Hey everybody,

so here's the next chapter, it's a little bit calmer, but don't worry things will get more exciting soon enough ;-P

Have a great weekend!

Sharry


Chapter 3 - Welcome

-Zoro-

He watched the Shichibukai over his cup. Mihawk read the newspaper and ignored the hustle and bustle around it.

But then he noticed Zoro's glare and looked up.

"Do you want to tell me something?" The elder asked and put the newspaper on the small table.

Zoro just shook his head and drank his cup empty. It was not like he liked to wait in this little café nor did he understand why they even had to, but even less did he want to talk to the older one, so he just stared at his cup and ignored him.

Hawk Eyes cleared his throat.

"What?" He grumbled, looking up.

"Never mind," Mihawk replied with a slight grin and picked up his newspaper again.

"Are you mocking me?"

"And incur your wrath on me? Oh, I would never dare," Mihawk scoffed. Still, one corner of his mouth was twisted into a sneer, telling that the other one was obviously not in a bad mood.

Quite unlike Zoro. He had gotten almost no sleep and getting up early had put him over the edge.

Unnerved, he thought about whether that comment was worth a reply, but at that moment the door opened behind him and he could already guess who had come in by watching Mihawk's face cool down.

The Shichibukai stood up, any mischievous facial provocation from before had been replaced by harsh seriousness.

"You are late," he scolded harshly.

Zoro also got up and turned to some Marine, who bowed deeply.

"My apologies, your Lordship," he said frantically, and straightened up again, sweat running down his large forehead. "If you would please follow me. My colleagues are already taking care of your luggage."

Zoro let the Shichibukai help him into his coat and then followed the soldier out of the small café where they had been waiting for the arrival of the warship that would take them to the Holy Land.

"I am not used to waiting," Hawk Eyes murmured scornfully.

"I'm really sorry. We had to take a detour..."

"Your excuses do not interest me. Bore someone else with it," Mihawk interrupted the soldier, and Zoro observed once again how much fear the elder could spread. He was surprised how quickly the good mood of the other had disappeared, almost too quickly.

Zoro shook his head slightly. The mood swings of the elder were certainly not his problems and besides, one way or another he kind of preferred the quiet, slightly cranky Shichibukai.

A man in a grey suit and Marines' coat was waiting for them at the dock.

"Hawk Eyes," he greeted coldly, "Lady Loreen," and bowed narrowly.

"Mozambia, it is extremely rude to make my companion and me wait. I am not going to let that..."

"It was not even half an hour," Zoro sighed, interrupting the Shichibukai with a slight roll of his eyes.

He could see some of the soldiers around him freeze in whatever they were doing and looking over at him and the Shichibukai with big eyes.

"Don't make such a fuss about a few minutes. The War Conference is in three days from now, so we will definitely be on time."

Mihawk looked down at him, this cool, predictable expression in his eyes, and for a moment Zoro thought he could see the corners of his strict mouth twitching.

Then the Shichibukai nodded. "You are probably right." His unexpected approval was more than surprising. "Mozambia, I would like to leave as soon as possible and if someone could lead us to our lounge, please."

The Marine nodded sharply and then began to bark commands.

"Was that really necessary?" Zoro grumbled quietly to the elder. "Since when do you get all riled up about nonsense?"

"Have you not noticed?" Hawk Eyes replied calmly as they followed two soldiers below deck, who were unaware of their conversation.

"What?" For a moment their eyes met and this time Zoro could see the twisted grin of the elder again. He was clearly not in a bad mood.

"Well, the eyes of the soldiers."

The two Marines took them to a large and pompously furnished room, which left Zoro speechless for a moment. So much display and nimbus in one room almost hurt his eyes and he wondered which guests this warship would otherwise house.

As the door fell close behind them, Mihawk walked past him and pulled the curtains in front of the windows to dim the light. He then began to roam the room, picking up pictures and vases briefly.

"What was this farce for? Why did you want me to interrupt you? It makes you look weak," Zoro demanded to know after a while, as he watched the other wander through the room. He was irritated that Mihawk was weakening his own reputation, after all he wanted to fight him some day, therefore the other was not allowed to appear weak.

"Is that not obvious, Roronoa? To give you authority."

"What?"

The Shichibukai dropped onto a spacious sofa, far too relaxed for Zoro's taste.

"Of course. A woman, who is able to tame such a cruel Shichibukai as Hawk Eyes with nothing but words makes a good copy."

"But isn't this exactly what Eizen wants? Isn't he actually the one profiting of this stupid – and by the way totally annoying – act?"

Zoro folded his arms. He didn't like how things were developing.

