Ah! So you do know Shanks! [Luffy sorta assumed so from his offhand comment back at the Baratie, but Mihawk had been a touch more subtle and dignified about it than Buggy was during his hat-based meltdown in the middle of trying (and mostly failing) to torture Luffy, so he hadn't been totally sure.
Someday, Luffy will figure out that the pirate world is way bigger than he could ever have dreamed from beneath the rock he'd lived under on Dawn Island, and that recognizing Shanks doesn't necessarily mean someone knows him. Granted, in this case he really did randomly end up running into two of Shanks' exes former allies/rivals (exes) while puttering around in the kiddie pool of the East Blue, but that's a minor detail.
Either way he sounds way too stoked when he asks:] Are you two friends?? [He can see that goo-induced sentimental look!! Truly, Mihawk is only digging himself a deeper hole here, especially when he follows up with a joke. It startles a genuine laugh out of Luffy, who is delighted by whimsy any day of the week, but especially if it comes flying out of someone like Mihawk. He decides then and there:] You know, you're not so bad! [Listen. He never hated Mihawk or anything, even though normally the fastest way to flip Luffy's Vengeful Little Maniac switch (from its Friendly Idiot default position) is to hurt anyone on his crew. Even before suffering the indignities of magically induced friendliness, though, Mihawk had sorta been exempt from that. After all, beating Mihawk is Zoro's goal—his dream—and there was always going to be danger in that, just like there's danger in Luffy's ambitions to be the Pirate King. They've both purposefully made the choice to walk a path that will in all likelihood get them grievously harmed or killed before the end, so he can't justifiably get angry over it like he did over what happened to Nami, or Usopp and Kaya.
Besides, Zoro is alright now, and that means Luffy does not have to think about any of that, or about what it felt like to watch his first mate lying pale and almost lifeless in Nami's bed, unable to wake up while Luffy's world imploded in his absence. It's fine! He's fine!! Don't worry about it!!!
Speaking of injuries, though, it turns out that Mihawk's flashy ensemble doesn't do much to hide how banged up he is from his own spill into this weird new world, and once Luffy rallies under his steadying touch he finally notices.] Oh— you're hurt! [Sorry, Mihawk, there will be no suffering in silence and privacy here. Luffy even has the nerve to sound genuinely concerned, like Mihawk isn't a terrifying, nigh-uncontrollable Warlord of the Sea that even his Grandpa avoided throwing down with when provoked.]
hello I love Mihawk!!! I got so excited when I spotted him
Someday, Luffy will figure out that the pirate world is way bigger than he could ever have dreamed from beneath the rock he'd lived under on Dawn Island, and that recognizing Shanks doesn't necessarily mean someone knows him. Granted, in this case he really did randomly end up running into two of Shanks'
exesformer allies/rivals (exes) while puttering around in the kiddie pool of the East Blue, but that's a minor detail.Either way he sounds way too stoked when he asks:] Are you two friends?? [He can see that goo-induced sentimental look!! Truly, Mihawk is only digging himself a deeper hole here, especially when he follows up with a joke. It startles a genuine laugh out of Luffy, who is delighted by whimsy any day of the week, but especially if it comes flying out of someone like Mihawk. He decides then and there:] You know, you're not so bad! [Listen. He never hated Mihawk or anything, even though normally the fastest way to flip Luffy's Vengeful Little Maniac switch (from its Friendly Idiot default position) is to hurt anyone on his crew. Even before suffering the indignities of magically induced friendliness, though, Mihawk had sorta been exempt from that. After all, beating Mihawk is Zoro's goal—his dream—and there was always going to be danger in that, just like there's danger in Luffy's ambitions to be the Pirate King. They've both purposefully made the choice to walk a path that will in all likelihood get them grievously harmed or killed before the end, so he can't justifiably get angry over it like he did over what happened to Nami, or Usopp and Kaya.
Besides, Zoro is alright now, and that means Luffy does not have to think about any of that, or about what it felt like to watch his first mate lying pale and almost lifeless in Nami's bed, unable to wake up while Luffy's world imploded in his absence. It's fine! He's fine!! Don't worry about it!!!
Speaking of injuries, though, it turns out that Mihawk's flashy ensemble doesn't do much to hide how banged up he is from his own spill into this weird new world, and once Luffy rallies under his steadying touch he finally notices.] Oh— you're hurt! [Sorry, Mihawk, there will be no suffering in silence and privacy here. Luffy even has the nerve to sound genuinely concerned, like Mihawk isn't a terrifying, nigh-uncontrollable Warlord of the Sea that even his Grandpa avoided throwing down with when provoked.]