As the Son of Mihawk in One Piece

The perfect cut divided Krieg's once-mighty flagship into two halves that drifted apart like broken wings.

Seawater rushed through the gap, gurgling hungrily as it claimed more of the vessel with each passing second.

No explosion had preceded it. No sound had warned of its coming. One moment the ship was whole; the next, it was not.

Silence blanketed the Baratie as all eyes fixed on the small, coffin-shaped boat gliding smoothly between the sundered halves.

"It's him!" A Krieg pirate fell to his knees, terror etched across his face. "The demon who followed us through hell!"

The pirate's voice cracked as he pointed a trembling finger toward the approaching craft. "He's found us again!"

Dracule Mihawk sat cross-legged in his small boat, the massive black blade Yoru resting across his lap.

His posture was relaxed, almost bored, as his hawk-like eyes surveyed the scene with casual disinterest.

The feathered hat cast shadows across his face, but couldn't hide the distinctive red eyes with their black rings – eyes that marked him as something beyond ordinary men.

Some of the weaker pirates collapsed under the pressure of his mere presence, their bodies hitting the deck like marionettes with cut strings.

Gin stood straighter than his comrades, though his knuckles whitened around his tonfa. He stepped forward within the small boat he was on, finding courage where others cowered.

"You!" he shouted, voice steadier than his legs. "Why did you follow us? What did we ever do to deserve this?"

Another pirate joined him, desperation overcoming fear. "We're just trying to survive! Why would the World's Greatest Swordsman, a Warlord of the Sea, chase us across the Grand Line to this backwater sea?"

Mihawk's gaze shifted lazily toward them, his expression unchanged. When he finally spoke, his voice carried effortlessly across the water despite its quiet tone.

"You were an eyesore," he stated simply. "I was merely killing time."

The casual dismissal hit harder than any insult. Several pirates recoiled as if physically struck.

Mihawk's posture remained relaxed, but internally, he was carefully controlling every aspect of his attention.

His peripheral awareness noted the blonde-haired figure standing on the Baratie's roof, but he deliberately avoided looking in that direction.

'I did not expect to find him here,' Mihawk thought, maintaining his mask of indifference. 'Had I known...'

Brief images flashed through his mind – a small bundle wrapped in cloth, tiny hands reaching up toward him, golden eyes that mirrored his own shape but not their color, the weight of his son in his arms before passing him to Garp.

'I cannot afford to show recognition. Not here. Not now.'

He subtly adjusted his position, allowing his hat to shadow more of his face.

On the broken mast connecting the shattered ship to the Baratie, a green-haired swordsman stepped forward.

His hand rested on the white-hilted sword at his hip, determination evident in every line of his body.

"You're Hawk-Eyes Mihawk," Zoro stated, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent water.

Mihawk's gaze shifted to him, mild interest flickering across his otherwise impassive features.

"I am."

"I've been looking for you," Zoro continued, his hand tightening around Wado Ichimonji's hilt. "My name is Roronoa Zoro, and I challenge you to a duel."

The atmosphere tensed instantly. Spectators drew sharp breaths, some backing away instinctively.

"Zoro, don't!" Johnny called out, panic evident in his voice. "He's not like the others!"

Before Mihawk could respond, another voice cut through the silence – clear, commanding, and coming from the Baratie's roof.

"That's a death wish if I've ever seen one."

All eyes turned toward the blonde Marine standing above them, his golden ringed eyes fixed on the scene below.

"You're going up against a man who's blade can cut even a devil's power," Leon continued, his voice carrying an authority beyond his rank. "At your current level, that's utter insanity."

Mihawk's eyes narrowed fractionally at Leon's words, carefully avoiding direct eye contact with the young Marine. 'A blade that can cut even a devil's power?' The specific phrasing stirred something in his memory.

Zoro turned slightly toward Leon but kept his focus primarily on Mihawk. "I don't care what anyone says," he replied, unsheathing Wado Ichimonji. "I need to see how close I am to my dream."

"And what is that dream?" Mihawk asked, genuine curiosity coloring his tone.

"To become the World's Greatest Swordsman," Zoro declared without hesitation, drawing his other two blades and placing Wado Ichimonji in his mouth. "I'd rather die pursuing it than back down from this challenge."

Something shifted in Mihawk's expression – a flicker of interest, perhaps even respect.

"A foolish endeavor," he said, rising to his feet in one fluid motion. "But a worthy one."

