Just The Idea That There Have Only Ever Been Two People In His Life - Tumblr Posts

I imagine the after Mihawk’s first duel with Shanks (being both older and vastly more experienced ) he beats him pretty effortlessly but Shanks is an interesting opponent and he can see the strength he will eventually grow into. So when it’s all said and done and Shanks’ lies, defeated, at his feet, red in the face but still smiling. Mihawk, haunting as ever, stares down with unnatural gold eyes and tells him;

“Get stronger, Challenge me again”

And Shanks does.

And I wonder if when it’s all said and done, and Zoro and Mihawk have their fated match up. When Zoro looks down at the pinnacle of everything he wanted to achieve; This god turned mentor turned man, defeated at his feet. I wonder if he’ll remember what Mihawk was like; powerful and bored, and decide he doesn’t want to end up like that. Maybe he’s taken a little too much from his captain, but I wonder if he’ll look down at Mihawk and demand;

“Get stronger, Challenge me again”

I imagine Mihawk would be shocked to hear those words echoing all the way back from boyhood to haunt him at what should be his final moments.

But I wonder how he’d react after the shock. Would he be angry that Zoro didn’t take his life along with his title , outraged at the perceived disrespect. Or maybe some part of him might be happy that this isn’t the end, that he has a dream to channel all his restless energy towards again. Or maybe he’d just be proud, after-all this is the boy he bet it all on, and he’s done it. His student has become the master, the unquestioned greatest.

I don’t really know which I prefer.

But I do think that no matter what, just like Shanks probably did all those years ago, he’d laugh.

Because Mihawk’s never not been excited by a challenge. And when’s the last time he felt the blood boiling in his veins with something to prove.

And so he does.