; her snowy white hair was long and curly, but she mostly kept it up in a ponytail that bobbed everywhere she went, and her hair was a rich golden darkened to a bronze from her many days in the sun. Her eyes, though, were her fathers, which was why he never let her do anything. Hawk-eyes were pretty noticeable.

So he'd secluded her to a private island with a body guard/nanny named Loo, who had cared for her since birth, along with an older woman whom Tikka barely remembered and who her father wouldn't talk about. She had a feeling, though, that it had been her mother's mother. The woman had stopped coming around when Tikka was four years old, and her father had told her that she'd passed away.

"So that's the Straw Hat Pirates' ship...it's pretty impressive," she mused to herself, plucking at the baggy shirt she wore. Since she dressed more often as a boy, most people mistook her for being one if they didn't see her face. Her father had always told her that he'd let her go around with sunglasses and boys clothes if she didn't have such a feminine, pretty face. Though, she was pretty sure that daddys were supposed to say that.

Her attention was drawn to the two figures exiting her father's castle, Zoro and Mihawk. If her father knew she was there without his permission, he'd flip. He'd gone to so much trouble to get her an island all to herself-well, and for her body guard Loo-in order to protect her from the dangers of the pirating world, but she wanted to be a part of the excitement!

So when she'd heard her father had taken on a pupil? And that said pupil was a member of the Straw Hat Pirates? Well...she just HAD to come. Her father had never been a teacher to anyone except for herself. This guy must be pretty impressive, she'd thought.

And he was, that's for sure. Hot too. She'd been able to identify him once she'd seen him; he was Roronoa Zoro, the famous swordsman pirate hunter. His three swords had confirmed that. She was envious that he knew three-sword style, and wondered, if her plan succeeded, if maybe he would teach her a little too.

Even though her daddy was the best in the world and was obviously a better teacher, it was just good to know variety, that's all.

"Should I go now, or wait?" she pondered out loud as she watched a few members of the crew disembarking from the ship and waving in greeting to Zoro, who stood with her father in the courtyard now, waving back. Not her father of of course, he was too stern for something like waving.

A giggle slipped from her lips, and she rolled her eyes at him. "Papa, you need to lighten up...like Luffy!" she almost said it too loud-her father's eyes flickered in her direction, a very slight frown marring his features. She ducked lower, and didn't move a muscle. Hawks were attuned to movement, so eventually her father turned his attention back to the crew.

'It's Monkey D. Luffy, wow, and just look at his hat! I wonder if he'll like me? Maybe because I have a favorite and special hat, we'll have a bond?' Her hat, currently on the ground next to her for the sake of hiding, was a bit like her Papa's, but papa doesn't care about his hat as much as she cared about hers.

It was her mothers, who'd been a pirate a well. Lulana Jace had been the feared female captain of the Bombshell Pirates, which consisted mostly of women. She'd worn a hat like her fathers, and Tikka was pretty sure it was why they had a baby.

At least, she liked to think it was why.

Her broad-rimmed, red-velvet hat was topped with an elegant white plume. She kept the hat off as she snuck around the side of the island, mindful of the crew. She didn't know how many there were, but as she got close enough, she heard Luffy shouting about food and staying in a castle.

Tikka's red lips curved into a smile. Perfect.

As night fell, she watched the festivities and wished she could join in. Clearly they were celebrating being together again, and her father didn't seem to keen on the convivial gathering. Though, he did hold a pitcher of ale in his hand, and he kept looking at Luffy as if he…

He's just like Shanks, she realized. Both of them party the exact same way. Shanks was one of the few individuals who knew about her, and even visited her, when he had the time.

With a rueful grin, she tore her eyes away from the festivities...and boarded the Thousand Sunny, moving fast. She moved like her father, and within moments, she was on the deck, through a door, down a hallway, and successfully located the storage room. In the back was a small niche she'd fit perfectly in while remaining invisible to anyone by the door. She dropped her bag on the floor, laid out a blanket between two crates, and decided to get some shut eye. But as she lay there, all she could do was hear the laughter and signing, and get more and more excited about joining a crew.

She really, really hoped they let her stay. She also hoped they were way out to sea before she is discovered. With that thought in mind, and a smile on her lightly freckled face, she slid into slumber.

