Chapter Six: Master and Pupil, a Bond That Is Not Easily Severed

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Keep calm. You internally told yourself. It was best to stay level headed, but it was hard to do so when you could feel the rage exploding from your normally calm and disinterested Master.

He was angry. He was very angry.

You didn't think you ever saw him angry. Even when you made mistakes, he was patient with you. Just seeing and feeling the amount of hatred radiating off him was scary. What would have happened if you were his enemy?

Fear bubbled within you at the very thought. You would die in a second.

Everything about this situation was very bad.

* * *

Zoro could hear the shouts of Don Krieg's crew and their terrified cries of horror. He swallowed thickly as the man he had been searching for held an aura he could never imagine.

It was bloodlust; powerful, pure insane bloodlust.

"He followed us here... to kill us!!!" one of Krieg's lackey shakily spoke.

"We're done for!"

Moss head shook as his eyes followed to where Mihawk was staring at. His gaze was directed towards you, and Zoro's mind instantly clicked the pieces together.

"Was it possible that...?" His thoughts were cut off by, his captain speaking.

"Zoro, who's that?" Luffy's eyes were on the small boat now, but occasionally flickered back to the man who held you hostage. Frozen in fear of the figure approaching.

"The man I've been looking for. Hawk-Eye Mihawk. The world's strongest man..."

"Hawk-Eye Mihawk...?" Where had Luffy heard that name before? He placed his hand under his chin, thinking very hard. "Mihawk... Mihawk..."

Meanwhile, as Luffy was searching through his memories, Patty's grip on his pitchfork tightened. "That's the man who sank Krieg's fifty ships on his own in the Grand Line?"

"Then the one who destroyed Krieg's ship just now is also..." Carne was cut off by another cook speaking.

"But he looks just like an ordinary human. It doesn't look like he has any special weapons."

"His weapon is on his back..." answered Zeff, noting the bloodlust coming from the man. It was intense, and powerful, but from what he could tell, not directed towards the restaurant. He didn't know whether he should consider this as lucky, or misfortune.

"That can't be!" exclaimed Carne. "Did he really slice up that large sailing ship using that sword?"

The Head Chef's arms were crossed. "He's the master swordsman Hawk-Eye... the man who stands above all other swordsmen in the world..."

"B-but what's he doing here in the East Blue?!" Patty shouted.

Luffy widen his eyes in realization. He smashed his fist to his palm, making an "o" face. "I remember now! That's Y/n's Master!" Well, if your Master was here, Luffy didn't have to worry too much about you. Everyone snapped their necks to face the air headed captain.

"WHAT?! THAT'S HER MASTER?!"

That sentence alone had confirmed Zoro's suspicion. One of many, actually. It shocked him to know that you were training under such a great man, especially when he didn't even see you carry a sword. Was Hawk-Eye training you in some other criteria? After a moment, his eyes widened in realization. The bloodlust... that pissed look on the man's face. It was all directed towards Krieg, and by the looks of everyone else's face, it seemed that they had realized it too.

"Krieg must have done something to upset him." Zeff spoke. "Messing with his student seems to be the perfectly logical explanation."

Zoro swallowed thickly. Did he really want to fight against a really pissed off Mihawk? He shook his head slightly, a determined look on his face. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered at the moment except for one thing.

He needed to fulfill his promise.

* * *

"You son of a bitch!" one of Krieg's pirates yelled. "What kind of grudge do you have against us?"

oof. Wrong move buddy.

Mihawk tilted his head to face the man, the bloodlust he was feeling immense. In a blink of an eye, Mihawk pulled out his dagger, and sliced the man's throat, before resuming his prior position.

That piece of trash wasn't even worth Yoru a hundred times over.

The now dead man's crew mates stared at his body in horror. Nobody had even saw the whole thing happen, the movement far too quick for their eyes to perceive.

"H-How dare you!" another pirate shouted, most likely the man's friend. He pulled out a gun, wanting avenge his friend. "Die!" Firing a couple rounds, Mihawk took his beloved Yoru and adverted its course. "H-How?!"

