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zoro wanted to scream. everything was going wrong. everything that could go wrong went wrong. the marines were attacking, and everyone was worn out from their fight with crocodile days prior. (well, luffy's fight.)
luffy's brother ace was still here, looking after his little brother until he set off for blackbeard. he wanted luffy out of alabasta safely and he could continue on his way. when he had departed before, telling the straw hats he wouldn't see them for awhile, ace was still needed and had ran into luffy a second time. he then had decided to look after his fondly stupid little brother.
early into the water battle with the marines, they had made a good hit to the merry and fucking knocked luffy into the sea. zoro remembered the captain's cut-off scream before he tumbled into a watery grave. with luffy's devil fruit powers, it had taken his ability to swim. he was at the sea's mercy until someone fished him out.
no one on the ship would have enough time to get luffy out without having a black spike shot at their face. luffy would be stuck to drown until they finished.
zoro watched in a calm, but bubbling panic as luffy fell in. he remembered ace, and watched his reaction to luffy falling. ace's eyes had widened, his mouth falling open.
"luffy!" he had screamed, voice dripping in panic.
ace was incapable of saving luffy due to his own devil fruit powers he possessed. he couldn't swim down to save him.
sanji, nami, and robin (who had shown herself and asked to join before luffy had fell) were busy trying to slow the marines. zoro knew luffy wouldn't last, and luffy would fall unconscious and drown faster if he wasn't pulled out. besides, zoro wasn't very helpful fighting from faraway, but cannons would have to do.
zoro and sanji's cannon work had sunk one ship, ace's fire had burnt another to a crisp. robin used her own powers to strangle everyone on a ship, with nami using her weather wand toy to strike it with lighting; it had been sunk to the ocean floor.
bon clay's distraction had also worked, and his own crew had taken down that ship.
zoro breathed in, as though he was breathing in his own panic. he noticed ace watching him from the side. zoro figured ace knew zoro was going to fish luffy out.
zoro took charge, "turn the ship to starboard. take it to the shore. i'm going to get luffy." when he spoke luffy's name, everyone seemed to remember their own captain who saved their asses days earlier was dying. well, everyone except ace.
zoro glanced at ace, and turned running towards the side of the ship where luffy had fell. he dived in the water, the cool atmosphere greeting him. he opened his eyes, panning for where luffy was. he spotted luffy's straw hat, and the head it was strapped to.
zoro swam down towards him, noting with a bit of concern luffy was unconscious. zoro cringed. they had left him underwater long enough luffy's breath had run out.
zoro's arms pushed water behind him faster. he finally reached the black-haired boy, and wrapped an arm around his waist. he pulled luffy against his chest, making it secure so he could pull him upward.
when he broke the surface, he breathed in deeply, inhaling. he pulled one of luffy's arms over his shoulder, kicking his legs opposite from the shore. when he reached, the crew crowded him, and he coughed out some salt-water. before anyone could grab luffy, ace snatched him and cradled him like a child. (well, maybe luffy was a child compared to his antics and their age difference.)
he placed him so gently on the sand it didn't seem possible ace was doing so. ace pressed both hands on luffy's chest and pushed three times, pulling away for seconds and repeating.
"c'mon luffy.." he murmured, worried. "don't die on me."
he continued pushing on his chest as the crew watched with baited breath.
they all whispered some sort of encouragement.
"you can do it luffy. come back to us." nami murmured quietly.
robin stayed quiet, but her fingers nervously tapped against luffy's ankle.
ussop had just bit his lip nervously, "go luffy!"
sanji whispered, probably hoping no one would hear, "i'll make you lots of food, whatever you want if you don't die."
zoro had muttered, "if you die, i'll bring you back to life and kill you myself."
ace had let out a watery chuckle at that, "oh luffy, what great friends you have."
luffy finally breathed in, coughing a waterfall of ocean water. ace gasped, "luffy!"
his eyes rolled back, his face scrunching in discomfort.
luffy finally calmed down, his eyes opening for real this time.
"i-ace? what-," luffy whispered.
zoro snorted, "the marines knocked you in the water and i saved your ass. idiot."
ignoring luffy's dignified, "hey!" ace cocked his head, still shaken, "actually, i saved his him."
ace glanced at his brother. luffy groaned, "i'm tired. if you don't mind i'm just going to," his breathing evened out. "-sleep."
zoro rolled his eyes, placing a hand over luffy's slightly elevated face and softly shoved him down.
"yeah, i'd do that too."
luffy's lips formed a soft grin.
luffy's eyes gently fell shut, his breathing evening out. his body went limp.
"if it weren't for his chest moving, i'd think he was dead." sanji deadpanned.
ace glanced at zoro, then glanced back at luffy, then looked at zoro again. zoro got the message. ace wanted alone time with luffy..he was probably scared for luffy. he almost lost his brother.
zoro stood, glancing at his unconscious friend and his insanely strong brother. "let's go guys, we need to ready the ship."
"but-" nami protested.
"guys. let's go."
ussop's face whitened. "coming zoro." he burst off towards the ship.
the others followed behind, and sanji left a lingering look at ace.
ace finally breathed, staring down at luffy. zoro practically spied from the ship. he was too curious.
ace, when he thought no one was looking snaked his arms around luffy and pushed luffy's head under his chin. he hugged luffy like a baby.
when ace dipped his head to kiss the crown of luffy's head, zoro had the decency to look away from a tender moment.
sleepily, luffy's eyes cracked open on why he had been jostled. ace pulled back and looked at him, "i thought i told you to sleep, dumbass." he growled, no heat behind it.
"you can't make me." luffy grinned, a smile so soft it was only reserved for his brother. "i want to stay awake with you. i've changed my mind about sleeping."
ace smiled, albeit scarily, "i accept your challenge." ace wrapped his arms tightly around luffy, his head tucked under his chin once again. ace knew very well how much luffy loved those hugs, and just how much it could make luffy melt.
luffy sighed tiredly, his eyes stubbornly holding awake. he barely tried to fight back the impending, amazing sleep. "you can't..make..me.."
ace chuckled. luffy's fate was decided since the beginning. he began to use his devil fruit powers to an advantage.
luffy panicked, knowing full-well he's doomed if ace heated his body so he's like a human-shaped heated blanket.
using his powers, ace heated his body to make it comfortable for sleeping. like a human thermometer, luffy thought.
luffy protested weakly, "that's..cheating..." he felt consciousness slip from his fingers.
"oh, embrace it, luffy." ace murmured against his hair.
luffy fell silent, and dead-weight in his arms. ace hummed, feeling the breathing and faint heartbeat coming from his brother.
ace bit his tongue, bottom-lip shaking dangerously. water welled in his eyes. i almost lost this. i almost lost him -- my whole world.
from such a faraway distance, zoro could see the wet glisten on ace's face.
zoro had guessed correctly. ace had almost been holding in tears while he brought luffy back to life. ace finally stood, cradling luffy with his head laid against shoulder, his straw hat in his hand.
ace started towards the ship, and zoro just knew.
those two would be okay. ace and luffy had an unbreakable bond. they'd be okay.
they'd be okay.