One Piece - Legends

by xAlreadyOverx

Luffyko wants to be Queen of the Pirates because Shanks said she couldn't be a King. With the Gum-Gum fruit and an inability to swim she will need to rely on her crew and First Mate to make it through the Grand Line. But what happens when she starts getting odd feelings around her swordsman that she's never had before? READ DISCLAIMER!

24. Zoro's Sworn Pledge

Thank you all for your incredible patience. I never meant to let it take this long to get this chapter posted. I got back from my trip, had a few days to start writing and then my manager took 4 days pto, then my asst manager took a week vacation, THEN my manager had to go to a week long conference, AND THEN my manager took a week vacation. So for almost the past month, my friend and I have been running our entire store. The only times I haven't been at work, I've been at school trying to get through the first month of classes.

I am so sorry I made you wait and your reviews made me so happy while also making me feel terrible that I was unable to write. But I love them all so thank you soo much!

Shout outs to: Vincent Lover, Winter, Yugioh Luva girl, FlowerCrown, PhoenixK14, AshCash1234, KarouUchiha, Wind, Jadecraze, Hina417, Thoroughly Misguided, LuNa23, mangageek24, Yuu Hoshimura, Starichanx, Hikary Sanoko, Kitsunegirl90, and all my guest reviewers! I really appreciate all your enthusiasm and hope that you love this chapter!

To Kitsunegirl90 - I will so try to get to Thriller Bark and Sabody! I can just imagine all the jealous moments! So awesome! Ace is going to be a great introduction as well. Thriller Bark will also bring out some serious emotional points for Luffy and Zoro both.

As for this chapter, no big confession but we have Luffy starting to acknowledge that she is in love with Zoro and that she is unable to deal with the thought of losing him. We'll have more of a definite realization during Arlong Park and I plan to have Luffy actually use the 'L' word during Loguetown so confessions and stuff will be done by the time we hit the Grand Line.

Anyway, I crammed as much believable ZoLu into this chapter as I could so I hope you guys enjoy!

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda!

---

Zoro's Sworn Pledge

In all things, I consider you first. You are my light and my life and I cherish every second together. Though we may often be at odds, know that I have your back in whatever you do

.

---

Yosaku and Johnny dropped heavily to the deck of the Baratie, breathing hard as the water dripping from their clothes pooled around them. Zoro tossed aside the rope that he had used to pull them up and leaned forward, looking at the two bounty hunters with a concerned expression. Next to him, Usopp was also watching the two men, his eyes wide and his expression disbelieving. Luffy pushed past her two crew-mates and dropped to her knees next to Johnny, about to ask if they were ok when a loud shout from Usopp interrupted her.

"What did you say?!" The long-nosed teen shouted placing one hand on Luffy's shoulder to steady himself as he leaned forward and got right in Johnny's face.

"Nami ran off with the Going Merry?!" Luffy added, not sure she had heard the two bounty hunters correctly.

"What exactly happened?" Standing behind Luffy, Zoro crossed his arms over his chest, hiding his clenched fists, and raising one eyebrow.

Tears were flowing down both men's faces, almost indistinguishable from the water still dripping from their hair. "Everything happened so suddenly."

*Flashback*

Just a few minutes earlier, Nami was standing at the rear of the Going Merry, leaning her arms against the railing as she stared down at the pile of papers in her hands. The orangette had managed to grab all of the wanted posters that Yosaku and Johnny carried on them but one in particular held her interest.

"What's up, Big sis Nami?"

Nami started slightly and turned towards the voice, finding Yosaku standing next to her on the deck.

'How did I not hear him approaching?' she thought, slightly annoyed with herself. 'I let myself zone out.'

Not hearing Nami's inner dialogue, the bounty hunter with the shaved head just grinned, a cigarette held loosely between his lips. "You've been staring at that bounty list for a while now."

Johnny stepped up next to his partner, grinning as Nami waved a hand nervously in front of her.

"Oh, it's nothing!" Nami laughed slightly, trying to play everything off as if it was nothing but before she could say anything else Johnny leaned closer, staring at the bounty poster that had Nami so enthralled.

"That's our Big sis!" Johnny laughed, eyes scanning over the paper. It had the standard wanted outline but the picture was what made it so unique. It was of a fish-man, a humanoid creature with the features and appearance of a fish. He had dark, shoulder-length hair that had been slicked back; a long, pointed nose that resembled a chain saw made out of cartilage; and sharp, jagged teeth that looked as if they could tear through metal. The fish-man's thin lips were pulled back in a smug grin, and his expression looked almost manic.

"You've chosen the most valued pirate!" Nami quickly rolled up the pile of wanted posters, hiding the picture of the fish-man and turned to look over at the two bounty hunters, a nervous smile on her face.

"But, it'd be best not to target Arlong alone." Johnny sighed, pointing at the roll of papers with a serious expression. "Not only is he fierce, he's strong too. There was a time when he remained quiet. But, I've heard that he's been moving about lately." The hand that Johnny had been using to point at the poster came up to cover his mouth and jaw as he thought. He stared out at the sea beyond the ship, his partner following his gaze as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"The 20 million beli reward sure is tempting," Yosaku sighed, slightly disappointed. Both of them knew that they wouldn't stand a chance against a pirate of Arlong's caliber though, but the money did sound good.

Next to him, Johnny nodded before voicing his partner's thoughts. "But he's too strong. Even we would get easily butchered by him." Both sighed heavily before realizing that Nami was no longer standing next to them. They quickly spun around, breathing a sigh of relief when they spotted the orange haired navigator standing by the stairs that led back down to the main deck. In her hands was a pale yellow shirt and she gently laid it over the railing before turning to smile shyly at them, a small blush dusting her cheeks.

"Big sis?"

"Excuse me," She said softly, crossing one arm over her chest and using the other to pull slightly at the neckline of the pink shirt she currently wore. "It's blazing hot out today. I'd like to change a sec, so could you two turn around?"

Yosaku and Johnny flinched back slightly, both flushing a dark red and gulping slightly.

"W-wait!" Yosaku stammered.

"Here? Right now?" Johnny's eyes slid from side to side, as if he couldn't decide what he wanted to focus on. The idea that a pretty girl like Nami wanted to change in front of them, it made a shiver slide down his spine and he gulped again before staring at the still blushing orangette.

"Can't I?" She asked, her voice still soft as she tried to entice the two bounty hunters to agree.

Johnny and Yosaku both flailed slightly before quickly turning away from the navigator, standing ramrod straight as they fought to hide their embarrassment. "Please! By all means!" They said simultaneously.

The bounty hunting duo stared out at the wide sea again, trying to calm their racing hearts and will away the blush that was still present on their faces. It was taking all of their willpower not to turn around and try and catch a small glimpse of Nami without her shirt. Both could hear the mental shouting of their minds telling them that they might not get another chance like this again but yet they still forced themselves to stand still.

"She's quite daring," Johnny stated, wiping a few beads of sweat from his forehead. "For such a hot girl to be so bold..."

Yosaku scratched at his cheek nervously, his face still a bright red. "Just a little peek won't hurt, right?"

"Yeah!" Johnny quickly agreed.

Both turned their heads at the same time, their bodies completely in sync and mouths curved into guilty little smiles. Their smiles quickly dropped when their eyes took in the sight of Nami striding towards them determinedly, still wearing the same pink shirt she had put on that morning. Before either man could open their mouths to ask the orangette what was wrong she had raised her hands and shoved both of them, her hands connecting with their faces. The location in which her shove hit them and her momentum threw them off balance and they tumbled back over the railing of the Going Merry and into the water below.

The splash of Johnny and Yosaku hitting the waters of the East Blue caused Nami to flinch slightly, her face shadowed under her hair. She raised her head slightly, revealing an expression that seemed to overflow with regret and sadness. Seconds later, Johnny and Yosaku broke the surface of the water with a gasp and Nami quickly turned away, not wanting the two of them to see her devastated expression.

"W-what are you doing?" Johnny yelled, glaring up at the navigator as he tried to wipe the excess water from his face.

Neither noticed the deep breath that the orangette took before she turned to face them, resting her arms on the railing and cradling her head in one hand. "'What?' you ask?" She repeated, smiling brightly. "Business, of course! I'm a thief that steals from pirates. So I'll be taking this ship."

Her words were calm and clear and her grin widened at the frozen expressions of shock on the bounty hunters faces.

"I don't recall saying that I was one of them," She continued, waving a hand dismissively. "I was merely cooperating."

