Destined for Flames (One Piece Fanfic)

Nakama Down!!

Third Person POV

"We have to stop this," Raya says softly. She grips the hilt of her katana like she's afraid it'll run away from her if she lets go. She makes to follow the path Zoro took to Don Kreig's practically nonexistent galleon, only to feel hands wrap around her waist, pulling her back.

"Luffy!" she protests, looking up at him, her fear very obvious to him now.

"This is Zoro's fight," he says simply, watching his first mate square off against the man Zeff had called the Greatest Swordsman in the world, Hawk Eye Mihawk.

"Can't you see that Zoro isn't a match for that man?!" Raya can feel the panic rising in her chest, the tightness constricting her breathing. Luffy only shakes his head. "We don't have a right to interfere with Zoro's dream."

Raya quiets, and goes almost limp in Luffy arms, her eyes flashing worriedly, trained on Zoro's fight.

"Baka!" she hisses beneath her soft breath.

"Don't worry scary lady," Johnny pipes up, in his infuriatingly stupid pose, hand on his chin. "No one can beat Big Bro Zoro!"

"Do NONE of you feel it?" she snaps, startling the four men.

"Feel what?" Usopp asks curiously.

"That man's power..." Her voice trails off, a shiver running down her spine as a wave of power spills over her again. It takes all she has not to slump in Luffy's arms, allow him to carry her weight, and the pressing concern she feels now for the cocky Swordsman.

"Demon Sword!"

Zoro rushes forward, his merciless eyes locked on Dracule Mihawk. Everyone holds their breath, waiting for the Pirate Hunter to slice the man to ribbons.

Only, Mihawk stops all three of Zoro's sword with the tiny knife in his hand, cutting off all movement for the green-haired Swordsman.

"How can this be?!" Yosaku shouts, shocked his Big Brother, the man he knows bests him in the art of swordplay a thousand times over, has been countered by such a laughable weapon.

Zoro is angrier than he's ever been, but the vast majority of that anger to reserved for himself. How could there be so much of a difference between them?! No one had ever survived this attack, and here was Mihawk, as unconcerned as a newborn child. How can Hawk Eyes be THIS much better than him?!

Zoro backs off of his opponent, only to begin slashing and hacking in a seemingly insane way. But Raya can see the beauty. The grace and the ferocity of his movements. She knows he truly wants to kill this man, with all his being, body, soul and heart.

He wants to do it for his friend, she thinks to herself. His best friend. What could have happened between then that he would go so far against a man he MUST be realizing he is no match for?

"What a crazy skill you've got," Mihawk murmurs appreciatively, simultaneously blocking all of Zoro's strikes with nothing more than his tiny blade.

Of course, Zoro chooses not to respond, focusing all his energy on landing a blow to the infuriating Swordsman. As each hack is carelessly countered, Zoro can see very clearly in his mind, his best friend's tear soaked face. She says softly, "It's good that you're a boy. I want to be an invincible Swordsman too."

He can't let both their dreams die like this!!

Raya watches, horrified, as Zoro leaps back, distancing himself from the strange man. If she didn't know any better, she'd feel relief, thinking he's given up. But she recognizes the look in his eyes, the one she saw so many times in the newspaper. The pain, and the promise he mentioned. And above all, the desire the win, no matter what the cost.