Hey everybody,
I hope you had a great week and will have an even greater weekend!
I'm in a great mood right now! Though work and studying is really tough, other things seem to be running smoothly at the moment, especially writing makes a lot of fun at the moment after a few really hard weeks, and good friend of mine visited, so I feel like everything is possible.
Thank you all for your great pms and comments the last week, despite being a writer I can't put into words how happy your kind, sweet, and funny words make me. They inspire and encourage me and I will work really hard to do them justice, so I hope you will keep enjoying this little adventure ;-)
See you Monday^^
Chapter 14 - Chess
-Zoro-
"This here will be your room from now on. It is much more appropriate than the servant's room, and my bedroom is just down the hallway."
Zoro peeked past Hawk Eyes into a spacious, plain chamber that had probably once been magnificent, but now it was almost empty except for a huge bed with heavy curtains and an ancient cupboard whose decor had already faded.
"Why would I sleep in a ballroom? What the hell am I supposed to do with all this space? I don't need it. The room upstairs is absolutely fine."
"It is not," the Shichibukai grumbled, carrying the luggage in despite Zoro's objection, "you do not understand, Roronoa. This is not a temporary room, no guest room. This room now belongs to you with everything that it offers. This here is your room."
Zoro watched the Shichibukai pull clothes out of a box and putting them into the large, dark closet. He understood what the other wanted to say; Zoro was no longer a guest.
"What about Perona?"
"Why should I care about her? Let her sleep above the kitchen." Hawk Eyes turned towards him. "Well, put on something more comfortable and then come to the entry hall. Meanwhile I will call Kanan to solve that issue with your clothes and ensure our supply."
"I'm not supposed to transform?" Zoro asked doubtingly.
"No, I will continue to train you in this form."
"What? Why?"
Mihwak sighed as if his reasons were quite obvious.
"Did we not talk about this last night? I will teach you how to use Haki and find out if you may even possess the qualities of a king, but after what you have told me we should not act carelessly."
Zoro hesitated. "Have you ever heard of anything like this before? Of any other person like me?"
"No."
Zoro looked away.
"In all my years, I have never heard of someone becoming an uncontrolled monster through the use of Haki without even remembering it."
Zoro bit his lower lip.
"However, I am already looking forward to this challenge."
They looked at each other, Mihawk grinning wildly. Zoro couldn't remember seeing the other one grin this dangerously.
"Leave the brooding to me, Roronoa. I will take care of you and make you an excellent master of the sword." Then the elder walked past him. "In ten minutes in the entrance hall. Be on time."
-Mihawk-
"Did I not tell you to be on time?" He grumbled when his student finally came through the door, the ghost girl in tow, at least ten minutes late. "Tardiness is no virtue, you know?"
"This castle is a maze," the youngster replied roughly, "how can you live here?"
"I've told you three times to take the stairs, but you walked past them every time," complained the girl with the pink hair.
"Be that as it may," Mihawk ended the quarrel and turned to the door, "let us go, Roronoa. We still have a lot to do today."
"And what about me?" This girl was already annoying him.
"What you do is indifferent to me. Do try not to set the kitchen on fire again when you prepare dinner."
"I'm not your maid!" She hissed, but immediately backed off as he looked at her.
"If you want to live here, you have to earn it. The supply ship should be here in merely two weeks. Then you can leave, but until then I expect that you are making yourself useful." He turned around and left. "Come, Roronoa, the evening is already around the corner."
"Why are we going outside?" Roronoa asked, walking directly behind him.
"As pleasant as this island is, there is no actual place for practice and since I am reluctant to endanger my home, we will train outside."
The other muttered something approving and followed him.
"So, what's your plan?" Roronoa finally said when they reached the tombstone.
Although the Humandrills had been able to recover during the last two days, not one of them was seen, not that it surprised him.
"Where are the monkeys?" Roronoa asked, apparently having similar thoughts.
"They won't come out until I allow it."
He turned to his student. Roronoa, as always, had his hair tied together and wore long, tight-fitting clothes that allowed him as much freedom of movement as possible. But his gaze had something uncertain, Roronoa was afraid of what was to come.
"Calm down, Roronoa. We will not start with the Busoshoku Haki today."
"Not?"
"No, I think it makes more sense that you first learn how to use the Kenbunshoku Haki."
