POWAAAAA...
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Yeah, I don't have anything today on me to yap about.
So, just post any random thing here.
HERE<---------------
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Attendance Please:
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Everyone felt tense that night; no one could sleep well.
But Yuji insisted that Zoro get some proper rest. He really needed it for what was coming the next day. To be at his best, he couldn't afford to have a sleepless night.
The rest of them stayed awake the entire time.
Nami sat in the dining hall, tracing invisible maps on the wooden table with her finger—a nervous habit she couldn't break. Usopp was up in the crow's nest, staring out at the sea. Luffy sat quietly on Merry's head, while Yuji stood on the upper rear deck, watching the moon slowly sink toward the horizon. Gradually, a reddish-gold light began to fill the world as the new day crept over the edge of the sea.
Zoro woke up early. He did some light stretches, washed up, and prepared for the most important moment of his life.
He strapped his three swords to his right hip and walked onto the main deck.
The morning air felt cold against his skin.
He saw that his crew was already there, waiting for him.
"Did you sleep well?" Yuji asked.
Zoro hummed as he gazed at the half-risen sun on the horizon. "Knowing I had to give my all in this fight, I slept like a damn koala and gave my body a proper rest. And now," he cracked his neck, "I'm going to give 120% of everything I've got."
They all nodded and patted him on the back to encourage him. Luffy's hand lingered on his shoulder a moment longer than the others'. Then they disembarked and walked toward the empty dock near the front entrance of the Baratie.
It was 6:15 in the morning. The sun had fully risen but still glowed with a reddish-orange hue.
Mihawk was already at the empty dock, waiting calmly.
He turned his head toward the group, his eyes immediately focusing on Luffy—particularly the straw hat he wore.
"Hmm… I see… You must be Monkey D Luffy," Mihawk said, looking Luffy up and down. "You're pretty small for all the big stories I've heard about you. Though I do like that hat."
Then his eyes shifted to Yuji, and his gaze sharpened unintentionally. "And you, boy… you look just like him. Same sharp eyes, same posture… his blood truly runs through you."
Yuji blinked, confused for a moment. Then it clicked. "Are you talking about my grandpa, Wasuke Itadori?"
"That I am. Your grandfather is the only man in the entire Navy I truly respect. He's a man of his word," Mihawk said. "I hope he is doing well."
"He passed away a week ago," Yuji said plainly.
There was a moment of silence. Mihawk closed his eyes briefly.
"I see," Mihawk said. Then he opened his eyes again and looked at Yuji. "My condolences. He was a great man."
Yuji nodded slowly. "Thank you."
Then Mihawk looked at Zoro. "Roronoa Zoro, I hope you're ready for this fight."
Zoro stepped forward, his hands already on his swords. "I am."
"Good. It would be a real shame if you died right at the start."
Mihawk then removed the cross-shaped pendant from around his neck, detached the longer section from the top, and revealed a small blade concealed inside.
He pointed the tiny blade at Zoro with a bored expression. "Shall we begin?"
Zoro stared at the small blade in Mihawk's hand. "What's that for? I came here for a real sword fight."
"I'm not the kind of fool who hunts rabbits with a cannon. You may have a reputation, but you're still just a bunny." Mihawk's voice remained calm. "The Red Line and the Grand Line divide the seas into four parts. Of those four, the East Blue is the weakest. So, I really am sorry, but this is the smallest blade I have on me. You don't mind, do you, Roronoa?"
Zoro gritted his teeth, drew his two unnamed swords, and charged at Mihawk with great speed.
He swung his swords in an X-shape, aiming for Mihawk's chest, but Mihawk easily blocked the attack with his small blade.
Zoro tried to push forward, but it was futile.
Mihawk watched him struggle. "Do you think pushing harder will move me, Roronoa?"
Then Mihawk flicked his small blade slightly, sending Zoro flying backward.
Zoro executed a flip and landed on one knee. The wooden dock splintered beneath his foot.
Mihawk tilted his head slightly. "You're not going all out, are you? You think you're strong, but you're not. You're just a little frog croaking in a small puddle."
Zoro charged again, swinging his left sword. Mihawk easily deflected the strike. Then Zoro swung his right sword, but Mihawk deflected that as well.
"Croak."
Deflect.
"Croak."
Deflect.
"Croak."
And deflect once again.
Mihawk continued taunting Zoro, which made him angry and easier to read.
"It's time you learned how vast the world truly is."
With that, Mihawk spun around Zoro and used Zoro's own momentum to shove him away.
Zoro stumbled forward and fell face-first onto the wooden dock.
"Argh!"
He groaned and slowly pushed himself back up.
'Am I really just a little frog?' Zoro thought as he looked at Mihawk's bored expression. 'The pressure I feel from him is even greater than when I spar with Yuji. So this is what being at the top feels like.'
