Chapter 021

"Gin," Sanji said as he lit a cigarette. "It may be my job as a cook to feed those who are hungry, but I'm not responsible for what happens to them afterwards. If someone is going to attack this ship, I'll kill them without a second thought, even if it's you."

They could hear shouts of triumph coming from the galleon outside. That meant that the pirates were back to the land of the living. That wasn't not what caught Luffy's attention, though. "Zoro, we've got company," he said. Zoro, who had sensed it too, was already making his way out the door with a mad grin on his face. Luffy headed out too, motioning for Usopp to follow. He scrambled to his feet, and Johnny and Yosaku followed.

"What's the big idea Luffy?" Usopp asked curiously. "It's dangerous out he—"

He was cut off when a giant wave swayed the entire restaurant. The chefs started going wild until Zeff told them to raise anchor. Everyone looked to the source of the wave, Krieg's giant galleon. It was separated into two halves by a clean line down the middle, as if bisected by a gigantic knife held by the hand of a god from above.

Pirates and chefs alike were freaking out at the sight. Even Don Krieg had lost his composure. Usopp looked around frantically, "Hey, where's Merry!?" he asked suddenly. "Did she sink!?"

"Merry's safe, Usopp. I'll explain later," Luffy responded. His gaze was fixed on the sea, and Usopp followed his gaze and saw what he was staring at. There was a man floating towards them in an eerie looking boat with lit candles on the sides. He was dressed in black and red clothing, and had a huge, black, cross-shaped sword strapped to his back. Luffy and Zoro both gazed at him with focused expressions, although Zoro's gaze suggested that he was downright obsessed over something.

"Hey, who is that? Do you guys know him?" Usopp asked. Zoro was the one who answered.

"He's known as Hawk-Eye Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman." Usopp's jaw went slack.

"Mihawk?" he repeated. "The Warlord? What the hell is that guy doing here of all places!?"

The Krieg Pirates voiced the same question, yelling in outrage at the man who had ruined everything for them. "You bastard! What do you want from us!? Why did you follow us here!?"

Mihawk looked up and any other words they had froze in their throats at the sight of his piercing yellow eyes. "To kill time," he said nonchalantly. This seemed to infuriate them even more, and one brave soul pulled out a pistol and shot directly at him. Time seemed to slow down as Mihawk pulled the sword from his back and deflected the bullets with a tilt of his sword.

Zoro silently walked up behind them and passed in front of their shaking forms. "You'll never even hit him like that," he commented. "You should have realized that after he thrashed you all in the Grand Line." Mihawk looked over the new arrival with scrutiny. They say a true swordsman can determine a man's worth without ever clashing blades with him. Mihawk fully believed in that statement.

"One of the 12 Supreme Grade swords, Yoru. It's one of the greatest works of craftsmanship in this world of ours," Zoro stated. "I assume you used it to cut that galleon?"

Mihawk nodded slowly. "A swordsman without skill is one without strength," he said.

Zoro unsheathed his own Meito, Wado Ichimonji, and raised it. "Indeed," he replied, before bringing it down and cleaving the galleon in half at an angle perpendicular to the first cut. The waves were less profound this time, but that didn't mean the chefs or the Krieg Pirates, or Usopp, appreciated Zoro's actions.

Mihawk stared at the man with a calculating glint in his eyes. Cutting a ship of that size was well outside the level of skill expected of an East Blue dweller, or anyone who lived outside of the Grand Line, really. But there were always outliers. What caught Mihawk's attention was the man's aura. It was pulsating. With excitement, with respect, and with…nostalgia? Mihawk blinked at the unexpected emotion but filed that away for later. He focused on the fact the man's unsuppressed aura was simply too great for someone he had never seen or heard of before. He radiated power. Him as well as…Mihawk's eyes shifted towards an unassuming kid in a straw hat, who was watching the encounter with open interest. The man's aura was not as great...but that was only because he was suppressing it. Heavily.

He assumed that the two were comrades. He estimated that the kid's aura, if he stopped hiding it for whatever reason, was as great, if not greater, than the man before him. He turned back to the swordsman, who after having given him his few moments of contemplation, spoke up, "You said you're killing time right? How about a swordsman's duel then? I'd be honored."

Mihawk continued to stare silently, as he was never one to speak unless he had something good to say. It wasn't carelessness or ignorance that prompted this man to challenge him. He knew what he was up against. So, what was it? Finally, he answered, "What's your name kid?"

"Roronoa Zoro," the man responded.

"Well, Roronoa Zoro, may I ask what your ambition is?"

"To be the world's greatest swordsman," he replied with conviction.

"You ambition is that of a fool," Mihawk stated. "And yet, you do not strike me as one. So I'll ask you. Surely you don't think you can defeat me as you are now?"

Zoro thought for a moment. "Not really," he admitted. "But what kind of ambition would it be if I didn't take a shot?"

It was an impressive answer. Mihawk would be the first to admit it. The man acknowledged the high probability of death and chose to pursue his ambition right here and now rather than wait until he was sure he had a good chance. Was it pride? Perhaps. And yet, Mihawk got the feeling that it ran deeper than that.

"I will grant your request, seeing as you have resolved yourself." He pulled the large sword off of his back again, and stepped out of his boat to face the man. "Whenever you're ready," he said calmly.

On the way to a certain island, Nami hung over the rail of the Going Merry, watching the seas. "I wonder if they'll really accept me back as a friend next time," she thought aloud as tears streamed freely down her face. "What do you think, Bell-mère?"

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