"Why?" Now his little frog already seemed much more relaxed.
"Why do you not try to explain it yourself? I think it is about time I stop spoon-feeding you everything. So tell me, why do we first turn to this technique?"
For a moment, the other remained silent and seemed to think.
"You want that I learn it first as Loreen," he muttered, "as Loreen, I have to learn to fight in a way that I don't have to block an attack at all, because that body will breaks way too easy, so it's more important that I can dodge an attack instead of just protecting my swords."
Roronoa looked at him seriously.
"As Loreen I depend on the Kenbunshoku Haki, I need to sense how my enemy might attack, that's why you have already started teaching me the basics and that's why we should continue to train it."
Mihawk nodded pleased, almost surprised how much the other apparently already knew about Haki.
"Exactly, you already mastered the basics, and nothing has happened. I assume that is either because of the technique or this body, so you will learn to use the Kenbunshoku Haki in this form first, then as a man, and after that we will focus on the Busoshoku Haki. In case the unimaginable should occur and the monster within you is uncontrollable, at least you will know that you can easily apply the Kenbunshoku Haki."
He could see the other getting serious.
"So, you think it's a possibility, that I can't control it?"
"Of course. I think it is quite unlikely, but as I said, I have never seen anything like that before and I am rather excited to see it myself."
"Tzeā¦"
"Still there is also another reason," Mihawk said then, taking off his vest. "As talented as you seem to be with the application of the Busoshoku Haki, as ungifted you are when it comes to the Kenbunshoku Haki."
"What?" The younger one seemed angered.
"Yes, in fact it took you a relatively long time to learn the basics given your talent." He placed his vest over a broken pillar and straightened his collar.
"But I was faster than you expected," the pirate grumbled.
"You have been able to use it, indeed, but even so far you have not managed to control it consciously. It is a gamble whether you use it or not. You also lack concentration." He folded his arms. "Let us begin. We have a lot to do today."
-Zoro-
A quiet drizzle had set in, the darkness of the night had already broken over them hours ago and there was still no trace of the monkeys.
For the past three days they had been training almost without taking any breaks and Zoro felt that everything he had learned during the last month was nothing compared to his current training.
Mihawk was even stricter, more demanding, even more ruthless.
It seemed like the Shichibukai had finally started to train him properly, only now he seemed to take the training seriously.
Last month he had trained Zoro so he could survive, now Mihawk wanted to shape him, wanted to make him a master of the sword. Only now he had become Zoro's true teacher.
"I think this is enough for today."
Zoros head was pounding painfully.
"You made good progress today. You can be satisfied."
"Oh really?" He muttered exhausted, burying his face in his hands, "I feel like I haven't been making anything but headaches for three days."
He could hear the other laughing as Mihawk came towards him and patted his shoulder slightly, which was almost enough to bring him to his knees.
"Oh, am I demanding too much?"
Zoro shook his head.
"No, we had agreed on doing it this way."
"Absolutely." He could hear the grin in Mihawk's voice.
Groaning, he leaned his head back and stretched himself. The gentle rain cooled his face. He really hadn't expected it to be that draining. After all, it wasn't a training in the physical sense, it was rather a mind thing.
"Come on, Roronoa, let us go back. You should eat something and take a shower, you smell disastrous."
"Oh, kiss my ass," he growled, loosening his shoulders.
"Such a bad mood."
"Yes, I'm not the one who just sits around reading newspapers the whole time. Unlike you, I train all day."
"This may be because, unlike you, I can control Haki. I am already the best swordsman in the world, I can afford sitting around and reading newspaper."
"Oh, that was mean." Perona came down from the tombstone and hovered between them. Since she was alone most of the time, she had decided to accompany Mihawk and him today.
"Keep quiet, ghost girl," warned the Shichibukai, "just because I tolerate your presence does not mean that I value your opinion."
"Bah!" She stuck her tongue out at Mihawk, but then quickly flew away. The elder did not even pay tribute to her with a reaction but looked at Zoro.
"When we are back inside, you should transform immediately so that you have as long as possible."
Zoro just nodded and together they set off.
Mihawk had completely overturned Zoro's training concept. Now he spent all day as Loreen and turned into his real body just to go to sleep. Until now, he had turned back into Loreen each night on his own unintentionally. Zoro also had to train that, but he wasn't sure how to do so, but Mihawk didn't seem to worry too much about it and Zoro tried not to as well.
