Hey everybody,
so here comes the next chapter, hope you will enjoy it!
Unfortunately I will probably not be able to make an upload this friday, I will try my best, but as I can't promise it, I wish you all some pleasent days and we will see us latest next monday ;-)
Chapter 47 - Knowledge
-Zoro-
Finally, it was over.
After the Shichibukai had left the meeting and Eizen had ensured that Zoro could not simply follow him – which he had actually seriously considered – the session had lasted a little bit longer than an hour, and by now his feet were numb.
While Ms. Rihaku quickly packed up her documents, Eizen had engaged him in a conversation with Fleet Admiral Sakazuki and was visibly trying to keep it going, but Zoro offered him no support.
This man had killed Ace and if the circumstances were different, Zoro would now press a blade against his throat, knowing that he probably couldn't defeat him. With every word spoken by the man in the red suit, his desire grew to end this conversation. Just thinking about the pain Luffy had suffered because of this guy, he was almost unable to not attack him directly, let alone smile. He didn't think much of revenge, but right now such thoughts really charmed him.
When he couldn't stand it any longer, he apologized from the conversation – much to Eizen's displeasure, as he realized – and tried to reach the door without further incident, Eizen's eyes steadily in his back. He knew that the politician wouldn't approve of him just leaving, but Zoro didn't care. He had already wasted far too many days here. In addition, he had delivered the speech as Eizen had demanded of him, now Zoro had earned his evening and, more importantly, his well-deserved sleep, so that he could soon resume training.
Just as he was trying to pull the heavy double door close behind him, his damn luck made its move and a tall, older man in Marine uniform held the door leaf.
"Lady Loreen?" The soldier asked as he rushed into the hallway behind Zoro and closed the door. "You might have a moment?"
Annoyed, Zoro stopped and looked at the stranger, who bowed swiftly in front of him. He needed a quick excuse because he didn't have the slightest desire to talk to this guy. But then the soldier straightened up and Zoro knew who he was.
"My apologies for bothering you after such a long day, but I wanted to seize the moment to talk to you. My name is…"
"Dracule Gat,"Zoro mumbled surprised before remembering who he was supposed to be, "the resemblance to your son is unmistakable."
A smile slid across the soldier's face and he bowed again.
"It is an honor to finally meet you, Lady Loreen."
Then Zoro's mind finally clicked. In best Lady Loreen manner, he bowed and smiled politely.
"It is my honor, your Lordship."
"Would you mind lending me a few minutes of your precious time?"
The decision was quickly made. Standing around here for longer was out of the question for Zoro, as Eizen could always leave the room behind the soldier and Zoro had no desire at all to spend another second talking to him. Mihawk, on the other hand, probably sulked in his room and would keep sulking no matter when Zoro came back, although he might have at least calmed down a little if it would take Zoro just a bit longer.
"As long as it is no gossip in some drafty hallway... I would enjoy that," Zoro replied so gallantly that Kanan would be happy and he was proud to have found a good excuse.
"Of course, of course. If you want, I could offer my room or if you would prefer your quarters...?"
Again, Dracule Senior bowed slightly, and Zoro wondered if this conversation would consist of an ongoing head banging.
"Whatever you favor."
Again nodding, the old man started walking and Zoro hurried to keep up with his long legs. He seemed almost as tall as Mihawk, but he strode less elegantly and more like an experienced veteran, only the gentle smile was out of place for both a soldier and this place.
"Then I would suggest my room."
Silently, they walked side by side and Zoro looked at the soldier out of the corner of his eyes. The resemblance of the facial features to the Shichibukai was unmistakable, even the shaggy hair under the Marine cap once seemed to have been black. He was much slenderer than Mihawk and seemed more lanky than light-footed. In no way could he keep up with the radiance of the Shichibukai; he was neither flashy nor somehow special. If he had ever been an impressive fighter, he had long since left that time behind.
No, except for the facial features, these two didn't resemble each other at all, and even that damn smile was more familiar to Zoro than he would have admitted. The Shichibukai sometimes looked at him like that, especially when that bastard thought Zoro wouldn't notice.
