The crowd that formed around the small, empty patch of wharf that Mihawk tied up to was vast as word spread across town far faster than it had for the Straw Hats' arrival. Zoro fought to get to the front of that pack, Sanji hot at his tail so they wouldn't get split up. His cries of "Zoro! Wait!" went unheard amid the din around them. Everyone was fighting for a chance to see Mihawk, some for the first time like Zoro and Sanji. Yet where Sanji's face was writ with the concern of Zoro's fast-headedness, Zoro's grin grew on his face.

They reached the edge of the crowd where they parted to give way for Mihawk, who easily hopped up to the wharf from his little raft that bobbed at water level. His eyes didn't dance upon anyone's face, but were locked on his favorite bar. The bartender and the patrons raised their hands or mugs in cheer and welcome. "Mihawk! Good to see ya, partner!" the bartender bellowed out.

Mihawk spared no response but a nod. Whispers and questions spread across the crowd about why Mihawk had done that to the Krieg Pirates. "Did they open fire on him?" one guy near Sanji asked.

"Nah," said another man from another group overhearing. "Mihawk's got a feud with Don Krieg. He decimated half his fleet two years ago!" Sanji shivered. This man decimated half a fleet? Where's his crew?

"What's he got a feud with them for?" Sanji butted into the conversation as well, keeping an eye on Zoro a few paces ahead of him.

"Who knows? He was a Warlord at the time. He could do whatever to Krieg with total impunity," said the second man. "Maybe Krieg interrupted his nap."

Mihawk's eyes darted to the side, catching Zoro's glance, and it lingered for only a moment long enough to ensure Zoro knew Mihawk looked his way. Zoro's grin had faded momentarily, and now he was replaced with a shudder looking at the macabre man, with those piercing, double layered pupils. He's right here in front of me . . . It's now or never . . .

"Mihawk! Sign my tits!" yelled a drunken girl, running forward as she unlaced her bodice. Her friends from her crew grabbed her arms, hauling her back. "Come on, Phoebe! It's not even five o'clock yet!" Sanji watched them from here, and despite Mihawk's quite handsome features (and the girls themselves were quite beautiful, too, he couldn't help but notice), the ladies not inebriated were scared.

Mihawk ignored all, creating the parting crowd that continued to form the line as he walked toward the bar. It was Zoro that broke the crowd wall, stepping out behind Mihawk as he finally worked up the courage to do so. He took his sash from his upper arm, tying it back around his forehead. "Hawkeye Mihawk!" he called out to Mihawk's back. It wasn't disrespectful, but it wasn't a question.

Mihawk took three more steps, each slower than the last, but stopped and turned slowly, but not disrespectfully. I knew it, Mihawk thought. "What do you want, boy?"

"So it is you," Zoro said, his devil's grin returning to his face.

Sanji watched with panic in his eyes. Luffy's gonna think I killed him on purpose! "Zoro! Get back here!" Sanji called out to Zoro, beckoning him back to the crowd. Zoro looked toward Sanji, pursed his lips, and looked back at Mihawk.

"Surely you could tell that already," Mihawk replied dryly.

"Forgive me. I'm in shock to have met you so early in my journey. What are the odds? This must be fate," Zoro said, his voice trailing off eventually to speak mostly to himself. He gripped the hilt of the Wado Ichimonji at his side.

Mihawk took notice, not balking an inch. "My bartender called me when he said Krieg filth was here." Zoro glared over Mihawk's shoulder at the bartender, who crossed his arms with a chuckle. Zoro recalled his joke about the Transponder Snail, but Mihawk continued by saying, "You wear those swords well enough. Though three looks foolish all the same."

"Even for a wielder of Santoryu?" Zoro asked.

Mihawk narrowed his eyes. "Loud barks."

"It's true! I was trained by Sensei Koushirou of Shimotsuki Village," Zoro replied. "The last master of Santoryu in the East."

Mihawk scoffed. "What are you blabbering about? What nonsense is that? There are no sword wielders in the East capable of mastering Santoryu."

"You're looking at one of them." Zoro replied. "My name is Roronoa Zoro. It is my goal to defeat you in combat - to fulfill a promise to a long dead friend and to become the greatest swordsman in the world." Zoro unsheathed the Wado, staring Mihawk in the eye. "Do you accept, Dracule Mihawk?"

