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Long ago, when gods ruled, humans had a body unlike any others.
Four arms and four legs, two faces.
Importantly, a single heart.
An intertwined soul.
Gods saw them, and feared them, some grew too strong, some capable of tearing down even gods if left to themselves to grow.
It was the same gods that tore the humans in two.
The humans were left hurt, and broken, and beyond repair.
Left to wonder the earth in search of what they had lost.
On occasions, very rare, and few and far between those split souls would find each other.
And once reunited, oh, should anything dare try to come between them?
They would regret it.
——
A heart of gold.
A heart of darkness.
Two souls separated.
And an eternity to find each other.
——
“You are a god!” And laughter follows the yelling as it always does, because there is no telling this god in question /no/.
He will take and take, and make it his.
He will bring you joy, but do not dare try to prevent him from reaching his goal.
He will give freedom and never, ever stop.
He will be truly free.
Rules will not shackle him or slow him.
“Will you give that up? For a demon? For the one born to oppose you?”
And Nika laughs, wild and free.
“Who am I to deny the fates?”
But as free as he was, as strong as he was, some things simply aren’t meant to be.
“I’ll find you again. I swear it.”
——
“You were born to oppose him! Not follow him!”
The deep laughs that comes has others stepping back, it is never good when this one laughs, bloodlust and anger follows, a flash of swords and certain death.
He takes lives.
He takes what he likes.
He fights for strength.
“You will lose everything! For a god you were born to destroy.”
And yes, yes he war born to be the true rival, there is no doubt there is no better match for him.
But the chaos they bring together?
Oh it will taste so much sweeter.
“Then so be it.” Asura says, no hesitation in his voice.
But fate is cruel, it always had been.
“I’ll be waiting.”
——
Soulmates are a mystery to many, you can find them and lose them, over and over.
Live life after life, chasing and hoping, but sometimes it’s pointless.
——
Joy boy knows part of him is missing, but he doesn’t stop, he fights.
He is freedom and he will bring that to the world, be it today, or in centuries to come, when the strongest Will of D rises, it will come.
But there are times when he finds himself looking to his side, for a part of him that isn’t there, a name on the tip of his tongue he can’t quite speak.
How strange.
He is freedom and yet… something has it’s hold on him.
——
Shimotsuki Ryuma will live and die for Wano.
He will protect the Golden country no matter what.
He is the god of the sword, a man who fights for his country, his loved ones.
But he is a man who is missing something.
Just like how he can feel Shusui no matter how far, as if the blade is part of his soul, he knows something else is missing.
He wont search.
He will trust, trust that the time will comes.
——
Souls live on, and outlive, and miss their other half time and time again, it is a chance, a risk, to keep searching, and hope that fate allows you to meet again.
It is fate who decides where to guide your souls.
And fate is smiling right now as it looks down on Shimotsuki village, a young boy pushing himself to be stronger, to beat a friend, to be the best.
Fate also turns on Dawn Island and watches three brothers run through the mountains, not a fear in the world.
Fate laughs.
It is time.
Roronoa Zoro.
Monkey D. Luffy.
What chaos will you bring?
——
“I bought all of them. Didn’t know which one was yours.” Luffy says, bright eyes and a bright smile, as he clutches three swords.
“All of them.” Zoro answers, still tied to a post and wondering just who the hell this boy is with a ridiculous dream
Luffy laughs and Zoro feels something inside him twist.
He’s not sure what it is, he’s not sure why, but he knows in that moment he will follow this boy, till the ends of the earth. Till the final island and beyond.
They fight easily together, trusting the other to have their back is easy.
Neither knows why.
——
The crew can question it only so many times.
“It’s like you know what he’s thinking.”
“It’s like you know where he’ll be.”
“Do you trust everything he says?”
“You two are a mystery.”
Zoro and Luffy don’t have the answers.
They simply know.
——
“Do you believe in a higher power?” Sanji asks Zoro and he’s met with a scoff as his sword is sheathed.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He mutters.
But something in him screams, yells, because he does. He does.
But he ignores it for now.
——
“What are you reading?” Nami asks, peering over Robin’s shoulder who smiles.
“Ah it’s just this book I found. About Nika, the sun god.” She says and the last thing she expects is the heads of their captain and swordsman to look their way.
“Nika.” Zoro repeats, brows furrowed and Robin nods.
“Would you like me to tell you the stories?”
Both Luffy and Zoro nod, they don’t know why.
That night Zoro dreams of laughter and freedom.
He dreams of hope and happiness.
He dreams of feeling whole.
——
The first time Luffy sees Zoro’s nine sword style truly his step falters. They’re about to be separated and something else in Luffy twists and burns.
Why does it look familiar?
He has no idea and no time to think.
His crew is gone is brother is to be executed.
His focus is elsewhere but his dreams drifts to a monster, a scowling demon he jumps around with no remorse, laughing until the demon has no choice but to join.
He feels whole.
A name on the tip of his tongue as he wakes. “Asura.”
——
They’re reunited and whole.
Zoro can’t tear his eyes from Luffy, he’s not sure why.
But something in him itches, it’s terrified he’ll lose him once more.
But fate is looking out for them.
Fate smiles down on the thousand sunny today, today the two are reunited.
Today starts anew, and thus begins the chaos.
——
“Nika.” Zoro whispers it, Luffy calls it Gear 5, but Zoro knows, he knows what that form is, he had seen it so many times.
He chased it. He threatened it. Swore to kill that form from the day he was born.
“What?” Robin and Nami are staring at him but Zoro doesn’t explain, he can’t.
He’s too busy running, through rubble and chaos, ignoring his injuries, because he needs to be there.
And Nika, Luffy turns to him, with those beautiful bright eyes and that blinding smile and laughs, and oh, how it’s contagious, and Zoro’s laugh meets his.
Luffy bounds into his arms, rubbery limbs wrapping around him as the swirls of white surround them both, and long ago, he would feared to be burned, but no longer. They were not on opposing sides, neither had sworn to kill the other.
They were equals.
They were free.
They were two souls, finally, finally reunited.
“Oh, how I’ve missed you” Zoro whispers. “My captain, my king, my god.” His voice is laced with faith, devotion and worship.
Luffy laughs, and Zoro knows it’s not teasing or torment, it’s acceptance, it’s beautiful, wonderful acceptance. “What is there to miss? I’ve always been there, Zoro.”
And in that moment what came before, Nika, Asura, Joyboy, Ryuma, or one of the many, many other lives didn’t matter.
They had this life.
And they would be side by side.
——
“So, do you believe in a higher power?” Sanji asks as he watches their captain defy all logic as he bounces around the room, enemy be damned and Zoro laughs, watching the same sight as he draws his swords.
“I believe in one.” He answers as he slips the sword between his teeth. “And I have devoted all lives to him.”