It's late in the night just as Mihawk is about to drift off that a muffled scream coming from Buggy rips through the night causing his eyes to snap open. In a blink of an eye, he has Yoru brandished and is swiftly making his way towards Buggy, who is asleep inside the cabin.
He liked to have thought that with him sleeping on the deck it would have been a good enough deterrent, but it seems someone must have been foolish, and has a death warrant
Mihawk slams the door open, his blade drawn and is singing with anticipation. He quickly surveys the small room feeling tense despite the lack of immediate threat.
In this world, one could never know what another can do in this world.
His gaze settles on Ace first, knowing Buggy would prefer the child be deemed safe first, once he is assured of the brat's wellbeing and is sleeping soundly. Instinctively flaring his haki he scans the room only relaxing at the lack of another presence.
Quietly setting Yoru against the cabin wall Mihawk silently makes his way to the withering form of Buggy. He stops as he towers over Buggy, watching as the other's face twists and turns in the sheets. Mihawk notices that his hands are twisting into the fabric as he whimpers. His body stills when he registers the lack of gloves and sees what's underneath them.
The finely tuned control he has painstakingly developed on his emotions threatens to slip when his eyes settle on the sight of the severe burn scars littering the back of Buggy's hands and along his fingers. It looks like someone meticulously poured searing hot oil on his hands.
Someone tortured -HIS- Buggy.
It takes the boat shaking and Yoru sending calm waves to make Mihawk realize he's producing waves of haki, just barely holding back enough force to knock out a vice admiral.
"N-no," The whimpered word coming from such a bright soul only flames Mihawk's rage. He doesn't know what is causing the clown distress, but whatever it is makes him want to tear into something, his fingers twitching.
Mihawk has always hated the feeling of being helpless.
Feeling awkward, he hesitantly leans down and slowly lets his slim fingers sink into Buggy's blue hair, absently admiring how soft it is. Slowly, almost as if he is afraid to mess up, he lets his haki curl around Buggy using the feeling he gets from Buggy.
Despite the rage swirling beneath his skin he allows a small smile to fit across his face as Buggy seems to nuzzle into his palm.
"Who hurt you?" He wonders quietly.
"Who do I have to Kill?"
The one who put those scars on Buggy has a foot in the grave, they just don't know it.
"Mi'wa!" The exuberant shout from Ace has Buggy flailing off the log as he clutches his sides, the look of pure disgruntlement donning Mihawk's face as Ace babbles the nickname he just came up with for the swordsman.
"Mi-wa, Gyahahaha! Oh! Stop, it hurts!" He cries rolling around unbothered by the glare sent his way as he continues to laugh.
"S-sorry, it's just! your face!" He cackles, wiping his tears as he gathers himself up off the ground.
"I think it's kinda cute." He muses.
"Right, Mi'wa?" He purrs teasingly oblivious to the effect he causes by the banter, too caught laughing.
However, that doesn't stop Mihawk from staring at him.
The man has been acting strangely since he woke up.
Buggy sure hoped he didn't hear the nightmare he had.
'oh god! What if he did and was thinking of ditching his pathetic ass!' Buggy mentally wails, because it's nice having his monster as a deterrent.
Buggy mentally flails, 'His monster?'
if Mihawk has seen his tantrum then at least the other doesn't seem to be set on mocking him for his weakness. And if it's not that then what would make the swordsman stare at him for long intervals? When he thinks Buggy isn't paying attention? Does he know how terrifying being on the end of such a powerful gaze is?
The weight of a monster's gaze has always been too much if he is to be honest. The only one who never made him feel like he was suffocating was Captain. He and Captain had a special bond one the crew never bothered to understand or even try to replicate. While Roger wasn't the best at the more delicate things like handling his hyper haki sensitivity and apprehension towards battles.
He knew the man was always there to make sure he was comforted and never thought less of him for it.
'The others though' he mentally smears.
He sees Mihawk shake his head, making him blink.
"What?" He asks, resisting the urge to squirm under his piercing gaze.
The other blinks as if coming out of a trance before shaking his head, muttering 'nothing' before getting up and declaring something about needing to go into town for things.
'See strange' though he has never understood monsters to begin with.
Buggy turns to Ace who simply stares blankly back before blowing a snot bubble.
"Yea', Me too buddy, me too."
"Mi'ha," Mihawk resists the urge to shiver as he mentally recites Buggy calling him by that damned nickname, an unfamiliar feeling building up as he relays the word over and over. He expertly ignores the civilians peering at him curiously in favor of scowling at the ground in confusion.
Mihawk is not ignorant about the more carnal aspects of life despite his lack of desire for such foolishness.
It's just he doesn't and never liked the thought of putting himself in such a vulnerable position. Certainly, being raised in the red light district. That severely affected his desire for sex. He doesn't like the idea of someone having that much power over him. He saw the way people get carried away with their desires and end up snubbed in the back.
Then Buggy came, quite literally mind you, crashing into his life and now he's questioning everything he's ever thought. A loud-mouthed, brightly colored, and completely captivating spectacle that wears every emotion on his sleeve. A selfless person who doesn't see just how amazing he can be just by existing.
Each time the clown glowed red or sputtered at his snark, or even clapped back just as witty.
The charm of him chipped away his mental walls in such a short period, he'd suspect the other of having a mind manipulation power if he didn't know that devil fruit users can't hold more than one fruit.