"He diverted it." The male jumped, looking behind him to see Zoro there watching the scene. "He gently changed the course of the bullets using the point of his sword."

"That can't be true!"

Zoro ignored the man, walking closer towards the boat.

"Hey! Who are you?!" he shouted after Zoro. "Wait... three swords... Could it be...?"

The swordsman grinned. "I've never seen a sword moved so gently..."

"There is no strength in swordplay based only on force," Mihawk replied, bloodlust retracting only slightly. Did he really want to kill a fellow swordsmen right now? Especially when he was on a time crunch? His golden hawk eyes flickered towards your shivering form.

No, he couldn't waste any time. Not now at least.

"Did you use that sword to slice up this ship as well?" the green haired teen continued.

"If you keep talking, I might kill you." He was already pissed, and he had a current mindset of "kill the man holding you hostage and take you back home". If something was going to stop that, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from killing everything- everyone -in his pathway. He knew he wouldn't be able to whip his weapon out to kill Krieg if you were in his grasp- Mihawk would never dare harm a single hair on your head. The logical solution would be to get in closer, but what if that pirate threatens your life?

Damn it. He should have killed Krieg when he had the chance.

"I came out to sea to meet you." The grin on the man's face was maddening. Did he think that this was funny? How you were currently held hostage by that disgusting excuse of a pirate.

In actuality, Zoro did not. Sure he was worried for your safety, but he trusted that Luffy would do something about it; he always did. In his mind he believed that maybe Luffy or one of the other people would get the hint that he was trying to distract everyone, but now that he thought about it, he probably distracted them too.

"Did you not hear me?" Mihawk could feel his muscles twitching. Zoro tied his green bandana across his head. You could only watch helplessly as you saw a vision of Zoro all cut up, bloodied and dying.

"I came to defeat you."

"Hmph..." His golden hawk like eyes trained on your new friend. "How foolish. But I have more pressing matters to attend to. My pupil is in peril at the moment, and I do not want you wasting time that could have been used to save her."

Krieg chose this moment to release you, and you landed on the deck, coughing, much to everyone's relief. Zoro let out a breath, his stance relaxing slightly. He didn't want to know how his captain would react if his First Mate got taken away- or worse, killed.

"Wise choice" Mihawk thought as he made his way towards you. Oh he couldn't wait to have you back in his arms, and to spend all night snuggling with you, all wrapped up in his arms- maybe he'd even have Shanks come over, that's how good of a mood he was in. Or will be when he had you, but he didn't, and that was currently pissing him off.

"Another man holding you? How ridiculous." He mentally scoffed at the idea. Only he (and maybe Shanks) had the right to do so. And perhaps a few select people because he didn't want to start a war just yet.

"Y/n-san!" Ghin crouched down to be by your side, eyes warily watching your Master, not caring if he was going to be punished by his captain. Ghin didn't care, you were far more important, and he was sure that everyone who had encountered you thought so too. He just couldn't believe that you were the Hawk-Eye Mihawk's pupil, but it was all starting to make sense.

Everything that happened at the Grand Line was because they had encountered you. When his captain had set eyes on you, that was when the fleets started to get destroyed. And then the storm came, and they had lost much of their provisions.

Misfortune really had befallen them because they were trying to lure an angel. And now the devil was after them for their sins.

You quickly stood up, rushing towards your Master. You had to calm him down. You knew you had to. You couldn't see the future (which was odd because it usually happened in serious situations), but you knew that the outcome would be devastating. "Master! Please! I'm alright really! Please calm down!" You felt your foot slip on the plank. Eyes widening, you met his golden eyes.

Everything slowed down as everyone watched you fall into the water, shock on their faces.

SPLASH!

"Y/N!" multiple voices cried.

Sanji felt his heart stop as he watched your figure fall in. Before he knew what he was doing, he was running along side Luffy, trying to get to you. His angel couldn't die, and just... leave him.

He needed to save you.

He wanted to be your Prince Charming.

