Chapter 13 – Newbie
-Mihawk-
"You're actually alive, Roronoa Zoro!"
He spun around.
The pirate's name ringed like an alarm signal in his ear.
Who did expose him?
In front of them stood a young man, maybe only four or five years older than the cursed greenhead at his side.
The newcomer offered a muscular, cocoa-brown hand to the girl in white. His brown eyes looked up in between black curls and his full lips showed a wide grin. He wore odd, tight-fitting clothes, like some athletes did. A cap was pulled deep down his face.
"Who are you?" Mihawk asked cold.
He was not certain yet, if this man was an enemy or not and because they were in the middle of the market it would be wise to solve this problem without gaining much attention.
The boy laughed softly.
"Look at this. The young Dracule Mihawk has become a real man. But you still suck in your choice of friends."
He ignored this little side blow. It took more to kill his calmness.
"You talk quite rude in the presence of a Shichibukai. Who do you think you are?" His words were relaxed, but a small, daring note was glowing beneath.
The dark-skinned boy laughed again, but it was the girl to talk first.
"How do you do that?" Roronoa asked almost hoarse.
Slightly confused Mihawk looked down to his tomboy, who starred at the stranger in pure horror.
"What are you?"
The other one laughed for another time.
"Your question, Roronoa Zoro, should be: What are we?"
It was obvious, that the Shichibukai's sharp, hawk-likes eyes were missing something, but the other two seemed to have no problem in seeing it. What was it?
"When I was told, Dracule Junior accompanied by a pretty girl was asking for the good ol' Banri I was already more than curious after those pictures in the newspaper. But seeing you in real life is a real shocker." The grin grew even bigger.
"What is the matter?" Mihawk asked again, but nobody answered him.
"Mihawk." The girl said finally. "Tell me, how'd that Banri look like?"
Now he was completely confused. It was seldom that his strategies were not working; even more seldom he had difficulties to follow complicated thoughts. But never before he had been absolutely clueless about what was happening.
"Hawk Eyes!" Roronoa barked.
He just shook his head.
"I really do not understand what this is about, but well whatever. Banri had few, read hair, almost bold. His height was about average with wide shoulders and a potbelly. His skin was sallow. Why?"
"It's him." The girl whispered.
"What are you talking about? You know he died years ago."
"That's true." The stranger added grinning. "Twelve years ago, to be exact. Such a horrible accident, so horrible. I heard he wanted to help a friend shipping cotton-blankets, which caught fire. The ship burned completely before it could even sink. What a horrible death." The boy said serious before grinning again. "That's at least what the villagers say. I don't know anything for certain because I only moved here seven years ago."
Mihawk was simply confused, he did not understand what was going on, but his tomboy seemed to understand it all too well.
Like a hurricane the girl rushed over to the muscular stranger and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him down on the same eye-level.
The white hat fell to the ground.
"I wanna now, how you do that, Banri!" The soft voice sounded more dangerous than a gun at the temple.
"Let go of him!" Mihawk snarled, cursing the unrestrained behavior of the child, but he was ignored completely.
"Calm down, Roronoa Zoro." The supposed Banri said. "If you do I might even be nice enough to tell you one or two things."
Immediately the small hands let loose.
"Okay, answer, now!" the girl grumbled, ready to kill. The stranger looked around.
"Not here. Too crowdie. Follow me!" Without another word the guy turned around and walked away. Not hesitating for one second the green head followed him.
"Wait." Mihawk hissed, grabbing the younger one's shoulder. "This could be a trap."
The green eyes looked at him wildly. "So what?" The girl walked on.
Cursing silently Mihawk picked up the hat and followed his protégée.
What had he taken into this house?
They stopped in front of a house at the end of the market.
"If you may follow me." The stranger grinned and opened the door.
Roronoa and Dracule attempted to enter, but the young man blocked the way.
"Ts ts ts." Dispraising the youngster wagged his finger. "Roronoa Zoro yes, Dracule Junior – uhm – no."
"What?" The Shichibukai hissed, before turning to the woman at his side. "Listen, it would be anything but wise to follow his order. I do not agree to this. You know it is a trap."
He was surprised how clear those green eyes looked up at him.
"I know. I'll still try. This is my one and only chance!"
Suddenly the pirate took his hand, his eyes dead-serious.
"You can trust me." Roronoa repeated Mihawk's words from earlier, but with much more intensity than he had ever intended to give them.
He sighed. Yes, things had changed, at least for him.
Resigning he put the white hat back on those green hair.
"If you do not return within the next hour, I will blow up this house."
But it was only after the door fell close behind the pirate's fragile figure that he realized how desperate his words sounded. Helpless he stood in front of the tall building.
