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“Not that way you un-cute swordsman!” Perona hissed as Zoro started walking in the wrong direction for the third time that day. Seriously how was his sense of direction so bad? Zoro turned to face her, having to turn his whole body to see her now that one of his eyes were bandaged. While the bandages were temporary, the concept of moving around without the eye was something Zoro was going to have to get used to. Even if it was still healing they all knew the eye was never going to function again. Zoro fully turned around, his scowl deepening.
“It’s not my fault this castle keeps rearranging itself.” He snarled. Perona started to speak only to fall silent. The statement was so ridiculous that she needed to reform words.
“The castle doesn’t move! What kind of sickness do you have?!” she snapped. Maybe the ships doctor could one day create some sort of cure for whatever ridiculous way he sorts out directions, but on second thought that would take a special kind of miracle.
“I’m alright, I’m not sick.” Zoro said, sounding so sincere, as if he thought she actually wanted to know if he was sick. Perona figured there was no point in this conversation and if she really wanted something to eat she would just have to grab Zoro by the arm and lead him to the kitchen. Normally by now Mihawk had something prepared for them to eat, but he was currently away from the island. He claimed it was some work for the world government he had to do, but Perona wondered if it had more to do with the recent injury he dealt Zoro. When Perona first bandaged Zoro’s eye, Mihawk had said it was a regrettable accident and avoided Zoro for almost two days before he announced a sudden need to leave. Zoro thought it had to do with the aftermath of the recent Grudge War between the Whitebeard and Blackbeard Pirates. Perona doubted that though. After all Mihawk wasn’t the type to go when summoned unless it was truly a major incident. Since the Grudge War had already finished, it wouldn’t be a summons that his status depended on, so her theory was the most likely one.
“What’s for lunch anyway?” she huffed. Perona wasn’t a terrible cook, but she didn’t particularly like doing it. She was a princess, the guys should be cooking for her! However, while Zoro was magnificent at making sashimi and other non-cooked meals, he wasn’t very broad in the kitchen. He only had a few meals that he could make and those weren’t the most delicious meals she could say she had. Zoro opened his mouth, probably to give her an answer when his entire body tensed. He reached for his swords, turning in the direction of the entrance to the castle. Perona reached out, grabbing the back of his clothes almost on reflex. “What is it?” she asked.
“Someone just arrived to the castle.” Zoro growled. Perona clutched the back of his shirt harder. In all the time they had been on the island not once had a visitor arrived. Mihawk had started teaching Zoro haki from the start and while Zoro excelled in armament haki he was also very proficient in observation haki. So, if he said there was an intruder then Perona believed that full heartedly. Whoever this intruder was had to be good though. If Zoro didn’t notice them until they were practically inside the building, then the person was likely to be a haki master in their own right. She couldn’t explain any other way for them to slip past Zoro’s senses. They also had to be strong to get past the humandrills. For a moment Perona thought about stashing her body, but if the person could use haki then there was no point in doing that. It would be best to stay with Zoro.
Zoro started walking, probably headed to the entrance. Perona didn’t let go of his clothes, causing him to drag her floating form behind him. She wondered who could possibly be coming to the island. The first assumption was a marine. After all Mihawk worked for them and he didn’t have any friends and family that Perona knew of. A marine would probably be the best option because both Perona and Zoro’s crews were disbanded at the moment and they were under Mihawk’s care; meaning they couldn’t be arrested at this time. It was also likely because Mihawk worked for them, but that made it just as unlikely since Mihawk said he was leaving to report to the marines. The next most likely option was another shichibachi. Perona also struck that option because while they were technically colleagues and a group, that group was only in name. They all hated each other and as far as Perona knew, the only one who knew Mihawk’s location was Kuma.
“Oi! Mihawk! Get out here!” a strange man’s voice filled the halls. Perona pulled herself closer to Zoro’s shoulder, watching the hand by his hip grip the hilt of his white sword so tight the knuckles were turning white. Zoro was actually concerned about the presence he was sensing! Perona wished Mihawk was back, he could handle this! Zoro reached the large entrance to the castle and without meaning to, Perona let out a screech at seeing the new arrival. Zoro yanked his head away from her to shelter his eardrums but that only gave her a better look at the intruder and confirm beyond any shadow of a doubt who it was. The man had red hair with three scars over one eye. He had a single arm that was currently holding a large bottle. Her voice seemed to drag his attention to them and he broke out in a wide grin.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know Mihawk had kids, that guy never tells me anything!” he said with a laugh. Perona could also feel Zoro shake under her hands, mostly from the exertion he was putting on his muscles. From the rapid paling of his skin, Perona was sure Zoro knew exactly who they were dealing with. Even if Mihawk was here, Perona wasn’t sure they would be able to stand up to him. The words ‘Red Haired’ Shanks said finally registered to her and Perona was dumbfounded. Did Shanks really think they were Mihawk’s children? She thought about correcting him right then and there but hesitated. Would it be better if he thought they were Mihawk’s kids?
