AN:
This one felt really good to write! I hope you all enjoy it! Some of the dialogue used in this chapter is pulled directly from the OP manga, chapters 51 and 52 if any of you are curious. I wanted it to have a similar feeling as the manga but also differ in ways, and I feel like I hit the right spot, but who knows?
Let me know what you think! Without further ado, here's chapter 30.
Chapter 30: Defeat
"I wanna fight that guy.", Zoro said, looking at his captain while he pointed at the approaching ship. He turned back and eyed the man sitting in it.
Luffy turned to the water and took another glance at the vessel. Now that it was closer, his sharp eyes allowed him to get a look at the figure sailing it and he examined the person closely, wondering why it was Zoro would want to fight him. The boy's vision was met with a man sitting in his ship's only seat with one leg crossed over the other, his hands clasped and resting on his knee. His black hair was covered by a similarly colored wide-brimmed hat that was adorned with a single fluffy white plume.
Luffy's gaze shifted lower, finding a pair of piercing amber eyes that almost looked like they were staring right back at him… It made him feel a little uncomfortable and he wasn't exactly sure why… Below the man's eyes was a sharp aristocratic face with a strong jawline, both slightly covered by a styled mustache and beard. The teen went to get a closer look at what he was wearing, but his attention was caught by the massive sword leaning on the armrest of his chair… That thing was way too cool… It was huge!
It surpassed the size of any normal sword and instead of the steel being silver, its surface was clad in a deep black. Its massive T-shaped cross guard was a bright gold, adorned with several jewels in various different places, and the hilt was covered in white wrappings, a large round sapphire taking the place of its pommel.
"So?", Zoro asked. For some reason, the closer the boat got, the stronger the feeling running down his spine became. That blade… He'd never seen a black one before… This was him, the swordsman from Gin's story, he just knew it. And he was strong… He had Gin's words to go by, sure, but now that he was actually seeing him… He could just tell.
Luffy reluctantly pulled his eyes away from the awesome sword and turned to his first mate. He went to answer, but something stopped him and he gazed back out to the approaching boat. He stared for a moment before turning back to Zoro. "You're sure?", he asked. He wasn't going to stop him but… That guy was strong… His instincts were screaming at him to not let his first mate challenge the man but he roughly quashed them. If Zoro wanted to fight he'd let him fight.
The verdet didn't hesitate to answer, his eyes eagerly continuing to watch the boat approach, "I'm sure.".
The straw-hatted pirate captain sighed. He'd seen that look before and immediately knew his first mate's mind was made up. "Yeah, sure. Do what you want.", he replied, turning to hop back up to the deck of the Merry. He imagined watching from there might be a little safer… "But, Zoro…", he said over his shoulder.
"I know.", the swordsman interrupted. He turned and sent a grin in his captain's direction, "Don't worry, Captain.", he faced the sea once again, his eyes meeting the amber of his soon-to-be opponent's while he removed the green bandana tied on his arm , "I won't die.".
The words were apparently satisfactory because Luffy turned away and jumped up to the deck of the Merry, leaning over the railing to watch the coming clash. He couldn't lie… He was a LITTLE excited. He loved watching Zoro fight and it looked like he'd be going all out. He glanced back at the Baratie… Hopefully, no harm came to the restaurant…
Zoro kept his eyes trained on the approaching figure as he finished tying his bandana, drawing Kajiya and Kitetsu. He was going to make his intentions known… He turned and walked to the opposite side of the fin before turning back, crossing his arms in front of his body with a blade held at each side. "Nitōryū:", he growled, preparing to sprint in the direction of his adversary.
Before the swordsman could take his first step, amber orbs consumed his vision. He went to jump away but instead spat out blood and his wide eyes immediately looked down. Buried in the middle of his chest was a small knife, firmly gripped by the man who put it there.
Zoro gasped, looking down and grabbing at the center of his chest. What the hell was that?!… He'd thought he just died! His eyes came up while he tried to slow his heart rate down and he realized that the person sitting in the vessel was gone… Not good. Suddenly, it seemed as if the figure reappeared out of thin air not twenty feet in front of him.
"You know, it's quite impolite to attack without warning.", the man chided. The massive black blade was now hanging on his back, its cross guard creating a large 'T' behind him.
The verdet kept his swords raised, a small smirk growing on his face at the words, "For some reason, I felt like you could handle it.". Whatever that was earlier… One thing was for sure, he needed to be wary of his opponent… Very wary.