Roronoa Zoro did some serious growing since the last time he saw his crew over two years ago. Spiritually, physically and mentally. His sword work had improved, his endurance strengthened. Night and day, rain or sun, health or burning fever, he trained hard, in the only way he knew how. Even his mentor, the fabled Dracule "Hawkeye" Mihawk, was impressed with his development. Zoro was unstoppable, unbeatable, bested only by Mihawk himself, and that nearly always ended in a draw these days.

And while these last two years on Kuraigana Island were some of the best in his life, when he saw the telltale insignia of a skull and crossbones and a straw hat, he couldn't stop the butterflies of excitement in his stomach. He missed his nakama, missed the antics of Luffy and Usopp, missed Sanji's cooking, the sight of Nami sunbathing on the deck, reading her charts. He missed Brook's music, Franky's tinkering. He missed how Chopper could make him smile. He missed the constant running from the marines, the threat of bounties on all their heads. He missed the pursuit of dreams.

He still wanted to be the best swordsman in the world. One day, he would best his mentor and claim his title.

He and Mihawk stepped outside to greet the ship at the docks. Immediately, Zoro spotted Luffy, standing on the figure head, hand on his straw hat, that deranged smile on his face. As the ship came closer, Zoro noticed that his old rubber friend/captain had grown taller, less snot-nosed kid and more unstable man. But wholly still the same Luffy, especially when he waved his free hand high and hard.

"Hey, Zoro!" he called, "Your outfit is SO COOL! OH MY GOD! You lived in a CASTLE! SWEET! I bet they had GREAT MEAT! Tell me the barbeque was EXCELLENT!" Zoro was indeed, donning a different outfit than he used to, with a long emerald jacket with a red sash tied around his waist with his swords tucked in it. Black pants tucked into black boots and his bandana finished the outfit, secured around his bicep.

"Luffy!" Nami scolded, coming into view, "All you think about is meat!" she had grown her hair out, copper waves falling to the middle of her back.

"What? I love it."

"Hey, Luffy," Zoro replied with an idle wave. The Thousands Sunny bumped against the dock and all the crew hopped out. Luffy, Usopp, Nami, Robin, Chopper, Franky and Sanji pulled in last, "Hey guys. Where's Brook?" he demanded, his sharp eyes scanning for the missing crewmate.

"He's still got a few gigs to perform before he joins up with us on some island that Nami knows about. Oh man," Luffy's voice dropped as he got closer to him, "Dude, what happened to your eye?"

"Nothing, still works," Zoro opened his left eyelid, now marred by a scar that kept it closed normally. It was an effort to keep it open for long, but the eye itself had come out of the scuffle unharmed.

"Good," Luffy replied, as if satisfied.

"Zoro," Mihawk's soft, stern voice captured his attention immediately, "Your crew is allowed to stay for the night and restock supplies before you head out."

"Thank you," Zoro replied with a slight bow.

"Sweet! Party! And MEAT!" Luffy jumped into the air, pumping his fist.

After a rambunctious night of drunken chaos, a dreamless sleep, the Thousands Sunny and her crew was ready to set sail by mid morning, fully stocked and now, fully crewed. With some few final words with Mihawk, Zoro climbed up the rope ladder with his is small pack and the ship took off for the open ocean.

Once he was settled into the boy's bunk, he came out to the top deck and inhaled the sea air. There was nothing quite like sailing again, the noises around him so familiar. Luffy was trying to jack food from the kitchen and him and Sanji were having a muffled dispute. Nami was lounging with Robin on the deck, scouring her sea charts and conversing with the other female about where to go. Usopp was… somewhere. Probably off making some hot sauce chemistry experiment. Franky was manning the wheel, keeping them on course. It all felt so… normal.

"So, Nami, where to?" he called, leaning against the railing, the sea breeze ruffling his hair.

She glanced up at him then back down at her charts, "Well, it looks like there's a small strip of archipelagos a little ways from here, a few days maybe that might be neat to check out. A little adventure, of sorts."

"Adventure?" Luffy burst out of the kitchen, giant drumstick in one hand and mouth stuffed with food, "I love adventures!"

Zoro smirked, "We know."

As darkness set and the sea calmed, rocking the ship like a cradle, Tikka roused herself when hunger made her stomach cramp. She had emergency food, which her father told her to always carry in the event of a shipwreck at sea, but she wanted to see if she could get food from the ship first.