Nami's voice softened slightly. "Although it was a rather short relationship with Luffy and the gang, I enjoyed it." She trailed off, her expression falling slightly as she thought back to how she met Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp. The first time she laid eyes on the energetic raven-haired girl, watching her fight Buggy, the dedication that Zoro had shown to the younger girl. The swordsman hadn't trusted her at first, she knew that, but after all the time she spent on those dinky ships with them his treatment of her changed. Part of it was for Luffy, for his captain, and Nami's lips twitched as she thought of all the times that she had caught the she-pirate sleeping on his chest, but she really had become reluctant friends with the older teen. Nami hadn't known Usopp for very long but the long-nosed boy's enthusiasm and personality reminded her of Luffy.

Luffy...

Nami quickly shook her head, pulling herself from her thought and her sad expression falling away as a tired but uninterested look took its place.

"Tell them that for me." She said, her tone monotonous as she forced herself to keep a straight face. "If we're meant to be together, we shall meet again!"

With a last wave and a bright smile, Nami forced herself off of the railing and began to walk away from the rear of the ship.

"Big sis Nami!" Yosaku shouted, raising one fist and shaking it at the retreating girl. A wave swallowed his next words as both men were forced back by it when Nami released the sails and began to drift away from them.

"Th.. This is a problem!" Johnny waved his arms back and forth, trying to signal the girl slowly sailing away with the ship and all of the treasure.

"We were asked to take care of the ship!" Yosaku added, panicking slightly, his eyes wide.

Suddenly, water sprayed out from the large galleon next to to them as it was sliced cleanly into three pieces, the waves from the sliced ship forcing the bounty hunters back and closer to the Baratie.

*End Flashback*

As Johnny finished the story both he and Yosaku knelt down in front of Luffy and slammed their hands to the deck in front of them. They bowed their heads, silently asking for forgiveness from the raven-haired girl.

"And that's how we lost the ship!"

"Forgive us!" Yosaku added, his teeth grinding together as he clenched his eyes closed.

A growl left Zoro's throat and he slammed one fist angrily into the wall of the Baratie, his expression dark. 'Damn! She took advantage of us!" He was furious at the betrayal but more so, Zoro was angry at himself. He had come to trust the orange haired navigator and to find out he had been so wrong in his assessment of her hurt his pride. She was on the same ship as them, Luffy had trusted her! His gaze slid to his captain, slightly worried about what her reaction would be to Nami's betrayal. He knew that Luffy and Nami had become friends, even if they didn't always see eye to eye, they had become close. At times, Zoro had thought that Nami acted like an older sister to the younger she-pirate. Before he could open his mouth to ask if Luffy was ok though, Usopp cut in.

"That ship was given to us by Kaya!" The sniper's fists were clenched and a furious expression was on his face. Kaya was special to him, they all knew that and the fact that Nami had taken the ship that the frail blonde girl had given them pissed him off the most.

Luffy silently stepped past the two kneeling bounty hunters and jumped lightly onto the railing, squinting at something in the distance.

"Hold up!" She yelled, shadowing her eyes with her hands so that she could see better. "I can still see it! It's the Going Merry!" Against the horizon, their small ship was still visible, rocking back and forth against the large waves. A grin split Luffy's face and she turned her head to glance back down at the bounty hunting duo.

"Where's your ship?" She asked, her voice taking on a no-nonsense tone that said she would be obeyed.

Yosaku started slightly and looked up at the she-pirate curiously. Because she had been wearing that waitress outfit for the past week, he had almost forgotten that the raven-haired girl in front of him was actually a pirate captain and her tone had surprised him. "We still have it, but..."

"Zoro, Usopp, leave right away! Fetch Nami using their ship." Her eyes were determined and a frown was on her face as she stared down at her other two crew-mates.

Zoro sighed slightly, already having known that Luffy was going to ask him to do this. Right now though, he didn't want to bring back the orangette. She had betrayed them, there was no way in hell he was going to trust her again and he didn't want anyone he didn't trust around his captain.

"Luffyko," He said, causing the girl's eyes to widen slightly at the use of her full name. "Just calm down and forget about her. Let her take the ship." Next to him, Usopp let out an angry gasp but the swordsman just waved his hand dismissively in the sniper's direction and continued.

"That woman is more trouble than she's worth. I can't trust her after something like this."

Luffy's head ducked slightly, the brim of her hat hiding her eyes and Zoro sighed, cursing Nami silently for leaving and doing this to the younger girl.

"No, Zoro," Luffy finally said, raising her head and fixing her swordsman with a determined expression. "She's the only one I will accept as the ship's navigator!"

Zoro tensed slightly, his eyes narrowed as he stared at his captain. Next to him, Usopp had crossed his arms over his chest and was also watching Luffy with a serious expression. The swordsman just stared at his captain silently for a few seconds, fighting the urge to get sucked into her dark brown eyes, eyes that seemed to pierce into his very soul. At the same time, it was as if he could see into her soul as well. He saw the sadness and confusion, but it was overshadowed by the girl's seriousness and desperation. Zoro sighed heavily and brought a hand up to press against his temple. He could tell that Luffy was completely serious and he couldn't fight the raven-haired girl on this one. If she wanted Nami with them then he would go get the female thief and bring her back.

Silently, he swore to himself that he would keep a close eye on the woman when he did bring her back. They couldn't have something like this happen again, not when it could endanger Luffy or himself.

"All right, all right..." Zoro muttered, shaking his head and grinning slightly. "Dammit Lu, you can be a high-maintenance captain, you know that?" A bright grin split Luffy's face and she dove off of the railing of the Baratie, wrapping her arms around Zoro's neck and tackling the green-haired teen to the ground.

"Thank you Zoro!" She meant it too. Luffy knew that there had to be more going on with the orange haired girl than what Johnny and Yosaku had seen and... she wanted her friend back. The fact that Zoro was on her side, was saying that he would help her, made the she-pirate want to cheer. Fighting back that urge, she allowed herself to hug her swordsman just a bit tighter, her heart pounding against her chest when his muscled arms wrapped around her own body and pulled her flush against his chest. It was a comforting move, one that silently seemed to say, 'of course, Captain. I've got you.'

Zoro chuckled slightly when Luffy's hold on him tightened and he returned the squeeze, reassuring the small girl before forcing himself up into a sitting position and then rising fully to his feet. He kept Luffy clutched against him, pulling the girl up with him and purposefully ignoring the smug looks that the three others in their group kept sending him. Instead, he turned to look at Usopp, who was fighting, and failing, to hold back his own grin and sighed.

"Hey Usopp, let's go!"

The sniper started slightly before nodding. "Huh? Oh, right."

Johnny and Yosaku quickly scampered off to retrieve their ship when Zoro directed a glare in their direction. Both of them had been around the green-haired swordsman long enough to recognize what that glare meant.

'Do as I say. One word and I kill you both.'

From her place against Zoro's side Luffy giggled, watching the bounty hunting duo quickly slide around the corner before she turned to grin up at her swordsman. Her chest still felt tight and the raven-haired girl felt heat spread through her face when she finally took notice of the fact that Zoro had one hand on her hip and was lightly, and almost unconsciously, rubbing his thumb in a soothing circle against her side.

'I feel hot again. I'm not sick though... I don't think. I've never been sick. Ace has but he said his stomach and head hurt. I feel fine. My chest is tight but that's more like the time I was worried about Ace and Sabo. I feel like I got sunburned or something.'

Luffy made eye contact with Usopp, who was watching the girl with a curious expression on his face. The long-nosed teen tilted his head slightly as he regarded the she-pirate before his lips twitched into a smirk.

'Maybe Usopp knows. He and Nami do talk a lot and I had wanted to ask her about it.'

Luffy reluctantly stepped out of Zoro's hold, instantly missing her first-mate's warmth and still feeling the phantom sensations of his thumb brushing against her side. The swordsman frowned slightly when Luffy pulled away, watching as she made her way over to Usopp and pulled the other teen to the side so that she could talk to him. He couldn't hear their words, they were too quiet, and he raised one eyebrow at that, a little surprised that his captain could actually be that subtle.

After a few seconds, he shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. 'If she wants to talk to Usopp about something then fine. If it's important, she would tell me.' Even as he said that a small frown formed on his face, one that Usopp definitely didn't miss.

The long-nosed sniper rolled his eyes slightly at the swordsman's put-out expression before turning his attention to the raven-haired girl watching him with a confused expression on her face. Honestly, he wasn't paid enough to deal with a hard-headed jealous swordsman. Was he even paid at all?

"Hey Usopp," Luffy began, her words quiet enough that the teen had to lean in slightly to hear her. "I have a question. I wanted to ask Nami but she's not here right now. You talk with her a lot, right? I figured that you might know."

Usopp waved his hands in a 'go on, let's hear it' kind of gesture and Luffy grinned.