He stepped onto the floating debris, his movements so precise that the wood barely shifted beneath his weight. Rather than drawing Yoru, he removed the small cross-shaped dagger from his necklace.

Zoro's eyes narrowed at the tiny blade. "What's that for?"

"I am not so cruel as to hunt a rabbit with a cannon," Mihawk replied. "This is the smallest blade I carry, but more than adequate for this sea's strongest swordsman."

Anger flashed across Zoro's face. "Don't mock me!" He charged forward, his three-sword style creating a fearsome silhouette against the morning sky. "ONI GIRI!"

The attack that had defeated countless opponents met an immovable obstacle.

Mihawk blocked all three swords with his tiny dagger, creating a tableau of frozen movement. Not a muscle trembled in his arm despite the force bearing down on him.

"Such ferocity," Mihawk commented, as if discussing the weather. "But ferocity alone is not enough."

From his position on the roof, Leon watched with interest, analyzing every movement.' The gap between them is as wide as the distance between the Heavens and the Earth, no maybe even wider, he thought.

'Zoro's putting everything into each attack, while Dad's barely exerting himself... Well, this is of course expected, but seeing it and expecting it are very different things.'

Zoro broke away, then launched into a series of increasingly desperate attacks. "TIGER HUNT!" he shouted, blades whirling.

Mihawk stepped aside with ease, the attack missing him entirely. "You have potential," he noted. "Your technique is not without merit."

"DRAGON TWISTER!" Zoro created a whirlwind of slashing blades, his body spinning like a top.

Again, Mihawk evaded with such little movement that he seemed barely to move at all. "But you lack experience against true masters."

Each failed attack only fueled Zoro's determination. He attacked relentlessly, his movements growing faster but also more frantic.

Sweat poured down his face, his breathing becoming labored while Mihawk remained fresh and composed.

"He's toying with him," Nami whispered, horrified by the big disparity.

"No," Leon replied from above. "He's testing him. There's a difference."

Luffy - who's chosen to make way and look from elsewhere - watched in tense silence, hands gripping the railing so tightly the wood creaked beneath his fingers.

His face showed the internal struggle between respecting Zoro's dream and wanting to protect his friend.

Zoro paused, breathing heavily, reassessing his approach. Understanding dawned in his eyes – the true difference in their abilities becoming clear. Yet rather than despair, his determination only hardened.

"I refuse to lose," he declared, crossing his arms for his ultimate technique. "Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: THREE THOUSAND WORLDS!"

He charged forward, blades spinning with enough force to create visible air currents. For the first time, Mihawk shifted his stance slightly, acknowledging the threat.

When Zoro's attack connected, a metallic crack echoed across the water. Both of his hand-held swords shattered against Mihawk's tiny blade, fragments glinting in the sunlight as they scattered across the wooden planks.

Zoro stumbled, momentarily stunned by the destruction of his weapons. Only Wado Ichimonji remained intact, clenched firmly between his teeth.

Mihawk's expression shifted slightly, a hint of respect appearing in his eyes. "Your conviction is admirable," he said, sheathing his dagger. "You deserve to fall to a proper blade."

He drew Yoru from his back, the massive black sword gleaming ominously in the morning light.

Zoro - who was kneeling behind Mihawk, having went past him - removed Wado Ichimonji from his mouth, staring at the white blade for a moment before carefully returning it to its scabbard.

Then, to everyone's shock, he turned around towards Mihawk and spread his arms wide, a grin spreading across his face despite the hopeless situation.

"Attacking from behind is a swordsman's shame," he declared, voice steady despite facing certain death.

Mihawk's eyes widened fractionally, genuine surprise breaking through. Then, a rare smile touched his lips.

"Well said!" he acknowledged, already in motion.

Yoru descended in a perfect arc, almost too fast to follow. At the last possible moment, Mihawk adjusted his strike, pulling back just enough to avoid a fatal blow.

Blood sprayed across the wooden planks as the blade connected with Zoro's chest, opening a diagonal wound from shoulder to hip. The force of the strike sent Zoro flying backward, crashing into the sea with a splash.

"ZORO!" Luffy's anguished cry echoed across the water.

Johnny and Yosaku dove in immediately, resurfacing moments later with Zoro's bleeding form between them.

"He's alive!" Johnny shouted, his voice thick with relief. "He's still breathing!"