What now?
-Zoro-
The hallway was dark, but the room behind was filled with soft light. He stood in the middle of cheesy and ancient furniture. It looked like the apartment of an elderly woman, who had too many cats.
"Sit down, sit down." The man behind him said. "Wanna drink something?"
He shook his head and slumped down at the least decorated chair. He took of his coat, because it was steaming hot in the room.
"Welcome to my home. I moved in after the ol' Banri and his wife died." With a wide grin the other one launched on a sofa. "A little bit too much pink, but still pretty, don't ya argree?"
"Let's get down to business, will you? You're Banri, no matter how you call yourself now." Zoro muttered and watched the other one opening a bottle of cola.
"Toutaku is my name. Thanks for asking." He grinned on, drinking in between.
"I knew it would happen one day." He said after some more sips, but calm now and without the false grin. Zoro simply raised an eyebrow.
"What would happen?"
"Well, meeting a newbie of course. Somebody, who has absolutely no clue, what happened to him. To be honest, I didn't really care about you, when I read you died. I mean, one shitty pirate less to bother the world. But apparently I was wrong."
Outward Zoro gave a serious expression, fixed his cold view upon his strange host in an almost relaxed way. But inside he was quavering. It took all his body control to keep himself from sweating. It was really difficult in this body, but cold sweat was a weakness he would never allow.
"A newbie?" He asked. "This means, there are more of… of us?"
"I met four other ones by now and I'm sure that my grandpa was one, too. Well and you now."
Zoro took that annoying hat of, ruffling through his hair to hide his shivering fingers.
"So you're telling me there are actually several people, who experienced the same we did?"
"Oh boy, you're not the smartest fellow out there, aren't ya?" The man laughed ironically. "But yeah, you're right. And at some point in your life, you're gonna meet someone who doesn't know anything. Just like you now, at it's our job to help each other. I tell you, I really don't think much of pirates. And that your crew abandoned you serves you right, but the other stuff. No, nobody deserves that. We both have switched sites now and on this one we're all the same."
Zoro looked at the other one. Saw the wafting shadow behind the dark-skinned boy. Watched the image of an old man becoming blurred and then sharp again.
"Did the same what happened to us happen to them?" He asked, not bothering about the other one's words.
"Yeah, kind of. In the end all that matters is that there's nothing left of our original bodies. But how doesn't really matter." The boy shrugged his shoulders and took another sip.
"Why us of all people?" Zoro asked, more to himself than the man, who might even know the answer.
"Well, not sure on that to be honest. Probably because we had some special ancestors or maybe we did some stupid mistake in our lives and this is something like a lesson. Who knows. In the end it doesn't matter. The only important thing is we got another chance."
The relaxed behavior of the man should calm him down, relax him as well, but truth told he was getting even more nervous.
"So that means, you can see my true appearance just as I can see yours?"
The man nodded.
"And there is a way for me to get my real body back?"
Finally he asked the question he was thinking about day and night since he turned into a girl and maybe there even was an answer.
Banri –or Toutaku or whatever his name was – swallowed hard, before leaning forward, now even more serious.
"Okay, Roronoa Zoro, listen up closely. If you wanna, I tell you all I know. Over the last twelve years I have learned a lot, I tell ya and I already learned one or the other thing in my old years as well. But two things first. Only you can help yourself and nobody can ever know of this!"
Now Zoro leaned forward as well. Sucking in each word like air, to find the slightest hint, the slightest truth.
"Why? Dracule already knows who I am."
The boy dismissed that with a waving hand.
"Sure. It's impossible to keep your other identity hidden forever, especially if you're surrounded by people of your old life. The girl you met at the library, she is mine – that is Banri's – daughter. I even waited for my wife to pass away before moving back here, but my little girl didn't even take two weeks to blow my cover. But the thing behind all this, how and why we have two different bodies, nobody can know. If you do tell, you'll never be able to return to your other appearance and additionally you'll put all of us in great danger."
"And why that?"
"Well, how long do you think would we live in peace, when the navy found out we're a bunch of resurrects? Of course they'd want to know how we came back to life and then it's only a matter of time until we're all cute little lab rats. It's already bad that your death was all over the newspaper and only days later you show up in it as Lady Loreen. If the wrong people get the right clues, we're already doomed." He sighed. "Besides it'll be tough for you to reach your other appearance already without all those distractions. If other people actually knew what the problem were, they would try to help you. But their advices would probably only mislead you because nobody knows you like you do. So in the end you would lose yourself through their words."
Slowly the girl inhaled and exhaled.