At some point they had reached the soldier's room, it was much simpler and smaller than Zoros – just because it was just one room and not, like Zoros, several – but Zoro liked it much better than the pomp in which he always got bedded.
The soldier offered him a place to sit, Zoro refused a drink.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Zoro asked, resisting the desire to take off his shoes, even ignoring the awkward squeaking of his bra, he would probably endure it for a few more minutes.
For a moment, the smile faded and the old man dodged Zoro's gaze. He looked sick, his skin was not as pale as Mihawks, but had a yellowish taint to it.
"I really wanted to meet you." Once again the man bowed while sitting and slowly it became really annoying. "And I wanted to thank you."
Zoro hesitated for a moment. He had thought that it would be a wise idea to go with this man rather than be caught up by Eizen, but he was just wondering where this conversation would lead and whether he had actually made a smart decision.
"Okay," he muttered after a second, knowing that a Lady Loreen shouldn't react like that, but the day had been long, and his feet hurt, and he just really didn't care.
Mihawk Gat laughed slightly embarrassed and rubbed his neck.
"My apologies if I caught you off guard. You certainly had a busy day."
"No, no, it's okay. I would have liked to have accompanied Mihawk when he visited you at the G-2, but I did not want to impose myself onto your family affair." It wasn't quite the truth, but in hindsight, Zoro would have saved himself a lot of stress if the Shichibukai hadn't visited the old man alone to ask questions.
The other looked at him with big eyes before smiling again.
"You have persuaded him to do it, didn't you? Without you, my son would not have visited me."
Zoro shrugged his shoulders.
"I just offered my opinion, everything else was decided by Mihawk himself."
Dracule Gat shook his head.
"Oh no, you underestimate your influence. My son does not think much of the opinions of others. Just that he listens to you is already extraordinary."
"Your Lordship, why did you want to talk to me? I hope you don't try to influence your son through me somehow. "
"Oh no." Defensively, the other raised both hands. "Please do not think of me like that. I am aware that my relationship with my son is probably beyond saving. However, he is still my child and as a father I would like him to be happy. I only have a few questions for him, but he won't answer me."
Zoro watched the old man thoughtfully.
"That means you want me to answer questions behind his back, because Mihawk doesn't want to talk to you and prefers me to follow his example?"
Dracule Gat dodged his gaze.
"If you say it like that, it sounds anything but noble, almost insidious, but..."
"I don't mind." With big eyes, the other looked at him quickly as Zoro shrugged his shoulders again. "If Mihawk doesn't want to talk to you, that's his decision, but I can decide for myself as well and I don't mind talking to you."
The soldier swallowed and leaned slightly forward.
"I am very grateful, Lady Loreen, but I am concerned about your words. My son will not approve of your actions."
It took Zoro his all not to snort or roll his eyes.
"Then he will not approve of it," he replied coolly. "Your Lordship, Mihawk is my friend and my teacher, but he is neither my lord nor my master. I do not need his permission or his endorsement for my actions. If I hadn't wanted to have this conversation, I wouldn't have come with you."
Now Dracule Senior smiled again, put his cap aside and scratched his head.
"You amaze me, Lady Loreen. I have heard about your impressive personality, but you have been praised for your gentle nature rather than a strong fighter's will."
Now it was Zoro who couldn't prevent a grin, that grew even more when the other suddenly looked at him and let his hand sink.
"That was... I am sorry. I did not want to offend you. I just thought..."
"Don't worry," Zoro reassured him with a soft laugh. "I think you understand that gentleness is not necessarily enough to keep up with Mihawk."
The old man nodded clearly.
"You seem to know how to take him, that reassures me." He folded his hands between his knees. "Can I ask you my questions?"
Zoro leaned back and folded his arms.
"Only on one condition." Dracule Senior raised an eyebrow. "I want you to tell me what you know about Roronoa Zoro and what you told Mihawk about it?"