“Sorry but Mihawk isn’t here right now. Although I’m curious what brings a yonko all this way.” Zoro said. There was a cockiness to his voice that had Perona wanting to slap him. Zoro just had his ass handed to him by an admiral not all that long ago. He was nowhere near the level of facing a yonko and if Shanks decided to attack him, Zoro and Perona would both die in seconds!
“Oh, you know who I am?” the man asked, looking surprised. He looked over Zoro and glanced at her but then his expression turned more confused. “You look familiar yourself…Pirate Hunter right?” Shanks asked. Perona blinked in surprise, pulling herself even closer to Zoro’s shoulder so now her chin was resting on top. Sure, the Strawhat Pirates had been gaining a reputation but that was no reason for a Yonko to pay any particular attention to them. However Perona recalled correctly, there was something in the newspapers about Luffy’s brother being the son of Gold Roger, and if Perona recalled correctly they also mentioned Shanks was part of Roger’s crew. That would explain Shanks’ interest in the captain but that wouldn’t explain his interest in the entire crew!
“I’d say I was flattered to be recognized by a yonko if I didn’t already know you knew Luffy.” Zoro said. That didn’t make any sense to Perona. Shanks knew Zoro’s captain? How did that even happen? Shanks’ grin grew almost impossibly wide.
“Ah, that makes sense now. I was wondering why Mihawk was fascinated with the young swordsman from Luffy’s crew but I guess if you were his son he would want to keep special tabs on you.” Shanks said. None of that sentence made any sense to Perona and from the look on Zoro’s face, it didn’t make sense to him either.
“We’re not Mihawk’s kids. What do you mean Mihawk was fascinated by me?” Zoro asked, sounding more confused than anything. Shanks meanwhile gave them a shocked expression.
“Wait, you’re not Mihawk’s kids?! Then why are you here?” he asked. Zoro relaxed a little and Perona figured whatever danger Zoro was sensing from Shanks was likely over.
“He’s teaching me swordsmanship and she’s a freeloader.” Zoro said. Perona made an indigent noise but Shanks simply burst out laughing, almost like he found Zoro’s words to be the most hilarious words he ever heard.
“Really? That’s less believable than you two being his kids that I didn’t know about until today.” He said. After a few moments Shanks calmed down and walked over to a set of couches. He plopped down on the nearest one, reclining back. There was something about him that was throwing Perona off. With the atmosphere calmer now she could see something she missed before. Perona was the ghost princess, and outside of Zoro's crewmate Usopp, she was the worlds greatest expert on negativity. Something was wrong with the yonko, something weighing heavily on him. “Well, since I came all this way and Mihawk isn’t here why don’t you have a drink with me?” he asked. Zoro hesitated before making his way to the other couch. When he reached the couch, Perona let go and sat down next to him. Shanks dug around in his jacket and pulled out two glasses. He looked down at them, then Perona and Zoro as if realizing he didn’t have enough. Perona winced. He probably only brought glasses for him and Mihawk after all.
“I can go get another glass.” Perona offered. It seemed Shanks and Zoro had things to talk about and Perona didn’t want to intrude. As she moved to get up Zoro shook his head.
“It’s fine.” He said quickly. Perona glanced at him. If she didn’t know any better she would say Zoro was scared. Zoro didn’t get scared though, so maybe he was nervous? She doubted it had anything to do with the fact Shanks was a yonko. Zoro mentioned he knew his captain, so maybe this man was important to the Strawhat Crew in some way? For whatever reason Zoro wanted Perona to stay with him. Perona felt touched by the sentiment. She didn’t have any brothers or sisters and the ten years she spent with Moriah gave her sentiments to him but not Hogback of Absalom. This past year with Zoro was the closest thing she had to a little brother and for the first time she felt like that sentiment may not be one sided. Perona settled back into the couch, intent not to move again unless Zoro specifically told her to.
“I’ll just pour you two glasses and I can drink out of the bottle. I don’t think Mihawk would appreciate me giving you two young kids alcohol anyway.” Shanks said, supporting Zoro’s comment. Perona snorted at that. Mihawk had indeed banned Zoro from drinking alcohol, but as a training technique and Zoro was once again allowed to drink. In addition she was twenty four years old, fully legal to drink. Mihawk didn’t really care as long as they stayed out of his private stocks and informed him when a bottle got finished off so he could add it to the grocery list. Shanks uncorked the bottle and filled the first glass, handing it to Perona. She carefully accepted it and sipped the drink. “It’s wine from the West Blue.” Shanks said, filling another glass and handing it to Zoro. “So, tell me about yourself.” he ordered.
