Chapter 24: Roronoa Zoro
Arc – The Captured Rain Genin Resolution, part 4
Title page: Yoshino standing there with a smug look on her face, with a speech bubble depicting Shibi and two other Aburame. The five Rain genin are shaking worse than ever as their collective thought bubble shows a red Shibi with horns, a nasty-looking tail and a pitchfork, with the other two black as night, looking more like shadows than humans. The surroundings are all in flames.
Subtext: They are coming for you!
XXXXXXX – East Blue, Going Merry
Nami couldn't remember how long she screamed. It could have been hours, or even longer. Truth be told, it was only a few seconds, but with the descending swarm that converged on her, it seemed like an eternity. She expected each mouth on those hundreds of disgusting bugs to dig into her and destroy her person completely. So she did the predictable reaction of screaming and shutting her eyes as she waited for the bugs to bite.
They never did.
She allowed her scream to die when she realized nothing further came. Slowly, she opened her eyes to take in the sight around her.
Thousands of Shino's Kikaichu were now crawling all over her, like a big, thick black blanket wrapped all over her. Nami could feel each of them as they moved across her body, and felt an incredible urge to throw up.
Her heart thumping hard against her chest, she looked directly at the young Aburame no less than two meters in front of her. How did he know she was leaving!? He wasn't on the ship when she pulled out; she made sure no one else had been! And everyone should have been too preoccupied with the pirates to notice anything! "H-how?" she choked out.
"I dislike repeating myself," Shino said, a tone of annoyance in his voice. "I informed you earlier that there was a female of the species on each of you.'
Shino did not answer right away; he seemed to be considering something. Finally, a bug crawled out of a small hole on his cheek. The sight of that instantly caused Pepper, Carrot and Onion saying 'GROSS!'. They said 'GROSS' very loudly and repeatedly. Shino, however, ignored them. "The female member of this species produces a faint scent that only the male of the same species can detect. Using that scent, the males can find the females anywhere." Shino paused and then added. "And there's a female on each of you."
"WHAT!?" Sakura and Nami cried out, looking themselves over, as expecting to see a horde of bugs crawling all over them. Zoro didn't seem to care and Sasuke wasn't listening. The three boys were making gagging sounds.
Nami wanted to slap herself for forgetting that crucial detail, but was too scared to so much as twitch her fingers right now. "I was alerted to your leaving when the female's scent on you began to move further away," Shino continued. "Naturally, I had assumed one of Don Kreig's men had captured you, or that you might have been moving the ship away for safety. As you continued to move further and further away, I hid myself on the ship to make sure of your intentions. Unfortunately for you, they are now quite clear."
The thief did not like the way those last two words sounded. It carried the tone of a man just about to drop a condemned prisoner on the gallows. "Y-you don't understand! I – "
Shino interrupted. "You are correct: I do not understand. As such, I am willing to hear your reasons for doing this. I expect you to be honest about your intentions, and for you sake, they had better be more than just thievery." Despite wearing glasses, Nami could feel that gaze become much harder. "And I will know if you are lying."
This was because Shino's bugs would be monitoring her pulse rating. Any lie would result in a change in that, which would be felt by the bugs. Nami did not know this, but she had no doubt that Shino was telling the truth.
So she told him. All of it. She left out no details.
When she was finished, there was a very notable change in Shino's posture and stance. That impression of the hanging magistrate was long gone, replaced by that of a curious child who was trying to understand what a weapon was.
Shino gestured and the entire swarm flew off of Nami, returning to their host's body. Nami fell to her knees in relief, very glad that experience was over. No one as cute as her should have to go through that!
"I am taking a nap," Shino declared, pushing his glasses up.
Nami looked at the bug user like he was crazy. "What?"
Shino didn't respond. He merely turned around and starting walking to the cabin. "Yes. That will suffice. I felt a sudden weariness about me and decided to take a nap on the ship. Unbeknownst to me, the ship was being pirated away as I slept."
"You realize I can hear you, right?!"
Shino merely nodded to himself, clearly satisfied with his 'excuse'. As he opened the door, he looked over his shoulder at the orange-haired girl. "Proceed with what you are doing, Nami. I will not interfere. I highly suggest, though, that you don't try to 'lose me.'" With that, he walked inside and closed the door behind him.
The thief just looked at the spot and debated on what to do. She didn't want any of the others along, least of all Shino.
"What do I do, Bellemere?" she asked out loud, looking up at the sky before getting back to the task of navigating the ship. If Shino was staying, he could at least help her out. Ingrate.
XXXXXXX – East Blue, Baratie
The fighting between Zabuza and Zoro, the pirates and the Chefs, and the newly started match of Choji vs. the Demon Brothers was about to commence anew when Kreig's flagship seemingly exploded in a shower of wood and metal.
Everyone looked over in the direction of the former ship as debris rained on the ocean, leaving large clumps of the ship scattered all across the sea.
"Whoa!!!" many voices shouted.
"What was that!?!" Luffy and Naruto screamed together.
"Maybe some ammunition exploded!?" several of the cooks and pirates suggested.
