Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds

Chapter 17: Recipe for Disaster and Zoro's Vow

"So that's Mihawk?" Brook asked softly as they all watched the foreboding boat draw ever nearer to them, the Krieg Pirates all cowering away from the sight of it, staring with expressions of the utmost terror. "He's the one who destroyed Krieg's armada by himself?"

"Yeah, and he just tore up the flagship a few minutes ago," Franky said with an unusually soft voice, moving his sunglasses up so that he could get a better look at him.

Even Robin felt a little intimidated when she saw those merciless, yellow eyes. Though it was only the first time she had seen his strength first hand, but seeing just a little display of his power was enough to send a few chills through her. With little effort he was able to slice that enormous ship in several pieces as if it was butter.

"Zoro...?" Chopper said, glancing over at the past version of their Zoro. "You look a little freaked out."

"Yeah," Usopp agreed, seeing the wide eyes and sweat run down his face, he couldn't ever remember seeing him so petrified, "That's new..."

The current Zoro rolled his eye as he looked away. Yeah, he could see that his past was plainly startled by seeing his rival for the first time. Though, now that he thought about it, he was hardly what you called 'Mihawk's rival'... more like a stepping stone to him.

"You... you monster!" one of the Krieg Pirates yelled in a trembling voice, "Why are you doing this to us?! What the hell did we ever do to you!?"

Mihawk glanced up at him in uninterested away, as if speaking was a waste of energy, "Just killing time."

"Of course he was..." Zoro sighed, knowing that Mihawk sometimes felt the need to slice something up when he had nothing better to do.

"You mean he did all that just because he was bored?!" Nami cried out with a gulp, sweat on her forehead as she stared at him. "And here I thought you were a monster, Zoro."

"I am, but Mihawk's in a class all his own," Zoro confessed.

"Bastard!" another pirate cried out as he pulled out a pair of pistols and shot at him. But with the grace of a swan, he handled his sword in such a way that Zoro knew it couldn't harm even a baby; but he twisted his wrist very slightly... and just like that the two bullets were deflected and their courses were changed.

Everyone stared at him.

"That was amazing... but terrifying..." Nami said softly. "He barely moved but he managed to stop bullets without even trying."

"Such grace and speed..." Brook said in hushed tones. "If I still had eyes I wouldn't believe them! That sword must weight a great deal, but it's like he's swinging around a feather. Now I truly see why he is known as the best."

"Yes," Robin said with a slight nod. "Hawk-Eye, or his real name Dracule, Mihawk is truly a master of the sword and known throughout the world as the best. And from what he did to that ship, I think we can all understand how he earned the reputation."

"W-what, I missed!?" the pirate cried out, not believing it, "But I aim straight for him!"

"He diverted it," said Zoro's voice, and for a moment the Straw Hats thought it was their Zoro, but the past version of him was suddenly there, appearing behind the pirate and making him jump. "He changed the course of the bullet with the tip of his sword."

"That can't be!" he said in disbelief as past Zoro coolly walked passed them all, one hand on his swords, which caught the attention of the other pirates as the first demanded to know who Zoro was.

"He's got three swords! It couldn't be...?" another pirate gasped, looking up to his face.

But that Zoro didn't pay them any attention as he turned his full attention to Hawk-Eye. "I've never seen a sword handled so gently or with such grace," he said truthfully.