Mihawk took a deep breath. "I was expecting more from you. No. Even if you are a master of Santoryu, you are no sword-master. I will not waste my sword's sheen on a kid such as yourself."

Zoro placed the Wado in his mouth, reaching for his other two swords at the same time. "Zoro, no!" Sanji said, pushing through the crowd. He grabbed hold of Zoro's hands before he could unsheathe the blades. "Don't do this! He was a Warlord, for crying out loud! He'll kill you!"

Zoro's eyes were otherworldly, though, and as soon as the last word escaped Sanji's mouth, he realized that something came over the swordfighter. "This is one fight I cannot back down from. If I die," he said, and grinned as he looked at Sanji now, "tell the captain I'm sorry it had to end here."

"Zoro, stop!" Sanji said, but Zoro wrenched himself free from Sanji's grasp and walked toward Mihawk, drawing his two blades in his hands. Sanji moved after Zoro, but Zoro reached behind him, pushing Sanji back with his elbow. He nearly fell to his knees with how weak he was from the last fight.

"Listen to your friend, boy," Mihawk said. "I won't murder you in the street."

"Duel me, then," Zoro said, placing his arms rigidly at his side and bowing as he cleared half the distance to Mihawk. "Do not let me be shamed."

"You would lose your life rather than be shamed?" Mihawk threw back.

"Yes," Zoro said, and did not rise.

Mihawk sighed. "You are strong and strong willed to boot. Fine, Roronoa Zoro. Show me your skill, if such exists."

Zoro waited no more time and darted toward Mihawk. I have to throw everything I have at him, he thought, knowing it would have to pay off first thing. He sent all three swords toward Mihawk's chest in a swirl - but Mihawk had drawn from the cross on his neck a knife no bigger than Zoro's pinky finger. He strained, pushing against the knife that Mihawk held surely and without hesitation.

"Sure enough, you are well versed in Santoryu by a common swordsman's standards," Mihawk admitted. "But your praise goes no further. Perhaps had you ventured across the Grand Line in totality, this duel might be better in your favor."

Mihawk pushed back now, parrying Zoro's swords aside. Zoro's return swipes were nothing to Mihawk who merely brushed them aside, including his Wado, rearing his neck back. For a second Zoro suspected he would slit his throat, but instead, he let Zoro fall on his back, totally toppled from balance.

Zoro felt a flush creep up his neck as he felt shame all the same. Bastard! Zoro thought. "Do you relent?" he heard Mihawk say, the master stepping around to look down at Zoro eye to eye.

"No!" Zoro grunted, and swirled his legs around to bring himself to a standing position. He swept his two swords toward Mihawk, but he blocked them with the knife. "Put that cheese cutter away and duel me with Yoru!"

"I would not sully this blade with your blood," Mihawk retorted with the first hint of disdain. "A true swordfighter knows the situation before he pulls a blade. You are a child. I don't want to slaughter a child."

Zoro raged out and swept himself back in a flip, landing just outside of a slice Mihawk sent his way. Good dodge, Mihawk silently admitted as Zoro crouched into stance. "Oni Giri!" he cried out, sweeping forward in a flurry of swordplay that swung out toward Mihawk.

But Hawkeye dove around the swords and sent his knife plunging into Zoro's diaphragm, digging it in to the hilt. Zoro coughed up blood, but dared not let the Wado fall from his mouth. Sanji's eyes went wide with horror. The worst had come to pass in his eyes. "ZORO!" he screamed from the tighter circle that had formed around Zoro and Mihawk.

Word spread across Whisky Peak not only of Mihawk's arrival but of his duel with the rookie from Straw Hat's crew, Roronoa. The word reached the Kid Pirates as well, though Kid was none too impressed. "Little do I care about Roronoa. Poor Killer here was, but perhaps this is for the best. You said he was weak, wasn't he?" Kid asked Killer from on board the Victoria Punk in the great hall where the whole crew could gather.

"Well, yeah, but," Killer replied. "This could be interesting . . . it's Hawkeye Mihawk after all."

Kid sneered and shook his head. "I don't want to see a slaughter. You go if you want, and anyone else," Kid said, beckoning over one of the local ladies he had welcomed aboard for the time being with a smile. "I'm gonna stay here and warm up," he said, causing the lady to giggle as he tugged her to his lap.

