Chapter 13

AN : Chapter 12, 13 and 14 were posted at the same time. Check you start at the good chapter !

14th of February 1522
Baratie, East Blue

Gecko Moria watched the fight between Sanji and Krieg with a kind of detached interest. It wasn't the strength of the combatants that drew his attention—no, they were weaklings. Strong for the Blues, perhaps, but insignificant even in the first half of the Grand Line, let alone the true terrors of Paradise. What intrigued Moria were their stats. He could not, for the life of him, fathom how the Fate ranks were determined. How in the hell could a random pirate in the Blues have the same Fate rank as himself before he awakened his Devil Fruit? And… what was one of the Vinsmoke princes doing playing chef in East Blue?

[Krieg]
Class: Pirate
Job: Admiral of the Krieg Pirates
Douriki: 256
Potential: D
Fate: C

[Vinsmoke Sanji]
Class: Cyborg Prince
Job: Chef
Douriki: 189
Potential: SS
Fate: SS

Moria smiled as he saw Krieg land a devastating blow. Sanji's body crumpled to the floor, blood pooling beneath him, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles.

A loud sound reverberated through the restaurant as Krieg's henchmen jeered, celebrating their captain's victory. Moria's attention was momentarily diverted by the noise, but his focus quickly returned to the scene before him. While the patrons and cooks stared in shock at Krieg and his henchmen, Moria whispered a command: "Arise."

From the mangled corpse of the cook, a dark, ethereal mist began to swirl. The shadow detached itself from Sanji's broken body, rising slowly and taking form. The essence of the young chef coalesced, standing tall with a cigarette nonchalantly perched between its spectral lips. This was no ordinary shadow—this was Moria's third named Shadow, and his highest-ranking one, even if it was the weakest—for the moment.

[Vinsmoke Sanji]
Class: Named Shadow
Job: Chef
Douriki: 158
Rank: SS

The process was almost elegant in its execution. The Shadow's features sharpened, reflecting Sanji's likeness down to the last detail. While the eyes were strangely empty of any light, the cigarette glowed faintly.

Then, one of Krieg's henchmen screamed in panic as a loud sound was heard. He looked in the direction of the sound. Moria watched in disbelief as one of the large galleons of Krieg's fleet was sliced in two. Who… who could do that but him in the Blues?

[Dracule Mihawk]

Class: Swordsman
Job: Warlord of the Seas

Douriki: 17,256
Potential: SS
Fate: S

Fuck. He knew Mihawk was the strongest of the Warlords and that he was the weakest - maybe the second weakest, counting Crocodile…But…Fuck. 17 256 Dourikis ?

14th of February 1522
Baratie, East Blue

Zoro stood frozen on the deck of the Baratie, his eyes widening as he watched the ship be sliced cleanly in two. His gaze shifted to the man responsible for this incredible feat, who was sitting on a small boat. The man was tall, lean, and muscular with a fair complexion. His jet-black hair was slicked back into a spiky style. A short beard, mustache, and sideburns pointed upwards, forming a distinct V. But it was his eyes that truly stood out—red and piercing, like a hawk's, with thin rings around the pupils that gave them an eerie intensity. Zoro recognized the sword he held in his hand. Yoru. One of the strongest swords in the world, ranked as one of the 12 Supreme Grade.

Zoro's throat tightened as he turned to Moria, who stood nearby, his usual bravado replaced with an expression of apprehension. It was the first time Zoro had seen his normally unflappable Captain like this.

"Is… is it... him?" Zoro asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Moria nodded. Then, as if realizing that his cover would be blown anyway—probably nowing that Hawkeye Mihawk's Haki would have undoubtedly sensed him, but Zoro has only learned a day ago about this, so he was not sure—Moria let out his characteristic laugh, a high-pitched cackle that echoed through the air.

"Kishishishishi!"

In another world, perhaps, even after witnessing the swordsman slice a boat—a feat far beyond his own abilities—Zoro might have defied him. For Kuina. Perhaps in a world where he had crossed paths with Moria and learned about Haki, he might have still challenged Mihawk, despite knowing the vast difference in their strength. But here, in this world, Zoro had met Ryuma. He had been taught by him. Ryuma had shown him the true technical gap that separated Zoro from any truly skilled swordsman. Here, he understood that challenging Mihawk now would be futile. An insult to Swordsmanship.

One day, Zoro vowed, he would stand before Mihawk and triumph. But today was not that day. Today, he was unworthy of crossing blades with Mihawk. He would not make that challenge, not until he had truly earned Ryuma's respect by defeating him. Only then would he be ready to face the world's greatest swordsman.

14th of February 1522
Baratie, East Blue

Dracule Mihawk was bored out of his mind. For two days, he had been pursuing this weak armada, driven by nothing more than sheer boredom. He had chosen this hunt for sport, but he had even forgotten the name of the "pirates" he pursued. As he was about to catch up to them, a familiar presence brushed the edge of his observation Haki, a few kilometers away. It felt somewhat like his fellow Warlord Gecko Moria, yet not exactly him. This presence was stronger, its will a bit more focused and intense. Mihawk's curiosity was piqued.

Nonchalantly, he closed the remaining distance, slicing through several boats with casual precision. Splintered wood flew through the air, accompanied by panicked screams, but Mihawk's attention was elsewhere. He spotted the man who felt like Moria. He was about two meters tall, far more handsome than Moria in a beautiful, noble way—a bit like Mihawk himself. They couldn't pass for brothers, but maybe for cousins, if Mihawk shaved his own beard.

"Kishishishishi!"

Then he heard Moria's unmistakable laugh. It was him.

