❛ I WON'T DIE, PRINCESS. ❜
₊˚៹ . ❪ episode : EAT AT BARATIE! ❫
˖ ₊˚.⋆࿐┊ CH. 16┊🏴‍☠️🌊👒

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The moon hung low in the night sky across the East Blue, casting a shimmering silver path across the dark waters. The Baratie shaped fish-ship stood stationed, anchored far out at sea. Onboard, the atmosphere outside on the decks was electric, filled with pirates and customers from all around taking part in a party, as they drank and eat to their hearts content.

Usopp was very drunk from all the alcohol stuff he had taken in, wearing sunglasses over his eyes as he stumbled his way back over to Zoro and Nami, "Guys, meet my new best friend." He spoke slurring, and pointed to a familiar face Dracule Mihawk, who followed behind him quietly.

The tan-skinned male sat down on the other side of Nami at their selected outside couch area, and leant his arms back on the head rest, "What did you say your name was again?"

"Which two of you are Monkey. D (Y/N) and Monkey D. Luffy?" Mihawk questioned in his accented voice, getting straight to the point as he glanced over the three in front of him.

Zoro straight away was snapping his head up hearing his captain's name fly out of the male's mouth, jaw clenched tightly in alarm as he turned his stoic glare on Mihawk, wondering why someone like he was after her, and Luffy.

"Who wants to know?" Nami spoke back in a question suspiciously, and raised her eyebrows up at the older male sharing a brief look with Usopp, who shrugged confused not understanding what was happening.

After a few seconds of eyeing down Mihawk in a stone hard expression, Zoro opened his mouth to talk, "You're Dracule Mihawk." He revealed monotone, gaining stares from his crewmates watching them.

He sided gaze Zoro with his yellow eyes closely, "I have business with your captains." He ignored the swordsman's words, and moved his attention to the duo sat on the couch, "If you know what's good for you, you'll hand her and him over."

"We don't know anyone named (Y/N) or Luffy." Nami lied through her teeth to save their captains, her voice calm crossing her arms over her chest, and gave the swordsman's a small stand down glance, "Right, Zoro?"

He simply ignored the navigators words now not even paying attention, and stood up suddenly, "I've been following your career since I was a child." He tells Mihawk respectfully earing his piercing stare back, "It's an honor to finally meet you, sir."

"Thank you."

Zoro placed his left hand on his swords handles casually to walk a few steps past Mihawk, "Which is why it pains me to inform you that tomorrow..." He sucks in a low breath between his teeth, and declared threateningly, "you're going to die."

"Wait, what?" Nami instantly snapped hearing this coming from him, sitting up straight beside Usopp who looked just as shocked, and had his glasses hanging off the sides of his face now.

"I, Roronoa Zoro, challenge you to a deal," He span back around in his spot to stare at Mihawk's back, face set into a determined one, no longer thinking about what the consequences would bring of this, "to the death."

Mihawk turned around to face the swordsman a few feet in front of him, his massive sword hanging off his back also, "I've never heard of you." He claims truthfully, watching him with superiority.

"They call me the Demon Pirate Hunter. But my lifelong dream is to best you in single combat," Zoro explained seriously in his stoic voice, earning a curious head tilt from the other, "and become the greatest swordsman in the world. Accept my challenge."

"Very well." The Shichibukai drawled out walking up to stand in front of Zoro, giving off an intimidating stance as he sets the time for the battle, "Tomorrow at dawn. And when I'm done with you, pirate hunter, I'll take your captains."

Zoro's murderous glint in his eyes spiked up hearing the last bit spoken from Mihawk, clenching his knuckles around his swords making them creak, as the latter gives him one last intense stare before walking off towards another area from them.

.......

Still working away in the Baratie kitchen the siblings were washing plates and drying them together, very unaware what was currently happening with their crew, and what Zoro had just done.

(Y/N) had her hair tied back by his green bandanna to prevent it from getting in her way, and tried her hardest to not let her bracelets get wet from cleaning the plates Luffy handed to her. And as he past them across, her thoughts were filled with Sanji and Zoro, and what she was going to do about how she was feeling around them.

Using a black rag she wipes down the bubbly plate from being dunked into the dishwater, and placed it into the drying rack beside her on the bench, sighing heavily to herself.

