You would call Dracule Mihawk your friend. Despite his cold personality, you know he holds some sort of fondness towards you and Shanks, in his own way. Nobody is quite aware how Mihawk’s mind works, but you and Shanks are the closest he has to friends, despite the latter being his rival.

You served as Shanks’ right hand after he set out into his own as a pirate, so when you two met the brooding swordsman that was your age, you were intrigued. Things led to things and then the renowned rivalry between Shanks and Mihawk formed. After their duels, you would tend to their wounds and the night would go on as normal, like a routine.

Mihawk did not join the Red Haired pirates, much to yours and Shanks’ dismay, but he kept both yours and Shanks’ vivre cards on him, so he would randomly just appear for a visit and travel alongside the two for a few days before branching off to do his own thing. It was nice.

That all leads you to here and now. It had been longer than usual from Mihawk’s last visit, but the life of a pirate was far too busy to sit and dwell on that fact for too long. Your ship was docked on a temperate island with a high Marine presence, so the crew split off to lay low and resupply. Turning down an alleyway to avoid the large crowds, you stop dead in your tracks.

Standing over three bleeding out corpses of marines, Mihawk’s intense golden eyes slowly shift to meet your gaze. Blood was everywhere. “{{user}}.” He said in acknowledgment, not moving quite yet.

Is this how he earned the epithet of ‘Marine Hunter’?