10
On the feared Dreadnaught Saber, its Captain saw how his remaining men gorged on the food that he had obtained.
The men ate and drank with great ferocity. Each bite and drop of water gave them more and more energy. By the time the last of the food was devoured, they looked less like corpses and more like revived men.
"We are alive!" "We aren't dead!" "We survived the pirate cemetery!" "Yeahhh!" The pirates cheered at their victory, joyous that they had escaped from the arms of death.
Krieg smirked at his men's surge of energy.
'Good. They will need it.'
"Indeed. We are alive. And now we can go back to the Grand Line." He declared.
His men stared at him in confusion. Scared.
"Why the long faces? Our goal is still the same as ever. For me to become Pirate King."
"Y-yeah. B-but," Krieg didn't let the man continue. He fired at him. His former underling fell to the deck, dead.
"Any other objection?" He asked, his revolver still smoking.
"N-NO SIR!" The survivors replied, all of them too scared of their captain to try to convince him about not returning to that deathtrap.
"Good. First, we will take that restaurant ship from those cooks. Their captain somehow survived the Grand Line. With his log and the ship, we will conquer those accursed waters in no time." Krieg smiled ominously.
This time, nothing will stop his goals.
Nothing.
"Oy Luffy! I thought there was a fight going on or something." Zoro walked inside the restaurant with a bored look.
"Krieg just left." Ashley answered him, "But he said he was coming back for the Baratie and for Zeff's diary."
"Why would he care for a cook's notes?"
"Turns out that Zeff was actually a pirate. He even went to the Grand Line!"
"Huh?" The swordsman glanced at the head chef with new eyes. He knew that the old man was a hardass; the way he handled that blonde cook and that marine showed it, but the fact that he used to be a pirate? One that made it to the Grand Line and back?
Interesting.
"So, what now, captain?" Zoro turned towards Luffy, waiting to hear what the rubber captain would choose to do.
Luffy sat cross-legged on his chair, a thinking look on his face. Suddenly, a mischievous grin showed up.
"I want to see how strong Krieg truly is. It would be a good warm-up before the Grand Line." He decided.
Ashley and Zoro nodded. Krieg was supposed to be the strongest on the East Blue, and he hadn't survived 'pirate's cemetery'.
If they couldn't surpass him, then they would never make it to the Grand Line.
As a professional Pokemon trainer, Ashley knew very well the importance of being able to defeat stronger opponents. Of measuring your level against others.
Whether you won or lost didn't truly matter. What matters is knowing where you truly are at the moment.
That's why she and her team were always able to bounce back after their defeats. They took it as lessons. As a wall that they had to climb in order to be stronger.
"Hey, Gin." Ashley turned to the older pirate, who was still sitting on the floor. "What happened on the Grand Line?" She asked bluntly. She was curious about what happened to destroy an entire fleet of ships. She hadn't been aware that Gin had been on the infamous sea.
Gin's body began to tremble, memories he wished to erase coming to the front of his mind.
"I wish that we had never gone to that hell. No, I wish that we had never heard of that hell!" Gin grabbed his head with his hands, fear and desperation in his gaze. "One week. That's how long we managed to last there. The worst part is... that our entire fleet was wiped out in one day by the hand of only one man!"
"WHAAAAAATTTT?!" Shock and incredulity ran around those gathered.
"No way! No way one man can destroy an entire fleet!"
"What kind of monsters lurk in those cursed waters?"
"I am not lying! That monster destroyed ship after ship! The only reason the Saber managed to escape was because a fricking storm covered us!" Gin recalled horrified how he and his fellow comrades survived by sheer luck.
"That man wasn't human. Not a normal one. Those eyes. I swear those eyes weren't human! Those were the eyes of a bloodthirsty hawk!"
"What did you say?!" Zoro jumped in agitation.
"Zoro, isn't that the guy you are looking for?" Ashley asked the swordsman.