The sound of a familiar hobbling man echoes around the kitchen, as Zeff comes up to where they were working hard and pauses just where the cooking counters were, "Right, are we done yet?"

They looked up from doing their selected jobs hearing his gruffy voice, Luffy holding some wet plates he was suppose to give to her, but instead they slipped from his grasp. Seeing that she went to try grabbing them, and only manged to catch three as the rest smashed into the tiled floor loudly, making her cringe embarrassed for them.

"You're lousy at it." Zeff comments with a small smile looking at them, his cooking hat no longer on his head now, as he chuckled at their clumsy ways, "But at least you two do as you're told in this kitchen."

(Y/N) stood up from her slighty crouched position now, face looking blank of emotion as she gentle placed the plates onto the rack, "Look I don't really know what you are to Sanji, but I can tell your opinion means a lot to him." She spoke up calmy suddenly, taking a few steps up towards Zeff to stand behind him a little, "Saying that, he shouldn't have to give up his dream because of you."

The older male furrowed his brows in confusion watching her closely, leaning his weight on his good leg as he placed a hand on his hip, "What's that supposed to mean, kid?" He rumbled out, and waited for her to continue on now interested.

Her sharpened gaze flickered back to her brother seeing him giving an encouraging thumbs up, and turned her head back to Zeff growing serious, "You may have banned him from the line, but you can't stop him for cooking."

"Oh, really?" He questioned a bit rhetorically moving himself so he faced her fully, and had a challenging expression wondering how far she'd go to speak up Sanji.

"Yes, really." She bit back defensively glancing up at his taller self, a scowl creasing over her forehead protectively, "A starving pirate washed up earlier if you cared to know, and you know what Sanji did? He cooked for him, right here in your kitchen," She exclaimed furiously pointing at the floor below them, "because your rules matter less to him in that moment than making sure a hungry person got fed."

Luffy now comes up to stand by his sisters side to support her if needed as he finished the dishes, and placed a hand on her arm to calm her down seeing how upset she was over this. He wasn't blind, he knew how quickly his sister has grown a soft spot for Sanji.

Zeff looked away from them to something behind them with a distant expression, as a slow proud smile breaks out across his lips surprisingly, "He did that, did he?" He mumbles before smiling more at the quiet duo, "What a good kid."

Before she could even comment on what he just said about Sanji, the kitchen doors were suddenly pushed open quiet fast, and Usopp's figure comes stumbling in all the way up to them, as they turned to see the issue.

He breathes heavily taking ahold of (Y/N)'s forearm in his hand, and pointed with his other to behind him frantically, "Guys, we've got a problem." He pants out to the siblings, and tugs on her arm to follow after him.

She and Luffy turn to look at Zeff briefly to see him nodding his head, and grunting for them to go on. Which had them quickly following behind Usopp through the Baratie, and all the way back to their ship, where inside one of main rooms had the other two talking about Zoro's showdown.

"Maybe you can convince him to call it off." Nami speaks to (Y/N) now as the siblings entered the room they were in, and Nami was standing on the other side of the table staring at a calm Zoro.

"I won't do that." He simply answered not even bothered by the situation, his dark eyes flickering up from cleaning his swords to his captain and saw his bandanna in her hair, which had him holding back a smile seeing it.

"Did you see the size of that guy's sword?" The navigator reminded remembering how shocked she was at the sword around Mihawk's back, "He will slice you into sashimi."

(Y/N) now came up to stand with her brother in between them at the front of the table, pulling down her bracelets back to where they once sat, and frowned confused glancing between her crew, "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you what's going on." Nami responded in a snappy tone, turning her eyes now to the other girl sighing annoyed, "Your big, bad Marine grandpa sent a Warlord of the Sea to bring you both in, and instead of getting the hell out of here when he had the chance, Zoro challenged him to a duel."

Her (E/C) eyes widen hearing what he had gotten himself into to, shoulders tensing up as a horrible feeling began to bubble in her stomach. Now keeping quiet, she turns her head down to pull back the hat on her head and just listened to them talk, not knowing how to feel.