"Only at first glance," replied the elder, "just as I only at first glance weaken my reputation. But the truth is that it gets him into a predicament."

Zoro also sat on one of the large sofas and straightened the light blue dress in his lap.

In a few hours they would reach Mary Joa. Yesterday he had still wanted to travel with his friends and now he was about to enter the heartland of the World Government. He really didn't like how things were going.

He sighed softly.

"And why only at first glance?"

"Think along. It will be difficult for Eizen to play us off against each other if the public approves our relationship. If I listen to your words and appreciate you, it actually does make me seem more approachable, which might weaken my reputation of being a ruthless criminal, but people want to see a relationship like this for Lady Loreen."

"Our relationship?" Zoro leaned back a little and couldn't prevent an offensive undertone.

"Well, that was exactly what your navigator was talking about. The World Aristocrat, who gave up her title for the man she loved. A monster, who rediscovered his humanity through the affection of a woman. What a tragic love story, exactly the drama that the masses want to see to distract themselves from their own dreary existence."

Zoro stared at the other in horror.

"Excuse me? A love story? Between us?! What the fuck…?"

The Shichibukai leaned back and pulled his hat deep down over his face.

"It is just a game, Roronoa," he said with a yawn, "a political game for power and influence. Eizen may have nothing against you, but as you have correctly noticed, this does not apply to all of us. So, if I have to play this game, at least I want to win it."

"So, you just drag me along and expect me to pretend we're a couple. Forget it!"

"Too late." The other looked at him from the shadow of his hat and threw his legs up. "Your character is already on the field."

Then Mihawk closed his eyes, the conversation had obviously ended for him. He didn't seem to care, like all of this was hardly worth his effort. Once again Zoro realized that the other had grown up in that world of lies and intrigue.

For a moment, he looked at the Shichibukai.

It was weird. Last night he had believed that he could read the other only too easily, and now he no longer understood the motives of the elder. It confused and unsettled him.

It was one thing to take on the role of Lady Loreen and pretend for an evening, but it was something quite different to be permanently in the public eye and to participate in political life. This was a world in which he did not belong and in which he had no plan of participating. So, what did the elder think, literally throwing Zoro into the shark tank?

On the other hand, Zoro knew only too well that they probably had no other choice. Things had developed like this. From the moment Zoro had left the Dracule estate as Loreen for the first time, events had gone out of control.

Who could have guessed that Eizen, of all people, would like him?

A series of unfortunate coincidences and unexpected eventualities had made it almost impossible for Lady Loreen to disappear. She was now too well known for simply vanishing.

Zoro sighed deeply and looked at the Shichibukai, who was already breathing calmly and relaxed, presumably asleep. Zoro, on the other hand, was really agitated. The tiredness of the morning had disappeared.

There was only one way to make Loreen disappear. Already the previous evening he had tried several times to transform himself, to leave this body behind, but it had not worked.

Actually, he should be strong enough to transform himself now that he had made a decision purely out of egoistical reasons. But he could not, as if he were too weak, as if he were unable to collect enough energy.

Additionally he found it difficult to concentrate, to find his inner peace through meditation. After all that had happened the previous day, he simply couldn't take a peaceful nap like the Shichibukai just did.

Mihawk's words worried him, he didn't want to be a pawn in some game, and he wouldn't settle for it as easily as the other.

What did Eizen have against him?

Zoro would not play along any longer. For a month it had been bearable, but...

How long would he have to keep up this farce? How long would he stay with the Shichibukai? How long would it take him to get stronger, strong enough?

"Six months should be enough," he whispered. Yes, that was a reasonable time frame, enough time in any case. But he didn't have that much time, he had to hurry up. Who knew how much time he had, who knew how long his friends would endure without him.

"Rather nine."

Surprised, he raised his head. Mihawk lay unchanged on the sofa, his hat pulled deep over his face.

"Nine?" Zoro asked.

He didn't know what surprised him more, that the other was not asleep, or that he had literally read Zoro's thoughts.

"At the end of the day, we would have to overcome your dislike of using Haki," replied the elder, his voice dull under the brim of the hat. "However, this discussion purely theoretical, after all, you want to get back to his crew as soon as possible. That is why there is no need to actually discuss how long your training would have to be."

Zoro leaned back and folded his arms. He didn't like how easy it was for the other to guess what Zoro was thinking about, and even more it bothered him that Miahwk had apparently come to a result within a few seconds, which he himself had been thinking about continuously.

"Thought you wanted to sleep?" He grumbled irritated.

"It is quite annoying when you stare at me all the time. Why not close your eyes as well for a few minutes and let me sleep, Roronoa?"

"How can you be so relaxed on a ship full of Marines, they could listen to us, right now."