But would he ever be the Prince Charming in your eyes with his past?

* * *

Is it so terrible to want to love something that had made an attempt at your life?

What did you do to deserve this? All you ever wanted to be was to be normal. To be able to walk along the beach freely without having to worry about anything. To be able to swim in the ocean with everyone, to feel the cool salty water against your skin. To know the joy of the ocean without needing to be afraid.

So why...?

The ocean caressed your skin gently as it slowly sapped your life away, dragging you deeper into the depths of the ocean. It was cold, and tasted like salt. It was only last week when you almost drowned, and you felt like time kept repeating itself. You laid limp in the water, hoping that you would eventually float back up.

You knew you wouldn't.

You always sank.

You didn't thrash- you knew it would be futile. Bubbles escaped your mouth as you cracked your eyes open slightly, seeing a figure above you, features obscured by the shadows as sunlight filtered through.

Your tears slowly mixed with the ocean, hiding them as black consumed your vision.

You wished you weren't scared of the ocean.

You wished you could be strong, not just for others but for yourself.

You didn't want to feel helpless, always having to rely on others because of your mistakes. In the past, you had to rely on Luffy, Ace, and Sabo, and Law too or else you would have drowned. Doffy and Mihawk shouldn't have to go through the trouble of helping you, nor did Shanks.

Even now, there was someone who was trying to help you. No one trusted you.

So If they didn't trust you, then why couldn't they just let you sink like the rock you truly were? Just an unhelpful waste of space?

You knew it wasn't the right course of action, but why couldn't they? You weren't stupid. You knew that your fears were idiotic. It annoyed the marines, and it was probably annoying your Master too.

All you ever did was refuse and run away from your problems, hiding behind a facade. To your Master, to Doffy... Why were you such a coward when it comes to your emotions? It was so easy to help others, but when it came to yourself, it was so... complicated.

Why was everything so hard?

Along your bracelets, small cracks appeared, pieces chipping off and floating into the endless sea.

* * *

He coughed out water, as he dragged your limp body on to a piece of the destroyed ship, and a figure loomed over him. He looked up, meeting the gaze of a hawk. It would have been unnerving if there wasn't gratitude held within them. Mihawk bent beside your body, checking your pulse. It was faint, but still there. You were alive. He breathed a sigh of relief, but was unsettled by the fact that you were dry, despite being in the water just mere seconds before.

"What is your name?" That question had caught Zoro off guard, but he quickly answered, "Roronoa Zoro."

"You wish to cross swords with me, is that right?" He nodded in response. "Then I shall grant it to you for your service, however, you should see the disparity of my power even before we cross swords." He ran a hand through your H/c hair, caressing your face, before looking back up at Zoro. Zoro could see how he looked at you with affection, his eyes softening from his hardened gaze.

He wondered if it was out of love for you as a student or something else.

Mihawk stood up as Sanji rushed to your side, cradling you in his arms. His eyebrows twitched at the action, irritated that someone other than him was giving you such affection. Hands itched to slice the chef up, but he resisted. You would be devastated if you knew, and he didn't want you to be more broken then you already were.

Meanwhile, Sanji didn't bother to notice the look Mihawk was giving you, having been so scared when he saw you fall in, especially after Luffy had announced that you were afraid of the ocean. Oh beautiful angel, you were even more beautiful in your unconscious state. As he gazed at your peaceful face, a question popped into his head.

If you trained under Mihawk, then shouldn't you be... stronger? And why were you dry?

Mihawk eyed Sanji with a scrutinizing gaze, before his gaze met Luffy's. The Strawhat wearing boy had a panicked look on his face, but was immediately replaced with relief after having been confirmed that you were okay.

"That straw hat..." So the boy that Shanks was fond of was your captain. He briefly wondered if the red head already knew of this. Eyes traveling back towards the moss head's, Mihawk spoke. "Is it your courage or ignorance that causes you to turn your sword on me?" Mihawk briefly wondered how you'd react if he killed the man before him.