The man stared at his offender keenly. "True enough, I suppose.", he eventually said. He continued to look at the green-haired boy for a moment. "Is there a reason behind your attacking me?", he questioned curiously.
Zoro took a moment before responding. "I wanna fight you.", he answered, staring right back at the amber eyes assessing him and holding his blades steady.
The nameless swordsman scoffed at the words. He had no reason to accept a challenge from a child. He went to tell him off but stopped when his eyes got a closer look at the blade being held in the boy's right hand, his eyes widening slightly. "That blade…", he said, pointing at the silver katana, "Where did you get it?…".
The green-haired teen released the man from his stare and went to look at Kajiya, curiously. Why would he be asking about Saul's katana?… Had he seen it before?… "I found it… Why?", he asked, looking back to the person still staring at his sword.
The man stayed silent for a long moment before he suddenly drew the blade he carried on his back, the black steel making a shinging sound as it came to rest at his side. His amber eyes narrowed, "What do you know of the man named Saul Brewer?".
Zoro was shocked at the question. How did he know Saul? And how did he know his sword was related to him?… Why was it even important if he knew him?… "I... Know him…", he replied cautiously.
The man kept his eyes firmly locked on the silver steel of Kajiya for another long moment, eventually breaking his gaze and bringing his vision to the black eyes staring at him. "Why do you wish to 'fight me' as you so elegantly put it?", he asked.
Zoro ignored the sudden change in subject, pointing Kitetsu in the face of the man, a man he knew was probably stronger than him, "Because I'm gonna be the greatest swordsman in the world one day.". The verdet paused for a moment as his black gaze battled against an amber one. "And to get there… For some reason…", he eventually said, "I feel like I have to beat you.".
"You? World's Greatest Swordsman?", the man scoffed, "It's the dream of someone who's never truly opened their eyes.". He flipped the grip on his sword and slammed it into the wooden fin of the Baratie, "You believing you could defeat me is laughable at best.". He brought his hand to the cross-shaped pendant at his neck and pulled it apart, revealing it to be a small dagger, "You have never left this ocean I'm assuming?".
The verdet nodded at the words, his jaw clenched. Why had he drawn a dagger?… Was he not going to use his real sword? The thought made him grit his teeth even harder.
"You, who has never left the most peaceful of blues, expect to defeat me?…", the man said, "Foolish." He pointed the tip of his knife in the direction of the boy who'd challenged him, "I wish to know the name of the foolish child about to die by my hand."
"Roronoa Zoro.", Zoro answered without missing a beat. "Do I get to know your name, oh mighty one?", he asked sarcastically. This guy was pissing him off with the dagger… He'd show him. He'd show him that he'd need his real blade.
The man seemed to smile slightly at the question, "You wish to know my name?".
Zoro looked at his soon-to-be opponent weirdly… Hadn't that been what he just asked?
The nameless swordsman turned away from the green-haired boy and to the familiar ship anchored a ways off from where he was standing. He raised his hand above his head, "My name is Dracule Mihawk.". His dagger blurred through the air as he brought it downward, a massive green slash being released from the steel.
The verdant light parted the sea and connected with the center of the large ship, meeting almost no resistance as it sheered straight through its wood. The two halves of the vessel immediately fell apart, disappearing into the deep watery rift left behind by the green blade before the ocean crashed back against itself with a large boom, waves violently rocking all the boats in the surrounding area.
Luffy held on to the rail of the Merry tightly while he watched the ship sink with wide eyes, eventually bringing them to the figure his first mate would soon be fighting… He looked intently at the dagger tightly gripped in the man's hand… He'd just sunk a ship with THAT?!… Just who the hell was this Mihawk guy?…
Dracule Mihawk turned to the boy now gaping and trying to keep his balance on the wildly rocking fin of the Baratie. He ignored the groans of drowning men and the bodies floating to the surface of the water, "I'm the man who currently bears the title of World's Greatest Swordsman…". He grinned at the wide eyes of his opponent, "Do you still wish to challenge me?".
Zoro couldn't move. He couldn't answer. This was it… His goal was right in front of him. This was the man he needed to overcome to achieve his dream... Was he truly ready for this?...
"No answer?", Mihawk asked. When he again received no reply, he turned away from the boy, toward the water. "I see you've come to your senses.", he said over his shoulder. He went to jump back to his ship, having finished what he'd come there for, but stopped when he heard words coming from behind him.