She'd pay them back one she got a bounty on some adventure!

She kept her stuff stashed, tipped her head back, blowing a curl out of her face, and crept towards the door of the cargo hold.

Her brown breeches were super comfortable, tied tight with a golden sash, with a white loose blouse tucked into the and pants sash. Her feet were garbed in beautifully made leather boots, with intricate Spanish crosses embroidered into the sides. Gifts from her father.

Strapped to her back, right down her spine, was a single sword, only slightly more curved than a standard katana, with a miniature version of her father's cross at the hilt. Small enough that the sword was completely hidden when she faced forward.

The hallway was quiet, the lamp dimmed low. It was secured tightly to the wall, and designed so that the risks of it, or any of the lamps, burning the ship down was really low. Impressive.

As she crept down the hallway in search of the kitchen, she was increasingly impressed with the design of the ship. There was a damn aquarium, of rare fish. And the kitchen blew her mind.

She hurried behind the counter and went for the fridge, and found it locked. No matter; Tikka was awesome at picking locks thanks to years of getting into the things Mihawk and Loo didn't want her to. She opened it to find...cheese, bread, cream...everything. She gaped. Foooooood.

She glanced back, feeling bad, and went for the cupbord to see if less expensive food could be pilfered. Inside were crackers, and her mind instantly flew to the delicious cheese in the fridge, which would go great on said crackers….

She couldn't resist. But then she was worried that the food might be rare or something, maybe they were saving it. It's always possible, since she always saved her favorite food till last. She stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest, and frowned. This was more complicated that she thought.

She finally decided on some tangerines, since she'd seen an orchard and therefore they could grow more, and bread. She cut herself a few slices, and stole only a small bit of one of the cheeses, and turned around to the counter, her eyes glowing with happiness as she hummed softly to herself. Her plume bobbed softly with her head as she moved.

Meanwhile, in another part of the ship, Luffy was half asleep when the midnight hunger struck him. Groggily, Monkey D. Luffy rolled out of his hanging bunk, hit the floor, and headed for the kichen, dragging his arms behind him like a half-asleep monkey. Sanji had long since set traps for him in the kitchen, his domain, to prevent Luffy from doing exactly this. Then again, Luffy had long since figured out where said traps were. He wasn't the captain for nothing.

He slumped into the kitchen, throwing open the door and flipping on the light. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the sight in the room. Not just counters and pots and pans greeted him. There was a woman in the kitchen, snacking on tangerines and bread, a woman he'd never seen before, with long white curls to the middle of her back and a large, ornate hat on her head. Strapped to her back was a sword. At a closer inspection, he thought he recognized the hilt design…

"Nice hat," he greeted her around a yawn, his mind still foggy and unconcerned from having just woken up. He opened the fridge next to her and pulling out some leftovers, only half consciously avoiding the mouse trap on top of the container. He cracked the lid, inhaled the sweet aroma of soup and eyed the woman again, taking her in from her feather to her fancy boots.

"I need a plume," he decided at that moment, "The king of the pirates has to have a plume in his hat," he chose a seat at the table that wasn't the one he normally sat in. Sanji had a trap there, "Don't sit in that seat," Luffy pointed to the one he avoided, "You'll alert the cook."

When the door was suddenly thrown open, Tikka's eyes widened in shock, the piece of bread falling from her lips as a man, Luffy!, turned on the light, saw her, and stopped dead.

Her mouth fell open in surprise, and she lifted a hand to try to explain, but he cut her off with a, "Nice hat."

She blinked at him, and stared at him in shocked silence as he proceeded to casually get himself some food, then headed for a seat, changed his mind, and went to another, warning her of it.

Just like that? Man, this was easier than she thought.

"Uh...Monkey D. Luffy?" she asked cautiously, turning towards him, tipping her hat back, and glancing up at the feather her complimented. "I'm so glad you like my hat! It was my mothers, and I wear it everywhere. It's my most favorite thing in the world! She was known as the Pirate Rose, my mom." Tikka said excitedly, sitting down in a different seat than he'd warned her from and leaned on the counter and stared at him with a smile.

"You're so much cooler than I thought you'd be!" She added, smiling and tilting her head to the side, her ponytail of curls tumbling over her shoulder and her feather bobbing elegantly.