Mihawk sheathed Yoru with a fluid motion. "I avoided his vital organs," he stated calmly. 

"Why did you spare him?" Luffy demanded, confusion mixing with gratitude.

"Why did he choose to face death with a smile?" Mihawk countered. "A rare quality in this era of posturing pirates."

As Johnny and Yosaku hauled Zoro onto the floating debris, the swordsman's eyes fluttered open. Despite his grievous injury, he managed to raise Wado Ichimonji toward the sky.

"Luffy... can you hear me?" he gasped, blood flowing freely from his wound.

"I hear you!" Luffy called back.

"I swear... I will never lose again! Not until I defeat him and take his title! Do you hear me, Hawk-Eyes?"

A rare smile touched Mihawk's lips. 

As attention focused on Zoro's treatment, a voice cut through the commotion.

"Hawk-Eyes Mihawk."

Leon stood at the edge of the Baratie's roof, his golden ringed eyes fixed on the Warlord. "Someone who's sword can even cut a devil's power."

'Again those same words... I remember now, I used those same words against Sakazuki 17 years ago, but... How can he know them? Is it simply a coincidence? Yet, I have rarely been described this way besides by those truly knowledgeable about me.'

Without waiting for a response, Leon jumped down, landing gracefully on the floating debris near Mihawk. His Marine coat billowed behind him as he straightened to his full height.

"I formally request a match," he stated, his voice carrying the perfect balance of respect and determination.

"Leon, no!" Nami's voice carried from the Baratie, her face pale with concern.

"Ensign, please stand down!" Aria added, her demeanor cracking to reveal genuine fear. "You can't win!"

Leon turned slightly toward them, his expression softening. "Stay out of this," he said firmly but kindly. "This is my path. I choose to walk it."

Mihawk studied Leon with new interest, still careful not to make direct eye contact. "You understand what you're asking? In a formal match, I decide whether it's to the death or not."

His voice carried a subtle warning. "Your status as a Marine Ensign – and Garp's grandson – would normally protect you from my blade, for I am a Warlord and have no desire to be annoyed by them constantly attacking me in vengeance."

"But if you challenge me formally, that protection vanishes and all consequences will fall on yourself."

Leon nodded once. "I understand completely."

Mihawk remained silent for a long moment, before he continued. "Do you then truly believe you can defeat me? Are you simply that foolish... or that brave? Perhaps both?"

Leon looked down at his hand, and which was visibly trembling. "My whole body is shaking," he admitted with a smile as he clenched. "With... I don't really know how to word it."

"Fear," Mihawk supplied.

A small chuckle escaped Leon's lips. "There's certainly a level of fear," he acknowledged. "But mostly... anticipation."

"Anticipation?" Mihawk repeated, genuine surprise coloring his tone.

Leon gestured toward Zoro, who was being treated nearby. "Like the moss head over there, I want to see how far apart the distance is between the pinnacle of swordsmanship and myself."

"So your dream is to take my title as World's Greatest Swordsman?" Mihawk asked.

Leon drew Yubashiri with a fluid motion, the blade catching the morning light. "That's but a fraction of my dream."

Something like pleasure flickered across Mihawk's face, though his expression barely changed. He returned Yoru to his back and once again produced the small dagger.

"Very well," he said, his stance relaxed yet perfectly balanced. "Show me what you can do, Marine."

Leon assumed a formal stance, Yubashiri held before him in a two-handed grip. For a moment, neither moved, the only sound being waves lapping against floating debris.

Then Leon attacked.

His movement was blindingly fast, crossing the distance between them in an eyeblink. Yubashiri cut through the air in a perfect arc aimed at Mihawk's shoulder.

The strike never connected. Mihawk sidestepped with little movement, the blade passing harmlessly by. Yet something unexpected happened – the air where Mihawk had been standing suddenly compressed, then exploded outward in a visible shockwave.

The debris beneath them shuddered. Nearby water erupted as if struck by an invisible force. Spectators on the Baratie ducked as splinters and spray flew in all directions.

'Interesting,' Mihawk thought, analyzing the attack. 'His blade didn't need to connect to cause damage. The odd thing though, is that the force projected beyond the cutting edge.'

Leon recovered instantly, pivoting to launch another strike. Again, Mihawk evaded, but the shockwave from Leon's swing tore a chunk from the floating debris.

"Your technique is unusual," Mihawk commented, deflecting a third strike with his dagger. "No named attacks?"

