Mihawk stared at the young swordsman before him, several parts impressed, amused and somewhat exasperated, though the latter emotion was what won overall because Mihawk was beginning to see a pattern.
A pattern that he did not wish to see repeated in this instance because now he was going to be several berries lighter and Benn would never let it go.
This was supposed to be a quick kidnapping for a family dinner... not... this.
"You're serious?" He asked the young swordsman, brow-raising ever so slightly.
Zoro stared back, face set blankly just as Mihawk's but the Warlord could see the emotions hidden in those dark eyes. "Accept my challenge and then you'll see how serious."
"Hm." Mihawk cocked his head, eyes flickering to the left where he knew Luffy to be. It was proven true when the familiar shishishi echoed faintly in the wind.
"You will not touch him," Zoro uttered in a low growl all pretences dropped as he realized where the Swordsman's attention snapped to, drawing Wado Ichimonji. "You accept my duel now or not, it doesn't matter, but I will not allow you to touch my captain." Mihawk glanced around at everyone else, partygoers freezing in their merrymaking the moment the sword was drawn. "I suggest you all vacate for now, we shan't be long."
Everyone vacated quickly except Luffy's crew and Mihawk was done, next time he was going to get Benn to come and get the kid for family dinner. It would save Mihawk a lot of time and the lack of a headache. He held up a finger as he pulled out his den den and called his husband. 'Hawky! Did you find Anchor!? He hasn...' the voice rang out in the silence, stilling the three kids.
"Please tell me when Luffy was allowed to start dating?" He interrupted eyes pinning the young swordsman with a look.
'Dating!? Luffy? No... he would have told us, are you sure? I thought for sure that he was more like you in that regard.' Shank's voice was a mix of horror and confusion, so it was only natural for Mihawk to sigh lowly.
"He takes after you apparently," Mihawk explained and he could see the smug smirk on his husband's face. He resisted to the urge to close his eyes in exasperation in favour of watching the kids before him grow confused and for the young swordsman to blush.
'Really now?' The humour was loud and clear, and the message received. 'A swordsman I take it?'
"Yes!" Mihawk snapped, giving into temptation at the smugness. "One who aspires to beat me. He challenged me before I could even introduce myself!"
Laughter echoed through the denden and all three of the Strawhats watched with wide eyes, each sharing a look of confusion as they watched the sudden breakdown of a fierce warlord that Zoro had told them about. They had no clue what was happening, who was laughing or why he was here for Luffy.
"Hey!" Zoro snapped through gritted teeth, the growl low and annoyed.
'Was that him? He sounds angry, just like you!' The voice laughed and it seemed to echo with others.
"He is broody, rude, green hair and carries three swords, nothing like me!" The tone was sharp and only caused his husband to laugh harder, which in turn only caused Mihawk to grow angrier. He should have stayed on Kuraigana Island instead of agreeing to this, he shouldn't have been swayed so easily. Oh who was he kidding, there was nothing Mihawk wouldn't do for his idiot - loss of dignity be damned - nor would he give up a chance to spend time with his son.
'So how did this make you feel Hawky?' Shanks finally got out once he was able to settle down. 'Sounds like you may have found a protege in this swordsman.'
Mihawk blinked slowly his mind flipping back through the last hour of meeting the young man before him. There wasn't a moment where he could not see that the young swordsman was not actively looking for threats against his crew members, even whilst drinking, hand always at the ready to draw.
He admired the fact that his dream was to be better than him, that he even had the gall to state as such when Mihawk had countered many pirates with decades on them who couldn't even look him in the eye. He could admit that he was even more impressed over how protective this Roronoa Zoro was towards Luffy. How he knew where Luffy was even when he wasn't near and Mihawk couldn't even tell or know if this upstart even knew what Observation Haki was.
"I would approve if this wasn't making me feel weird," Mihawk admitted after a moment, scowling as the laughter started again. "Oh, fuck yourself, Red."
