Day & Night I

*RUMBLE!*

Sakazuki and Zephyr's eyes glared at the skies, a breeze seemed to woosh the town stronger than a few seconds ago. It was something they all noticed with Mihawk's coat waving madly from side to side. 

Three bodies levitated on their own accord until they reached the marine's feet, the hostages were being given away! 

"What is the meaning of this, Dark Mantle?!" Akainu thought they were being ridiculed, his only leverage was these three hostages. Without them, nothing was stopping this whole troop of marines from attacking Dracule Veyron. 

But the boy's gaze was fixed somewhere else, he couldn't care less about Akainu's ramblings.

Veyron extended his hand and Youbi landed in it, similarly, Mihawk unsheathed her sword. 

An ominous energy enveloped the two of them and the whole town as the seriousness of a duel between swordsmen seeped in. It was then that they realised in their souls what it means to be 'fated'.

They were all in the wrong place, at the wrong time. 

Mihawk's steps started rounding the town centre while Veyron did the same, in the opposite direction. 

*CHAA!*

A lightning strike fell in between them, scorching a chunk of soil and leaving a slight trail of fire from the skies.  This not-so-subtle detail made the weak marines shiver as they felt the urge to run away. 

"Should we change locations?" 

"How odd. Do you care about this island, Mom?~"

"It's because we always end up destroying the battlefield, love".

"Please change locations! Don't fight here, there are a lot of innocents involved!" 

The one to yell was Gion whose mouth had been released from the tape just like Tsuru and Stussy. She already knew how devastating a fight involving Veyron could be, adding Mihawk, the strongest swordswoman into that equation was not something she wished to see with a lot of poor marines who could hardly defend themselves against mere shockwaves. 

Sadly for her and everyone around, those two swords could hardly contain themselves. 

*WHOOOSHHH!!* 

*FIUUSH!*

A streak of white and a streak of black flashed through as the rain started to pour.  She was ignored and the day and night met once again in a battle. 

*CLAANG!!*

There was no shockwave or anything other than a few sparks that scattered, but the lightning strikes were becoming more prominent in the skies, they didn't know when but the whole area got covered in dark clouds and heavy rain. 

"Retreat! EVERYONE RETREAT!".

"What are you saying Momousagi! the criminals-" Akainu's seductive body flared in magma when she prepared to 'join' the battle only to be stopped by one elderly hand. 

"Zephyr, Sakazuki... do what she says before it is too late!"

"..."

It was not common to see an exalted Tsuru, Zephyr's glare fixed on the two swordsmen who he could tell wasn't even using Haki, it was a pure duel of swords and yet, the whole weather had changed drastically. 

'It is a battle of wills'.

"Everyone retreat one mile away from the island!"

Foolish of him to assume one mile was enough, nevertheless he was one to listen to the voice of wisdom and hence the Marines all started to take the pirates they apprehended to the ships and retreat from the area while the lightning in the skies started hitting the ground more and more regularly. 

*CLAANG!*

*CLAANG!*

*CLAANG!*

Mihawk inhaled deeply and almost moaned, "Strong~" 

She could tell he wasn't using his conqueror Haki or 4th Will unlike before, this was his physical strength. 

"Youbi has shrunk as well". 

"You too, mom...I have longed to see you dance".

"Liar, you were having fun with other girls, I can smell at least five".

!!!

'A dog?!'.

Her sword was now more graceful and emitted an aura of imminent danger. She had gotten a lot more control over her 4th Will, Sword Intent. She could use it at will and even regulate it, it seemed that apart from hunting the gomu gomu no mi, she had also trained during that time or even fought strong individuals, honing her skills. 

*CLAANG!* 

*CLAANG!* 

The fight continued with only a handful of individuals left behind to behold the fight of two peak swordsmen, what shocked them the most was that Dracule Veyron, that boy who couldn't be more than fourteen, was keeping up with her very well!

Among those expecting was: Stussy whose eyes shone when she saw her master displaying his strength yet again like he had done in Skypea. Gion clenched her hand against her sword, lamenting that she was very far from reaching that level. 

Akainu still felt she was being ridiculed by being forced to behold this match but admittedly, the pair's dance enthralled her, if anything she pitied that they were pirates. Zephyr glared at Veyron's magnificent swordplay and power, thinking that he had killed Peter Hornigold using it, aware the two of them were holding back and were simply having fun at this point. 