"Which he accepted." Zoro added on bluntly leaning his palms on the table, looking at his captain briefly to see her current state and it had him frowning deeply, wondering why she was being so closed off now.

"You are a fly to him. Something to be swatted and forgotten." Nami remarked rising her voice a bit, and gripped the sides of table tigher fearing for her friends life.

"Not if I win."

"You won't win."

Zoro narrowed his eyes down on the agitated Nami across from him, and shakes his head a little to the side grunting, "You don't know that."

"Guys, guys, maybe we need more drinks." Usopp suggested from his spot beside the siblings, one of his hands placed on (Y/N)'s back for comfort, and his words got dirty looks from everyone else.

"Tell your first mate he'll get himself killed." Nami aimed this at the silently listening captains, who now glanced up a bit from the ground hearing the address to them.

"Tell your navigator to butt out." Zoro also joined the chain of complaints, raising his deep voice to exclaim over Nami's in a grumble, and tapped his finger onto the table mindlessly.

(Y/N)'s thoughts were running wild with all the things that could go wrong for the fight tomorrow, and majority of them were Zoro getting badly hurt, which she rather suffer than ever see happen. Nervously fiddling with the green bracelet on her wrist, half of her face was hidden by her hat, and now goes to protest softly, "Maybe this isn't such a great idea, Zoro."

His face scrunched up a bit when she didn't use his nickname for him, now realising she was actually being serious and it showed him that she cared about him just as much as he did for her, "When you met me tied up on that cross, what did I say?"

She stops her fiddling ticks remembering the day they met very well, as it was something she thinks about quiet often at times, "That you made a promise to someone a long time ago to be the world's greatest swordsman." She answered quietly, feeling Luffy's hand now also touch her back comforting.

"The only way to do that is to beat Mihawk in a duel and take his title." He declared in a grunt after her explanation, and turned his stoic gaze over to a fuming Nami, "And I intend to do just that."

She uncrossed her arms to match his stare with a serious one of her own, not enjoying how this fight was going on with her friend, "Even if you die in the process?" She claimed making everyone go silent, and she turned to the captains, "Will you please do something?"

Luffy and his sister shared a knowing look between each other, communication through their siblings bond without having to speak, and both knew they couldn't stop Zoro even if they wanted to, "It's his dream, Nami. We can't get in the way of somebody's dream."

Nami shakes her head in disbelief at this not believing that was their answer, and looked back at Zoro picking up his swords off the table, "What's it gonna take, huh? You want me to say you're the best? You're the best. Okay?" She began to rant pleads, "You're the best I've ever seen, but you are not better than him. And if you fight him tomorrow, you're going to lose."

"Why do you give a shit?" Zoro grumbled out without looking at the orange head, and slipped in his swords back into their holders easily as he finished cleaning them.

"Because you're my friend, you idiot." Her confession made the other three watching smile a little bit, happy that Nami was coming out of her shell, and viewed him as someone important.

He glanced down at his swords by his side, and than back up slowly to her with a expressionless face not buying her words, "You said it yourself. You don't have any friends."

A small look of hurt flashed over Nami's face after this now, lifting her hands off the table to look over at the other three for help but they stayed silent and stare away from her. This caused Nami to now get up from her position, and leave the room making (Y/N) sigh sadly seeing her doing so.

Usopp and Luffy went to leave the room also, having a feeling that (Y/N) and Zoro should have a more private conversation with each other, as they each squeeze her arms before walking through the open door and closed it behind them.

It was now just the two of them left inside of the even quieter room, the only thing being heard was the ocean and the faint noise from the Baratie. The tension between them was high now, as not even a knife could cut through it.

Zoro looked up from his swords around his waist to see her glancing at the floor, hat covering her face away from him, and he could tell she was itchy to say something about the fight, "Whatever you gotta say princess, I'm all ears."

Her figure tensed up at bit in response but still gave no verbal reaction, shuffling in her spot nervously and folded her arms over her chest to calm her fast beating heartbeat. Even if she wanted to speak to him, there was too much she wanted to say, and didn't no how to place it into words.

He rubbed the tip of his nose sighing at her lack of words, going up to stand beside her quietly as his boots made a small thumping sound. Without talking he reached up to gentle take off the straw hat to place it behind her, and even gentler undid his bandanna around her hair to let it loose along her shoulders.

