Chapter Text
Since he’d missed the entire morning shoveling snow, Zoro decided to head straight to the dojo and leave the clothes delivery for the next day. He was thoroughly annoyed, however, when he somehow found himself at the docks instead of the dojo, blaming it on the old dusty roads of the island and their confusing twists.
As he started making his way in the direction the dojo was certainly located, he noticed the sudden activity bustling around him. It wasn’t unusual for the docks to be full of people coming and going with crates stacked high on their backs, but instead of the organized chaos you’d usually had to sort through to avoid bumping into people, the movement seemed to be following in a single direction. A direction which happened to be away from where he was headed.
Zoro looked up at nervous faces and backward glances as people hurried away in hushed whispers. He kept walking forward and found himself right outside Oska’s. Oska himself was at the front door, talking to a bunch of ragged looking men. There was broken glass lying around the ground, which was wet from spilled liquor. Behind Oska, Rika was gripping his shoulders and glaring fearfully at the men. They were undoubtedly pirates.
“-telling you to forget about her and get lost already” Oska was saying. One of the men gripped him by the front of his shirt and Rika cried out in alarm. She spotted Zoro watching the scene and let out a small gasp, which she quickly covered with a hand. The men took notice of it, though, and turned towards Zoro. The one who’d been holding Oska dropped him down.
“You have some fancy looking hair kid” he said.
Zoro scowled at him as the man approached him, ignoring Oska and Rika’s protests. He towered over Zoro and leered down at him with cruel eyes. A nasty scar hollowed out the left side of his face and twisted his smile.
“Anyone ever tell you you wear the face of a dead man?” he asked “Though that damn color is definitely Terras.”
Zoro only glared and tried walking past him, but the man dropped his hand onto his shoulder, gripping it tightly.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going? I just wanted to have a friendly little chat and you ignore me? I’d assumed your mother would’ve taught you better manners than that.”
“I don’t wanna talk to you” said Zoro.
The man chuckled as he straightened up. His companions had walked up to them and stood on either side of the man, all three of them effectively blocking Zoro’s path. The one on the man’s left whistled.
“The runt looks just like his old man” he said. The third man on the right just watched with a bored look, a cigar hanging off his lips.
“That’s what I just told him Ren! But can you believe he doesn’t wanna talk to me about his mama?”
“What a rude little bastard Jax”
“So rude,” said Jax. He rested his hand on his chest as he looked at Zoro in the eye “did you know I’m an old friend of you mother kid? We used to be so close once upon a time. You see, my crewmates and I docked on this island for supplies and remembering it used to be her homeland stirred up all these memories in me. Made me nostalgic, y’know? I was just askin’ where I could find her when you suddenly appeared” a shadow flickered in his gaze “in Arashi’s very image”
Zoro glared at him.
“You must be mistaken” he said “I don’t have any parents. I also have to get to work at the dojo, so leave me alone already”
Jax slowly lost his smile as he listened. Behind them, Oska and Rika were urgently whispering to one another, him trying to pull away from her clutch around his arm.
“Maybe the bar owner was right Jax” said the man with the cigar “you know that dojo holds nothing but orphans. She could’ve croaked during childbirth for all we know.”
“Shut up moron” said Jax. The man with the cigar didn’t even blink. Jax opened his mouth to continue but was interrupted by Oska.
“The marines are due to arrive for patrol at any minute now!” he said as Jax turned around and glared darkly at him “you low lives must be deeply aware of the increased patrols these last few months, I’d even wager you are the reason behind them”
Oska took a step forward “You wanna risk your luck just to bother a nameless orphan?” he asked.
Jax’s companions glanced at him, who’d turned fully around to listen to Oska as he spoke. The tension hung in the air for a few seconds, till Jax smiled a mirthless smile.
“I guess not” he said.
The three of them turned around to leave. The other two didn’t even glance at him but as Jax walked past Zoro he muttered “Tell your mother I said hi, kid”.
Zoro turned to glare as they headed to a solitary ship docked on the port. He heard Oska rush to his side.
“You okay kid?” he asked.
“What a huge jerk” was all Zoro said. Oska sighed.
“Nothing good ever comes from pirates Zoro. I wish your mother had known that sooner” he said. Zoro pointed his glare up to him. Oska shifted nervously on his feet.
“I’m going to the dojo” Zoro declared after a few tense moments.
As he hurried down the nearest street he made a mental note to ask his mother about that jerk pirate once at home. He recalled that guy Dan had mentioned something about some idiot pirates he’d been crewmembers with on the past-
“The nearest path to the dojo is to your right kid!” he heard Oska calling at this back.
