Ch 19 Zoro vs Mihawk

Alex watches as Zoro stands in front of Mihawk, prepared to fight him.

Zoro: " To be honest, I never thought I'd be able to meet you so early on....."

Mihawk: " A waste, if you ask me."

Chefs: " The world's strongest swordsman, versus the pirate hunter Zoro...!"

Johnny: " There's not a chance someone can match our bro!"

Krieg: " That man.... just what did he do to this ship.....!"

Mihawk unsheathes a very small knife from his necklace.

Zoro: " Just what're you planning to do with that?"

Mihawk: " I'm different from those stupide brutes who'd go all out just to hunt a mere rabbit. Though you may be a swordsman of some renown, this is East Blue, the weakest of the four seas, that are separated by the Red Line and the Grand Line."

Mihawk: " Unfortunately, I do not have a blade smaller than this at the moment."

Zoro: " There's a limit, to just how much you can underestimate me...!"

Zoro: " You better not regret it when you die!" He yells, dashing forward.

Mihawk: " Hear me, little frog in his well. It's time for you to realize that the world is bigger than what it seems from your well."

Zoro: " Oni! Giri!!" He yells swinging his swords but stops midway. The cause being Mihawk's tiny knife impaled in his gut.

Zoro: " Ah.....!"

Luffy: " Zoro?"

Alex: " I knew it... Zoro's nowhere near his level, yet."

Johnny: " Brother's " Oni Giri" was stopped!"

Yosaku: " His signature attack that sends his opponents flying 100% was stopped?!"

Zoro tries to swing again, but Mihawk simply stops all three swords with is knife.

Zoro: " Arghhhh!" He swings several more times, but Mihawk blocks each swing with no effort. He then knocks Zoro to the ground with a flick of his wrist.

Zoro returns to his feet and keeps slashing, but still Mihawk blocks them all.

Mihawk: " What burdens you so? What do you still desire at the extent of your strength, weakling...?"

Johnny and Yosaku attempt to interfere but leave knocks them both to the ground and holds them down.

Luffy: " Stop, Yosaku!!! Johnny! Don't interfere! Stay put right here.... !"

Usopp: " Luffy...."

Mihawk knocks Zoro to the ground again, and Zoro stands to his feet again.

Zoro: " Tora Gari!!!" He swings all three swords at Mihawk, but the hawk-eyed man stops Zoro short by stabbing him in the chest.

Johnny & Yosaku: " Bro!!!"

Mihawk: " Do you wish for me to pierce your heart thus? Why do you refuse to step back?"

Zoro: " Beats me.... not really sure myself.... but I get the feeling.... that if I were to take even one step back right now, I'd lose something very important to me..... a promise or oath.... or whatever it is would be irreversibly broken, and that I'd never be able to return back to where I'm standing right now."

Mihawk: " Yes, such is defeat."

Zoro: " Haha.... then that's why I can't step back."

Mihawk: " Even if it means your death....?"

Zoro: " I'd much rather die."

Mihawk: " Kid.... tell me your name." He states, pulling his knife from Zoro's chest.

Zoro: " Roronoa Zoro."

Mihawk: " I shall remember it. For your strength is not oft seen in this world." He states, unsheathing the sword on his back.

Mihawk: " And to pay my respect to you as a fellow swordsman, I shall end this duel with my black sword, the world's strongest sword."

Pirates: " He unsheathed it!? That sword he used to cut our ship with!"

Mihawk: " Die!!!" He yells, dashing forward.

Zoro puts his hands together and starts spinning his swords in a circle, he charges forward, slashing with all three swords meeting Mihawk's attack head on.

Two of Zoro's three swords shatter and he sheathes the last one, and turns to face Mihawk, his arms out wide.

Mihawk: " What?"

Zoro: " A wound on one's back, is the shame of a swordsman."

Mihawk: " Splendid."

Mihawk slashes his sword across Zoro's chest, blood spurts out as Zoro drops his sword and falls into the ocean.

Luffy: " Zoro!!!!"

Johnny & Yosaku: " Bro!!!" They yell jumping into the water.

