Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
Warning: Unintended OOC-ness and minor grammatical errors.
Author's Note: I apologize for the delay on this chapter. I had thought about rewriting this whole thing, but realized I've laid so much on the foundation already. I will rewrite some parts when the time comes, like changing the POV of the first chapter and fixing errors and stuff. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, Longer notes at the bottom.
Flashbacks are in italics.
Two months after leaving Baratie...
Kuraigana island still smelled of the dead. It has been years since the civil unrest, but the island still remains to be almost uninhabitable due to the Humandrills. They still retain the knowledge from the war, passed down their generations, being improved by every passing challenger, making them more formidable than ever.
No one ever dare comes through Kuraigana island.
Only three have ventured forth and survived.
The shichibukai, the swordsman, and the ghost princess, the third having to rely heavily on the other two. The humandrills grew to fear the shichibukai and the swordsman, and both men grew to be stronger, even besting each other as the title holder of being the world's best. The humandrills steered away from these two, but at the same time, learned newer techniques that could match up with the challengers trying to get in the island. It proved useful in weeding out the weak who tried to seek the former world's greatest swordsman.
The schibukai would not teach someone who cannot take on the animals, for the only man he ever did call a student was able to defeat them at a weak state. Such impressive feat cannot be duplicated by just anyone, and those that can have no business on the island. The only ones who seek him out are swordsmen, some of them gifted with devil fruit abilities, but that gift did not help them in any advantageous way.
But still they would come, only to be defeated miserably, and then try again only to either face humiliation or the worst.
Today, another figure walks among the mists of Kuraigana. Unlike the rest, he had another goal in mind.
Mihawk watched from the front balcony as the humandrills ran. Even if his face remained calm and stoic, his interest was piqued. It took a lot to make the humandrills retreat, great power. He knows of many strong men, but of only one who would trek to this destination.
He would have assumed it was him, if not for the frozen limbs the frightened animals were dragging.
It could not be him, for his pride and duty would not make him imbibe a devil fruit, nor would he dare use any other weapon other than his swords. However, his eyes widened when he saw a head of green walking towards his castle, the same shade, the same gait. And he remembered all those years ago when he happened to venture into East Blue in pursuit of some men to kill his boredom.
He jumped down from the balcony and landed in front of the castle, the impact creating a dent on the ground.
"Roronoa Zoro" He said, and although he didn't shout, the name reverberated, and the figure in the mist looked him straight in his eyes.
Somewhere in West Blue...
Poneglyphs were built to be indestructible. Whoever fashioned them made them so they can last any form of punishment. They were far too be heavy to be lifted, far too solid to be broken into chunks, and far too strong to be eroded by any natural or unnatural cause, and so they remained where they stood, mostly undisturbed.
The Oharan poneglyph, the only clue that the island once housed a town, still stood beneath the burned and gnarled roots of the tree of knowledge. Overgrown vegetation and wild animals were the only living things left on that island, along with the souls and bones of the forgotten citizens, filled with unrest for their untimely demise.
A cloaked figure walked among the plants, the aura of power making the animals of all sizes cower and avoid the stranger. A smirk grazed the lips, fangs protruding, a deep sound like an amused chuckle rumbled through the quiet as the figure neared the site of the poneglpyh.
For even if the island of Ohara was dead and gone to the world, there was still that one woman who could decipher the poneglyph, the last puzzle to the end, the legacy of Ohara.
Nico Robin.
In the island of Kuraigana...
Mihawk kept his steely gaze at the boy, who had bowed down before him. It was an uncanny resemblance, lacking the eye injury he had inflicted during their two year training period, and the three swords and three golden earrings that were a signature from long forgotten days. A younger version that carried a bit more politeness.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed your peace" the boy said, still bowing low "I just came to see the ruins of the castle, to study it."
Mihawk approached the boy, standing directly in front of him.
"You look like the man who defeated me." He said.
The boy remained bowed.
"You look like the man who took my title."
"I'm his son." The boy still did not straighten up.
Mihawk showed no reaction to this, he was far too spent on the world to be surprised by anything. "I never thought he would care for anything other than his swords."
The boy did not show any reaction to this, not even a slight twitch on his still bent spine.