---
“This is somehow even easier than usual” said Kuina. She glared down at Zoro while he rubbed his head angrily after her final blow had sent him face first into the ground “have you finally grown tired of me beating you?”
“As if!” he said as he grabbed his wooden sword and got back on his feet “this next one for sure I’ll win!”
She just looked at him while he positioned himself into a defensive stance, searching for something in his movements. She exhaled through her nose and dropped her sword on the ground. The sound echoed throughout the courtyard, the silence after it heavy and oppressive. He stared at her in confusion.
“I’m done” she said and turned around towards the dojo entrance.
He remained frozen in place for a moment before his anger snapped his mouth shut and made him sprint after her.
“You can’t do that!” he screamed as he grinded to a halt in front of her. She looked at him like one would a bug.
“I’m not gonna waste my time with someone who’s not giving it their all”
Over the roaring of his racing heart he felt his face heat up.
“I’m giving everything I have!”
“Liar.” she stepped around him but he grabbed her arm, or at least tried to before she snatched it away angrily.
“What’s your problem?!” he said.
“You’re not taking me seriously!”
“I told you I am you idiot-“
“Is it because I’m a- “she snapped her mouth shut and turned around in a rush. Zoro swore he could’ve heard a trap triggering itself under his feet, but he was too angry to care.
“You’re a what??”
“Shut up”
“Cause to me what you’re being is a huge piece of-“
“Shut up!!” before he could even react she’d turned back around and pushed him hard into the ground. He’d never seen Kuina as angry as she was now, face red and fists white at her sides as she yelled at him.
“You’re just a stupid little… little… boy!! You don’t know anything about the world!! You don’t know how important respect is when you fight. The least you could do is show some interest!”
She started walking away again. He gritted his teeth as he watched her leave, the quick impulsive thought of flinging his sword at her crossing his mind. He got back to his feet for what he felt was the millionth time since he got here. She was already halfway across the courtyard.
“Okay you’re right!” he called after her. She stopped and glanced back at him.
“I haven’t been thinking about the fight. I will stay focused from now on, so will you come back here already” he said, picking up her sword from the ground and offering it up to her.
With the classes being mostly over at this time of the day their fight had only been witnessed by a few lingering students, who’d been careful to stay away and silent. They whispered to themselves as she made her way back to him and snatched the sword with a fluid movement.
“I’ll know if you lose focus” she said as she prepared herself. Without another word he launched himself at her, eager to gain back lost time.
Kuina ended up beating him in every single fight after that, but she didn’t bring up his lack of focus again, so Zoro guessed he was in the clear. As the long shadows of the late afternoon creeped over the now empty courtyard, he dipped his head under the water faucet that sprang out of the dojos wall.
“Would it kill you to behave like an actual human for once?” said Kuina. She sipped from her cup as she watched him pant under the faucet and ignore her. He shook his head dry, spraying water everywhere, and also ignored her complaints while he drank using his hands. Once he was done, he stood up straight and glared at her.
“Tomorrow I’ll beat you” he said.
She looked at him unimpressed but spoke up when he made a move to leave.
“What were you thinking about that had you so distracted earlier” she asked. Zoro had mostly forgotten about it, but the memory of the man with the cruel smile stirred up in his mind with her comment. He scowled.
“I saw a pirate down at the port who asked about my mother. What a huge bastard he was” he said.
Kuina hummed as she mulled over what he’d said, gaze lost in the now empty and darkening courtyard.
“Your mother is very nice” she said “in that way she’s nothing like you”
He tsked angrily as he looked away.
“Everyone in this stupid little island knows her” she continued “if a bunch of lowlifes want to cause her trouble there are plenty of people who’d be willing to help”
Zoro frowned down at the water faucet for a long while and tried to come up with an answer that wouldn’t get him kicked to the floor for the hundredth time today.
“I can help her myself” was what he came up with.
Kuina scoffed and laughed out loud at him. He tried to push her away but she ended up pushing him harder.
“How can you possibly help when you can’t last five minutes against me?” she said.
“Fuck off!! You’re clearly so much stronger than those stupid pirates” he shouted.
Her eyes widened and she stroked her chin in a self-satisfied manner, a glitter in her eye. Entirely fed up with her, he again tried to leave.
“Will you stop trying to leave and listen for once in your life?? I’m telling you that there are people she can go to who will offer help if she needs it”
“And also offer their pity” he muttered, but she heard him nonetheless. She surprised him by sighing. When he looked back at her she was smiling but he found a sadness in her eyes that hit him harder than her push.
“This town is conservative and locked in its ways” she said “it’s infuriating and I wish they’d get their head out of their asses already, but something this town is not is cruel” she stared him down “don’t let your pride make you forget that”
He didn’t retort back but she continued regardless.