"One life holds thirty-six worldly desires.", Zoro said, placing Wado in his mouth, "Two lives hold seventy-two.". He twisted his body slightly to the right and held Kajiya and Kitetsu above his head, both pointing in the opposite direction of the blade in his mouth. "Three lives hold one-hundred-eight.", the swordsman growled.
"What's this?", Mihawk scoffed, looking intently at the boy obviously preparing to attack, "So you've chosen to die?.".
The verdet didn't answer, he only tensed his muscles, "Santōryū:".
The man sighed, raising his dagger in the direction of his soon-to-be opponent, "Very well. I will grant you your wi-".
"ONE-HUNDRED-EIGHT CALIBER PHOENIX!", Zoro roared, ripping his katanas through the air and sending three slashes of purple in the direction of his opponent. As they traveled, the purple blades rapidly spiraled around each other, eventually melding together and creating an undulating purple beam of light.
Mihawk's eyes widened slightly as he watched the attack move toward him. What was a boy like this doing in the East Blue?… He shook his head and sighed. It didn't really matter now... He was about to die. The swordsman brought his dagger above his head and slashed downward just before the light would have cut into him, parting the attack straight down the middle. The two halves spiraled past his head, ruffling the white plume on his hat, and crashed into the sea behind, sending water in every direction.
"Impressive.", the man said eyeing his adversary beginning to sprint at him, "But it won't be anywhere close to enough.".
Zoro slashed at his opponent's middle and growled when he found his blades being stopped by the dagger he was holding. He pulled back and swung his swords at any opening he could find, which was close to none… The clanging of steel sounded into the air as the two swordsmen traded blows at a blinding pace, neither showing any signs of slowing down.
The verdet jumped backward and growled when he saw Mihawk remaining completely still. He twisted his body to the right and held Kajiya and Kitetsu out to his sides. "Dragon Twister!", he yelled, spinning on his toe and creating a vortex of air that covered his form.
"Hiding from me, I see.", the man mused, "It will do you no good, I'm afrai-". He brought his dagger up and redirected several purple slashes making their way through the wall of wind covering his opponent's form. A smile began to grow on his lips... He'd come across someone interesting... However, he'd let this go on long enough.
"Santōryū", Zoro yelled bursting through the wind surrounding him just as it began to die down, "Tiger Hunt!". Before he even had the chance to bring his katanas down to cut his enemy, amber filled his vision.
"Your efforts are trivial.", Mihawk said, stepping into the verdet's guard and sending his dagger toward the boy's heart. Not for the first time, the man's eyes widened when he felt resistance against the tip of his blade. Was this boy… Using haki?…
Zoro's breath left him when he felt his opponent's dagger split his enhancement like butter and he jumped away as quickly as he could, rubbing the center of his chest. He skidded to a halt, looking at the back of his hand, and found blood. It had been like his enhancement wasn't even there... He looked up wide-eyed at the man staring at him... Could he really beat him?... The boy shook his head and readied his katanas, a grin coming to his face. He'd do it... He'd beat him and achieve his dream right there and then.
"Who taught you how to do that?", Mihawk asked through narrowed eyes, pointing his dagger at Zoro's chest, "Was it, perhaps... Saul Brewer?...".
The green-haired teen didn't have to guess at what he was talking about. He was obviously asking who'd taught him how to use haki. How the man could tell he was using it, he didn't have a clue... He'd also mentioned Saul again... Just how exactly did those two know each other?...
"Boooooo! Less talking more fighting!", Luffy yelled through his cupped hands.
Mihawk turned in the direction of the voice, and his eyes scanned the figure who'd spoken, finding the hat on top of his head… It couldn't be… The odds were too slim… "That hat… Where did you get it?", he asked, momentarily ignoring his opponent in favor of talking to the straw-hatted boy.
Luffy smiled at the question, forgetting about the fight in his reminiscing. "A really cool pirate gave it to me!", he exclaimed.
"Does this pirate have a name?", the man questioned. He had a sneaking suspicion that it would be one he was familiar with… Very familiar.
Zoro removed Wado from his mouth and watched the two converse with a scowl. This was supposed to be a fight, not a conversation…
"Shanks!", the straw-hatted teen replied enthusiastically.
