Minutes later, Sanji set a plate down in front of Gin—a simple stew, steaming and fragrant. Gin's trembling hands reached for it, and as soon as he tasted the first bite, tears streamed down his face.
He ate like a man who'd forgotten how to breathe.
Reina, watching from a nearby counter, murmured softly,
"That's… how it's supposed to be."
Sanji glanced at her, curious.
"You a chef too?"
Reina smirked. "The best there is. Though I admit, that was a beautiful dish. Balanced seasoning. Perfect restraint."
He chuckled, flicking his cigarette aside, then he winked at Reina.
"Flattery will get you everywhere, lady."
Reina grinned, leaning on the counter.
"And flirting will get you nowhere , I already have a crush you know ? And he is quite good at what he does."
The cigrette fell from sanji's mouth eyebrow twitching as he cursed his luck and Ash's 7 generations for having girls like Reina around him.
Zeff overheard, muttering,
"Two maniacs in my kitchen. Great."
---
The moment of calm didn't last long.
A rumble echoed from outside—deep, metallic, unnatural. The waves shifted as something massive approached.
From the mist, a jagged shadow emerged: a warship, its hull shredded but still afloat, crawling toward the restaurant like a wounded beast.
When the ship came close enough, a voice boomed across the deck.
"ZEFF!"
A chill swept through the Baratie.
A hulking figure stepped onto the front deck of the wrecked ship, golden armor dented and rusted, cape shredded but still draped proudly across his shoulders.
His face was cruel and regal all at once, a crown of arrogance sitting easily on his head.
"Don Krieg."
His eyes burned with fury and hunger.
"You've got food here, don't you? Then I'm taking it. All of it."
Zeff's voice was steady.
"You've got nerve showing your face in my waters, Krieg."
Krieg grinned.
"I've got an army of a hundred men starving below deck. Feed us, and maybe I'll let your floating shack survive."
Reina slammed her hand on the counter.
"Like hell you will!"
Ash stood slowly, his chair scraping back.
"Reina."
She looked at him, defiant but waiting.
He gave her a slight nod. "We help them eat. Then if they try to take this place…"
He grinned
" well , we'll have to beat their asses I guess ?"
Reina smirked. "Aye, captain."
Sanji exhaled smoke.Muttering-
"Why is she listening to whatever that bastard says , it should've been me !"
---
Hours passed. Krieg's pirates were fed under watchful eyes. Reina and Sanji worked side by side in a tense silence that somehow felt natural — two masters respecting the battlefield of the kitchen.
Reina twirled a pan of noodles midair, saying,
"You've got a good touch, blondie. Smooth wrists, sharp instinct."
Sanji chuckled.
"And you've got wild talent. A bit of a fire hazard, though."
Reina laughed. "Compliment accepted."
Outside, Zoro sharpened his blades, Medusa leaned on the railing, and Ash watched Krieg's ship -
'Damn seeing the ship like this in real life ,I really wonder what the hell happened to them to get this battered.'
Medusa's cursed aura rippled faintly.
"He's waiting for something. Or someone."
They didn't have to wait long.
Shingg-
A sound- loud and clear ,then the gigantic ship split perfectly in half ! A smooth cut ,like butter cut with a knife.
The sea grew still. The clouds split open, sunlight vanishing as a sleek black ship glided silently from the mist — its sails tattered, its flag a simple black cross.
Every sailor and pirate froze.
A single man stood at its bow, coat flowing, eyes cold and golden beneath the brim of his hat. A sword longer than any man's life gleamed on his back.
Zoro's breath caught.
"That's—"
Ash's eyes narrowed.
"Dracule Mihawk. The world's greatest swordsman."
---
The sea held its breath as Mihawk's small coffin-shaped ship drew alongside the Baratie.
He stepped lightly onto the restaurant deck, boots silent against the planks. His gaze swept across the gathered crowd—Krieg's broken men, Zeff's chefs, and Ash's curious pirates—before landing on Zoro.
"You have the eyes of a challenger," Mihawk said quietly. "Do you seek death?"