"Yeah. To think he is this close." Zoro smirked, pleased at the confirmation that the man he had been looking for really existed and that he was as powerful as the rumors said.
"Could a man so strong truly exist?" "I don't know." "Well, it's the Grand Line we are talking about. Who knows what kind of monsters lurk there?" The cooks muttered around themselves. None of them could imagine a man like that—a man who could destroy a fleet by himself.
All but one of them.
"The man with hawk eyes. So you were unlucky enough to face him, uh?" Zeff said. All eyes turned toward him. "What did you do to anger him?"
"The hell?! We did nothing against that monster. He just attacked out of nowhere!" Gin screamed angrily.
"Zoro, are you going to fight him?" Luffy asked his first mate, an eager smile on his face. The greenete smirked at his captain.
"Of course. That's the only reason I left my old home."
"You are going to fight against someone who lives on the Grand Line? Someone that can destroy the strongest pirate fleet of the East Blue?" Sanji stared at Zoro with an unrecognizable look. "Idiot. That will just lead to your death."
"So? When I decided to become the strongest swordsman in the world, I knew that my life would be at risk. If that's the price to pay, then I will pay it gladly." Zoro looked Sanji right in the eyes. "If I'm not ready to put my life on the line in order to pursue my dream, then I may as well be dead."
"Me too!" "He is right." "Pika!"
"... Idiots." Sanji muttered to himself.
To the side, Zeff's lips twitched a little. The former pirate was getting good vibes from those knuckleheads.
"Boss! Those bastards are moving!" Patty pointed at the windows; from his viewpoint, he could see some of Krieg´s men moving and grabbing ropes, preparing to raid the Baratie.
"Let´s show those fucking bastards what we maritime cooks are made of!" Patty cried out. The rude cook wasn´t going to give up his home without a fight, a sentiment that his fellow coworkers and friends shared.
"YEAAAAHHH!"
Before both sides could clash, something unexpected happened. Something that none of the presents could have predicted.
The Dreadnought Saber was cleaved into three parts.
Almost instantly, the three segments that once were the pride of the Krieg Pirates began to sink and crash against each other, to the panic of their crew and of others.
"Shit! The guys are still on Merry!" Ashley, Luffy and Zoro ran off towards the entrance, worried about their friends.
Outside, the ocean was in chaos. Waves crashed against each other, threatening to devour and sink to their depths anything that they could catch.
Ashley was about to release Noivern when three voices yelled at the same time.
"ANIKI!" "ANIKWII!" "LUFFY!"
To their surprise and confusion, Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku were fine, although on the water instead of the Merry.
"Guys! Are you ok? Where are Nami and Merry?" Luffy asked in a rush. He stretched his arms and grabbed the three men, pulling them onto the Baratie.
"Ah, ah." Johnny panted out of breath. Yosaku was hunched over at his side, tired like his partner.
"Nami." Usopp´s teeth were clenched. "Nami stole all our treasures and ran off with Merry! She threw us Luffy!"
"WHAAAAT!" The captain, first mate and second mate yelled, completely shocked that their navigator would do that.
Yes, they knew that Nami used to steal from pirates, but after their past few adventures fighting together, they thought that the orangette considered them their nakamas.
"How the hell did you let her run off?!" Zoro asked them. Nami was a passable fighter, but Johnny and Yosaku were professional bounty hunters. Even if he was still recovering from his illness, Yosaku should have been able to win in a fight against her.
All three men suddenly blushed and avoided eye contact.
"Well." "Ehm. She, kinda tricked us into turning our backs." Johnny revealed with a sheepish grin.
"Men." Ashley muttered. Pikachu nodded in agreement.
Luffy searched the horizon, looking for the Merry. His eyes widened when he saw it sailing safely away from the current mess.
"There!" He pointed. "There is Merry!" Luffy turned toward Ashley. "Ashley, can Noivern take you there?"
"Yeah, easily." Ashley grabbed her dragon Pokemon´s pokeball and was about to release him when a shout stopped them.
