An Encounter With The King

Meeting The World's Greatest Swordsman

"Jewel, get back here!" Fluffy shouted.
I laughed, running around the deck with Ace's hat on my head. "You'll have to catch me if you want your boyfriend's hat back!" I called back to her. Rounding the corner to the open deck, I skidded to a halt and turned back.
Fluffy had stopped a few feet back and was bent over, breathing hard. I grinned at her. "Well since you clearly don't want this back," I took the hat off and twirled it a bit. "I think I'll keep it." I placed it back on my head.
The grin I gave her probably matched Luffy's as she glared at me. "Dammit Jewel! Give that back!" She growled.
I turned around and wiggled my rear tauntingly at her. "Ne-ne-ne-ne-ne," I teased. "Come get it Fluff-ball."
She snarled and started walking up to me.
Since I now faced her, every step she took forward, I took back. This continued until my back was pressed against something hard. Confused, as I didn't recall anyone else being outside, I removed Ace's hat and looked up.
What I saw wiped the grin off my face in a hurry. A wide-brimmed, purple hat, black sideburns, a thin mustache, a goatee like beard and vibrant yellow eyes. Gasping, I jerked forward and stumbled back a few steps. "Dracule Mihawk," I whispered.
As if confirming my obvious statement, he nodded. Overwhelmed by such a fact, I fainted. Before I lost total consciousness, I heard "I'll be taking that." Sometime later, I heard what sounded like arguing. "I told you, I did nothing to her."
"Well, something happened! The poor girl is unconscious!"
"She. Merely. Fainted. Do you not recall me telling you that?"
I groaned. The arguing voices were giving me a headache. "She's waking up!" Slowly opening my eyes, the first thing I saw was a shock of red hair. Then I noticed three diagonal scars over one grey eye as well as the scruff of a beard-mustache combo. "Ungh, Shanks?" I grumbled, lifting a hand to my throbbing head.
The concerned look on the redheads' face vanished into a grin. "Hey kiddo! How ya doin'?" he asked.
"Other than apparently ramming my head into the deck, I'm fine," I answered.
"About that. What happened?"
"Last I recall was bumping into what appeared to be Dracule Mihawk. But that can't be right. Mihawk isn't here." I raised a brow as the grin Shanks wore only grew at my statement.
"Actually, he is," he corrected.
"He is ?" I asked.
"Right over there, in fact."
Spotting the Warlord Shanks was pointing to, I yelped and hid behind the confused Emperor. "Hmm? What's wrong, Jewel?" Shanks asked, looking back at me.
"He scares the living daylights out of me!" I exclaimed.
"Hawkeyes? Is it because of his eyes?"
"I could care less about his eyes! It's that 'I am the almighty Dracule Mihawk; greatest swordsman in the world, fear me' aura he gives off. That and his immense power of badassitude is intimidating."
"So, you fear a Warlord, but you're okay hiding behind an Emperor who's more powerful?"
I gave him a funny look. "Shanks, you're too adorable to be scary," I said.
He grinned broadly and threw his arm around me in a tight hug. "Aww, thanks Jewel!" he practically cooed.
"Ech! Too... much... hugging... Shanks!" I gasped.
Chuckling, he released his grip on me. "Sorry, sorry. But anyway, why not get to know Hawkeyes before you run screaming in terror?" he suggested.
"Are you crazy? I can't even stand near the guy without my knees turning to jelly! What makes you think I can talk to him?"
"He's not such a bad guy. You and your friend want him to teach you swordsmanship, right?"
"Well, yeah but-"
"Then it's settled!" He stood up and threw me over his shoulder.
"Wait, wait! Shanks, put me down!" I protested.
"Not until you talk to him," he denied.
"Alright! I'll talk to him if you get Fluffy to talk to him too!"
Shanks paused in mid-step before turning around. "Alright then!" he chirped.
Man's awfully cheery for a pirate. I thought, going limp over his shoulder. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was just crazy.
"Wha-? Oof! Shanks," I heard Fluffy complain.
"What? Jewel said that if I got you to come, she'd ask Mihawk to teach you," he explained.
Fluffy glared at me from Shanks' other shoulder.
"What? I'm not going near that man by myself," I argued.
She sighed. "Jewel, I already told you. Just imagine him as the overprotective fatherly type."
"Says the girl who nervously shoved a cinnamon roll in her mouth right after!"
"I wasn't nervous! Just hungry."
"Oh whatever. Just admit he scares you too."
"Does not."
"Does too."
"Does not."
"Does too."
"Does not-ow!"