Wire scruffed the back of his head, scrunching his face up. "I dunno. It could be cool!" he said, trying to hide his excitement at a big fight of an ex-Warlord. The others wanted to share their captain's nonchalance - he was the coolest of them all at all times. But we wanna see a slaughter! they thought to themselves.

"Yeah, I might head, too," Heat said. "Just to feel land under my feet again before we leave."

Kid cleared his throat and stomped his boot on the floor, alerting his crew to look back at him. "Yeah, so don't get lost in some bar somewhere and make us late tomorrow morning. We can do our drinking here if you guys really need another round."

"I'll make sure we aren't late, Kid," Killer assured Kid, and his captain knew it. He nodded to him, and the crew largely split in two. Heat and Wire accompanied Killer as well as a bunch of the other less hungover or more curious of the crew. They were giddy at getting to see Mihawk; even for a Warlord dog who'd turned to the Government, he was cool. Now that he'd renounced the position, he was even cooler. Killer didn't care about any of that, turning his ears off to the sound of the others' chatter. He was most interested in seeing some of that legendary skill Hawkeye was said to possess. Deep down, he was also curious to see what Roronoa was capable of.

Shakky heard the commotion outside but knew little until the patrons who had partied with the Straw Hats burst in together. "Shakky! Terrible news, doll!" the captain cried as they all slammed against the bar.

"Careful, geez," Shakky complained. "What's the fluster around town now?"

"These Straw Hats, they sure know how to shake things up!" the captain continued. "Mihawk! Goddamn Mihawk showed up! He sliced the Krieg crew in half, they all drowned out in the bay!"

"What?" Shakky said, genuinely surprised. "Don Krieg won't be happy about that. Thought that beef was squashed. What's that got to do with the Straw Hats?"

"Roronoa's fighting the son of a bitch now!" the captain exclaimed. "He and the ladies' man were already over there where he landed and he thought it'd be a good idea to fight him."

Shakky's blood went cold and she barely acknowledged the cigarette fall from her lips. "Is he dead?" she asked frankly, scared of the answer.

Sanji stared at Zoro and Mihawk, leaning into each other and the knife that dug into Zoro's body. It was the thing wreaking havoc on Zoro's body, yet it was the one thing that kept him standing. What skill, Sanji thought, could this even be?! The crowd continued growing and growing; here was when Killer and those from the Kid crew arrived, bolstering the crowd itself. Sanji heard Heat talking from just nearby. "What's going on? Why are they hugging?"

"Do you yield?" Mihawk asked Zoro. Zoro replied with labored breathing, unable to bring words to his mouth. His strength was devoted to keeping his swords armed. Should I be impressed or annoyed? it made Mihawk wonder.

"Sanji! Hey! What're you doing here?" Sanji heard in his left ear, and he spun to find Luffy. "What's going on? What is Zoro doing hugging that guy?"

"Luffy! This is bad, talk some sense into the stupid Mosshead!" Sanji cried, throwing his arm out toward Zoro. "That's the greatest swordsman in the world he's fighting! I tried to stop him but -."

Luffy looked at Zoro and Mihawk with new, less joyful eyes. But they weren't haunted by fear like Sanji might have expected. There was firm determination set in Luffy's bright eyes, and the smile on his face changed. It was something sturdy, a smile Sanji knew by now that Luffy only shared in the most dire moments. "The strongest swordsman in the world, huh?" Luffy cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, "ZORO! YOU GOT THIS?"

Zoro tilted his neck to the side, not wanting to take his gaze off Mihawk for long. Yet Mihawk was no disrespectful fighter, and even if he were, the call distracted him as well. He looked at Luffy - and stared at the straw hat on his head. Red Hair . . . Who'd've thought I'd meet your pet project here? But his eyes turned back to Zoro as he let out a grunt, nodded at Luffy, then jerked himself off of Mihawk's knife.

One, two, three, Zoro sent his swords clattering against Mihawk's knife and -. "GOD DAMN! He's got Mihawk on his heels?!" one of Kid's men cried out as Mihawk indeed did have to take seven defensive steps back. His arm and knife traced lazily through the air, his face calm and set the exact same way as he parried Zoro's blows to the side. Mihawk finally slid his knife under Zoro's right sword, drawing the blades against each other as he drew it up to Zoro's hilt and twisted his arm behind his back.

"Do you yield?" Mihawk asked. "I will not grant you this mercy forever."