"Captain Krieg! That's him! That monster!"
All eyes turned towards the screaming man. The pirate was ashen-faced. Despite his trembling, his arm pointed at a raft drifting calmly among the waves.
The raft resembled a coffin; there was no steering or wheel to turn directions. The black sail was tied, and candles decorated the walls of the raft, giving it a more somber look. In front of the only mast was a bench, with only one occupant sitting on it.
A tall, pale, well-muscled man who only wore a dark coat, trousers, and boots. A wide-brimmed hat hid his upperface, and on his chest shone a golden cross necklace.
Zoro stared in awe and surprise at the man.
He had never seen him. He didn´t know him.
But he knew who he was.
Even without seeing his eyes, the former Pirate Hunter, knew it.
"The man with hawk eyes?" He mumbled without realizing it.
"Who is that guy?" "I don´t know." "That pirate said that he was the one that destroyed Krieg´s fleet." "That guy? He doesn´t look like a monster." "What kind of weapon did he use?" The cooks mumbled around each other about the new stranger that simply showed up out of nowhere.
"The man with hawk eyes only needs one weapon to destroy his enemies." Zeff spoke up, his eyes never leaving the stranger. His workers stared at him, waiting for more information. "That sword on his back is all he needs."
"Whaaat?!" "One sword ripped apart that galleon?!" "Impossible!"
"Hmmp. That is the difference between the Grand Line and the rest of the world." Zeff replied. "And it´s why Hawkeye Mihawk is the strongest swordsman in the world. Only someone who can live on the Grand Line can achieve that title."
The identified Mihawk lifted his face and stared at the remains of the Dreadnaught with his unique eyes, the ones that gave him his nickname. Yellow eyes with concentric rings around the pupils. Truly, the eyes of a hawk.
The surviving pirates stared in fright and desperation at the sight of their pursuer. The men had just begun to feel hope that they would survive when their personal boogeyman suddenly attacked and destroyed the remains of their home and pride.
"Why?" One of them asked. "Why do you keep hunting us?! What did we do to you?!" He asked, his mind desperately trying to understand why a man they had never once met or heard about was actively trying to kill them.
Why would he go to the lengths of crossing the Red Line to kill them?
Mihawk didn't even glance at the traumatized pirate. He just answered with a bored tone.
"I'm simply killing time."
The pirate gritted his teeth at the answer. He couldn't believe it. He nearly died. His friends died. And all because that monster there was bored?
"FUCKING BASTARD!" He shot at Mihawk with both of his pistols; frustration, hate and impotence boiled all over.
Mihawk didn´t try to duck or evade the bullets. The moment the shots were fired, he lifted his sword and parried the bullets.
"Wha?" The shooter and his friends asked dumbly, not understanding what happened.
"Incredible. He deflected them with the tip of his sword." The men flinched at Zoro´s voice, who had climbed on their broken ship without anybody realizing it.
"Eh? The fuck are you?" Zoro ignored them. His eyes never left Mihawk.
"I have never seen such an elegant sword." He told the strongest swordsman in the world.
"Without elegance, the sword has no power." Mihawk explained.
"You truly ripped apart this ship with that sword?" "Yes."
Zoro grinned enthusiastically.
"You truly are the strongest one."
"What do you want?" Mihawk asked the younger swordsman.
"To become the strongest swordsman." Zoro tied his bandana around his head, covering his hair and forehead. He wouldn´t waste time. He was going in with everything he had.
"Since you are bored, why not a fight?" He asked Mihawk, one of his swords drawn and pointed in challenge.
"Poor fool." Mihawk didn´t hide his disdain. "A true swordsman can see the difference in strength without crossing blades. There is no reason for us to fight. Are you brave or simply ignorant?"
"I´m keeping a promise to an old friend and to myself." Zoro grabbed his three swords, one on each hand and one on his mouth.
"Three swords? Boss! That´s Roronoa! Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!" Krieg´s eyes widened when he realized that his men were right. Only one man on the East Blue used that style: the famed pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro.