"Awesome. Ok, my face keeps feeling hot, like I got sunburned, and my chest hurts sometimes and I think I might be sick but I've never been sick before so I'm not sure what to do. It doesn't happen all the time though so maybe I'm not sick, what do you think?"

Usopp couldn't help it, he started laughing. He really shouldn't, after all, he hadn't been much better off when he first started liking Kaya but it was just too cute. The long-nosed teen wasn't all that surprised that the she-pirate didn't really know how to recognize or deal with her feelings. While Luffy could kick ass with the best of them, Usopp had quickly come to realize that the girl wasn't very well versed in social customs and tended to just say whatever was on her mind.

Luffy crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, not liking that one of her crew-mates was laughing at her. "It's not funny, Usopp!" She snapped, moving to pinch the boy's cheek.

"Ow, ow. Ok, I'm sorry!" Usopp rubbed at the throbbing red mark on his face, still chuckling slightly. "Geez, Luffy. You pinch hard."

The raven-haired girl just raised one eyebrow and lifted her hand again, tapping her index finger and thumb together in a silent warning that had Usopp laughing again.

"Usopp!"

"Ok! I'll tell you, just don't pinch me again!" The sniper leaned forward, casting Zoro a furtive look, not really wanting the swordsman to overhear them, for Luffy's sake at least.

"Alright then. This only happens around one person, right?" He already knew the answer to that but he wanted to help Luffy piece everything together so he asked her anyway.

Luffy tilted her head to the side, a curious expression on her face, before nodding slowly. Usopp smiled at her encouragingly.

"Ok, then you're not sick."

"Really?"

"Of course, I, the Great Captain Usopp am a genius when it comes to solving problems such as these. Why, I have solved problems for every one of my 8000 followers!" The long-nosed teen gestured to himself with a smug grin on his face, puffing his chest out proudly.

Luffy laughed slightly, relaxing a bit. "You don't have 8000 followers," she giggled, grinning at her crew-mate.

"Of course I do! Anyway Luffy, when your face feels hot, it turns red, often because you're nervous or embarrassed. When your chest tightens and your heart pounds it's because you're excited or emotional." Usopp raised a finger as he continued to talk, adopting a lecturing stance, as if he was schooling a small child.

"When these things happen around one person in particular, its because you like them."

Luffy scoffed slightly and rolled her eyes. "That's stupid Usopp. Of course I like Zoro. I like all of you. You, Nami, Johnny, Yosaku."

Usopp waved a hand in front of Luffy's face in an attempt to cut the girl off. "I know that Luffy. That's not what I meant. Geez, you can be slow sometimes. I meant that you like-like him. That you love him."

"Like I love my brothers?"

"Your broth-? No. Different love! Geez Luffy! You know, like a mom and dad kind of love."

Luffy frowned at Usopp's words, starting to understand what he meant, and opened her mouth to reply but before she could there was a shout to her left and she turned to see Johnny and Yosaku approaching with their small, single sail ship.

"Big bro Zoro, the ship's ready!" Yosaku yelled as Johnny dropped the anchor and raised the sail, allowing the small vessel to float closer until it was flush against the railing.

Zoro took a few steps towards the ship, as did Usopp, but stopped when he realized that Luffy had not moved from her spot near the railing. She had a slightly thoughtful look on her face and was biting at the edge of her thumb as she stared off into the distance.

Zoro was curious as to what she had asked Usopp, as a quiet and contemplative Luffy was not normal in his book. The swordsman was also a little peeved that his captain had asked Usopp for advice instead of him. She knew that she could ask him anything, right? With a sigh, he pushed his curiosity to the side and instead held out a hand for the raven-haired girl.

"Lu? You coming?"

The girl jumped slightly, pushing her racing thoughts to the back of her mind. She didn't have to time to sit and think about what Usopp had told her right now when Krieg was right around the corner. Instead she turned to look at her first-mate, grinning brightly. "I can't go just yet. I haven't fully repaid this restaurant so I better stay here and sort things out with the old man."

Zoro sighed again and nodded, understanding Luffy's reasoning. She could take care of herself, he knew that, but at the same time he couldn't help but be worried about her. This Don Krieg guy was said to be strong. But he swallowed the words he wanted to say and instead fixed Luffy with a serious expression.

"Do be careful. Things here are abnormal and it could get really bad, really fast." On the surface, Zoro looked calm, the slight frown on his face the only indication of what he was thinking but Luffy knew her first mate. She could see the worry buried in his eyes and, wanting to reassure him, flashed her swordsman the biggest smile she could muster.

"Shishishi, I know. Don't worry. I'll be careful." Zoro smirked back at her, feeling his worry ease slightly at the confidence that seemed to pour from the tiny she-pirate.

A loud commotion from the wrecked galleon broke the quiet moment and everyone turned towards the wreck, leaning over the railing in an effort to see what was happening.

"Look! Over there!"

"It's him!"

"Don Krieg! It's that man!" One crewmember's voice rose above the others, his tone full of panic and fear. "The man who destroyed our fleet!"

Zoro tensed slightly at that. There was no way that he would have come all the way out here to the East Blue. It was impossible, wasn't it?

But even as he stared out at the wreckage of the sliced galleon, his eyes took note of the small coffin-shaped boat floating among the debris.

"That man is..." His heartbeat thundered in his ears, sweat poured down his face, and his throat tightened until he felt like he was suffocating. This is what he had been waiting for, what he had been training all those years for. To face the man sitting calmly among the candles lit with green flame. The World's Greatest Swordsman. Zoro gulped, trying to force down the lump that had formed in his throat and his hands clenched against the railing of the Baratie.

"That man is..."

Across from the Baratie, on the other side of the small coffin-shaped boat, Don Krieg steadied himself against the railing of a still floating section of his ship.

"That scum..." He muttered, glaring down at the dark-haired man who had single-handedly destroyed his dream of conquering the Grand Line.

Around him, his crew stared in horror at the man sailing calmly amongst them. They remembered him; how could they forget the man, no, the devil who had wiped them out without batting an eye. And his eyes! The golden, piercing eyes, staring at you as if they could see into your soul. Cold and dead and without mercy. Some of the crew tried uselessly to back away from him as he passed, while others just gripped their heads and tried to convince themselves that they were back in one of their nightmares.

"He's come this far to kill us?!"

"We're doomed!"

Luffy frowned slightly, covering her eyes with one hand and squinting in an effort to see the approaching man better. His pose was relaxed, one leg folded over the other and his hands clasped together and resting in his lap. He wore a black fedora with a maroon underside that hid his eyes from view. Luffy could see black slicked back hair that fell to the man's chin and a small, well groomed beard that lined his strong and well-defined jaw. Two sideburns framed his face, the edges pointing up. He appeared to be wearing a black coat with maroon sleeves and a matching collar covered in lighter colored designs. The coat was open and around his neck, resting against his bare chest, was a large golden crucifix.

The man appeared refined and gentlemanly but Luffy could almost sense the dark aura coming from him. One that practically screamed, 'if you come near me, I will destroy you.'

Next to her, Zoro had begun to shake and Luffy stepped up next to her first-mate and rested a hand against his arm, rubbing it up and down in a soothing manner. Whoever this man was, Zoro knew him and it was someone that had left her swordsman speechless and practically shaking with tension.

"Zoro? Who is that?" Her words and the almost childish tone of her voice caused Zoro to break his gaze away from the man sailing towards them. He took a deep breath and turned his head to catch his captain's gaze, bringing one of his hands up to cover hers and smirking slightly.

"That's the man I've been searching for, Hawk-Eye's Mihawk."

Luffy turned back to staring at the dark-haired man, her expression serious. "So that's... Mihawk." Her tone showed that she understood the seriousness of what was unfolding in front of her. This was the man that Zoro had spent years looking for, the one he had sworn to defeat.

'Is it time already, Kuina?'

The breeze around them picked up slightly and Luffy grinned before turning her gaze back to Zoro. He had a smirk on his face, his previous anxiety having faded and pure excitement and exhilaration taking its place. His eyes never left the Master Swordsman as he began to speak again.

"The strongest swordsman in the world! Wielding the massive Black Blade that he keeps strapped to his back." He trailed off, his words faltering even as his thoughts raced on.

'I never thought I'd be able to meet him so soon. Finally, the time has come to fulfill my promise!'

Zoro's hand dropped to his white katana, fingers clenching against the sheathe even as the sword hummed in his hands. He could feel the power pouring forth from Wado, as if it could sense his excitement and desire and was responding with its own. Zoro's hand clenched tighter around the katana, his knuckles white. His mind was made up, he would face Mihawk today, he would settle this once and for all.

