When that young man with the massive blade stood in front of him, Aus had to admit—he was kind of interested.
He'd heard about this Mihawk kid. Just like Roronoa Zoro would be years later, the guy loved challenging swordsmen everywhere, chasing his dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman.
But he hadn't expected the bastard to track him down this fast.
Rewind three days...
When this kid first showed up and found out Aus wasn't around, he'd been pacing outside the red-light district for three straight days and nights.
Finally, some staff couldn't take it anymore and went to ask what his deal was. That's when they learned he was here to challenge Lord Aus.
When Sami heard about it, she didn't give a shit either. Lord Aus's name echoed across the entire ocean—if they had to worry about every random asshole who showed up looking for a fight, they'd go insane from the constant interruptions.
So the future world's greatest swordsman, Warlord, and eventual "father-in-law"—Dracule Mihawk—ended up squatting like a door guard at the red-light district entrance.
His razor-sharp hawk eyes scanned every person walking by with more intensity than a bouncer checking IDs, terrified he might miss his target slipping past.
What he didn't know was...
A space-warping figure had already quietly materialized at the bathhouse deep in the red-light district. After days of Devil Fruit training and roughing it on a deserted island, the dust-covered Aus was finally enjoying some well-deserved relaxation in the hot springs, while the bathhouse manager nervously scrambled to provide perfect service.
Knock knock—
"Come in."
Sami burst in with an army of gorgeous attendants, hauling mountains of gourmet food. The full VIP treatment kicked into high gear instantly. Aus sprawled lazily in pure comfort, shooting the shit about recent ocean news, when he heard something that caught his attention:
"You're telling me Mihawk's been camping outside the red-light district for days waiting for me?"
His expression turned weird. After a moment of thought, a grin crept across his face.
"Well shit. Guess I should go meet the kid."
Realizing the guy he'd been stalking had actually been living it up inside the red-light district the whole time, Mihawk's eye twitched twice. But he still raised his black blade, Yoru!
"...'Black Gun' Doctor Aus! Accept my challenge!"
"Challenge? What for?"
"To beat you! I'm gonna be the world's greatest swordsman!"
Young Hawkeye was nothing like the calm, artistic master he'd become twenty years later. His passion burned as hot as Zoro's would.
It reminded Aus of Shanks constantly pestering him for fights back on Roger's ship.
But Aus—a dreamless old bastard—couldn't relate to these hot-blooded idealists at all. Nobody was competing for the "world's greatest gunman" title anyway.
Actually, this gave him a headache. Win, and he'd get stuck with the world's greatest swordsman reputation, dealing with endless challengers. Throw the fight? Nah, losing wasn't his style. He was an undefeated war god, after all.
Actually lose for real? That concept didn't exist in Aus's vocabulary.
"...Look, Mihawk, about this challenge thing... it's not that I won't fight you... It's just, I'm not a swordsman. What's the point?"
Young Hawkeye felt like his intelligence had been insulted. Deadly sword intent practically shot from his eyes.
"You split the fucking sky with one slash and went toe-to-toe with three Marine monsters, and you're telling me you're not a swordsman?"
"Who says knowing how to use a sword makes you a swordsman? You can cook—does that make you a chef?"
"That's..."
Mihawk was completely stumped by Aus's logic.
"..."
After a long silence, convinced Aus wouldn't fight, Mihawk's eyes dimmed. Disappointment washed over his young face as he turned to leave this soul-crushing place.
But then Aus said something that hooked him right back.
"I could take your challenge. But I've got one condition. If you lose..."
Aus stood up. Mentioning "chef" had triggered a thought.
He'd definitely be setting sail eventually. Even if he didn't start a pirate crew, he wanted to see all the big spectacles this world had to offer. Couldn't do that alone.
Living on grilled fish and meat like on that deserted island was fine occasionally, but not long-term. Plus, having someone to talk to would beat the hell out of boredom.
Bringing red-light district girls? Too weak—he'd spend all his time babysitting them.
So Aus needed a reliable companion. Someone strong, who could cook, had years of solo sailing experience, and wouldn't get them lost.
Gee, wonder who that could be?
"A condition?"
The young man with the black blade stopped and slowly turned around, staring straight at the scheming Aus like he'd heard a joke.
His mesmerizing hawk eyes blazed with absolute fighting spirit and determination:
"Name whatever condition you want! If I fall to your blade..."
He pointed at his chest, dead serious:
"Take my life—I don't give a damn!"
This passionate display made Aus's eye twitch.
So fucking intense...
"What would I want with your life? Just sail with me for a few years and do some cooking on the side."
Young Mihawk barely hesitated before agreeing.
"Fine. But after I beat you, I'm finding my next opponent."
Aus walked over with a grin: "You might be waiting a few years for that."
"You mean I need more training before I can beat you?"
"...No, I mean when I feel like it in a few years, I'll let you go."
"..."
Mihawk said nothing, just gripped his sword hilt tighter.
Arrogant bastard...
Obviously they couldn't start dueling right there in Sabaody. Aus focused his mind, and the space around them began warping.
"What the hell..." Mihawk sensed something off.
"Relax. Just my Devil Fruit power."
After focusing on Haki growth for so long and neglecting fruit development, Aus had recently mastered some useful tricks during his training—like teleporting with passengers, or warping distant objects to himself...
Basically Kamui plus Flying Thunder God rolled into one.
After several mid-air teleportation jumps, they quickly reached an island covered in dense primitive forest. As their forms materialized in a clearing beside the woods, Mihawk's hawk-like eyes narrowed. He tried to step forward but felt something wrong—his feet were all sticky and gross.
"..."
"Hahahahaha! My bad. First time teleporting with a passenger—accidentally dropped you in a pile of shit."
Aus grinned while apologizing.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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