Here's another extract from the novel, before the fight scene occurs. Perona is trying to get Mihawk to let her make sangria but he's not budging, and neither is she
Dinner that day was prepared by Mihawk. The sight of the world's greatest swordsman standing in the kitchen wearing an apron was something that only the residents of the Shikkearu Castle would see. You couldn't imagine that he would be standing there, aloof, carrying his cross-shaped sword on his back while inserting a bamboo skewer into a roast chicken from the oven.
Today's menu is roasted and sauteed chicken. Indeed, a menu that pairs well with red wine. The sautee contains plenty of vegetables picked from the fields. The meals in Shikkearu Castle are oddly organic. Once Mihawk got to the dining table, he ostentatiously poured the wine into glasses.
At the bottom of the clear glasses, the red liquid sparkles beautifully. Just by looking at it, the dreamlike flavour comes to life on your tongue.
Seeing Perona's resentful expression, Mihawk looked at her, exasperated.
"It's just wine. Don't make such a pitiful expression."
"Wha-I'm not!"
"You are."
Mihawk lifted the glass to his lips.
"Mm." He stared at her with those hawk-like eyes.
"This is... good wine."
"It is, isn't it!"
Perona brought her face closer to Mihawk's.
"Don't you wanna make this great wine even more tasty? You do, don't you! I propose we make this wine into sangria!"
"No."
"Wha-!"
Startled by the sudden rejection, Perona was briefly at a loss for words."
"There's no need to mix in other things with this high quality wine."
"But adding fruits will make it sweeter and cuter!"
"I'm not interested."
Why!?
Perona sidled up to Mihawk, but was driven back when he replied
"Don't come so close. It's annoying."
She did not give up on hounding him.
"What about trying just one glass of Sangria? Once you try and see how delicious it is, you might change your mind!"
"I'm not changing my mind." came the immediate reply.
Perona ignored him, rolling up her sleeves and grabbing a kitchen knife.
Sangria is made from mixing wine with fruits and sugar. Ideally you'd want to leave it overnight, but even putting the fruits in just before drinking should produce some flavour. Lemon, apple, orange, peach, peel off the skin and chop into bite sized pieces. She'd planned to cut them properly but the end result was messed up. Unlike Zoro who'd cut melons sharply and firmly, Perona could not make such neat cuts.
"Seems like I messed up somehow.."
She tried cutting them various ways but none of them went well. No matter how she cut, they were never the way she wanted them.
"Uwaah! I can't cut them properly!"
What to do? At this rate, Mihawk will take all the remaining wine for himself.