“A swordsman can’t afford to allow his feelings influencing his fights. Not to mention how rude it is to see your opponent with their attention divided from their opponent”
“Of course, even if you don’t care about being rude, as is clearly your case, taking your fights seriously will also save your life” she said “I would’ve murdered you a dozen times over back there because you weren’t on the job”
“You’ve murdered me a hundred times over since we started all of this” he muttered.
For the second time that day Kuina laughed out loud at him..
“I guess is have, haven’t I” she mused, a pleased smile on her face.
“Don’t look so happy about that!”
---
Kuina’s words refused to leave his mind as Zoro made his way back home. He knew there was some truth to what she’d said. On the rare moments where her mother felt strong enough to reach the town there were always warm smiles waiting for her, even if it was equally true that some of them had that damned pity hidden behind them. Then there were the people like Gusta, who helped in the most condescending way they could think up.
Zoro clenched his fists so hard at his sides he felt his nails biting into his skin. Getting stronger was the only solution. He had to get stronger so that he could protect his mother from anything, so that no one would look at her like Gusta did. He had to get stronger, be stronger, perhaps even… become the strongest-
A cold wind ran down his spine and made him shiver. He’d thought his increasing restlessness had been because of his conversation with Kuina or because he hadn’t fought himself to exhaustion like on his other visits to the dojo… but a heavy feeling in his heart was starting to take root. Suddenly, as if it had sprung from the trees surrounding him of the grass or dirt at his feet, a solid conviction became sordidly clear in his mind:
Danger.
It had already been a while since the sun had hidden itself over the horizon, and surrounded by the growing darkness of the forest Zoro was suddenly certain his mother was in danger. With his unfortunate meeting at the docks leaving little doubt about what could be the cause, Zoro sprinted towards home.
It was as if this wordless threat was calling to him, shifting his run towards its origin, and in no time their house appeared right in front of him. Zoro came to an abrupt stop and listened intently as he tried to control his panting. All around the clearing, an eerie silence had settled in. Then, just as his breathing gradually slowed, Zoro was able to discern a faint conversation coming from the house. He took one last steadying breath, and slowly approached.
At the front door he was able to recognize his mother’s serious tone as well as the rough voice of the pirate who’d threatened him back at Oska’s. Jax, his cronies had called him. Zoro locked his growing fury deep into the confines of his heart. Having a clouded mind right now would do them no favors.
Their front door had been left slightly ajar. His shaking hand pushed it open as gently as he could, weary of making any noise. His mother’s conversation with Jax took meaning as he crouched down on the floor and creeped towards the corner that marked the entrance to their living room.
“-nothing to say to you” she was saying.
“Your cruel words make my heart break Terra” said Jax as his heavy footsteps moved around the room “do the shared memories between us mean nothing to you anymore?”
Despite being the one unarmed between the two of them, his mother’s voice came out as sharp as any blade and drenched in cold contempt.
“Clearly the memories you have are very different from what I remember” she said.
Jax laughed nastily.
“Are you really gonna blame a man for being a pirate, dear? Maybe your stay on this island of bumpkins has turned you superficial”
“Being a pirate has nothing to do with it Jax” she said “you’re just rotten to the core”
Jax’s heavy footsteps came to an abrupt stop. Not a breath could be heard in the room. Zoro risked a glance around the corner of the entrance and saw Jax looming over his mother, who remained seated surrounded by folded clothes and was glaring up at him. He had his back turned towards Zoro. After a few tense breaths his back muscles relaxed and Jax starts strolling around again, though slower this time.
“At least I’m glad to see that time hasn’t dulled your edges Terra” he said “I would’ve hated to see you turned into a broken hag, would’ve made this little detour so sour and pointless.”
“You do look a lot paler than I remember though” he added as he leaned down into her. His mother leaned back just as much, the disgust plain on her face “and those eyebags do you no favors either.”
“No matter though” he said “once you join me, I’ll make sure to find a good doctor for you”
Zoro’s eyes widened, mirroring the confused expression on his mothers’ face.
“What are you talking about” she said.
“You think I came all the way to this insignificant little island just to chat with you for a while?” said Jax “your way out of this forgotten corner of the sea has finally arrived, dear.”
His mother gaped at him for a few seconds, then promptly started laughing. Zoro saw Jax’s hands curling into fists at his side and he tensed up, ready to spring out at the slightest movement from the man. Jax remained as if he’d been nailed to the floor though and could only listen as his mother’s laughs devolved into a fit of coughs that racked her body.