Zoro stood, the wind tugging at his bandana.
"I seek victory."
Ash's eyebrow twitched ' Look at them acting cool and mysterious,I bet mihawk was probably Rowing that little ship of his with the goddamn- Sword moments ago!'
He turned around and saw it in Zoro's eyes—the same unshakable determination that had carried the swordsman through every battle so far.
"sigh~ Fuck it , we ball!"
He turned to zoro who was looking at ash with eager eyes -
"Go ahead dumbass,what are you waiting for ?"
Ash said while shaking his head hopelessly.
Zoro grinned. "I'll make you proud."
The deck of the Baratie trembled beneath the weight of the sea breeze.
Every voice had gone silent. Even the waves seemed to halt, unwilling to interrupt what was about to unfold.
At the edge of the floating restaurant, two swordsmen faced each other—one destined to reach the summit, the other standing at its peak.
Roronoa Zoro stood with his three swords drawn, the Wado Ichimonji gripped gently between his teeth. His eyes burned—not with fear, but conviction.
Before him stood Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman, coat fluttering like a black flag of death.
His gaze was calm, almost sorrowful, as though already mourning the defeat of the man before him.
---
Mihawk spoke softly, his voice carrying like steel over glass.
"Do you truly wish to challenge me, boy? Even knowing the gulf that separates us?"
Zoro spat blood from his lip, smiling through the pain.
"If I don't climb that gulf, I'll drown in it anyway."
For a long moment, Mihawk simply regarded him—then, with deliberate grace, reached into his coat and drew a tiny dagger, no longer than a dinner knife.
"Unfortunately , I don't have a smaller knife then this one." he said quietly.
A murmur rippled through the Baratie.
Reina's brow twitched. "He's mocking him…"
Ash folded his arms, Barely controlling his laugh.
"No. He's testing him....pftt- Ahem !"
Zoro's eye twitched hearing his captain trying to not laugh but he ignored it for now.
Sanji lit another cigarette, eyes narrowing.
"The kid's insane. But damn… he's got guts."
---
The Duel Begins
Zoro moved first.
A blur of green and steel, his blades cutting arcs that shimmered under the sun.
"Three-Sword Style—Oni Giri!"
He lunged forward, his motion perfect, a predator's grace channeled into a single point of impact.
Mihawk stepped aside. Effortless.
His dagger flicked once—metal rang—and Zoro's strike was redirected, missing by inches.
The world exploded in motion. Zoro's slashes came faster, sharper—Kitsunebi-ryū footwork, flowing like flame.
Mihawk blocked every strike with minimal movement, his dagger weaving between Zoro's blades with surgical precision.
CLANG—CLANG—SHING!
Each sound echoed like thunder.
Zoro snarled, veins standing out in his neck.
"Stop toying with me!"
Mihawk's eyes gleamed faintly.
"Then strike with intent to kill."
Zoro's stance deepened. His muscles coiled like a spring.
"Tiger Hunt!"
He pivoted, swords spinning with ferocious speed, slamming forward with enough force to cleave the deck.
Mihawk caught the blow with his dagger—one hand—and the air shockwave sent waves crashing against the Baratie's hull.
Wood splintered. Chefs stumbled back. Reina shielded her face from flying debris.
When the dust cleared, Zoro was on one knee, panting. Mihawk stood untouched.
Finally, Mihawk sighed, sliding the small dagger back into his coat.
"You have done well to make me draw this much."
He reached over his shoulder and, with slow reverence, unsheathed the Yoru—the Black Blade, one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords. Its edge glimmered like night condensed into steel.
Zoro felt the weight of that moment—the pressure, the sheer killing aura. It wasn't bloodlust. It was dominance.
Even Ash's expression tightened.
"That… is true power."
Zoro grinned, blood trickling down his chin.
"Good. I was starting to think I'd die untested."
---
The two swordsmen moved at once.
Mihawk descended like a storm; Zoro met him head-on, all three swords flashing in defiance.
