Unfurl Your Sails (Shanks X Mihawk)

Getting ready for what?

Does he not care how I even got here? Mihawk wondered, thinking about the bo— Shanks's — sense of self-preservation.

"...Are you not going to inquire about my intentions?" Mihawk asked, curious. Shanks pushed another tree branch out of the way, causing it to whip back at Mihawk, who sliced it apart. Annoying undergrowth.

"You don't seem like a bad guy," Shanks replied, looking back. Then, he promptly tripped over a couple roots, diving straight into a small bush in front of him—though not without taking Mihawk with him.

" —You!" Mihawk shouted as they both tumbled down. He found himself rolling onto his side, before coming to a stop and standing up. He looked down at the ruffled-up mess besides him in the form of Shanks, who grinned when Mihawk offered him a hand up.

"Dahaha! Sorry 'bout that!" Shanks laughed. "Just up ahead is where the town should be, so we should be out of this forest soon."

Please .

Mihawk sighed, motioning for him to keep moving. Soon, they came out of the dense undergrowth, where they came face-to-face with an empty outdoor theater, a grassy slope curving down into a stone platform. Bits of wooden seats were embedded in the slope, attached to the landscape, and around it, were the wooden buildings he'd seen earlier in Navigator.

It was the exact opposite of the island Mihawk had been born in: a rain island with perpetually gloomy weather and a penchant for the color gray. He still favored his island, personally, but here wasn't a bad place to live.

"Oh! You have to try our sake! It's the best in the world!" Shanks excitedly rambled as they climbed the stairs. "Your eyes are pretty cool by the way, though they're kinda scary."

"You look a bit young to be drinking."

"I'm nine!"

"..."

"...I only took a sip, nothing else, swear on Vylkonos."

As they walked through the wooden structures, Mihawk inspected the villagers again, alert for any sign of the pirates.

"Vylkonos?"

"The name of the highest mountain peak surrounding us," Shanks replied eagerly, pointing to the middle peak. "It's the only one that touches the clouds."

"...I see," Mihawk responded. He reached out with his power (whatever it was—he'd discovered it back in East Blue, though it was useful), attempting to track the positions of the Storm pirates.

"...We would also have an annual festival around this time this year, but I dunno if it'll happen since the whole situation..."

There .

There were several alleyways to the sides of both boys, since they were on what seemed to be the main road, so Mihawk suddenly dragged Shanks into one. He placed a hand over Shanks's mouth. Blissful silence.

Shanks looked at him curiously, eyes inquiring.

"Look," Mihawk curtly replied, indicating with a nod. They were near the center of the town, where from their angle, they could faintly see the enormous palm tree at the very center of a wide square. A group of pirates suddenly passed by where they'd been before, kicking at the civilians walking by in contempt.

Mihawk let go of Shanks, who kept his hands on his dagger. For the first time since they'd met, his face held a look of absolute fury, his body tense—as if he was preparing to fight. His fingers were clenched tightly around the hilt, his knuckles white with the amount of force he was applying.