Hey everybody,

I hope you're all having a great start into the new week. Here's the next update, Hope you'll enjoy it^^

As always I really do appreciate your kind words! Today I'm really busy, so that's all I got to say;-)

See you friday!


Chapter 15 - Dance

-Mihawk-

"And again!" Disapprovingly, he looked down at Roronoa, who cowered breathing heavily on the floor and brushed his arm across his sweaty forehead. "Are you serious?"

"I'm trying!" Roronoa growled at him and straightened up. Gasping for air he finally stood there, his short hair stood off in all directions, his white shirt soaked in sweat. He really tried; it was easy to see.

"You are too tense. Relax and close your eyes. Concentrate."

"Yeah, I know, I know," the younger one replied, loosening his shoulders.

Roronoa went back into the starting position and closed his eyes.

"Ready?"

The younger one nodded.

For almost a month now they had been training on Kuraigana. As Loreen, his student had mastered the basics of Kenbunshoku Haki steady enough that Mihawk had moved on to the next point.

Since the early morning, Zoro was facing him.

Yet it was as if the past weeks had not happened at all, because although Roronoa was able to use the Kenbunshoku Haki as Loreen, he fundamentally failed in his male form.

Yesterday Roronoa had been able to foresee Mihawk's attacks, had become good enough to be able to dodge his – Mihawk's – attacks, within barely a month. Though Mihawk would not tell Roronoa this unasked, he was really talented.

But now as Zoro, his reflexes were as bad as those of an old man. He could not even see, let alone use Haki.

Mihawk was able to regulate the speed of his attacks and although he tried to be slow, the other slammed face forward against the ground.

"From above?!" Roronoa barked at him, still facing the dirt. "Seriously?"

"Who says that I would attack only from right or left? You know that the Kenbunshoku Haki has no blind spot. So, get up and repeat at once."

Groaning Roronoa followed his order, his face completely reddened by the impact.

"Why doesn't it work?" His little frog grumbled dissatisfied. "Yesterday I was able to do it. It should be the same. Why can't I do it now?"

Mihawk watched the younger one, could feel the anger and disappointment. Roronoa really tried, he really wanted to do it, and yet he was not able to.

The past few weeks had been tough, but not once had the other complained, never given up, but just now he seemed to drown in despair. Presumably, Roronoa wondered if he as Zoro was worse than as Loreen. What a grueling question.

"Close your eyes," Mihawk ordered cold, and the younger one obeyed. "Open your arms."

"What?" But Roronoa did what he wanted. "Why?"

Decisively, Mihawk took three steps forward and grabbed the younger man's right hand with his left. He then placed his right hand around the other's hip.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Roronoa quickly tried to free himself, but Mihawk was able to hold him tightly effortless.

"This exercise has already proven to be useful once. I doubt a second attempt could hurt."

Angry, the other stared up at him. Although Roronoa's face was now much harder, these eyes were exactly the same and Mihawk liked this glow, this sparkle that made it quite clear to him that the other was not afraid of him, could not be intimidated by him. Yes, he liked the other's gaze.

"I'm not dancing!" Roronoa growled. "I want to train."

"This is training," he replied calmly. "Close your eyes and let me guide you."

"Why?" The other still looked at him so angry. "Why dancing?"

He sighed softly. "Then let me explain again, so that you can understand. Sometimes we need different methods. Please, relax and close your eyes."

He did not know how many times he had already said this sentence today. Sometimes the younger one really challenged his patience.

Quietly grumbling under his breath, the other finally closed his eyes.

"But only this once."

"Only until you can do it."

And then he stepped forward. Roronoa reacted almost immediately and even though the youngster did not like to dance, he still mastered the steps. However, Roronoa moved rather awkward, stumbling over his own feet and moving clumsily, lifting his arms too high and pushing too much against Mihawk's hand.

Over time, things got better. The other found the rhythm and slowly got used to the movements. In fact, Mihawk noticed how much easier it was to dance with Zoro than with Loreen. The young man in his arms was bigger, his steps longer. Roronoa's left hand was touching his shoulder and not on his upper arm, their arm lengths were more similar, so Mihawk did not have to bend down as much. Roronoa was able to react much better to him in this form and was able to offer him much more freedom of movement.