The impact cracked the air itself. A sonic boom erupted, splitting clouds above. The Baratie tilted violently to one side.
"Three-Sword Style—Tatsumaki!"
Zoro spun in a whirlwind of blades, wind howling around him. Mihawk's Yoru cleaved through the vortex, scattering it like dust.
"Too shallow," Mihawk said quietly, parrying another blow.
Zoro gritted his teeth, launching again.
"I'll carve my dream into you if I have to!"
"Then show me!" Mihawk responded.
Their blades met again—once, twice, ten times in a heartbeat.
Sparks danced across the deck like fireflies. Mihawk's expression never wavered, but his stance shifted slightly—he was acknowledging Zoro's tenacity.
Then came the critical moment.
Mihawk vanished—a blur of speed—and appeared behind Zoro, blade descending in a dark arc.
Zoro barely turned in time, crossing his swords to block. Yoru struck. The shockwave tore through the deck.
Blood flew.
A deep, diagonal gash ripped across Zoro's chest, cutting through flesh and cloth alike. The wound burned like liquid fire.
But Zoro didn't fall.
His eyes widened, a flash of disbelief—and then… resolve.
He twisted, bringing his third sword up in desperation—Yoru grazed his face, cutting a jagged scar from his brow across his left eye.
He staggered back, blood streaming, but his grip on his blades never loosened.
Reina gasped. "He's still standing—after that?!"
Ash's jaw clenched. "He won't kneel."
Zoro raised his head, blood dripping down his face, grin feral through the pain.
"Not yet… Not while I can still stand!"
He lunged one last time, every ounce of spirit poured into his strike—"Sanzen Sekai!"
The triple slash cleaved the air, crossing like fangs of a dragon. Mihawk parried, but the force pushed him half a step back.
For the first time, his expression changed—a faint smile.
"…Impressive."
Then, with blinding speed, Mihawk countered.
Yoru's black edge swept horizontally—so fast it cut the very wind.
A burst of blood.
Zoro's blades flew from his hands, embedding into the deck. He dropped to one knee, chest heaving, crimson staining his bandana.
---
Mihawk's coat fluttered as he lowered his sword.
"Why do you continue to rise, boy? You cannot defeat me."
Zoro raised his gaze, one eye now marked by a clean, crimson scar.
"Because one day… I will. Until then, I'll never lose again."
Mihawk regarded him in silence. Then he nodded—once, deeply.
"Remember that pain. Let it remind you what it costs to stand at the summit."
He turned away, sliding Yoru back into its sheath.
Ash stepped forward, placing a hand on Zoro's shoulder. His voice was quiet but firm.
"You fought well. No shame in falling to the strongest."
Zoro chuckled hoarsely, blood still dripping.
"Falling's fine… as long as I rise higher next time."
Ash grinned.
"The scars of battle suit you zoro- you look badass ."
Zoro scoffed and collapsed loosing his consciousness.
---
Mihawk paused before boarding his ship, his golden eyes flicking briefly to Ash.
"You," he said, his voice low but carrying across the deck.
"Your aura… I can sense ambition. A different kind than his, but dangerous all the same."
Ash met his gaze evenly.
"Dreams are meant to be crazy .....moreover,
You don't have to worry about that mihawk- the one you should worry about is my friend over here,
because he will rise and take your title one day-and I'll be there to witness it."
Mihawk's lips curved faintly. "Then I look forward to it."
With that, he stepped onto his black coffin ship, which drifted silently away, swallowed by mist and distance.
----
The sea slowly began to breathe again.
Reina rushed forward, wrapping Zoro's chest with bandages. " This Idiot! He could've died!"
Ash smirked pride evident in his eyes. "But he didn't. Besides- taking on the strongest swordsman in the world takes guts, ...and I respect zoro for having those guts."
Nami shook her head, exasperated but smiling.
"You're all insane…"
Medusa gave a quiet nod of understanding.
Ash looked out at the horizon where Mihawk had vanished.
"Insane's what it takes to achieve the dreams we have..." he murmured.
.
.
.
.
_______To be continued _______