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It seemed like a harmless island when they spotted it in the distance. Just a giant
tree with branches covering the span of an island like an umbrella. Red leaves— bright red.
Nami says it's an Autumn island.
The cook swoons, yelling something about it being the island of love! He twirls and spins around Robin and Nami with an idiotic smile... Zoro has to turn away before he cringes.
Luffy yells about climbing it— and everything was so normal.
And then they enter the islands climate, and something shifts. It feels different. Something shifts on the ship, and he doesn't know what— and everyone notices it.
Even Luffy goes quiet for a moment— looking around the sky with a blank look.
They should've turned back then, but they don't, and continue to sail forward towards the island. It's not the island of love— no, it's the island of Emotions they soon find out.
With each season, the leaves change color. With each color, it’s a different emotion.
Autumn is red.
The island where the red leaves change something in your hormones— sends signals to your brain to unleash secrets you would never want to tell.
That he swore to never speak of.
As soon as that first red leaf smacks into Chopper's face— and he blurts out that he was the one who shattered Brook's mug earlier that day— that's exactly when they should've left.
That's when Zoro should've dashed away, and hid.
Chopper goes red, and starts to profusely apologize. "I'm sorry Brook! I did want to tell you— I was just scared!"
Brook laughs, accepting the apology.
Another red leaf falls onto the deck, and Luffy grins as he picks it up— then that smile falters.
And suddenly he says something that leaves the crew stunned in silence.
"I hate myself for letting Ace die."
It even stuns Luffy— who drops the leaf and scrambles away from it. "Wh-what?" He stutters out, standing up and starring at the red leaf.
Sanji coughs awkwardly, and slowly leans down to pick the leaf up. Luffy looks like he wants to tell him not too— but another leaf flutters down from above, smacking the cook in the back of the head.
"I still hate myself for running away from you, Luffy... from all of you."
The crew goes silent, and suddenly everyone understands everything about this island.
Robin scans the tree on the center of the island, and frowns. "I've read about this island before— I just wasn't sure. Through the different seasons, the leaves turn different colors... those colors affect the signals in your brain. Red is for secrets."
Nami turns to Luffy, who's starring at the red leaves that are scattered around the deck. "Luffy, what's your call?"
Before Luffy can get his answer out— a leaf hits Zoro square in the face. He freezes— and hopes he has other secrets that aren't the one he's thinking about.
It comes out anyway, the one he didn't want Luffy— or anyone— to hear about.
"I traded my life for Luffy's back on Thriller Bark."
The Cook and Brook share a look— and the crew stills.
"That's why you were—""Yes."
He grabs the leaf and tosses it away, ignoring the burning sensation on his cheeks. He's blushing. He's embarrassed.
Luffy stands tall, face steady. "Let's get out of here."
Zoro squeezes Wado, and rushes off to act like he's doing something.
Instead, he's going down to the empty cellar deep in the Sunny... a room where he can reflect on this stupid secret getting out.
Best case, no one cares. They pretend they didn't hear it.
Worst case, Luffy cares.
He sits down in the dark room... and rubs his hands against his face with a frown. He bites down on his lip—
"Fuck." He mutters.
~~~
It's later when Luffy joins him the cellar.
Luffy sits next to him, looking up at the walls now lit up by a candle he lit earlier. They don't say anything, and Zoro hopes that maybe they don't.
He doesn't know what he would say— well, maybe he does. He thinks if he had to live this life over a million times... in every single one he would trade his life for Luffy's.
In every single one, Thriller Bark would play out the same.
Maybe in another life, that was the day he died.
In this life, he lives on.
Luffy looks at him, those brown almost black eyes starring into his soul. He bites down on his lip.
"Why?"
Luffy asks, and his throat dries up and clenches. Why? Because Luffy is something that will change this era— Luffy is something precious.
Someone that changes someone's miserable life with a smile. Someone with an unbreakable will— someone he loves and trusts with all his being.
Maybe that's the most important part to him.
Luffy shines bright— like the sun.
"Because," he tightens his grip around Wado's hilt, "Nothing can happen to you."
He doesn't think he can forgive if he lets someone he loves die again... he can't go through that again.
"You said you would never let me get in the way of your dream." He laughs, softly. He's surprised Luffy still remembers that after everything— after all this time.
It's deeper than that, now, though. It's not as black and white as he said back then— stupidly swearing something after being freed from that post.
He's Luffy's Swordsman before he's a swordsman.
He's a first mate before he's himself.
"I value your dream more than mine."
I value your life over mine is what he doesn't say.
Luffy hums. Luffy picks at the scab on his leg, "I already knew. For a long time."
He flinches, and looks at his captain. "Huh!?"
"That you did something like that on Thriller Bark. Onigashima confirmed it for me." Luffy picks at the scab with even more force, and cringes when the skin comes flying off. He rubs at the now bleeding wound with a frown, "I just never knew what exactly happened."
"Do you want to know?"
Luffy looks into his eyes. "Does Zoro want to tell me?"
"... I wouldn't mind."
"Then I don't care. Tell me if you want."
Luffy licks his finger, then rubs at the wound.
"I made a deal with Kuma. I told him to take my life instead of yours. He... he took all the pain and suffering from your body during the fight... and I took it into mine."
Luffy hums.
"...Are... are you mad? At me?"
Luffy shakes his head. "No. I would do the same, but that's expected of me. As a captain."
"Then— what?"
"I don't— I don't want another person dying to save me. I'm your captain, and you have that responsibility, and I know this isn't a game." Luffy bites his lip, and stares down at his hand. His fingers are covered in blood.
His own blood.
Zoro thinks back to earlier— to Luffy's comment about Ace. It's not something Luffy talks about, not usually. He'll make comments, sometimes, but usually it's like he forgot most things about Marineford.
He asked once, and Luffy couldn't answer his question. Luffy scratched at the back of his head, and couldn't recall a lot. He said Jimbei, fire, Allies, and hurt.
He doesn't know wether it's a coping mechanism, or just time.
"But, I don't like it. I don't want Zoro to give his life up."
"But I always will."
"Yeah. Zoro will. I can't change that." Luffy continues messing with the cut, now even worst than it was before. Zoro assumes Luffy got the cut from some metal scrap from Franky's workshop, or maybe from the darts game he had with Jimbei the other day.
"Yeah... hey, stop messing with it." He takes Luffy's hand into his own, scoffing when Luffy pouts.
"But it burns now."
"Yeah, moron, because you made it even worst." He digs into his pockets, hoping to find some sort of thing he can use as a bandaid... he finds an actual bandaid.
He probably took it from Chopper's office at some point.
"Zoro."
"Mhm?" He drops Luffy's hand, and fumbles with the bandaid till he gets the packaging open. He stares at the small red bandage for a second, before placing it softly against the wound.
"I want to be there when you become the world's greatest swordsman. Don't die before that."
He smiles softly, and presses a kiss to the horribly bandaged cut.
"Aye, Captain."
"That's an order!" Luffy’s voice is playful, yet direct.
"Aye, aye."
Luffy smiles at him, warm and sunny.
"Now, I'm hungry. Let's go bother Sanji!"
Luffy grabs his hand, and drags him along.
He follows. He thinks he'll always follow— in every life he lives where Luffy is at his side— he'll follow.
In every life he'll protect Luffy— but in this one... he won't die doing it. It's an order, captains order, and he's never been one to disregard an order from his captain.