Chapter Summary: Zoro and Mihawk get their first taste of the world that will be their home for the next five years.

"And then he punched the whale in the eye?" Diana sounds incredulous, because she is incredulous. Even J'onn looks stunned. Only Mihawk is unsurprised, though there is mirth and amusement in his expression.

"The island-sized whale?" J'onn further clarifies.

Zoro nods, smiling around his own drink as the memories wash over him. "Yeah. It's actually kind of funny now looking back, but at the time all of us were freaking out. Laboon noticed us not long after, which caused Luffy to further threaten him, so Usopp and I tried to knock him out. After that, we got sucked into the whale, and that's when things got really weird."

He can see Diana ready to ask for more of the story, only to still when she spots something behind him. On a hunch, Zoro turns around and follows her line-of-sight, and frowns. One of the more interesting pieces of technology of this world are 'digital clocks' — clocks that tell time in plain numbers, as opposed to the standard clock-face model. Two are mounted on the walls of the cafeteria, directly next to the entrances. Both, he sees, say '10:30 p.m.' in blaring, green numbers and letters.

"I would like to hear more of the story — we both would — but it's getting late and we have a lot to do tomorrow," Diana says, catching his attention.

Next to him, he sees Hawk-Eye's narrowing his expression into something apprehensive and suspicious. "We?"

J'onn clears his throat. "We know you two are still trying to process the situation, but now that we know for certain that both of you will be staying with us for the foreseeable future, we need to take care of your necessities. Tomorrow, if you permit it, we will take you down back to Earth to go shopping for clothes and any other items you might need during your time with us."

Both men scowl. "We do not have anything to repay you with," Mihawk notes. Like Zoro, he is not one that likes to be in the debt of anyone. Especially when he lacks the means to repay it. They already owe enough to these people. Any more and even when the time comes to go home, they will never be able to do enough to pay any of it back.

"We can worry about that later," Diana interjects before more can be said. "For now… just let us help you."

The hawk-eyed man stares at her for a moment, before slowly nodding. "Very well."

Zoro looks ready to protest, but a look from his old mentor stays him. As much as he hates the idea of so much charity, especially from people he is rapidly beginning to consider friends, the reality is that they are stuck in this world for the time being and have nothing to their names besides the clothes on their backs and their swords. And for all that Zoro is a pirate, he would rather not resort to thievery from innocents just to make ends meet when there is another option available. He is not Nami, a woman driven by her greed as much as she is by the love of her friends. He likes to think he has some standards.

So, instead, Zoro sighs. "Yeah, okay," he agrees with no small amount of reluctance.

"We'll bring you some clothes you both can wear tomorrow," she promises them. With that final word said, the group gets up and departs for their rooms.

The following morning, Mihawk wakes up to a knock on his door and a waiting Diana, who hands him a soft plastic-wrapped package of clothing. He nods his thanks before shutting the door to get changed, washing his face and brushing his teeth with the provided toothbrush and toothpaste that had come with the room. After that, he tears off the plastic to see what clothes the woman had gotten him.

It isn't much. Including underwear and socks (which Mihawk is silently grateful for), there is a pair of black jeans, a black belt with a golden buckle, and a short-sleeved, black button-up shirt. Clearly, the Justice League has certain opinions about his 'aesthetic', as Perona would say.

Not in a position to protest and not really minding any of the choices, he quickly puts the outfit on, with his own boots as the finishing touch. After placing his kogatana around his neck, he takes his hat and places it on his head, then his coat, slipping it on and sheathing Yoru into its holding loops.

When he steps outside, he sees Diana waiting for Roronoa and him. Roronoa is already there, dressed up in a dark green t-shirt and a pair of black jeans like Mihawk, his three faithful katanas at his side like always. Diana, meanwhile, is wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, accented by a small ruby necklace and a short jean jacket.

They are arguing.

Mihawk clears his throat, cutting through the conflict and catching both their attentions. He cocks an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation. Judging by the way Diana flinches when she sees him, whatever issue she has with Roronoa is one she is going to have with him as well.

"You can't bring your sword," she blurts out.

Silence.

Ah. Mihawk thinks, as he slowly breathes in and out, trying to calming that rare flare of rage he feels. No wonder Roronoa is so angry. Diana had probably told him that he couldn't bring his katanas either.

"Why," he demands, with only the slightest hint of his killing intent. Unlike his former apprentice, he is not so easily overwhelmed by his emotions.

Diana swallows, but her expressions steels nonetheless, and there is no tremble to her voice. "There are laws on this world regarding unconcealed weaponry for civilians, including swords. If you go down to Earth and start walking around with them in the open, you will immediately get arrested. I'm sorry, but they have to stay here."

The swordsmaster continues to stare at her, well aware of how unnerving his gaze could be. Leave Yoru behind? Unthinkable. Even on Kuraigana, the blade rarely left his side. This sword is his lifelong companion, has been beside him for as long as he could remember. It had even been buried with him. For all intents and purposes, Yoru is him.