Some of them, like Zeff and Sasuke, didn't verbally react, but the surprise was clearly etched on their faces.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?!" Don Kreig himself roared, the loudest voice yet. "IT'S LISTING!! HOW CAN MY FLAGSHIP GALLEON BE LISTING!?!"
As the dust and debris began settling, a small coffin-like boat emerged, with a single man on it. He looked upward, allowing all around him to see his Hawk-like-eyes, sending shivers down many spines.
One of the closer pirates narrowed his eyes in a better attempt to look. Once he did, his face went deathly white. "Don Kreig! It's him!! It's the DEVIL that sank our ships!! He followed us all the way here!!"
By now, the other pirates started panicking. "HE'S COME TO KILL US!!!"
Kreig's face tightened considerably as he looked at the figure closing in. "That fiend."
Both Zabuza and Zoro looked at the man on the boat. Zoro noticed that the Mist Swordsman was sweating badly. So he knew this guy? Zoro looked more closely when he saw the item strapped to the man's back.
Immediately, Zoro's face fell in recognition. He heard the stories. He knew exactly what it was, and the man who wielded it. So Johnny and Yosaku had done something right for once when they told him that his target came to this place. Wonders never ceased!
On Baratie, the Chefs and Straw Hats looked on at the man, as they were able to see him clearly now for themselves. "That's him?" Shikamaru asked, looking dubious. "That's the guy who sunk fifty ships single-handedly?"
"He don't look like much," one of the Chef's said.
"Yeah..." Naruto agreed. "Was expecting something taller... and more muscular... with nasty fangs... pale skin... a black cape... bats around him..."
"Shut up," Sasuke interrupted, examining the man himself. He did seem perfectly ordinary. "That's the one who blasted Kreig's ships? I don't see any special weapons."
"His special weapon is on his back," Zeff spoke up, pointing towards the small ship as everyone looked at it. A sword?
"What!? How?! He wrecked that huge galleon with a sword!?" a Chef hollered.
"Yes!" Zeff answered as he crossed his arms. "Hawk-Eye is the Master Swordsman! He is the Greatest Swordsman in the world!"
Many of Kreig's pirates were scrambling to get as far away as they could from the man, while others just lost the feelings in their legs. All had one thought in their minds: They were DOOMED!!!
Most surprisingly, a few of them were standing their ground. "You MONSTER!! Why do you keep picking on us!?"
Mihawk looked directly at the man, making him 'eep' in fear.
Then he answered. "For fun."
Everyone – Pirate, Chef and Ninja alike – were completely shocked by this answer. This man slaughtered fifty ships with five thousand men for his own amusement!? In many ways, that made Mihawk all the more feared by Krieg's pirates.
"F-for... f-f-fun?" the same pirate repeated in pure astonishment. Anger appeared on his face. "FOR FUN!?!" He drew two pistols on his person and pointed them right at Mihawk. Less then ten meters away, there was no way he would miss! "How's this for fun!?!"
At that, he fired two shots at the Master Swordsman. Without a word, he reached behind him and pulled out his sword, pointing it at the man. At the last second possible, he gave a quick gesture and deflected the bullets. The two bullets ricocheted off the blade and right back at the pirate, striking him in the neck. He was dead before he even hit the deck.
At that, the pirates entered full panic mode; the few that still had their nerve started panicking as well. The Straw Hats were frozen in their tracks, while the Chefs – Sanji and Choji included – all visibly gasped at the sight. Zeff himself only raised an eyebrow. Either he was a very good actor who had ice for blood, or he had seen similar sights a few too many times.
"Shooting at him is useless," Zoro commented, neither surprised by the act nor expecting it. Such things didn't matter. "He just deflects the bullets with his sword." Giving the man a closer look, he added, mostly to himself, "I've never seen such subtle swordwork."
"You're like a mouse that drools at a morsel of food, while completely ignorant of the feast above you," he heard Zabuza retort. Zoro was about to throw out a comeback, but his voice was lost in his throat. Zabuza was standing stiffly, his breath fast and erratic, sweat beading down his forehead, his eyes wide and his grip on his sword shaking slightly.
Zabuza was scared.
"Without subtlety, a sword is but an iron bar," Mihawk said unexpectedly, drawing Zoro's attention once again as the Greatest Swordsman placed his weapon back.
"You split this galleon with that sword?" Zoro asked, saying the first thing on his mind.
"Of course."
A smile broke out on Zoro's face. "I see. Then you are the Greatest."
"Simple-minded fool," Zabuza said softly, but Zoro ignored him. He took a step towards Mihawk, as he declared. "I went to sea to find you!"
"Why?" Mihawk asked.
"To be the Greatest!" Zoro answered, as he pointed all three of his swords at the master sword wielder. "Looking for some fun? Then fight me!"
Before Mihawk could make any sort of reply, Usopp's voice came through. "THERE'S NO TIME FOR THIS! THE SHIP'S ALMOST OUT OF SIGHT!! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!!"
"Shut up, Usopp!" Luffy roared, silencing the liar, as well as Johnny and Yosaku. No one else had bothered to say anything. No one else knew what to say.