Instantly, Mihawk's perception of Moria shifted. What was he doing in the Blues? And if he could hide his appearance... Had he been slowly growing in strength all these years, making them underestimate him? Though Gecko Moria still felt weaker than him—perhaps a third of his own strength—there was something strange about him. Was that the legendary sword Shisui he sensed within the other Warlord's shadow?

The Pirate Captain, the one with the golden armor, stepped forward, his voice trembling with a mix of bravado and fear. "What do you want with us? Why have you pursued us?"

Mihawk did not deign to answer. With a flick of his wrist, he drew the small sword he wore as a necklace, and with a swift motion, sent a blade of air bisecting the captain from afar. The golden armor split cleanly, and the captain's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Silence fell over the restaurant.

He turned to Moria and gave a slight nod. "It is a surprise to see you here, Gecko Moria."

Moria returned the nod, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Indeed, Dracule Mihawk. It's been a while since our paths last crossed."

Mihawk's eyes narrowed as he observed the scene. He could feel strange shadows creeping towards the patrons, including the marine hidden behind a table. Pathetic. Was Moria planning to make all witnesses of this encounter disappear discreetly, by having them take his shadows home? No : or else, he would have make them enter the shadows of the clients, but he did not - could not? And Shadows ? What of the zombies Moria was known for? Had he also been hiding some of his Devil Fruit abilities? He updated his threat estimation by another level.

Mihawk scanned Moria's entourage. A reasonably strong, bestial-looking woman, maybe around two thousand dourikis. And two weaklings—a man and a woman undoubtedly from the Blues, who had never set foot in the Grand Line. But the man, the green-haired one... He wielded Wado Ichimonji, and Mihawk, through his Haki, sensed the sharpness of his mind - he might one day be worthy of such a sword.

"Tell me, Moria," Mihawk said "What brings you to the Blues?"

Surprising everyone, including Moria, a silhouette emerged from Moria's shadow. It moved with an eerie fluidity, both solid and liquid. Mihawk noted that it was probably made of shadows. Of a shadow. Interesting : Moria really hid his abilities. What caught its interest, however, was that the Shadow wielded Shisui, the legendary sword of one of the founder of one of the main school of swordsmanship.

His hawk-like eyes narrowed as he examined the figure. It possessed a striking appearance: black hair tied in a topknot, a simple samurai gi that seemed to absorb light, and zōri sandals. A prominent scar marred the left side of its face, but the most arresting feature was its right eye, which shone with a deep, electric blue.

"Is this...," Mihawk began, astonishment breaking his usual stoic demeanor, "The Shadow of Shimotsuki Ryuma? The Hero of Wano?". Could it be?

Moria concentrated, his eyes glazing over as if he were communicating with the shadowy figure. After a moment, he turned back to Mihawk, an unusual seriousness in his gaze.

"Indeed, it is," Moria confirmed. "And apparently, this shadow wants to measure himself against the best swordsman of this era." Moria hesitated, his usual bravado subdued. "I apologize, fearing you might take it badly. Furthermore, you have to understand that Ryuma is but a shadow of his former self, lacking the strength he once had."

A genuine smile spread across Mihawk's face, a rare sight that caught even Moria and Zoro off guard.

"It does not matter," Mihawk said, his voice laced with an unexpected warmth. "This will be a contest of skill, not strength. I've always wondered…"

He unsheathed Yoru, the black blade gleaming. Mihawk's smile remained as he took his stance, an aura of anticipation surrounding him.

"It is an honor to cross blades with you," he said, bowing slightly in respect to the shadow of Ryuma, which bowed in return.

The fight began with an eerie stillness. Mihawk and the shadow of Ryuma glided towards each other, their swords meeting with a resonant clash that seemed to vibrate through the very air. Then, there was no sound. The movements were slow, very slow, almost languid, each stroke and parry blending seamlessly into the next. It was like watching a love scene or a dance, a graceful, fluid exchange that mirrored the flowing elegance of water., without any violence Their feet barely lifted from the ground, sliding in perfect harmony with each step, the swords cutting through the air with an almost hypnotic precision. It almost looked like the most complex two-person kata, that had been rehearsed thousands and thousands of time.

Moria, watching from the side, found himself bewildered, unable to grasp the subtlety of what was happening before him. Zoro, on the other hand, watched with intense focus, in deep concentration. He followed the deliberate motions, the almost poetic rhythm of the fight. Slowly, his expression shifted from concentration, to fear, to wonder, the beauty of the exchange not lost on him. The dance continued. Mihawk's eyes never left Ryuma's, his respect for the samurai evident in every move. The gentle clash of steel did not even make a sound.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. Both swordsmen froze, their blades poised for a final strike that never came. Ryuma's shadow bowed, conceding defeat with grace. Mihawk, a satisfied look on his face, nodded in return, then smoothly resheathed Yoru.

Mihawk turned his gaze directly to Moria, his eyes piercing. "Tell me, Shadow of Ryuma," he said, his voice steady, "do you wish to be freed?"

Everyone tensed. A drop of sweat formed on Moria's forehead, trickling down slowly. Did…Did Mihawk want to kill him to let Yuma's Shadow free? Well, go back to wherever it came from?

Ryuma's shadow slowly shook its head, a silent but firm refusal. It then glanced briefly at Zoro. Mihawk caught the interaction, his keen eyes missing nothing.

"What is your name?" Mihawk asked, looking at Zoro.

"Roronoa Zoro," he replied.

"I will wait for you in the New World," he said. "Respect your master. And…I guess following Moria can be useful - you'll grow stronger faster." He turned to his fellow Warlord. "You're a strange man, Moria. Full of surprises. I guess I'll also meet you again in the New World. Make sure he becomes strong - the top is lonely."

With that, Mihawk turned, leaving as abruptly as he had come.