So he transformed, showered, and put on something comfortable.
The transformations were still painful, bringing him to the edge of his strengths, but Zoro believed he was getting better. The shower was, of course, a pure blessing and he could not help but notice the differences of his two bodies. He was really grateful to have his body back, at least something he could rely on. Yet he knew that even that was a lie by now. At some point his body forced him to transform, even his own body could now become his weakness.
After getting dressed, he went to the old-fashioned fireplace room.
The Shichibukai and the ghost princess were already there, to Zoro's surprise they played chess. Mihawk had leaned back, his arms folded, while Perona looked at the chess board obviously desperate.
"On the table is the newspaper, Roronoa. You should read it," the elder greeted him and placed his piercing eyes on Zoro for several seconds.
"Checkmate in three moves," he then said, without even looking at the game in front of him.
"What?!" Perona jumped up. "But..."
"Your moves are predictable and simple, almost childlike naive. Even Roronoa could beat you and he is really no genius."
"Is there anything to eat?" Zoro murmured, ignoring their banter.
"Besides the newspaper you find what you are looking for, Roronoa." The elder sounded both bored and annoyed. "It would be desirable to use your own eyes before you complain."
"What rattled your cage?" Zoro grumbled and sat down.
At the table was a plate of simple food, already cooled rice with some meat, nothing fancy but more than enough for him. His gaze, however, had already fallen on the newspaper.
"What the hell?" He whispered.
"Have you really not expected it to happen?" The Shichibukai sighed. "Rayleigh told you all about it. Your captain must somehow inform his crew. Even if that means that the whole world knows by now that he is still alive."
Zoro looked over to Mihawk, who was moving a pawn, making Perona gasp.
He quickly read the article.
"You mean these 16 chimes are a secret message to us?"
"Dear God!" The older groaned loudly. "Oh, Roronoa. Please, think again."
"What do you want?!" Zoro barked back at the other, who sighed deeply and came over.
"Look at the article again," advised Mihawk and sat down on the tabletop in front of him. "Take your time and think. This is not the plan of the Straw Hat, but of Rayleigh. Take that into account."
Zoro stared at the newspaper. What did the other mean? Was it not about the chimes? But that was the only thing odd mentioned in the article.
After several minutes, the Shichibukai got up again and finished the game with Perona.
"Roronoa, you already know the result, you know what the plan is, so what is the medium through which your captain wants to show his decision? It has to be easy enough that all your friends understand it just by looking at it."
And then he saw it. Like a tattoo on the arm of his captain.
"Oh right. Not three days but two years."
"Exactly. The Straw Hat could have hardly done it much more obviously without it being noticed. Indeed, a good plan," the Shichibukai remarked.
Slowly, Zoro dropped the newspaper and began to eat.
"But will the others figure it out? After all, we only knew it because Rayleigh told us before."
"Please just talk for yourself, Roronoa," replied the elder coolly, "just with the background information Rayleigh gave us, you should have noticed it immediately."
"Do you want to say I'm stupid?" He growled, emptying his plate.
"You really need to ask..." Perona looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Living in a glass house..." Mihawk remarked.
"Hey!"
But again, the Shichibukai ignored her.
"Come here, Roronoa," he demanded cold.
"What? Why?" But he already stood up. Zoro disliked the other using this commanding tone, on the other hand Mihawk was his teacher.
"I think it is time to train more than just your body. Your thoughts are still blunt and rough, but a master of the sword needs a sharp mind, as sharp as his sword. Sit down."
Zoro sat down opposite of Mihawk at the chessboard.
"Ghost girl, please clear the table."
"Stop bossing me around. By the way, my name is Perona!"
He could feel the calculating gaze of the elder on himself.
"Come, Roronoa. Let us play some chess."
He watched the other suspiciously. "Why? Last time you crushed me and mocked me all day with it. I haven't gotten any better since."
"I did not expect you too."
"Oh, fuck you!" He wanted to get up again.
"Roronoa, please." The elder looked at him seriously. "Try to reconsider your choice of words a little bit and not always react so irrepressibly."
"I would, if you stopped pretending you were better than the rest of the world!"
The other looked at him with big eyes.
"Excuse me? I do not..."