The soldier bowed his head and straightened his shoulders.
"I warned my son about this knowledge and it would be better for the world if Roronoa Zoro were forgotten. So why do you give me this condition?"
Without dodging the old man's yellowed eyes, Zoro smiled and wondered for a moment what would happen if this man knew the truth. But, of course, he would not take that risk. He did not trust Dracule Senior in the least. Some Marine who wanted to question Zoro about his own son because he did not dare to talk to him himself.
"I wish I didn't have to," he honestly admitted, "and I wish Mihawk hadn't asked you and you hadn't given him those cryptic answers. But you can't change the past and bemoaning does nothing good."
"So, you blame me?"
"I am not talking about placing blame, your Lordship. But I don't want Mihawk to end up in some precarious situation, especially because of me, so I want to know about anything that might endanger him, you understand?"
"Lady Loreen," the soldier whispered, "that almost sounds like you want to protect my son? Are you aware of what danger you might put yourself in?"
Zoro's grin grew.
"You should not underestimate me, your Lordship. You wouldn't be the first to regret it."
Dracule Gat looked even more stunned, but after a moment he took a deep breath and nodded.
"Actually, it shouldn't surprise me that you know every trick in the book, Lady Loreen. Otherwise, you would hardly be able to withstand Mihawk. Still waters run deep after all."
Once again, the old man ruffled through his hair and nodded a few times.
"Well, I will agree to your condition, but only with one further arrangement." Zoro raised only an eyebrow and did not respond. "The knowledge you ask me for could mean your downfall. Therefore, whatever I tell you tonight, I ask you, my son must never know. As a pardoned pirate, he already lives on a knife's edge and I will not do anything that could endanger the life of my last family member in any way. You have to promise it, you have to swear it!"
Zoro watched the other attentively, wondering if this concern was serious, whether a father who had not seen his son for years and had left him behind as a child could really feel that way, but in fact he didn't care about the motives of the old man.
"You have to leave my son out of this! I am truly grateful for what you have done for my son and for wanting to protect him. But you also have to understand me. If I have to choose between you and my son, I will certainly not sacrifice him."
With half a smile, Zoro tilted his head to the side.
"You can be quite reassured, your Lordship. I didn't plan to include Mihawk either way and if it's so important to you, I'll give you my word on it."
Breathing loudly, the soldier nodded.
"Well, now that we've sorted that out. What do you want to know?"
-Mihawk-
And with that he emptied his fourth wine glass.
He knew he should not drink as much on an empty stomach, especially because he did not know in what mood Roronoa would be. Presumably, the younger one was angry that Mihawk had simply left, on the other hand Mihawk was not exactly happy about the events either. Roronoa had once again withheld something from him, had deliberately not told him that he would moderate the Reverie in a year and a half at Eizen's side.
He could make his own decisions, but that he did not even let Mihawk know his decision; he had not even had the chance to express his own opinion on it. Roronoa had to be aware that Mihawk would not just accept it with a smile.
Even if he could not change it now. It was exactly as he had told Nataku. It was not in his power to free Roronoa from Eizen's clutches, as long as Roronoa did not want him to. He was convinced that Roronoa did not continue the collaboration because of the aliments – money and material values were of no importance to Roronoa – and so he suspected that Eizen had something against Roronoa up his sleeve, but he was not sure what this could be.
The only thing known about Lady Loreen's private life belonged to Mihawk's immediate surroundings, and that was, of course, protected by his title. Eizen was also not powerful enough to endanger his title and even if, Mihawk still had at least his reputation, which would save the islands in doubt from great calamity, and Jiroushin existed, too.
Otherwise, only his friends mattered to Roronoa, but of course Eizen could not know that. There was no connection between Roronoa Zoro and Lady Loreen, so...
Mihawk looked at his glass.
No, his thought here was incomplete. There were a few connections he should not ignore. One was himself, but only Jiroushin and Nataku – because Jiroushin had not been able to keep his mouth shut to the other – knew of Mihawk's interest in the youngster. Even towards Shanks he had not explained back then why he had brought him the wanted poster of the Straw Hat that he had hoped to gather information about Roronoa from the drunkard.