Mihawk stared at the boy for a moment. So, this was him… The boy he'd heard so much about… "You.", he said pointing at Luffy while he leaned over the railing of the Merry, "Is your dream as foolish as his?". He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it. He wanted to hear him say it in the face of someone he knew was stronger than him.
Luffy didn't even register the foolish part of the question, he'd only heard someone asking what his dream was. "I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!", he yelled in reply, a wide smile on his face.
Mihawk laughed, "A goal even more foolish than your crewmate's". His laughs died down and he suddenly flashed a glare in the boy's direction. "And what if I said I also was reaching for that title… What would you do then?", the man asked, his amber eyes eagerly awaiting the coming answer.
Luffy felt his body want to start shaking under the weight of glare he was receiving but he stood strong, staring right back at the man in defiance. "Then I'd have to beat you right here and right now!", the straw-hatted teen replied, slamming his fist into his palm. He'd have to apologize to Zoro for butting in but he couldn't let something like that slide!
The swordsman scoffed at the words, "You must realize how futile that would be.".
Luffy crossed his arms and pouted like a child, turning away from the man and closing his eyes, "I don't care if it's fertile or not! I'll do it because nothing is gonna stop me from chasing my dream.". He turned back and sent his own glare in the man's direction, his Conqueror's Haki beginning to bubble underneath his skin. It felt like he would need it if he even wanted to have a chance against this person... And even then...
Zoro took his eyes off his opponent for a moment to look strangely at his captain… Had he just said fertile?...
Mihawk continued to stare at the straw-hatted boy and couldn't help but think he had quite the menacing glare. It reminded him of a certain red-haired pirate captain... Maybe that was something else he'd gifted to him... He shook his head, the corners of his lips rising slightly. "Your name.", he demanded.
Luffy immediately came out of his pout and smiled a big smile, "It's Monkey D. Luffy and don't you forget it! It's the name of the future King of the Pirates!".
The older man hid the shock from his face... Monkey D... His little journey to the East Blue just kept becoming more and more interesting... "We shall see about that.", he turned away from the straw-hatted teen, effectively ending their conversation, and faced his opponent once again, "You never answered my question.".
The green-haired swordsman took a moment before shrugging and pointing the tip of Kajiya in Luffy's direction, "He's the one that taught me.". It was a surprise to learn that Saul could use haki, but now wasn't the time to think about that... If he ever saw the man again he'd ask him about it.
"Not true, Zoro! You pretty much learned it yourself when you fought Treasure Guy!", Luffy exclaimed, pouting slightly after the words left his mouth. He was still a little peeved at not getting to be a part of that fight…
"Yeah, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without you.", Zoro replied, turning back to his opponent, "So, he's the one that taught me.".
Mihawk looked between the two boys curiously for a moment before his eyes settled on the one standing across from him… There was something about him that he just couldn't quite put his finger on. However, a part of him was curious… He was curious as to just how strong a child who'd never left the East Blue could be. "Do you still wish to continue this fight?", he asked.
Zoro scowled at the question, "Of course I wanna continue.".
Mihawk looked into the black eyes of his opponent and sent him a wicked smile, "I'll give you one chance.". He pointed his dagger at the green-haired boy, "Give me everything you have... However…". His small blade dropped down to his side and his grin seemed to become like that of an apex predator, "If you don't kill me… You will die.".
"Kick his ass, Zoro!", Luffy yelled, pumping his fist in the air.
The verdet smirked at the words, "You heard the captain. Looks like I don't have a choice.".
"Very well… Come at me with all your strength.", Mihawk replied, readying his stance to receive his opponent's attack.
Zoro stared at the man holding the dagger in his direction, "Still not gonna use your sword?".
Mihawk said nothing, only continuing to grip his small blade with a steady hand.
The green-haired teen growled, placing the hilt of his sword back in his mouth, "Your funeral.". He began summoning his enhancement and the blade in his mouth started to cover itself in haki.
"You must realize that won't be enough.", the older of the two mused. Even with the words, he was still surprised. It wasn't hard to see, now that he was looking for it... This boy from the East Blue could already do basic hardening… While that was nothing to someone like him, it was still surprising that someone from outside of the Grandline could use haki at all, let alone do something like that.
Zoro didn't reply but he knew his opponent was right. It wasn't enough. He needed more. He moved the rest of his enhancement to his hands and, for what felt like the millionth time, tried to push it through his palms, around the blades he was holding. However, like always, the power refused to move.