"Did you come here to challenge me too?" His cape billowed around him, lacking the weight of Yoru on his back "I am old and my sword has been shattered, but I can still fight." He gestured to his Kogatana, still resting on its sheath around his neck.
"I am not a swordsman" The boy said, finally straightening up. He had brown eyes, inquisitive and bright. "I am only here to learn about the history of this castle, if the current owner permits it."
Now that surprised Mihawk. "The history of this castle?"
The boy nodded with fervent enthusiasm "The history of this castle, the fallen civilization, even the humandrills. They all paint a picture of what this island was before the war."
"You're not here to challenge me?"
The boy shook his head.
"Not even to prove yourself to your father?"
"I'm not on a quest to prove myself to him, I'm here searching for the lost civilizations." He looked up at Mihawk with such determination, the same kind that his father showed those many years ago during the first meeting. "I'm a historian."
And Mihawk laughed, something he hasn't done for some time now.
Back at the island once known as Ohara...
The cloaked figure raised a pale, clawed hand to the poneglyph. It traced the intricate carvings with a finger, stopping at particularly ornate one. The shape formed an elaborate circle, that flourished into what looked like tentacles. It was one of the bigger symbols, and the cloaked figure traced it with deliberate fascination.
"So it's here" it said, in a voice that resembled a low growl. Red eyes flashed from beneath the cloak, as the smile widened at an almost impossible length. It remained focused on the block, as if willing it to speak.
The figure growled "Soon enough."
Kuraigana Island...
"What is your name, boy?" Mihawk asked, after his fit of amused laughter.
The green haired boy had a serene smile on his face, uncharacteristic of his former student, one who usually sported a demonic grin. "Kuzan Saul" he said, with a slight bow.
"Kuzan?" The name of the former admiral that he had served with was another thing that surprised him
"I'm his grandson" he said with a bright smile. "He made sure I inherited his legacy." Mihawk realized that the frozen limbs of the humandrills were the product of the logia devil fruit. A powerful one he had witnessed all those years ago, the memory of massive waves frozen effortlessly still etched in his memory of that glorious battle when Marineford was still the home of the government heads.
Mihawk knew he needed some time to get used to such an expression on the familiar face, the smile was so cheerful and serene that it evoked a calm demeanor, definitely not the storm that was Roronoa Zoro.
"Condolences. He was an admirable man." Mihawk was sincere with this sentiment, for he knew that Aoikiji was a man who did not abuse his power, one of the few that did deserve his ranking.
"Thank you" Saul said, holding a hand to his chest "It's been a year already." There was sadness in his words, deep longing.
"So his daughter" The master swordsman sounded a bit unsure for he never knew that the admiral even had a wife or a lover "is your mother?"
Saul nodded "She's an archaeologist, I am one, too." He bowed again "It would be my pleasure to collect the history of your castle and this island, preserve the culture of the island and its inhabitants, both former and current."
"You're really not here to become my pupil?"
"I am not a swordsman."
Mihawk sensed a bit of hostility at that answer, a glimmer of personality he knew was inherited from the boy's father.
It has been a week since the arrival of the boy named Kuzan Saul. Mihawk spent the days watching him carefully, for any signs of aggression or hostility. Instead, what he observed was pure curiosity and unabashed enthusiasm.
"This is amazing!" He had exclaimed when Mihawk showed him the inner rooms of the castle. They housed books and letters, records and paintings and even journals and diaries of the former royal family and some of the servants. Saul immediately sat down, ignoring the accumulated dust and debris that now stained his pants. His brown eyes brightened with anticipation as he looked up at Mihawk. "May I?" He asked, a slight quaver in his voice.
"Help yourself" Mihawk said, before turning to leave. He could hear a slight cheer from the boy as he climbed the steps.
The week went by with the two of them forming a sort of alliance. Mihawk found it amusing that Saul had the same directional ineptitude as his father, but at the same time also had the same natural talent in handling swords.
"Are you sure you don't want me to teach you?" He had asked one morning, as he watched the young man train. The sun was barely up, and he had happened to find his guest going through several katas, an ice sword in his hand.
Saul looked up at him, slightly surprised at the intrusion "I am not a swordsman."
"You could have fooled me."
"I needed to know how to defend myself. What I know is enough for my travels."
"It's a waste of your talent."
"No, what I have is learned skill. I'm not a swordsman." He repeated the phrase with a bit of hardness.
