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“But the sun god demands something that will bring him joy!”
“He also demands strength. Surely he’d consider that more important?”
Zoro rolled his eyes, pushing aside the curtain divide and watching as both priests quickly slammed their mouths shut. He took a swig of his sake as he joined them at the altar. “Who are we to decide what a god wants? I’ll offer myself up and if he doesn’t see it as a fitting sacrifice, I’ll take the blame.”
“That’s not fair,” came the argument.
“Who’s to say he will not simply destroy you and then this valley?”
Zoro scoffed. “If he was gonna do that, he would have done it already. Nika’s justice is fast, right? Drawn out rains and floods aren’t really his thing.”
He’d won a point there, he knew. Zoro wouldn’t call himself the most overly religious person, he didn’t serve as one of the sun god’s priests or dedicate his days to cleaning the temple - hell, he barely remembered to lay out an offering on Summer Solstice - but he knew the readings as well as the next person. Stories of Nika’s exploits had always fascinated him, if simply for the fact that the god - blasphemy aside - seemed batshit crazy.
And so, when they’d been afflicted with terrible weather for over two years and drastic measures had needed to be taken in the form of a human sacrifice, Zoro hadn’t thought twice about offering himself up. Hey, at least he’d get to see Nika himself before his time came to an end.
The elder priest laid a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to do this Zoro. I’m sure there are others who-”
“I already said I would,” Zoro snapped, shaking the hand off. “Don’t make me go back on my word.”
That got a nod and the other priest, younger but far stricter in his practices, gestured to his left where a large cart lay burdened with more offerings and wealth than Zoro had ever seen in his life. “Then take yourself and our offerings - one from every man, woman, and child in the valley - and deliver them to Mount Corvo. May Nika, in all his righteousness, accept you and them.”
“If he doesn’t, I’ll make him,” Zoro taunted, just to rile the man further.
The indignant spluttering followed him from the dwelling as Zoro added his own offering to the cart and began the long, arduous journey up the mountain. In the midst of summer, the trip was nearly unbearable and he stopped more than once to refill his waterskin, thankful for the river that ran down from the mountain’s peak. It was nearing sunset when he finally reached the temple doors, hewn from stone and shining golden in the evening light.
“Oi, Nika!” he called, dumping the cart near enough to the centre of the shrine and scouring the ceiling. “We brought you an offering! Get your arse down here, if you can actually hear me.”
Silence echoed back at him and Zoro huffed. He waited some time before boredom won out and he began to explore the temple in earnest. Fingers traced over carvings he knew the stories of well; an elephant Nika rode across the world, a fierce battle with lightning he had overcome, a wide smile that he had offered when he’d been sentenced to death. His fingers lingered over one in particular, Nika depicted as a near giant in size, facing off against a bipedal leopard. Zoro traced the lines.
“You really do all this shit or did someone make it up?”
And just like that, super heated air slammed into him, Zoro stumbling even as the world around him shuddered with an ear-splitting crack!
Zoro scrambled around, yelping when he found himself near nose to nose with what he could only assume was Nika. Nika, who had a boyish face and looked younger than he did. A scar, born of foolishness and a desire to be recognised, burnt on his cheek but there was a bigger one, a larger one adoring his chest that Zoro had never heard of. His hair was black but was also a shifting, burning gold, like fire, a hazy, smoking aura surrounding the god entirely. And, of course, slung around his neck was a straw hat, glowing fiercely gold and with a flaming red band of fire lining it like one would with a ribbon or bow.
“N-Nika,” Zoro stammered, hastily throwing himself into a bow.
Nika, to his shock, grumbled, poking his shoulder. “Don’t get like that now! You’re the only one to ever tell me to get my arse anywhere.”
Zoro flushed. “I didn’t…that…”
He was met with laughter. “Don’t apologise! That was the funniest thing I’ve heard in years!”
That had Zoro frowning, even as he cautiously picked himself up, moving into a more casual sitting position. “You found it funny?”
“Of course!” Nika hopped from foot to foot, laughing and clapping his hands together as he did so. Okay, yeah, this god was definitely batshit crazy. “So,” he said, dropping down in front of Zoro which…was that sacrilege? To be eye to eye with a god? “What brings you here…Ah, I never heard your name.”
Zoro raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know?”
Nika poked his tongue out. “I’m god of the sun not knowledge! Plus, I’m just really bad at names.”
He laughed again and Zoro almost hit him instinctually, only stopping himself at the last minute which made Nika laugh harder. “Zoro. Roronoa Zoro.”
“I’m Luffy! Nice to meet you.”
“Luffy? You’re…not Nika?”
Luffy’s? Nika’s? expression soured. “Nika was the name you humans gave me. Luffy was the name I was given at creation. It suits me better, don’t you think?”
“I suppose,” Zoro said begrudgingly because he wasn’t about to tell an actual god he disagreed with him.
“Good! Then, Zoro, what brings you here? It’s not Summer Solstice already, is it?” His head craned backwards, impossibly so. “Wow, that’s a lot of gifts! I don’t think it’s any sort of anniversary. Did I…get my years wrong?”
Zoro clenched his fists. “They’re gifts, to win your favour back over.”
Luffy blinked in confusion, head tilting to the side. “Why? I really like you guys. If I didn’t, I’d wipe you out!”