Before he knew it his path of life started to revolve around Buggy.
And it certainly doesn't help that Mihawk can see himself in Ace, can see a little version of himself wishing he had his own Buggy.
Mihawk admires how easily the clown changed his whole life's direction to give another a chance at life. One who continues to endure Mihawk despite his unsavory personality and cold demeanor.
Someone who sings outrageous sea shanties to a giggling toddler.
One who pretends that his spoon is a waver. When he had asked, buggy had casually mentioned it's a thing the sky people use to boat around on the White Sea.
There are fucking islands in the sky.
It's times like this that remind Mihawk he's not just talking to another seafarer but he is in the presence of a person who sailed on the Oro Jackson. That he was an apprentice to the Pirate King. One could argue that it gives him the unofficial title of Gold Rogers heir, even if that's not how the system works. The significance of Roger himself claiming Buggy as his protege still stands.
Buggy was special enough to garner the affection of one of the most powerful men to ever walk this planet.
How does Buggy not see how amazing he is?
If Mihawk didn't know any better he'd say the other is just humble, but with how self-deprecating the clown can be he shouldn't be surprised that Buggy is blind to his accomplishments and own reputation.
Hell, this island already unofficially adopted Buggy and Ace, which is the only reason they have even been able to stay for as long as they have. The way the people bend over backward to please Buggy always makes him amused, especially when the clown gets so flustered.
However, he suspects that the fact that they are a big deterrent for raids might play into that as well.
"Ah," he says, the revelation of just what he feels slamming into him like a cannon blast.
The faint thrum of amusement from Yoru makes him scowl in embarrassment causing the unfortunate souls who witness such a terrifying expression to shiver. Mihawk uncaring withholds the urge to turn his head and glaring at his sword, but doesn't want to look like a crazy person.
He begrudgingly settles on mentally chiding his snickering traitor of a sword.
Deep in the confines of a strange dog-decorated marine vessel sits a large man in the cups of his career with a wealth of prestige clipped to his name. Most would think the man would be living it up and taking advantage of all the newfound opportunities and freedoms he has as a vice admiral who captured the pirate king.
Most are idiots.
"I'm sorry," the man croaks drunkenly.
The image he makes contrasts heavily with the powerful tales and strong form. Slumped across his desk the vice-admiral expertly ignores his growling stomach in favor of taking a heavy gulp of the hardest liquor he owns before tossing the empty bottle into the corner of his office.
The tale sign of glass shattering only amplifies the deprecating atmosphere.
"If only I was there just ten minutes earlier!" He bemoaned deep in his cups and seemingly delirious to his surroundings.
"All those babies…" he choked, having never felt ashamed of being a Marine in all his years, but now.
"Is blood really that important?" He wonders.
How can they justify the deaths of children for the crime of having parents? Why do they continue to punish those whose only crime is being the child born?
There is a knock on his door, which he ignores.
After a beat, he hears the door open and looks up to see his faithful right hand Bogard who tips his hat in respect before settling across from him.
Garp wilts under the unimpressed look from his friend and confidant, "Must you throw your trash on the ground?"
"Shut up," he grouches petulantly, childishly sticking out his tongue before groaning from the headache forming from the action.
"I told you you should eat something before binge drinking you know how you get, Admiral." The man says simply leaning back on his chair while crossing his leg over the other.
"Luckily I'm not here to talk about your poor coping mechanism," before he can squawk in offense Bogard continues, "for there is something you'll be interested in." That piques his interest.
Trying in vain to stop the slip of hope trickling through his heart as the other proceeds to withdraw an envelope from his coat before handing it to him.
"Here," is all Bogard says as he reaches for the envelope, his breath catching at the insignia stamped onto the corner. He looks up in confusion feeling his throat clog up.
Looking back down he carefully opens it and slowly pulls out a series of photos.
His right hand continues undeterred by his breaking mental state, "That cabin boy is surely slippery, I had to resort to calling in a favor from your boy." His teary eyes greedily soak in the pictures taken from certain angles.
Garp's emotional state cycles through every emotion he can feel as he takes in the sight of a laughing baby being thrown into the air by a blue-haired brat.
"Is that-!?" He exclaims looking up at his friend in shock. His friend gives him a grin nodding, knowing how heartbroken he's been about the previously perceived death of the child he promised to protect.
"What? But how!!"
Bogard shakes his head, "I can't say, all I know is he's been spotted by one of your son's people and it's only by the sea's fortune that I happen to cross paths with one of the commanders who seemed a little too eager to spread the information."
"Little Buggy," he says, shaking his head trying to correlate Roger's brat to someone capable of swindling a baby off an island full of CP0 agents. Suddenly he lets out a loud laugh, one that sounds more like a sob of relief, as his shoulders shake.
"HAHAHA!"
"Bogey set course for the blue brat at once," he exclaims, springing up like he wasn't hammered two seconds ago, perks of haki, only to pause at the door.
Uh, where are they?" He asks, feeling sheepish.
A/n:
And our favorite Gramps has finally made his debut.
how do you find the pacing of Mihawks affections? I am definitely aiming to have Mihawk be the first to fall but I don't want it to be "rushed" even if I believe there is no timeline for 'love'
So after the next chapter I will probably have a small time skip, maybe a snippet style montage of how they progress to the present.
For those who are bummed of the lack of shanks I promise he'll make his entrance soon
( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)
Ps: Bogard is a hidden goat idc, idc.