Then Lady Loreen had appeared in public just a few days after Roronoa Zoro's death, but those few days were not enough for the distance which Roronoa should have travelled. In addition, both figures had little resemblance except for hair and eye color, and Lady Loreen also looked years younger than Roronoa Zoro. Of course, the straight nose, the thin lips, and the sharp eyes were indications, but the cheek structure, the skin color, the shape of the face, the physique, not even for siblings one would consider them.
The last possible connection was probably the most dangerous, the day Roronoa had seen his crew again. Although they had both been disguised, they nevertheless had faced several soldiers and it was not impossible that someone had recognized Mihawk and counted two and two together to find out that the little figure next to him had been none other than Lady Loreen.
But even if, was that enough to figure out that Lady Loreen had a close connection to the straw hats?
Surely it was not enough to know that Lady Loreen and Roronoa Zoro were one and the same person. Moreover, only a few days later, the straw hats had been defeated and the world did not know that the pirates were about to reunite in a few months.
No, if he included all the circumstances, it was simply too unlikely that Eizen knew the truth and could put Roronoa under pressure.
But what if Mihawk did not know all the circumstances?
It knocked on his door.
He suspected it was not Roronoa, who would use the door between the two rooms, and Mihawk did not know if his mood was good enough to adhere to courtesy rules.
In the hallway, Ms. Rihaku waited for him, as always, she looked extremely elegant in her impeccably fitting suit and long smooth hair. Her deep bowing showed respect, but her smile and almond-shaped eyes showed little emotion and seemed almost superhuman.
"Good evening, your Lordship," she said in her serene, unshakeable voice, "do you happen to know where Lady Loreen is? She withdrew relatively quickly after the end of the conference and does not respond at the door. I am slightly worried, and Mr. Eizen wanted to talk to her."
Roronoa had apparently already come back.
"I apologize, but I have not spoken to Lady Loreen yet," he answered politely. "However, it seemed to me that my companion had been very exhausted this morning. Would you be kind enough to tell Mr. Eizen that Lady Loreen will not be available for him until tomorrow? Meanwhile I will make sure that there is nothing to worry about ."
For the first time, Ms. Rihaku looked vital as she nodded and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
"Oh, of course. I am aware that Lady Loreen needs to take care of her fragile health. I am quite impressed how much this young lady can handle. Please tell her she does not need to worry. Of course, the meeting can wait until tomorrow." She bowed deeply. "And if I can help otherwise, please let me know."
After a polite farewell, Ms. Rihaku rushed her way, but Mihawk watched her for a moment. Every few years they had run into each other and she had always acted like a superhuman being from another world, every movement graceful and fluent, every word soft and poetic, every look superior and solemn, but for a moment she had spoken and acted like a normal person. Maybe it was because of Roronoa, or more precise, Lady Loreen?
Shaking his head, Mihawk went back in and decided that this question was not worth his time while knocking on the door to the adjoining room. As expected, there was no answer, so he gained access.
The lounge was deserted. Nothing testified to Roronoa's presence, especially since - to preserve Lady Loreen's appearance - he kept this room in good order, quite different from his home on Kuraigana.
The bedroom was also dark, but from there he could see the subtle glimmer of light that seemed to come out of the bathroom. Sighing, Mihawk knocked again. For whatever reason, Roronoa seemed to spend a lot of time in the bathroom, especially if he wanted to avoid people.
He did not get a response, so he just decided to step in. The bath was covered by warm fog, the clouded mirror was now slowly clearing and the heavy steam in the air made the clothes damp.
Roronoa did not even look up when he got in. He sat almost directly behind the door on the floor, a towel on his bare knees, as if his strength had left him while he had been drying himself.
Blushing Mihawk turned his gaze away.
"You should not turn into this figure in such a place. What if someone saw you like this?"
Roronoa still did not look at him.