For the mother and son, for the two hidden lovers, this was also a 'date'.

*CLAANG!* 

'We're separated most of the time'. 

*CLAANG!* 

'But each time we meet'. 

The next strike wasn't as simple. All those expecting gasped when torrents of red lightning suddenly resurfaced in both identical swords, it was at this moment they knew things were about to escalate. 

*RUMBLE!!*

*BOOOMMMM!!* 

'All I can see is you!' 

A shockwave of energy was released in the last clash and things started to get serious. The whole world came to a standstill, Conqueror Haki gave way to a clash of red lightning, the swords weren't even touching!

All of those expecting covered themselves from the imminent incoming destruction while the weaker marines still fleeing and boarding the warships together with pirates all around, even stronger ones... started to faint. 

Everyone on the island even beyond the island, as long as they were close, they all started to faint!

'The two of them have Conqueror Haki... to such a level too!' Sakazuki grimaced recalling that it was this same boy who had whooped Kizaru, the comrade she considered a rival. 

'Master...' Stussy saw him enjoy himself against Mihawk like he hadn't done against the CP0 and Enel. It was a completely different fight.  This time his movements were more stylish and well thought instead of straight and efficient. They were not only fighting… they were also dancing.

*CLAANG!*

*BOOOMMM!!*

The heavy hitters then started to come, putting the two islands in grave danger. Veyron smirked and a gorgeous spark of lightning covered Youbi. 

The slash released a wave of lighting that brushed past Mihawk as she sliced it in two with her sword intent. 

*BOOOOMMMM!!* 

*BOOOMMMM!!* 

Two explosions of lightning destroyed two buildings behind her as she frowned, initially, she thought the lightning all around was due to their wills but only now she realised Veyron was inadvertently calling upon those lightning strikes. She couldn't think of a way he had used his Psychokinesis to release lightning. 

"A devil fruit?". 

"That's right!"

"Hawkeye! Get away from this island right now! This is an order!" Zephyr exclaimed, they couldn't retreat fast enough to not be affected let alone who was going to retreat if everyone fainted!?

With her being a warlord he could now order her, but what he received from the swordswoman was plain disregard as she raised her sword covered in green sword intent and slashed forth, a strike that could split an island in half!

*CLAAANGG!!*

Instead of dodging Veyron received it with his sword imbued in armament Haki and lightning, he increased the momentum of his strike with Psychokinesis and split the sword intent in two, shocking Mihawk. 

'He split my sword intent?!'

'It will be dangerous to fight here' Veyron, worried about the wellbeing of those in this island, didn't even notice what he did and regarded Gion who was technically begging him to take the fight somewhere else, they had the conversation this morning and he promised he would 'do his best'. To avoid casualties among the marines, this was his and Mihawk's fight, they didn't need to get involved.

With a slight sight he made his move.

*BOOOOMMMMMM!!*

With a single step, his body transformed into a thunderbolt leaving a thunderclap behind and grasping the still-shocked Mihawk's face.

*BAAANGGG!!*

He blasted her head against the ground and dragged her across the ground all the way out of the island, destroying several miles of city architecture and land before disappearing into the horizon like a lightning strike. 

*BOOOOMMMM!!*

*BOOOOMMMM!!*

*BOOOOMMMM!!*

All of those expecting the fight were left breathless at the sheer destruction behind every move, in the distance they saw the fight was far from finished with continuous explosions, a gargantuan green strike coloured the skies and the lightning storm moved away, chasing after the source. 

More than a fight between peak swordsmen, this was a natural disaster of two individuals strong enough to destroy this world.

'At what stage could they be considered mere pirates?' Sakazuki clenched her fists.

Little did they know one of those two was no mere warlord, that was but a cover.

The Night. The best swordswoman, the 2nd Knight of God; one of the strongest individuals in this world.

As for the other, the Day. He was her son, the monster she personally sculpted (and secretly groomed) the one fated to be the strongest man alive.

This was not a Mickie Mouse duel of pushovers, this was the peak of this world. 

... 

"Let's flee while we still can".

"Yes".

Zephyr spoke to his den den mushi communicator connected directly with the Fleet Admiral's office.

"Dark Mantle Veyron has engaged against the Warlord Hawkeye in Jaya. We're retreating the battlefield".

"Keep an eye on them, Zephyr. I want to know just how strong those two are and how their relationship is. This is extremely important".

"I understand, Sir Kong…"