A dead silence, an engulfing aura of slow death and perhaps -if Veyron wasn't being a little paranoid- even a bit of sword intent.
"Did I do something wrong, darling?" Hancock seemed to be the only one clueless as even Marigold and Sandersonia were sweating.
Veyron could only gulp profusely.
"I'm out" Rayleigh was the first one to dip, he turned around decisively to get back on his boat, his original plan was to go and see how things were going in Rusukaina. But that plan could now go f*ck itself.
"Wait, Rayleigh!" Veyron clutched onto the Dark King's leg like fresh sh*t. He needed psychological help and a bit of assistance in this junction, things were going right... all he needed was to become a bit stronger to convince her but for some reason, he had a bad premonition, 'I feel she became way stronger too!'.
"Release me brat! I'm not involved! I only came to deliver the den den mushi, my job is finished, don't dare come to the bar again!".
'Did he just ban me?!'
"You can't ban me from entering the bar, that's Shakky's job!".
"She will understand! We don't want our source of income to be sliced into tiny bits!".
"Listen you're popular with girls, right? help me out with this?"
"You think being popular with girls or not has anything to do with anything? Brat... you couldn't be any deader! You're already dead, you just don't know it".
"Wait!".
Veyron even used his psychokinesis but the will of a man that wanted to flee was unstoppable.
"Everything was fun and games, huh? A touch here a lick down there... the 'tongue' trick wasn't it?".
"..." Nobody ever spat facts in Veyron's face like this. Even the Boa Family gasped, a bit ashamed.
"Should have thought about this before you thought of the delusional dream of having a harem. Hmph! Do you think I didn't try? barely made it out alive and Shakky isn't nearly as dangerous as that lunatic! Now get away, you're not dragging me down with you!".
"A-Aren't you exaggerating a little bit?" Veyron was starting to get scared.
"Hmph! See this scar on my face? Who do you think made it? Kaido? Whitebeard? Xebec? Hah! Good luck brat, see you in the other world".
"You mean the new world right!?".
Rayleigh was having none of it. He boarded his boat and departed the island as fast as he could lest the strongest swordswoman who for all he knew could whoop his ass, arrive the next minute.
His departure left a shivering boy and a group of ashamed beauties who realised their secret escapades weren't so secret after all.
Veyron sulked at the shore of the destroyed island while Hancock patted his shoulder, she still didn't understand why it was so bad that she introduced herself to her mother-in-law who she was aware was also present the day she was saved. She had a great deal of respect and appreciation for Mihawk, Fisher Tiger and the Red Head Pirates.
"Is it that bad? she's overprotective?" Primrose thought the two of them were exaggerating, although she didn't think Hancock introducing herself like that was the best option, especially when the other party was Dracule Mihawk.
"Is it that bad? it is worse. Let's prepare, even if she's coming she can't be arriving any time soon, I think" Veyron thought it was now or never, 'I need to go to Skypea. My only way to become stronger without a devil fruit is to grow up... but I can't wait!'.
"What exactly do you want to do?" The empress frowned, he was acting quite suspicious.
"Where are we going?" Sandersonia interjected, she also thought Veyron was acting odd all of a sudden.
Alas, he couldn't just open his mouth and tell them that his mother was not only that but also his very obsessive lover who could easily slice anything she wasn't content with. The only way he could conceive for Mihawk to be remotely willing to share, was if she was defeated.
*cough!*
"I'll explain everything later I promise. Prim, you go back to Amazon Lily... you're still taking them on an expedition, right?"
"Yes, we're going to Jaya first... though the way things look everything may be delayed, there must be matters that Gloriosa and Shawty couldn't handle... we will only know once we arrive".
"We could go on that expedition on our own!~" Hancock and her sisters chipped in only for both Veyron and Primrose to look at one another and recall the events that led the three of them to be imprisoned in Marie Geoise for years.
"Haha, no..."
Their body started to levitate just like the rest as Veyron prepared to return to Amazon Lily where he'd drop them off before heading to Rusukaina. The journey would take three minutes at most.
"Then let's not waste time. There is a place I want to take the three of you, but we can go to Jaya first and deal with Prim's issue".
'In any case, I'm sure mom is following my vivre card, she will show up wherever I am...I'm a bit scared but I can't wait... Mom, I'll show you how strong I have become!'
"What is this place we're going?"
"A sky island!".
**
**
East Blue, Goa Kingdom, Foosha Village.
When the den den mushi was hung up, the party mood stopped as every corner was engulfed with killing intent.
"Kacha~"
*FIUSH!*
!!!
Shanks saw in dismay how a few strands of his hair were sliced out of nowhere, this woman was releasing her sword intent inadvertently!
"M-Mihawk, calm down!".
Before things could get any worse, Shanks pushed her away from the bar that was filled with his crew, the locals, a green-haired attendant and two young children. One was a dark-haired boy who got pale white after the beef shank he was eating got sliced in half out of nowhere, the other was a beautiful girl with red and white hair who wondered what just happened with the 'big sister'.
...
Now outside of the bar, Shanks noticed that Mihawk's killing intent didn't recede even though she controlled her Haki.
"What happened?"
"Nothing, Veyron just called me".
"How is the brat doing?"
"Too good it seems".
That question didn't seem to placate the situation.
"We sent that Den Den Mushi three months ago, was that how long it took to arrive?"
"It seems. I have to go, Shanks".
"..."
Shanks' expression remained neutral while his heart shrieked. Mihawk walked to the side of the bar where Yoru was standing, she sheathed the sword on her back and turned towards him, like the final courtesy of concern from a friend.