"Why do you think I'm in the bathroom?", he said dryly. "No one would just dare and risk embarrassing the honorable Lady Loreen. Even you usually leave me alone in here."
Was that criticism? Mihawk decided to ignore this and leaned against the wall next to the door; already by now his shirt was damp and heavy. Why did Roronoa only have to retreat to the bathroom if he did not want to have conversations?
"Ms. Rihaku has been looking for you, so I wanted to make sure you were back. Not that any World Aristocrat ended up kidnapping you," he declared with a wry grin, while that was, in fact, one of his fears.
The younger man groaned loudly and slightly hit his head against the wall behind him.
"I really can't stand this act any longer. I want to leave," he grumbled unusually wistfully.
Mihawk rolled his eyes and watched as the mirror reflected more and more of the room.
"Well, it is your fault, isn't it? And you knew that I would say that, otherwise you would not have hidden that you planned to moderate the Reverie."
"That's exactly why I didn't tell you," the other lamented, closing his eyes. "I knew you would make a scene every time I practiced the speech. That is why I did not say anything. You always make such a drama about everything."
"Says the one who is sulking in the bathroom," he murmured back. "You could have warned me anyway, or at least given me the opportunity to express my opinion."
For a brief moment, Roronoa looked over at him, without reciprocating, an unreadable expression on his face. Then he sighed quietly.
"I knew what your opinion would be," the younger one murmured coolly, "I knew you'd hate it and would try to talk me out of it. But yes, I'm sorry."
Had Mihawk just misunderstood? Had Roronoa really apologized?
"You should put on something; you might catch a cold."
"Don't want to," Roronoa replied simply, and did not move.
Slowly, Mihawk let himself slide to the ground, looking over his knees at Roronoa.
"If I am honest, I am almost less annoyed that you just decided something like that without talking to me about it," he said, though it was a small lie, "but much more that you took this risk. You know that by the time of the Reverie you will probably be with your crew again?"
Roronoa shrugged in response.
"So how do you plan to do that? I do not expect you have changed your mind and will initiate your crew."
The younger one remained silent for a moment.
"I guess I cross that bridge, when I come to it," he replied, shrugging his shoulders again.
"But Roronoa, you..."
"By the way, I met your father."
"What?"
It was obvious that Roronoa wanted to change the subject and in God's name, he was good at it.
"Yes, I was in his room and we talked."
"Roronoa!"
Mihawk was about to crawl on his knees towards the other as Roronoa waved it off.
"Stop making a fuss about it. Why do you always get so upset when I talk to people you can't stand?"
"Because I know how dangerous they can be. Besides, you never tell me half of it or did you tell me that you spoke to Nataku again?"
"What are you talking about?" Roronoa hissed roughly and frowned.
"Well, first you do not tell me what you have agreed to with Eizen, then you keep from me that you had a conversation with Nataku yesterday, and then today with my father. Do you want to conspire against me?"
Now Roronoa's head slightly fell to the side and he looked at Mihawk stunned.
"Are you fucking stupid?" He growled, and for whatever godless reason, threw his towel aside. "Do you really think I would team up with one of those bastards? Don't you trust me at all, or what?"
Mihawk almost backed off if it were not for the wall behind his back.
"We didn't have a conversation or whatever you imagine. We waited in the same hallway and he just started talking like the idiot he is. Do you really think I have even the slightest interest in having to talk to this bastard Homura for longer than necessary? I want to beat him up and that's it."
Huffing, Roronoa folded his arms.
"Sometimes you're so annoying, Mihawk." He looked up when the youngster approached him like this. "As soon as someone you can't stand shows up, you become so annoyingly suspicious. I always thought that you just don't trust me at all and that's why you always make such a fuss. But that's not it, right?"
Why was it so hard for Mihawk to withstand Roronoa's gaze?
Again, Roronoa huffed and finally got up. Now Mihawk deliberately turned his gaze away, while the younger one began to dry himself.
"You're really annoying. How long will you doubt me?"
You can trust her a little bit more. At least in this one point you can be sure of her favor.