"Uh, Luffy! Who the hell is that?" A voice yelled from the door, and Tikka turned her head just in time to see a woman stride forward, long red hair streaming out behind her, and pointing angrily at Tikka while staring incredulously at Luffy.

"You're just having a midnight snack with a mysterious visitor on our boat?" Nami said with an exasperated expression. Her voice was so loud in annoyance, having been woken up when Usopp had fallen out of his bunk with a huge thud, and then drawn to the kitchen for a snack. When she'd gotten closer to the kitchen, she'd been annoyed that people were being loud when she just wanted to sleep! She was definitely a little hung over….

Tikka stared at her with a surprised expression, her hands shooting up in peace. "Ah! I'm not an enemy!"

Luffye munched on his snack and smirked around his food, running a hand over his head, suddenly missing his hat, "Ya," he swallowed and replied to her previous statement, the sound echoing in his throat, "I have to be pretty cool, I mean, I am going to be the king of the pirates." He ripped a piece of bread off the loaf, "And my hat is MY favorite thing in the whole world! You and I are a lot alike," he finished, just as the door burst open and Nami stood there, looking fit to kill.

He just stared at her, completely unaffected by her yelling, "I was hungry," he answered her simply, "And I found her," he indicated his mysterious guest, "in here, having a snack too. I was just being polite." Now that he was more awake to think about it, he realized that this woman must have been a stowaway on his ship. How awesome! His first stowaway!

"LUFFY!" heavy footsteps came up behind Nami, revealing a very irate Sanji, "Oh, hello Nami, lovely as ever," he interjected before turning murderous eyes on his captain, "WHY are you EATING my food again? Get the hell out of my kitchen!" his eyes fell on the stranger and Luffy practically saw the hearts appear, "Oh, my. Who is this beauty with you?"

"Dunno. I found her here."

Sanji was quickly joined by Usopp and Franky, drawn by the commotion. Robin peered in the galley as well and pretty soon the doorway was too crowded so everyone started filing in. Zoro and Chopper came up too, eying the new girl. Sanji headed straight for the stove, mumbling that since everyone was up, he might as well make something for everyone to eat. Tikka got the impression that this crew wasn't the least bit threatened by her lone person, even if she was a stowaway.

A whole lot of "who are you's" were passed around, before everyone looked at Luffy expectantly. Zoro stood in the corner, arms crossed, eye narrowed in suspicion of the young female at the table. Something about her was startlingly recognizable. It was in the eyes, maybe, because he certainly would have remembered wave crest white hair. Sharp, alert, she seemed to take in every movement. Her hat was a classic pirate hat with a plume and he could see that she was carrying a sword with a decorative handle. He knew that sword hilt, had stared at it many days, many nights.

"Hey," Luffy suddenly leaned across the table to look at her close, "You've got yellow eyes… like a hawk. Hey! Do you know 'Hawkeye' Mihawk? He's got eyes like yours!"

Zoro's eyes widened. Holy shit, that was it. This girl…she looked like a female version of Mihawk. Hell, she could be his daughter, she looked so much like him, right down to her Spanish boot buckles. Even the hilt of her sword matched his. But that was ridiculous, of course. Mihawk didn't have any family, no wife, and certainly no kids.

"You certainly do look like him," he offered from his post, "You could be his offspring, even, if Mihawk had any kids."

"Oh man! What if Hawkeye had like, a secret daughter or something?" Luffy offered with a maniacal laugh.

"I lived with him for two years, Luffy," Zoro rebutted, "No signs of kids… though you look just like him…too much like him…" he inspected the girl again as a strange sixth sense washed over him, telling him that there was no doubt that this girl was Mihawk's daughter, even though the idea was so farfetched it blew his mind. Mihawk was a highly targeted, incredibly dangerous man with a dangerous lifestyle. Zoro supposed he could've had a kid…and hid her somewhere so no one could use her as a liability.

"Dracule Hawkeye Mihawk? As in, you're swords-master?" Nami asked incredulously, turning to stare closely at Tikka, who blushed and shifted in her seat. Her sharp eyes flickered to any movement in the room, tracking everyone like a hawk, before Luffy finally got it spot on, and she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Please don't turn back! Don't kick me off either! I heard this is the ship to be on if you have a dream, and I want to be the second best swordsman in the world! I'll work hard and do chores if you want me to, though I don't do dishes...I hate dishes...but anyways, I'm a really good swordsman and I think I could really benefit your crew!" She exclaimed proudly, sliding to her feet and facing the pirate captain, sweeping her hat off and holding it to her chest.

