Hey guys! I'm back with the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed your week! As usual, I know that not many people are reading this. So without any more typing, I'll get on with the chapter.

If you were wondering why I reposted the previous chapter, the reason is: I didn't. I simply deleted the notice.

"What is love?" – Speech

"Idiot! Don't ask me that!" – Thinking

"Gomu Gomu no Black Mamba!" – Attacks

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. If I did, Luffy wouldn't be so dense.

Chapter 12

They rushed. The shockwaves created by their clash caused the waves around them to go wild. They jumped back. They were having issues fighting, due to the overwhelming amount of water, and limited amount of land.

Luffy, who noticed this, went up to Zeff. "Do you have a platform or anything?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Zeff nodded, and told one of his chefs to raise the platform. As soon as the platform was raised, the two swordsmen occupied it, clashing their swords.

After a few more minutes of clashing back and forth, Zoro decided to initiate the second verse of the battle. He leaped back, and infused his haki into his swords, surprising everyone who didn't know what haki was. He moved two of his swords behind his left shoulder, the sword in his mouth facing in the opposite direction. "Santoryu…" he muttered. He swung his swords as hard as he could, yelling "…Sen Hachi Hyaku Pound Ho!" The slash approached Mihawk. Mihawk had to infuse his own haki into his sword to stop the slash. He gritted his teeth, as he was pushed back a few meters, stopping at the edge of the platform. He jumped back, slashing midair, aiming for Zoro's chest. Zoro simply countered it with his own slash.

Everyone watching from the sides, were gaping. The two swordsmen were showing them moves that they hadn't even thought of. Except Zeff, who had already seen things like this, as well as Luffy & Sanji, who were looking at him with pride.

They both leaped at each other, clashing. Zoro swung his swords at Mihawk, aiming for his neck. Mihawk ducked, slashing his own sword, aiming for Zoro's waist. Zoro jumped over the slash, and clashed his swords with Mihawk's once again. Mihawk jumped back, and used one of his stronger slashes, to which Zoro leaned his head back, letting the slash go over his head. When he swung his head back, he was surprised to see Mihawk already there, ready to strike. Zoro swung his swords again, clashing with Mihawk. A sweat drop dripped down his neck. 'Damn… I'm already running out of energy…' Zoro thought, tightening his hold on the sword in his mouth.

Luffy and Sanji, meanwhile sighed. They knew the outcome in the end. They knew who was going to win in the end. However, this was a battle of pride and honour for Zoro, so they couldn't tell him to give up the match.

Zoro jumped back. He positioned his swords back. He then spun himself, along with his blades, creating a twister, while yelling "Kokujo: O Tatsumaki!" The twister rused in Mihawk's direction, creating deep slashes in the platform along the way. Mihawk simply slashed at the twister, effectively stopping it. Knowing Mihawk was going to stop his move, Zoro planned his next move. "Santoryu Ogi…" He whispered under his breath, bending his body. He performed a vertical spin, creating an inverted 'S' shaped slash. "… Rokudo no Tsuji." He said, as the slash dashed towards Mihawk. He stopped the effect of the attack using his blade, however, not being able to prevent the slash, cutting his cheek.

Mihawk smirked. This man had provided his first real challenge in ten years. The last one being his last one with Shanks, before he took on some apprentice of his.

Zoro was slightly panting. He raised his head, showing his smirk. "Hey Mihawk. How about we finish this off with one final attack?" He asked, slightly winded out. Mihawk nodded, happy to fulfil his request.

Zoro began to chant for his final attack.

"The nine mountains and eight seas,

…constitute one world!

A thousand of them form a small chiliocosm!

And when I gather and cube that chiliocosm,

there's nothing I can't cut!"

Zoro started to spin the swords that were in his hands. They both leaped at the same time.

"Santoryu Ogi…"

He was ready to complete his final move. Mihawk, meanwhile, was ready to strike Zoro, with force.

"… Ichidai Sanzen…"

They were a few centimeters away from each other. Neither of them would hold back, knowing the final attack would matter the most.

"… Daisen Sekai!"

The two swordsmen passed each other, having struck their target. The audience leaned forward, anticipating the results.

A few moments passed.

All of a sudden, Zoro fell onto both of his knees, panting heavily. An 'X' shaped scar was formed on his chest. Mihawk, on the other side, fell onto one knee, slightly panting. He was exhausted of the exciting match this swordsman had given him. A '/' shaped scar had formed on his chest. He struggled a bit to stand up. When he turned around, he was surprised by what he saw. Zoro was standing there, his arms wide spread open.

Upon his look of confusion, the only thing Zoro said was "Wounds on the back are a swordsman's greatest shame." Mihawk grinned. Yes. This man had potential. He would not kill him. No he would not. This man, who had given him the greatest challenge in a long time, had a lot of potential. Mihawk walked up to him, and placed his hand on his shoulder, shocking everyone. "Roronoa Zoro. You have given me a great battle. You have the potential to defeat me one day. And I, Dracula Mihawk, shall wait for you until that day comes." Mihawk said. That alone, caused some people to faint. Zoro, on the other hand, was looking in Mihawk's eyes with a determined look.