His gaze slid to the side, eyes focusing on Luffy, who had been watching him since he had stopped talking. A small smile was on her face and it grew when she noticed that Zoro was looking at her. Her swordsman raised one eyebrow and silently gestured towards Mihawk, asking her permission to go. Regardless of the fact that he had made up his mind, she was his captain and he wanted to let her know of his plan first. It would mean that they would have to postpone their pursuit of Nami but Luffy understood that. She couldn't, and wouldn't force Zoro to choose. This was his dream, his ambition, and she would never deny him that. Luffy nodded, still smiling brightly and Zoro returned her grin, pulling the she-pirate into a one-armed hug and resting his lips against her forehead.

"I'll be back in a bit and we'll go after our navigator, ok?"

Luffy nodded her head enthusiastically, feeling the heat return to her face and giggled. "Shishishi. Yeah!"

---

"Bastard!" One of Krieg's crew, a tall man with blond dreadlocks, knelt on a tilted piece of broken, wooden decking only a few feet away from Mihawk's small boat. The man glared at the master swordsman, pushing himself up onto one leg. "Why did you attack us?"

Hawk-Eye's calmly turned his head, fixing the man with a blank look and almost appearing as if he was uninterested in the conversation. His gold eyes were just as Gin had described them, cold and sharp like a double-edged blade. His eyes slid over the kneeling man before he looked away, silently dismissing him.

"To kill time."

"BULLSHIT!" Furious, the blond man pushed himself fully to his feet and pulled out two flintlock pistols, quickly aiming them at the master swordsman. Faster than any normal human could move, Mihawk drew the large blade from his back, his speed causing a faint after image to follow the swords. The blade was like nothing that anyone had ever seen, both beautiful and chilling lethal. Its very being radiated power and a cold feeling of death. It was longer than any normal sword, reaching almost seven feet from tip to tip, edged on only one side with a slight curve at the end of the blade. The metal of the blade was a pitch black that shone brightly in the mid-day sunlight as Hawk-Eye's turned the blade to point at the man who had challenged him.

Don Krieg's man let out a furious cry as he fired his guns, the bullets heading on a direct path towards Mihawk's head. However, the master swordsman didn't look even the least bit worried. He raised his sword slightly and tilted the blade, allowing the two projectiles to strike the black metal and bounce off, their course now altered. The bullets passed by his face, avoiding the dark-haired swordsman by mere inches before dropping harmlessly into the water beyond.

The Krieg pirates gasped in shock, unable to believe that the shot had missed him. Mihawk looked like he hadn't even moved but the bullets had gone straight past him.

"W-what?! I'm sure I was right on target!" The man with the dreadlocks shouted, sweat dripping down his face.

"It deviated." Krieg's man jumped slightly and turned to see a man with short green hair who had suddenly appeared behind him and was watching Mihawk with a calculating look on his face.

"He redirected it with the tip of his sword." Zoro continued, appearing to be the only person who had seen the movement of the swordsman's blade.

"That's ridiculous!" One man shouted, watching Mihawk carefully as the swordsman carefully sheathed his black blade. "Hey! Who the hell are you?"

Zoro just ignored him, resting his arm loosely against the hilts of his swords as he stepped forward, making his way to the edge of the platform.

One man stared at Zoro with wide eyes, trembling slightly. "Swords, three of 'em! Could it be...?"

"I've never seen such graceful skill," Zoro commented calmly, earning Mihawk's attention.

"A sword with power alone is not powerful." The man replied, his sharp golden eyes flashing.

"So this ship was cut apart with that sword, too?"

"Of course."

Zoro grinned, anticipation written all over his face. "It's clear now. You're the strongest!" He gulped and moved to undo the bandana wrapped around his bicep. "I've been sailing the seas to face you."

The master swordsman didn't move from his spot or make any sort of indication that he had heard Zoro's words other then a calm, 3 word sentence.

"What's your mission?"

Zoro cinched his bandana tightly around his head, a dangerous smirk coming to his face. "To be the best!"

His words caused Mihawk to smirk as well, an almost unnoticeable look of anticipation flashing in his eyes. "Fool."

The green-haired swordsman calmly drew Wado from its sheathe, the sword practically humming in his hands, and pointed it at Mihawk. "You've got time to spare, don't you? Let's duel, shall we?"

On the platform of the destroyed ship, the men around Zoro began to whisper amongst themselves, recognizing the trademark bandana, haramaki and unique three swords that the green-haired swordsman wore.

"This guy is..."

"Zoro! He's the "Three Swords" Roronoa Zoro!"

"What?!"

From his place on one of the upper levels of the destroyed ship, Krieg spared a glance towards the former pirate hunter and sneered. "Pirate hunter, eh?"

Even the chefs at the Baratie were shocked by the discovery. They had heard their temporary waitress call the man's name multiple times but they had never connected him with the famous Roronoa Zoro from in the papers.

Sanji just stared at the green-haired teen, his eyes wide and his cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. "That guy?!"

The only one that appeared unsurprised was The Baratie's owner, Zeff. The middle-aged man just crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare at the two talking swordsmen with a slight frown on his face. He had known who the boy was the moment he had seen him.

Luffy, Yosaku, and Johnny were completely focused on the confrontation taking place between Mihawk and Zoro, the bounty hunting duo having already started cheering their Big bro on while Luffy watched quietly, a smile on her face. However, Usopp had been focused on something else, something he considered far more important.

"Hey!" He shouted, trying to get the raven-haired girl's attention. "Things are getting worse, Luffy! The Going Merry is about to be gone from our sights!" And he was right. With every second that passed, the small caravel ship drew further and further away, becoming nothing more than a dot against the horizon.

When Usopp didn't hear a reply from the captain, he whipped his head around to stare at her.

"Hey, Luffy!" But the girl's attention was completely focused on her first-mate. On her Zoro. Usopp made a small noise of annoyance but knew that he wouldn't be able to pull the raven-haired girl's attention away from the upcoming fight. He was anxious to get Merry back but he had to trust that Luffy wanted to get the Going Merry back as much as he did so he turned his own gaze to the two swordsmen with a sigh.

"Duel?" Mihawk scoffed, glancing over at Zoro with a frown. "Such a pitiful weakling."

Zoro didn't respond to Mihawk's insult, just continued to stare at the legendary swordsman with a hardened and determined expression. Mihawk vanished from his coffin-shaped boat, reappearing on the deck to Zoro's left in a display of speed that had everyone around him gasping in shock.

"If you really were a fine swordsman, you should've been able to judge the difference in our strengths without drawing your sword." His words were monotonous, as if the swordsman had been forced to repeat them a thousand times. "Challenging me... Are you that brave? Or simply reckless?"

Zoro smirked. "This is for my own ambition!" Gripping his precious white sword tightly, Zoro placed it between his teeth before drawing his other two swords. "And to fulfill a promise I made to a fallen friend."

Leaning against the Baratie railing, Patty and Carne watched the scene unfolding before them with wide eyes, the rest of the chefs closely gathered around the dock of the restaurant, hoping to get a good look. A fight between two master swordsman was sure to be something that they wouldn't ever see again.

"The World's Greatest Swordsman Hawk-Eye's Mihawk vs Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro," Patty muttered quietly, a note of awe in his voice as his hands gripped the railing tightly. "What kind of fight will this turn out to be? Something tells me it's not going to be pretty."

"No one can win against Big Bro!" Yosaku shouted, pumping a fist into the air and cheering lightly.

"That's right! Big Bro's the best!" Johnny added, joining his partner in cheering for the green-haired swordsman.

Luffy had since stepped around the bounty hunting duo's boat and was now standing on the main dock in front of the Baratie's entrance, her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes had not left Zoro's form even as she walked, her gaze focused on her swordsman's back, watching the rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed.

Finally deciding that the green-haired swordsman in front of him was completely serious about challenging him, Mihawk lifted one hand up to grip the large crucifix around his neck. He yanked it down, breaking the string that held it in place before gripping it in both his hands and pulling against the bottom, revealing that the crucifix was in fact a very small knife. The blade was curved slightly at the tip, similar to Zoro's katana but no longer than his fingers.

It was one of the smallest daggers that Zoro had ever seen and his eyebrows pulled together, his expression one of irritation and slight surprise.

"Hey now, what's the meaning of this?" He growled, tightening his hold on the two black blades in his hands.

Mihawk shifted slightly until he was in a fencer's standard starting position, holding the small dagger in his forward hand. "I'm unlike those idiots who use their all to hunt rabbits," The swordsman replied calmly, his tone still infuriatingly monotonous. "Though you're famous enough to be called a swordsman, this is the weakest of the four oceans, East Blue." Mihawk sighed and shrugged his shoulders, giving his dagger a disappointed look. "Unfortunately, I'm carrying nothing smaller than this." The master swordsman almost sounded upset by that, and Zoro's temper flared.