"I'm not asking for it," Zoro replied, rejuvenated now that the knife was out of his body. He twisted himself around the opposite way to somewhat free his arm from Mihawk's grip, scratching his arm against the older man's knife as he stumbled away from him. But even Luffy could see the strain put on Zoro. His shoulders were slumping steadily, and his breathing was not getting any better.

"I've pierced your diaphragm, the muscle that controls your breathing. You really ought to relax and let it heal, boy," Mihawk told Zoro, letting his knife arm fall to his side.

"I'm no boy," Zoro spat back and stretched his arms out to either side, swinging his sword back around behind the Wado in his mouth. "Tiger -!"

But he didn't finish the words, instead launching himself a second earlier than expected, eyes digging into Mihawk's. Yet the attack fell short by just an inch, waving the hair creeping out from under Mihawk's hat that had not even budged from his head. Zoro stumbled at his swords connecting with nothing. But how?! How could I have missed?! "You're still green around the gills," Mihawk told Zoro, as if able to read his mind, as he sent the knife digging up into Zoro's belly this time. "Do you yield?"

The blow would have killed lesser men, even Mihawk now had to acknowledge. Yet Zoro trembled, and seemed to rise up. Puzzling indeed, Mihawk thought. Strength was almost returning to Zoro's body as they locked eyes, up close with one another. Will it be enough? thought Zoro to himself . . .

Shakky burst into the cabin of the Going Merry, the door slamming against the back wall. Inside, Usopp cooked eggs at the stove while Gaimon sat with Robin at the table. Shakky could hear a shower going somewhere else in the ship. "What are you all doing sitting around?! Can't you hear the commotion outside?!" At this point, though, most of the people excited about the duel were already in the crowd around the swordsmen.

"Easy! My head's still pounding," Gaimon whined as he clutched his temples.

"What's wrong? You want some eggs?" Usopp asked.

"Your crewmate is dueling the strongest sword fighter in the world, you guys!" Shakky exploded, her arms spread wide.

Usopp chuckled, stirring the eggs up in the pan. "So they actually found him. Well, I'll be."

"You'll be and Roronoa will be dead!" Shakky exclaimed, striding forward, hands on hips, addressing all the Straw Hats as if they were five year old children. "You're new here, so we went easy on you when you arrived, but let me tell you - from now until you return to your quaint little homes, you're in a very dangerous place with very strong people. Some of whom are why this place is dangerous."

"She's right," Robin said grimly. "If Mr. Bushido's fighting a guy like Mihawk . . ."

"This is the end of the line for him," Shakky said, finishing Robin's trailed off sentence. "We need to get down there ten minutes ago. Everyone, on deck."

Usopp set the spatula he was using down and leaned on the counter, his face furrowing up. "You really think this is that big a deal?"

"Shakky's one of the senior most pirates on this sea that we could hope to meet, Usopp," Robin said, standing. "Let Navi finish her shower, we can fill her in later. For now, we follow this lady's lead if we want Mr. Bushido to live."

"Wait, wait, wait, this is too messed up to comprehend right now," Gaimon stuttered. "Just how strong is this guy?"

Usopp pulled the skillet off the eye and shut the heat, wiping his hands on his front as he and Robin ran outside. Shakky held the door open for them, but waited for Gaimon to hop off the bench and come to the door. "He's strong enough to carve mountains like ice. Strong enough to wield a blade as heavy as Whitebeard's right half. Strong enough to leave the World Government's clutches and not even receive a slap on the wrist."

Gaimon's breathing began to stutter in his chest as he picked up the pace and rushed outside. Shakky came after him, and within a few moments, the Merry moved along down the river toward the end of the wharf where the duel, if one could call it that, continued . . .

"You are defeated now," Mihawk told Zoro.

His body was cut up in a dozen different places, including his face, though he had dropped no sword. The Wado still shimmered as glimmery as it had the day Zoro'd first laid eyes on it, but after this duel, his other two blades were notched and scarred, dull against the light from the beating they were taking from Mihawk's knife. His feet shuffled underneath him, fighting to keep him upright.

"Yield," Mihawk said.

"I can't!" Zoro yelled back.

Mihawk scoffed, his nostrils flaring with disgust suddenly. "I may be a swordsman, but I don't subscribe to the paltry customs our peers hold. I don't like extinguishing life, boy. Especially not one so young as yourself. What are you, fourteen?" That last part was a dig; truly, it was anything to keep this man from killing himself against Mihawk's blade.