Mihawk was about to walk away, when Krieg suddenly shouted. "Hey Mihawk! Aren't you here for my head?!" He yelled, a mocking tone heard in his voice. Mihawk looked back, smirking. "I was going to, however this young man eased my boredom, so I'm going to spare you." He replied, making Krieg furious. 'How dare he look down on the strongest man!' Krieg a roar, he brought out his guns, and shot at Mihawk. However, by the time the bullets had reached Mihawk, he had escaped. Krieg laughed at this. "With him gone, I'll take over this ship, and conquer and Grand Line!" he exclaimed. Luffy and Sanji frowned. Had he forgotten about them?

Luffy looked at Zeff. "Hey Zeff! If we take care of these pirates, we get Reiju. Is that okay?" He asked, receiving an "Okay…" from Zeff. Reiju couldn't stop herself from shrilling angrily at Zeff. "Do I look like some bargaining tool to you?!" She screamed, making everyone wince. Zeff just ignored her.

Mean while, the Krieg pirates roared, running into battle. At the same time, so did Nami with her staff, Reiju with her fists, and all the cooks. Usopp was sniping the pirates down with his slingshot. Pudding was inside the restaurant, having been told by Sanji to wait for him inside. While the fighting was happening, Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, who had just reached back onto the ship, and Zeff were watching them fight. Zeff looked at them from the corner from his eye. "Aren't you going to help your nakamas?" He asked. Luffy and Zoro just chuckled. "Just keep an eye on them. They'll be alright." Zoro said. Zeff rose an eyebrow. Just how much trust did they have in their nakama?

Mean while, Nami was striking down her foes back and forth, rendering them unconscious before they could even reach her. Reiju, was using her super human strength to punch or kick her enemies, some only requiring a flick to their forehead. They cooks were matching evenly with the pirates, a stalemate on their part. Lastly, Usopp was shooting down pirates, especially those who were getting too close to Nami and Reiju.

While Reiju was distracted, fighting the weaker pirates, she didn't notice the huge pirate with iron plates behind her. Usopp couldn't shoot him down because of the defenses he had. Sanji, however, could. He looked at Luffy, who nodded without saying a word. Sanji disappeared from his spot, his movement only seen by Luffy, Zoro, and Zeff. He appeared in front of the pirate, and kicked him, preventing him from hitting Reiju. It wouldn't matter even if he did, due to her super human genes. However, he was her brother. As a brother, he had to protect her. The pirate was sent flying, a hole in the pad, on his chest. At that moment, Reiju turned around.

Reiju was fighting off her opponents. She was having fun beating them up, proving quite the workout for her. All of a sudden, she felt someone behind her. When she turned around, she saw Sanji putting his leg down. She looked on, confused. Had someone been there? Before she could ask, Sanji took out a few pirates, who were aiming for her. "Don't lose your concentration." He told her, at which she nodded. Before she knew it, he had vanished, appearing beside Luffy. Getting over her surprise, she started attacking the pirates.

Usopp was getting good shots on the pirates, being able to snipe them down. 'Maybe I should get him a pistol…' Luffy thought, excited at the thought of having Usopp even more deadlier.

It was at that time, that Gin raised his voice, pointing his gun towards Luffy's head. Luffy had noticed him, along with everyone on his side. However, Luffy signalled them to ignore it. Now, the cooks, who didn't know that Luffy had eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi, were freaking out, yelling at Sanji, Zoro, and Zeff to help him out. At the same time, the pirates were cheering for Gin, cheering him on, telling him to shoot Luffy. Even Krieg was grinning. 'Maybe I had overestimated him. He's weak as a bug. Or maybe we're just stronger than a Yonko.' Krieg thought, mentally boasting himself. Nami and Usopp just ignored Gin, already knowing about Luffy's powers. Meanwhile, Zoro and Sanji were trying their best to hold in their laughter.

"Shoot me." Luffy whispered, loud enough for only Gin to hear. He wanted to see his reaction.

Gin's eyes widened. He hadn't been expecting it. He thought the chefs would stop, and just hand the ship over. He didn't want to shoot the man who had saved him from starving. His hands trembled, this being noticed by Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and Zeff.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Shoot me. Show me your loyalty towards Don Krieg." Luffy continued, tempting Gin. It worked, a surprising resolve showing up in Gin's eyes. If it was for Don Krieg, he would even take his own life. He closed his eyes, and hesitantly pulled the trigger. A booming sound came from the gun, catching the attentions of everyone, including Usopp, who had his eyes wide, and Nami, who had some tears falling. Many pirates roared out loud in happiness, seeing Gin's ruthlessness.

Reiju's eyes widened. Yes, she did think that Luffy was annoying. But that didn't mean he had to be shot. She witnessed, as the bullet travelled into Luffy's head. All of a sudden, she heard laughter.