"Your form, and your movement, that's talent. If you wanted to stay here longer, I can teach you enough for you to defeat even your father."
Saul smiled up at him "I don't want to defeat him, all I want is to gather the history of the world."
Mihawk looked down at him, seeing the aura around the boy. He could become the world's greatest swordsman, if only he had the conviction of his father.
"Besides" Saul continued "I have a devil fruit ability. Logia type." He waved his ice sword casually, letting some cold mist float upwards.
"Haki" Mihawk said simply.
"Who says I can't use that too?"
Mihawk smirked. He could feel that the boy cannot use haki, he could sense that with training, he could. But the boy knew how to talk around things. And that would prove useful in the long run.
"Don't underestimate the enemies you'll face, just because there is a sense of peace these times." He said, turning to leave "If you ever decide to face your calling, come to me and I will train you."
Dinner, although freshly prepared by his guest, was often served cold. It didn't matter though because the amusement Mihawk would get when he watches Saul get lost in the castle, much like his father, was compensation enough.
"I'm sorry" Saul said apologetically, as he watched Mihawk scrape of solidified oil from the roasted duck.
Mihawk just nodded, relishing the food. It was cold, yes, but it was still good. Better than the food that his only two companions had ever served him. He never thought there'd be a day when certain companionships in his castle can make him reminisce. True he had friends, the Red Haired Shanks was the closest he could consider as a friend, but the isolation of Kuraigana was something he had always treasured. He never thought that the talk about history from a green haired boy would make him remember the times he was plagued with unwanted companions.
"You aren't being cute!" The pink haired ghost princess proclaimed, hands on her waist, standing over the green haired swordsman. He was currently wrapped up in a bandage that resembled a giant teddy bear named Kumashi, from what Mihawk gathered.
The shichibukai was sitting on his chair, his legs crossed, watching the sight in front of him. Even if his face remained stoic, he was greatly amused.
"Get me out of this thing, you witch!" Zoro shouted, struggling from his binds.
"No! Now stop struggling!"
"I'm not your teddy bear!"
"Of course you're not, you're too ugly to be my teddy bear!" Perona stomped her foot down "You're very unlovable!" With that, she threw her hair to the side as she stalked off, steam emanating from her ears, muttering furiously about stubborn swordsmen.
Mihawk raised his eyebrow ever so slightly, for the sudden escalation in their conversation. He realized that the younger swordsman had stopped struggling, so he decided to stand up and check up on him. It wouldn't be good for him if his only student died due to suffocation of badly made bandages rather than by his own hand.
It wouldn't look good for him and his protégé.
He stood over the still form, noticing that the green haired swordsman was staring at the ceiling, his mouth clenched.
"Love" Zoro muttered.
"It is nothing but distraction." Mihawk said, using Yoru to release him from his binds.
"Yeah, nothing but a distraction."
Mihawk watched the younger Roronoa as he talked about how the humandrills were once royal pets.
"They were brought in by the family, but several were able to escape. With what they learned, they were able to lead peaceful lives, until the civil unrest." He said enthusiastically, forgetting the food in front of him as he relayed his current findings "They were never really native to this island."
"You found that out through the records?"
"Yes, there so much history that's just gathering dust, it's such a shame that no one is interested in the past of Kuraigana."
"Why are you so interested in history?"
The smile appeared on Saul's face, the one full of serenity and calmness, "My mother inspired me. I grew up hearing her stories about long lost kingdoms, about the fall and rise of humanity, I want to be a part of preserving these events." There was a dreamy look in his eyes.
"Your mother seems to be very passionate."
Saul nodded, his head bobbing, "She is! She was very young when she became an archaeologist, and until now she's still doing research and studies all over the world."
"I take it that your father travels with her?"
"No." The answer was blunt, but emotionless.
The rest of the evening was spent in the quiet, with Mihawk feeling coldness radiating from Saul.
End Part 8.
I did say that this chapter was supposed to be lighthearted, but the Usopp chapter needed a major re-haul, so that would need to wait for a bit again. Anyway, so much thanks to everyone!
To someone, Nami-chan, Gren-sama, Majin no tamashi, Seis Fleur, and two anon guests, thank you so much for taking your time to review, hopefully you all like this chapter too.
Many thanks!