'Now, now, Hawky, no need to be so...' Shanks trailed off as the smirk on Mihawk's face translated across the snail.
"Our son definitely takes after you, Red." Mihawk started as the idea struck, making his grin grow wider which unsettled all of them. Mihawk was known never to smile, smirk yes, but smile? no. "Perhaps it would be prudent to bring him with me, you can see for yourself how... like you... he is."
The smile on the denden that had been there since the call was answered suddenly vanished, dread flashing across the line. Mihawk's smile dropped into a smug smirk as it finally caught up. Shanks understood now. Luffy was grown, he had found himself a boyfriend and was no longer the young boy they raised.
A chuckle escaped Mihawk, more of a soft wheeze, as he hung up the denden, eyes locked on the swordsman before him who paled and braced himself. "FATHER!" Luffy screeched as he flung himself across the small open water into Mihawk's embrace. "What are you doing here!? Gramps didn't send you again, did he? Have you met my crew?"
"Luffy, what have we told you about slingshotting yourself across the open water? No Garp did not send me, it's time for our yearly family dinner and I have come to collect you. Yes, I have met your crew, I quite... like your swordsman." Mihawk replied as he scruffed his son who went limp in his grasp, a bright D grin on his face.
"To not to but when I saw the Hitsugibune I had to come quick!" Luffy explained unashamed. "I didn't think the dinner was so soon! Is everyone going to be there? Where is it? Oh but... we can't leave I have to work off my debt and there is still the other issue of Nami being forced to work for Arlong! We have to her! Nami's my navigator and he makes her sad!" Nami spluttered as she was called out, her eyes widening and horror welling as Luffy spoke. How did he know? How could he know? Her eyes flickered to Usopp and Zoro and saw they were just as confused. Everything about this was confusing.
"You have a week and a half to complete this task then." Mihawk instructed as he placed Luffy back on his feet. "Then all of us will be waiting for you at the twin capes. It is Ace's turn to host all of us, Davy Jones help us, so if this takes more time than that and I have to come fetch you then I shall be disappointed."
Luffy nodded sharply, face set in seriousness, hat-tipping low to cover his eyes. In times like these, Mihawk sees where his influence shines through and he couldn't be prouder. Plus, nothing motivates Luffy more than a time limit.
Mihawk turns away to leave, "I will pay off the debt, your treasure fund can pay me back. Be sure to bring your crew with you, nothing like trial by fire to see how they measure up. Oh, and Roronoa Zoro? Tomorrow at dawn, I will test you myself, be ready."
With that, he disappeared back into the darkness of the night leaving Luffy alone with his crew.
"Luffy?" Zoro asked once he heard the footsteps vanish. "What was that?" The question set Usopp and Nami off as well, only earning laughter in reply.
"Ah! Mihawk helped Dad raise me and my brothers, he's my Father! We have a big yearly dinner with everyone cause there are lots of us and we can only do it once a year, I didn't think it was so soon! And Nami I knew 'cause the ocean told me so!" Luffy replied with a shishishi hands coming up to cover his laughing mouth sheepishly.
Zoro dropped into the chair, hand going for the sake he was drinking before Mihawk showed up. "Why didn't you tell me when we started dating that Mihawk was your father? You knew that I wanted to beat him, to kill him."
"Ah! Cause it is Zoro's dream and who am I to stand in the way of that!" Luffy replied simply. "I want to be the pirate king and the Pirate king can only have the best at his side! I swore to surpass Dad and I will."
Usopp and Nami followed Zoro in drinking, neither one knowing how to reply to all that.
Though something did niggle at Usopp. "Hey Luffy? Who is your dad?"
Luffy looked up, cheeks stuffed with meat he pulled out of nowhere. "Oh! Shanks is my dad!"
"WHAT!?"
So this was based off this tumblr post mega-ringsandthings-world/735456373659353088/some-au-where-shanks-raises-luffy-and-mihawk-gets?source=share Originally I was just going to post a drabble but uh got carried away... crossposted on tumblr &AO3