"It's my ambition!" Zoro replied, drawing his katanas, placing Wado Ichimonji in his mouth. "And it's also because of a promise I made to a dear friend!"

Mihawk spared a glance at your body, before ripping the dagger that hung from his neck, unsheathing it. He wanted to end this quickly.

"Oi, what's the meaning of that?"

"I'm no beast that goes all out when hunting a rabbit." The ironic part was that it all fell apart when it came to you, but he wasn't going to mention that. "Even if you're a swordsman who's earned a bit of a name for himself, this sea, the East Blue, is the weakest among the four seas. Unfortunately, I don't carry any smaller sharp instrument than this one."

"That's enough making fun of me! Better not regret it when I kill you!"

Let's get this over with.

* * *

"ZORO!"

You jolted awake, heart pounding, wondering if that desperate cry was real or just your imagination. It sounded like Luffy... Rubbing your eyes, they focused on a certain sou chef hovering above you, and you stared at him confusedly, as his face had shock written all over it.

"Sanji? What's wrong?" You sat up, looking to where he was gazing at and your mouth hang open, eyes wide. You had woken up in time to see Zoro fall into the water, and you quickly looked at the culprit for his wounds. Your Master.

Quickly standing up, you rushed to the edge and jumped. As you dived in the water, you realized something.

You couldn't swim.

Bubbles escaped your mouth as you realized what you had done. Hands shaky, you prayed to the ocean to help you.

"Please." Your bracelets glowed a faint blue, sending a pulse through the ocean.

* * *

Sanji couldn't believe you had jumped in, trying to save the stupid marimo. Did you forget that you couldn't swim, and feared the sea? Rushing towards the edge, it seemed that the Greatest Swordsman had the same thought, about to dive into the water when a tremor came from the water.

"Shit, what's happening?"

Something was glowing in the water.

Suddenly, water launched straight into the air, the sea spitting Zoro out. Following Zoro was you, your eyes glowing a dangerous blue as the ocean pushed you up.

"No..." Sanji thought. Not the ocean- a Sea King. But this sea king looked eerily like a dragon, and he was sure that maybe it was. With a single lift of your hand, the sea floor trembled. His eyes caught something bright. Your bracelets- they were glowing blue, oozing a tremendous amount of power that was suffocating, before sending a fierce pulse that caused him to stumble.

In the wind, your H/c hair moved elegantly, streaks of different hues of blues in them, immediately reminded him of the sea. The glow of your bracelets illuminated your body, giving you a mystical gleam.

You looked so ethereal... just like his angel should.

The Sea King lowered you down gently from his head, sea green eyes watching you as you descended. Your footsteps were all that were heard as you walked closer to them, moving towards Zoro's injured body. Holding a hand out, water from the sea came up in a large bubble, spitting out a white rocks. On closer inspection, Sanji and Mihawk realized it was salt. The filtered water then in cased around Zoro, glowing and providing warmth on his dying self.

"Y/n!" Luffy shouted, tears pooling out of his eyes. "I thought you died!" You gave no response, immediately halting your movements to pass out again. Zoro fell back onto the deck ungracefully, along with the water. The man let out a groan, opening his eyes.

Before you fell too, Mihawk had caught your body in a flash, worry etched all over his face. He had to get you back home so that he could investigate more on your abilities. Holding you tightly, he turned to face the barely conscious Zoro, who was sitting up, eyes staring intensely at your limp figure.

"I shall make this brief. I was pleased with your performance, Roronoa Zoro. I shall wait for you until the day you surpass this sword, but before you pass me, you need to pass my student."

Zoro coughed, understanding in his eyes. So you could use a sword. Then where did you keep it? Your strange bag? During his contemplation, Johnny and Yosaku inspected his wounds, finding that the flesh had already closed up, but not entirely healed. Their eyes widen. Was this your doing?

Mihawk adjusted his hold on you, turning to face Luffy. "What is your goal?"

"King of the Pirates!"

"It'll be even harder than surpassing me." He took notice of Luffy gazing at your unconscious form. "Do not worry about Y/n. I take it you are her Captain?"