He said it so blasely Zoro almost felt ill. Maybe that was what it meant to be a god; to have ridiculous power but also no respect for human life. “People don’t seem to think so, not anymore. For the past two years, we’ve had less and less sunshine. The winters are longer and the summers are shorter. Your warmth has left the valley.”
To his surprise, Luffy, the sun god, actually blushed. He hid his eyes behind his hair and a hand subconsciously came up to rub at the raw scar on his chest. “Ah. I have done that.”
“Then there you go. We-”
“But I didn’t mean to! I didn’t even realise, I swear! I’ve just…been busy.”
“Busy?!” Zoro spluttered. “We’ve been panicking over how we’ve upset you when the reason is just you’ve been forgetful?”
“It isn’t like that!” Luffy cried, clutching at his chest. “Sabo’s gonna be so mad at me.”
That was odd in itself because Zoro knew of Sabo but legends described him as little more than a heavenly dragon, reigning fire and brimstone on unjust lands. He had never been connected to tales of Nika.
“I…” Luffy met his gaze evenly. “Human timewise, I lost my brother two years ago. Since then, I’ve been devoting my time to avenging him. I apologise that I neglected my duties to you. That was my bad.”
“Wait, humans can kill you guys?”
Some of the sombreness left Luffy as he laughed once more, feet slapping against the floor. “No, of course not!” Just as quickly, his mirth left. “But, we can kill each other.”
“Then you have my sympathies. Losing family, those close to us, is tough on anyone. I don’t blame you for taking time to mourn your brother. I’m sure it hasn’t seemed like any time at all to you.”
Luffy beamed. “Thanks but don’t worry, I’m still pretty young! I’ve only been around for near eight hundred years. Time still moves slow for me!”
That was an alarming amount of time to be alive and Zoro didn’t want to know how old the other gods were if Luffy classified himself as young. He also now understood, better than ever, why some priests advised against trying to understand the gods, to know them better. It would, probably, drive someone insane.
Luffy strode across the temple floor, Zoro’s gaze following him intently. He picked through the tributes on the cart, picking up a toy sword and studying it whimsically. “This was made by a child, wasn’t it?”
Zoro nodded, easing himself to his feet and carefully approaching, though never getting too close. “Everyone made an offering.”
The sword was placed back down. “Return it. The gifts from the children, anyway. Tell them the thought of their gift was enough and, in exchange, I’ll return joy back to them. This was my fault.”
“They won’t believe me but I’ll do it.”
“You have to or you’ll be disobeying a god and then I’d have to kill you,” Luffy informed him cheerfully.
Zoro swallowed thickly.
“But,” he then added thoughtfully, “It has been awhile since I had a direct messenger.” He bounced on his toes, smiling at Zoro. “What do you say, Zoro? Want to be my mouthpiece?”
“What? No!” he balked, Luffy giggling and watching him with dancing eyes. “Although, I don’t have a choice, do I? You’re going to make me say yes.”
“Yep!” Luffy chirped brightly. He plopped his shining hat atop his head and Zoro suddenly wondered if this was where the concept of halos came from. “See, Zoro’s smart. And he gets me.”
“I don’t think anyone gets you,” Zoro muttered under his breath. “So, how does this work? You have a contract I need to sign? Blood, sex, soul bond?”
Luffy’s nose screwed up. “Those are gross. You humans really don’t understand what we like.”
Zoro shrugged because it was probably true. He then blinked as Luffy vanished from beside the cart and reappeared right in front of him, hovering off the ground and smoky silhouette expanding to engulf them both. Before Zoro could so much as flinch, Luffy’s lips were pressing against his own and what the actual fuck? Hands twisted in his robe, warmth invaded his mouth and Zoro was powerless to stop himself from kissing back. He didn’t even think before he grasped at Luffy’s neck, pulling him in closer and opening his mouth, letting the god’s tongue lick over his own. Luffy groaned, shifting closer and Zoro could feel the supernova against his skin, burning hotter than the sun, heat excruciating, but somehow leaving him wholly unscathed. His veins started to bubble and Zoro had to pull away, gasping as he did so.
“Sorry,” Luffy said as he dropped back to the floor. “I forgot my power hurts sometimes.”
“Your power?” Zoro repeated in confusion, only to look down and then recoil when he noticed his veins were no longer blue on his arm but rather gold and almost seemed to shine.
Luffy cracked a smile. “Now whatever hurt befalls Zoro will also befall the valley.” His eyes were a little too mischievous. “They’d better treat you well.”
“N-Nika!”
Luffy poked his tongue out. “How else were they going to believe you?” He shifted, warped, flickered slightly out of existence. “Now, you’d better get going. I’ll still the sun until you make it to the village.”
“You,” Zoro said, as he set about sorting the offerings into those that were staying and those to be returned, “Are going to give them all heart attacks.”
“They wanted to know if I was still present. This’ll show them well enough.”
“Guess so.”
“And Zoro?”
Zoro paused, partway out the door. “Yes, Almighty Nika?”
Once again that melodious laugh echoed off the stone walls. “I expect you every Summer Solstice. Just you.”
With that, Nika vanished from the temple and Zoro turned back towards home. Kami help him.
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