Chapter Text
Zoro’s not having a good day.
Everything hurts because of that medicine Chopper gave him but he can’t go down, not yet, because Luffy’s still fighting above.
The island shakes and an eerie silence settles over them. A minute or two pass and then Kaido’s blasting through the roof and announcing Luffy's dead.
Zoro’s brain refuses to process such a sentence, even though in the back of his mind his haki’s telling him Luffy’s voice is gone. He can hear Nami shouting at Kaido - Nami's loyalty has always been fiery and loud while Zoro's is steady and quiet - and Zoro should step up because Luffy counts on him to pick up where he left off, to protect the crew when he can’t, but his body won’t move.
Luffy’s not gone. He’s supposed to become the pirate king. He can’t be dead, but Zoro’s body still won’t move.
And then a blast of Conqueror’s haki washes over them and Zoro looks up at the hole in the roof, praying to a god he doesn’t believe in–
He can feel the drums in his bones, playing a tune as old as the world and Zoro manages to stand on his shaky legs. A gigantic hand grabs Kaido and they’re all left gaping at the ceiling. Zoro has no idea what’s going on, but he needs to see it. His feet carry him across the rubble unsteadily.
“Marco, take me up there,” he says and it’s not a request nor an order, but Marco takes one look at him and nods. He flies them up easily now that both King and Queen are down, and Zoro’s breath catches in his throat.
The white form looks like something out of a dream but Zoro knows it is Luffy because he laughs, Luffy’s very own laugh, high and giddy as he floats above the ground, a wreath of clouds floating around his shoulders.
“Who are you?” Kaido asks and when Luffy grins it is dangerous and mighty, the drums setting the pace.
“I’m Monkey D Luffy, the man who will become the pirate king!”
And Zoro wants to fall to his knees before him, tell him I know, I’ve believed in you since day one, and even Kaido looks like he might believe it a little.
Luffy grabs lightning and hurls it at Kaido and Zoro thinks his prayers might have been heard after all.