Disclaimer: All the characters herein, with the exception of some random extras, are the intellectual property of Eiichiro Oda and all the companies involved with publishing and production of the One Piece manga and anime. I just twisted 'em a bit.
Spoilers/Warnings: This story will eventually encompass the entire first season of the anime, which is up to about halfway through volume 11 of the manga, just so you know. This is an AU, so many things have been changed/altered/warped to suit my needs. Also, there is some language and violence.
Pairing: None. However, I like subtext, so you can probably find hints of just about anything, if you look for it.
Dedication: To the OP at the fanforall at LJ, for requesting a cowboy AU and spawning this in my brain. Many thanks to Dandy Wonderous for beta-ing.
A/N: Name order for all characters has been westernized. Don't like it? Tough cookies! I do not claim to be an expert on anything involving gun fighting, the old west, or the cavalry. I did some very basic research for some of this, but I probably got lots of stuff wrong. Humor me!
Part 12- Hawkeye Mihawk
"H-hawkeye Mihawk?!" Usopp gaped. "The Hawkeye Mihawk? As in..."
"The greatest gunman that ever lived?" Zoro cracked his neck to the right and then the left, flexing both hands. "Yeah."
"You're not really going to challenge him, are you?" Usopp asked aghast, both arms flailing. "That's insane! There's no way you could win!"
"Well, thanks loads for the vote of confidence," Zoro snorted, "but there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"
Luffy looked at the butt of Zoro's white gun, and then over to the slowly approaching figure. "Got an important promise to keep, huh? Good luck." He managed to keep his face solemn for a moment as he and Zoro locked gazes again, then his irrepressible smile crept across his features once more.
"Thanks." Zoro grinned back.
As the black horse drew nearer, the observers could see that it had a white marking on its forehead that resembled a cross. The rider wore black and purple with gold accents. It was rather garish, but only a great fool indeed would mock the notorious gunslinger.
"Tell me," Mihawk drawled softly, after coming to a stop about ten feet from the trio, "has Don Krieg passed this way? Our last meeting was left rather... unresolved."
"You just missed him," Zoro informed him, "but if you're looking for a fight, I'll oblige. I've been searching for you, Hawkeye Mihawk."
The older man gave him a quick once over before lifting one eyebrow. The rest of his face remained an impassive mask.
"Surely," Mihawk replied, the slightest hint of disdain tinging his voice, "you realize the difference in skill between us?"
"I like a challenge," Zoro countered. Mihawk's eyes narrowed, and he appeared to be mentally weighing Zoro once more.
"Very well," he agreed with a slight nod. His dismounted and led his horse over to an available hitching post. Several cooks, including Sanji and Zeff, made their way out onto the porch.
"Hawkeye Mihawk," one cook whispered in awe. "What's he doing here?"
"If he came to eat," another cook gnawed his lower lip fretfully, glancing at the wreck the dining area had become, "he might be a little disappointed..."
"He was probably hunting Krieg for sport," Zeff growled. "Damn shame he missed him. I'd have loved to see that."
"What are you doing out here, chore boy?" Sanji asked as he sauntered over. "That mess in there won't clean itself, you know."
"Zoro's challenging Mihawk," Luffy shrugged, "and I'm gonna watch."
"He's what?" Sanji's eyes went wide. "That's crazy!"
"That's what I said," Usopp nodded superiorly.
In the meantime, Mihawk had made his way back over to Zoro, who had moved out into the open space between the restaurant and the railroad tracks. He stopped a few feet in front of Zoro.
"So," Zoro addressed the other gunman, "how do you want to do this? Traditional duel? Quick draw?"
The corner of Mihawk's mouth twitched ever so slightly and both his hands slid down to his large, gold belt buckle. The belt buckle had what at first appeared to be the image of a gun, but then Mihawk touched a carefully disguised clasp and the gun slid forward slightly, revealing it to be a derringer. Zoro frowned, jaw clenched tightly.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Zoro snarled through his teeth.
"No," Mihawk assured him. "Even a derringer can kill at this close range. Why use a more powerful weapon than is required for the situation? Draw, whenever you're ready..."
There was a long tense moment where both men simply locked gazes, hands hovering over weapons, as the afternoon sun beat down on them. The small audience watched intently, breath held in anticipation. Then, suddenly, there was a flash of movement, but the anticipated shot never came.
"You never flinched," Mihawk mused appreciatively. He held the barrel of the derringer to Zoro's chest, over his heart.
"You never shot," Zoro replied, hand still clenched tightly on his own half-drawn weapon. "You plan on finishing me off, or was that some kind of test?"
"What's your name, young man?" Mihawk asked, returning the derringer to its place on the buckle.
"Zoro Roronoa."
"You're a very spirited man, Zoro Roronoa." The older man let the name roll off his tongue, almost as though he were tasting it. "That's a rare thing anymore. I'll grant you the duel you desire, but I cannot promise that the outcome will be what you've planned."
