One Piece Prior to Youth

Extras

**I wrote the perspectives of a few different characters reacting to things that happened after Casey/Cass left, but it all got deleted! I wanted to at least get something out this week, so here's this singular perspective I rewrote. I might come back and edit this to add other people, like Shanks or Marco, but I don't know. Unless I change my mind, this is the final chapter of this short story. This is not the end of the series, though! I will be taking a short break from this specific story to write another. It is still a One Piece Fic, but not from Youth.**

Dracule "Hawkeyes" Mihawk was the World's Strongest Swordsman. It was a title he worked hard to get, but it is a lonely throne. More than lonely, though; it was boring. Most days, if he wasn't sitting in his castle, he sailed around trying to find ways to entertain himself. That's why, when he felt a powerful signature on an unassuming island, he made his way over with little hesitation. Whatever was producing such an irritated feeling was not a human, not even a person, but it was powerful regardless. The source was also clearly quite upset- they felt impatient and lonely. Although Mihawk has never been the strongest haki user, even he could easily pick up on the emotions of this thing.

The island was the newly-renamed Huimang, home to hundreds of escaped slaves. Although the island looked ordinary at first sight, it was actually a natural fortress. There were fierce whirlpools surrounding the land mass due to the sharp stone cliffs just below. The winds here were pushing outwards, falling from the top of the center mountain and out into the sea like a wave. There were so many poisonous plants on the island that Mihawk could literally smell how toxic the air was. The white stones that made up the majority of the island is said to be so sturdy that it was impossible to effectively collect it to sell even though it was a highly sought out material. Aside from the nature itself, the people were a threat all on their own. Quite a few times since the revolution, the nobles have tried to reclaim the island via the marines- it never works. The people on the island all seem to innately know armament haki to some level, they normally used it on a more precise scale- enhancing their muscles instead of just their skin. The anger at being forced to live as slaves for so long made the inhabitants short tempered, they were fierce and desperate to remain free- meaning trying to combat them was like trying to cage a scared wild animal. There was also a rumor about the island- it was under the protection of a mysterious figure that even the highest World Nobles feared. The legitimacy of the rumor was something to doubt, but even Mihawk wasn't willing to push it unnecessarily.

Knowing all of this, and not being in the mood to fight the people of Huimang, Mihawk did his best to make his presence not only known, but nonthreatening. Maneuvering himself towards the coast was difficult, and before he made landfall he could already feel dozens of people watching and waiting. The majority of his observers, who were not attempting to hide themselves in the least, seemed to be children. The 'wild kids of Huimang' were another story; they were feral youth who lived in the forests of Huimang and were said to be even more ferocious than the beasts they fed on. Eventually, they seemed to deem him not a threat and most of them vanished back into the wilderness. Those that remained followed him closely as he made his way up the path towards the object that initially caught his attention. The overgrowth made the trek difficult, but he had the feeling that pulling out a blade to cut away the debris would be an action met with violent opposition.

As Mihawk approached a waterfall, all of the kids had separated and left- likely to go tell the adults about Mihawk's actions. Noticing an opening behind the veil of water, Mihawk pushed his way through and was met with a grand cavern. In the center of the massive cave was a bizarre-looking house. The building looked as if it had been taken directly from a painting and simply dropping inside the mountain. Various plants and animals, many of which did not look native, called the cave home. The thing, as well, seemed to 'live' here. Mihawk felt no people within, and so he marched straight into the house. As he approached the room holding the source, Mihawk felt a wave of pure intensity. The feeling was quite similar to Conqueror's Haki, and yet felt more alive somehow. Blasts of various emotions tried to settle on Mihawk, everything from curiosity to bloodthirst, but he tried his best to shake it off. Upon opening the door, Mihawk was met by the odd sight of a sword sticking up from the ground in the middle of the room. The moment he locked eyes on the weapon, all of the power hid itself away- then a human rapidly entered the cave and sped their way to the house.

Mihawk had no intention of trying to steal the sword, it was clearly waiting for someone in particular, but the man who ran up didn't seem to think so. The man had a silver whip by his side, wore a light green outfit akin to the ones those in Wano wear, and he was lean- over eight feet tall and yet very thin. He had glowing golden eyes partially hidden behind round, black glasses, and a large braid held his purple hair. He kind of looked like a bizarre humanoid plant. Although he wielded no sword, he held himself in a way akin to swordsman. For a moment Mihawk thought the sword belonged to him, but then he spoke, "You cannot have Yong. She belonged to one person and now waits for her heir. If you lift that blade, she will surely slay you sir." Mihawk is not new to the idea of picky swords, though the genuine concern in the man's eyes made it clear his words were not empty warnings. It seems this blade, Yong, really has taken the lives of those that tried to lift her.

It turned out the sword used to belong to an untrained swordsman, a woman who had no wish to fight- and her child was apparently quite similar. What a waste, having such a grand blade taking a liking to the very people who had no desire to use her. The man, Huimang's mayor Sora, knows who Yong belonged to and who she is waiting for but refuses to tell Mihawk. What he did tell, though, was that the blades true name was Gaecheoneseo Yong Nanda. Apparently the name was a saying from a forgotten people, and it meant something like 'from a small stream a dragon rises'. "Dragon," Mihawk muttered more to himself than to the man still standing nearby, "I suppose that's a name befitting one of the Twelve Supreme Blades better than some names I've heard." The man, Sora, proceeded to choke on air like a fool, "Hold on- wait- what?! Yong is one of the Supreme Blades?? How the actual hell did C get it to accept her when she was ten?..." The last few words Sora spoke were muttered, but Mihawk heard them clear as day.

A ten-year-old child not only located one of the supreme blades, but got it to accept her even though it seems to be the type of refuse most people for any number of reasons? Not to mention, unless this woman was exceptionally gifted at picking up on signatures, she likely would have no reason to pick up Yong. Even Mihawk himself would have passed by the sword without a second glance if not for its formidable essence, except maybe to look at it with disdain. It had an incredibly long hilt for the length of the sword, it was curved in a way that would make it difficult for regular swordsmen to get a clean cut, and the blade itself was a vibrant red to pink fade. It honestly looked like something from a circus performance.

If Yong had not already chosen her master, and if Yoru wasn't the type to get jealous, Mihawk would gladly take the sword for himself. It was pitiful that the one the sword picked to serve was one who had no interest in swordsmanship. As Mihawk looked at the blade, and then at his own, he felt a smirk take form on his lips. If this child was picked by this sword, he is surely someone who would excel. He took his leave after a few more moments of trying to get the person's identity from Sora. It seems I will just have to find them myself, and prove they should wield a blade. I mean, how could he turn down such an entertaining task?

For now, since he had nothing to start with other than what little he could get from Sora, the best place to start would be to find someone likely to know more. There were few people in the world that had the luck to meet such fascinating people, not to mention someone who seems to have a connection to Wano (due to the clothing and house style) and grand swordsmen. It seems it's time for Mihawk to hunt down Shanks. Perhaps, seeing as he can no longer get a good fight from him, he could at least get useful information from the red-haired buffoon.