I don't remember the last time I spent more than ten minutes every hour thinking about her. One way or another, like a chain of thoughts, every single experience led me to her.

Our lovemaking -if I could call it that- also reflected our personalities in a way... I had lived forty years of my life and the majority of it was spent in a workshop, the most experience I knew about a woman was the warmth of my mother's hugs before she passed.

"Hmn~ kiss me more".

Mihawk had spent all her life with nothing but a sword in her hands and wanted posters in the other, her pursuit to become stronger and attain revenge severely dwarfed my ambition to create things that would help humanity.

"Uhm!~"

I guess when this barrier was breached, there was no way to mend it back. Once we knew the warmth of each other's bodies, the natural response was to research further, test the limits, and spread the feelings... all I wanted was to save the taste of her delicious body deep in my mind and I hoped she was the same.

Regardless of whether it was her lips, her neck, skin, breasts, or her sloppy tight garden. I adored it all, she was my first woman, my first experience... in a way I thought she'd also be the only one I'd ever have. And what filled me with pride the most was that I was also her first man, I could tell... she had a lot of theory but little practice. This only added to our experience, like the cherry on top of the cake, the wonderful feeling of being ignorant -yet curious and passionate- just like your partner.

Both our bodies were entwined on top of the grass, deep into the night and still soaked by the lake's warm water. My tongue was as far into her mouth as it could go and so was hers, we had long gone past the little pecks. She was on top of me, locking me with both my hands on top of my head... she was using all of the advantages her superior physique gave her.

"Hmn~ d-doing all of this to your son, you're so naughty, mom" I had a hard time speaking, not when she switched from my lips, to my neck, to my nipples, back to my mouth, like a hungry tigress who had her prey within her clutches.

Before, I had her for five hours until she sailed... now, she had me for five hours, until she sailed. The tables had turned and I was left breathless by her passion.

"Wasn't it you who made me like this?"

She took a light bite on my neck, not harsh enough to cause me pain, but hard enough to leave a mark like she already had dozens of times, all over my body. It seems watching me play with the Boa sisters affected her more than I expected.

"I taught you the ways of the sword, and you taught me the pleasure of a woman..." She finally released my captive tongue.

We regarded one another, her hands shifted, entwining her fingers with mine.

"I want to duel you, drink wine with you, read the newspaper with you, eat with you... and make love to you... forever".

It was then that my eyes mirrored the heart shape of hers, I loved that she was assertive and didn't feel too shy to confess her feelings. For her, forever had a meaning... she was aware her lifespan was way longer than the average and even yet she dared to utter such a word.

"Me too".

Her forehead touched mine, and we were both sated... she had climaxed dozens of times, and I had my fill of her body. All we wanted to do now was hug each other until the sun rose, ready for another goodbye, albeit not long.

"Grow up quickly, Veyron... and become the strongest man alive" She kissed me one last time before closing her eyes.

I nodded, hugging my mom back tightly, I never really wished to be the strongest man alive.

'I just wanted to be with you like an equal'.

Resisting the slumber to the utmost, I still fell asleep. It was impossible when such a sense of peace grounded my heart, internally I could only hope the sun would never rise and we'd stay like this, frozen in time.

**

**

"You're still looking for the Gomu Gomu?".

"Finding that devil fruit in this world is like finding a needle in a haystack, someone could have eaten it already".

Rayleigh and Shanks were having their morning drink in Shakky's bar. The crew was ready to sail as early as Mihawk showed herself with Veyron.

"Remember, that fruit is special. It has its own free will and will look for the best suitor. If it is your fate to find it, you will" The wise man commented, leaving Shanks in deep thought about his own actions, 'Could the fruit be evading me... because I'm wavering?'.

"Where are Mihawk and Vey-chan. It is already getting late. You all wasted yourself like that, you were supposed to sail in the evening!" Shakky was anxious for them all, during the day there was a chance the marine would be active and surrounding Sabaody. It would be easier for them to flee during the evening.

"Hahaha, if that happens we will burst through, don't you know? The strongest swordswoman is in this ship" Yassop smirked, They all knew now that Mihawk had defeated a powerhouse in Marie Geoise, the one that according to Shanks, was the strongest swordsman alive after Gol D. Roger.

With both of them dead, there was only one person capable enough to take that title aside from Whitebeard - who despite being strong, was not in the path of swordsmanship, and that was Dracule Mihawk.

"It is good that you depend on me. But don't expect me to save you if they arrest your drunken ass, Shanks".

After waiting for her the whole morning, the lady finally showed up. She was neatly dressed, her long hair waved as if she had cleaned and ironed it and overall she was exuding a womanly charm that didn't go unnoticed.

With one hand she was pulling Veyron and they all noticed that the way they held hands was a little different, their fingers were entwined. They didn't know what to make of it and decided to think both mother and son had a bonding period after the disobedient Veyron got fiercely scolded.

The fools could only dream.

"As cold as ever, how could this brat change you so much, Look you're even holding his hand" Lucky Roo pointed out the detail to whoever hadn't yet noticed.

"How did he change me? Hmn… he just loved me" Mihawk confessed with a broad smile, making the boy flare up in disbelief and complex feelings. She wasn't even trying to hide it at all, although she also wasn't giving it away.

"S-She smiled…" The crew members looked at the woman as if they were looking at a ghost. It wasn't a small giggle or a wicked snicker, no, she was smiling from one side of her cheek to the other!

"Dracule Mihawk smiled!!"

**

**

"Veyron! Did you sleep well?" Contrary to the day prior, it was Hancock who approached him first this time. The girls were outside playing this whole time, compared to yesterday their moods were way better. He didn't know if it was the fact that they released their frustrations before, or the fact that they'd be back home soon, but their countenances brightened up when they saw him - the person that would take them home.

"Hmn, yes, I did" He scratched his head, sending his mother a furtive glance, she was talking to Shanks to the side about their future plans. He had slept well but for reasons that he couldn't say. It was only two hours of sleep they had, but it felt like an eternity... like he had rested enough for his whole body to feel anew.