The Swordsman's Cat ( Zoro X Reader)

Chapter 36 : Loved Yet Alone

Mihawk brought his hand to his face, still trying to piece together the events that had unfolded.

"She was definitely in her Feral state, but it was unlike anything I've seen before," he admitted, his tone tinged with uncertainty. "She was menacing but also appeared calm, unlike during the ritual."

Zoro couldn't help but be astounded by the revelations. He had known you for 2 years, but it seemed there were layers to you he had never fully comprehended. "So let me get this straight," he began, trying to wrap his head around it all.

"Not only is she capable of turning into a fatass cat, a human, and a nekomata, but she can also go into her Feral state and unleash the Demonic Trill? But didn't you say that her emotions usually cloud her judgment in those states?"

Mihawk nodded solemnly. "Yes, that's the usual case," he admitted.

"But Gatita is... unique. She is the last Ten Tail Nekomata. It seems she has the ability to harness those states without succumbing to the chaos of her emotions. It's a rare gift, and it seems she's been practicing control over her transformations."

Zoro scratched his head, still trying to digest this information. "Well, it's clear she's become a lot more powerful than any of us realized," he mused, a mixture of awe and pride in his voice.

Mihawk went silent but he couldn't hide the concern in his eyes.

Zoro's curiosity persisted as he sought further clarification. "But that still doesn't answer why she attacked us," he pressed, determined to uncover the truth.

Perona, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, couldn't hold back any longer and decided to intervene. She passed through the door and floated gracefully toward the duo.

"Maybe because you useless idiots didn't think about how she would have felt when she found out the reason behind your duel," she chimed in with a touch of exasperation in her tone.

Mihawk and Zoro were taken aback by Perona's statement.

"Huh?" Zoro blurted out, clearly perplexed by what she had just suggested.

Perona sighed in frustration, adjusting her grip on her ghostly teddy bear.

"Honestly, you two," she began, her voice tinged with annoyance. "How is it that both of you haven't realized it yet?"

Mihawk narrowed his piercing golden eyes at Perona, expecting an explanation. "Explain, ghost-girl," he demanded, eager to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Perona crossed her arms, her frustration evident in her demeanor. "She's not a damsel in distress anymore. Sure, she may come off slightly childish, but have you two forgotten what she had gone through? Dying and coming back to life does something to someone, makes them want to oh, i don't know, grow?" she scolded, placing both hands on her hips.

In response to Perona's explanation, both Zoro and Mihawk comically tilted their heads slightly to the left in confusion. Perona found their reaction exasperating.

"I said it once and I'll say it again. How is it possible that you two have a woman in your life..?" she muttered to herself, feeling like she was dealing with two oblivious children.

Taking a deep breath, Perona sighed heavily and rubbed her temples.

"Alright, tell me the whole story first, and I'll tell you where BOTH of you went wrong," she demanded.

Mihawk began to recount the events, his voice steady as he explained, "Simply put, Roronoa wanted me to unground her and allow her to join the Strawhat crew. I denied his request, and he challenged me to a duel. If he could land one hit on me, she would be free to go with him. However, if he failed, she would still be banned from leaving the island."