Although Zoro was much stiffer than Loreen, this dance had something pleasant. It was different from back then during practice, different from back then during the ball. Mihawk did not have to adapt to the younger one, not anymore.

"Have you noticed?" He asked, turning the other.

"What?" Roronoa grumbled with his eyes closed.

"Stop being upset about dancing and pay attention," he ordered.

"Whatever..."

It was quiet around them; only their steps, their breathing, and their heartbeats could be heard.

"It's different," Roronoa finally whispered.

"What is different?" He asked instead of explaining it.

"Dancing. You move differently and I move differently. Why?"

"Yes, why? That is what you must focus on. What is different from before?"

He almost had to bite his tongue to avoid spilling it out.

"I am," Roronoa replied, "I am different. It's a different body."

Mihawk nodded contentedly.

"Right, you are taller, broad-shouldered. Your stride length is wider, your movements are rougher, all this is due to your body and we adapt to that. That is why the way we dance is changing. The dance feels different, not better, not worse, just different."

The other remained silent, but then he mumbled: "Is it the same with Haki? Because it's a different body, it feels different, and I expected it to feel the same as Loreen?"

"Bravo. That is exactly what it is. Do not expect it to feel the same. You know that both your bodies are different, you have even complained about the hormonal instabilities, how can you expect that using Haki would feel the same?"

Roronoa opened his eyes and looked at him. They still followed the steps, like an old clockwork.

"But how do I know if I'm right? That I'm doing it right?"

"We are going to change this exercise now, so it will not be the same as it was before as well."

"And how?" The other seemed unconvinced.

"Close your eyes."

"Again?"

"Stop complaining. It is not my fault you have to learn it twice."

He let go of the younger one and took a step back, changing their positions.

"Mirror my posture," he said calmly, maintaining the basic dance position, only holding his hands as if he were pushing his palms against a wall. "Keep a distance of just barely an inch."

Roronoa followed his instructions. His hands just almost touching Mihawk's.

"And now close your eyes."

The younger man looked up at him with a raised eyebrow but did as he was told.

"I want you to move as soon as you feel like I want to move."

"But how..."

"You will notice it, you will be able to feel it. And now be quiet."

Seconds passed without anything happening.

"You're not moving," murmured the other between gritted teeth.

"I have no intention of moving first. The goal is that you are moving before I do it, that you react before I even act. You know how it works."

Again, it was quiet and except for the wind in the treetops nothing moved.

This time they were silent for a long period, he saw Roronoa's closed eyes twitching with concentration, his lips pinched tightly, his forehead furrowed in deep wrinkles.

Roronoa took this training seriously. He was even more stubborn than he had already been at Sasaki a month ago. He hardly took any breaks and tried to improve constantly, during training, during his transformations, during chess. It was fun, Mihawk had never seen anyone work so hard, much harder than he had done back then. Perhaps his father would have been proud of him if he had worked so hard.

Now…

Roronoa took a step back. Then he opened his eyes.

"Very good," Mihawk confirmed, "and with thus the exercise was successful."

"What?" The younger man looked at him dissatisfied. "That could have been just a coincidence."

Perhaps his admonishing words were indeed already bearing fruit.

"Indeed. That is why we will repeat this for now until you can move along as if this were a dance. We will practice until we dance."

"I didn't even know the goal was dancing," the other muttered grumbling, looking away.

"You know the goal. This is nothing more than a way to achieve it."

"Mhm," the younger murmured half-heartedly approving.

"Good, then back in position and close your eyes."

The training went on for a long time, it took hours for them to take more than two or three steps. Sweat dripped down Roronoa's forehead, but otherwise nothing betrayed the effort he had to endure. His body posture had not changed, he seemed tense but not too tense. Now they moved for several seconds to an unstable beat that Mihawk deliberately indicated, trying to not take a typical dance step, nothing that the other could recognize, nothing to anticipate.

It worked out quite well, so he decided to change tactics. He stopped, just like Roronoa.