It really exposed her face, and the delicate lines that both her mother and her father shared. Except her father pulled it off masculinely. Freckles dusted her nose, and her golden, hawk eyes gleamed with passion and fierce determination. Curls, freed from the leather tie at the base of her neck that attempted to tame her curls, fell around her face in spunky lines.

As she stood, a necklace of a cross swung into view, as well as a bit of cleavage from the gaping silk blouse. She spread her arms wide and added, with a smile, "Oh! And I'm the best swimmer you'll ever know and I can catch you fish. BIG fish." She grinned and winked at Sangi. She'd done her homework.

When she took off her hat, her face brightened, no longer encompassed by the deep shadows set up the wide brim. She was startlingly pretty, with a young face and delicate lines. The freckles across her nose indicated that she had some sun exposure. It only heightened his suspicion that she was somehow related to Mihawk, if not a direct descendent. And yet, she didn't offer any information about her heritage, only what her skills were and how she could benefit the crew.

"We need a swimmer…" Luffy said seriously, turning to glance at Zoro.

"God only knows I hate diving after your ass…" he replied, earning a chuckle from Chopper and Usopp. Luffy grinned.

Sanji fanned himself when she winked at him, "Beautiful AND she can fish!"

"We could use a better fisherman, we all suck sometimes," Luffy glanced at Zoro again, who shrugged noncommittally. He trusted Luffy's decision, and most of the time didn't have a say as to who joined the crew, such as with Brook. "And I can have the two best swordsmen in the world! Alright, I've decided. You can be on the crew." He tilted his head at her, "Why only second best swordsman? Don't think you can beat the legendary Roronoa Zoro? Do you not want to be number one?"

For some reason, Kuina's voice drifted through Zoro's mind; "You were lucky you were born a boy, Zoro. Because I'm a girl, I can't ever be the best swordsman in the world…" did this little woman believe something as silly as that too? That because she was a female, she could never take the spot as best in the world, so she's settling for second?

"What's your name?" Zoro asked her, "And are you really related to Mihawk somehow?"

Tikka's heart was filled with joy as not a single one of them seemed opposed to the idea. In fact, Luffy seemed very fond of the idea of having a fisherman. She beamed at them, pushing herself up to her toes and down a few times in excitement. She was going to be a pirate!

The Luffy challenged her ability to beat Zoro, and why she didn't want to be number one. She glanced at Zoro, smirked, and propped her hip against the counter, crossing her arms under her chest and grinning smugly.

"Oh, I know I can be Roanoa Zoro, one day. I had an excellent teacher, and for far longer than he had him." She turned her dancing Hawk eyes to Luffy and leaned against the counter, propping her chin up on her hand and grinning cheekily at the captain.

"I want to be number two because my daddy will ALWAYS be number one, of course," she shot a mischievous wink at Zoro, and promptly plopped her hat back on her head, tilting it back to expose her face in the lights of the wonderful kitchen that had enough seating for a small banquet.

The scent of the kitchen started drifting out from whatever Sangi was cooking, and she sat up sharply, leaning against the counter on her toes, her arms propping herself up with her arms. "Oh my Lord that smells amazing! I promise promise promise that as soon as I have a chance to get me some pirate booty, I'll pay you all back for food, I swear!" she added, turning to look at Luffy with an earnest smile. "Oh...and please don't tell anyone who my papa is….he'd come hunt me down and make me go back to my little island. I have to get better before I have a chance of fighting him and making my point. I need to become stronger."

She turned serious at the topic of sword fighting. The dedication and ambition was clear on her face, and Nami thought it was strangely like the expression Zoro wore when he talked about his dream. They were both dedicated to the sword like it's their life. She wondered if the girl was actually as good as she claimed.

"You don't even need to give me a room, I'll just sleep in the cargo hold, I have a blanket," she added, nodding vigorously. She was adamant that they take her. She could not live another day on that boring island.

Zoro's mind was still stuck on what she'd said a few moments before. Her...daddy?

Oh god. Did that mean her FATHER really was HAWKEYE MIHAWK?

