And here is the other version ;-)

The first time

-Zoro-

He exhaled deeply and then opened his eye. He remained in his meditation posture for another moment, enjoying the breath that glided through his body, enjoying the calmness in mind and limbs.

Then he rose, still consciously with that steady breath. He was calm, relaxed, completely in balance with himself and the world, as always, and yet he was also tense, excited, expectant.

It was a strange mixture of feelings that was not unknown to him, but he had probably never felt it like that before. In almost slow movements he got dressed, took his swords, still this unbelievable calmness, still this unbelievable excitement within him.

Then he left the lookout. Downstairs the others were waiting, they all stared at him with different facial expressions, but he didn't really perceive it, this incredible calmness, this incredible concentration, and this incredible tension seemed to cover everything else.

None of them said anything, but it wasn't necessary either, words didn't mean much to him and he wasn't even sure if there were any right words for that moment.

Luffy stood next to the rope ladder, he didn't laugh, didn't even grin, just looked at him with his head slightly tilted to the side.

Zoro nodded at him briefly, stepped next to him and grabbed the railing.

"Zoro." He trembled when his name was pronounced in the captain's voice and Luffy grabbed his shoulder. For a moment he looked at the hand on his shoulder, then he looked at his captain.

"Have fun, you hear me?" Then he grinned as broadly as Zoro was familiar with and his eyes sparkled in the light of the bright sun. "And win!"

Maybe there were the right words after all.

"Aye, Captain."

Zoro didn't grin, his body felt kind of strange, almost like in a trance. Everything was far away and almost numb, yet he could feel every single cell of his body, count the eyelashes on Luffy's eyelids.

When he arrived at the bottom, he noticed for the first time how loud his heart was beating, finally the time had come.

He walked towards Mihawk, who was waiting for him, leaning against a large stone, his face as expressionless as Zoro had rarely seen.

If he thought about it, he might be surprised, but Zoro didn't think about it, probably didn't even think at all right now, he didn't know.

"There you are at last, Roronoa." Mihawk sounded calm, but so calm that the hairs on the back of Zoro's neck stood up.

"Have I kept you waiting for long?" he replied with a wicked grin, rolling his head from left to right until the bones cracked. In the background he could hear the waves of the sea, knew that the Sunny was moving away at a safe distance.

"Far too long," Mihawk replied in a breathless whisper, "I have been waiting for this day for over 20 years."

"Well, it didn't take me that long to get ready."

For a moment they just looked at each other calmly, then Mihawk pushed away from his stone and bowed his head slightly.

"I would prefer if we could fight truly at once and just skip the playful banter," he said, but now as slick as if this were nothing more than one of their usual training sessions.

"I couldn't agree more, let's get serious right away!" It didn't matter to him; he was too excited about what was to come. And even if Mihawk spoke with the composure of an old businessman, his look immediately betrayed that the other was anything but calm.

Zoro tore off his coat and carelessly threw it to the ground. Mihawk, on the other hand, took the time to place his coat, shirt and hat neatly folded on the stone, as if assuming that it would still be standing at the end of the day.

"Mihawk?"

"Yas?"

"You know what you promised me?" Zoro reminded him as he tied his bandana around his head, feeling in the movement of each finger. "No restraint, no pretending, no mask."

"As you wish."

As if on command, a tremor slid through Zoro's body and instantly there was an electricity in the air that he had almost eagerly awaited.

Zoro took a deep breath and walked towards the other, who was still arranging his things. With only a few feet between them, Zoro stopped, surveyed the best swordsman in the world, saw every muscle move beneath the pale, immaculate skin, with an elegance and strength that Zoro didn't even try to put into words.

And then Mihawk looked at him.

The difference was unmistakable. This wasn't the Mihawk he'd met in the East Blue, not the one he'd fought on Kuraigana as a parting gift, not even the one Zoro had tried to stop on Marijoa. Something about him was different or no, different didn't even come close to describe it.

Mihawk looked at him, his bright yellow eyes shining in the light of the sun, his pale skin almost dazzling like a white sheet of paper, and yet Zoro couldn't help but stare at him.

The energy he radiated was quite different, it was not as heavy as usual, so constricting and controlled. Everything about him seemed strong and powerful, but at the same time there was a freedom and anticipation that was contagious.

Greed grew within Zoro. But it was a form of greed that he had never known before. Because all he felt right now was joy, was happiness, fun and Zoro wanted to laugh out loud.

"Do you like what you see?" his opponent asked, almost cautiously.

And how could he deny it? This indomitable power, this indomitable will, never before had Zoro's greed been so great, and never before had he felt such joy within him, a kind of joy that only sword fighting could awaken in him.

Zoro drew his swords and went into position.

Mihawk did the same, and although Zoro knew this position, even though he had seen so many times how Mihawk put one heel behind the other, opened both arms wide, pointed Yoru to the ground without letting dirt touch it, he now recognized it for the very first time.

In the past, Zoro had not understood this starting position. In fact, it had always seemed absolutely superior to him, no, rather arrogant. As if Mihawk were showing his challenger that he didn't even have to pay attention to his defense, that he could offer as many openings as he wanted and still not lose.

But now, now Zoro understood. It was not arrogance, no neglect of one's own defense, no deliberate presentation of openings; there were simply no openings!

Mihawk stood before him, in absolute perfection. Nothing about his posture revealed even the slightest weakness, there was not a single gap, although he pointed his sword to the ground, leaving his torso completely uncovered.

It was as if Zoro saw a swordfighter for the first time in his life, a true swordfighter.

He now bowed his head slightly and gave Zoro such a broad grin that could almost compete with Luffy, if it weren't for this greed in his eyes.

No, it wasn't like Zoro was seeing a true swordsman for the first time in his life. What he saw, what he saw for the very first time in his life, was Mihawk.

In front of him stood Mihawk, the Mihawk that Zoro had always suspected but never really seen.

At last, he saw him, at last Mihawk allowed him to really see him, his whole being, without any mask.

At last!

"What is the matter, Roronoa? Do you not want to attack me? Or are you really waiting for me to make the first move?"

Even his voice sounded different, more open, warmer, liberated.

Zoro just looked at him and tried to comprehend all that he was perceiving, and then he understood what Mihawk had told him back then.

"Mihawk."

"Yes?" he laughed, almost raising his eyebrow.

"I love you."

…

The broad grin faded, giving way to an expression that Zoro couldn't really read as Mihawk closed his eyes for a moment and pressed his lips together.

But then he looked at Zoro again, showed that still unknown, yet still so familiar grin, but his eyes shimmered in a way Zoro had never seen before.

For a moment longer Mihawk looked at him with this gaze that gave Zoro goosebumps and he realized that he wanted to be looked at by Mihawk so much more often like this, that he wanted to provoke this look so much more often, that he wanted to see and experience this Mihawk so much more often. Wanted to see everything of this Mihawk.

In the next breath, his opponent nodded gently.

And Zoro attacked.