After another second, the other opened his eyes.

"Why did you stop?"

"I want to try something."

"And that would be?" The other stretched his neck briefly.

"You will see, let us start anew."

"Well, whatever."

They both went into position again and after a little more than three seconds Roronoa took a step towards him. After a few breaths they had found their rhythm again.

"Do you know why I do not favor meditating?" Mihawk asked into the silence, watching the other closely.

"What?" Roronoa missed a step and opened his eyes.

"Eyes shut and keep moving."

The other obeyed.

"So? Do you know why?"

"No."

As expected, Roronoa had difficulties now.

"I think it is wise for someone to arrange their own thoughts and clear one's mind. Harmony between body and soul is very important. Keep paying attention, Roronoa. Just because we are talking does not mean the exercise is over."

The other bit his lower lip and nodded.

Mihawk could not prevent a grin. He doubted Roronoa had done it in the past, it seemed like a typically feminine facial expression, but it made him seem younger, almost childish.

Roronoa took a deep breath and went back into the initial position. After two heartbeats, he bent backwards.

"Good." Mihawk bent over the younger one, his left hand following the other and exerted pressure at the same time without touching him. Then they went on.

"What bothers me about practicing meditation is that it can only be done under ideal circumstances. You must not move, you shall not see anything, you have to be in an adapted environment. In a fight, this harmony cannot be imitated."

They moved in unsteady steps, almost fluent but interrupted again and again.

"You can use meditation only under perfect conditions, but then if you could really use the power of meditation, you do not have the opportunity to use it. So, at the end of the day, it is simply useless."

The other followed his steps before Mihawk made them. Roronoa slowly got better.

"But only at the beginning," Roronoa muttered.

The younger one missed a step but caught himself again. They went on.

"In the beginning, you meditate under ideal circumstances so that you can first find out how it should feel and focus on it on your own. But the goal is that you can get this inner peace at any time and no matter what happens. This harmony you mentioned I can always regain, regardless of my surroundings, even independently of my own feelings, if I just want to."

The other bent to the right and Mihawk followed the movement, an ignorant spectator would believe that he was the one adapting to the younger one.

"Isn't it the same as this exercise?" Roronoa asked. "First you start to perceive the other person in a calm position, later there is movement and then distraction. Everything to improve the concentration. So that at some point you can use the Kenbunshoku Haki just as well in confusing situations."

A grin crept on Mihawk's face, so the other had seen through the exercise.

They moved on. His student had understood it without having to be spoon-fed, he had grasped the exercise.

"But then I don't understand it," Roronoa muttered, taking several steps back relatively quickly.

"What do you not understand?" He followed the other.

They turned.

"It's the same thing, it has the same reasons and you know that. So you consciously use it to train me and yet you think meditating is pointless. Why?"

The other stopped, highly concentrated.

"Because it is unnecessary for me," he replied. "I do not need it to find a balanced mind. I am always in control of my feelings."

The other raised an eyebrow disapprovingly but said nothing. They went on.

"You do not believe me?" He asked with a smile.

At first the younger man remained silent as they continued the exercise, but then he shook his head.

"No."

Almost indignantly, Mihawk wanted to stop, but thought of a better.

"That is all I get? Some unexplained No?"

The other kept a straight face but followed the movements relentlessly.

"If what you said were true," he finally muttered, "then we would never have ended up here. If you were always in control of your feelings, you would have never agreed to teach me and would have never come up with the idea of ignoring the orders of the World Government just because of me."

The words of the other surprised him. The younger one was right.

"You don't always control your feelings," Roronoa said now, "you can suppress them, act despite them, but you can't control them constantly."

They stopped.

"Not when it comes to me."

He looked at the younger man, who was still focused and seemed serious.

"You're not objective when it comes to me," he said. "Although I have no idea why."

The other hesitated, but then he took a step to the side. Mihawk followed him without replying. Silently, they continued the exercise. Roronoa did not even seem to expect a reaction from him, not that he knew what to say. Roronoa was right about everything he had said. Mihawk as well had already thought a lot about it.

