Vivi: You have a new reviewer!
(ninja grabs)
Vivi: I really don't like it when you do that.
Tough. (reads review) Aw! Thanks!
Vivi: I'm going to get coffee.
You do that, I'm starting the fic, which I'm afraid it's going to be another short one. Enjoy anyway.
Chapter 13: After the Lesson
"Dismiss!" Mihawk said as everyone but Zoro exited the dojo. "Not bad, for a starter."
Zoro bowed. "Thank you, Sensei." He said.
"Class meets three times a week at nine sharp and ends at one sharp, if you're late you're kicked out and you can only be late three times before you are no longer enrolled. I sometimes pull in an extra hour lesson for those who I see fit to be worth my time." He explained as he handed Zoro the key to the dojo. "Since you're my assistant, I expect this dojo to be in mint condition for the next lesson, but you're free to also put in some extra practice in the gardens, just don't damage anything."
Zoro nodded then asked: "Sensei, you mentioned something about Luffy earlier, before the lessons, what did you mean?"
Mihawk chuckled. "A few hours after everyone had eaten, he came onto my ship and disturbs my sleep to tell me that when I see you I should consider you as my assistant. Of course I told him it's my choice whoever I choose to be my assistant. But, like Shanks, he was stubborn and told me about the time when you two went out one day to find your swords being bided off."
Zoro remembered that day.
"He described how angry you were and how hopeless you look, then described how you looked and feel when you got your swords back." He chuckled. "He said that you were really happy to have them back."
Zoro blushed as he felt an uncomfortable air. 'Damn Luffy…'
"I was too tired to argue with him and gave him my word that I'll keep an open mind on your skill as a swordsman. But he shouted that you were a natural born swordsman and that I should give you the honorable duel between swordsmen, not teacher and student." He shrugged. "So I said I'll do that and he stared at me before accepting it." He looked at the older teen and grinned. "You have a good teammate that believes in you. You should feel grateful."
Zoro couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.
"Now change and get out of my dojo, I have to talk to a certain red-haired owner about training props."
Zoro bowed and went into the changing room where he got back to his normal clothes and swords, and left the dojo.
When he went into his room, he closed the door and sighed. 'That was intense!' He thought as he had his back against the door and slid down to the floor. 'Man... I could barely move…"
"Hey Zoro!" Luffy said unannounced, nearly giving the older teen a heart attack.
"Luffy!? What the hell are you doing here!?"
Luffy smiled. "Just saying hello."
Zoro's eye twitched and felt too exhausted to argue. "Hey…" He said as he stood up, despite his protesting legs.
"How was your first day?"
"Intense." He answered.
"Glad to hear it!"
"Huh?"
"Most would lie and say it was 'good' or 'great', but you're honest. That means you take things seriously." Luffy said with a normal, honest looking smile before it split into a grin. "Like Sanji when he's cooking!"
"Don't level me with that love cook!"
The young man just laughed.
Zoro sighed and crossed his arms. "Well… besides greeting me, which you could've done outside of the room, why are you 'in' here?"
"Hiding."
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I'm hiding so I don't have to do my math lesson." Luffy said as he bounced backward to the unused bed. "Besides, weren't you going to tell me about your duel with Mihawk? I bet he whipped you big time, huh?"
'I was too tired to argue with him and gave him my word that I'll keep an open mind on your skill as a swordsman. But he shouted that you were a natural born swordsman and that I should give you the honorable duel between swordsmen, not teacher and student.' He remembered what Mihawk said and smiled, tired but happy as he sat on his bed and said: "He's tough, I'll tell you that."
"Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!" Luffy said as he bounced on the corner of the bed.
"Alright! Just shut up!"
The young man sat up right and crossed his legs and looked very excited about listening to Zoro.
"Well, after you left, we started with some small conversation before he brought out a knife."
"Knife?"
"That's what I thought to, but when I charged with my strongest move that I knew of he blocked it with that knife. I tried other ways to try to get a hit on him, but it was the same thing over and over. He wasn't just blocking though, he was also doing some moves with the knife that would've left me with a huge wound." He explained how it went down to the point where he was beaten. "He beat me, but there wasn't any hard feelings."
"He must really like you then! He doesn't really do that with other people." Luffy said with a big smile. "I bet he might consider adopting you!"
"Dumbass! I'm already a legal adult!"
"So?"
Zoro sighed as he laid back on the bed. "I'm tired."
Luffy shifted from the corner of the bed to the center of the bed. "Mind if I hid out here a little longer?"
"Just as long as you're quiet."
"Thanks Zoro!" He said as he laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, which he quickly grew bored. He looked at the other on the bed when he could hear the other snoring. For some strange reason, he felt sleepy and decided that he should take a nap as well, since there really wasn't much to do anyway when you're hiding.
I hope you like that one! I may have to recuperate for the next few chapters.
Vivi: You're going to slow down?
Yeah… Until I get the next few chapters written down and all.
Vivi: Thank goodness!
What's that suppose to mean?!
Vivi: Uh… R&R!
Hey!