"Quit mocking me!" He snarled, his teeth biting into the handle of Wado as he charged forward. "Just don't regret it when you die!"

"You're but someone who's yet to experience the real world." Mihawk responded as he stepped back into a ready stance, not appearing overly worried by Zoro's approaching form.

As Zoro neared the master swordsman, he crossed his arms over his chest, preparing one of his most well known and powerful attacks.

"Oni... Giri!"

Gold eyes, as sharp as a hawk's, studied the approaching attack, noting that the teenager had some skill behind his attack. Still, he found the weakness of the move quickly and thrust his dagger forward, the sound of clashing blades echoing through the air.

"Wh..what?!"

Zoro couldn't believe what he was seeing. Hawk-Eye's Mihawk had stopped his Oni Giri attack by merely pressing the tip of his tiny dagger against Zoro's forward-most sword, his other two swords held back by the one Mihawk had stopped. The master swordsman's strength was unbelievable, bringing all of Zoro's forward momentum to a complete standstill with just one tiny motion.

"Zoro!" Luffy let out a loud gasp, not completely believing the scene in front of her. She had never seen Zoro's swords blocked like that in all the time they had been traveling together and the raven-haired girl swore she could feel the backlash of power from the collision of the two weapons. All around her were similar sounds of surprise as everyone else watching the fight tried to decide whether they were really witnessing this. Yosaku and Johnny appeared to be the one's most shocked by Mihawk's block of Zoro's swords.

"Aniki's demon technique was broken!" Johnny shouted, his shoulders hunched and his fists clenched. If you could see his eyes behind his glasses they were probably wide as saucers and beads of sweat began to form on his face.

Next to him, Yosaku was not much better off. "But, that has always worked 100% of the time! What in the world happened?!"

Back on the floating deck of the destroyed galleon, Zoro was shaking, his muscles bulged and straining but no matter how much force he added his swords didn't move a single inch.

'I can't move!' Zoro thought, his eyes wide as he continued to stare at the place where their weapons met. 'What just happened? No one could avoid this technique before, but with just his toy, he...'

His gaze slid along the small dagger and up Mihawk's arm before he stared up into the man's cold eyes.

'Is this really happening? Is a strength like his really this far away? That can't be! It can't be this far away!' The teen's eyes narrowed dangerously, Mihawk's gaze mirroring his own, and he pulled back before charging the master swordsman again with an aggravated roar.

"The world shouldn't be this far off! I'm not that far behind!"

Zoro's attack were furious, his full strength placed behind each swing, and many of the people watching the fight were unable to follow the path of the green-haired teen's blades until after the attack had already struck. But no matter how hard Zoro swung or how much his arms burned, Mihawk's tiny dagger was there, blocking his every move and keeping pace with him as if Zoro was moving no faster than a small child.

At this point, Zoro cared about nothing more than inflicting even the slightest injury on the indifferent man facing him. Even the slightest strike would ease the swirling thoughts in his head that screamed that he was way out of his league. NO, he shook his head furiously, stubbornly forcing that thought from his head and kept attacking with every bit of strength and energy he had. He was getting nowhere though and both of them knew it so Mihawk, having become bored of this obviously one-sided fight, shifted his hold on the small dagger in his hand and instead shot forward with a punch. His fist caught Zoro across the jaw, dropping the other swordsman to the ground with a thud.

Yosaku let out a shriek of alarm, leaning so far forward that it appeared he would fall off his small boat at any second. "This can't be happening, Big Bro! Please fight seriously!"

"Big Bro!" Johnny shouted, trying to cheer Zoro on even as the man in question began to slowly force himself to his feet.

"There's no way..." He snarled, glaring up at the dark-haired swordsman standing a few feet from him. "It can't possibly be this far away!"

With another yell, Zoro charged again, the sounds of clashing metal echoing through the air. Zoro continued to move forward, his attacks like that of a raging beast caught in the throes of a berserker rage. In contrast, Mihawk appeared completely calm, his body dancing back and forth as he dodged Zoro's attacks and used his small dagger to redirect the small amount of attacks that came too close to his body. Eventually, Mihawk was pushed back to the edge of the galleon and he leapt up onto the railing behind him before flipping over Zoro's head, avoiding the incoming swing that sliced through the railing of the ship like it wasn't even there. Even as Mihawk landed, Zoro had already turned and resumed his attack, forcing the master swordsman to raise his dagger and actually block his swing.

"Such unrestrained skill." Mihawk commented quietly, his words causing Zoro to pull back and immediately re-attack, this time with Wado, the blade in his mouth clashing against Mihawk's chosen weapon. The strength behind Zoro's attack caused a small wave of force to sweep over the deck from the collision of the blades.

"Just with that thing, he's taking on all of Zoro's three swords!" One of Krieg's men muttered, taking a few steps back in an attempt to ensure that he was completely out of range of the two combatants.

"That's a monster superior to monsters!" His partner commented, watching as Zoro's attacks resumed, his furious pace never faltering.

'I... I didn't come all this way to lose against this toy-like thing!'

'Zoro!'

Zoro stumbled slightly, hearing Kuina's voice echo through his head causing him to lose his focus and the green-haired swordsman swore he could see the small blue-haired girl in front of him, looking exactly as she had before she died. His loss of concentration caused him to lose his footing and Mihawk stepped past him before slamming the side of his hand against the teen's neck. Mihawk's strike almost caused Zoro to drop the sword in his mouth and he crashed to the ground, images flashing through his head.

He could see it as clearly as if he was still there. The 2001st time he had lost to Kuina and her confession afterward.

'You're lucky Zoro...'

'Promise me. That someday, either you or I will become the greatest swordsman in the world!'

Kuina's funeral, it had been raining that day. After that, Zoro had thrown himself into training, making himself the strongest on the entire island before petitioning his sensei for Kuina's prized sword.

'I... have to become strong, for her sake too. My strength will even reach the heavens!'

The vivid flashes of memory faded and Zoro forced himself back to his feet and turned to face Mihawk, panting heavily as he tried to force air back into his starved lungs.

"To become the greatest in the world..." He muttered quietly, the words so quiet that Zoro wasn't even sure that he had said them out loud. "If I could just defeat this man..."

Mihawk just watched him, his indifferent expression broken by the slight curiosity burning in his eyes. "What is your mission?" He finally asked, watching the panting teen closely. "Why do you seek the ultimate power? Speak up, weakling!" His words radiated authority, as if it was inconceivable that anyone would refuse to answer him.

Yosaku and Johnny heard the master swordsman's question and both growled angrily, their hands flying to the hilts of their large swords.

"Big Bro's a weakling, you say? You damn bastard!" Yosaku snapped, drawing his sword.

"I'll teach you a thing or two!" Johnny added, both bounty hunters leaping off the railing of their ship, wanting to assist their big brother in any way that they could.

"Stop! Yosaku! Johnny!" Even as their feet left the ship, Luffy's arms were there, latching onto the back of their clothes and yanking the two of them back onto the boat. The momentum of them hitting the deck of the ship caused it to rock slightly and before either bounty hunter could regain their footing Luffy was there, her hands pressed against the tops of their heads, keeping them from standing back up.

"Don't interfere! Just hang on!" Both turned slightly to catch the girl in their sights, mouths open to protest but froze when they saw the expression on the raven-haired girl's face. She wasn't looking at them, wasn't even paying them the slightest bit of attention. Her gaze was completely focused on the swordsman she had come to call hers. Her brow was furrowed with worry and her eyes were wide as she waited for Zoro to reply to Mihawk's insult.

"This is Zoro's fight! Got it?" Her eyes flicked down to the bounty hunters for a split second before she was staring back up at the two combatants, moving to worry her lower lip between her teeth. Luffy couldn't remember a time when she had felt so helpless. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself forward and help Zoro but she knew she couldn't. She had sworn she wouldn't interfere and that promise held her still even as the need to be at her swordsman's side itched under her skin.

"Luffy..." Usopp muttered slightly. The long-nosed teen couldn't even imagine what she was going through right now and yet she was standing firm, silently believing in her first-mate. He didn't say anything more, just turned back to watching the fight, wanting to support his crew-mate and friend by just watching quietly and hoping that he could pull off a win, for Luffy's sake.

Zoro heard Luffy's voice and he stiffened, new energy flooding his veins at her words. He straightened up, fixing Mihawk with a glare as his hands flexed against the handles of his swords. 'I won't lose!'

