Free Heart

Ch. 23 - I am the Front of the House.

"What?! No way!" Emmy gasped and took a step closer to Luffy as they watched Zoro fight Mihawk head on.

The green haired swordsman had all three of his katanas crossed and ready to splice Hawk Eyes into several pieces. Yet, his attack was stopped by just one of Mihawk's blade. It was a small blade too. No bigger than a small fruit knife. Even Luffy was taken by surprise but he remained silent while Zoro's two bounty hunter friends took a different approach.

"WHA?! Big Bro's Oni Giri was stopped?!" they exclaimed.

Emmy watched as Zoro launched attack after attack only to have his blades easily deflected by the puny one in Mihawk's hand. The two swordsmen were battling it out on the broken deck of Don Krieg's galleon. The sounds of metal clashing rang through the air. No one made a sound. Pirates, cooks, and bounty hunters alike were captivated by this intense battle. Emmy couldn't even breathe let alone blink, in fear that at any second, she would miss a key moment.

Zoro is so strong...yet...How is the distance between him and Mihawk-san that great?!, Emmy thought in alarm, Zoro is breaking into sweat and he running out of breath...Yet...Mihawk-san is perfectly fine.

"What do you bear on your shoulders?" Mihawk asked, "What do you desire once you've obtained power, weak one?"

"Who you calling a weak one?!" Yosaku seethed, indignant on Zoro's behalf. Beside him, Johnny stepped forward with his weapon in hand.

"I'll teach you a lesson! He is-"

"STOP IT! Yosaku! Johnny! Don't intervene!" Luffy shouted, shooting out his hands and grabbing both of them back before they could make another move. He pushed their heads down as if he was Emmy, making them atone for something.

"BE PATIENT!" Luffy hissed through gritted teeth.

"Luffy," Emmy murmured, feeling his restlessness and agitation stirring.

This was just like Zoro's battle with Buggy's acrobatic swordsman. It was a fight she and Luffy had no business interfering with, despite their better judgement to do so. If they got involved, it would trample all over Zoro's ambition and pride and the swordsman had made it perfectly clear he would rather die than to have that happen. However, it was taking every fiber of Emmy's being to keep her from rushing to his aid and she knew her brother was feeling the same.

"Damn it..." Zoro growled, "I CAN'T LOSE!"

He crossed the blades his hands with the sword in his mouth. "Tiger...Trap!"

He lunged forward but he didn't even make it three steps when he found Mihawk's blade plunged right into his heart. Blood trickled out of Zoro's mouth, over the hilt of his blade, and down his neck. Yet the green haired swordsman refused to withdraw.

"Are you just going to let me pierce your heart?" Mihawk asked.

"I don't know why but...I feel like if I withdraw even one step, those pledges and promises I made in the past will be shattered and I won't be able to come back to where I am now..." Zoro replied.

"Yes...that's what defeat is all about," Mihawk agreed.

Zoro smirked despite the excruciating pain he was in. "Then, all the more reason I can't withdraw."

"Even if you die?"

"I'd rather die."

Mihawk took a step back, pulling his blade out of Zoro's chest. Then he sheathed it and hung it back around his neck. "Kid. State your name."

Zoro re-raised his swords. "Roronoa Zoro!"

Mihawk reached behind him and dragged his sword out of its place behind his seat, revealing a blade as black as night. He pointed it at the green haired swordsman. "I'll remember it. I haven't seen anyone like you in a while, strong one. Thus...as a swordsman's courtesy, I'll sink you using the world's strongest black sword."