"Haven't had anyone to inspire a lot of them yet," Leon replied, launching into a series of rapid strikes.

Each swing of Leon's blade created destructive force that extended well beyond its reach. Water parted beneath the shockwaves, creating momentary trenches in the sea's surface.

The floating platform began to disintegrate under the collateral damage of his attacks.

Mihawk moved with extremely little movement, each step and deflection precisely calculated. His expression remained calm, but his eyes narrowed slightly as he analyzed Leon's style.

'This swordsmanship... What is it reminding me of?'

"Self-taught?" Mihawk asked, beginning to take the offensive.

His dagger moved in a blur, opening a small cut on Leon's arm. Blood welled immediately, but Leon didn't flinch.

"Yes," Leon confirmed, countering with a powerful downward strike that Mihawk sidestepped. The debris beneath them split where the shockwave hit, forcing both to adjust their footing. "No formal instruction."

Mihawk's attacks increased in speed and precision. Small wounds began to appear on Leon's body – a cut across his thigh, a puncture in his shoulder, a slice along his ribs. Each was perfectly placed to be painful without being immediately debilitating.

Leon showed no sign of slowing. His next attack carried enough force to create a vortex in the water beside them, a miniature whirlpool forming where his shockwave connected with the sea.

"Such destructive power," Mihawk noted, genuine interest in his voice. "Yet your control is lacking."

He demonstrated his point by slipping inside Leon's guard, his dagger opening another wound across Leon's chest. Blood stained the Marine uniform, but Leon's expression remained determined.

On the Baratie, spectators watched in awe and horror.

"His style is unlike anything I've seen," Sanji muttered, cigarette forgotten between his fingers. "It's not about cutting... it's about force."

"It's like watching a cannon disguised as a swordsman," Zeff agreed.

Aria gripped her pistols, knuckles white with tension, remaining silent, Nami doing much the same.

The battle intensified.

Leon's attacks grew more powerful, each swing creating greater destruction. A particularly massive strike split a wave in half, water walls rising twenty feet on either side before crashing down.

Mihawk continued his methodical approach, inflicting small wounds while studying Leon's technique. Blood now covered much of Leon's uniform, dozens of cuts marking his body.

'This style... it's becoming clearer now,' Mihawk thought. 'The way he projects force beyond the blade... I've seen this before, but where?'

Leon's breathing grew labored, his movements fractionally slower. Mihawk saw his opening and struck, driving his dagger toward Leon's heart.

The blade pierced Leon near the heart – a calculated wound that would be serious but not immediately fatal with proper care.

Gasps erupted from the spectators. Aria half-drew her pistol. Nami covered her mouth in horror. Luffy took a step forward, his face contorted - conflicted.

Suddenly though, Leon's free hand shot up, grabbing Mihawk's wrist in an iron grip. Blood trickled from his mouth as he grinned with bloody teeth.

"Finally got you," he said, his voice strained but triumphant.

Surprise flickered across Mihawk's face. He tried to pull back, but Leon's grip held firm.

"You sacrificed yourself to create an opening," Mihawk realized.

"Worth it," Leon replied, channeling all his remaining strength into his sword arm.

For the first time since the fight began, he named an attack: "RYŌDAN SURU!"

Yubashiri moved upward, the blade instantly became completely black - imbued with Haki - as it swung toward Mihawk at point-blank range. The air compressed visibly around the sword, then exploded outward with catastrophic force.

The resulting shockwave tore upward into the sky like an invisible blade, blasting away the clouds leaving clear blue sky as far as the eye could see.

Dust and debris obscured both combatants momentarily. When it settled, the scene became clear.

Mihawk stood completely unharmed. Not even his clothes showed signs of damage. Behind him, the sea had a massive hole in it before crashing back together.

Leon chuckled weakly as he fell backward, arms spread wide. His shirt had been torn away by the force of his own attack, revealing countless small wounds and the more serious injury near his heart.

"So, that's... how far apart... we are..." he managed, staring up at the clear blue sky he had created.

Mihawk looked down at him, then touched his neck sleeve. "Where did you learn that style?" he asked, his tone firmer than before.

Leon continued staring at the sky. "I told you... self-taught. No one trained me."

"Impossible," Mihawk stated flatly. "That style belonged to someone else... the previous World's Greatest Swordsman."