"If I die, then I die." Zoro shrugged, never breaking eye contact.
"Well said. Ten paces, turn and fire."
"Do I merit the big gun this time?" Zoro cocked his head toward the holster at Mihawk's right hip. It held the gunman's trademark black, long barreled revolver. Many a gunslinger had gone to his grave thinking that the extra length must mean a slower draw.
"Show me your best, Roronoa, and I shall do you the same service." In response, Zoro switched his white gun from the chest holster to that at his own right hip.
Both men turned so they were standing back to back. At some unspoken signal, they both began moving slowly away from each other. There wasn't even a breeze to break the stillness, so each could clearly hear the footsteps of the other as they counted off the paces silently.
A shot rang out and, for an instant that seemed to last an eternity, it was unclear which gunman had fired. Then Zoro slumped to his knees, white gun still gripped in his hand. The watchers all stared speechlessly as Mihawk walked to stand in front of Zoro.
Zoro could feel the blood running down his arm from the shot that had gone cleanly through the muscle of his right shoulder. However, the wound to his arm was nothing compared to his emotional agony. He had lost. He stared blankly at the white gun until a single crimson drop ran across the ivory inlay, snapping him back to the present. He raised his eyes to the man hovering over him.
"Finish it."
Mihawk moved slightly to the side and pointed the gun at a downward angle, firing one last shot.
"Zoro!" Luffy shouted, as he watched the green-haired gunman fall to the side. He rushed forward, Usopp close behind. Luffy lunged at Mihawk, but the man merely side-stepped the angry rush.
"He's not dead, you know," Mihawk stated simply.
"He's right," Usopp agreed. The long-nosed young man had pulled open Zoro's blood stained shirt to survey the damage. "We'll need to stop the bleeding, though!" The second bullet had entered near Zoro's left collar bone at a shallow angle. Usopp couldn't see an exit wound, and he worried about where the bullet might have finally lodged.
Mihawk looked over his shoulder as he walked away. "We shall surely meet again, Zoro Roronoa. You have a great deal of potential. If you stay alive long enough to live up to it, our next confrontation might be on more equal footing." He left as quietly as he had arrived.
"Sorry, Boss," Zoro rasped as Luffy's concerned face joined Usopp's above him. "Guess I'm not quite the skilled gunman you expected. I will be, though... I promise." Zoro held out a hand and Luffy clasped it in a firm grip.
"Sounds good," Luffy grinned.
"Come on, Usopp." Zoro heaved himself to his feet, rather unsteadily. "If we hurry, we might be able to keep Nami and the wagon in sight, since the oxen are pretty slow."
"Are you sure you're okay to ride?" Usopp was incredulous. "You were just shot! Twice!"
"I've been shot before," Zoro grunted. He started to shrug off Usopp, who had stepped forward to assist him, then decided a shoulder to lean on wasn't such a bad idea. "I've got some medical supplies in my saddle bags. I'll patch myself up as we go."
"Fine," Usopp gave in with a long-suffering sigh, "but don't blame me if you pass out and fall off your horse!"
When they reached the horses, Zoro stooped to retrieve Luffy's gun from the small heap of belongings.
"Here." The gunman shoved the weapon into Luffy's hands. "You're probably going to need it, if you're sticking around here." Luffy looked like he wanted to argue, but he tightened his grip with a decisive nod.
Most of the remaining items were packed away in the horses' saddle bags, and Zoro, with a little assistance from Usopp and some unintentional hampering from Luffy, bandaged his wounds. The other two bade Luffy a quick farewell before heading off in the direction Nami and the wagon had taken. Luffy waved after them.
"See you guys around! Don't have too much fun without me! I'll catch up to you as soon as I can!" He watched until his companions disappeared in the distance.
"Your gunman friend really is crazy," Sanji observed. "If he wasn't sure he could win, he should have just let it go."
"He is kinda crazy," Luffy chuckled, "but he's my kind of crazy, and that's the best kind!"
Luffy hurried back over to the porch, where Zeff stood, watching the sun sink ever closer to the horizon.
"Hey, old man," Luffy called out to the restaurant owner. "That Krieg guy's coming back tonight, right? If I help you beat him, can I go?"
Zeff looked from the grinning boy to the disaster area that had been his dining room. Luffy was no longer the person who owed Zeff the most for damage rendered.
"We'll see."
End Notes:
A certain episode of CSI introduced me to the concept of the belt buckle derringer, which much later clicked in my mind as the western equivalent of canon Mihawk's knife in the cross necklace. If you're having any trouble picturing it, I recommend a Google image search. While you're at it, look at some pictures of long barreled revolvers/pistols. Supposedly, the longer barrel increases accuracy, or so I've read.
As long as I'm babbling inanely, let's discuss a dear friend of mine: suspension of disbelief. There will be some serious liberties taken with injuries related to guns for no logical reason. However, bullets have been known to do some very, very odd things, so roll your eyes if you want, but I'm not changing anything!