"Oh, just forget it!"
"Roronoa?"
"Let's just play," he murmured, pinning his eyes on the chessboard instead of looking at the other.
"Of course, as you wish," Mihawk replied and mirrored Zoro's movements by placing the figures on the field. Neither of them said anything.
"I am sorry."
Surprised, Zoro looked up as the other inspected the rook in his hand.
"I was not aware how my behavior could affect you. I am probably so used of having to assert myself among enemies that sometimes I forget when it is not necessary."
Now Zoro looked away, could feel his cheeks heating up.
"That's not what it's about," he confessed softly, noting how the other looked at him.
"It's me," he muttered, "I can't just keep relying on some Rayleigh explaining his plan to me beforehand, or that you're standing behind me and spelling it all out for me. I have to pay attention to something like this myself."
Slowly he looked up to the elder, who observed him just as calmly.
Zoro didn't know how to put into words what he was thinking. How could he tell the other that he sometimes felt stupid next to him? How could he tell Mihawk that he was doubting to have the intelligence he needed?
Of course, he wasn't as simple as Luffy, as naive as Usopp. He was a survival strategist, knew the knowledge of the street, but he was not like Robin, not like Chopper, certainly not like Mihawk and up until now that had never been important to him, but now...
"I don't just want to be the guy with the muscles in the crew," he said honestly. "I know I'm not as smart as Nami or like the damn cook, but..." Now he looked away again. "But how can I ever defeat you if you see through each of my strategies faster than I can make them up. You said the mind must be as sharp as the sword and by now I wonder if I'm not just some log."
The other buried his chin between long-limbed fingers without answering.
Zoro looked at the chessboard. In the past, he had never thought about such things, had not thought of himself as stupid or anything like that, had always thought that he was alright the way he was. Of course, in some conversations with Robin, he had wondered how someone could regard and evaluate so many things at the same time, but it had never intimidated him.
But since he spent time with the Shichibukai, he always felt slow, dull. As if the elder was always speaking extra slowly and clearly for him. When they talked about something other than swords, Zoro noticed more and more often that he didn't really understand that much. Most of the time, the elder was patient, explaining things calmly. But sometimes Mihawk was irritated or tired, sometimes things apparently seemed that obvious for Mihawk that he didn't expect that he would have to explain it to Zoro.
Yes, in the presence of Mihawk, Zoro often felt stupid and now it seemed as if he couldn't even change that.
"Your words surprise me, Roronoa," the Shichibukai confessed, looking over at him. "I had not realized how much you have already thought about this topic."
Zoro continued to look at the chessboard.
The elder sighed softly. "Maybe you are right, maybe your mind is not a sword, but rather an axe."
Zoro raised only one hand in agreement and rolled his eyes.
"But even a battle axe can be deadly in combat, especially if it is sharp."
From the corner of his eye, he could clearly see that the other was grinning.
"If you want, I will help you sharpen your mind and then you will see if you are really as stupid as you think you are."
Now he looked at the elder, who managed to offer him help while insulting him.
"Let us play, Roronoa. I have not had a good game in years and who knows, maybe you will be able to beat me within the next two years." The elder's grin grew. "Chess is a strategy game, if you defeat me, you could find mine before I could discover yours and believe me, you may think you are stupid, but I think I am very clever."
Now the elder leaned forward.
"And I have not been defeated in chess for years."
It was an invitation, a demand, a challenge.
Like in the East Blue back then. Mihawk wanted that Zoro would surpass him, well aware that Zoro was no match for him at the moment.
A fleeting smile crept on Zoro's lips.
"But before we start, I have a little task for you." The other got up and went to the desk at the other end of the room. From a drawer he pulled a carafe with clear liquid. "I hope you like gin," he said calmly, filling their glasses.
At that moment, Perona came back.
"And what task would that be?" Zoro asked suspiciously.
"Explain to me how the game works."
"What? You know it."
"Of course. But it is only when you can explain something freely and simply that it also means that you have understood it yourself. Explain it and understand it. Think and dig deeper. Do not just accept knowledge you are told but try to understand the background. Only this way will you achieve what you have set out to achieve."
Slowly, Zoro nodded.
The other had not given up on him. Once again, the other had awakened something in him that he had been willing to bury.
"Okay, good. Then I'll start."