"It's not about custom," Zoro huffed out, every word a struggle. He spoke strongly regardless. "I made a vow to my best friend in the world . . . that we'd fight to become the strongest one day - after defeating you." Zoro pointed a sword at Mihawk. The stronger man remained silent. "Yet she died. And I'm left on earth. I cannot yield."

And something new grew in Mihawk's eyes, Zoro could tell. What it was, he was not deft enough to guess, but . . . Zoro saw it. It came as a sting to see Mihawk sheathe his knife - until his hands reached around his back and he gripped the hilt of his great black blade, Yoru. It hissed quietly as he pulled it from its scabbard. The crowd grew totally silent to hear that ominous sound. Almost the entire crowd had Zoro pegged for a defeat here, but there was honor now at play, win or lose.

"YOU GOT THIS, ZORO!" called the one man who fully believed in his crewmate, Straw Hat Luffy, craning himself over the crowd by their shoulders, trying to clamber over them and into the ring to watch up close if Sanji weren't holding him back. "STRIKE HIM DOWN FOR YOUR FRIEND!" Tears were in his eyes at the basic backstory the swordsman had just given, but the determination on his face was now angry at seeing his man so badly beaten.

"I have misjudged you, Roronoa," Mihawk told Zoro. "But I tell you this now, you cannot hope to win today. While I will give you the honor you and your friend deserve, you will not achieve victory for you both. Can you stomach that?"

Zoro breathed heavily, the muscles in his jaw flexing more and more as he gripped the Wado tighter. "I would sooner die with an attempt than wonder if we'll ever meet again, Hawkeyes."
Mihawk finally smiled wanly, nothing with much emotion. He held Yoru easily in one hand as if it were a toothpick. "Then give me everything you have left."

Zoro gave a war cry and sprang forth. "WOLF FANG!" Spinning, he threw his swords in a connected point toward Mihawk, watching as he took Yoru with two hands and took a stance, nothing with much strength behind it. That's enough, Zoro realized, and prayed to Kuina for forgiveness.

Yoru sliced down at the prime moment and cut right through Zoro's blades he wore at his hands, shattering them with a tinny sound like the tiniest of bells as their pieces fell to the ground. But Luffy, Sanji, Killer, and the rest of the crowd's eyes were on the arc of blood that shot from Zoro's body as Yoru cut into his body. Mihawk couldn't help but notice he gave no whelp or scream of pain.

But what he was most intrigued by was the deft way in which Zoro had seen his defeat coming - and had dropped the Wado from his mouth. That strike should have cut through any sword, Mihawk thought, and he knew that. But more than his life, that sword . . . The Wado now lay at his feet, and Zoro stood behind him, dripping blood.

"You . . . fight well," Zoro said weakly. As Mihawk turned to face him again, Zoro fell to his back, but Mihawk caught him, gently easing him down. Even now, though, his guts were pushing out from the wound. Mihawk gently kept them in place, not letting Zoro's skull clonk against the ground.

"As do you, for your skill," Mihawk said. He stared at the Wado. "The Wado Ichimonji . . . quite a blade. It must be dear to you."

Zoro's eyes began to water. "It's . . . hers," he responded in a croak.

A great scream came out and Mihawk looked over his shoulder at Luffy barreling toward him. "GUM GUM BAZOOKA!" Luffy cried out, blasting his hands forward right at Mihawk's head. Mihawk dodged, almost imperceptible but for a flash of his body zipping to the crowd's edge. With the flat of Yoru, he took the Bazooka, preventing the wayward strike from hitting any in the crowd. Luffy stood over Zoro, his chest heaving like a wild animal. His teeth were bared at Mihawk as he cracked his knuckles, and even the straw hat fell to the ground beside Zoro rather unnoticed. "You're fighting me now!"

"Luffy," Zoro croaked without hesitation, coughing up blood as his left hand found his stomach, holding himself in place. He shook his head. "That's it. I lost." His right arm craned back and found the Wado's hilt, bringing it to his chest as he breathed unsteadily. Sanji ran up now, as well, falling to his knees beside Zoro. His eyes were wide and panicked as he brought his hands to Zoro's abdomen, too, not wanting any further damage to come to his crewmate.