"Pathetic weakling," Mihawk told Zoro, as if not hearing the small cries in the background. "I have no interest in you." He pointed directly at Zabuza. "I have unfinished business with that one."
Zoro felt like he had been slapped as he looked at Zabuza again. For a second, the Mist Swordsman didn't react at all, then his eyes narrowed into a fierce glare as he tightened his grip.
"You want me, Hawk-Eye?" Zabuza asked, fire and steel in his voice again. "Fine. It won't be like last time."
"He's. Mine," Zoro snapped at the other man. Zabuza just looked at him again. "Stay out of matters that do not concern you!"
Mihawk put his hands together, as he regarded Zoro. "And why would a hunter bother hunting a rabbit when a deer is in sight?"
"So I'm just a rabbit compared to him?!" Zoro demanded, more than just a little insulted. He was evenly matched with Zabuza! What made him so special!?
Mihawk turned his full attention to Zoro. "Do you even know who you are fighting with, boy?"
Zoro didn't bother to answer, so Mihawk continued. "Momochi Zabuza. Known as the Demon of the Mist, of the Village Hidden in the Mist. Former member of its ANBU Unit and the Seven Shinobi Swordsman of the Mist. Zabuza is most notably known for his methods at silent killing. Exceptionally skilled in use of what you call Suiton Ninjutsu. Expert swordsman and hand-to-hand user. Bounty: 78 million."
Hawk-Eye took a pause before looking at Zoro again. "Whatever small reputation you have accumulated in your own corner of the world is of no consequence or interest to me, boy."
Without warning, Zoro swung the back of his left arm sword directly at Zabuza's head, striking him across the face. Zoro didn't stop at that as he forced the Mist Ninja down to the deck again, causing Zabuza's head to slam against the wooden deck with a smack that echoed across the entire area. Strong or not, not even Zabuza could withstand two big head injuries in such a short time span. The Demon of the Hidden Mist was now unconscious.
The Pirates – Kreig's and Straw Hats alike – all visibly gasped. Mihawk only narrowed his eyes slightly, while Zeff raised an eyebrow. The Chefs all yelled out in shock, and the three Mist Shinobi were quite startled as well. Both Demon Brothers let out a surprised swear word, while the boy in the Hunter's mask flinched quite openly. "ZABUZA-SAMA!!!" He would have moved to help his master, but a fundamental rule prevented him from doing so: Never turn your back on the enemy.
"He'll live," Zoro said loudly for all to hear. He had no intention of killing a man with an underhanded blow like that. Such an action was that of a coward and one he would rarely take. But if that was what it took for him to gain the chance to achieve his lifelong goal, then he was willing to stomach such an action. Perhaps one day they could finish their fight.
He pointed his swords at Hawk-Eye again. "Now that your deer has fled, I guess you have no choice to hunt the rabbit... and watch that "rabbit" beat you down completely."
"You are a fool!" To everyone's surprise, it was Sanji of all people speaking. "You're just going to get yourself killed for a stupid dream, you three sword idiot!"
Without looking at the one-eyed cook, Zoro spoke. "That may be true, but don't insult me. The day I decided to be the World's Greatest Swordsman is the day I gave myself up for dead. Call me 'fool' or 'idiot' again and I'll beat you down. Call my dream stupid and I'll kill you where you stand."
Hawk-Eye Mihawk regarded Zoro in silence for a moment. "Very well, boy," he said, drawing everyone's attention as he stood up. He stepped over the side of small boat onto the water.
In the New World, there was a rare seashell that was both buoyant and incredibly strong. By placing those within the soles of his boots, he could walk on water just as easily as any shinobi. No one spoke a word as he walked across the water on to a large piece of debris from Kreig's former ship. In response, Zoro jumped over to the new platform, swords ready.
But Hawk-Eye didn't so much as draw. He merely spoke again. "If you're a competent swordsman, you don't need to cross swords to know that I far surpass your puny skills. Does the courage to point your blade at me come from confidence... or from ignorance?"
"It comes from ambition. And from a promise to a friend."
"I feel sorry for you, weakling. Even the greatest swordsman won't fight me, because they can estimate their power and compare it to mine, and know how outclassed they are. Your strong will that wants to challenge me does not match your skills," Mihawk countered. "One would be wise to flee from me, as these pirates did, than seek to challenge me."
"I'm not running away!" Zoro said, on the verge of yelling. "Not after we meet at last! I will cut you down!"
Hawk-Eye snorted softly. "So be it." With that he reached up for his necklace with the cross pendant on it. With a small jerk, he yanked it off. He slid the base wood part off, revealing a small knife. The thing was puny, the blade just barely two inches long.
Zoro clenched his teeth hard against his mouth sword. "What's that for?"
"I'm not the kind of fool who will hunt rabbits with a cannon," the World's Greatest Swordsman answered, casualness in his voice. "You may have a reputation, but you're still just a bunny. The Red Line and the Grand Line divide the seas into four quarters. Out the four, the East Blue is the tamest." At that, he looked at his puny knife and frowned. "Sorry, but this is the smallest knife I've got."