"I can't afford to lose!" He finally said, answering Mihawk's earlier question even as his words echoed across the open area. The echo radiated with the same amount of authority that had laced the master swordsman's words and the golden-eyed man stared at his opponent with a slightly surprised expression. It had been a long time since he had seen someone with such willpower behind them. He was secretly happy with the appearance of this young challenger but he had one last test for the young man. He wanted to see with his own eyes if this boy had what it took to be the strongest.

His mind made up, Mihawk watched as Zoro prepared his next attack, lifting the swords in his hands up and resting the blades behind the one in his mouth, the tips pointed towards the ground behind his shoulder.

"Tiger..." He began, the slight phantom image of the large beast flickering into view behind him. But even as Zoro readied his attack, his eyes didn't see the swordsman in front of him. All he could see was his captain. The bright smile on her face when he had first told her of his dream, her hands clapping together in front of her as she tried to contain her excitement at the thought of him joining her.

'That's great! The World's Greatest Swordsman, huh? Sounds like a plan; the Queen of the Pirates wouldn't have any less than the best on her crew! Eh, Zoro?'

"Hunt!" Coming back to the present, Zoro charged forward, launching his attack. His blades swung down in a large arch, aimed right at Mihawk's head. It was time for the master swordsman's test. The gold-eyed man darted under Zoro's swing and thrust the small dagger in his hand forward in a move similar to a fencer's riposte.

The dagger seemed to enter Zoro's chest in slow motion, sliding between two of the ribs on the left side of his chest and coming dangerously close to his heart. The swordsman's arms dropped to his side instantly, his fingers barely holding onto his swords.

Luffy gasped, her eyes as wide a saucers and her fingers curled into tight fists against Johnny and Yosaku's heads. She had seen Zoro injured before but it never got any easier and this time... this time felt a thousand times worse than when the acrobat guy had stabbed him.

All around her were similar sounds of shock but what surprised most of the onlookers was that the green-haired swordsman didn't even flinch at the injury. He didn't take a step back, didn't move as blood began to drip from the new wound and onto the wooden deck. He just stood silently and continued to glare at Mihawk.

The master swordsman was slightly surprised and he narrowed his gaze. "Do you wish to have this go through your heart?" He asked, tightening his hold on the small dagger. "Why don't you step back?"

"I don't know." Zoro replied, blood slowly dripping from his mouth and sliding down his neck. Mihawk's dagger had pierced his lung and with every breath he took, he could feel the liquid gurgling in his throat. But he couldn't step back.

"I'm not sure why myself. But if I were to take even one step back, I believe that all those important oaths, promises, and many other deals 'til now, would be shattered and I'd never be able to return before you, ever again."

That's what defeat is." Hawk-Eye's scowled slightly and Zoro just chuckled.

"That's why I can't step back. I refuse to accept that."

"Even if it means death?"

"I'd rather die than surrender!" The master swordsman's eyes widened slightly and he felt a swelling of pride in his chest.

'What strong will! Preferring death over defeat.' Mihawk knew that he had been correct in his initial assessment. Despite the fact that this boy was weak he had heart and the swordsman could honestly say that none of the other swordsmen that he had fought had as much fighting spirit as this young man. Making his decision, Hawk-Eye's pulled the dagger from Zoro's chest, the teenager not making a single sound of protest, and re-sheathed it before sliding the chord back around his neck.

"Kid, announce your name!"

Zoro straightened up and lifted his arms, holding his swords out wide before bringing them together, both blades pointing towards the sky. Calmly, Zoro flipped the sword in his left hand so that it was now pointing towards the ground before clacking the two hilts together. The angle of the swords made them look like hands on a clock pointing at 11:35.

"Roronoa Zoro!" The swordsman stated, his expression taking on a determined edge.

Mihawk reached for the hilt of the large black sword strapped to his back, matching Zoro's intense gaze with one of his own. "I'll remember that! No one with a will as strong as yours has come around in quite some time. As a reward, a gesture to a fellow swordsman, I will wield this "Black Sword", the most powerful sword in the world, to end your life." Mihawk pulled the large, 7 foot sword from his back and held it out in front of him in a sort of toast to the teenaged swordsman. The edge of the blade gleamed with a menacing aura, as if it had been formed by the darkness itself.

Zoro just smirked but it didn't lessen the focused stare that he gave his opponent. In fact, it only made it seem all the more deadly.

"I appreciate your offer."

As Mihawk stepped back into a ready stance, the Krieg pirates that had been watching the fight flinched back. They recognized that sword, there was no way they couldn't. It was the very sword that had wiped out their entire fleet with only a few swings and had just cut through their flagship with three simple slices.

"It's out! The sword that cut the ship!"

'This is my last chance,' Zoro thought, taking a steadying breath. 'World's number one... or death?'

The master swordsman's eyes narrowed into a focused glare and he moved to grip his large sword with both hands, awaiting his challenger's final attack.

Luffy had since released Johnny and Yosaku, after multiple complaints that she was was strangling them with the tight hold she had on their clothes, and was now gripping the railing of the bounty hunter's ship hard enough to crack wood. The she pirate couldn't remember ever being this nervous during any previous fight. Her heart thundered in her ears and sweat dripped down her arms. Luffy could hardly hear Johnny and Yosaku shouting in the background, both men begging Zoro to stop before he was killed. She knew though, she knew that Zoro would never stop. This was his dream, his goal and he would fight for it even if it killed him. Her heart stuttered to a stop at the implication. Zoro, dead? He wouldn't! He couldn't! She would not allow it! He would NOT LOSE!

"Three Sword Style Secret Technique!" Zoro yelled, beginning to spin his blades in front of him like a fan, as Mihawk took one step back and charged the green-haired swordsman, his gold eyes flashing dangerously.

"Three Thousand Worlds!" As the master swordsman neared Zoro he launched his attack, Zoro doing the same and the sound of clashing metal echoed like a clap of thunder in the bright, nearly cloudless sky.

Mihawk came to a stop a few feet behind Zoro, facing away from his opponent with his blade still outstretched as the wave of energy from their attacks dissipated across the wooden deck. Both remained motionless, still in their finished attack positions and the onlookers held their breath. No one has seen the actual attacks connect with their own eyes, just heard the clash of the blades, and they waited, refusing to even blink for fear of missing the announcement of the winner of this duel.

There was a ting of breaking metal as the two black swords in Zoro's hands cracked before the blades completely shattered. A large splash of blood poured from the new wound on his chest that had been inflicted during Mihawk's attack and after a few seconds of trying to force himself to remain standing, the green-haired swordsman dropped to one knee. The hilts of his two black swords dropped uselessly to the deck as he used his hands to steady himself slightly.

'I lost.' He thought sadly, reaching up to pull his beloved Wado from his mouth. All of the thoughts that had been running through Zoro's head quieted and the silence was almost deafening. 'Losing wasn't something I'd ever imagined was possible.'

Holding the white sheath in one hand he carefully slid his one remaining sword back into its scabbard, the soft, almost sad, hum of the sword causing him almost as much pain as the throbbing wound on his chest.

'So this is what it is to possess the greatest power in the world?'

Zoro slowly rose to his feet, his movements steady and sure, Wado gripped carefully in his left hand. He turned to face Mihawk silently and spread his arms out in an open gesture, causing the master swordsman to start slightly. Mihawk had turned around and been prepared to attack the green-haired swordsman again but Zoro's gesture froze him in his place.

"But why?" He asked, startled.

Zoro smirked, sweat dripping down his face from the effort it took to keep standing. " A scar on the back is a mark of a shame among swordsman."

Hawk-Eyes smirked as well and crouched slightly, readying his sword. "Well said."

Taking one step forward, Mihawk sliced his sword down at an angle, cutting across Zoro's chest from the swordsman's left shoulder to his right hip. A large splash of blood followed the path of Mihawk's attack and turned the whole front of Zoro's shirt red, a large puddle of excess blood pooling on the deck at the teenager's feet. Zoro couldn't even feel the pain, his nerves and body shutting down at the first touch of metal against his skin but his heart clenched in agony when a horrified scream echoed across the area. It was a voice he would recognize anywhere and he tried to turn his head to look at his captain, his body stubbornly resisting all movement. 'Lu...'

ZZOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Luffy screamed, her voice cracking halfway through and her throat protesting the loud, almost inhuman sounds that emerged from it.

'Don't rush your death, young lad.' Mihawk thought calmly, watching as his opponent slowly began to fall back, one look at the teen's eyes confirming the fact that he was no longer lucid.

"Zoro!" Usopp couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wanted to pinch himself, to look away and hope that he was just hallucinating but he couldn't pull his eyes away from the grotesque scene in front of him. The swordsman had to be dead. There was no way he could still be alive with the amount of blood pouring from the wound.

