Title: The Sacrament of Confirmation
Characters: Shanks, Mihawk.
Pairings: Mihawk/Shanks friendship. Not essentially romantic.
Warnings: Shanks finds out something about Mihawk. What more warning can I give?
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

"Takenome" Dracule Mihawk was not a man who was easy to embarrass. Perhaps that's why Akagami Shanks liked him so much, for the challenge, but that's partially beside the point. The point was, Mihawk, despite his intimidating demeanor and his deadly sword, was embarrassed and Akagami was never going to let him live this down.

He knew the second he accepted the damn proposal that this would happen. Right now, all the world's greatest swordsman wanted to do was go home to the isolated cabin on the summer island he tentatively called home and drown himself in cheap wine.

Unfortunately for this particular swordsman fate was in a cruel mood. When Mihawk arrived home a rowboat was there waiting for him.

"Dracule Mihawk." The steady voice of his redheaded rival came through the open door. Mihawk considered turning around and sailing away, far away, but his pride insisted that he face the man.

"Akagami Shanks. Breaking and entering again I see." Mihawk responded, stepping through his front door.

The red-haired pirate captain was sitting in a deceptively relaxed position, reading a newspaper. Mihawk nearly winced. There went hoping that he hadn't heard the news.

"Are you going to turn me into the Marines for it now?" Akagami asked, flipping the page.

Mihawk rolled his yellow eyes. "I might, if I thought that would stop you from bothering me?"

Brown and yellow eyes met as the redhead finally looked up from the periodical.

A moment passed.

And then another.

Mihawk began to idly wonder if his rival, and somewhat friend, was really angry with him.

"Dahahah!" Shanks burst into obnoxious laughter. "You? A Shichibukai?" He cried out, handing slapping his knees and the table that was Mihawk's main piece of furniture. "What were they thinking?"

Mihawk's brow twitched. To anyone else it would be been a sign of anger, but Shanks wasn't fooled.

"How the hell did the World Government get you to agree?" Shanks gasped when he had calmed down enough to speak.

"…"

"They didn't?" He exclaimed, sitting straight up in surprise.

Mihawk turned his gaze away from his way-too-observant rival.

"…It was a non-negotiable term." Mihawk muttered, his ears going slightly pink as he heard Shanks stand to approach him.

"Why don't you let me try to convince you to come back to the free pirates?" Shanks nearly purred in his ear.

Mihawk snorted. "Forgive me if I don't believe that you have the resources to compete with the entire World Government."

"Oh, but I won't forgive you for that." Shanks' voice rumbled out of his chest. "Not without alcohol."

In reality, Mihawk should have seen it coming. Why else would his rival have sought him out if not to drink?