The room was hushed at that little declaration; even Luffy understood it. Jaws slacked, eyes popped. Sanji forgot about whatever he was cooking. Luffy sat back hard in his chair. Everyone's gaze was locked on the white-haired woman, who just grinned cheekily, declaring herself capable of beating Zoro and starting sniffing the food, chattering about the glories of being a pirate and something about booty.

But Zoro hooked right onto the whole "beating him" part.

No way was he EVER going to be beat by anyone. Ever. Again. He would be the best swordsman in the world. He was so close now.

"You can't beat me," he told her seriously, leveling her a look. She might resemble her father physically, but there was no way in the world that she was that good with a sword. Not even possible that she could beat him. No one trained harder than him, "I'll fight you right now if you think you're that good."

"I dunno, Zoro, she's got Mihawk's blood," Usopp hedged.

"Shut up," was the reply before Zoro turned his dark eyes to her, "Right now. Mihawk's daughter or not, I'll still win. Outside, on the deck. I'll grab my swords and meet you there."

"Hawkeye Mihawk's daughter versus Roronoa Zoro? This is gonna be GREAT!" Luffy whispered to Nami excitedly, "I can't believe I'll have her on my CREW!"

Tikka glanced at Zoro as he challenged her, and actually felt a little apprehension in her belly. She was good, but she'd seen him train...she still had much to learn, which was the point of the adventure…

No, positive thinking! She could beat him.

"Alright...I'll do it!"

Within minutes, they were out on the HUGE grassy deck, and Tikka couldn't suppress the whistle of appreciation that came from her lips. Her eyes sought out Franky, and grinned at him. "You are an amazing shipwreck!"

The man smirked, thrust his arms together to form a star, and jut his hip out dramatically. "I'm a SUPA shipwright." Tikka laughed, already knowing she was going to like him.

She turned towards the other end of the deck, where Zoro was standing with two swords out. Only two? How insulting…

She glared at him, drew her long, elegant sword, which had roses and thorns beautifully etched into the shinny black blade. Black like Mihawk's.

"Roronoa Zoro, I vow to defeat you and become the second best swordsman in the world, and my name is Dracule Ratikka!" She grinned triumphantly, flourished her hat with her free hand, then plopped it back in place. She slid into a stance, and grinned cheekily, "But you can call me Tikka."

Zoro watched as she bowed to him with a flourish of her hat, introducing herself. Finally, he knew her name. Tikka. He perked a brow at her while she took a stance, looking very serious, her gaze sharp, like her father's. It reminded him that he needed to take this seriously. Never underestimate an opponent, even though he was confident in his ability to knock her down a notch.

They started circling each other. Already, she moved like Mihawk. Upright, confident, her chin level with the ground and her sword at the perfect height for readiness. Zoro mirrored her movement, twirling one sword in his back hand idly, sizing her up.

He lunged for her. She parried, stepped to the side and struck for him. He parried, spinning. They backed up. More circling, more sizing up, checking for openings, for weaknesses. He struck again, she deflected, they parried, thrust, stepped back. Circled. She was quick, that was for sure. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw the crew, watching riveted. Luffy was just about to bust out of his skin with excitement. Zoro smirked.

"You move like your old man," he told her, lunging for her again, more aggressively, pushing her back. Steel clashed against steel. They locked hilts for a minute, "That could work against you," he pushed her back, spun out of the lock, struck, deflected, parried, thrust.

Back to more circling. One thing he learned from Mihawk; never rush a fight. Being too aggressive made you stupid, left you open. A clever assailant would pick you off. It was always worth it to take stock of the situation and look for openings rather than rush in and hope to find one up close and personal.

Tikka was breathing just a little heavier, mostly out of excitement. He moved like a dream. She felt like she was dancing with him, especially since his movements were newly influenced by her father, so they moved almost in sync, mirroring their common instructor.

They started circling again, and she twirled her sword confidently with a grin on her face, her cheeks rosy with excitement, her eyes seriously, but glowing with happiness. "You are an excellent swordsman. Nothing less form the great Roronoa Zoro."

She suddenly snapped her legs together, rising up into a tall stance, her arms wide, holding her sword out like the crucifix around her neck.