"A pirate hunter? But then, why.." Sanji didn´t understand. Wasn´t Zoro now a pirate serving on Luffy´s crew? Why would the greenete change so radically in career?
"Eh? Ashley, aren't you going after Nami? The ship is going away." Usopp asked the trainer.
"Noivern can find Merry easily." She answered, her eyes fixed on Zoro and Mihawk. On her shoulder, Pikachu did the same; his cheeks released small sparks. Both were tense and excited about the coming fight.
Luffy, too, was unresponsive. The captain of the newly minted Mugiwaras wouldn't leave until his first mate finished his purpose.
All eyes were glued to both swordsmen. The strongest swordsman vs the pirate hunter. All wanted to see who would win. Who would die.
Zoro´s eyes twitched at Mihawk´s choice of weapon.
"The fuck is that?" He asked angrily.
"It's my smallest knife. One doesn´t use their true power to kill a small rabbit." Instead of wielding his sword, the one that destroyed Krieg´s entire fleet and that had taken who knows how many lives, Mihawk held a small knife that was hidden inside his cross necklace.
"What?"
"I can see that you have made a name for yourself in these waters. But this is still the East Blue, the weakest sea. And I come from the Grand Line. A fish that has only lived and fought on their little pond can´t win against a shark that has sharpened its teeth on the bones of Sea Kings."
"You can take your insults and shove them down your throat. Because I´m going to make you eat your words!" Zoro rushed against the strongest swordsman in the world, angry at his implication that he was weak and that he had no chance against him.
"ONIGIRI!" Zoro struck against his opponent with his ultimate attack, the one that never missed.
To his incredibly shock, Mihawk´s small knife parried against the three blades perfectly, holding them at bay without difficulty.
Everyone stared speechlessly at how Mihawk effortlessly blocked Zoro's never miss strike. Even from her distance, Ashley could see how Zoro was pushing with all his force, his muscles bulging and tensing, while Mihawk did not show any sign of strain.
"How? How is this possible?" Zoro frantically thought. "He is blocking me with that mere toy! How? How can the breach between us be so big?"
"This is the difference between the real world and the little pond." Mihawk said bluntly.
Zoro couldn't take it. He began to attack the older pirate desperately, trying to close the breach, trying to prove that he was close, that he wasn't weak, that he could fulfill his promise, his dream.
It was all for naught. No matter where he struck, where he parried, Mihawk blocked him. The older pirate didn't show a sign of tiredness, didn't even bother attacking Zoro. His hawk eyes never left him.
"Why do you bother? Why try to reach for power when you are so weak?" He asked the younger pirate.
Zoro stopped. Memories flashed in his head. His many years of hard training. His promise to Kuina. To her father. His success as a bounty hunter. Meeting Johnny and Yosaku. Meeting Luffy and their agreement on becoming the strongest swordsman and Pirate King respectively. Meeting Ashley. Nami. Usopp. Hearing their dreams. Sharing his.
"TORA GARI!" Zoro didn't give up. He had never given up. He would never give up.
The Going Merry sailed across the calm waves. The breeze was nice, the wind blows against the sail at a perfect angle, giving the ship more speed.
Even the sun was warm and shining, creating a spring ambient not common on the sea.
A great day to be sailing.
But the lone occupant of the Going Merry, a young sixteen-year old didn't pay any attention to it.
She didn't pay attention to the sacks filled with gold that she had stolen, not only from other pirates but also from the two bounty hunters that had become friends with her former friends scam victims.
All she paid attention to was the wanted poster on her hands.
"They are going to be super pissed off about this. Usopp surely is. He so likes Kaya." Nami let out a weak chuckle. "Maybe if we cross paths again, I will let them keep the ship as an apology."
The thief snorted. Before meeting Luffy and Ashley, she would have never felt bad about stealing from pirates. But now… now it was different.
Those dolts—all of them—weren't like any pirate she had ever seen.