His fingers briefly brushed through her end locks to untangle them, making her heartbeat pound faster. His black bannada goes around his bisce again, and lifts two of his finger under her chin, "Hey, don't be like that." He rasped softly directing her gaze up to his forcefully, "Please look at me."

Her eyes were covered by the hair across her forehead still even with him moving her head, as she moved from his hold and turned to stand in front of him, "I don't know what you expect me to say, Zoro." She voiced in a low, wobbly tone, "I can't stop you from wanting to achieve your dream, and I won't be the one to get in your way no matter how I feel about it."

His brows furrowed deeply, not really knowing why he was currently feeling a sharp pain in his heart and spotted how her hands were trembling no matter how hard she tried to hide it from him, "I don't expect anything from you, (Y/N)." He used her name for once, speaking in a softer tone he always used to address her, "All I want is you, and my captain's support."

She bit down on her bottom lip, completey missing his hidden meaning behind his words, and forgot that she had a role to play as his captain. Rubbing her eyes with her palms, she sighed heavily to herself and now glanced up at him, "Than as your captain, I fully support your decision on facing Mihawk."

His eyes crinkled at the sides at her finally looking at him, as an adoring smile across his face that no one gets to see but her, "I won't die, princess." He rasped his assure, and lifted up his rough textured hand to hesitantly cradle the side of her face softly, "If that's what you're worried about, I promise you."

She leant into his unexcepted touch a bit trying to savior the warmth coming from him, and released a sigh that hit his skin making him involuntary shiver, "Better keep that promise, moss-head." She grumbled up at him.

He rolled his eyes playfully at the nickname, and he brushed his thumb along her freckled cheeks, "I will madam, don't worry." He teased in a whisper, causing her nose to scrunch up this time at him using Sanji's name for her, and it had them both chuckling with one another.

.......

It was now the day that the shadow between Zoro and Mihawk was going to occur, with the sun up high in the sky beaming down on everyone, and the few were already up to start another day. Though the Straw Hats were all feeling very unease, and not prepared for what was about to go down today.

Zoro was the first one off the Going Merry's ladder attached to the Baratie's docks, staying back a bit to help (Y/N) down by the waist carefully, who looked like hasn't slept whatsoever. Once she was down on the docks with Luffy and Usopp, Zoro went to walk on ahead causing the others to follow on behind him.

Mihawk was already waiting at the entrance of the Baratie door, watching the group coming up to him across the floating pathway and hummed a bit to himself spotting the famous siblings who looked very identically.

"The Monkey. D siblings." He addresses them once the group had set foot on the platform he was stationed on, and looked over them with a judgemental expression, "I'm surprised the Marines would require my services for such small packages." His head tilted seeing the familiar objects on their heads, "Though I do like your hats."

"Enough!" Zoro interrupted loudly gaining Mihawk's attention now, the swordsman not enjoying how the latter was treating his captain as she was a bit behind his taller figure, "Let's begin."

Mihawk goes to lift up his hands to pull off his cross necklace from around his neck, ripping the cross off the string and pulled the top to reveal a smaller knife to hold it up ready for the duel.

"What is that? I'm here for a sword fight." Zoro grumbles out at the male, his scowl being hidden by the green bandanna around his head, and held onto his sword hilts like usual.

"I don't hunt rabbits with a cannon." He simply replied tilting his head to the side, and raised his brows for Zoro to make the first move if he dared against him.

Zoro clenched his jaw a little now pulling out two of his swords from the cases, holding them out beside him strongly to flex his arms off, "I'm no rabbit."

"That remains to be seen." Mihawk claims bluntly now getting into position also, and aimed his small knife up with one of his boots pushed back a bit, as his white feather on his hat blows in the wind.

Zoro now charged forward with a grunt to swing his blades at Mihawk, who easily stopped them by the tip of the small blade in the middle of Zoro's crossed blades. They both stare intently at one another for a moment, before Mihawk deflects the swords off and sends Zoro skidding back across the wood, stopping by digging his swords into it.