"But I trained with my daddy for far longer than two years." With a glint of mischief and a fierce determination, she suddenly sprung up, real high, then came down with a strong slash, close enough to be a threat, but rather than physically touching him with the sword, she sent out a large gust of wind to knock him off his feet. Then she shot forward in the wake of the gust, her speed unimaginable, her body low, her sword out. She had a perfect stance, and a perfect balance, the whole time. Her sword was angled to cause the least resistance in the wind. As a result, she picked up so much speed that it turned into instant power as she leapt up at him.

It was difficult to track her movements as she brought her sword over her head and then swiftly downward, right over her head. But in the blink of an eye, she twisted her wrist and her other arm swung back behind her. Zoro naturally raised his sword to block, and a smirk went across her face.

He'd fallen for the trick. He'd raised his arm, and blocked, but now she'd momentarily disabled his swords by her downward momentum as her other arm suddenly swung out from behind her again, and revealed that she'd pulled her sword apart into two halves.

Her sword...was actually two swords, perfectly welded with great strength but also great thinness. They fit together like a puzzle piece, and when together, looked like only one sword. She moved so fast, and the blade was black and didn't reflect light, so that it was almost impossible to track when she'd whipped it out behind her body. Then she came at his unprotected side with the unnoticed sword.

And it couldn't be blocked so easily, because her other sword was pushing down too fast and too hard for him to be able to deflect it in time to block her second sword. She grinned cheekily at him.

Zoro watched as suddenly, she was gone, moving so fast he could hardly track her movements. Indeed, she inherited the speed from her pops. But he'd trained his eyes to be sharp, to anticipate the movements. He cracked open his scarred eye, allowing him to see just a little bit better, though he was very used to fighting with one eye closed.

A burst of wind almost had him off his feet and sliding across the deck. Only quick reflexes saved him from her downward assault, leaping to his feet to counter her attack. As their swords clashed, something was immediately different about it. It was thinner, lighter.

No way…

Time slowed down for him. She tricked him, devil woman! Her sword was indeed of remarkable design. Two blades, fitted at once together as one, then again, separated into two, the second one dark as midnight with zero reflection, a nightmare to track. She aimed for his unprotected side. She was good, really good. A flood of excitement shot through him. He hadn't encountered anyone so skilled in some time, Mihawk excluded.

But she forgot. He was the master of the Santoryu style. Three swords. Lightning licked through his veins, fueling his speed, he lunged his face forward to grasp one of his swords with his teeth, and quickly drew his third blade. With strength at his advantage, he dropped his body weight and shoved her back, his third swords halfway out of the scabbard as it deflected her surprise attack. She slid back away from him a few feet and his eyes glinted with the pumpinh of adrenaline.

He rushed her, drawing his three blades up for one of his best attacks. He may have learned some great lessons from her father, but he still had his own flavor that earned him his legendary title so that his name would one day reach to the heavens. Time… to end this.

The two blades in his hands came up to parry her sword, capturing the hilt and trapping her. Then, he spun his body, stepping back behind her so that her arms was tucked under his two arms, pulling her in tight to his body, preventing her from moving. The third sword came up and tucked under her chin and he stopped his momentum right there, the threat obvious. Had he continued, he would have decapitated her and Luffy would be out of a fisherman. And with her arms trapped against him and her front against his back, she had nowhere to go.

"I win," he told her smugly, releasing her and stepping back to sheath his blades, "That was a good fight though. You have skill. I'm impressed."

Tikka was annoyed when somehow, he managed to block one of her best moves. He drew his third blade, and excitement shot through her. Finally, he faced her in a true battle. But she spoke too soon, because once his third sword was drawn, the battle was over quickly, too quickly. He used a move that had her eyes wide with admiration, and before long, he'd immobilized her and put her in a position that would have meant the death of her had he been a ruthless man.

He stepped back, and she turned to bow to him, bringing her swords together in a swift, practiced motion and sheathing her sword on her back at the same time as she bowed. Irritation and frustration made her veins run hot, and she grit her teeth to keep from gnashing them.

She'd expected the battle to last longer. She truly needed much more training, especially if she hoped to confront her father.

So she shoved her pride out of the way and straightened to face him with a serious expression, her golden eyes snapping with the determination that took pride's place. "Roronoa Zoro, please teach me! I will work as hard as any man, I promise you that. I will defeat you one day, just as you hope to defeat my father one day. Please give me the chance to learn from one of the best swordsmen of the ocean."

