Chapter 4

Nana gritted her teeth as she tried meditating in the harsh snow. She felt her brow twitch and threw snow in the direction of her distraction. "Would you stop that?!" She yelled.

Mihawk dodged the snowball as he fed meat to Pumpkin leaning on his shoulder. "I'm not doing anything." He replied calmly, watching the redhead get more upset at his words.

"Yeah! I'm not doing anything!" Pumpkin followed Mihawk's words.

Nana sighed and palmed her face. "I should've seen this happening." Nana stood up and dusted the snow from her exposed legs. Catching the thick cloak Mihawk threw her way and covered herself up. Blocking out the slicing wind and walked over to the two males. "Honestly and you say I'm annoying." Nana glanced up at Mihawk. Annoyed by his constant presence. The redhead felt her cheeks redden and grabbed Mihawk by the collar and brought him down to her level. "Also you bastard! Stop crawling into my bed!" Nana's face turned bright red as she thought back to the past few nights where she caught the swordsman attempting to climb into her bed or wake up to him successfully beside her.

Mihawk ignored her anger and pried her fingers loose from his cloak. "Your bed is far more comfortable than my own. The guest should be treated to the finest accommodations."

Nana felt the twitch come back more furiously. "You're not a guest you bastard. An owner can't be a guest of their own island!" Nana stormed after Mihawk when he left back to the cottage. Nana quickly caught what he threw over his shoulder and looked at the snail that appeared in his hands. "What's this?" She asked and blinked owlishly when she saw a hat sitting atop the snail's head and that it had a beard.

"My personal denden mushi." Mihawk replied, "Feel free to use it as you please when I'm gone." The shichibukai looked over his shoulder and saw the shock on her face had overpowered her earlier anger. Mihawk headed inside the cottage first and placed Tiger before the small fireplace and started to change into his regular clothing. Just as he pulled on his shirt did Nana come inside. "I'll be gone for some time, Nana, but I'll be back."

Nana frowned and folded her arms. "I still don't get why you want to come back here. I mean you live in a damn castle from what you told me." Nana sighed and moved over to help Mihawk. Clipping his black cape in place and handed over his large hat.

"I'll take you with me next time." Mihawk offered.

Nana quickly declined with a cross of her arms. "Not happening. It's safer here for me." Nana looked away in thought before mumbling out. "One day maybe. When I'm stronger." The redhead moved over to Pumpkin and picked him up and handed him out to Mihawk. "Take him with you."

"Eehhh?!" Pumpkin hollered and squirmed to get out of Nana's grip.

"Unless you wanna stay and watch me devour the island," Nana whispered creepily in his ear and laughed when Pumpkin started crying and squirming for Mihawk. "Just this once, Pumpkin. I don't want to hurt you, okay?" She kissed the top of the tiger's head and handed him over to Mihawk.

Mihawk silently enjoyed the pressure of the cub on his shoulder and tipped his hat to Nana. "I'll take good care of him. Is there anything you want?" He asked her and caught her by surprise again.

"Wool," Nana replied and looked at her near-empty knitting basket. "Black wool please."

"Black wool?" Mihawk replied before nodding and headed towards the door. He stopped momentarily and looked over his shoulder at the woman. His sharp eyes could pick up the emptiness hidden in her eyes and turned around. Grabbing her by the arm and tugged her towards him, making her squeal in shock. Mihawk pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Tucking her head on his bare chest and squeezed her lightly. "I'll be back." He whispered in her ear and pulled away, leaving the cottage in haste before the storm rolled in. Leaving behind a steaming redheaded woman.

Pumpkin chuckled from Mihawk's shoulder as they reached his ship. "You like her~" He sang.

Mihawk didn't skip a beat as he said, "I like her companionship. Don't confuse yourself." He set sail and placed Pumpkin on his lap, stroking his thick pelt. "You saw her transform once, correct?" He asked the orange fluff ball and got a purr in return. "What did she turn into?"

"Not telling." Pumpkin sang and looked up to Mihawk with joy in his eyes. He placed his paws on the man's chest and said, "But she's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. You should see her when she gets so excited at seeing Garp-san~"

"Don't say his name in front of her," Mihawk warned and got a nod in return

"Her ears and tails pop out! The more excited she gets the more she can't control her partial transformation."

Mihawk caught the plural of tails and leaned back comfortably. He hadn't heard of any animal with more than one tail and if Nana was a legendary zoan type it would explain a lot for Mihawk. "Pumpkin, we're going to a place called Sabaody Archipelago. Stay close to me and don't wander off or else you'll be stolen and sold to dangerous people."

