One Piece x Reader

The Strongest (Dracule Mihawk x Reader)

A/N: Behold, my original creation, the Shirito!

You rush to tuck in the sails on your little ship as you fight against the sudden storm that has taken up. The island you're heading to is dark and gloomy, and the weather seems to ward off outsiders. But you're determined to get through, to challenge the alleged World's Strongest Swordsman. After spending your entire life training endlessly, you've grown tired of the easy quarry from not just the Grand Line, but the New World, too – you're ready for the final obstacle that stops you from becoming the world's strongest swordsman. After wrestling your ship back under control, you see a pale beach ahead, and you quickly drop anchor and hop off your boat. You look around, the island coated in an ominous fog with a dense forest ahead. So this is where the world's strongest lives? I'm unimpressed, you think. You decide to try and find a way around the forest, but it seems to stretch across the entire island. With a sigh, you start to trek through it. Even though you had prepared for a longer journey, you reach what seems to be a large castle fairly quickly. What's a castle doing in a place like this? As you approach the castle, a figure appears at the entrance with a signature cross on his back — Dracule Mihawk, carrying his black blade, Yoru.

"A visitor?" His voice is dark and alluring. "I should be honored," he drawls.

"My name is Y/N. I've come to challenge you for your title, Hawk-Eye."

He raises a brow. "That's what they all say. But-" He draws his sword in one fluid motion. "Are you ready for the challenge?"

You grin, drawing your own sword, Shirito. "I think I'd better find out."

You launch yourself at him, and he flies forward as well. Your blades meet in an earth-rumbling clash, but you hold your ground. Ultimately, you get flung backward, but you land on your feet. You immediately engage in an assault, going on the offensive. Mihawk blocks your attacks, seemingly unwilling to attack just yet. I need him to hit a little harder to use my secret weapon, you muse, feinting a slash only to stab at his leg, which, as expected, gets blocked. Mihawk jumps back. "Impressive," he says. "Now, let's see how you fare." Without much more warning than that, he gets on the offensive, and suddenly, it's all you can do to block him.

"Surely you didn't come prepared to beat me with that knife of yours," he says. Sure enough, your blade looks like a dagger compared to his. But you just smile as you concede some steps.

"If only you knew." You press a button on Shirito and swing with all your might at Mihawk. From an outside point of view, it's a pointless attack, but after a second, when he blocks your blade, a force ripples through your sword, and you maintain your position as Mihawk is actually forced back a few feet. He seems surprised, but he grins as he resumes his assault.

"Haki, perhaps?" he questions.

"Not haki. This Shirito has Impact dials all over it. After accumulating enough force, I can release the energy in one blow. I came up with it myself," you say, quite proud you had stumped the World's Strongest Swordsman.

"An interesting technique," he says. "Looks like you're not just a pretty face."

The comment takes you by surprise, and for some stupid reason, you blush. Mihawk capitalizes on this and knocks you onto your behind. Determined, you shoot up, trying to go on the offensive again but only ending up on the defense.

"That's unfair," you say, and he laughs.

"Perhaps you've forgotten, Y/N. This is the pirate world; anything is fair game."

Angered by this, you slash at him again with the Shirito being charged, but Mihawk anticipates it this time, and it doesn't take him by much surprise. He smirks. "Nice try."

Despite your initial determination, you feel your strength flagging, feel your arms starting to drop as the duel continues.

"Tired?" Mihawk taunts. "Surely you have more stamina than that."

You want to be angry, to lash out, but it just discourages you further when you notice he's barely broken a sweat. Within moments, he lands a hard strike that sends you backward. You land on your back, the breath knocked out of you. Mihawk puts the tip of his sword at your neck.

"Well," he says. "So much for beating me."

You scowl, unable to do more than lay there, defeated. He uses the tip of the sword to angle your head, and just as you think he's about to deal the finishing blow, he sighs softly. "And you showed so much promise."

He returns his sword to its place and starts walking back to his castle, his back to you. To put your back to your opponent, you either have to be extremely stupid or extremely arrogant, and a surge of anger comes over you. You stand.

"Hawk-Eye!" you yell. He stops and looks over his shoulder. You point the tip of Shirito at him.

"From this moment," you say. "I swear not to leave this island until I beat you."

For a moment, he says nothing, and you think he's about to laugh at you when he shrugs. "Very well, then. If you don't want to scrape out an existence among nature, I suggest you follow me."

And you do, repeating that promise within you.