That did it! "Better take it with the bravado!" Zoro warned as he charged forward. "You'll feel stupid when I kill you! ONI --"
Zoro's arms reared back, then sprang forward with his mouth sword as he finished the word "GIRI!" only to have Mihawk stick out his puny knife and intercept the blades! Giving a gasp of surprise, Zoro tried with all his might to push his swords forward, but the knife didn't budge. How could that puny knife possibly stop all three of his swords!?
'How is this possible!?' Zoro screamed mentally. 'No one has ever countered my Onigiri before and he did it with a toy!'
"I stand corrected," Hawk-Eye spoke, causing Zoro another slap of surprise. The man wasn't struggling the least bit! "You're no rabbit, you are a frog. You may croak big in your pond, but it's time you learn just how big the world is."
With that, he flicked his wrist downward, forcing all three of Zoro's katanas downward. Then Mihawk used the butt of his knife and slammed it right into Zoro's face. The Santoryu Master let out a scream of pain as he went rolling away from the sheer brute force of the blow, all the way off the debris platform and into the sea.
"ZORO!!!" several people screamed, including Luffy and Naruto.
A second later, Zoro surfaced, gasping for air as he grabbed the side of the deck and hauled himself up. Looking up at the other man, he gripped his blades that much tighter. 'That was just a small tap... yet the force sent me rolling across the deck into the sea! This can't be... our skills can't be this unequal!
Growling loudly, he stood up and charged the man again, ignoring Johnny and Yosaku's pleas for him to stop. He held up his two arm swords like a bull's horns. "Santoryu: Bull Charge!" With his two katanas spread out like this, there was no way Mihawk could block both with that small knife. It just wouldn't reach!
Hawk-Eye just watched him charge, then struck with his knife at the right arm sword, the force sending him crashing to the deck. Okay... that idea didn't work, but he wasn't done yet! As he landed with his hands to stabilize himself, he swung his mouth sword directly at Mihawk's left knee.
Mihawk, however, merely lifted his foot to avoid the blow, and with the power of the strike, it resulted in Zoro falling over on his face.
"Stop playing around!" Zoro shouted, anger boiling. He jumped back to his feet and attacked again. "Stream Wolf Swo-"
He never finished as Mihawk merely sidestepped him and chopped the base of his neck. The three-katana user yelled in pain again, his white sword actually falling out of his mouth as he collapsed on the deck again.
"That is where you belong," Mihawk said coldly. "Try staying there, boy."
Sounds of fighting were heard once again. Then a large whack came, resulting in a small, green-haired boy falling to the ground, clutching his face as two wooden swords fell on either side of him.
"Kuina wins!" the judge, an older student of the Dojo said, as the other students cheered the girl on. "'Two-Swords Zoro loses, earning him 0 for 2000 against Kuina. Oh well..." He laughed at that, despite the fact he couldn't do any better, and walked off.
Kuina, a young girl a full head taller than Zoro. She wore a white shirt, with light purple shots and had short dark blue hair. She pointed her wooden sword at her beaten opponent on the ground. "Pathetic. Kind of weak for a boy, aren't you?"
"Hey! Zoro's not weak!" one of the other students yelled.
"Yeah, he's the STRONGEST in our dojo!" another added.
"He's even stronger than the grown-ups!" a third boy finished up.
The girl just shouldered her weapon. "That so?" she asked as she walked off. "Even if he can use two swords, he's still weak! Losers should learn to suffer defeat in silence."
"Damn," Zoro swore as he stood up. "Kuina makes me so mad!"
"She thinks she's so great just because she's the sensei's daughter!" one of the boys put in, while all three of Zoro's peers were mentally thinking she was kinda cute.
A small laugh was heard behind them. The four boys turned around to see Koshiro, the Dojo's master and Kuina's father, walking out into the courtyard. "Lost again, eh, Zoro? It's odd because you are actually very strong."
"Sensei! Are you teaching her secret techniques because she's your daughter!?"
"It's not fair!"
Koshiro held up his hands, still laughing. "Of course not!" he denied.
"Damn! Why can't I beat that girl?" Zoro yelled in frustration as he proceeded to stomp on his wooden swords repeatedly.
"Don't forget that Kuina is a little older than you," Koshiro offered kindly, but this only further enraged Zoro. "But I can beat adults!" Clutching his fists, he yelled into the sky.
"I'm going to sail the seas and become the greatest sword master in the world! I can't keep losing to that girl!"
Rage exploded within him as he grabbed Kuina's sword and placed it back in his mouth. "Santoryu: Dragon Twister!"
Again, Mihawk blocked it easily, sending Zoro spinning around and around like a ballerina.
That evening, Zoro found Kuina training outside with her family katana. Seeing Zoro out of the corner of her eye, she asked him what he wanted.
"Kuina! I challenge you to a duel... with REAL SWORDS!" Zoro answered, holding up two real blades to back up his claim.
Though she was sweaty and tired, she smiled. "Real swords? Okay... it's your funeral."
With that, she held up her blade as Zoro held up his two swords. They moved at the same second, but with three moves, Kuina had disarmed Zoro, his swords flying through the air as he fell on his back. Kuina's katana struck into the ground, just missing Zoro by a few centimeters.
