Ameliorate ✦ One Piece

24

The sun had risen in the sky and morning came. And with it, Zoro, Luffy, Usopp, and Akira all walked off of their ship and back onto the docks of the Baratie. When they departed for Zoro's duel, Nami didn't join them, clearly still so opposed to it she had no intention of coming to support him. But there was no backing out now, no retreating as a man already stood in front of the restaurant entrance, waiting for them. Waiting for Zoro.

"Monkey D. Luffy." The Warlord spoke, eyes focused on the captain he was sent here for in the first place as he watched the group of four approaching. "I'm surprised the Marines would require my services for such a small package." The man commented, yellow eyes taking in the boy before something akin to recognition flashed through them. "Though I do like your hat."

For a moment, Akira questioned what he could have meant by that. The hat was how Buggy had connected Luffy to the pirate Shanks, and Akira wondered whether something similar might be happening now. But Zoro spoke before the questions could churn in her mind for too long.

"Enough." He called out in a determined voice, making Mihawk's eyes snap over to him now. "Let's begin." He insisted confidently, watching as the man reached around his back and, to everyone's surprise, unclasped the tie around his neck holding up the large cross necklace. That, instead of reaching for the enormous sword at his back.

Unsheathing the cross, he showed off a tiny blade as if he intended to use that as his weapon during the duel. "What the hell is that? I'm here for a sword fight." Zoro pointed out in a less than amused tone.

"I don't hunt rabbits with a cannon." Mihawk's words made Akira's worry grow. While some egotistical idiots would see this as an easy victory, Mihawk's confidence unnerved her. Any man who thought he can withhold against three swords with a blade as tiny as that was either a fool with no sense of fear, or he knew his skills were that much superior. And one didn't become a Warlord of the Sea by being a fool.

"I'm no rabbit." Zoro announced confidently, pulling two black swords from their sheaths as his knees bent down readily.

"That remains to be seen." Mihawk challenged, lowering himself down into a fighting stance as he too got prepared, waiting for Zoro to charge. Which he did soon after. Akira watched as the swords swung through the air, metal gleaming against the light until both blades were brought to a sudden stop.

All it took was the right placement and amount of strength, and Mihawk's tiny little knife stopped both of Zoro's swords dead in their tracks. That was when Akira realized which type of man Mihawk was. Even though he'd never even seen Zoro fight, he knew his skills were that much superior. And he wasn't even forced to use all of them, something that was quickly becoming awfully clear as with one small push on his tiny blade, he sent Zoro skidding back across the dock.

But that didn't stop him. Nothing Mihawk did seemed to make Zoro question what he was doing and towards where this was going. He simply charged again, swords swinging through the air while his opponent evaded blow after blow with graceful movements.

"Got you on the run, huh?" Zoro questioned, Akira unable to gather whether he was just that stupid or trying to look at it with a false sense of optimism.

"Hardly." Mihawk's cool reply was followed up with another motion of his small blade as it met Zoro's midair, the force surprisingly strong as it sent the green-haired man flying through the air and crashing on his back against the wood of the docks. Akira flinched as she watched the scene, wishing there was something they could do to bring it to an end before it went too far. Before they reached its end.

"You're strong." Mihawk commented. "But fighting isn't all about strength."

"Stop talking and fight." Zoro demanded as he rose back up to his feet, charging again.