(Y/N) watched the fight with a fearful look in her eyes, face trying to seem calm as possible to support Zoro but insane she was panicking badly for his safety. Her left hand was holding Luffy's tightly, and would often feel him squeezing it to comfort her sensing how she was feeling.

Zoro easily gets back up after his fall back to slice his blades at Mihawk once more, that had him dodging as he moved back from the hits swiftly, "Got you on the run, huh?" He grunts out in a strained voice.

Mihawk stops the hit being swung at him by Zoro's two swords by his smaller one, and tsked back in answer, "Hardly." He now flicked his weapon against Zoro's and it sent him flying back with great force into a heap onto the floor.

Usopp shared a worried look with Luffy seeing this happening to their friend, and crew mate as they glanced to the quiet girl, who was not watching anything else by Zoro and was nervously biting on her bottom lip.

"You're strong." Mihawk shockingly compliments the standing up Zoro, and cocked his head to the side knowingly, "But fight isn't all about strength."

"Stop talking and fight." He growled through his gritted teeth, pushing himself back up from the wood with his two swords and charged back at Mihawk swinging his blades around to slice at him.

"You're like a little frog croaking in a well." Mihawk used one hand to deflect his swords from him without breaking  a sweat, and drawled out his taunt, "Croak. Croak. Croak."

Zoro slide along the floor again with his swords when the older one dodged him gracefully, now having one knee bent on the wood, as the other one was perched upwards. His determined gaze focued on Mihawk, chest moving up and down fast as he sprang back up, aiming more slices at Mihawk from him to just get sent flying back into the Baraties closed door.

Pants escaped his mouth now thinking back to the promises he recently made, and the one he had when he was a child. Both being just as important to him right now. With his jaw set tight he rushed forward to Mihawk, swords aimed up high, but was soon stopped by Mihawk's small sword stabbing into the side of his chest.

A muffled gasp of a cry left (Y/N)'s mouth seeing that happening to him, letting go of Luffy's hand to place it up to her mouth, and heard her loud heartbeat in her ears. It psychically pained her not being able to do anything, as she knew this was Zoro's fight alone.

She felt a soft warmth envelope around her free hand now, making her head turn the slightest to see Nami standing there, and was holding her hand tightly, both looking equally worried for the swordsman.

"Why don't you retreat?" Mihawk asked curiously with his knife still inside of Zoro's chest, as he was now bleeding slightly but yet wasn't about to back down.

The green haired males mind flickered back to his childhood, remembering the day he promised to Kunia and the day he also lost her, "I can't..." He rasped out in a slurring tone, "or my dream will be lost forever."

Mihawk hummed in acknowledgement, his yellow gaze gleaming now, "You're brave. I'll give you that." He comments now pulling the knife back, which sends Zoro stumbling backwards also onto the floor on his knees, "So I'll do you the honor of killing you with Yoru." He pulls out his much larger, and intimidating weapon pointing it at him on the floor.

Zoro flips over his black sword to face the tip onto the wood with his other, "That's more like it." He grunts satisfied, ripping out his white katana from its hold and placed it in between his teeth, which had Mihawk gripping Yoru more tighter.

The swordsman flips over his arms across each other, making his black swords now contenct together as he spins them around and it picks up the pace making the objects almost not be seen by the eye.

Mihawk goes to charge forward with his massive sword raised up in defence, both of them jumping up into the air to land the final blow as they swords collided, and landed on the opposite ends they were first standing on.

Zoro skids along the deck with his knees against it, swords still raised up sideways in the air as he breathes heavily not knowing who won. And then shockingly, his two black swords began to break into little pieces which had him throwing them away in front of him.

(Y/N)'s eyes went wide dread at his swords being now destroyed, gaze becoming blurry for him and her trembling hand getting hold by Nami even more now at that, as she felt her thumb rub over her knuckles a little reassuringly.

Zoro now struggling to stand up with his white sword helping him, turns back around to Mihawk as he goes to question, "You're defeated. Why do you persist?"

"Wounds on the back are a swordsman's greatest shame." He explained hoarsely sliding back his white swords into its case, and outstretched his arms ready for the attack from Mihawk holding his one sword left.

"Magnificent." Mihawk simply remarks as Zoro nods his head for him to slice him now. His wielded his gigantic sword above his head, and sent the final blow, delivering a wide, deep cut across the green haired males chest.