"That makes 2001 times I've beaten you," Kuina boasted.
"Damn!" Zoro cried as he slapped his face. Not in frustration, but to hide his tears. "It's so frustrating!!"
"Santoryu: Crab Seize!"
This time, Zoro's swords were flung upward, leaving his body exposed for Mihawk to slam the handle of his knife into Zoro's gut. A silent scream came from Zoro's mouth as he held his stomach and fell to his knees.
"What drives you?" Mihawk asked as he saw Zoro struggling to his feet. "Why fight so hard when you cannot win, weakling?"
Kuina regarded the weeping boy (she could tell) on the ground. "... I'm the one who's frustrated," she said kindly.
At that, Zoro stopped what he was doing. Quickly wiping his tears away, he looked at her in confusion. "Huh?"
She sat down on the ground and hugged her knees. "When girls get older, they become weaker than the boys. Pretty soon, you'll all be stronger than me." A tear trickled down her cheek. "Zoro, you're always saying that you're going to become the world's greatest swordsman. Dad says girls can't be master swordsmen." Tears began falling freely now. "You're lucky you're a boy, Zoro. I wanna be the World's Greatest Swordsman too!" Crying harder, she looked down at her chest and felt it. "But... I'm starting to get breasts... I wish I was a boy..."
"WHAT ARE YOU CRYING ABOUT!?" Zoro yelled at her at the top of his lungs. "YOU BEAT ME! THAT'S NOT FAIR!! BEATING YOU IS MY DREAM!!"
Kuina looked at the boy, no longer crying. "Zoro..."
Picking up his swords, he held them for her to see. "Someday I'll beat you because I worked hard, not because you got weaker! It's got nothing to do with you being a girl! I'm training all the time to beat you! You're making me look bad!
"Let's make a promise to each other! Someday, one of us will become the greatest swordsman ever! And we'll fight each other for the title!"
Kuina just stared at him like he was insane. But a smile appeared on her face as she wiped her own tears away. "You idiot. You're too puny." Zoro reached out his hand as she clasped it hard.
"It's a promise!"
Giving another yell of fury, Zoro charged yet again. "Santoryu: Tiger Trap!"
Before Zoro could swing his arms down for the strike, Mihawk lunged forward and stabbed him right in the chest with his knife.
This time, just about everyone screamed at this. Yosaku and Johnny's eyes bulged out in shock, Sakura covered her mouth in horror, Naruto's jaw dropped, tears began flowing out of Usopp's eyes, Sasuke's impassive face faltered as his eyes widened, and Choji lost the strength in his legs. Even Sanji reacted, his cigarette falling out of his mouth. Luffy was just standing there, solid as stone, disbelief etched on his face.
When Mihawk saw Zoro not stepping back, genuine surprise appeared on his face for the first time. "Do you want the knife to go through your heart? Why don't you retreat?"
"I... can't..." Zoro breathed out, ignoring all the bleeding coming from the injury to his chest as he stared Mihawk directly in the eye. "If I... retreat even one step... my vow... my ambition... everything I care about... will be shattered... and all my dreams will be lost... forever."
"Yes," Mihawk agreed, matching Zoro's stare with his own. "That's defeat."
"Heh... that's why I can't retreat."
"Even if it means your death?" Mihawk asked, not believing Zoro.
"I prefer death to defeat!"
Hawk-Eye Mihawk was beside himself. What strength of the spirit! Even if the boy's skills were pathetic, the strength of his will and spirit was much greater than he had thought. So he, Dracule "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk, backed off, pulling his knife out of Zoro. "Boy," he stated as he cleaned the blade and sheathed it. "What's your name?"
"Roronoa Zoro," he answered, flipping his left-hand sword in an upside-down grip and touching the butt of his right-hand sword to the grip of his left, forming equal 120-degree angles between each of his swords.
"I'll remember it. It's been a while since I've fought one so brave." Mihawk reached behind him and pulled out his monstrous black blade. "I have named this blade the Kokoutou Yoru – the Black Blade. This is the finest blade in the world; it has no equal. With it, I will honor the swordsman code and send you to your death."
At that, all of Kreig's men visibly flinched at the sword since it had been the weapon Hawk-Eye used to destroy their comrades, while Yosaku and Johnny nearly had heart attacks. Everyone else tensed up considerably, worry now very apparent on each of them, Luffy especially. Still... not one person moved (though the two bounty hunters tried).
The very next day after their duel and pledge, Zoro heard the news. Kuina had fallen down a flight of stairs. She was dead.
"Damn! You made a promise yesterday! You can't run away from your promise!" Zoro yelled at the villagers as they were tending to Kuina's body.
"Zoro. Stop it," Koshiro said harshly, a tone of voice he had never used prior. The boy looked up at him, pleading for the man to tell him that it was a lie, that she wasn't dead, just hurt. The Dojo master merely said "Humans are fragile things, Zoro..."
Zoro blinked away the tears as the men took Kuina's body away. He watched them until they were out of sight, then threw himself down on his hands and knees to Koshiro. "Sensei... may I have her sword?"