“Your idiocy has only grown with the years” she finally said after she’d settled her breaths “what delusion could make you think I’d ever be willing to leave my home for someone like you?”
“You and I had a connection back in the day Terra. I could feel it. I could see the signs-”
“Then you should’ve checked your eyesight, Jax” she interrupted “I’m going to be as clear as possible and tell you I am most definitely not going to leave my home for you or your crew of sorry losers, and since that’s apparently the reason for your very unwelcome visit you should turn around and leave to spare me the sight of your face”
“Terra!” laughed Jax in that nasty way of his “I just want to help you! Of course the ignorant shrinks in this village can’t cure you! In the Grand Line there are bound to be doctors who-“
“You? On the Grand Line?” laughed his mother “You wouldn’t last a morning on that sea.”
Jax raised his chin up. The cheer in his voice had faded when he spoke again.
“Don’t underestimate me woman. Not everyone has become rusted from hiding on an island for almost a decade like you have” he scoffed “motherhood has withered you away”
Zoro had to suppress a gasp when in the blink of an eye his mother jumped to her feet. Jax stumbled a few steps back, caught off guard.
“You are treading dangerous territory” she whispered, “why do you know about Zoro?”
Jax shook nonexistent dust off his shirt as he shuffled another step back.
“I saw him this morning on the docks” he said “If the green hair hadn’t clued me in, seeing Arashi’s face only confirmed-“
“DON’T” yelled his mother. Zoro flinched at the sheer volume of it. He’d never heard his mother shout so loudly before.
“Don’t speak his name” she said.
At his hip, Jax’s hand twitched over his scabbard. Zoro prepared himself.
“Why not?” said Jax “he’s a dead man” he took a step forward “and you’re just a sick woman who knows nothing about what’s good for her. Let me show you just that-“ he said as he reached up to grab her wrist.
Zoro sprinted from around the corner and jumped onto Jax’s back.
“Leave her alone!” he wrapped his arms around his neck to weigh him down as Jax sputtered in surprise.
“YOU LITTLE BRAT” he hollered as he tried to pull Zoro off.
Zoro heard his mother shouting his name as he tried to cling onto Jax’s neck. He opened his mouth with the intention of biting, but the air rushed around him and suddenly his back slammed against the wall. All the breath in his lungs left through his open mouth in a choked-out cry as he slid down the wall and tried to gasp for air.
Above him, Jax turned around and glared at him with hatred.
“Wretched mongrel” he spat. He grabbed Zoro’s shirt and easily lifted him off the ground, his other hand wrapped around the handle of his sword. “I should’ve killed you when I had the-“
Zoro didn’t hear the rest of it as a wave of energy passed through him. It had the distinct feeling of a punch that lands but doesn’t deal any damage, and yet his muscles froze and nailed him in place.
A heavy thud at his side made him look to see Jax fallen on his ass, trembling. He looked at his mother like one would look at a spectre.
“Hhh- hh…” he stutters “h-how can you do that?! That power..! It’s-!”
His mother glared at him and another wave hits Jax, pushing him back. Again, Zoro feels the wave without the pain, making his head dizzy. Through the spinning, he can gather his mother stepping in front of him and glaring at Jax with cold hatred.
“Leave” is all she says.
Jax winces and cries out as he scrambles to his feet. In an instant he’s out of the house and his footsteps can be heard in the snow.
Zoro stares at the place where he was an instant ago, not yet understanding how his mother could have possibly done that. Her swaying movements makes him forget about the strange energy though, and he looks up to see her face paler than ever and basked in sweat.
“M-mom…?” he whimpers.
She falls to her knees and looks at him. Her attempt at a smile looks like a wound.
“Zoro my dear… I’m sorry”
She collapses forward with a dull thud. Zoro can only stare as his breath leaves him from the second time that day.
“Mom?! MOM!!” he shakes her frantically.
“Mom you have to wake up!!
“MOM!!”
“…”
“Don’t leave me…”
Through his desperate shaking, he recalls Kuina’s words from earlier that day.
There are people she can go to who will offer help if she needs it.
Teeth gritting so hard he feels blood in his mouth, Zoro stands and looks down at his mother. Her brow is furrowed as she struggles to breath, the sweat soaking her roots as she lies on the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
A broken noise bursts out of Zoro and he shouts a rushed “I’ll be back!” as he dashes out of the house. It has started snowing. He runs through the darkness as fast as he can, snowflakes forcing him to blink and panicked breaths condensing from his mouth and through the solid conviction that he’ll find a doctor or die trying, the same sentence feverishly repeats itself in Zoro’s mind.
Don’tleavemeDon’tleavemeDon’tleavemeDon’tleavemeDon’tleaveme-