"Hahaha-ouch!" My laughter at Fluffy being dropped on her butt was cut short as I was also dropped on my butt.
"There you go! Hawkeyes, these two lovely ladies would like to ask you something!" Shanks announced, placing his hand on my head.
I glared up at the redhead before realising he'd dumped us in front of Hawkeyes. "Uh-huh. Hi," I meekly greeted. Hearing a 'THUMP' beside me, I turned to see Fluffy fainted. "Doesn't scare me, my ass," I grumbled. "You fainted just like I did." Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Looking up, I noticed Dracule was offering a hand to me.
Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his and he helped me up. "Are you alright?" he asked. "You looked like you took a nasty fall."
"Hmm? O-oh. I'm alright, just a small bump on my head and minor bruising on my tailbone."
Mihawk sighed and shook his head. "That man gets a little too overexcited. He's like a puppy," he commented, watching the retreating figure of Shanks.
I laughed nervously, also watching Shanks. "He's-he's okay. I think he's funny. Ah!" Turning to Mihawk, I bowed politely. "I-I forgot to i-introduce myself." Holding a hand out after straightening, I said "Phoenix Jewels. Everyone calls me Jewel."
Taking my hand in his, he placed a kiss to the back of it causing my cheeks to flame red. "Pleasure to meet you, Jewel," he said.
Damn he's smooth. I thought.
Glancing down at Fluffy, he asked, "Who's your friend?"
It took me a moment to get over my daze before I spoke. "Wolffang Hyano. We call her Fluffy," I said.
"I see. Wasn't there something you wanted to ask me?"
"Eh? Ah! Yes!" Bowing again, I said, "Dracule Mihawk, it would be a great honor if you let us train under you."
He sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Would you stop that bowing thing? It's weird," he asked.
Straightening with a blush, I apologized. "S-sorry. Hawkeyes, w-would you t-teach Fluffy and me s-swordsmanship?"
He quirked a brow in my direction. "What's with the stammer? Are you nervous?" he asked.
"I-I wouldn't call it nervous," I disagreed
"Oh?"
"M-more l-like in-intimidated."
He removed his hat before running a hand through his hair, seeming annoyed.
I had to resist the urge to squeal. His messy black hair was so sexy!
"Look, I'm not going to-what's with you?" he interrupted himself, noticing the red hue to my cheeks.
"Uh, n-noth-nothing!" I stammered.
"Don't lie to me, Jewel."
"I-I'm not lying! It's just that...I just...y-you see...I- ugh." Taking a deep breath, I looked right at him as I explained. "Mr. Hawkeyes, you intimidate the hell out of me but at the same time..." I sighed and looked away as I lost my courage. "At the same time, I think you're sexy," I mumbled.
Mihawk placed a hand under my chin and gently made me look up at him. "What was that?" He asked. It took all my willpower not to faint right then and there. Again.
Cheeks now vermilion, I repeated, "At the same time, I think you're sexy." A sharp cry of "Jewel!" made me look to my right. I cringed, seeing Fluffy now awake. "How much did you hear?" I asked her.
"Enough to know you're cheating on Law with Hawkeyes!" She stated.
My face ears and neck exploded in red at the accusation. "Th-tha-that's not the case!" I exclaimed, mortified. "I merely gave the man a compliment!"
"You don't need to be that close for a compliment."
Realising Mihawk and I were standing in a harmless yet intimate position, I jumped back about two feet. "It's not what you think, I swear!" I protested.
"Then what happened?" she demanded as she stood.
"I gave Mihawk a compliment that was too quiet to hear so he asked me to repeat myself and came closer to actually hear me. That's it ! I wouldn't betray someone like that!"
Fluffy sighed, walked over to me and smacked me upside the head.
"Ow! Fluffy!" I whined.
"That's for flirting with the instructor," she explained.
"Are you crazy?! I'm not flirting with Mihawk! And he didn't agree to be our teacher."
Annoyed, she grabbed my ear and tugged, causing me to flail. "What did you do?" she hissed.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Nothing! I just haven't officially asked him yet!" I yelped.
"Why not?"
"I was afraid to. The guy scares the shit out of me; I couldn't talk right."
She let me go with a sigh. "I told you he's not that scary," she reminded me.
"Says the girl who fainted the second Shanks dropped us here, hypocrite," I pointed out,rubbing my ear.
"That wasn't fear, it was manliness."
"Oh, right,sure. Just like shoving a cinnamon roll in your mouth was hunger instead of nerves, right?"
"Exactly!"
I rolled my eyes and flicked her forehead. "Go back to being unconscious, Fur-ball. I'll ask Dracule myself," I commented.