'Flow'.
The swordsman's eyes widened while the hairs on his arms raised. It wasn't the fleeting breeze of Wado or the cold shiver of Kitetsu... It was the quiet tingle of his third blade, Kajiya... Why it had chosen now to speak up, he didn't know. Nor did he care at the moment. Zoro glanced at the sword and wondered what the feeling meant... Flow…
"I don't have all day, boy. If you don't do something soon, I might just have to take the initiative and kill you.", Mihawk said, watching his opponent close his eyes. Why couldn't he understand that anything he did would be futile?…
The verdet ignored the words and kept his eyes closed. Flow… Like a guiding light, the tingle settled over his enhanced hands and he relaxed them. He expected the energy to move on its own, but it didn't, continuing to sit gathered around his skin.
'Flow'.
The tingle came again, and yet, still, there was no movement in his haki… If he wasn't supposed to push then how was he supposed to move the energy? He focused on his hands and the heat pooled in them, trying to figure out what his sword was trying to tell him.
'Flow'.
Suddenly, it was as if a flip switched in his head. Flow didn't mean 'not push'... He focused in on the energy surrounding his skin and instead of trying to force it outward, he guided it like he would if he were moving it anywhere else in his body. The was no forcefulness, simply a holding of hands as Zoro let his haki pool into his palms once again. Instead of trying to push the power out of his skin as if to cover something foreign, he led the energy to the hilt of his blade like it was a part of his own body.
Haki flowed from his hands over the hilts of his katanas and gradually began to spread until they were both covered in the invisible power… Zoro slowly opened his eyes and couldn't help but be mesmerized by the shining swords. 'Thanks, Kajiya.', the swordsman thought to himself glancing at its glittering silver steel. He shook his head and glued his eyes to his opponent. As much as he wanted to revel in his accomplishment, there was something he still needed to do. He stared down the amber of Mihawk's gaze, "Last chance… You sure you don't want to use your real sword?".
"There is no need... One does not hunt a rabbit with a cannon.", the man confidently answered.
Zoro didn't reply, the comment making him growl. He bent his knees and crossed his blades in front of his body, looking his opponent dead in the eye, "Santōryū:".
Sighing, he stood from his sitting position before addressing the boy he would apparently be calling his captain sometime in the future, "Listen… I won't let anything stand in the way of my ambition, not even you. I'll join your crew, but… If you ever get in the way of me achieving my dream. I will not hesitate to put you down… Permanently.". Zoro stared Luffy down waiting for his reaction.
"… YESSS! MY FIRST CREW MEMBER! AND HE'S GONNA BE THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN IN THE WORLD! THE PIRATE KING WOULD HAVE NO LESS ON HIS CREW!", the future pirate captain yelled, pumping his fist in the air.
A grin replaced his scowl at the memory. He couldn't let his captain down. The green-haired swordsman's foot cracked the wood underneath him and he burst in the direction of his opponent in the blink of an eye, his blades held ready to strike.
Mihawk watched in fascination as a bright mirage appeared behind his approaching adversary. It was quite the dichotomy. In the sparkling haze, was the picture of a demon made of thousands of specks of brilliant light. This boy continued to surprise him… A shame he was going to die before he could even really begin to grow.
The verdet's form seemed to shift through Mihawk's as he slashed his blades outward, "DEMON SHIMMER!". He skid to a stop and held his finishing pose as a multitude of rapid clangs came from behind him.
Suddenly, cuts all around his body burst open and blood soaked his clothes. The green-haired teen turned around wide-eyed. Had that not been enough to get past that tiny little dagger?... He grunted when he felt steel enter his chest and looked down to see a small silver blade halfway buried into his skin. His wide eyes looked up and saw his opponent standing there without a single scratch on him.
"Zoro!", Luffy screamed in panic, tightly gripping the rail of the Merry. He wanted nothing more than to jump down and save his friend. But, as much as he wanted to, he didn't. He knew what this meant to him and he couldn't bring himself to get in the way.
How could he be this far ahead?... How could he have lost to this man without him even using his real blade?... Zoro's thoughts spiraled as he watched blood seep from the wound in his chest. However, he stopped them in their tracks and looked away from the knife, into the amber gaze of the man holding it there.
Mihawk looked at the black eyes glaring at him defiantly, "You know if you don't step back... You will die.".