Pumpkin froze, gulping before nodded at his newest friend. "What are we going to do there?"

"Nana's father will turn up to the island tomorrow and I have some information to collect." Mihawk looked up as he heard the yelling of a rambunctious group ahead. He sighed as he heard them screaming for his head and stood up and placed Pumpkin on his chair. "How annoying." He muttered bitterly and reached for Yoru.

Pumpkin had heard Mihawk say those words to Nana a lot but never had it held such displeasure. The fur on his coat stood up and screamed when Mihawk drew his sword and split the large ship in two. "M-m-monster!" Pumpkin leaped onto Mihawk's shoulder and bit his ear gently. "You're a monster! We could've gone around them."

Mihawk sat back down calmly and titled his hat to cover his eyes. "Even mosquitos get squashed by the most patient person."

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"Hello." Mihawk walked into an old book store that was on the verge of falling apart. Books and dust collected everywhere that even Pumpkin couldn't stop sneezing at his feet. Mihawk looked around and couldn't see life anywhere but he could sense one.

"Mihawk~" Pumpkin whined. "There are better bookstores here. Why are we at this one?" He sneezed again with his eyes watering at the power behind his sneeze.

Mihawk ignored the tiger and headed towards the counter and tapped the bell. "Rizu." Mihawk called out to the drunken store owner sleeping behind the counter. "Rizu." Mihawk called louder and woke the man up.

"Who's there?!" Rizu shouted up and looked up into Mihawk's yellow eyes. "Oh. It's just you." Rizu groaned as he picked himself up and rubbed his shaved head in annoyance. "Here." He handed the shichibukai a thick hardcover book. It held no decorative titles. Just a plain red hardcover book. "Almost cost me an arm and a leg, you know. I don't mean figuratively either. Those asshole marines were prepared to kill me." Rizu sat back down and promptly fell back asleep.

Mihawk grabbed the book and placed a bag of coins in its place. "Let's go," Mihawk called to Pumpkin.

"Ehh? Is that it?" Pumpkin called after and leaped up onto his shoulder. Taking in awe of the greenery and bubbles. "I think Nana would like this place." He commented and rest his head.

Mihawk sat down at a random cafe and ordered a cup of tea and bowl of milk for Pumpkin. Crossing his legs, Mihawk opened the book and started to read. Ignoring the whispers of those around him that were in awe, fear or glee of seeing him. He heard a few comments about taking him down but no one attempted to do so. He was at Sabaody Archipelago for one reason only and that was to find more information about the Sanguine clan, just as Nana had mentioned. This was the only place he found with reliable information and the World Government library was off limits to him.

Pumpkin took to the ground when his milk arrived and happily lapped at the warm drink.

Mihawk took a small sip of his tea as his eyes quickly ran through the book. He didn't like where this book was heading.

Chapter 13: Demon clan: Sanguine

The Sanguine clan is thought to be a peaceful cluster of people. Worshipers of the sun and fire. The clan boasts powerful warriors and feared priestess yet are said to live peacefully among themselves and visitors. The Sanguine clan were divided into three divisions: Holy forces, the warrior class and, the civilians.

Holy Forces

The Holy forces were the leaders of the Sanguine clan. Twelve priestesses in total with unmeasurable and unknown fighting strength. The twelve priestesses were under the command of the Holy Trinity; the three most powerful women of the island and clan. The twelve priestesses conducted holy rituals, trained the warrior class, aided the civilians and most importantly protected the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity enforced the laws and punished those who dare break the laws. The Holy Trinity main duty was to protect the Sanguine clan's most precious treasure. The treasure is shrouded in mystery and no one knows what the Holy Trinity protected until their dying breaths.

Mihawk skipped over the other divisions and flicked to near the end of the chapter. Wanting to know why the clan was called the demon clan.

Revelations

However, despite the clan's peaceful claims, they showed their true colours after one of the Holy Trinity declined a Celestial Dragon's proposal and a war ensued between the Sanguine clan and the World Government. Neighbouring island still speak of the skies being died blood red as the screams of war reached the far distance. The Sanguine clan slaughtered the Celestial Dragon where he stood and tortured the captured marines that were fighting to end the reign of the demon clan. The war lasted twelve nights and when the World Government were in favour of winning a ferocious scream deafened through the nearby islands. The tides turned back to the Demon clan's favour and would've wreaked havoc on the world had the hero, Monkey D Garp, not turned up and slew the unchained beast the Demon clan had hidden under the island. A beast so unearthly and disastrously that whispers of its names still shakes the neighbouring islands to this very day. Nobody knew the treasure the Holy Trinity hid from the world was the demon of sun and fire: The Kyuubi no Yoko