"Why don't you make me, Cotton-tail," she snapped.
"Ooh, 'cotton-tail'. I'm so hurt."
"You will be when I finish with you, fleabag!"
"Bring it on, Fishbreath." We both went neko and rolled around in a tangle of teeth, claws and fur. We only stopped when arms wrapped around either of us and yanked us apart. Even then, we still yowled and hissed at each other.
"Enough, both of you," Mihawk's voice commanded. A chill danced along my back as I realized he was restraining me. With a final annoyed hiss, I settled down and simply glared at Fluffy.
She snarled back and Shanks tightened his grip on her. "If we let you go, will you behave?" Mihawk asked.
"Yes," Fluffy agreed while I answered, "Unlikely."
Fluffy was released while I was further restrained. Red coated my face as I felt Mihawks muscles against my back and across my stomach. The dude practically radiated power with these muscles. I should probably behave, I thought. I don't want to be hurt more than needed.
"What were you two fighting over?" Shanks asked.
"Fluffy being a hypocrite," I answered.
"How am I being a hypocrite?" Fluffy asked.
"You insist that I shouldn't be afraid of Mihawk despite his overwhelming intimidation factor and yet you faint the second you're in front of him."
"That's because I know he's not a bad guy. He trained Zoro and even Shanks is friends with him."
"Shanks is like Luffy, a dolt that can befriend anyone and Zoro is too stubborn to take no for an answer."
"Hurtful Jewel," Shanks commented.
"Sorry Shanks. But Fluffy, you have to admit I'm right. Even if Mihawk doesn't scare you, we both know that he does makae you nervous. Only an idiot wouldn't be."
"Mean!"
"Quiet, Redhair," Mihawk interrupted, causing him to pout.
I held a hand to my mouth to suppress a giggle. That man was too adorable for his own good.
"Alright, I admit it!" Fluffy surrendered. "Hawkeyes does make me nervous. But it's only because of his badass warlord power."
I smirked triumphantly. "Knew it," I commented.
"Quiet you," she remarked.
"I have a proposition for the two of you," Mihawk announced before I could retort.
Fluffy and I looked at him and I remembered he still had a restricted grip on me. "You both wish for me to train you in swordsmanship, right?"
"If it's not too much of a hassle," Fluffy added. I nodded agreement.
"Very well. Since neither of you have a weapon with which to train, I recommend going into town and getting one. When you both come back with the proper weapon, then I will teach you."
"Really?" Fluffy asked.
"You mean it?" I questioned.
He looked down at me and smirked. "So long as you behave, kitten," he said.
My cheeks flushed before I turned and threw my arms around him in gratitude. "Thank you so much, Hawkeyes!" I exclaimed happily. I felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled and patted my back gently.
"Don't mention it. And I don't mind if you call me Mihawk. Either of you," he assured me.
"Yes, sir!" Fluffy and I agreed then headed for town. Before I left the ship, I tackled Shanks in a hug. "Thanks for all your help, Redhair," I said.
He laughed and hugged me back. "No problem there, Jewel," he responded. "Now, off with ya to get your weapon."
Grinning, I jumped up and raced into town after Fluffy. While she looked for a weapons dealer, I decided on a blacksmith. I figured what better way to make sure you have a good weapon for yourself than to have it custom made? Upon reaching the blacksmith, I explained what I was looking for and she told me she could have it ready in an hour. Nodding my thanks, I decided to stroll around the town.
"Jewel, where's your sword?" I heard behind me. Turning back, I saw Fluffy leaving the weapons shop. "I'm having it custom made. It'll be ready in an hour," I explained.
"Ah. Well, here's mine. What do you think?"
It was then I became aware of the sword strapped to her hip. It was a long sword with a red hilt and a blue sheath with a vine pattern wrapped around it. "Bastard sword, right?" I clarified.
She nodded with a wide smile. "Yup! The shop owner said it was perfect for someone like me."
"Interesting. I might go in myself."
"Eh? I thought you were getting yours custom made?"
"I am."
"Then y go into a weapons shop?"
I smirked. "Because, oh Fluffy one, I might not always have my sword with me and I want a backup just in case," I explained.
She nodded in understanding. "That makes total sense. You think I should get one?" She questioned.
"Fluff, that's up to you. You can either rely on a backup weapon or your hand to hand. I intend to rely on both."  With that, I went into the shop, not bothering to see if she followed me or not.
When I returned to the ship an hour and a half later, everyone was shocked to see me with a greatsword strapped to my back and a tetsugen wrapped around my arm. Smirking widely, I proclaimed, "I'm taking no chances. Now, shall we get started?"