The man regarded Zoro for a full minute before replying. "Why?"
"I'll have to keep the promise for both of us!!" Zoro promised, crying yet again as he bowed low. "I'm going to be such a great master swordsman that my name will be known even in heaven!!"
At the proclamation, Koshiro smiled and handed him the pristine white blade. "Then take it with my blessings. And Kuina's."
'This is my last chance. It's win or die... greatest in the world... or death!' "Santoryu Secret Move: Three Thousand Worlds!" With that, he began spinning both arm swords at furious speeds.
Mihawk merely blinked at that as he held his sword at that parallel position again. Mihawk charged at Zoro with blinding speed as Zoro intercepted with his move. The swords clashed... and Zoro's two arm katanas broke in half, their blades flying through the air. One landed on the deck and the other fell into the sea, sinking into the depths below. Mihawk didn't have so much as a speck of dust on him from that, let alone anything else.
Zoro didn't move at first. Slowly, he looked at his two destroyed swords. He... lost. Completely and utterly. He never foresaw this coming. Not once. He had envisioned himself on his last breaths with serious injuries, but always it had included this man dead at his feet. And that blade... though he clashed with it for a moment, he could feel the power within it. Just as Mihawk had said: it had no equal. Truly, his sword was the best in the entire world.
With that thought in mind, he took Kuina's sword from his mouth and sheathed it. Holding in his left hand, he turned and faced Mihawk, his arms spread out.
Once again, Mihawk was surprised by the action. "What's this?"
Zoro smiled. "Wounds on the back... are a swordsman's shame!"
For the first time since he arrived, Hawk-Eye smiled himself. "Well said."
With that, he slashed downward across Zoro's chest.
"ZORO!!!" shouted the Straw Hats, with Luffy being the loudest. Sanji felt sweat falling down his forehead, not believing the sight he just saw.
Zoro fell for what seemed like an eternity, with his one remaining sword slipping out of his hand as both man and weapon fell into the sea and sunk into the depths below.
"There's a taste of the Grand Line!" one of Krieg's pirates howled. "Even Pirate Hunter Zoro is no match for him!!!"
Sanji watched as Johnny and Yosaku jumped into the sea after Zoro, shaking his head. This three-sword user – well, one sword user now – was just plain crazy! He went up against the World's best! He never had a chance and he'd rather die than give up!? This Zoro took the term idiot to a whole new level!
"You should have abandoned your stupid dream!"
"DAMN YOU!!!" Luffy roared as his arm stretched out across the water towards the World's Greatest, making Mihawk raise his eyebrow again. Luffy zipped across ocean towards him, fully intending to rip off the man's head with his bare hands!
At the sight, Krieg's pirates gasped yet again. "The Straw Hat brat!" Krieg himself said. "He has the powers of the Devil Fruit!"
Mihawk looked at the incoming human missile directly at him. "The young swordsman's crewmate. You did well to let him fight his own battle to the end!"
Just as Luffy was about to slam into him, Mihawk merely shifted his position, resulting in Luffy missing him and striking the debris platform headfirst. With his head stuck, Luffy made a few futile attempts to pull it out. When that didn't work, he placed both his hands and feet on the deck and tried again. After two attempts, his head was free and he slammed on the deck on his back.
"Don't worry. I left him alive," Mihawk assured the Straw Hat Captain.
Luffy turned his head towards to see, as did the others on Baratie. The two bounty hunters surfaced with Zoro in their arms, the wounded man gasping for breath as well. Indeed... he was alive!
Usopp and Sakura quickly jumped on Johnny and Yosaku's small ship, which Nami had cut away from the Merry when she left, and moved over to help the three men. "C'mon, get him aboard!" Usopp yelled as Johnny tossed Zoro's sword on the ship, then climbed up himself. The three of them helped Zoro on as Yosaku followed soon after.
"My name is Dracule Mihawk!" Hawk-Eye shouted for all to hear. And hear him, they did as all the eyes landed on him once again. "It's too soon for you to die! Discover yourself! See the world! And grow strong, Zoro! However long it may take... I shall await you at the top! Strive with your whole heart and mind to best this blade, fierce one! Strive to surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!!!"
The four on the ship began trying to treat Zoro, who, despite the breathing, was still in very bad shape. Yosaku grabbed some healing salve they had stored on board. While Zoro had many bad bumps and bruises, the serious injury was the long diagonal cut on his chest. Especially his heart area where the knife had struck. While Usopp and the two bounty hunters worked, Sakura just stood there staring. Either at the wounded man on the ship, or his blood on her hands.
Zeff was perhaps the most surprised at Mihawk's speech. "Why would Hawk-Eye Mihawk say something like that?"
"Usopp! Is Zoro okay!?" both Luffy and Naruto shouted simultaneously.
"No, he's not okay! But he's alive! Just unconscious!" Usopp retorted.
"Brother!" Johnny screamed, crying.
"Please say something! Brother!" Yosaku begged as he too cried.
That's when Zoro held up Kuina's sword high in the air. That simple act drew the entire group of people's attention to him. "L-Luffy... can you... hear me!?"