The boy didn't answer, he only continued to stare at his opponent.
"What keeps you standing there?... Why don't you retreat?", Mihawk asked curiously, keeping a steady hand on his knife and holding it in place... Surely the boy was afraid to die...
Zoro coughed and spat out blood, the thick liquid staining the front of his shirt, "I can't.".
The man scoffed at the words, "And why is that?".
The green-haired swordsman coughed again, more blood coating his chin and dripping to the wooden deck below. "If I retreat even one step... My vow, my ambition... Everything I care about... Will be shattered.", he answered, "... And all my dreams will be lost forever.".
"Yes.", Mihawk confirmed. He looked deep into the boy's black orbs as he said his next words, "That's called defeat.".
Zoro chuckled to himself, coughing up more blood, "I guess that means I can't retreat.".
The man narrowed his eyes, "Even if it means death?".
"I prefer death to defeat.", the green-haired swordsman stated, smiling a bloody smile through the hilt of his sword.
Mihawk continued to stare at his opponent before finally backing away and pulling the dagger free from his chest. 'He'd rather die than give up...', the man thought to himself, 'What strength of spirit...'. He watched the boy stumble backward and then regain his footing... Was he trying to attack again?... "Tell me your name again, boy.", he demanded... He'd met someone special this day.
Zoro looked up at his opponent through hazy eyes. This was it. This was his last chance. It was win or die... Greatest in the world, or death. "Roronoa Zoro.", he answered. He held Kitetsu and Kajiya out in front of him in such a way that, from the front, the blades of all three of his swords created a triangular fan.
"I'll remember it.", Mihawk said, walking over to his weapon still buried in the wood of the Baratie's fin, "It's been a while since I've met one so brave.". He grasped the large hilt of his sword and pulled it free, its black steel glinting in the sunlight. "Because of that...", he pointed the tip of his massive blade in Zoro's direction, "I will honor the swordsman's code and send you to your grave with this black blade... The finest blade in the world.".
Luffy looked at his bleeding friend and gripped the rail so hard he could hear it beginning to creak... He wouldn't interfere, no matter what. This was Zoro's fight and it wouldn't be right if he stepped in... He didn't even really know if he'd even be able to do anything if he did... This guy was strong.
"One blade creates a thousand shimmers.", Zoro whispered into the air, beginning to rotate his katanas clockwise, "Each shimmer represents one world.". The air around the swordsman was beginning to swirl and the water underneath the deck began to rock, "Three blades are equivalent to three thousand worlds.". He let his haki flow into Wado and the two blades in his hands, the wind around him seeming to start swirling even faster, "Santōryū Ōgi:".
Mihawk's eyes widened slightly at the amount the wood underneath his feet was moving. He looked past the rotating swords, into his opponent's eyes, and the beginnings of a smile rose to his lips. He really had found someone special...
Zoro began moving in the direction of his adversary and the wind from his blades seemed to increase his speed and acceleration drastically. Within a moment, he was using every muscle in his body to slash his blades outward and into the man who stood in the way of his dream, "THREE-THOUSAND SHIMMERING WORLDS!".
The loud shing of metal exploded into the air as the area around the fighters lit up with thousands of tiny specks of light, each making their own shinging sounds and echoing the original. Splinters of wood burst into the air and were then shredded even further by the bright floating specks, the shinging sound never stopping in its continuous ringing.
Eventually, the area quieted, debris lightly clattering onto the ground while the aftershocks of the attack still violently rocked the wooden fin the fighters stood on.
Zoro stood still with his head down, one arm pointed behind him and the other in front. Suddenly, the skin on his wrists burst open. Like a set of dominos, a multitude of other cuts began to burst open on top of the ones already there. He lost the feeling in his hands and dropped both of his blades, the wood he was standing on still wildly rocking in the water.
The verdet slowly lifted his head and turned to face the man who'd beaten him, letting Wado fall from his mouth while crimson dripped from his lips. The katana rattled against the wood of the deck as he stuck his arms out to his sides in a 'T' pose.
Mihawk's eyes widened, "What are you doi-".
"Wounds on the back are a swordsman's shame.", Zoro interrupted, sending the man a bloody smile.
The older swordsman's lips spread into a full-blown grin at the words of his opponent, "Magnificent.". Without a shred of hesitation, he brought his black blade down and let its steel bite into the boy's skin, copious amounts of blood splattering into the air from the wound now taking up most of his chest. "Don't be in a hurry to die, young man.", he whispered to himself as he finished his cut, Zoro's body crashing into the deck.
