Work Text:
He knew the Sun had not yet broken the horizon before he even opened his eye. He always knew. Waking up before dawn every day was a routine Zoro could not control. This routine was instilled in him since he was a child at the dojo. It didn't matter how tired he was or how late he went to bed the night before. He would always wake up before dawn. It was a basic instinct.
Zoro didn't complain. A longer day provided more time to train and to get stronger. He was grateful for them.
Zoro carefully stood up from his bed to not wake his other crew members. They wouldn’t wake up for another hour or so. He journeyed into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water. He found the cold water to be an effective way of waking up his senses. Lastly, he brushed his teeth before going back to his small space in the bedroom. He got dressed, clipped his swords to his side and left the men’s quarters.
The air outside was humid and hot. Zoro grimaced, wondering if it would be like this all day as he walked to the kitchen. He hoped the weather improved because it could get very hot and stuffy in the crows nest when he worked out. If the weather didn't improve, opening a window wouldn't help.
Zoro wasn’t surprised to find the swirly eyebrow cook behind the counter, chopping away with his knife as he made breakfast for the crew. Before the cook joined, Zoro was the first one up on the ship. Now he was the second. In the beginning, it would irk him to always find the cook up before him. Zoro didn’t like the idea of a stranger getting the better of him.
However, it’s been 3 years and Zoro didn’t care less anymore. In fact, it made sense for Sanji to be up first. He was in charge of creating the meals of eight people every single day. And when one of those people was their crazy, idiot captain, Monkey D. Luffy, Sanji might as well be preparing a meal for a 20 man crew. Deep inside, where Zoro never ventured too much, he was impressed by the cook. Not that he would ever, ever, tell him that. He would rather cut off a limb than let the cook feel the satisfaction.
Zoro usually waited and ate breakfast with the rest of the crew, but today he wanted to start his workouts early. So he was glad to see a hot cup of coffee and his breakfast waiting for him at the table.
He ate mindfully. Unlike Luffy and other members of the crew, Zoro normally didn't chow down his food. He enjoyed giving the time to taste the food that was so thoughtfully prepared for them. The only time he would stuff his face would be when he was really hungry. Which would happen after a long battle or a hardcore workout.
They never spoke to one another in the early hours of the morning where the ship was eerie silent and it was just the two of them. The only time Sanji and Zoro did talk was to argue. Zoro remembered them having a couple of actual conversations, but it was mostly fighting and bickering. The cook had some special power of pushing the right buttons to make Zoro's blood pressure rise. Zoro never had a rival before meeting the cook because the difference in power lever between him and others was always so apparent. Zoro had full faith that he could beat the cook in a fight, but that's not what made him a rival.
It was how the cook would cause his blood to boil when they interacted. When his wits and strength were put to the test when they made their bets. When he felt the determination to train harder afterward their fights to show the cook that he will always be the strongest one.
Zoro finished his meal and left the kitchen without saying a word. He climbed his way up the crows nest. He sat his swords against the wall and slipped off his clothing till he was in his briefs. He hung his clothes on the hanger next to his swords. He turned his collection of heavy and crazy large weights, smirking, he got to work.
He didn't know how long he had been working out. He never kept track of the time when he's in the crows nest. He simply worked out till he couldn't anymore. However, in one of his moments of rest where he grabbed a towel to wipe away the sweat, he glanced out the window and saw that Sun was mid-high in the sky now.
Noise outside on the desk would normally pull him out of his trance. Noises such as Luffy declaring food or Brook playing a song. But today that Thousand Sunny remained silent as everyone was planning on staying inside to escape the terrible weather.
The weather had not changed to Zoro's distaste. The air inside the crows nest was just as stuffy and gross, if not worse, as the air outside. And opening a window had not done a damn thing to help. The air had become heavy with salt and made Zoro's throat dry and scratchy and his nose burn. But he would endure it. He took a sip of cold water he had in the mini fridge Franky installed in the crows nest to Chopper's demand after he caught Zoro nearly fainting while working out. There was also some snacks Sanji would put in there for him when he was finished.
But he wasn't done yet. As silence lingered on the ship, he felt like he would never be done.