"So, there's a way for me to become me again?" He could not stop smiling.
"That's all what you remember of all the important things I told you?" The other one exclaimed and threw a pillow at him.
"And what do you mean by become me again? It's not like you're in the wrong body. You're as much Loreen now as you're Zoro, got it?"
"No."
"My gosh, this will take more time than expected." His host sighed.
"Okay." Zoro said after a second thought. "I swear I won't tell anybody about anything that's said in here, except someone who's like us. But tell me, what I need to know! Show me how I can become Roronoa Zoro again!"
The boy shook his head.
"To put things straight: I can tell you everything. I can show you how I transform to Banri. But how to become Zoro again is something only you can find out."
"But…"
"No buts, it's different for each of us. Each one of us has to learn something specific and you cannot chose who you wanna be, before you learned it. I know a lady, who died something like 30 years ago and she's still not able to change. Oh well, only time will tell." He smiled again, taking Zoro's delicate hand in his.
"Don't lose heart, okay? You're alive and that's simply because of one special, only for you visible, reason. You have to find it. And because all resurrects are like one big family, spread over the whole world, you're not alone. So let's go in detail for now, before your babysitter actually decides to blow up my house."
-Mihawk-
Grumpy he stared at his half-empty coffee cup.
The sun had passed the zenith long ago and the day was slowly getting older.
For an hour he combed through the market, bought useless hodgepodge and berated himself for worrying over that child.
Afterwards he spent more than ten minutes regarding the front door and starring it down. With every heartbeat he swore to make good on his threat, but he never did.
He could feel absolutely nothing from the inside of this building what could be dangerous. He would not dare to lower his guard to rush inside while those two strange human beings were drinking tea. He did not want to let it go that far.
For another round he walked around the market, avoided annoying reporters, who wanted to talk with him for whatever hypocritical reason. By accident he met Sarue's mayor and talked with him for a while.
He asked about old Banri's last days and who the dark-skinned boy was. He was called Toutaku, a role model in everything. On the contrary to the old, mean librarian Banri, Toutaku was not found of books or drinking. He talked with some strange accent but the folks liked him. He worked hard and took good care of Banri's daughter after he arrived, who not only mourned about her father's death but also her mother's.
The mayor thanked him for his actions at the assembly the day before and asked some polite questions about Lady Loreen. He laughed trembling, but bought the excuse about the odd couple splitting up for some shopping.
They talked about meaningless things, the potential build of a sea train, Kanan's well-being, the annual Navy ball and about the pictures in the newspapers showing some attendants of the assembly the day before.
Especially those made the Shichibukai furious, because most of the article was about the new oneat a at his side. Additionally he assumed it was not the best thing to happen, if too much attention was placed upon the cursed pirate. After all the background-story was still paper-thin and "Lady Loreen" did not even have a family name.
After he parted from the mayor he rushed over the market place again, spent money on useless things again, before resting in an old coffee shop across the suspicious building. Meanwhile he was drinking his third cup and was mad about everything and everybody.
Roronoa, Toutaku/Banri, himself, Sarue's folks, even about those stupid shopping items, he bought not long ago. What was wrong with him?
This guy, so similar to his sister, now in this weak body, depending on other people's protection. A swordsman wit much talent and ambition, but missing one very basic quality of a great fighter.
Roronoa's former teacher might have taught him a lot, might have seen the potential, but in the end he had not been able, to fix those tiny little fissures under the surface. And now all of them had broken up.
And he, Mihawk, was now the one responsible to take care of it.
Why did he do this? Why would he want to help the other one?
Because he's my friend!
Surprised Mihawk raised his head at the voice of his childhoodfriend. But it had only been in his head, in his thoughts.
At that time, when he left the navy, Jirou left with him, against all his own opinions and priorities. Jirou had accompanied him, had built a strong, really great crew together with him, had supported him in every second of his life and he had answered that one question, why he had given up all he cared about with the same question, time and time again.
Because he's my friend!
As simple as that.
Headshaking he emptied his cup.
Well, this had been long time ago. In the meantime Jirou had become a well reputable rear admiral. Mihawk on the other side was by now part of the seven Oka Shichibukai, what made him a legal pirate, or a government dog, how they were called by the public. That day had been the last one as well, when he had seen his former crew. He knew some of them still lived the buccaneer life and some of them had paid for it. Some of them were spread over the whole world and lived a more or less decent life.
He had tried to protect them all, not only because they had been his crew, his subordinates.
No, they had been friends.
Now only Jirou was left. Jirou and this arrogant child of a swordsman.