"What are you going to do with it? are you going to eat it?"
She signalled to something he had left inside the bar, a chest they had worked hard day and night to steal.
"I don't know yet" Shanks leaned back on the bar's door with more questions than answers in his mind, it had come the moment in his life where a decision was needed.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"You're surprisingly condescending... I thought you didn't care" His expression contained a bit of self-mockery, maybe because he was expecting her to be uncaring, turn around and leave as she'd usually be. Instead, he got another answer.
"You're my friend... this much I can do".
Mihawk took something out of her coat and smiled slightly, it was a bottle of wine.
...
Sitting on the shore with a massive sea in front of them, Shanks sipped on his wine from the cup, he wasn't one to drink wine instead of rum but since it was Mihawk who invited -something that never happens- he had to accept.
Next to him was Mihawk, There was silence between the two as each drank from their cups it felt like a breaking point with a soft breeze and a clear sunny sky.
"The sky is clear... but I feel it cloudy and rainy in my soul, what a horrible day" He began.
"Even if there was rain and a thunderstorm, that would still not stop your path... look ahead of you and see the day the way it is, things are not as bad as you think".
A moment of silence was only broken when the two of them simultaneously asked a question.
"Why do you follow what he says? Why leave the crew?"
"Why do you follow what he says? Why will you give him the Gomu Gomu no Mi?".
A brief laughter later Mihawk allowed him to speak first.
"I respect my father but I despise the celestial dragons. Captain Roger left me a will. Give the hat and the fruit to the one that shall change the era, one from the D. That's too ambiguous..."
"Maybe the one that can change the era is yourself?".
"It doesn't feel that way... I'm also not a member of the D. Clan. The one to change the era should be someone decisive... my mind is just riddled with doubts right now. I can't even hold onto the woman that I love".
"Well, that's a pity".
"Is that all you're going to say?".
"What else do you want me to say? I already knew".
"And what's your answer?".
"I'm still going... back to my son".
"I see... haha... hahahahaha!!"
The man laughed loudly but Mihawk could feel the self-mockery.
"There is more to life than just love, Shanks".
"Hmph, do you think your rejecting me is going to destroy my pirate career? I'll just stand up and walk forward, that's all".
"That's good to know... it would be a pity if my rival decided to give up. Our last duel was pitiful, the next time you fight me make sure to at least injure me".
"Ugh, I thought your son was your new rival, Mihawk".
"I can only have one lover. But I don't mind having many rivals..."
He gasped and sent a sidelong glance her way while she downed her drink, he couldn't imagine there was such a person in her life.
"You haven't told me. Why do you do what he says?".
"I do not respect Garling or the world nobles... but my father commended me to retain the position as a Knight of God, it is our noble responsibility".
"You do know who you are protecting?".
"I do".
"And you still want to protect that person?".
"Responsibility is not a matter of feelings... it is a matter of dedication".
When her cup was finished, it was time to go. Mihawk stood up and dusted herself off.
"Say greetings to the brat from me" Shanks referred to Veyron whom he knew he wouldn't be seeing any time soon.
"You too... say my farewells to Uta and Luffy. It is okay to cry, Shanks".
The man's lips shivered with his hands clenched, 'So you did know their names after all... it is not like you were there anonymously and apathetic. This was an adventure that we shared'.
He always thought her to be aloof and uncaring, never going so far as to even learn the names of people she met who weren't worthy of her time. Turns out, she did care.
As he sobbed over the departure of a friend and failed love, he witnessed Mihawk board her boat and sail away, far from his crew and his future adventures. She turned around and waved her hands at him and although he knew they'd see each other once again. It would not be the same.
He entered the bar only to realise that everyone had been listening to the conversation except for the two kids. The red hair pirates were all crestfallen some of them crying out loud. He sat on the table with a dark gaze and a cup of booze was placed in front of him.
When he lifted his gaze, there was the pretty attendant girl, Makino.
"Cheer up! It is not like you to sulk~".
"Shanks, are you okay?" The boy, Luffy, looked at his idol with concern, it was the first time he had ever seen the redhead shedding tears.
"Shanks?" The same could be said for the girl who didn't even know it was possible for this man to feel 'sad'.
"It is nothing".
He downed the cup in one go and slammed it on the table, exhaling deeply and letting out all of his frustrations.
"TODAY WE HAVE A MASSIVE BANQUET!" (Shanks).
"YEAH!" (Red Hair Crew).
"OUR FRIEND IS GOING NOW ON HER ADVENTURE... WHAT SORT OF BASTARDS ARE WE IF WE DON'T SEND HER OFF WITH THE BEST MOOD!?" (Shanks).
"YEAAH! LONG LIVE THE STRONGEST SWORDSWOMAN!" (Red Hair Crew).
They all came out of the bar intending to send their friend off in the best mood possible, Mihawk turned her head around to look at them although they were barely visible, she could still hear a bit of their voice if they yelled.
"One, two, three...!"
"GOOD LUCK, HAWKEYE!" (Shanks).
"MIHAWK AND SHANKS SITTING UNDER TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!!~" (Red Hair Crew)
"BASTARDS! I WILL SLIT ALL YOUR THROATS!" (Shanks).
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!~" (Mihawk).
As a fight broke out at the shore of the island, Mihawk laughed out loud and waved her hand, those had been wonderful memories. Her laugh was so vivid and happy that it was heard from the island and it was then that they broke into a cascade of sobs and happiness.
They made her laugh heartily, at least this once.