Finally, here is the last chapter before my holiday. Then, you will have to wait for the next one, in August.

Did you receive my message, Mirathin? If not, here is the translation: "Nuit" is "night". "Dark", using as an adjective, is "sombre", in French. "The dark" is "obscurité". Don't hesitate to ask me for French words or sentences, if you need!

Now, enjoy Chapter 11! Handsome boys are waiting for me on the beach! YAHOOOOOO! -running away- Wait for me, boys!

Chapter 11: Various discussions

Zoro sat down on an armchair, opposite Mihawk. The Warlord took something on the coffee table: two glasses.

"Wine or rum?"
"Rum…"

Zoro was looking strangely at Mihawk, who took a full bottle of rum. He opened it, and filled up the glasses.

"Amazing bounty you have for your head", Mihawk said smiling. "You have progressed, Roronoa."
"I hope so", Zoro retorted.
"Do you feel ready, at this stage of your journey?"
"…"
"You are coming nearer and nearer of Rough Tell. You will finish your trip around the world soon…"
"I think I'm ready… But promise me to not fight with a toothpick!"

A huge smile appeared on Mihawk's face, who stared at Zoro.

"We will see that…"

The Warlord drank a little. Zoro was looking at his glasses with a suspicious look. Mihawk realized it.

"You know, I never give poison to my rivals, Roronoa"
"… What do you want to say me, so?"
"I would like to suggest you to take your revenge if, of course, you are ready."
"Of course!" Zoro exclaimed staring at Mihawk. "But not now, I have to prepare myself, physically…"
"…And morally", Mihawk cut. "No problem. I will stay here during a week, then I have to hunt…"
"In two days", Zoro declared.
"Two days?"
"Yes, this fight will happen in two days."
"Perfect"

Mihawk raised his glass, and Zoro felt obliged to do the same. Then the young man drank a little rum. No aftertaste… And it was the more delectable rum he had drunk. He drank all his glasses, and didn't feel sick or die. No poison, he was certain… But maybe, on the long range?

"Well, Roronoa. You can go now. Opale must be waiting."
"Yeah…"

Zoro didn't speak more, and went out. Opale was waiting in the corridor, up against the wall, her arms crossed, her eyes closed. It was a striking resemblance. Mihawk couldn't disown Opale.

"It's finished", Zoro declared, passed in front of her.
"Zoro…"
"Yes?"
"The hall is in the opposite way…"
"Ah…"

Zoro turned around, scratching his head. Then he went.

"Lily?"

In a dash, the old woman appeared near Opale.

"Miss?"
"Could you help Zoro to go to his room? I'm afraid he could lose himself in corridors."
"Of course, Miss! I will care of him!"

Then a wind blow made Opale's hair floating, and the girl went in the little living-room. Her father welcomed her with a smile. The girl closed the door, and slowly came near him, and sat down on the armchair where Zoro had sat down a few minutes earlier.

"Good afternoon, Dad… I didn't have the time to say it before."
"You are right. Good afternoon, Opale."

Immediately, Opale and Mihawk stood up, and the girl hugged her father.

"Thank you for accepting my friends…"
"I was obliged to not hurt them, Mihawk said in a smile. I think Shanks would not appreciate if I attack his protégé"

Mihawk freed himself from her girl's hug, and put a finger under her chin, and raised her head to look at her, in her eyes.

"You have grown up since the last time. You are about to become a young woman."
"I was on the sea during about a year…"
"Indeed… You had problems with Slyce Topor, didn't you?"
"Yes… I told you in my letter… Why?"

"Thanks to this coward, I paid my immunity this month. I wish you had seen him swimming, drunk as he was. I have to admit that this show was really entertaining!"
"My meeting with Luffy and his crew disturbed me... I didn't verify if he was really neutralized…"
"Now, you don't have to worry. But never do such a mistake again, Opale. And don't forget to bring your enemies to the Marine, if you want to earn pocket money."

Mihawk looked at Opale's shoulder which was a little visible because of the form of the T-shirt collar she was wearing.

"What is that?"
"Hum?"
"You have a bandage…"
"A random shot", Opale declared pulling the collar to hide.
"Who did it?" Mihawk asked, staring at Opale.
"Really… I came between", the girl murmured bending her eyes. "To protect Robin from bullets shot by Slyce Topor's sailors."
"You seem to be a good friend of Nico Robin", Mihawk declared with a motionless voice. "If I knew it, I would give the body of Slyce Topor, dead."

Mihawk sat down, Opale imitated him.

"Tell me everything it happened during this last year…"

xXxXxXx

"Usopp… called… Luffy…"

The long noised boy hit the wall, in Morse code.

"Do you… hear me… Luffy?"

Three strong hit on the wall let imagine that Luffy clearly heard the message.

"Asking for… authorization to… quit the… frontline… I repeat… Asking…"

Usopp's door was suddenly opened in a snap, and let see a furious Nami.