"ZORO!", Luffy screamed. He launched himself off the railing in the direction of the man who'd struck down his first mate with a snarl on his lips. His form blurred through the air and he cocked his fist back in the blink of an eye.
Mihawk brought his sword up just in time to catch the fist thrown at him, a boom sounding into the air and causing the wood underneath their feet to rock even more. "The young swordsman's captain... Monkey D. Luffy...", the man said, holding his blade steadily in place, "You did well to let him fight his own battle to the end.".
Luffy growled, struggling to push against the massive black sword, but could find no purchase and was eventually shoved away. He stumbled back and steeled himself. It looked like his earlier intuition had been correct... He'd need Conqueror's Haki... Just before he went to release the power bubbling underneath his skin, a cough stopped him, his feet skidding to a stop. His wide eyes watched his first mate spit up blood and he immediately rushed to his side, "Zoro!".
Mihawk stepped aside as the child scrambled past him and returned his blade to his back, "As you can see, he's not dead.". He went to say more, but his eyes found something on the wooden deck and they widened.
"Zoro!", Luffy exclaimed again, "Just hold on! I'm gonna get you inside the Baratie!". He picked up his friend's bloody body and turned to rush to the entrance of the restaurant. However, before he could take his first step, he was stopped by Mihawk's voice.
"It's too soon for you to die, Roronoa Zoro.", the man said, bending down to pick something up before he turned away and walked in the direction of his small boat, "Discover yourself. See the world.". His footsteps stopped and he bent his knees, taking one last glance over his shoulder before he jumped to his vessel, "Grow strong, young man... However long it may take... I shall await you at the top.".
In mere moments, the swordsman landed back on his ship and removed his blade, leaning it against the arm of his chair before he sat down. As his boat began to drift back out to sea, he stared at the object in his hand with a wide smile. 'We will meet again someday... Roronoa Zoro.', Mihawk thought to himself, looking for a moment longer before tossing the sliced tip of his white plume into the blue waters of the sea.
Luffy watched the man's form seemingly disappear from his sight, but he wasn't really paying that much attention, already turning to rush to the front door of the Baratie. He needed to help Zoro. His first mate wasn't dying on his watch.
The teen eyed the swords scattered on the deck and couldn't help but think his friend would be mad if they were left out there. He shrugged and began to gather them up, softly sliding each into the sheaths still hanging at Zoro's waist. With that finished, he made his way in the direction of the entrance as quickly as he could, trying not to jostle his friend's wounds too much.
The words of the man who defeated him echoed in Zoro's head as he was carried and he couldn't help the prickle in the corners of his eyes, "Lu- Luffy... Can you hear me?". He'd lost... He'd really lost... A part of him knew it was the most likely outcome, but the majority of him... The majority of him really thought he had a chance... He'd gotten so much stronger... And yet... It didn't feel like it was anywhere close to enough...
"Yeah, Zoro. Just hang on buddy, I'm gonna get you fixed up... Well, not me... Someone else... But, you get the idea.", Luffy replied, steadily walking his way toward the front door with Zoro held securely in his arms.
The green-haired swordsman tried to hide the shake in his voice, keeping his eyes tightly shut, "... Were you worried?".
Luffy went to respond but before he could get the words out, his friend continued.
"If I fail... To become the World's Greatest Swordsman...", Zoro's bloody hand came to cover his watering eyes, "You'll be disappointed, right?".
"Zoro...", the straw-hatted teen whispered, stepping up to the door of the Baratie. He'd never seen his friend show this much emotion before...
"Never again, Luffy.", Zoro said, lifting his hand from his eyes and looking up into his captain's black orbs. He didn't care if he saw him cry. He needed him to know. "I will never lose again.", he declared. The tears began to flow faster and emotion welled up inside of him, emotion that had to be let out. "From now to the day I beat him and become the World's Greatest Swordsman... I will never lose again!", he yelled through his tears, looking to the sky above. It took a moment but, eventually, he was able to look his captain in the eyes again, "Got a problem with that... King of the Pirates?.".
Luffy's signature laughter burst into the air as he pushed open the door to the Baratie and sent his first mate a big smile. "Nope.", he said, popping the p, "Not at all!".