Zoro fell back onto the floor with a loud thump, the sound echoing in (Y/N)'s ears who was the first to react running towards his fallen figure, and stumbled onto the ground beside him crying out, "Zoro!"

The others snapped out of their stunned states hearing her crying for him, quicky moving over to where she was trying to carefully pull his body into her arms, as Luffy kneeled beside them and the other two stood behind.

She had one hand cradling the side of his face, and the other was wrapped around his lower waist to keep his side pressed against her stomach, as he was practically laying in her lap now half concussions from the wound.

"You big dummy," She whispered through a voice crack staring at his face and half opened eyes, as she blinked back her burning tears, "You promised me this wouldn't happen."

He tried to open his eyes to look at her face just above hers, heavy pants escaping his mouth from the pain he felt from the wound, and tried to focus on her instead of it, as his head fell into the crook of her elbow.

"Monkey D. siblings, what's your goal?" He called out his question to them a few meters away from the group with Zoro, and still sounded a bit disinterested as he placed his sword back behind his back.

She sniffled a bit glancing up from a weakened Zoro in her arms, sharing a brief look with Luffy who was already scowling at Mihawk, "We're going to become the Kings of the Pirates." She grunted her response, not bothering to turn back to the olde male as her responsibility right now was her first mate.

"Kings of the Pirates, hey? That's a much more treacherous path than even defeating me." He warns in a careful drawl, yellow gaze moving between the two who he could tell would become a dangerous problem in the future.

Luffy now turned to look at him with a set in stone serious face, and went to answer firmly for himself and his sister, "I don't care. It's what we're going to do."

Mihawk hummed a little bit to himself sensing a strange aura coming from the girl who held the male he defeated, "Maybe you two will at that. This world could use a few more wild cards." His claims lazily before moving his attention to the swordsman, "Roronoa Zoro, it's too soon for you to die. Grow strong and come find me. I'll be waiting." And with that declare he was off away from the Straw Hats.

"He's losing so much blood." Usopp came up beside (Y/N) and Luffy on the floor, staring at their wounded friend worriedly as they all knew this was the end result with their duel. 

She shakes her head trying to ignore the comment from Usopp, moving her hand up to brush over his bandanna cover his head, "He's gonna be okay." She assured mostly herself, before cupping the side of his cheek this time softly, "Hey, Zoe, can you hear me?" She choked out tryin her best to smile brightly, "He said it's too soon for you to die."

"(Y/N)..." He rasped out her name weakly through his closed gaze, which had her straight away perking up hearing him, "If I fail to become the world's greatest swordsman..." He strains out now fluttering his eyes open to look up at her with an ashamed expression, "you'll be disappointed, right?"

She frantically shakes her head through the tears building up in her eyes, "You could never make me think that, Zoro." She reassured through a teary chuckle, thumb rubbing over his tanned cheek softly as his face falls into her comforting touch.

His figure was trembling now with a new sense of determination, lidded gaze peering up at her intensely, "Never... again from now until I beat him." He began to strongly declare through gritted teeth, lifting up his sword to raise the tip of it,  "To become the greatest swordman... I will never lose again!"

Her heart fluttered despite the current situation at his dedicated he was to wanting to become the greastes, and how the fact he also wanted to impress her. Her in awed eyes flickered between his, as his ones were turning into a distant look now that had her panicking seeing it.

His arm suddenly feel limp which dropped the sword to the ground, and his body slumped more into her side now completely knocked out from the wound, and blood lost, as his eyes were shut closed.

"Zoro...?" She whimpered out scared not getting any response from him now, feeling the lump in her throat grow bigger as she brings both trembling hands up to his cold cheeks crying loudly, "Zoro!"

─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
my poor boy zoro omg crying sobbing dying i cannot right now :(( but good thing is that you guys got an entire chap of you x zoro so thats great, just no sanji pookie though so sorry loves. 🥹

if you guys also wanna go check out my anime version of this story line i posted its on my page, and if you don't wanna thats fineee don't worry about it (im very excited to write sanji and zoro with y/n in the anime bwwedwbwcece)

i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and
pleaseeee don't be silent readers guys 🫶