Mihawk bid the crew goodbye, shaking his head at their antics. He'd spent the better part of the week with them, celebrating and partying at Orange Village. They'd been apprehensive at first, but Mihawk was the go between and feathers were smoothed out and emotions calmed. After the initial meeting, they'd been partying ever since. The village was just going along with it while Mihawk went between the mayor and Buggy.

He had updated the trade contract between Orange village and Fushia as well as keeping a fond eye on Buggy and his shenanigans. It reminded him from times past... And wasn't that a bitter pill to swallow. Knowing that it would never be the same again.

Mihawk shook his head and he pushed off from the docks once more. He had more people to visit along the way...

Mihawk made a stop at Logue town.

He wasn't a Pirate... Sort of. He was never labelled as one at least despite his relationships with countless Captains. That being said he didn't think he would run into any trouble at the last stop befroe the mountain.

Mihawk had decided to go up the Mountain for nostalgia's sake rather than simply travel through the Calm Belt. So he was stopping for a few supplies to refresh what he had used so for.

Now he was being held at sword point by an Ensign with silver hair and such a serious look on his face. He remembered the kid if a bit faintly. The boy had been there at the execution wondering why everyone seemed so excited after his brother was executed. It seemed he'd taken that information to become a marine rather than a pirate.

"And your reasons?" Mihawk trailed off with a raised brow as he crossed his arms. He wasn't going to hurt a kid with a knife.

"You're a pirate!" He exclaimed as if it was the answer to everything he was doing.

Mihawk tilted his head, "And how is that?" He asked in curiosity.

The kid puffed out his chest, "I remember when you were there." He said firmly.

A sigh left Mihawk's lips and he set his hand on the boy shoulder, standing behind him. The kid tensed, eyes widening as his body shook. Mihawk knew that it was probably unfair... Using New world tactics against an East Blue baby... "I was, but you are miscalculating, child. If you want to stop Pirates you need to focus on becoming stronger. Not only that you need to learn to choose your battles wisely. Aim for those you know cause trouble rather than ones who simply wish to travel unimpeded." He explained and let go of his shoulder, watching the teen stumble forward to the ground.

"I...i...' The teen stuttered looking up with wide eyes.

"My name is Dracule Mihawk. When you are ready and know what it means to protect and defend others, come and speak with me." He said gently and the turned, slipping back into the busy streets of Logue town.

He knew that wasn't the only meeting he'd be having however. Mihawk had felt the familiar aura since the moment he set foot on the island. The downsides to knowing Garp... Was knowing his son as well. Although Dragon had pulled away more and more from his Father. Last Mihawk had heard, Dragon had been demoted or something due to letting go a supposed Pirate ship and reassigned to Logue town.

Mihawk let out a heavy sigh and he slipped into the bar, waving at the man tending to it. An old friend of sorts when he visited the town, Roger's wanted poster still displayed despite no doubt being told to burn it.

"What brings you 'round here." The man asked and slid him a drink.

"Just passing through again." Mihawk said and sat down at the bar, "Also being hounded by Garp's kid." He added on knowing that Dragon was in the building. The brat.

"I'm older than you." Dragon grumbled, slipping into the seat next to him looking like shit.

"So you say," Mihawk took a lond draw from his drink before turning to Dragon, "What's got you looking like shit." He asked.

Dragon's jaw tightened and he closed his fists. "You heard about what happened? Baterilla?" He asked hoarsely, accepting the drink the barman gave with a heavy nod.

Mihawk hummed, "Something coming up more often the further I travel. What happened?" Buggy hadn't said much other than he and Shanks had thought Rouge would be there. He hadn't said anything about that and Buggy hadn't given anything so they'd left it at that.

The other grunted, "It was raized." Dragon said.

"What."

"They killed every pregnant woman and every baby that was born." Dragon continued and took another heavy drink. "They killed my child..." He said roughly, curling in on himself.

Mihawk felt himself still. He had felt a great loss of life in the past year, but... He had chalked it up to the amount of unprepared sailors trying to face the grandline. Not that...