If Zoro wasn't working out or sleeping, he was either tending to his swords or practicing his sword swings. He would have like to practice his sword styles, yet he didn't want to piss everyone off with destroying the ship. He had to wait till they were on an island.
He was cleaning his last sword when a soft knock came from the door.
"Yes, Chopper?"
Chopper was the only one who knocked. The doctor opened the door and entered the room, holding a plate of food.
"Hey, Zoro. I wanted to know if I could take a bath with you today? Also, Sanji left this by the door since you didn't come down for lunch. It's still warm."
Zoro wasn't dumb. He may get lost constantly and have a hard time being able to tell his right from his left, but he wasn't dumb. He knew what Sanji and Chopper were doing. What they have been doing since they joined the crew. They had memorized his workout routines and prepared him food with the nutrients and supplements he would need every per and post workout.
"It's already lunch?" Zoro grabbed the plate and started to chow down. He was always hungry.
Chopper laughed his sweet, innocent laugh. "You sure do lose track of time when you work out, uh? Everyone's done eating and playing a game right now, but we miss you. We haven't seen you all day."
Zoro finished stuff the rest of his food into his mouth before replying.
“Yeah, you can take a bath with me. Is now fine?” He could feel the sweat on his body begin to clump his skin.
“Sure.” Chopper smiled.
He grabbed his clothes and swords and followed Chopper out of the crows nest. Zoro walked behind Chopper along the desk when Robin came out from the kitchen.
“Ah, Chopper, I see you found Zoro.” Robin smiled. “You missed you at breakfast and lunch. Have you been in the crows nest working out all day?”
“Pretty much.”
“And,” Robin glanced at Chopper with a slip second of concern in her eyes while her smile didn’t fade. “Was it a good one?”
Zoro didn’t respond at first. He saw Robin’s eyes dim in concern and Chopper’s reassuring smile. He wasn’t dumb.
“All my workouts are good ones.”
“Of course, Zoro.” Robin laughed. “We would expect nothing less of our swordsman. Where are you two off to?”
“We’re going to take a bath.” Chopper answered.
“So no bath with me tonight, Chopper.” Robin teased.
“Nah” Chopper was oblivious to Robin’s tone of voice.
Robin chuckled. “Be sure to scrub the back of his ears, Zoro.”
“Tch! I know that.” It wasn’t like it was the first time Chopper asked him for help with bathing.
“Well, I’ll be in the library if anyone needs me. Also, Zoro, the caption wants to speak with you when you’re available.”
“What about?”
Robin shrugged. “Like I said, we missed you.”
Zoro sighed in frustration. This crew was something else.
Zoro and Chopper entered the bathing area. Zoro filled the tub with water from the sea while Chopper collected what they would need. Franky had built a filter in the system to separate the salt from the water, but he couldn’t guarantee that it could keep all of it out. Or even most of it. Which is why Chopper had asked to take a bath with him. It was difficult for the Devil Fruit eaters on the ship to take baths. Their baths were few compared to the rest of them and they often needed assistance taking one in case they were to faint. Luffy only took baths when they complained he was starting to smell. And he was the most difficult to assist.
Zoro and Chopper stripped and Zoro climbed into the tub, sighing in satisfaction at the heat messaging his body. Chopper sat beside him on one of the stairs that lead into the tub. He only let the water reach his knees.
Chopper grabbed a bucket and filled it with water. He then lifted it and poured the water over his head. He continued the routine till his fur was wet enough.
Chopper sighed and leaned back against the first stair. Zoro placed his arm across Chopper’s stomach to keep him from sliding into the water as the sea salt began to take effect.
“Zoro?” Chopper voice was beginning to sound frail.
Zoro opened his eye.
“You’re so strong. And reliable. If I could be even a tiny bit as strong as you are or Sanji, then maybe you could rest more. You wouldn’t have to push yourself so hard all the time. We worry and I yell at you all the time because we care about you. I hope you know that we just want to make sure all your hard work doesn’t go in vain.”
Zoro resisted sighing.
