We were still on the ship. Mihawk and I were training.
"Strike like you mean to kill me." I told him, eyes blindfolded.
"You really think this is gonna work?" he asked, raising a brow.
"We have to start somewhe—"
Before I could finish the sentence, he struck me.
Whack.
"Tss." I hissed through my teeth. 'I definitely felt that one.' I thought to myself, jaw tightening.
"Again." I said, straightening up. "That's how you're supposed to strike."
He began circling me slowly, weapon in hand. "Did you sense the hit coming?"
"I did… too late." I replied.
He struck once more, this time aiming for my leg. I bent slightly, feeling the shift in the air just a fraction earlier, but still not fast enough to avoid it.
"You really think you'll learn to feel without seeing?" He asked.
"Yes. Observation Haki."
He went quiet for a second. Then I heard him move again. The wooden blade sliced through the air. This time, I raised my forearm just in time to partially block the attack.
And so the training went on, blow after blow.
'I don't know if it's because I'm an orca, I couldn't help but think, but my hearing is incredibly sharp. And there's something else… another sense. Something like… echolocation, I think.'
Those thoughts circled in my mind as Mihawk continued his strikes. I focused, tuned into the smallest vibrations around me.
He swung again.
I barely dodged. 'close.'
Then, a voice broke through the rhythm of our sparring.
"We're approaching Kokoyashi." Beckman called out from the helm.
Mihawk paused, lowering his weapon. I lifted the blindfold and turned toward the bow, the silhouette of land just beginning to form on the horizon.
We were getting closer to the island when Beckman spoke up from the helm."A ship's heading toward us."
We turned our eyes toward the horizon, a larger vessel was cutting through the water, quickly closing the distance. As it drew near, it cast a long shadow over our own.
It pulled up alongside us.
From its deck, a group of kids leaned over the railing. Their ragtag outfits, overconfidence, and makeshift weapons gave off more arrogance than threat.
One of them, standing front and center, had messy pastel violet hair and a smug expression.
"Hand over what you've got, and no one gets hurt." he said loudly, trying to sound intimidating.
We didn't say a word. No reaction. We just stared up at them, unimpressed.
His expression tightened. He clenched his fists, clearly irritated by the silence.
"Hey! Did you not hear me!?" he shouted again, louder this time, his voice cracking with frustration.
"Yeah you didn't hear the boss!"
"Are they deaf!"
"Let's steal them, Captain."
"There are only three of them, the group from earlier was larger, that should do it!"
The others were shouting and laughing around.
I exchanged a glance with Mihawk, who raised a brow but said nothing. Beckman, still holding the helm, exhaled a puff of smoke, visibly unimpressed.
I jumped onto the opposing ship without hesitation, landing heavily on the deck.
"Let's do this quickly." I tell them.
"I needed to stretch my legs anyway." Mihawk said, calmly following suit as he leapt beside me.
Without a moment's delay, we went to work.
The so-called "crew" of kids didn't know what hit them. Chaos erupted on their deck. Some of them tried to rush me all at once, thinking their numbers would make a difference. But after a few hits, they started to realize, I wasn't even flinching.
"Who sent me... shit." A guy to my right says.
"Damn, he's too hard." one of them to my left said. While another tried to escape.
I knocked them out without forcing.
Meanwhile, Mihawk moved through the group with casual precision, using the small blade that hung around his neck. It was more than enough for the situation.
He parried and struck with surgical grace, almost bored.
The pastel-haired leader backed up slightly, his confidence now visibly cracking.
After we'd thoroughly beaten them down, I stood right in front of the so-called leader. He was shorter than me, way less imposing, and I could see sweat dripping down his forehead like a faucet.
"Bring me all your treasures." I told him, my voice low and cold.
He didn't waste a second. No resistance, just panic. He scrambled to gather everything and handed it over. Mihawk and I hauled it back onto our ship. We cast off and continued on our way like nothing had happened.
As we sailed off and the distance between our ships grew, we heard the kid shout, his voice cracking with emotion, tears in his eyes.
"Remember my name! I'm Don Krieg! I'll get my revenge, just you wait!"
Back on our ship, Beckman glanced over his shoulder with a crooked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"That was fun for you guys?" he asked, voice cool, amused.
I just smirked. "I couldn't refuse such easy money."
Later...
We were eating a dish that Mihawk prepared for us, with the ingredients we had. Mihawk had surprisingly managed to cook up some impressive meals during our days at sea.
We had come to discover, that he had a real talent for it, refined even. Each dish, no matter how simple the ingredients, was balanced in flavor and always satisfying.
"I didn't think you'd be the type." Beckman had said once.
"I'm not. I just don't like bad food." Mihawk replied bluntly, not even looking up from the pan.
I had to admit, he had a point.
Anyway, we arrived at Kokoyashi.
'It's much prettier, more colorful, more lively than in… but then again, I guess Arlong hasn't come through here yet.' I thought to myself, taking in the peaceful sight of the island.
Children were laughing and running through the streets, vendors shouting joyfully over their fresh fruits and fish. Even the buildings were painted in warm tones that reflected the vibrant energy of the place.