And then Mihawk understood what Nataku had meant.
"Tze, a fledgling like you tries to scold me. You are pretty bold."
"And you're quite annoying," Roronoa repeated as he rubbed his short hair with a towel.
"That means Nataku has again exaggerated excessively with what he said," Mihawk concluded with a sigh.
Roronoa shrugged.
"No idea, don't know what he told you. I definitely didn't talk to him. This bastard is draining - even more than you are - constantly babbling like some idiot. As if I want to spend more time with him than necessary."
Smiling, Mihawk looked up to the other, which he immediately regretted, as Roronoa walked still completely exposed through the bathroom and apparently did not think about getting dressed.
"Please, cover yourself," he muttered, turning his gaze away.
"And what did Homura want from you?" Roronoa grumbled, who apparently had not heard him, and stood wide-legged in front of Mihawk, who covered his eyes with one hand. "I thought you couldn't stand each other?"
"He wanted to find an ally in me and hoped that I would force you to give up your cooperation with Eizen."
"What? But..."
"Could you please get dressed, for God's sake?! He believes that Eizen wants to use you to threaten the current world order. I cannot tell you how he came to this assumption and how Lady Loreen should be able to do it, but he strongly suspects that this has something to do with the Reverie."
Roronoa laughed quietly.
"Tze, was he high? As if I were capable of such a thing. Eizen wants more power, like all politicians, and he can achieve that through Lady Loreen. But that's about it."
Mihawk shrugged his shoulders, but did not dare to look up again, although he heard Roronoa walking through the room again.
"You have to judge that," he decided to avoid a discussion. "May I at least ask what my father wanted from you?"
Mihawk got up. He just felt very old and the moist clothes did not help him. Roronoa looked up at him and shrugged his shoulders, fortunately now no longer completely naked.
"Nothing important. Asked a lot about you and wanted to know what we are to each other."
Due to the fact that Roronoa had walked around naked in front of Mihawk until a few seconds ago and they were chatting in the bathroom, Mihawk blushed even more. But Roronoa apparently did not notice, as he walked past Mihawk and reached for a shirt that also looked wet.
"Did ask weird things, like if we'd get married and what your eating habits are like and stuff like that. It was quite exhausting not to lose my nerves, as if I were ever going to marry someone, and certainly not you. "
Mihawk followed the youngster out of the bath and ignored the subliminal insult, tried to mention that Roronoa probably should transform, but when Roronoa continued to speak light-heartedly, he quickly remained silent.
"Did ask if I wanted children, what an idiot."
"Excuse me?" He swallowed heavily and his cheeks became even warmer. How could his father simply address such issues with a person he did not know? Especially considering that his former questions implied if he expected Lady Loreen to want Children with Mihawk.
Roronoa shrugged his shoulders again, pulling one of the tight jogging pants out of his drawer, which was made of the same material as his underpants. Kanan had provided them especially for Roronoa, as they could adapt to his body even in case of transformation.
"And?" Mihawk asked to keep this straining conversation going, consciously unimpressed while Roronoa put on his pants. "Do you want to have children?" This evening seemed to be a crucible for Mihawk, he thought.
"What? No," Roronoa replied directly. "I hardly would be able to cope with such a responsibility."
"Who would be with twenty?" Mihawk said, settling on one of the armchairs. How did he end up talking to Roronoa about something like this? He probably would never had mentioned it on his part, but he was indeed curious.
"Who is in general?" He grumbled, dissatisfied.
Quietly sighing, Roronoa also dropped on a sofa next to Mihawk.
"Jiroushin," he muttered thoughtfully, "I think he's going to be a good father. But otherwise no one would come to mind. The fathers of my friends have mostly done their own thing and left their children with their mothers – or anyone else – and I never had one."
Mihawk surveyed his little frog. Roronoa apparently didn't even think about transforming, while twisting a tip of his far too long, wet shirt - perhaps it belonged to Mihawk? - between his fingers.