"I moved my wife, but she...we are heartbroken." Dragon's voice was rough and hoarse. "I brought it up to Dad... Hell to everyone. No one is taking any blame. They don't care. They just listen to those fatasses on their high and mighty throne without a single thought. I lost my fucking kid!" Dragon threw his glass across the bar, tears of rage and sadness clear to be seen.

A deep breath left Mihawk and he nodded more to himself than anything, "What's the plan for you then?" He asked knowing Dragon wasn't going to let sleeping dogs lie. He was more of an action man then a waiting one.

Dragon looked at him with fire in his eyes, "I'm going to make them pay. All of them." He said darkly.

Mihawk nodded and he leaned back on his stool, "Alright. Blind revenge won't help you however." He said, knowing how that had ended for the people he's known along with himself. Dragon needed a goal. Something more to live for. "You want to bring down those responsible? They do a lot more than throw their weight around. They control everything the marines touch. You'll need more."

"How.." Dragon stood in frustration, hands tugging harshly at his hair.

"Make a revolution. Hold your head high." Mihawk said, watching him. "You aren't the only one who's lost and moarned. Aren't the only one who's been wronged and those numbers add up. I'll give you an island to base at, but it will be up to you to gather forces and acomplish goals." Mihawk said and wrote down on a slip of paper for Dragon, weaving magic through it so that the man could use one of his outlying spaces as a base.

An untraceable one.

Dragon turned back quickly and he swallowed, "I...With your blessing?" He asked cautiously.

Mihawk groaned, "Damnit... Roger and Garp can't keep a secret to save their lives can they." He complained and looked at Dragon between his fingers, "I'm not some sort of Deity, Dragon. You don't need my anything. I'm trying to just be a mortal." He said in annoyance.

"Right," Dragon said, his cautiousness turning into a smirk. "Thank you anyways, my Lord." He said mockingly with a bow. It had Mihawk chucking the paper at the man and sending him off on his way with a hug and well wishes for his wife. If nothing else his wife should be safe now.

Speaking of travelling and leaving however, it was about time for him heading out as well before he caused even more trouble in the town.

Mihawk rubbed his temples in irritation.

"You're making it out worse than it is."

He looked up, eye twitching in annoyance as the loud sound boomed behind him.

"Crocus. This is a whale. An Island Whale." He said through grit teeth. "Why in the world is it at the bottom of the mountain." Mihawk hissed in annoyance, throwing his arm wide at the whale in question that was ramming into the mountain while screaming.

"It's stuck obviously. I'm trying to help it." Crocus said with a sniff, brushing off his words as he went about the tiny island they were on.

Mihawk groaned, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't just banish into the Grandline then?" He asked.

Crocus squawked at him, "No! If you do that he'll be hunted down and killed!"

"As opposed to?" Mihawk raised his arms, motioning to the small space. It really was less than ideal. The whale was probably dying in the small space and while it'd take alot of energy he could probably kick it out into the ocean proper.

"Because then he won't be able to see his friends again." Crocus huffed out in anger.

"Explain."

"They left him here a few years ago to travel the world and promised to come back." He explained and Mihawk rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

Really it seemed to be one issue after the next and he wasn't even in paradise yet. He looked up at Crocus and waited for a minute before nodding slowly. "If they don't return before you die though, I am releasing him." He said firmly and watched the sour look on the Doctor's face.

"Like how you let Captain die?" Crocus snapped back.

Mihawk took a sharp breath and had to calm himself. He knew it would be like this. That'd he'd be hated by most, but it still hurt. It didn't feel any better now then it did before. It didn't matter though. He couldn't control how they felt... Well actually he could, but he didn't want to. It wouldn't make anyone happy to do that.

He nodded and turned on his heel. "However you see it... He was still my brother." Mihawk said and he heard the door slam behind Crocus. He wasn't welcome here... Probably never would be and that was fine.

