"Sir Crocodile. Here is today's private newspaper." Daz Bones entered the main office of the Cross Guild to deliver the newspaper as usual. The man found no surprise to see a pile of colorful body parts mixed between blue and red spread over the floor of none other than Buggy the clown who was crying for mercy from the ex-Warlord.
Crocodile stopped punishing the clown and took the newspaper, he took a quick glance at today's headline and some others, grimacing when he discovered that the government had ordered cloning out of the seven Warlords "Those bastards..." The ex-Warlord growled "They cannot control us so they thought of making a clone of ourselves, and by Vegapunk himself."
"Should we do something, sir?" Daz Bones asked beside the man.
"No. At least not right now." Crocodile took in a breath of smoke from the cigar in his hand as he flipped the pages "But I will need information about these Seraphim in case we have to fight them in the future. Huh? What is this?" Another headline caught Crocodile's attention because it was as big as the announcement of the Seraphim. However, it was not taken from the Egghead island and its review lack of details brought him suspicions.
The blurred picture showed that someone or something currently dragged one of the Seraphim along them, escaped from Egghead and the CP0.
"That looks like kidnapping." Daz Bones couldn't help but comment.
"The government seems proud of the Seraphim's strength, stronger than the CP0, they said. I doubt that some idiots are wanting to kidnap one of the Seraphim." Crocodile's brows knitted together as he took a better look at the picture "Hey Hawkeye. Are you able to identify what this glimpse looks like?"
"Sir, Dracule left just a moment ago." Daz Bones stared at the opened door, showing that the swordsman was clearly left in a hurry.
"Where could he go, I wonder."
—--------
The Witch Forest.
Mihawk fastened his steps towards the witch's castle, the moment he saw the picture of something that took away one of the Seraphim, he had no doubt that it was his mentor, the witch of the wood, Yidhra. His eyes would never deceive him but this time he hoped it did. He recognized the witch's form everywhere and as soon as he acknowledged that it was her, he wasted no time returning to the Witch castle, hoping that Yidhra didn't actually kidnap the Seraphim.
To Mihawk's disappointment, once he reached the castle's hall door, he could hear Yidhra's squealing noises from the other side of the door. Screw the manners, he decided to kick the door open with Yoru ready to unsheathed from his back only to be greeted with the sight of Yidhra dangling the Seraphim up high like a toddler. And how weird it was that the Seraphim didn't try to attack her, if anything, it seemed like it was enjoying her company.
"Ah, thou art back, dalta. Does something matter?" Yidhra noticed the swordsman's presence and stopped lifting the Seraphim. She hugged it and approached Mihawk with the Seraphim clinging close to her as it locked eyes with the swordsman with caution.
"It's a serious matter, mentor." Mihawk facepalmed himself after he had a clear observation of the Seraphim's face. Thanks to the secluded newspaper from Crocodile, the swordsman learned that Vegapunk had made clones out of them. It was nothing, Mihawk was fine if he ever had a clash with that clone of him. But what he couldn't expect was the picture of Yidhra kidnapping the Seraphim that looked like him!
And she was caught in the newspaper! Even if it was just the private news from Crocodile's network, she could still risk getting caught by others too!
"If my memory serves me right, you said you want nothing to do with the outside world, mentor." Mihawk pinched the bridge of his nose and glanced at the mini him who was trying to cling onto his mentor even tighter while glaring back at him.
"Thou art correct. It is true I do not find it pleasant to get involved with the outside world's problems." The witch answered, her hand was busy pinching the mini Mihawk's cheek in order to distract it from the tension it shared with her pupil as it slightly tried to avoid her hand.
"Then why did you kidnap it here?" Mihawk got straight to the point, he was clearly growling not at her but at the Seraphim "You just got yourself announced to the world."
"No, I did not. I made sure no one saw me."
"Obviously, you did." Mihawk sighed heavily "My colleague's underlings just caught a glimpse of you taking it away from its island. And if anything is worse, it is the government's property." He could hear Yidhra's gasps of surprise, and he'll be damned. How could his mentor not be aware of what she brought home, she wasn't that... ignorant, he believed "Answer me, mentor. Why did you bring it home?" Mihawk sounded like an elder scolding a descendant with his seriousness and disappointment.
The witch could be carefree and unreliable sometimes, even when he was just a child under her wings. Their roles would be reserved temporarily as Mihawk learned to take care of Yidhra, and he soon found out he enjoyed that. But seriously, the witch just constantly got on his nerves either scaring him or annoying him, she always made excuses for him being a child, and refused to elaborate any further. But now? He was a grown man and he had gained his voice. The witch must understand that he just wanted to keep her safe and her wish to live in solitude.
"Because it looks like thee, dalta." Yidhra answered with an innocent expression, she believed her motives were nothing wrong, except that the mini Mihawk belonged to the government.
"...You can't take it home because it looks like me." Mihawk sounded helplessly, but some parts of him felt joyful for he had a place in her heart. However, this thing was not him. He could not risk it remaining by Yidhra's side in his absence "And I doubt that the most practical reason you took it is because it takes the form of my child self."
"Well, I admit that is true. Thou art adorable in thy childhood, dalta." The witch accepted it without shame and hesitation, making the strongest swordsman fight hard between embarrassment and jealousy.