He saw Mihawk curl his index finger, beckoning him to "come here."
'He's taunting me, trying to make me mad. I can't get angry right now. I need to stay calm and let my body relax, just like Yuji taught me.'
He took a deep breath, held it, and then slowly exhaled all at once.
His body stopped shaking, and his mind went blank.
He untied the black bandana from his left forearm and wrapped it around his head. Finally, he took out Wado Ichimonji and held it between his teeth.
Zoro stood up and looked at Mihawk with a renewed sense of focus.
Mihawk stared at him, feeling something shift within. "Interesting," he muttered.
Zoro rushed at Mihawk again, but this time with greater control.
With all three swords working in unison, Zoro began circling Mihawk, growing faster with each swing. His feet barely touched the dock. He moved like a water.
Even though Mihawk was still easily blocking and deflecting each swing, he could feel it—something deep within Zoro's very soul was about to erupt.
The lid that had been in place for years, blocking Zoro's true potential, was finally cracking. And once something cracks, it can never be put back together.
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FLASHBACK
A six-year-old Zoro was out of breath after another training session. His small hands were blistered, and his lungs burned. Yet, he had never been happier.
He looked at his teacher. "Sensei, I have a question."
"Huh? What is it, Zoro?" Koushirou asked, looking at his student with gentle eyes.
"I heard there are men who can cut through anything—even steel. Is that true?"
Koushirou chuckled. "Yes, that's true."
He took a sheet of paper and showed it to Zoro. "Watch this paper closely, Zoro." Then he threw it into the air and placed his hand on his sword.
Zoro stared intently at the paper as it floated slowly downward.
And then—
SWISH
Koushirou drew his sword, slashed at the paper, and sheathed it in a single breath.
Zoro waited, expecting the paper to be sliced in two. To his disappointment, it remained completely intact.
"Huh? It's still in one piece," Zoro said.
Koushirou smiled at him. "That's exactly the point, Zoro. There are swordsmen in this world who can choose not to cut something, and those same swordsmen can cut through steel."
He ruffled Zoro's hair. "The highest level of swordsmanship is the ability to protect what you want to protect and to cut what you want to cut. A blade that harms everything it touches isn't truly a sword."
Zoro's eyes widened as he listened.
"The ability to not cut anything…"
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END OF FLASHBACK
Mihawk pushed Zoro back once more, then looked at him with genuine interest.
'You're about to reach something, aren't you, Roronoa?'
Mihawk felt a rare surge of excitement. It was only the second time he had witnessed someone grow stronger in the midst of a battle.
'The last person who shocked me like this was that man. And now, here in the weakest sea, I've found another with that sameextraordinary talent.'
A grin spread across Mihawk's face as he watched Zoro standing there, looking dazed.
BA-BUMP
BA-BUMP
'What is this?' Zoro thought as he stood there, his two unnamed swords hanging loosely in his hands, Wado Ichimonji held loosely between his teeth, as if it might fall out at any moment.
BA-BUMP
BA-BUMP
'Is this… my heartbeat? Why does it sound so loud?'
Without realizing it, drool began to drip from his mouth. His eyes grew glassy, and his focus was solely on Mihawk. Everything else vanished into complete silence.
Except for his own heartbeat, he could hear nothing else.
'Is this the Observation Haki Yuji talked about? No… this isn't it. I still can't predict that man's next move. I can't sense anything… no… I cansense something… I can sense… my swords… that small blade in that man's hand… and the immense presence of his sword… thestrongest blade in the world.'
And then he heard a voice, a voice belonging to someone he still holds dear.
'Listen closely, Zoro. To the breath of the world.'
Zoro slowly tilted his head, as if he were hearing something no one else could.
Luffy, Nami, and Usopp looked at Zoro, confused.
"What's he doing? Why is he just standing there?" Usopp asked.
"I don't know, but something about Zoro has changed," Luffy said. "I can almost feel it."
Meanwhile, Yuji's eyes widened as he looked at Zoro.
"He got it," Yuji said softly, catching the others' attention.
"Got what?" Nami asked.
"He… can hear it now, the breath of all things."
Mihawk, who had been staring at the dazed Zoro, reached the same conclusion.
"I thought this would be just another boring challenge, but I was wrong. You truly are a worthy swordsman, Roronoa. In this short time, you have grasped something that most swordsmen in the world can't even imagine. And here you are—you did the impossible."
He then put the small blade back into the pendant and hung it around his neck once again.
Then he grabbed the hilt of the sword on his back and drew it out.
The moment Yoru left its sheath; the world seemed to change.
It was the largest blade any of them had ever seen—a black sword as tall as a man, curved like a crescent moon.