The other laughed quietly under his hat.

"Such a worry is ridiculous. I am a Shichibukai, I enjoy immunity and besides, no one on this ship is even close to be a threat to me."

"And you sound like a fucking loudmouth again."

The other one just waved it off. "Why do you think I just searched the room, Roronoa? And now good night, we can continue fighting later."

The grin in his voice was all too noticeable.

Unnerved, Zoro leaned back. Since the last day, the other was in a really unusually good mood, even more annoying than normally.

At some point, Zoro also fell asleep. He had been much more tired than he had thought.

The last days had been exhausting, hard training from dawn till dusk and then of course the encounter with his crew. A roller coaster of emotions followed by a tiring numbness and then these unpredictable conversations with the Shichibukai.

Sometimes they were brisk and filled him with new energy, but sometimes they were nerve-wracking and irritated his patience. But no matter what the subject, their conversations were always intense and rarely insignificant.

Yes, Zoro had been exhausted and eventually he fell asleep, on this large sofa.

"Get up, sleeping beauty, we have arrived."

Surprised, he sat up.

"You plan on sleeping through the whole war?" Mihawk teased him.

Zoro looked around, for a moment he had forgotten where he was.

The Shichibukai no longer sat on the large sofa but stood just a few meters beside it and inspected a strange painting. It was only after a closer look that Zoro realized that it was a map, not a picture. He couldn't tell exactly what it was illustrating; cards had always confused him rather than showing him the way.

Then the other turned to him.

"We really should head on deck now."

"Are we already there?"

"Have you not heard what I just said? And what do you mean by already? Even on foot we would have arrived sooner than with this barge of a battleship."

"Why didn't we just take your coffin boat?"

Zoro got up and stretched himself extensively. The small boat of the Shichibukai was much faster than any ship he had ever seen.

"And putting my precious ship under the care of the Marines? No, thank you."

Hawk Eyes inspected him.

"Ship? How can you call your shoebox a ship?" Zoro asked poisonously.

"Well, just as easily as you are claiming that you are already a true swordsman," replied the other just as mean, and Zoro had to admit that this answer left him a little defenseless.

"I'm a swordsman," he growled, noting that the other still looked at him so strangely. He had sounded much more defiantly than Zoro had intended.

"I know," replied the other with a soft smile, approaching him, "just like my coffin boat is a ship."

Zoro looked away but did not take a step back when the other stopped in front of him.

"Size is not everything, Roronoa." The other bent down to him. "My little shoebox can keep up with these Marine freighters with ease, and not just in terms of speed."

Zoro took this statement with a huff and slapped away the hand of the Shichibukai, who had tried to tame Zoro's ragged hair.

Hawk Eyes let go of him and walked to the door.

"Now come on, Roronoa. The day is not getting any younger."

Zoro followed him out.

"You aren't either."

The older one cleared his throat with a silent growl, yet without responding anything.

Outside, Zoro realized that they weren't any longer at the open sea, but in some kind of tunnel.

"Invited guests arriving by battleship will be welcomed at the underground port. On one hand, this port is probably the best guarded in the world and on the other hand anybody can visit and leave without the public noticing anything about it." Mihawk's words echoed over the silence as they walked over deck. "Especially helpful if the invited guests are pirates."

The Vice Admiral, who was responsible for their crossing and whose name Zoro had already forgotten, awaited them.

Shortly, the Marine and the Shichibukai exchanged some insignificant words, apparently only to bridge the time gap. Incidentally, Zoro realized that he never had to talk to Hawk Eyes to bridge time. It never felt as forced as it felt now between the two tall men.

Eventually, they finally arrived.

The underground harbor had something fascinating about it, at least for someone who was interested in such a thing and who was impressed by representations of power and authority.

Colorful paintings and golden decorations decked the ceiling, the walls were littered with sculptures and works of art, and the floor itself was a huge mosaic, which was supposed to represent the Holy Land from above.

Zoro somehow found it all too big, too cheesy, and too unnecessary. Hardly any ships had docked and only a few people were present. Most of the few were World Government officials, who - in their black suits - hustled across the massive mosaic. Each of their steps reverberated in a different tone, so that the whole underground harbor was filled with sublime, yet wistful, melody.

One of these World Government officials was already expecting them, behind him a sparkish dressed woman with a camera.

She tripped non-stop, causing small, fast sounds that gave the ghostly song something alive.

"Let us show them how good your acting is today," the Shichibukai muttered next to Zoro as they approached the unequal couple, "after all, the world wants to see Lady Loreen."

The man bowed deeply, while the woman took photos.

"Welcome!" His voice was surprisingly deep. "Welcome to the Holy Land Mary Joa."