“Huh?” Zoro asked, sounding confused.
“I’m sure Luffy told you about me, so there isn’t much for me to tell.” Shanks said. Zoro nodded as he took a drink.
“Luffy said you saved his life and inspired him to go to sea.” Zoro deflected. Perona glanced between them in surprise at that.
“More like he told me he was going to put together a crew better than mine and beat me one day.” Shanks laughed. Perona almost spit out her wine. Did Luffy even know who Shanks was when he told him that? She doubted it. From what she saw of the Strawhat’s they were all idiots. The way Zoro talked about him made her think that Nico Robin was the only one with an actual brain in the group. “So tell me about yourself.” Shanks repeated.
“Like what?” Zoro asked. Perona got the feeling that Zoro wasn’t someone people asked about much.
“Why you’re called the Pirate Hunter for one. Where you’re from and how you met Luffy for another.” Shanks said with a shrug, taking a healthy draw from the bottle. Zoro glanced at his blades for a moment.
“I’m from Shimotsuki Village in the East Blue.” Zoro said. Shanks expression hardened for a moment before he nodded.
“You don’t say.” Shanks sounded intrigued but he clearly wasn’t about to elaborate.
“I left home in search of Dracule Mihawk but I ran out of money pretty fast so I started chasing down pirates for their bounties. Before I knew it people were calling me the ‘Pirate Hunter’.” Zoro remarked. Shanks chuckled.
“You were hunting for Mihawk? What for?” Shanks asked. Zoro gave him an unamused look and Perona felt the same. Zoro was clearly a swordsman, something Shanks already knew because he referred to Zoro as such. At some point she was going to ask why Mihawk was interested in Zoro enough to talk to a yonko about him, but that was a discussion for another time. Why else would a swordsman set out to find the man referred to as the worlds greatest swordsman?
“To become the best. I intend to defeat him in a fight.” Zoro’s words seemed to be chosen carefully and they were not lost on Perona. Zoro wanted to beat Mihawk, not kill him. It seemed Zoro had developed a fondness for his new sword master as well as her. Shanks didn’t laugh at Zoro’s ambition, instead he just offered Zoro a grin.
“I’m sure Luffy would say that the King of the Pirates would expect no less on his ship than the greatest swordsman in the world.” Shanks said. Zoro laughed this time. “So how did a bounty hunter become Luffy’s crewmate?” Shanks asked. Zoro took another drink, finishing off the glass. Shanks noticed and reached over the space between them, filling the glass before taking a deep drink of the bottle himself.
“I was arrested by the marines. Something about disturbing the peace or something. I didn’t know they were going to execute me for it. Luffy showed up and offered to free me if I would join him. Kinda gave the choice between him or the firing squad.” Zoro gave Shanks his shit eating grin as he said it and the two men both laughed about it. Perona was surprised. Never mind the fact that Zoro somehow got arrested by people he was supposed to be on the side of, it was stranger to her that he would be so loyal to a man that gave him the choice between serving him or dying.
“Sounds like Luffy alright.” Shanks said. He took another deep drink. “So, what’s the deal with your crew? I see Luffy has collected quite a strange group.” Shanks said. Zoro nodded.
“Yeah, the sea witch of a navigator, the King of the Snipers, a perverted imp for a cook, a monster of a doctor, a dark humored archaeologist, a swim trunk wearing shipwright, and a skeleton for a musician.” Zoro said. Perona glanced at him again, almost surprised. Zoro talked about his crew a lot to her and Mihawk. At this point she felt like she knew them all pretty well. Yet Zoro gave the barest of bones description of them to this man. It was obvious that Zoro had some respect for Shanks but he didn’t trust him. Shanks did say Luffy planned to fight him in the future, so maybe Zoro was already looking to the day they would be enemies? Zoro’s expression darkened and the mood turned dark. “I read that you were at the Marineford War.” He said. Shanks paused then his mood shifted as well.
“I knew Ace and Whitebeard. I wasn’t going to bring it up, but I noticed Luffy was there alone and without his crew.” Shanks had an edge to his voice, almost like he was daring Zoro to justify why the Strawhats weren’t by their captain’s side when he needed them the most. Zoro leaned back on the couch, almost like he was debating with himself on what he could tell the yonko.
“We were on her captain’s ship and had just taken down a shichibachi when a second one appeared.” Zoro said, gesturing to Perona. Shanks nodded to show he was listening. “He was ordered to kill us all, but he let us go. It wasn’t without a price though and when we left no one in the crew was in the shape to be fighting. I guess we reached too high too fast.” Zoro mused. He took another drink and Perona and Shanks followed suit. Perona wondered what price Kuma took from the strawhats to spare them. Zoro never offered an explanation on what happened after Kuma sent her away and Perona didn't ask after the first time he brushed her off. “We made it to Sabody Archapelago but things fell apart pretty quickly. We had an admiral come down on us and I’m afraid I wasn’t much use to my captain or my crew at that point. Rayleigh and Bartholomew Kuma are the only reasons our crew weren’t killed there.” Zoro said. Shanks expression shifted to a more gleeful one, almost like a child.