But what did this woman understand about that? She had training in the art of swordsmanship, yes, but she is not a swordsman, not in its truest sense. Only Roronoa could understand. While he has traded old swords for new ones before, he has always been attached to his named ones, and his bond with Wado Ichimonji is equal to Mihawk's own with Yoru. The idea of ever being apart from that blade must be equally agonizing to his student as it is for Mihawk to be divorced from Yoru.

And here this woman is, telling them to throw them aside anyway.

For that one brief moment, Mihawk is tempted to say to hell with it all and strike out on his own with Roronoa.

But then reason claims him. Going off on their own might seem appealing at first, but in the end they will accomplish little if they go down that road. They barely have any knowledge of this world, no documentation or currency. The only way to get by will be by crime, and while neither of them would mind, being pirates and all, they would essentially be spitting on the kindness and generosity of their hosts. And while Mihawk is many things, he is not and never will be an ungrateful man, and neither is Roronoa. They both still have their honor, after all.

And while the idea of being apart from their swords is a terrible feeling indeed, it is temporary. A brief concession so as to not draw attention to themselves, not some convoluted trap that this woman and her comrades are concocting. And if it is, he is far from helpless without Yoru or even a blade, as is Roronoa. There is nothing to worry about in that regard.

So Mihawk inhales another deep breath, and says, "Fine."

Diana lights up, but only slightly so, while Roronoa's jaw drops ever so slightly. "What!" he student sputters out, almost on the verge of shouting. "Hawk-Eyes—!"

Their eyes meet, and a glare-off ensues. He can see the conflict on his student's expression, the disbelief that his indomitable teacher would surrender so easily, before the realization sets in. Even after all these years, the boy is still able to read him better than most. Roronoa sighs and nods, conceding as well, and Diana smiles.

"Just one question," Roronoa asks, "those laws are for large, unconcealed weaponry, right? What about smaller, concealed stuff?"

Diana thinks it over for a moment. "As long as you don't use it for anything other than self-defense and keep it hidden, you should be fine." She then offhandedly glances at Mihawk, or rather at his headwear. "You should probably not wear your hat or coat either. It makes you stand out too much."

Mihawk takes off his hat with another sigh, before lifting his necklace and drawing his kogatana. Diana blinks at the sight, but gives her approval. The two then glance at Roronoa, who rubs the back of his head before lifting one boot and reaching back to its heel. He presses a few fingers against it, and a knife juts out, which he then removes and lifts for them both to see. It's smaller than even Mihawk's kogatana. "I've got another one in my other boot," he admits.

The other man can't help but snort. "Of course," Mihawk says, almost fondly. Roronoa shoots him a half-hearted glare.

Once their swords are safely ensconced into their rooms (along with Mihawk's hat and coat), Diana takes them to the Promenade, where J'onn is waiting for them on the control deck with one of the Watchtower's staff. When they arrive, he greets them both and gestures to a rised platform beneath them, which has seven white glowing circles on it. "We'll be taking the teleporters instead of the Javelin. Much easier to remain inconspicuous that way."

"Teleporters?" Roronoa sounds incredulous. Even Mihawk cannot help but raise his brow. The technology of this world is truly incredible.

"Yes," J'onn nods. "Sam here will teleport us directly into an alley in New York City, hidden from the crowd. That will allow us to blend in with the people without calling attention to ourselves." He glances at Mihawk and Zoro, specifically at the former's eyes and the latter's hair. "For the most part," he amends.

Roronoa frowns. "No offense, but how are you going to blend in?"

J'onn smiles, and both swordsmen blink as he begins to change color and shape, until the J'onn they know is replaced by a tall, brown-haired middle-aged man. "When we're down there, call me John Jones," he tells them.

Teleportation is weird, Zoro quickly decides as his surroundings change from the sanitized Watchtower to the (relatively) familiar trappings of a dirty alleyway. Convenient, but weird. He isn't sure he'll ever get used to the feeling.

Diana directs them to the opening of the alley, where there is a stream of people walking on a sidewalk in opposite directions. The darkness of the alley gradually gives way to light, and once they're out in the open, Zoro can't help but stare. Judging by how Mihawk's own aura flickers in surprise next to him, his mentor is probably staring too.

New York City, the city that Diana said she would be taking them to, is tall. No, not just tall — towering. The buildings rise high, higher than Zoro ever thought possible, and are squished together with barely any space between them. Even the illusion the HSR put up for his spars with Hawk-Eyes can't compare to this reality. This is what accounts for a city in this world? Even the likes of Water 7 or Dressrosa cannot measure up to this!

And the streets! The streets are bustling with people and cars in every direction. There's a cacophony of sound, people talking and listening, yelling and whispering and everything in between, yet always moving. The shops are colorful and bright, and it's just so alive here…

Zoro thinks of the Sunny. Thinks of his crew. Thinks of home.

It's different. But it almost feels the same.