Mihawk slammed the book shut and closed his eyes tightly. "How complicated." He muttered to himself. He couldn't ever let the World Government know where Nana is. Mihawk opened his eyes and looked to the candle before him and quickly burned the book. Watching the tale burn to ash and fly away in the wind. No one was to know about the origins of such a dangerous fruit. Not a locked away demon but a fruit. Mihawk calmly took another sip of his tea and thought, "She was desperate to save her people. Nana never asked for this." He closed his eyes and thought back to the picture in the book. It was in black and white and was a picture of the twelve Holy Forces and in the middle sat the Holy Trinity. It was an old photo but even Mihawk was able to pick out Nana in the black and white photograph. She was adorned with jewels and sat proudly in her flowing toga dress. She sat in the middle, head held high and between the other two of the Holy Trinity.

Pumpkin finished off his milk and looked up to Mihawk. Tilting his head when he saw a frown slowly making its way on his face. "Mihawk." Pumpkin called out and jumped up into his lap, licking his cheek. "Is everything okay?"

Mihawk opened his eyes and looked into the innocent golden eyes of the cub. He patted his head gently and replied, "It will be." Mihawk nodded and placed money down to pay for their drinks before standing up. Allowing time for Pumpkin to make his way to his shoulder and set off into the archipelago. "We need to buy some supplies and wool before we set back off." He explained his plan to the tiger and got a purr in response when he rubbed his cheek against his own. Mihawk quickly gathered some supplies and had other people drop it off at his ship as he personally went to look for wool. Mihawk picked up a spool and looked it over. "Which one should I get?" He asked Pumpkin as his sharp eye looked over the different shades of black and the various quality of wool.

"Garp-san always buys terrible wool. I hear Nana complain about it all the time." Pumpkin gestured over to thicker wool bundles. "There! Merino wool. Nana always talks about wanting to knit with natural wool."

Mihawk walked over the wool and ignored the generous price. He touched the material and immediately felt the difference and looked around at the colour range. There wasn't much of a range with merino and picked up a spool and examined it carefully. It wasn't entirely black, he could spot threads of dark brown and nodded. "Ebony. I'll take 10 kilograms."

"Ehh!!" Pumpkin hollered. "That's too much! Especially for 100% merino wool!"

Mihawk hummed before changing his mind. "I'll take 10 kilograms of silver fox grey merino and 2 kilograms of ebony black." Handing over his money and took the bags of wool from the grinning woman. "It's getting colder in the cottage. Perhaps she can make a blanket." Mihawk muttered and felt Pumpkin slump on his shoulder.

"OI MIHAWK!" A voice bellowed over the archipelago.

Mihawk glanced over his shoulder and saw his old rival running towards him. He contemplated running away but turned and faced the grinning man. It would do him no good to escape from Shanks. The man would only hunt him down till he was satisfied. "You're too loud," Mihawk complained.

Shanks paused mid-stepped before slapping Mihawk on the shoulder. "Oi oi, is that any way to greet an old friend, Hawky?" He bellowed out in laughter before seeing the stunned tiger on his friend's shoulder. "I didn't know you shopped in the shadows." Shanks shook his head disapprovingly.

Mihawk visibly sighed and turned fully to the man. "A friend asked for me to take him with me on a trip. Pumpkin meet Shanks, Captain on the Red Hair pirates and one of the Yonko."

"Yonko!" Pumpkin hollered in shock, stars appearing in his eyes as he looked over Shanks. "I imagined the Yonko to be big and ugly from what you've told me."

"Ohh the tiger talks." Shanks nodded his head before leaning in and whispering in the tiger's ear. "But some of them are big and ugly." He snickered along with Pumpkin before seeing the wool Mihawk carried. "You knit my old friend?" Shanks asked before wiggling his brows at the swordsman. "Or is it for this friend of yours?"

Pumpkin quickly jumped onto Shanks' shoulder and matched his face. "Not just any friend. A special friend." Pumpkin sang out.

"I should've seen this coming," Mihawk muttered before turning around and walking off. Ignoring the calls of the two fools that chased after him. Mihawk glanced back and saw the two new friends chatting happily to one another and found himself in thought. "Akagami," Mihawk called out to the man. "Are you free?"

Shanks paused, tilting his head to the side in thought. "You don't mean?" He questioned and awed when Mihawk nodded. "I'm always free! Take me to your friend!"

"Eeehh?!" Pumpkin hollered.

Mihawk covered his eyes with his hat. "She might just kill me this time."