Next to him, Yosaku and Johnny were screaming almost as loud as Luffy, which was impressive for two teenage boys, as tears and snot poured from their eyes and noses. "BIG BROOOOOO!"

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Luffy screamed again, tears beginning to pool at the edges of her eyes as she watched Zoro, her Zoro, slowly fall backwards and into the water. It was the one place that Luffy couldn't reach for him and yet at that moment, it was the last thing on her mind. She could see the ripples where her swordsman had fallen and the water was slowly turning red from the blood still pouring from his chest and she let out a pained whimper before stretching her arm out towards the water. She had to reach him, he wasn't dead, he wasn't! She couldn't lose him, not now! Not ever!

"Luffy! Just wait!" Usopp had quickly figured out what the raven-haired girl was going to try and grabbed her around her waist to prevent her from moving. "Johnny! Yosaku!"

Next to the front door of the Baratie, Sanji's eyes narrowed in anger, watching how the temporary waitress struggled to reach the green-haired swordsman even as the two men near her dove into the water after him. He was furious that this foolish brute of a swordsman was causing a lady so much pain because of his stupid arrogance. His words from in the restaurant had been so confident and yet...

'When I decided to become the greatest swordsman in the world, I'd already discarded my life so I'm the only one that gets to call me stupid.'

Was all that talk a bullshit excuse to throw away his life? Did he not care if he lived or died? If he caused such a beautiful lady to cry because of his idiocy? Did he not care about Luffyko-chan at all?

'That guy and his stupid ideas. He's insane... his opponent was way out of his league! How this fight would end was clear from the start... why would he choose death?!'

Finally, Sanji's anger spilled over and he shouted, not caring who heard him. "YOU IDIOT! Give up your ambition and live!"

Luffy barely registered Usopp's words, or the twin splashes from Johnny and Yosaku as they dove into the water to retrieve their brother. No, her gaze had slowly moved from the red-tinted water to the man that stood calmly on the galleon's deck, watching the ocean as he sheathed his sword. The raven-haired girl swore that she saw red as she stared at him, the bastard who had dared to hurt one of her nakama, who had hurt her Zoro. She had held back during the fight but no more. He was going to pay!

"Damn! Damn! DAMN IT!" She screamed, grasping her left bicep with her right arm and twisting back as she prepared to launch herself at the master swordsman.

"Luffy!" Usopp shouted, quickly letting go of the enraged girl, realizing almost instantly that the girl could no longer hear him. He had never seen the she-pirate look so angry but he honestly couldn't fault her. Even dismissing the small talk he had had with her earlier, everyone knew how close the two pirates were. Luffy was in danger of losing the person she loved and even if she had just come to the realization of that love a short time ago, it didn't mean those feelings weren't strong. Usopp could only cross his fingers and hope that the swordsman could pull off another impressive recovery like he had with the Nyaban brothers, for Luffy's sake.

"AAARRRRGGGH! YOU BASTARD!"

Mihawk blinked at the enraged cry, automatically shifting slightly to the left as a fist shot past his face. His eyes widened a fraction as they connected with the approaching blue and white blur. Mihawk wasn't the only one that was surprised either. Cries of shock came from many of the Baratie chefs as they watched their temporary waitress's arm stretch to impossible lengths and Sanji dropped his cigarette with a cough, not expecting such a feat from the small raven-haired girl.

Don Krieg just sniffed angrily, his subordinates all wearing matching expressions of surprise. "So, that bitch's got the ability of a devil fruit? She's worth even more now than she was before."

As Luffy neared Mihawk, the swordsman was able to distinguish more of the she-pirate's features and he cocked an eyebrow when his gaze finally settled on the straw hat jammed on her head.

'Well, well. This is interesting.' He thought, biting back a small chuckle.

Luffy shot towards Mihawk, her free hand curling into a fist as she readied a second attack. Her mind had shut down, the only thought running through it being a steady mantra of 'make him pay! He will not touch Zoro!' Mihawk effortlessly dodged the girl's punch and threw out an arm, catching Luffy around the waist and stopping her before she could make a rather nasty face-plant in the part of the wooden deck that had been pushed up. The pressure of their collision caused powerful shock waves around them, shocking the people still on the Baratie and the wreaked galleon and forcing them to grab onto handholds. Mihawk was almost surprised at the force of her attack and he raised one eyebrow.

"Can't have you hurting yourself, my dear." He drawled, giving the girl a slightly amused look as he studied her. "That doting fool would have my head if you got so much as a bruise in my presence."

Not pausing to take whatever he had said into account, Luffy immediately shifted in his hold, aiming another strong punch at his face. Mihawk caught her fist with a sigh and hiked her arm into the air, incidentally bring her body flush against his, while his other arm,which was secure around her waist, held her other arm fast to her side. "Are you that young swordsman's lover?"

Luffy heard that remark and her eyes widened slightly as a blush spread across her face. How could he tell? She had just talked to Usopp earlier about what she felt for Zoro and hadn't even had the chance to talk to her swordsman about it. So how could this Hawk-Eyes guy know about it?

"Thank you for watching over him."

Just like that, Luffy's anger instantly returned and she began to struggle again. "Let me go, you bastard!" Luffy snapped, glaring at the swordsman with burning eyes and her teeth bared in a snarl.

"Now, now. Calm down." He soothed, watching Luffy with a relaxed expression, looking for all the world like he had not just cut Zoro down. "There is no need for you to be so hostile, my dear. Rest assured, your lover is still alive."

Luffy's struggles ceased immediately and she blinked a few times, missing the fact that Mihawk had once again called Zoro her lover as she struggled to accept what he was saying.

"What?" There was hope in her tone and she quickly whipped her head around towards the water in time to see Johnny and Yosaku surface with Zoro held between them.

"Big bro! Big bro! Say something!"

"Zoro!"

Mihawk allowed the girl to break out of his hold with only a slight hesitation and watched as she quickly scampered to the edge of the destroyed deck, her sharp gaze not leaving the green-haired swordsman's face. She had to fight back the urge to giggle hysterically when she saw Wado still clasped tightly in his hand and instead pressed a closed fist against her chest. 'Please...'

Zoro winced, still mostly unconscious, and let out a wet cough, small bits of blood leaving his mouth as he struggled to take a breath.

"Zoro!" The she-pirate's call came out like a small whine but it still seemed as if her swordsman heard her when he twitched in the bounty hunter's hold and his eyes flicked open to slits.

"...Lu-..." 'Luffyko...'

Those two letters seemed to take a lot out of the injured swordsman and he slumped back down against Johnny and Yosaku, allowing the two to carefully guide him back towards their ship where Usopp waited to help pull the green-haired teen out of the water.

"Here! I've got medicine! Apply it quickly! We have to get the bleeding stopped." Usopp bustled around the small boat as Johnny and Yosaku carefully laid Zoro back against the bottom of the boat, his legs dangling over the sides.

"It's still too early for you to die." Mihawk said, his gold eyes fixed on the challenging swordsman's face. This kid would become stronger. He could sense it even now, the demon lurking under the green-haired teenager's skin. So he would wait; he would wait for this boy to reach him, because when he did then the master swordsman knew that he would have a true battle on his hands. A true test to see who the world's strongest was. His voice grew louder as he continued to speak, excitement and anticipation welling up in him. "My name is Dracule Mihawk! Discover your true self, the true world, and become stronger! However long it may take, I shall await you at the top. Surpass this sword! Surpass me! Roronoa Zoro!"

His words were filled with so much power and held a surprising respect for the defeated swordsman that many were left in shock. How could the legendary Hawk-Eye's Mihawk talk to a man that he had easily defeated as if they were equals. Zeff was the only one not overly surprised and he smirked slightly as his chefs began to whisper amongst themselves. Pirate Hunter Zoro and the small waitress girl were the true next generation of pirates and Zeff knew that if he one day opened a paper and saw them on the cover he would not be surprised. He just hoped he would be alive to see what they would accomplish.

Mihawk calmly turned away from the small boat that held Zoro and glanced over at the raven-haired girl that had attacked him. He knew who she was immediately. Having been told the story a million times, not just by the idiot red-head but by the rest of his crew as well, meant that he recognized her the minute he saw the worn-out straw hat. Still, he was curious to see if she really was the same as Shanks had described her and he fixed the girl with a curious look.

"Young lady... what is your goal?"

"First Pirate Queen!" Luffy replied simply, her gaze still focused her swordsman.

Mihawk smirked. Maybe the drunken idiot hadn't been exaggerating. Her reply had been so straight-forward, as if chastising him for not already knowing the answer. If she was with that swordsman... these two were going to turn out to be an interesting duo.

"Your ambition is more dangerous than his, that's quite a task."