"So, how do you like New York?" asks Diana, jolting him out of his thoughts.

Mihawk, of course, gives no answer. Zoro grins. "I like it," he says with no small amount of enthusiasm. "It's got lots of spirit!"

Diana returns his grin with one of her own. "I know how you feel," she replies, part eager and part wistful, "I remember my first visit here. It was amazing."

"Indeed," J'onn agrees in equal nostalgia.

"Where will we be doing our shopping?" And there is Mihawk, always right down to business. His old teacher is no fun sometimes.

Their female host hums and makes a sweeping gesture towards their surroundings. "The area we're currently in is called Manhattan. It's named after the main island this city sits on. We're going to Lower Manhattan, specifically a neighborhood called SoHo. It's one of the main shopping centers of the city, and has a couple of restaurants we can eat at for Sunday brunch."

Brunch, right. They hadn't eaten yet. Zoro had almost forgotten.

"So which way do we walk?" He asks, trying to ignore how Hawk-Eyes watches him with the sort of exasperation he always wears whenever it involves Zoro and directions. Or how his teacher is deliberately staying close to him.

"Oh, we won't be walking," J'onn says, gesturing for the group to follow. "At least, not all the way."

J'onn brings them to a nearby underground opening, directing them to enter. As Zoro follows (suitably ignoring how Mihawk has grabbed the sleeve of his t-shirt to keep him in place), he listens as his new friend explains where exactly they are going. "This is the entrance to a subway station," the Martian explains, planting his feet down firmly to the ground once the staircase ends and walking to a nearby kiosk. "It's basically an underground train station."

Zoro blinks. "Trains that run… underground?" He knew railway travel is possible underground, but only in small-scale operations, for mines and such. To have a train commute underground… well, even for the largest islands, such a thing would be pointless in a world that was ninety-five percent sea. It seems things are different here.

Diana glances at him. "So you do have trains?"

"Yes," Mihawk answers for them both. Both Zoro and he are staring at the other of turnstiles, where these 'underground trains' are running to and fro on the train tracks, loading and unloading passengers with every stop. "Though they primarily run aboveground. Water 7 in particular has a train that can run on top of the ocean to other islands."

"The famous sea-train," Zoro confirms, sounding almost nostalgic, "I've ridden it a few times myself. Always a trip."

"Then you shouldn't mind these ones," Diana notes, turning to look at the trains. "Thanks to the compact nature of New York's architecture and infrastructure, personal vehicle travel is difficult in this city. The majority of the population instead relies on public transportation. Aboveground, they have buses with predetermined routes and stops for people to use. Most, however, use the subway system beneath for their travel. These trains run all over the city, through every borough, and most stops cater to multiple trains to allow transfers." She gestures to nearby map of New York, which was overlaid with colorful lines and dots to indicate which routes ran where.

Even Mihawk cannot help blink at the sight. The number of routes and stops, all colored differently, all bunched together over such a small map — the sheer complexity of it all is enough to make Zoro's head hurt. Diana is chattering more about it, speaking about schedules and the difference between 'express' and 'local' and it's all going in one ear and out the other. It's like dealing with Nami all over again.

(There's another pang of pain that Zoro immediately squashes down. This isn't the time for that.)

J'onn rejoins them soon enough, handing each of them yellow cards with black stripes on them. He explains that these are 'Metrocards' — cards that have money on them, which they slide into a strip on the turnstile in order to pay the fare for the train. Zoro has no idea how that works either (Franky would—stop, stop!), so he just nods along and does what he's told.

It isn't long before they're on a train, waiting silently on the hustling and bustling cart. According to Diana, they will be getting off 'Canal St. Station' — Canal St., according to her, is one of the major streets of the city, running through 'China Town' and acting as a major boundary for several important neighborhoods in New York, including SoHo and 'Little Italy'. Out of curiosity, Zoro asked where the names came from, and Diana promised him it would all make sense once he gets a solid geography lesson of the planet.

They get off the train soon after, and Diana takes point. She drags them to aboveground, weaving them through the growing throng of people until reach SoHo. Upon reaching the neighborhood with its muted aesthetics and unconventional stylings, Zoro is immediately reminded of the 'trendy' boutiques that Nami and Robin loved to go to whenever they were on a new island. Considering Diana's own similarities with his crewmates, it is hardly surprising in hindsight.

Brunch comes first, which Zoro is grateful for. He was starting to get hungry, and had yet to really wake up from this morning without something in him. They find a nice little cafe, order some food, then sit down and wait.

"What will we buying first?" Zoro asks as soon as they have settled in.

The heroes exchange looks. "J'—John and I talked it over, and we thought it best to start with getting you both phones," Diana declares.

"Ah," he replies in return.

There's a moment of silence.

"What's a phone?"

And so, our two swordsmen get their first taste of the modern world. It's kind of hard parsing out what exists in One Piece and what doesn't, but I'm doing my best. Sorry for any inconsistencies on that front.

Next chapter, the trip continues!