Sanji and Zoro couldn't take it anymore. They burst out laughing, looking at the horrified faces the allies. Everyone stared at the two, thinking they had gone crazy. Eventually, the two managed to calm down. Sanji opened his mouth. "What the hell are ya looking at shit heads? Did you really think our captain would die THAT easily? That's almost like an insult. Look." He told them, pointing towards Luffy towards the end. What they saw shocked them. The bullet was imbedded in Luffy's head, the portion stretching out to abnormal lengths. It reminded everyone of rubber, for some reason. The stretched out portion suddenly snapped back, the bullet hitting the gun with more power and speed than originally fired. The gun exploded in Gin's hand, causing some minor injuries. Luffy grinned at everyone, showing the peace sign.

Everyone was staring at Luffy with wide eyes. What happened was beyond their understanding. They had never thought something like was possible. How did this boy bounce the bullet back, without dying?

"Do I look like some character from a Shounen Manga to you? I might as well tell you, or else you guys won't let go of me…" He sighed. "I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi. I'm a rubber man." Luffy answered their unspoken question, stretching his cheeks to abnormal lengths. This surprised everyone, who didn't know devil fruits existed. Luffy then pouted childishly. "Well? What are you looking at me for? Fight!" He cheered, wanting the fighting to be back.

The cooks and pirates looked at each other, then started fighting again, this time, with more vigour.

Meanwhile, Don Krieg was getting impatient. He was tired of waiting for his crew to beat the cooks. He decided to step up, taking matters into his own hands. He took off his cloak, revealing his armor. He decided to end it off before it started. "I'm going to use my MH5! Anyone who gets in my way will die!" He yelled, catching the attention of everyone. The Krieg pirates who knew what it was, jumped in the water, with poison masks. The cooks on the other hand, were confused, not understanding what it was.

The trio, remembering what it was, remained calm, silently looking at a certain pink haired woman.

Reiju, on the other hand, saw the poison masks, and connected the dots. She grinned, licking her lips. It was about time she got to have some poison.

Don Krieg fired the MH5, intending to take out everyone. The trio with the high reputation would be dead. His bounty would go SKY HIGH! What he wasn't expecting was the pink woman to stop his bomb, using both her hands, and ripping it apart. When the poison came out, surrounding her, he laughed, questioning her foolishness. He was sure she was going to die. However, his laughter died down when she inhaled the poison, like it was some addictive drug.

She sighed out, a look of content on her face. She looked around her, seeing all the wide eyes there were. She grinned, throwing out a peace sign, happy to have helped.

The trio, on the other hand, exhaled a breath they didn't know they were holding.

Luffy sighed. It looked like it was time to take care of things. He stretched his arm out, muttering "Gear Second".His skin turned pink, steam rolling off of him. He disappeared, faster then Zoro and Sanji could track him, and appeared in front of Don Krieg, surprising him. He let out an "eep". Luffy's arm was stretched out, covered in Busoshoku Haki. When he thought it was enough, he stretched his arm back, his hand suddenly catching on fire. He calmly said "Gomu Gomu no Red Hawk." It was too fast for Don Krieg to react. It ended up piercing his armor, burning his skin. He was bent over, Luffy's hand still embedded in his armor. Krieg screamed in pain, haven't have experienced such pain in his life before. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Luffy did not intent to kill him, but he intended to have him arrested.

Everyone was shocked. They hadn't expected Luffy to defeat Don Krieg so easily. Then again, he was said to be Yonko level…

The cooks were smiling, laughing, and crying tears of joy, having helped defended the restaurant. Their home.

Reiju and the Straw Hats weren't surprised, having seen his power before.

Zeff was impressed. He had initially thought the Yonko comparison was a joke. Seeing the boy knock the main boss unconscious, with little to minimum effort, made him rethink. He then glanced at Sanji. That boy's fighting style was very similar to his. Then way he kicked. The way he moved. It was all similar to his. He mentally noted it later to ask the boy about it later.

The Krieg Pirates were horrified. They hadn't expected their boss to lose. They had always thought that their boss was undefeatable. Today, they were proven wrong. Before they could do anything, they fell unconscious. Everyone thought it was because of their exhaustion. However, Sanji, Zoro and Zeff knew better, having felt Haoshoku Haki before. They looked at Luffy, who was glaring at the unconscious pirates. He had knocked them out, putting them in an unconscious state for a few days. It was enough time to call the marines.

The attack had ended.

Everyone celebrated.

Everyone was happy.

And that's it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, don't forget to read the next chapter. I will see y'all again next chapter. Bye!

Crew

Luffy – Captain

Zoro – First Mate

Sanji – Cook

Nami – Navigator

Usopp – Sniper

Pudding – Interrogator

Attacks

Santoryu: Sen Hachi Hyaku Pound Ho (Three Sword Technique: One Thousand Eight Hundred Pound Phoenix)

Kokujo: O Tatsumaki (Kalasutra: Great Dragon Twister)

Santoryu Ogi: Rokudo no Tsuji (Three Sword Secret Technique: Crossroad of Six Paths)

Santoryu Ogi: Ichidai Sanzen Daisen Sekai (Three Sword Secret Technique: Great Three Thousand Worlds)