"You are probably right. Jiroushin will certainly be a good father," he agreed. "But he is also more than willing to put his own ambitions aside for the good of his family, and not everyone is able to do that."
"I probably couldn't," Roronoa mumbled thoughtfully, "but that's also nothing for me to worry about. My priorities are my crew and my dream, there's just no room for anything else."
Somehow, the last sentence hurt Mihawk. He had always known it, knew of Roronoa's determination and resolution, and yet it was a bittersweet pain. Yawning, he rose and ignored that feeling.
"For now, I will lie down a little bit. You should transform, not that someone sees you."
"Yes, stop nagging, as if someone were coming to visit now."
Eye-rolling, Mihawk looked down to the younger one.
"Remember, we want to leave tomorrow relatively early. Probably right after your conversation with Eizen, so that we do not lose any more time. So, you should pack today and go to sleep early."
Roronoa nodded as Mihawk bit his lower lip and walked to the door.
A few minutes ago, Roronoa had accused him of not trusting him, even Nataku had claimed that Mihawk could be sure of him. But this one sentence reminded him which priority he was.
Roronoa did not mean it in a bad way. He meant it honestly when he said that Mihawk was his friend, but he was just a friend, not a crewmember, who Roronoa would protect with his life. No captain for whom Roronoa was willing to go through hell and give up his own dream.
Mihawk knew very well that Roronoa had subordinated his own dream to the lives and dreams of his crew, and since Mihawk himself was not much more than the means to an end, he could not expect to be able to keep up. It was not Roronoa's fault, Mihawk just read more between the lines than there was, so he was getting angry when Roronoa did not confirm it.
"Roronoa," he asked calmly at the door, "do you actually keep secrets from me?"
For a moment it was quiet behind him. Mihawk knew it was a mistake to ask this, he knew the answer, knew it from the beginning, even when he had asked Roronoa to be honest with him. It was not Roronoa's fault, Mihawk himself had set this trap.
"Yes," was the answer that confirmed his fear.
"Despite our agreement to be honest?"
"Yes." Roronoa did not even try to explain himself.
"Will you tell me why?" Mihawk knew the answer to each of these questions, but when he asked them, Roronoa was the culprit, not himself.
"No."
Mihawk turned around. Of course, it was the answer he had expected.
"Because you do not trust me?"
Roronoa had gotten up and looked over at him.
"Because we said no more lies, and not that I have to tell you every little detail of my life." Mihawk wanted to disagree, but Roronoa kept talking. "Or do you tell me every little thing you think about? Do I know each of your secrets and dark chapters from your past?"
Now Mihawk hesitated. No, of course he did not tell Roronoa everything, after all he wanted to protect Roronoa, even in case of doubt from him as well.
"There you go." But a quiet grin crept over the younger man's face. "I don't need to know everything about you and I hope it's the same the other way around. Of course, you can dig in my past if it makes you happy, or you just trust me that I'll tell you if there's something you need to know."
"Go to sleep now, Roronoa. It is hard for me to believe any wisdom as long as you wear such ridiculous clothes."
"Oh, just shut up!"
Roronoa threw a pillow after him, which only hit the door Mihawk hurriedly pulled close behind him. But when he arrived in his room, Mihawk's smile immediately faded. Less because of Roronoa's last words and yet for that very reason.
Do you tell me every little thing you think about?
Of course he could not.
I always thought that you just don't trust me at all and that's why you always make such a fuss. But that's not it, right?
No, it really was not.
How long will you doubt me?
It was not as if he doubted Roronoa, quite the contrary. He knew exactly where he stood with Roronoa.
My priorities are my crew and my dream, there's just no room for anything else.
For anything else? Or for anyone?
By now, Mihawk understood why Roronoa's behavior always made him lose his temper this easily, why Roronoa believed that Mihawk did not trust him, and why Mihawk ultimately did not trust Roronoa.
Finally he admitted, why Roronoa always exceeded his expectations and yet could never live up to them. He easily slapped himself against his own chest and then he hurriedly left the room.
Now only one person could help him.