"There are too many people in this world who call themselves swordsmen but are nothing more than fakes," Mihawk said. "Weaklings with no drive and no real understanding of what swordsmanship truly means."
He paused and smiled at Zoro. "But you… you're different. A hidden gem the world doesn't know about. There must be a reason you walk this path. Whether it's for yourself or for someone else's dream, whatever it is, it drives you to fight against all odds and keeps you going. That's the one thing every swordsman needs. And you, Roronoa, have that. So, I will honor a worthy swordsman like you by sending you off with the strongest blade in the world—Yoru."
Zoro, even in his dazed state, grinned at Mihawk's words. He bent down slightly, brought his two unnamed swords forward, and began spinning them in a circle.
Faster and faster, the swords became a blur.
'Three-Sword Style—Secret Move.'
He moved at blinding speed toward Mihawk, who gripped Yoru firmly with both hands.
'Three Thousand Worlds.'
Zoro passed Mihawk, and they stood back-to-back.
The two unnamed swords in Zoro's hands shattered and fell onto the wooden dock.
'I see. Even with this new ability, I still lost.'
Zoro slowly sheathed Wado Ichimonji.
'He truly is the greatest swordsman in the world.'
What Zoro didn't notice was the small cut in Mihawk's trench coat.
Mihawk glanced down at the small cut, a slight smile curling his lips. Then he turned his gaze to Zoro, who faced him with his arms spread wide open.
"What are you doing?"
"Wounds on the back are a swordsman's greatest shame," Zoro said with a grin.
Mihawk's eyes widened, and a huge smile spread across his face.
"Magnificent."
He slashed Zoro across the chest, leaving a large diagonal cut from his left shoulder down to his right hip.
Blood gushed from Zoro's chest as he fell backward onto the wooden dock.
"ZOROOOOO!" Luffy yelled, tears filling his eyes as he rushed to Zoro's side.
Yuji, Nami, and Usopp also ran over to them.
Yuji immediately took off his T-shirt and pressed it against Zoro's chest to stop excessive bleeding. The fabric turned red within seconds.
Nami cried silently as she held Zoro's hand. "Zoro, please don't die."
Usopp's lips trembled as he struggled to hold back his tears. "You promised us you wouldn't die, Zoro. Hang on, we still have a long journey ahead."
"Y-y-yeah," Luffy mumbled, tears and mucus running down his face.
Mihawk watched the scene and finally spoke. "Don't worry. He won't die. The wound I gave him will leave a scar, yes, but it will remind him of the many challenges ahead."
He then looked down at Zoro. "Roronoa Zoro, I know you can hear me. It's too soon for you to die. So find yourself. See the world. And grow strong. However long it takes, I'll be waiting for you at the top. Give everything you have to try to beat my blade. Try to surpass me, young swordsman."
Zoro slowly opened his eyes as he heard Mihawk's words. The world was blurry, and the sky was too bright. Yet, he could see Mihawk's face clearly and sharply, as if it were burned into his memory forever.
Mihawk then looked at Luffy. "Tell me, Monkey D Luffy… what is your goal?"
"To be the King of the Pirates," Luffy replied, his red, puffy eyes fixed on Mihawk without a hint of fear.
"King of the Pirates, huh? That's a dangerous path, even more dangerous than trying to surpass me," Mihawk said.
"I don't care. That's what I'm going to be," Luffy said.
Then Zoro, with his trembling hand, drew Wado Ichimonji and raised it high.
"Lu-Luffy… Y-Yuji… Nami… Usopp… I—I'm sorry for m-making you all w-worry like that," Zoro whispered weakly, tears slowly rolling down his face. "Becoming the world's greatest swordsman… that's my dream. But if I fail… you'd all be really disappointed in me… wouldn't you?"
"No, Zoro. We would never be disappointed in you. Never," Luffy said.
Zoro's lips trembled. "Luffy… the day we met… you believed in my dream. No matter how impossible it sounded, you never questioned it. So, from now until the day I defeat him and become the greatest swordsman… I will never lose again. DO YOU HEAR ME, FUTURE KING OF THE PIRATES?"
Luffy grinned through his tears and nodded. "Yup… loud and clear, future greatest swordsman."
Mihawk smirked upon hearing those words. He slowly turned away and began walking off, a satisfied look on his face.
He hummed softly to himself.
'Should I tell him about that man?' he thought as he boarded his coffin-shaped boat. 'No. He should find out on his own. After all, that man is the true greatest swordsman in the world.'
As his boat drifted away from the dock, Mihawk looked back one last time. Then, he was gone.
Yuji stared at Mihawk as he slowly and gently sailed away.
Then he looked down at Zoro, who had finally lost consciousness—his hand still gripping Wado Ichimonji even in sleep.
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