"Have you finished… hitting the wall separated our rooms?"
"What?"

A punch sent Usopp in the peaceful land without dreams, with for gift a bump on his head.

"I thought it was Luffy's bedroom", Usopp whispered quietly crying, knocked out.
"Luffy is in the OTHER ROOM!"

Then the red squall disappeared in the corridor slamming the door. Usopp stood up, rubbing his head, and sat down on his bed. He did again his act on the other wall… Now, three hits calmer answered at his message.

"Asking for… authorization… to quit… the frontline…"
"IT'S DINNER TIME?" Luffy yelled behind the wall.
"No! Usopp murmured crying. Moron… You just care about it!"

The long noised boy stood up, gathered his courage, and opened his room door.

"GGGGGGGYYYYAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGG!"
"Sorry, sir", Lily said, saluting Usopp. "I just pass in a dash…"

Indeed the old woman disappeared so quickly he couldn't react. Usopp just felt an air stream, and came to a standstill.

"I think I will become mad… WANNA TO GO!"

Usopp saw Zoro in the corridor, looking at him.

"Are you sure you are all right, moron?"
"Zorooooooo… Could I sleep with you tonight?"
"No way…"
"Near your bed…"
"No…"
"At your door…"
"NO!"

Usopp was pale, and was distorting his fingers, looking at his shoes.

"… At your window?"
"…"
"You scare me looking at me as that, Zoro"
"WILL YOU SHUT UP, MORON?"

A door opened, and let appear Luffy's head.

"C'mon guys! What about a pillow battle?"
"Kid…" Zoro murmured.
"Nami! Sanji! Chopper! Robin! Do you want to play?"
"OH YEAH!" Usopp exclaimed entering in Luffy's room, joy tears going down from his eyes. "TOGETHER, what a wonderful idea!"

xXxXxXx

"I understand…"

Mihawk sighed, crossed again his legs.

"Well… Was this year advantageous for you?"
"Yes", Opale replied without hesitation. "I could radically improve myself…"
"Really?"

Opale shook her head in a smile.

"You must show me…"
"Anyway, Zoro succeed in defeating me during training…"
"Really?" Mihawk said looking at his daughter.
"Yes... I was surprised…"
"Very interesting…"

Mihawk sighed, and took a new rum glass.

"Tonight, what about evaluate your level in the dojo?"
"Of course!" Opale replied. "I'm ready…"
"Very good", Mihawk said in a smile. "Go, I see you enough."

Opale smiled, and went out of the living room.

"Incidentally, Dad…"
"Yes?"
"Will you fight against Zoro?"
"Yes."
"…"

Opale sighed, and went out, closing the door.

"You are hiding something about this swordsman, Opale…"

xXxXxXx

Now, it was impossible to see the color of the parquet of Luffy's room. All the parcel of the floor was hidden by feathers, or by torn pillows during the fight. Luffy was on the floor, lying down on a bed of feathers, a huge smile on his face.

"Hehehe! It was great!"
"Yeap!" Usopp declared breathless. "But, how will Hawk Eye react when he will saw this disaster? You might be cut, Luffy!"
"Er, I won't be alone!" The straw hated boy noticed. "You also play with me!"
"GYYYAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGG!... I have to go shopping in the city…"

Usopp opened the door.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Sirs", Lily said smiling "… MY GOD!"

Usopp was shoved, and Lily was looking horrified the feathers accumulation.

"What?" Luffy exclaimed raising his head. "Is there a problem?"
"Sir will be furious!" Lily murmured picking of feathers. "But Miss likes you, I will arrange that… Take shelter higher…"
"?..."

Luffy and Usopp sat down on the four-poster bed, saved of the feathers wave. Lily took from anywhere needle and thread. She threw to Usopp a chronometer.

"As you wish… 3… 2… 1…"

Usopp started the chronometer, while a squall passed in the bedroom.

"WWWWWWOOOOOOUUUUUAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOUUUUHHHH!" Luffy yelled holding his straw hat.
"What is that?" Usopp exclaimed.

Few seconds later, Usopp received an as new pillow in his face. Two minutes passed, and the squall suddenly disappeared, Lily stopped, and put slowly a pillow on the bed. No more feather on the floor.

"There, sirs…"

Then someone knocked.

"Come in" Lily declared with an interrogative look.

Carefully, the woman hid the needle and the thread. It wasn't Mihawk, but the others members of Luffy's crew.

"We were worried", Sanji explained. "We have heard a strange sound…"
"As a cyclone" Nami added.
"I have cleaned the room", Lily said saluting politely.
"Are you Opale's mum?" Chopper asked.

Silence, then laughs of Lily.

"No, I am not a member of Opale's family. I am just her nanny."
"Her nanny?" Zoro asked with an interrogative look.
"Yes. The poor child lost her mother. I had known her mother, and I was also her nanny."

Lily sat down on a chair of the bedroom, trying to remember the past…