“You met Rayleigh-san?” he asked. That’s right, Rayleigh was Roger’s first mate, so of course Shanks knew who he was! Zoro nodded.
“Yeah. We met through a mutual friend. When Kuma showed up, he sent me flying. I wound up here three days later.” Zoro said. Perona huffed. Zoro was leaving out some important details and she wasn’t going to let him downplay what she knew happened.
“He was a mess when I found him. Covered in so much blood and so many wounds. It looked like someone threw him through a meat grinder!” she said. Zoro shot her an unamused look but Shanks expression softened a bit and some of the tension that had returned when Zoro began talking again ebbed away.
“I tried to get back to Luffy, but by the time I found out where he was the war was already over and Ace was dead. I’m guessing by the fact I saw him alone in the papers that I wasn’t the only one Kuma sent away. He divided our crew up. Luffy put a message in the paper for us, to wait where we are and train, then meet him at a specified time.” Zoro said. Perona was again amazed at Zoro leaving out the time frame Luffy gave him. Shanks looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.
“I see. I met Ace once. He came to find me after arriving in the New World. He wanted to thank me for saving Luffy’s life.” Shanks said. Zoro nodded.
“We met him in Alabasta. He asked us to protect Luffy and we will. We’re also grateful to you as well.” Zoro said. Shanks tilted his head a little in confusion.
“Oh?” he asked. Zoro nodded.
“If it weren’t for you, Luffy wouldn’t have gathered us all together.” Zoro said. Shanks grinned and Zoro’s expression turned predatory. “Luffy will become the Pirate King. That is something we all believe, something we will all make happen.” Zoro said. Shanks laughed.
“I believe it.” He said. Perona huffed. She wasn’t sure about that, but she wasn’t going to speak against it. She wanted to support Zoro’s dream and goal but she was also wanting to support Moriah’s. Zoro and Shanks continued to drink for a bit longer before Shanks decided to talk again. “I’m glad Luffy has gathered such a strong crew. He’s going to need it when he enters the New World.” Shanks said.
“What are you doing here?” Mihawk’s voice boomed around the room and the three turned to the owner of the castle. Shanks raised a hand in greeting.
“Hey Mihawk, your home!” Shanks said. Mihawk scowled.
“I am. Now what are you doing here?” the swordsman repeated. Shanks pouted.
“Aren’t you happy to see me?” he asked. Mihawk rolled his eyes.
“I’m starting to think I shouldn’t leave my home. Each time I do lately, I come back to find someone else has moved in in my absence.” He lamented. It was almost funny that Mihawk was complaining about their presence because Mihawk never once told her or Zoro to actually leave.
“You don’t seem to mind too much.” Shanks teased. Mihawk looked toward the kitchen.
“I’m going to get a drink. When I get back I would appreciate it if you left my island Shanks.” When he came home from the war to find them in the castle, Mihawk simply opened a bottle of wine and informed them about the execution. When Zoro expressed a desire to leave Mihawk had gotten him a boat but he also requested for Zoro to rest in the castle numerous times first. He pointed out many times that he never invited them into his home but he never said for them to leave. For him to actually tell Shanks to leave surprised Perona more than it probably should have.
“Oh come on! And I came all this way! At least hear me out on what I came to tell you!” Shanks whined. Mihawk pinched the bridge of his nose, like he was fighting off whatever headache Shanks presence gave him.
“Fine. Roronoa, Perona, go to your rooms.” He said. Perona puffed out her cheeks and she could hear Shanks sniggering. She was tempted to yell that they weren’t Mihawk’s children but the sharp look Mihawk sent them told her that no objections would be tolerated. Perona knew peoples limits and had no desire to find out what would happen if she pushed Mihawk, Zoro, or Shanks past them. Zoro seemed to have the same idea because he stood up.
“It was nice to meet you Pirate Hunter. I look forward to the next time.” Shanks said. Zoro nodded before leaving the room. Perona started to follow but stopped when she was out of sight. She was curious about that aura she sensed from Shanks earlier.
“This is about Whitebeards surviving commanders, isn’t it?” Mihawk asked. Shanks let out a sigh and Perona could almost feel the sadness in it.
“Yeah.” Shanks confirmed. Perona decided whatever was about to be discussed wasn’t her business. Besides she had more pressing matters to attend to. Like the fact Zoro just turned left instead of right and would end up in the kitchen than his bedroom. She rushed after the idiot, ready to set him straight.