Dismissing those sad shadows of the past he stood up, placed some cash on the table and left the coffee shop. He could almost hear, how the remaining guests and waiters gasped of relief, when the door fell close behind him.
Now he would gather up his tomboy, they wasted enough time!
But he had not even reached the building, when the front door was already opened.
The wide grinning stranger came outside, followed by Lady Loreen, head low, face pale and eyes somehow empty and clouded. It reminded him of the long gone morning, when the child had the same expression and watched the great ocean. The white had was held by shivering fingers, the coat loosely covering thin shoulders, each step was slow and heavy.
"So, like I said, think about it and take your time. No rush, no pressure, and then you'll be able to do it and if you ever need something, you know where to find me." Toutaku laughed loudly, patting the girl's shoulder. The coat fell down, leaving the girl in a light yellow dress with a white scarf. It was like lonely sunrays were caught by the wind.
The green head did not even seem to notice.
It was like that time, when the boy had realized for the first time that he was in the body of a girl.
"Hey, are you alright?" With big steps he walked up to the child, looking down at him. Slowly the girl looked up, the eyes big, like they were meeting for the first time in their lives.
"No worries, Dracule Junior. It's all good." The brownbear laughed, grinning widely, bowing down to fetch the coat and putting it back on those fragile shoulders.
"I was not talking to you." Mihawk answered cold. The boy laughed headshaking.
"It's normal, was the same for me. It takes some time. Not so easy to digest all what happened." He continued grinning.
The Shichibukai ignored the talking person and placed his hands on the other one's shoulders.
"Hey, Roronoa, are you okay?"
For a second the cursed pirate was not reacting at all, but then it looked like he was actually seeing him, his gaze becoming clear again.
"Hey." He murmured quietly, like he had just woken up, before catching himself. "Yeah, I'm good."
"Really?" He asked, but the green head sighed annoyed.
"Yeah really, stop treating me like a little kid. You're even worse than Chopper!"
Oh well, the annoying brat was back.
"You should head home now." Toutaku grinned on.
The way back through the market and down to the haven was calm and long. Not because there were not many people or because it actually was a long way, but because the cocky child next to him was not behaving the way he was used to.
No ignorant questions, now cheeky comments, actually he was not talking at all.
While they waited for the ferry, the thin fingers were clinched into the white coat and the head was lowered.
Roronoa Zoro was caught within his own world, far away from Sarue and Sasaki, far away from Mihawk, probably even far away from his crew.
When the ship arrived, many people came closer, but the little girl was blocking the way up the wooden bridge, not moving at all. After some more waiting seconds Mihawk kind of pushed and pulled him up the bridge – which was quite difficult with all the bags and boxes he bought – and conducted him to the end of the ship. Why had he bought so much?
The child sat down on the last bench, the exact same place he had been on their way to Sarue. Mihawk was not happy about this whole situation and slumped down next to the boy.
He waited until the ferry left the island before looking at Roronoa again.
"So? You are fine?"
The green eyes looked back cold, almost annoyed.
"You already asked and I already said yes. Are you stupid?"
Oh yes, he was back. Overstrained Mihawk caressed his beard.
"So open up your mouth and tell me what happened. Apparently you did not lose your ability to speak after whatever Toutaku did to you."
The boy rolled his eyes.
"Spit it out! What did he knew? What happened to you and how can you receive your own body?"
The child was not answering right away, but gazing at the island in the distance, before sighing.
"I cannot talk to you about it."
"Excuse me?" Mihawk gasped. "Why?"
The green head sighed again.
"Actually it's nothing to do with you." Furious Mihawk inhaled deeply, he wanted to explain this impudent child exactly why it had a lot to do with him, but Roronoa already continued talking. "But at least I can tell you that I cannot say anything if I want to become me again."
Mihawk exhaled slowly, leaning back and folding his arms.
"So that is, there is a way?" He asked serious.
"Yes!" And suddenly the girl was smiling.
"And you know what to do?"
"Kind of."
"What do you mean with kind of? You either know what to do or you do not! You cannot kind of know!"
"It's complicated. So I know kind of what to do." The child insisted, his voice as moody as Mihawk's, who covered his face with his hands.
"Maybe it is too complicated for the likes of you. So tell me, what Banri – or Toutako for that matter – told you and I will explain it to you."
"Are you stupid?"
"Are you stupid I ask! You are talking nonsense. We should head right back and this time I do the questioning. It seems you cannot do anything on your own."
Now it was the green head looking angrily.
"Would you just shut up! You're talking nonsense, not me. I know what to do. Piss off! This is my body after all and I'm not your little toy!" The child jumped up, raising his voice.
The conversations in the background paused as all the other passengers starred at the odd pair.