O Dios. His mentor and her obsession with his child self.
"With my utmost sincerity, mentor. You must return it to where it comes from."
The witch was unhappy judging from the look on her face by the fact that she couldn't keep the Seraphim, and it didn't make things easier as it insisted on clinging to Yidhra like a child doesn't want to be separated from its mother. It even looked at her with its star iris like the look of a puppy, making her expression go soft.
"Yidhra, no." Mihawk immediately interrupted whatever the Seraphim was planning. He always respected his mentor and did not often use her name, unless it was a critical situation or......
Anyway, he must not go soft on her with this problem but he also knew his mentor wasn't the type who preferred things the hard way. He sighed and walked towards her, taking one of her free hands in his "Mi querida, I do not wish to bring any harm to you, especially things involving the government. I know that you're a strong individual and wish nothing but to stay hidden for the rest of your life. So to do that, you must not keep it by your side. It's not even human and the government probably put a tracker device on it."
"Then I will kill them all if they dare come and challenge me." Yidhra did not back down, but her expression showed that she was reconsidering.
"I have no doubt you can do that, still—"
"Thou could have just admitted that thou are jealous of the little thing." The witch stated the oblivious fact while her red eyes locked with his golden orbs, a knowing grin spread on her lips.
Mihawk was shut up like that. As expected of his mentor, she always saw through his hidden thoughts.
"Indeed, but I expect that isn't enough to persuade you not to keep it." The swordsman approached his mentor as she put the Seraphim down to the ground. It still held her sleeves and stared at her with pleading eyes before Mihawk's hand covered its eyesight, much to its displeasure. Its black wings flapped furiously but none of them paid attention.
"There is no other way?" The witch tried to negotiate as she looked up at Mihawk, her expression turned sad. Her pupil had become a grown and tall man now much to her displeasure. He used to be cuter, softer, and more obedient back in his childhood. Well, it's a good thing that he worried for her safety but he was just so overreacting sometimes.
He was more adorable back at 13 years old and under, undoubtedly.
To be honest, Yidhra wouldn't worry about the government finding her hideout. Her territory wasn't accessible to outsiders if they didn't have her permission. The entrance required a specific method so she had made the exceptional key and handed it to Mihawk. That means besides Yidhra, only the swordsman may enter the forest, so the idea of the government finding out this place was nonsense.
"No, mi querida." Mihawk stopped Yidhra from making more excuses by leaning in and sealing the witch's lips with his own, another arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his form. The witch instinctively slithered her arms around his neck as they exchanged a passionate kiss. Once they separated in need of air, the swordsman's golden eyes locked with his mentor's red blood obs as she nuzzled with his cheek. A pleased chuckle was heard from Mihawk's throat at the shown affection, and then he stated his mind while giving the Seraphim a slight glare "I don't like its presence by your side, with or without me."
That made Yidhra chortle with amusement, she never knew her pupil was the jealous type, a little possessive to be precise. She could understand that because she would act the same if Mihawk showed any signs of interest in another individual that was not her.
But still, her affection towards the Seraphim was different. Yidhra never thought of making it her mate, unlike Mihawk. She just couldn't resist the cuteness of this little boy, more specifically, the child version of her pupil.
"I cannot even adopt it?" Yidhra pleaded, slightly nibbling the swordsman's bearded chin, like a cat wheedling with its owner, and nearly succeeded in persuading Mihawk.
"...If you want children, we can make them on our own." The swordsman did his best not to fall for her pleas and distracted her from the thought with another more... intriguing one.
"I do not want children. I want thee, dalta." Yidhra replied straightly without hesitation.
O Dios, have mercy on him. Mihawk couldn't tell if his mentor intended to say that or if it was just her nature. She always teased him in both innocent and intimate ways. The swordsman gave a low groan as he tightened both his arms around her waist, pressing their bodies close. Their lips were just an inch as he whispered to her, feeling the sensation all over the atmosphere as their bodies were getting hot from the touch and tease.
"I want you too, mi querida."
The heat in the air was suddenly cut off by the Seraphim fit itself between Mihawk and Yidhra. Its wings flapped against the swordsman's face while hugging the witch's neck tightly. Its purpose was clear. It wanted to separate them.
Now Mihawk definitely wanted to destroy this verminous clone of him.
"Ah, I forgot about thee." Yidhra pulled away from her pupil and held the Seraphim in her embrace, smiling as it nuzzled with her "I guess it is time to return thee to thy homeland, yes?"
"It's better to be. We don't need another 'me' running around taking all of your attention." He ignored the Seraphim sticking its tongue out at him.
"Art thou being sarcasm to me?"
"I would not dare." Mihawk had his arm around her shoulders and put a soft kiss on her temper "Please come back soon, mi querida. I've planned to spend some time with you a little longer this visit." He spoke in Yidhra's ear with such a hoarse voice that could melt the heart of any maiden but the witch was no maiden.
Yidhra slightly shivered with quite an excitement before she grinned and gave him a hard bite on his neck, catching the swordsman completely surprised as a groan escaped his lips.
"Do wait for my return, mo stór. And we shall have some memorable moments together."