"I hear you!" Luffy acknowledged him.
"Were... you... worried? If I fail... to become... the World's Greatest Swordsman... you'll be disappointed, right!?"
Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku all tried to get Zoro to stop talking and conserve his strength. He didn't listen. "NEVER AGAIN!! I WILL NEVER LOSE AGAIN!!! From now to the day I beat him to become the World's Greatest Swordsman... I will... never... LOSE AGAIN!!!"
Taking several deep breaths to remain conscious, he added. "Got a problem with that... King of the Pirates!?"
Luffy broke out his trademark grin. "Nope!"
Hawk-Eye was smiling as well. "Those two make a good team. I hope to encounter you two again someday." With that, he glanced downward at the still form of Zabuza and seemed to consider. He had made it a hobby to find and eliminate this group. Two had fallen to him already. Looking over at the Hunter Nin boy, who looked ready to leap and attack him, he merely nodded his head. "He's yours for now. Tell him... to be ready for the next time."
"Hawk-Eye!" Krieg shouted as as he too appeared on the platform. "Didn't you come for my head? The head of Don Krieg, King of the Eastern Blue waters!?"
"I had considered it," Mihawk admitted, barely glancing at the Pirate Admiral. "But I've had enough fun for now, so I shall take a nap."
"Why are you saying something so rude? You've had your fun, but I've only been on the receiving end," Krieg countered, already readying his weapons.
"Don Krieg!" his men pleaded. "If the man wants to leave, for the love of the Gods... let him go!!"
Krieg ignored that as all his gun barrels popped out. "Now it's my turn to have some fun!" With that, he unleashed a barrage of gunshots.
Mihawk reached for his Black Blade again. "You are indeed a slow learner. Farewell."
With that, he slashed his blade through the debris deck, kicking up not just wood, but the water underneath that was just as strong as any sort of steel wall. It shook the entire platform; it was only thanks to the weight provided by Krieg's armor that prevented him from flying off. However, Luffy was not so fortunate. He went spinning through the air right towards Baratie, and being Luffy, he giggled all the way through it. It was cool!
Until he was hit by Zeff's peg leg (to keep him from crashing into Baratie itself). Luffy had to grab the railing to prevent himself from falling into the sea.
The chaos settled around Krieg as he looked around. Mihawk was nowhere in sight. "He escaped."
Luffy looked at Usopp. "Set sail!"
"Aye aye!" Usopp cried out. "We're ready on our end." He put his hand to the side of his mouth. "Aren't we?"
"Yep!" Both Johnny and Yosaku agreed, while Sakura considered in thought, her mind going back to the possibilities. "Can you send over Shino and Shikamaru? They'll be helpful." Shino to use his bugs to track Nami, Shikamaru to use his shadow to 'peacefully restrain' her.
Shikamaru paused. On the one hand, stay at Baratie with a murderous Shinobi Swordsman and a horde of ravaging pirates. On the other, go traveling with a headstrong girl, to track down another headstrong girl to who knew where. Krieg seemed very tempting compared to that mess.
Before he could make a final decision, he looked around. "Where is the bug user anyway?"
The Straw Hats and Baratie cooks expected Shino to speak up in protest of the 'bug' word, but it never came. Looking around, no one seemed to find him. Just where was he?
Naruto rubbed his chin, trying to remember when he had seen him last. "He was in the dining room when Krieg showed up... I think..."
"He was," Sasuke said, trying to remember as well. "Then he walked off..."
"Ah... he's on the ship," Luffy answered. All of them looked at him like he was an idiot (though that was nothing new).
"And how do you know this?" Shikamaru demanded.
"Because he is," Luffy said simply.
What kind of explanation was that supposed to be?
Without another word, Luffy suddenly grabbed Shikamaru by the collar of his shirt. The lazy shadow user's eyes went wide. "W-w-wait! What... what are you... d-d-oing!? You.... you aren't going to...!!"
"Here's Badger Man!!" Luffy called out to the small boat as he threw Shikamaru right at them.
"YOOOOOOOOUUUUUU IDIIOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTT!!!!!" the Straw Hats, Bounty Hunters and Baratie Employees all shouted together.
"WAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Shikamaru yelled as he went flying through the air and caught by Johnny and Yosaku. Though... it would be more accurate to say he crashed into them and all four of them went crashing on the deck of the boat, almost busting a hole in it. Fortunately, no one was really hurt nor the boat wrecked.
Unless you counted Shikamaru's hand landing on Sakura's chest area.
"SHIKAMARU!!!" A blow to the head came, then the grabbing of an ear quickly followed. "Never do that again!!!" 'Come on! Let me give him the beating he deserves!!' Inner Sakura roared.
"Owowowowow!!" Shikamaru complained, memories of his mother entering his mind. He was a gigantic fool for going on this trip! This was WORSE than home! "It's not my fault!!"
"Bye!" Luffy waved as the ship pulled out in the Going Merry's direction. After that, he gave Zeff an eager look. "Hey mister! If I chase those guys off, can I stop being Chore Boy?"