"Dracule," Zoro said, looking at Mihawk again as the swordsman eased up after Luffy's attack. "Thank you. That was . . . a duel I can carry to the heavens." He began to laugh.

Mihawk sighed emphatically. "Hopefully not too soon. Do not be so quick to abandon your life, even for noble promises, Roronoa. I've cut you bad, but you have a chance still. It was not a fatal wound. Any doctors here, I implore you to do what you can for this man, but do not lose sleep over it." He locked eyes with Zoro, unblinking. "It is up to you to survive, though. Can you do that?" Zoro began to cry openly, choking down his sobs as Mihawk's words hit him. "Can you live to reunite with me someday - and strike me down as I have just done to you?"

Zoro nodded, and raised his sword in the air. The force shifted his insides around under Sanji's hands. "Stop! You're killing yourself!" Sanji exclaimed, his clothes becoming drenched in blood.

"Luffy!" He sobbed a bit, clapping his left hand to his forehead while his right held the Wado's point aimed to the heavens. "KUINA! I'm sorry . . . I failed you both."

"No you didn't! You fought amazing," Luffy said. His anger faded as Mihawk's words hit him, as well. It was not a fatal wound. He kneeled by Zoro's other side, a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"He called for a doctor, god dammit! Are any of you sorry bastards a doctor?!" Sanji screamed out, looking this way and that at the crowd gathered around them.

Mockingly, he heard the bartender and the crowd from Mihawk's place laugh. "Come on, Hawkeyes! Today, the drinks are on the house!" The older men threw up great cheers for Mihawk's untarnished record.

"I swear . . . the next time I duel that man . . ." Zoro said, tears mixing with the blood pooling on the ground around him. "I SWEAR . . . I will not lose! I SWEAR IT!"

"I know," Luffy said gently, relaxed now as he stayed by his friend's side. Zoro let out a last sob and then his eyes fluttered shut. His sword arm fell limp behind him and his entire body relaxed, a relief to the guts under Sanji's hands. Luffy glared back at Mihawk, reaching to his straw hat and stuffing it back on his head.

"You are Roronoa's captain, Straw Hat?" Mihawk said as he cleaned Zoro's blood from Yoru. "You're a good man. Even I have heard of you. A good leader. Shanks might just be right about you."

"I didn't know you knew Shanks," Luffy managed to reply, trying to quell the hatred he now felt for this man.

"The things you boys don't know could fill a book," Mihawk said. "You're on the Grand Line. Grand gestures like that don't belong here if you don't have the muscle to back it up. You all have great dreams ahead of you, I'm sure. So get stronger first." Yoru was clean. He returned it to the scabbard on his back.

Killer shook from nearby. The entire duel had been far more exciting than he had imagined. Exciting enough to give you a panic attack, he thought, bitter at the defeat that made him feel. I was wrong about Roronoa. He is a man worth fighting! But this Mihawk . . . I might be stronger than the Pirate Hunter, but what hope do I have against the Naval Hunter? It made him want to vomit, were there not a mask hiding his true feelings. "Come on. This is over," he managed to say to the others from Kid's crew, and they hesitantly followed their senior away from the duel.

"Safe travels, Straw Hat crew," Mihawk said, tipping his hat to them. "Though there are few of those left in this day and age," he added as he turned his back on the scene of his victory without any hint of happiness, joy, or change in his direction. Followed by the bartender and the patrons, he entered his favorite bar.

"Thank God," Sanji said, pointing over Luffy's shoulder. Luffy looked and they saw the Going Merry pulling up to this section of the wharf on the river. "We need all the help we can get. I SAID, is anyone here a doctor?!"

On the Merry, all hands were now on deck, including Nami. She looked around for any bare part of the wharf to dock at frantically, bounding from one end of the deck to the other. "I see them! We just need to tie up! Find us a spot, Usopp!"

Usopp at the helm threw his arms up in desperation. "Neither of us can find one because there isn't one!" he threw back, as frantic as Nami felt.

"Ahoy there!" called a booming voice. "Zehahahaha! Quite a fight! I assume he belongs to you all?" The Straw Hats on deck and Shakky turned to face the ship directly to their right, tied up to the same side as that where Mihawk had just defeated Zoro. "Tie up to my ship! You can cross and help your friend. Allow me to offer any assistance myself." His ship had no marking identifiers, but it was quite grand, much larger than the Merry. He placid his hands on his hips and said, "You can call me Captain Marshall!"