"You just let me worry about that." Her eyes slid to the side so she could catch Mihawk in her line of sight before she stuck out her tongue in a childish show of defiance.

"He's alive!"

Immediately, Luffy's gaze was back on her first mate, watching as Usopp sat back with a relieved sigh and re-corked the bottle of medicine he had been force-feeding the injured swordsman. "He's ok, he just lost consciousness!"

"Big bro!" Yosaku cried, a visible trail of tears dripping down his already soaked face.

Across from him, on Zoro's other side, Johnny wiped away his own tears and exclaimed. "Big bro! Say something!"

Zoro's eyes fluttered open slowly and he shifted slightly against the bottom of the boat, struggling to pull Wado from it's sheath.

"Big bro?"

Zoro just shook his head and pulled harder against the sword until Johnny moved and helped the injured swordsman to remove the sword from its sheath and allow him to grasp it firmly in his right hand.

"Zoro!" Luffy's voice came from somewhere in front of him and Zoro's heart jumped at the relieved tone of her voice. He quickly lifted his arm, ignoring the sharp shock of pain that jumped through his chest at the movement and hefted his prized sword so that it was pointing toward the sky. It was his nod to Kuina, his silent acknowledgment that he wouldn't stop trying. But it was more than that. It was the beginning of a new promise, his new oath to his captain, his Luffy. He eyed the metal of the sword, glittering in the midday sun before he allowed his eyes to slip shut.

"Lu..." He began, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat and tried again. He had to get his words across to her. "Luffyko... can you hear me?"

"Yeah!" Luffy giggled, her heart filling with joy at the sound of her first-mate's voice. It was just another thing that proved that he was still with her. Injured yes, but definitely alive.

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Lu," He panted, struggling to take in air. "I know you need nothing less than the World's Greatest Swordsman and... and I let you down. Forgive me."

Zoro broke off with a choked gasp, coughing up blood once again and causing the two bounty hunters watching him to panic.

"Big bro! Don't say anymore!"

"Big bro!"

Zoro just ignored their words, needing to keep talking. He felt his throat start to clog up and he sniffled, fighting back tears. He was so thankful to be alive. He wanted to be the world's best and if he died for that he was fine with it but still... the idea of leaving Luffy like he almost had didn't sit well with him. So he kept talking, wanting to assure her that he wouldn't leave her again, even as tears began to pour from his eyes.

"Until the day comes when I defeat him, and take his title... I-I will never lose again! Any problems with that... Queen of the Pirates!?"

Luffy's smile widened even more and she sank to her knees in relief, her heart warming at his dedicated promise. Her lip trembled slightly and she covered her mouth with one hand, her own tears pooling at the edges of her eyes.

"Shishishi... None!" She giggled quietly, hysterically, before continuing. "Just please don't die on me..."

Mihawk quietly stepped up next to Luffy and glanced down at the relieved girl.

"You two are an interesting couple and you make quite the pair," He commented, his tone calm. "You're going to be a team to watch for on the Grand Line."

Luffy turned to look over at Mihawk and smirked slightly as the master swordsman continued.

"I hope to see you both there soon." The swordsman turned slightly, intending to head back to his boat, after all, he had had enough excitement for one day. He stopped after a step and turned back to Luffy, who was still watching him with a curious, if mostly relaxed, expression.

"Where are my manners?" Mihawk scoffed, smirking slightly at Luffy as he stepped back up next to the girl. He knelt down on one knee and took one of the raven-haired girl's hands in his own before pressing a small kiss to the back of her knuckles. "Until then, my lady."

Luffy blushed slightly and laughed before nodding enthusiastically. "Shishishi! Of course we'll be there!"

"Hmph." With a last smirk, Mihawk turned and made his way towards his boat.

"Hold on there, Hawk-Eyes!" Don Krieg leapt down from his post on the upper part of the destroyed deck and moved to block the master swordsman's path, his arms crossed over his chest and a smug smirk on his face.

"Didn't you come for my head? The head of East Blue's greatest pirate, Don Krieg?"

Mihawk didn't even turn around, just slid his gaze to the side to catch a small glimpse of the pirate. "That was my initial intention. But I've had more than enough fun. I'm headed back to sleep."

Krieg just chuckled and cracked his neck, ignoring the master swordsman's brush off. "It may have been fun enough for you, but I haven't done my bit yet."

Around him, Don Krieg's crew mates began to sweat, none of them understanding why their captain was baiting the man that had nearly wiped them out.

"Don?!"

"Why is he intentionally stopping him?!"

Krieg's grin widened and Mihawk turned more to look at him, his eyes narrowing into a glare. Krieg pulled out his two guns as the guns hidden under his shoulder and chest plates popped into view.

"Die before you go!" He shouted, laughing as he fired all of his weapons towards Mihawk.

The master swordsman sighed and moved to draw his black blade, his features twisted into a mask of annoyance. "A true fool." He swung his blade in an arch, the force of the swing destroying most of the galleon's platforms that still remained intact and creating a large wave that obscured everyone's view of Mihawk, Krieg and the platform that they stood on which included Luffy.

"Luffy!" Both Usopp and Zoro let out cries of alarm, the latter having forced himself into a semi-sitting position after his impassioned speech.

They heard a small cry of alarm that caused Usopp to hold his breath in worry and Zoro to tense up. Injuries be damned, if Luffy fell into the water, he would be seconds behind her. Both quickly breathed sighs of relief when they saw two skinny hands shoot out of the cloud of water and latch onto the railing of the Baratie, the raven-haired girl following her arms a second later. She slammed into the edge of the ship and flailed for a few seconds before steadying herself, shocking many of the chefs who were standing nearby.

The cloud of mist cleared, showing that Mihawk was no longer in sight, the master swordsman having made his escape during the confusion. Luffy noticed his disappearance and smirked before letting out an excited whoop and turning to look at the bounty hunter's small boat.

"Usopp!" She called, getting the long-nosed teen's attention.

"Luffy! You ok?"

"Yeah! Get going! I'll leave getting Nami back to you guys!"

Usopp grinned and gave the she-pirate a thumbs up. "Gotcha! Me and Zoro will definitely get Nami back! You just make that cook one of us! Then we'll make a party of five and head to the Grand Line!"

"Yeah! Now go!"

"Luffy!"

Zoro's voice echoed over the water and caused Luffy to perk up slightly. She craned her neck to get a better look at her first-mate and grinned happily.

"Zoro?"

"Y-You be careful Lu, yeah? Don't you dare let that asshole get the upper hand on you even once or I'll kick your ass when I see you again." He began to cough again, the sound wet, and Johnny pushed the green-haired swordsman back into a more reclined position before pressing a clean cloth against the still bleeding wounds on his chest.

Luffy giggled, the edges of her eyes crinkling slightly as she laughed and nodded enthusiastically. "Course, Zoro! I'll see you back on Merry! Just rest now, kay? I've got it from here!"

She watched, the grin still on her face and her eyes twinkling, as the small boat began to sail away. When it was finally out of sight, she turned her attention back to Don Krieg, her happy smile taking on an appearance of confidence and anticipation.

"So, old man," Luffy said, her words directed at Zeff even as she continued to stare at the invading pirate and his crew. "If I get rid of 'em, can we call it even?"

Zeff chuckled. This girl was truly something else. "Do as you please."

---

.

And there we go! Zoro vs Mihawk! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I had fun writing it (when I had time to. . ;) Next chapter starts the Baratie fight and that will probably be 2 chapters, maybe 3 at the most, so not a lot of ZoLu in the next little bit but we will have mentions of it. Comments and thoughts related to Zoro and Luffy's relationship. I can't wait to get them back together for Arlong Park!

I was really tempted to have Luffy say "Just rest now, kay? I love you!" at the end there, meaning it to be something kind of like what she'd say to Ace and Sabo when they were kids and what they told her husbands and wives said to each other but I think that holding that off will be a bit better. Zoro's face would have been priceless though. *grins*

I miss writing my own original chapters a bit. Coming up with ideas and getting to work outside the box. Having the framework of the episodes is nice but I think my absolute favorite chapter to write was Zoro and Luffy's fight and his realization in chapter 17. I think once they get Merry back and we're done with Arlong Park I'll write an original chapter that takes place between it and Loguetown. Something cute with some good ZoLu in it. A normal day on the Merry with some kinks thrown in. I've got a rough idea, but I've got to get through the next few chapters first.

Anyway! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I WILL NOT take a month and a half to post next time. I gave my manager a stern talking to and he gave me two days off this week and two next week that I can use to write with the promise that I'll have at least one day off a week from now on. None of this work non-stop for three and a half weeks straight.

Til Next Chapter!