They were dumb and rambucious and happy and brave and good people.
And free.
All four of them.
And she wasn't.
She wasn't brave. She wasn't good. She wasn't free.
Tears fell from her eyes, splashing against the poster.
"Bellemere-san. I don't know how long I can keep doing this." She cried out, the part of her heart that had lost hope in the rest of the world stirring in pain, anxiously screaming for someone to save her.
Pain.
That was the first thing he recognized.
Then came the voices.
"ZORO!" "ANIKI!" His friends yelled his name desperately.
Johnny and Yosaku lifted their swords, ready to charge against Mihawk. They didn't care that he was the strongest swordsman in the world, that they had no chance against him. All they cared about was that Mihawk's knife was firmly stabbing their aniki on the chest and that their aniki wasn't moving.
Luffy stopped them before they could leap to their more than certain deaths. The rubber captain grabbed them by their collars and pulled them to the ground.
"Stop it." He ordered gravely. Whatever protest they had died on their lips when they saw Luffy´s expression.
Luffy was clenching his teeth so hard that his face was rigid, his pupils were constricted, his body was tense, ready for a fight. Yet, he didn´t move.
"Luffy is right." Ashley, too, was rigid. Her right hand held three Pokeballs, ready to be thrown at any moment. "This is Zoro's fight. We have to believe in him." She said seriously.
"But.." "Zoro hasn´t given up." She pointed it out. "As long as he doesn't give up, then he hasn't lost."
Indeed, Zoro was hurt, but he was still standing. To everyone´s surprise, even his opponent, instead of moving backwards, began to inch closer to Mihawk.
"Do you have a death wish?" Mihawk asked him. "Any more closer, and this knife will actually pierce your heart."
"All I can think is that if I move backwards, then I will be forfeiting my promise. And I wouldn't be able to live with that on my head." Zoro replied with more calm than anybody in his situation should have.
"You would rather die than accept defeat? Even if your foe is simply superior to yourself?" Mihawk asked him.
"Of course." He could see the truth in his eyes.
'He is not suicidal. Fool, perhaps. But his will is strong. Even knowing that he could die, he still continues forward on his path.' Mihawk thought.
The strongest swordsman pulled his knife from Zoro´s chest. "Your name, boy." He demanded.
"Roronoa Zoro."
"Very well, Roronoa Zoro. I didn´t expect such a strong will from someone from the East Blue who has never left his pond. I will honor you with one last strike from my black blade, the strongest sword in the world."
Both men took their stances. Zoro´s hands formed a 45° diagonal angle with his mouth holding his third sword. Mihawk´s stance was more simple; against a weaker opponent, basic moves were more than enough. Even when he had such a strong will.
'Success or death. This last move will decide my fate.' Zoro's mind did not waver. He was calm. Whatever happened next, he would accept it.
"Santoryu ogi." Zoro began to rotate his hand swords and rushed against Mihawk, "Sanzen Sekai!" Both swordsmen clashed against each other; the difference in power easily seen.
Zoro fell to his knees, a slash against his chest, two of his swords shattered in pieces. Only his third sword, Kuina´s sword, the one he held with his mouth, was intact.
'It´s over. I can´t defeat him. He truly is the strongest swordsman.'
Before Mihawk could slice his back, Zoro turned and offered his chest freely.
"What are you doing?"
"Wounds on the back are a swordsman's shame."
"True." Mihawk nodded in approval. With one last strike, the strongest swordsman slashed against the famous Pirate Hunter, ending their match.
"ZOROO!"
Cliffhanger! Jokes, we all know that Zoro is inmortal. Canon proved it. Not much to say, maybe one or two more chapters before moving to Arlong Park Arc. I have a funny surprise that will shift from canon prepared. It will be a little important.
Tell me what you think of the cover, its my idea of what Ashley´s personal Jolly Roger should be. That or a Pikachu head with the crossed bones.
Hope you guys are enjoying this story. See ya!