Mihawk didn't bother really stopping anywhere on the way to Saboady. He really just cheated to be honest since he didn't really need to eat or anything. The last thing he needed was to run into even more trouble when all he wanted was to go yell and cuss out an old friend. His irritation with the first mate didn't lesson any and he was determined to knock some damn sense into him before continuing on into the New World.

He had a kid to say hello to and a title to claim.

That being said... It didn't help any when he saw that the World Nobles were out and about on the island. It took everything in him not to just kill them where they stood, but that would bring more trouble than it was worth. He would let others handle that seeing as it was this worlds problem and if society wanted the change than they would have to do it.

Mihawk headed to Shakky's bar, dodging to the left as she was tossing some hooligans out of the bar. He raised a brow and watched her eyes widen before the grin followed. Mihawk had about two second before he had his arms full and he chuckled against her neck, hugging her back just as tightly.

At least not everyone was pissed at him.

She leaned back and looked him up and down before nodding, "You're much too thin. Come inside and eat." Shakky said, man-handling him inside the bar. It was blessedly empty for the moment as she shoved him into the seat. "So is this going to be good for the old man or bad?" She asked knowingly.

A deep sigh left Mihawk and he took a deep drink. "Bad. He left them alone after all the shit that went down." He said roughly. "Left those kids alone in the new world when it was most dangerous." Mihawk said and it was clear that he was pissed about that.

Shakky wasn't looking at him though, she was grimacing and looking behind him.

He turned and saw Rayleigh in the door both pale and red with anger.

"Left them? You left US!" Rayleigh yelled and slammed the door behind him. "He got killed and you just left us behind!"

"I'm not your captain! Or your crew! I left because you were next in charge Rayleigh!" Mihawk stood up sharply, stool knocking to the ground with a loud clatter.

"You were good enough Captain! We trusted you!" Rayleigh yelled back, closing the distance with black covered arms as he grabbed Mihawk's jacket. "Where were you when we started being hunted? Where were you when everything fell apart?!" Rayleigh spat in his face before slugging him in the chin.

Mihawk stumbled back from the hit and looked up, blood dripping from his lip with the same anger in his eyes. "You were supposed to keep it together. To keep everyone together and lay low!" He growled out and threw his own punch at the other.

Rayleigh blocked it with ease having been more hand to hand than Mihawk was. "I did what I had to!" He snapped. "They were better off alone!"

"They were hunted!"

"We were all Hunted!"

Mihawk through his arms in the air and turned away from Rayleigh, pacing down the wooden floors. "You could have called..." He finally said and turned around.

Rayleigh held his chin high, "Why call a traitor."

The insult was deep. It stung Mihawk to know that was what his label was now.

"Ray!" Shakky snapped out, eyes wide.

"You know it's true Shakky. He left us the moment our Captain died and never looked back."

"You know that's not true."

The two started arguing while Mihawk closed his eyes tight, falling into one of the booths. Was he really a traitor for what he did? The fact he was following orders probably would do nothing to improve things either because as far as everyone knew, Roger was in Prime condition and unwilling to die. It'd just seem like a far reaching lie if he said anything now and there was no way in hell he was going to use Ace or Rouge to smooth things over. It was best to keep their names out of everything.

"Get out." Shakky was gone and Rayleigh stood in front of him with crossed arms. "You aren't welcome here."

"Fine." Mihawk stood and he shoulder checked Rayleigh as he passed, anger filling both of them in equal measures.

He slammed the door shut behind him and took a deep breath to calm the fire inside and the darkness that edged him to just kill the insect. Although that was more likely to be Asmo than himself.

Mihawk took long strides away from the building and shook his head more to himself than anything. There was nothing to be done and he was sure that there would be a bitter taste between them for the rest of Rayleigh's time alive.

He made his way back to his small ship, already having gotten it coated before he went to go fight with Rayleigh. It didn't make for that much of a sight, but at least it was something that was his. Last he heard Whitebeard was in the Fishman Kingdom so that was his best bet to start.

Devlin - A bit of a rough start for our baby bird, but laying the foundations to shake the world! As always thank for the view and feel free to drop a comment! ;P