She spoke formally, as one must when discussing the sacred art of swordsmanship. It was a complete turn around from her normally flamboyant personality, but she knew he would understand. He was raised in a dojo, of that she was sure. One didn't get that good without eating, sleeping, and peeing with a sword on from a young age, and she knew he was too proud to have consumed a devil fruit. He wanted to be the best swordsman from his own strength.

Her father had told her the blade was sacred, and to also respect it, or else one would get hurt.

A few feet away, the crew was staring with open mouths. Nami let out a low whistle and crossed her arms, Robin casting her a rueful smile before cooly turning back towards the door to the girl's dormitory. "I don't know about you, but I'm for bed after such an exciting show at such a late hour..."

"You're just going to go to bed after a battle like that? She almost had Zoro! That's crazy...Plus, I like her," Nami said with a grin. "She's got spunk."

Franky struck a pose, "Ow!" he said, shaking his head and then clapping Sangi on the shoulder, nearly bowling the guy over. "She's a little fireball. Zoro, you better watch out with that one. She'll get ya."

Tikka suppressed the grin that wanted to spread on her face, and schooled her features to stay stern and serious as she faced Zoro in anticipation of his answer.

He instantly had more respect for her when she bowed and asked for him to be her instructor, her voice serious, her expression determined. Yet he could sense some underlying pride in there and he quirked a grin. It seemed that those who cherished the way of the sword were consumed by that particular deadly sin.

There was some trepidation about teaching her, though, as there had been when he had all but begged Mihawk to take him in. She would learn his movement, his style of fighting. He would teach her the tenants he held sacred and she could very well use them to exploit him if she did indeed plan to best him one day. By taking her on as a pupil of sorts, she would come to know all his weaknesses. No matter; as the best swordsman in the world, not even his own techniques would best him.

And yet, hadn't Hawkeye Mihawk done the same for him? What good would all Zoro's knowledge do him when he was dead? Someone had to know what he stood for.

He glanced up at the crew, who made off back to bed, stifling yawns and shuffling feet. It had be to be well past midnight now. He shifted his gaze back to the little woman in front of him, her back straight, unruly curls framing her pixie-like face. She had spunk. He had to respect that. And she had talent too and that was something he really liked. Had Kuina not had that tragic accident, would she be just as good? Had she had someone who told her she COULD be the best in the world, would she have tried harder?

"Gender doesn't matter to me. Man, woman, I wouldn't change my style for you. But I'm not easy to keep up with, that's for sure. And you have to swear that you will hold true to your word and beat me one day. That you won't listen if someone says you can't because you are a woman. Then, I'll train with you." He held out his hand for her to shake on it, his mind jumping back to eleven years ago when he made a similar agreement with a spirited girl.

Tikka's serious face suddenly dissolved into a smile as she slid her hand into his and shook on it with all of the passion she felt, but then she couldn't help herself…

She leapt on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Loo was a hugger, and he'd made a hugger out of her. She had no idea if hugging was normal or not for people, because she'd never left her damn little island before, really. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said excitedly, pulling away. She grinned up at him, spun in a circle, and jumped in the air.

"I'm a pirate, AND Roronoa Zoro has become my swordsmaster! Best. Day. EVER." She exclaimed to the sky, glanced back at him, and gave him a little salut with her hat. "Thank you sir, I'm sorry if I startled you, but I was just very happy. I'm going to get some sleep now."

Blushing a little at her outwards display of excitement-totally Loo's fault-she hurried towards the door that lead to the storage hull. With a last peek at him, she disappeared inside, and headed for her little nest by the crates.

She was so happy she couldn't stop beaming. She was practically skipping by the time she reached the hull. She laid down with her head on her bag, and stared up into the darkness, wondering if she could fall asleep when she was this excited.

Zoro was blushing. The flush on Zoro's face was a completely involuntary action from her hug. It wasn't very often that he was hugged, much less by a female…

He managed to pat her back only for a second, awkwardly as she squeezed him, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet in pure excitement. Then he stared as she released him, saluted him with her hat and headed to the storage hull. He was left to stare in her wake, flabbergasted.

'She's a female Luffy…' he thought suddenly. Oh man. He could barely handle one of his captain. But two? They were going to be devils together.

A/N~ I hope you like, please review! :)