It was true that when it came to Roronoa he was not objective, could not even be; Roronoa was his weak spot.

"We are going to change the exercise now," he said calmly, and almost simultaneously he took back his right hand, clenched it to a fist and hit.

"It's up to you," replied the other. In the middle of the sentence, he had already turned to the side, barely fast enough to escape his fist.

He still forced the other to move, forcing him several steps back while forcing his torso to dodge.

"A good dance is like a fight," he mumbled as the younger man bent beneath his hand.

"Is this like dancing for you?" The other turned to the side and dodged him again.

"To be honest, yes."

Slowly he picked up pace and Roronoa also moved faster and smoother. Gradually, the other built up what he had already achieved as Loreen.

"Is it already time for you to think about your transformation?" He tried to distract the other.

But Roronoa did not seem to let himself be put off.

"I think I have a little more than an hour left."

"Before you have to transform or before you cannot move due pain?"

Roronoa grinned. "Both."

"Are you not afraid of the pain?"

If he knew one thing about the other's fights, it was that the other had always fought the bloodiest, most painful battles compared to his crew members, almost as if he were looking for the pain or as if his body did not matter to him.

"There's no need to be afraid of pain," said the other calmly. "Pain means that the body fights back, that you fight. It's only when you don't feel it that you should be afraid."

The younger one sounded serious, as if he were aware of exactly what he was talking about.

"Like dying?" Mihawk asked thoughtfully.

"Like giving up," Roronoa replied harshly.

They kept moving in a dance-like exchange of blows.

"Your logic is really odd to me, Roronoa. As often it makes no sense to me."

The younger one laughed quietly but interrupted himself when he could barely yield Mihawk's kick by falling and had to catch himself with both hands.

"You rarely make sense to me as well. This concern for reputation and status, tze. I'll probably never understand that."

Mihawk wanted to reply when he noticed something. He stopped.

"What is it?" Roronoa had also stopped and looked at him confused.

He saw through the shadows of the trees that seemed alive through the eternal twilight.

"You tell me," he said to the younger one without looking at him, "what has just happened?"

The younger man folded his arms and closed his eyes, but after a few seconds he knelt down and touched the earth with both hands.

Mihawk watched the other. Roronoa could hardly use his Kenbunshoku Haki properly in this form, so was he just trying to use the earth as a medium to sharpen his senses?

And yet the boy doubted his intelligence. Grinning, Mihawk shook his head about the other.

But after a moment Roronoa shrugged his shoulders and looked up to him unsatisfied.

"A ship of the World Government has just arrived," Mihawk said, holding up four fingers.

"Four people?" Roronoa froze, still trying to track down the new arrivals, but he just was not able yet.

"No, four security guards, or rather bodyguards and an old man."

Roronoa's forehead furrowed.

"An old man?" He asked doubtfully. "What does he want here? The monkeys will kill them. Do you know who it is?"

"Eizen."

"What?!"

Nodding, he turned to his vest, which he had placed over a stone not far away and put it on.

"We should head back to the castle. I fear that the Humandrills will not kill him. Therefore, we should be prepared for his arrival." He took his sword and threw it over his shoulder. "Well, come on, you certainly do not want him to see you like that, honorable Lady Loreen."

"Very funny," murmured the other, rushing next to him towards the castle. "How long do you think we have?"

"Thirteen minutes at most but at least ten, depending on how fast Eizen can walk."

Roronoa sighed.

"Wouldn't it be better to just not let him in, in the first place? How does he even know that I'm here? Maybe we should just pretend I'm still on Sasaki?"

"He knows it. I would never leave you defenseless for a long time, he knows. I also assume that he has already visited Sasaki. We cannot hide you; he would smell the lie right away. Remember, just like me, he grew up in this world."

"And the truth is not an option? Then we'd be going to get rid of him easily."

They had already reached the stairs to the entrance.

"Of course not, Roronoa. No one should know that you are still alive and certainly not who you are, otherwise, they will chase you and the rest of your crew again."

Groaning, the younger man rubbed his face with one hand.

"Well, that means we have to go back on stage, right?"

"No complaining, it is just the dancing scene."