CARTE BLANCHE - Dracule Mihawk x Reader

1 ~ This, That and the Other

"I've seen infants with more grace." 

The scowl shot towards the elegant man was sharper than any sword, yet no damage was done. The only break in silence was the pitched, stifled snickers of a young woman, which did nothing to raise the mood. 

"He's right, you know. You're so not cute!" She chortled, entirely unphased by the even uglier sneer pointed in her direction. 
"Wielding a sword isn't meant to be cute!" Raking a hair through short, ivy hair, Zoro looked to his mentor for some kind of back-up. 

"No, but it is meant to be refined." Dracule Mihawk responded bluntly, one leg crossing over the other as he adjusted his position on the partial stone wall. "Again, from the top, but take care in your movements. Sloppiness will not be tolerated, Roronoa." 

This had been the daily routine for months now. From dawn until dusk it was nothing but training, teaching and listening to the young pair of pirates bicker and bitch. Mihawk mourned his once silent paradise, which had been lost one fateful, dreary day. 

It wasn't that he hated people. Not exactly. He just preferred a life of solitude, without having to deal with the ruckus and roar of a crew, or, in this peculiar case, enemies turned boarders. 

At this stage, Mihawk almost found himself longing for the Government to call upon his services so he could have an excuse to vacate for a week or more, but much to his dismay there wasn't much to see to so soon after the summit war. 

"-I'll cut that ugly-ass lookin' stuffed turd up, woman!" He drifted his attention back to the conversation, now turned argument, against his will, wincing as the woman beside him leapt into the air, clutching her raggedy plush to her chest. 

"If you ever threaten my sweet little Kumashi again I'll end you, stinky butt-face dumb dumb!" From Perona's form, spectres began to appear, and Mihawk limply brushed one away as it skimmed the brim of his hat. Before he could click my tongue for the umpteenth time, however, a large form clambered over the mound of ruins a few yards away, arms waving and screeching loudly. 

Instantly, the three silenced themselves. Whilst they could be loud during a fight, the Humandrills were typically relaxed, which was why Mihawk accepted their permanent presence on Kuraigana. The ape continued to wave its arms and squawk for attention, pointing behind itself urgently. 

Carefully placing his wine-glass to the side, the Warlord jumped down from where he sat, unhurried in his approach. 
"Marines, you think?" Zoro fell into step behind him, whilst Perona hovered overhead. 

"I highly doubt they would bother coming here. If I was being summoned they have quicker ways of communicating as such." 

Once the trio were closer, the Humandrill motioned for them to continue following, dashing back down from where it had come on all fours.

"Weird. I'll go ahead and see what all the fuss is about." Perona didn't wait for any kind of response as she sailed away into the overcast sky. 

The men walked on in silence, neither fond of small talk or conversation in general unless it revolved around swords or discipline. An odd pair, in the eyes of most, but a match nonetheless, at least in terms of interest. 

By the time Perona found them again they had traversed far into the forest, and she came swooping down through the maze of branches and damp foliage. 

"There's totally a giant bird washed up on the beach! A big, black bird! The monkeys are freaking out!" She announced, seeming excited over something interesting finally happening. 

"A bird? Sure it isn't a Sea King or something? Some of 'em have feathers." Zoro, naturally, had to try to fault her facts, but Mihawk simply quirked a brow, ever so slightly, continuing enroute at the same, casual pace as he had set off in.