The next day, Chiga followed Kalifa and the others to Marine Headquarters. Inside the massive building, he ran into a familiar face — Domino, the woman he'd once met in the depths of Impel Down, the Deep Sea Great Prison.
Seeing Chiga, Domino's eyes widened in surprise. She hurried over, bowed deeply, and said with genuine respect,
"Your Majesty, it's an honor to see you again!"
Chiga gave a faint nod, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"How did a prison warden like you end up working here at Headquarters?"
Domino straightened and replied, "The position of Warden has been taken over by Sadi-chan. As you know, the number of pirates has dropped sharply in recent years. The prison's been quiet, so I applied to Secretary Kalifa to transfer here to Headquarters."
"I see. With your skills, you're better suited to this post anyway," Chiga said with a light smile.
"Thank you for your encouragement, Your Majesty!" Domino bowed again, her face bright with pride. Then her expression turned serious as she looked at Kalifa.
"Secretary Kalifa, Dracule Mihawk has just arrived. I've already arranged for him to wait in the reception room."
Kalifa blinked in surprise.
"Mihawk? Why would he come to Headquarters?"
"He said he brought his apprentice to visit," Domino explained.
That caught Chiga's attention. "What's his apprentice's name?"
"Zoro," she answered.
A glimmer of interest crossed Chiga's face. "Zoro, huh? Interesting. How did those two end up together…"
Kalifa tilted her head curiously. "Boss, do you know this Zoro?"
"Not personally, but he's a swordsman with immense potential," Chiga replied. "Anyway, you two handle your duties. I'll go greet our guest."
Kalifa nodded and left with Domino, while Chiga headed toward the reception room.
When he entered, he found Hawkeye Mihawk sitting with arms folded, hat tilted down, appearing to nap. The room was otherwise empty — no sign of Zoro.
The moment Chiga stepped inside, Mihawk lifted his head slightly. Upon seeing who it was, he stood immediately, surprise flashing in his usually calm eyes.
"Why are you here?"
Chiga shrugged casually, walking forward to take the seat across from him.
"Why? Surprised to see me? We're old acquaintances now, aren't we?"
Mihawk gave a short, dry laugh. "I thought you weren't stationed here. With your current standing, people can't just meet you whenever they want."
"Hah! Don't tell me even you've started caring about rank now," Chiga teased, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I still remember you showing off your meal in front of me like a showman back then."
Both men chuckled, a shared memory easing the atmosphere. Mihawk leaned back slightly and said, "At that time, I thought you were terrifying. Yet here you are, not long after, having achieved the impossible — overthrowing the World Government itself."
Chiga tilted his head. "So, are you here to defect to me? That'd be quite the development."
Mihawk snorted. "Hardly. I brought a young swordsman to broaden his horizons. After all, most of the powerful figures on the seas vanished thanks to you and that war."
"Oh? So this Zoro is your disciple now? That's unusual for someone like you."
"I was bored," Mihawk admitted simply. "With Shanks imprisoned by you, I've had no one to duel. Some time ago, I crossed paths with this boy in East Blue. He was lost at sea."
"As expected. Let me guess — you fought him?"
"Of course," Mihawk said with faint amusement. "As soon as he saw me, he challenged me outright. His swordsmanship is still rough, but he's got a strong spirit. I admired that, so I brought him back to the Grand Line. But he hasn't officially become my disciple yet."
Chiga leaned back. "And where is he now?"
"He went out to look around. By now, he should be back."
"…You let him wander Marineford alone?" Chiga asked flatly.
Mihawk blinked, caught off guard. "He's not a child. You think he'd get lost?"
Chiga sighed, resting his chin on one hand. "And you haven't noticed anything… particular about him in your time together?"
"Not really. We lived quietly on my island. I even had him spar with baboons for training. I didn't pay much attention beyond that," Mihawk admitted.
Chiga exhaled through his nose, amused. "Figures. Alright, let me check where your wayward apprentice is."
A golden light flashed across Chiga's eyes, and the entirety of Marineford unfolded before his perception. Within seconds, he found Zoro — at the back mountain training grounds.
---
Half an hour earlier…
Zoro had been wandering the back mountain, brow furrowed. "Weird… Marineford isn't even that big. How did I lose my way already?"
Suddenly, the sound of fighting and shouting reached his ears.
"Rubber Rubber—!"
"Take this! Iron Fist of Love!"
Bang!
"Ow!"
Following the noise, Zoro came upon three young men in Navy uniforms, all about his age. One — a blonde with a water pipe — sat casually on a rock, watching the other two spar.
Well, "spar" was generous. It was more like one-sided punishment — the boy with the stretchy limbs was taking a beating.
They were unmistakably the Luffy brothers.
Luffy, battered and bruised, sucked in air through his teeth. "Sii—haa—sii—haa…" He swung his elastic arms in frustration, trying to land a hit.
Ace, only lightly scuffed, took a boxing stance with a grin.
"Luffy, what do you think of this new technique I learned from Grandpa?"
Luffy grumbled, "What's so great about it?! I'm not scared anymore!"
Ace's smirk widened. "Oh yeah? Then take this! Fist Bone—"
Luffy's eyes locked on Ace's fist, bracing for a punch — but Ace suddenly jumped and kicked instead.
"Great Foot of Love!"
Slap!
A perfect red shoe print bloomed on Luffy's face as he tumbled backward, clutching his cheek. On the rock, Sabo sighed and rubbed his temple.
Ace crossed his arms smugly. "Idiot! You couldn't even dodge that? Your Observation Haki still needs work!"
Luffy staggered up, glaring through watery eyes. "That's cheating! You said 'Fist Bone' and kicked me!"
"Tch. You always shout 'Rubber Rubber' before attacking. Can't blame me for picking up the habit!"
Their spar devolved into a bickering match until Sabo raised a hand.
"Alright, enough! Someone's coming."
The three turned to see Zoro, arms crossed, observing quietly.
Sabo's gaze shifted to the three swords at Zoro's waist. Straightening, he spoke politely,
"Hello there. Are you looking for someone?"
---
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