Of course, he knew. With Chopper keeping him alive after every battle and Sanji cooking him meals that made his daily training worth it in the end and the crew looking to him for protection and reassurance when their captain was too busy being a fool, he understood their anxiety. He knew Robin and Nami mostly looked to Luffy for safety, but they had faith in him too. However, it wasn't only the task of protecting the crew that drove him to train like he did. He had to be strong enough to stand beside Luffy. His captain was the person relying on him the most. And what good would he be if his own captain doubted him? What good would he be if he couldn't protect his captain?
Zoro smiled and turned to look at Chopper. "If you were even a bit as strong as me or the swirly eyebrowed cook, then I'd have to work three times as hard as I already do to make sure I would still be the strongest on the ship."
The gloomy cloud above Chopper popped and they laughed.
They continued with their bath. Zoro scrubbed the shampoo into Chopper's fur in small circles to get to his skin. Chopper chuckled when he scrubbed behind his ears. There were sounds of Brook playing his violin from somewhere and a small explosion coming from Franky's and Usopp's shared lab with Luffy's laughter following. Sounds of small daily shenanigans the Thousand Sunny faced brought a small smile to Zoro's face. Though he enjoyed silence, he also enjoyed knowing that his friends were okay and that everything was in its place.
They rinsed the shampoo out of their hair and drained the water from the tub. After getting dressed and stepping out of the bathroom, Chopper looked up at Zoro.
"What are you going to do now?"
Zoro yawned. "I'm going to sleep."
"Outside?" Everyone knew Zoro liked sleeping outside when it wasn't nighttime.
Zoro held out his hand to the air. The weather still hadn't changed. It was still hot and gross.
"Nah. I guess I'll head back to the men's quarter."
Chopper smiled with relief. He had told the others not to stay outside too long. The weather today could cause someone to get sick.
"Okay. I'm heading to my office to make some medicine."
Zoro staggered into the men's quarters. His body was quickly growing heavy with sleep. He barely managed to put away his swords and take off his clothes before falling into bed. He was asleep when his head hit the pillow.
When he woke, it was cold and dark. Many hours had passed and he could hear the other male crew members snoring and mumbling in their sleep. His mind was still sleepy and his body was incredibly heavy. He wasn't awake because he wanted to be. His mind pulled him out of his very essential rest because someone was watching him.
He turned his head up and saw Luffy staring down at him with his large onyx colored eyes. His arms were dangling over the side of his bed. Zoro waited, but Luffy didn't speak.
"Ugh," Zoro dropped his head back down onto his pillow. "What is it, Luffy?"
He was too tired to daunted by Luffy's strangeness.
"Your training today must have been something."
Luffy's voice had gotten closer and Zoro didn't need to open his eye to know that Luffy stretched his neck to where his head was leveled with where he was.
"I went looking for you earlier today and the first time I see you all day, you're sleeping. Though, it's not like that anything different from what you do every day." Luffy laughed quietly.
There was an insult in there somewhere, but Zoro was too sleepy to process it.
"Zoro" Luffy lengthened out his name. It was the sound Luffy made when he wanted attention.
Zoro strained to open his eye and look at Luffy. "Robin told me that you wanted to speak with me."
"I was bored and wanted to know if you wanted to spar, but then Chopper said that everyone had to stay inside because the weather could make us sick." Luffy pouted.
"That's too bad."
"Hey! Do you think you could let me swing your swords tomorrow?" Luffy asked with glee.
"Never," Zoro replied. "Not in a million years."
"Why not?" Luffy pouted.
"They're not toys, Luffy."
There was a short pause.
"Are you going to workout all day again tomorrow?"
"I'm going to try." Chopper would most likely try and stop him, saying he needed a full day of rest.
"Can I workout with you?"
Zoro narrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment.
Luffy never asked to workout with him. In fact, he had never seen Luffy workout. Zoro assumed with his Devil Fruit powers and the endless amount of energy he had, he didn't really have to.
"I doubt you could keep up with my workouts." Zoro challenged him.
Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Are you really that strong, Zoro?"
It wasn't a taunt. It wasn't a challenge in Luffy's voice. It was genuine amazement and child-like wonder.
"The strongest," Zoro mumbled. He wouldn't be able to hold back falling asleep much longer.
A large smile stretched across Luffy's face. Pride and assurance shined in Luffy's eyes.
That was all Zoro needed.