Luffy: " Damn you!!!!" He throws his arm forward, stretching it behind Mihawk and grabbing onto a railing behind him.

Chefs: " What's that!?"

Krieg: " That brat...! He must be a Devil Fruit user!"

Luffy releases the tension on his arm and flies forward.

Mihawk: " A comrade of the young swordsman? So you've also witnessed what just transpired....!" He avoids Luffy, and Luffy crashes into the railing.

Luffy gets up, pulling his head out of the wall.

Mihawk: " Fear not. That man is still alive."

Johnny: " Bro! Answer us, bro!"

Luffy: " Zoro!?" He notices Johnny and Yosaku pull Zoro from the ocean depths.

Luffy: " Zoro!"

Johnny: " Hurry up and get him on the boat!" Him and Johnny pull Zoro up onto their boat.

Mihawk: " I am Dracule Mihawk! It is much too early for you to die. Know thy self! Know thy world! And become strong Roronoa!"

Mihawk: " No matter how many months or years pass by, I shall stand here at the top of the world and wait for you! So forge on ahead with that fierce conviction and try to surpass my sword! Surpass me, Roronoa!"

Johnny: " Bro! Answer me!"

Zeff: " To think that Mihawk would say such a thing....."

Mihawk: " Boy, what do you aim for?" He asks Luffy.

Luffy: " I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"

Mihawk: " A tough path, indeed. Even tougher than surpassing myself."

Alex: ' Mihawk recognized Zoro's skill.....' He thinks to himself as he starts bandaging Zoro's wounds.

Luffy: " Whatever! I'm going to do it anyways!"

Luffy: " Alex! Is Zoro alright?!"

Alex: " Of course he's not fucking alright! But.... he'll live...."

Zoro lifts his last remaining sword and points it into the air, surprising Alex.

Luffy: " Zoro?"

Zoro: " L-luffy..... C...can you hear me....?"

Luffy: " Yeah!"

Zoro: " Sorry for worrying you.... I know.... that if I don't become... the world's strongest swordsman, it will only embarrass you.....!" He exclaims, then coughs up blood.

Johnny: " Bro! Please don't talk anymore!"

Zoro: " I swear! That I'm never going to lose again! Until the day I fight him and win.... I swear! To never lose again!"

Alex: " Zoro....."

Zoro: " Any problems? Pirate King!?"

Luffy: " Hee hee! Nope!"

Mihawk: " You make a good team. I'd like to see you two again, sometime in the future....."

Krieg: " Hawk eyes!" Mihawk stops walking and turns towards Don Krieg.

Krieg: " Did you come all the way out here for my head? The head of the infamous ruler of East Blue, Don Krieg?!"

Mihawk: " For a while, yes. But I've already enjoyed myself here. And so I'll return to my nap."

Krieg: " No need to be so curt. You may have had your fun, but I sure haven't!"

Pirates: " D-d-don! W-why's he purposely trying to prevent that man from leaving...!?"

Krieg: " How about you die before leaving!?" Multiple guns come out of the side of Krieg's armor and he aims at Mihawk.

Mihawk: " Hmph, you never learn, do you.... farewell."

Mihawk swings his sword with enough force to cause waves in the ocean that rock all the ships, it further breaks Krieg's large ship and sends his pirates into the ocean, but Krieg still remains unharmed and Mihawk vanishes afterwards.

Krieg: " Hmph, gone already..."

Luffy: " Alex! Go on ahead!" He yells as the waves push the boat Alex, Usopp, Johnny, Yosaku, and the injured Zoro are in away.

Alex: " Zoro, Usopp and I'll bring Nami back! So you get that cook to join us!"

Alex: " Once we get Nami back and reunite, we'll head to the Grand Line!" He yells and throws Luffy his hat.

Luffy: " Yeah! Let's!" He responds, catching his hat and putting back on his head. Alex sails away in the direction of the Going Merry.

Sanji: " They're finally coming. Damn pests."

Sanji, Vince, and Luffy look over at the Krieg pirates, who stand on the little that remains of their ship.

Vince: " Let's take out the trash..... was that to corny?"