This caught everyone's attention. Even Leon's eyes widened slightly.

"Before me, there was another who wielded a blade with similar destructive force," Mihawk continued. "A man whose name has nearly been erased from history."

He paused, looking only at Leon - not even acknowleding the gathered spectators who hung on his every word. "Rocks D. Xebec."

Gasps rippled through the crowd - more out of shock at the name, rather than recognition. 

Leon though, was surprised, but... Not as much. 

'Does he perhaps... Have a similar will to Rocks? Will and Swordsmanship are quite intertwined. The two affect and shape the other. Haki can do near on anything after all. If his will is similar to Xebec's, then it manifesting this way is, not as much surprising, more in some ways concerning...' Mihawk internally noted.

"This Rocks guy was the World's Greatest Swordsman?" Luffy asked, breaking Mihawk out of his thoughts.

Mihawk nodded, turning his gaze from Leon away - for the first time - towards Luffy. "A pirate so powerful he ruled these seas to a great extent, before he was defeated. It took both Garp the Fist and the Pirate King Roger working together to finally bring him down."

Luffy's eyes widened further. "Gramps and... Roger?"

"Xebec was a unique swordsman," Mihawk explained, looking back towards Leon. "Xebec's sword swings hit with such force that everything nearby is blasted away like getting caught in a cannon's shockwave. Xebec's sword doesn't cut, it strikes. He blasted entire islands away with the most casual flicks of his wrist."

His expression showed a rare glimpse of regret. "I never had the chance to face him for the title. I was too young when he is said to have died."

The revelation hung in the air for a long moment, where Mihawk stared down at his son, who only looked upward before finally, he drew Yoru and pointed it at Leon's throat.

"Tell me, Marine, do you not believe I will kill you here and now? Do you regret it? Fighting this losing battle?" he asked, his voice carrying no emotion.

Aria and Nami both moved forward instinctively, but froze when Mihawk's gaze flicked toward them. The look in his eyes hit like a physical force, as if giant snakes had suddenly coiled around their bodies, hissing warnings in their ears.

Luffy stood at the edge of the Baratie, his body vibrating with tension. His hands gripped his hair, pulling so hard strands came loose.

The wood beneath his feet cracked from the pressure of his stance. His face showed great internal conflict – respecting his brother's dream versus protecting him from death.

Leon chuckled weakly despite the massive blade at his throat. His lips moved, forming words without sound.

Mihawk read them, his eyes widening fractionally. He immediately turned away, sheathing Yoru in a fluid motion.

"Roronoa Zoro!" he called to the injured swordsman, who was conscious though badly wounded. "And you, Marine Ensign. I will wait for you two at the top. Grow stronger, both of you. Surpass this blade."

He touched Yoru's hilt. "Surpass me. And then, when you have both achieved that near on impossible feat, battle each other for the title."

Without another word, he returned to his coffin-shaped boat. As he sailed away, Aria, Nami, and Luffy rushed to Leon's side.

"Medic!" Aria shouted, applying pressure to the wound near his heart. "We need a doctor now!"

"Leon, you idiot!" Nami cried, tears streaming down her face. "Why would you do something so reckless?"

Luffy knelt beside his brother, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Leon..."

"I'll be fine," Leon whispered, his eyes already drifting closed. "Just need... a little rest..."

His consciousness faded as the voices around him grew distant.

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Far from the Baratie, Mihawk sailed smoothly across the calm sea. Only when the restaurant was a distant speck on the horizon did he allow his perfect composure to slip.

Leon's silent words echoed in his mind: "I don't regret it. Getting to fight my mighty Dad is... quite the honor."

Mihawk placed his hand over his face, fingers spread to reveal his eyes between them. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.

"So, he knows..." he whispered to the empty sea, the words carried away by the wind.

Behind him, the path of clear sky created by Leon's attack remained visible – a perfect sphere through the heavens that would not heal for hours to come.

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(Author note: Hello everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

Do tell me how you found it.

So... Yeah, Leon has a swordsmanship quite similar to Rocks's.

Haki - especially Conqueror's being able to impose itself on others, and objects like swords being alive, and all that, makes me think that perhaps Haki can in some ways alter reality, subtly at least.

To a limited amount, depending on how much Haki you have.

Leon's dream helping him, well, makes this possible.

What is that dream though? Is it exactly the same as Rocks's? Or something similar but different?

I'm interested in your thoughts. I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)