"Hmph! It's a deal!" Zeff agreed. If Luffy really did stay a whole year, he'd be ruined. The boy was a natural disaster in the kitchen.
End of Chapter 24
Done! And I imagine you're all going to start sending me hate mail now for what I had Zoro pull on Zabuza. Hell... I would send me hate mail about it. Start off with an exceptional fight like that, and end it with some cheap shot blow!? What the hell is that all about?
Well, I'll tell you. The decision on how to handle Zoro, Zabuza and Mihawk has plagued me for ever so long. And by that, I mean in the very beginning planning stages of this story. I didn't give it too much concern at at first because I felt by the time I was ready to actually do this arc, I would have my answer.
I was dead wrong.
So at the start of this arc, I was calling on just all support group for this story – Son Kenshin, Shang, Zoneshifter D and Paintball-Gamer – and beat my head looking for a plausible and satisfying solution for this. I couldn't just have Zoro ignore his fight with Mihawk – him getting a huge butt whupping is a key plot point and major development for him – and not something I felt I could, or even wanted to change. And I wanted to be able to feature Zoro vs. Zabuza because how often had we seen something like that before? But I couldn't realistically having Zoro defeat Zabuza, then fight with Mihawk and still have it be meaningful (if Zoro didn't fight at full strength, then it defeats the entire purpose of the fight in my eyes). And to be honest... at this point in the story... if Zoro and Zabuza had continued, Zoro would have been defeated. Even if I did have Zoro pull out such a victory, he would be in no shape to fight Mihawk.
So I entertained numerous possibilities on how to handle this situation. I even seriously considered having Zabuza and Zoro gang up on Mihawk. While extremely tempting to do, I felt it couldn't work. For one, we still haven't seen Mihawk fight in canon, and no real idea how he fights, his moves or other critical information. The flashback of him slaughtering Krieg's fleet was one thing, but in a big fight against both of the Z's? I wasn't comfortable with doing that. Also... if the two did defeat Mihawk together (And for the record: they wouldn't), then Zoro still doesn't have his dream accomplished. Can you imagine him going around saying, "Yes! I defeated Mihawk... with the help of a Mist Swordsman!" What's the point in defeating the World's Greatest if you can't do it yourself? None.
So after a lot of thought and hassle... I decided to do the current plan of what you just read. Feature a short, but intense fight between the Z's, so that neither one is really exhausted or injured when it was time to finish it. And while pulling a cheap shot may be quite unsatisfying... it's still a valid move. Anything goes in a fight and if you let down your guard... you will pay for it. I don't find this solution really satisfying (I was having fun writing Zoro vs. Zabuza!!!), but I felt it was the best answer out there. So I did it.
And with that said, it felt good to work on this fic again. It's a shorter chapter again, which is much easier on my mind and sanity. I apologize for how long it took to update this fic, but if any of you read Ninja Clash, you know I just started the beginnings of a HUGE event in that story... and honestly, I was so excited about it, I kinda shoved both this story and Third Choice off to the side a bit so I could bring that about. To be honest, I'm still excited about it and was very tempted to go and write it out, but I felt I had neglected my other stories too long as it was.
As said: I planned to write out the canon One Piece fights for this arc and see how it went (though I had planned to do Zoro vs. Mihawk regardless). So how did you all like it? A bit different from the canon version and I'm curious how you all viewed it. Good? Bad? Unnecessary? I'm looking for opinions. For myself it was acceptable. Just... acceptable (again: I was having more fun with Zoro vs. Zabuza... I didn't want to stop that one!).
I couldn't help myself by having Naruto make all the vampire references when looking at Mihawk. He's got enough of them in canon. Even the name: Dracule = Dracula.
With Mihawk gone, the other fights will be starting up next chapter with the Choji, Sanji and most likely the Haku fights, with the promise of more to follow. How long they'll last... well I really have no idea. Could be two chapters or five chapters, but I hope to make them all entertaining and worthwhile. Wish me luck!
Santoryu: Bull Charge (Ushi Bari): Zoro executes a multi-hit running attack with two swords held out like a bull's horns. The pun here is that an "ushibari" is a wooden beam used in Japanese homes. Canon Technique
Santoryu: Dragon Twister (Tatsu Maki): Zoro spins with his swords to create a dragon-like tornado that both slashes and blows away the target(s). One of his most powerful attacks. Canon Technique
Santoryu: Crab Seize (Gazami Dori): All three swords are horizontally parallel, suddenly clamping down on the target like a crab's claw for a guillotine like effect that would normally cut a person's head off. Pun with "kazamidori", or "weather vane". Canon Technique
Santoryu Secret Move: Three Thousand Worlds (Santou-Ryuu Ougi Sanzen Sekai): Zoro holds two of his swords at an equal angle against each other and spins them while running towards his opponent which will shred the enemy to bits. Canon Technique
Nami's Ultimate Idiot Competition – Luffy: 49, Naruto: 58. Currently on hold due to Nami's departure.
May the Kage Bunshin and Gomu Gomu no Bazooka be with you!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto. They belong to their respective owners: Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto. Big thanks to Paintball-gamer for beta-reading this!