Chapter Text
The sun shined on the calm sea as the Going Merry made its departure from Arabasta. The Straw Hat Pirates couldn’t have been in better spirits and still rode the high of their momentous win. On the deck, Usopp regaled his and Chopper’s battle against Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas while the rest of the crew listened. Luffy hung on every word.
“Yeah, and then I told her, ‘A man never backs down! Especially not one as great as I, Captain Usopp, defender of the innocent!’ And I turned to Mr. 4 and said, ‘You may carry four tons, but I can carry five!” Ussop recounted, a glint reflecting in his eye as he perched his leg on the deck.
Chopper added, “He was so brave! Even when Miss Merry Christmas knocked him down over and over and over again, he kept getting up. Isn’t Usopp so cool?”
“Wow!” Luffy sat giddy, legs crossed in front of the pair. “I can’t believe I missed it!”
“And he wouldn’t believe a word when she said you were dead, Luffy. Usopp never doubted you for a minute!” said Chopper.
Sanji walked behind Chopper and pat him on his hat. “Congrats on a great win, buddy.” Chopper beamed.
“Yeah! Your first victory as a pirate!” Luffy exclaimed and thrusted a fist in the air. His grin, wide as usual, gave no indication of how his own battle against Crocodile was almost fatal, how his body was almost dehydrated to the point of death, nor how he was so exhausted from the fight, he slept for three days straight.
Zoro sat with his back against a wall, arms crossed as he watched his captain. He remembered the shape Luffy was in when he carried him from the town square to the castle, the younger boy's body limp in his arms, his breath shallow and irregular. Zoro’s muscles ached, and he had been so damn tired, but the only thing he could think about was how small Luffy looked then. His larger-than-life personality wiped away by the blows Crocodile left on his body. Now, however, Luffy was back to his old self and celebrated his crew’s achievements. Zoro looked away from him and set his gaze on Usopp, triumphant and proud, and Chopper, blushing and humble, and allowed himself a small smile. “You’re telling me Usopp didn’t run away and hide? Now that’s something I wish I’d seen,” he quipped.
Usopp’s head snapped in Zoro’s direction and said, “Well of course I didn’t! Vivi was counting on me!”
“Vivi...” Sanji whined. “Her beauty and charm will be missed. Oh, how I wish I could have made her one last meal before we parted ways...”
“You act like she’s dead, Sanji. She’s exactly where she’s supposed to be,” Nami interjected. “Helping her father govern Arabasta.”
Luffy stood, arms outstretched. “That’s right! Being a badass warrior princess! Now that stupid Crocodile isn’t in her way anymore, nothing can stop her.” He couldn’t contain his energy and ran around the deck. He whooped and cheered, and shortly, Usopp and Chopper joined him.
Zoro sighed as he watched the boys and maintained his smile. “Well Captain, I’m glad you’re feeling much better,” he said.
“Of course! I feel great! I feel like I could eat a ton of meat, beat up a bunch of bad guys, and be back on the ship before Arabasta disappears on the horizon!” Luffy cheered. “Onto the next adventure! Nami, what’s the next island? Will there be monsters? Ghosts? Another stupid warlord of the sea? C’mon!”
“How about we just relax on the next island, Luffy,” Nami suggested. “You might be fully recovered, but I need a little mental health vacation.”
“I could use some time to train,” Zoro agreed.
“And I need time to make a few more specialty weapons!” Usopp added.
Luffy came to a hault and drawled, “Lame...”
Sanji chuckled. “The next island we land on, I’m finding the first beautiful woman I see and taking her out on a proper date. A little romance should make me battle ready, Captain. Nami, would you do me the honors? You are the most beautiful woman on the Grand Line, after all.”
Nami grinned at the cook. “Sorry Sanji, you’ll have to settle for the second most beautiful woman. I don’t have the mental energy to date anyone.”
“Only you would think of dating right now, idiot,” Zoro said.
Sanji glared at his crewmate. “You only say that because you couldn’t land a date if your life depended on it. Usopp, you get it don’t you? Attention from a gorgeous woman can give a man motivation to win any battle.”
Usopp winced sheepishly and turned from Sanji. He tinkered with something in his bag. “Well, sure, a date would certainly be nice,” he admitted.
“See! What about you, Captain? Surely you have a few wild oats to sow.”
“Oats? What? We’re having oats for lunch?” Luffy asked and cocked his head to the side.
Nami laughed. “No, silly!” She said, “He means... well, how do I put this...”
“He means, do you want to date a girl? Go to a stupid restaurant and charm her into kissing you?” Zoro asked deadpan.
Luffy didn’t answer. He stared at Zoro, confusion deepening on his face. Usopp, Chopper, Nami, and Sanji leaned their bodies toward their captain, and all anticipated his response. Luffy’s mouth slowly opened while he processed the question.
“No, why would I want to do that?” He said.
While Sanji and Nami shared an amused look, Usopp laughed, and Zoro’s grin widened.
“What’s so funny?!” Luffy demanded, his expression going from confused to frustrated. Now, everyone laughed. When no one answered, he rushed to Zoro, crouched in front of his first mate, gripped his shirt, and shook the man. “Tell me!”
Zoro continued to laugh and let Luffy shake him against the wall.
“Nothing, Captain. I should have guessed, you’re only in love with the sea and adventure,” Sanji chuckled.
Though Luffy stopped shaking Zoro, his hands still gripped his shirt while he responded. “Oh, dating has to do with love? I never thought about that...” He looked back at Zoro. “Have you?”
Luffy held Zoro’s gaze and his eyes searched. Zoro’s mind flipped through a few girls he’d met during his travels as a bounty hunter, though none stood out. “I...” he started, aware that the whole crew stared at them. “I don’t have time for that stuff.” He coughed and looked away.
“Huh,” Luffy said. He took his hands off Zoro, sat back, and leaned on his palms. “Yeah! We don’t have time for that stuff, Sanji!”
Sanji waved a hand at the captain as he ducked his head into the galley. “Whatever, man. I just hope when you find a lady who you do have time for, you’ll come to me for advice and not your romance-repugnant first mate.”
Luffy chucked at his statement, “Haha, repugnant Zoro, haha!” He turned back to the man he sat in front of. Nami wandered off to check their course while Chopper and Usopp became engrossed in a discussion on their battle techniques. Zoro peered at his captain and waited for him to get bored and bother someone else. But he didn’t. He continued to grin at Zoro and look at him. Zoro was a little annoyed but couldn’t help how relieved he was to see Luffy happy on the sea and not asleep in a bed while doctors tended to the boy.
“Yes, Luffy?” He asked. “I’m trying to nap here, you know.”
“You know, Zoro’s probably not so repugnant...” he mumbled thoughtfully.
A shout came from the cabin. “Hey guys!” It was Sanji and his voice held an alarmed squeak. “We’ve got a stowaway!”
The deck resounded with the quick patter of feet as the Straw Hats made for the cabin, Luffy at the forefront, gone before Zoro had time to react. He followed suit and ducked his head below to find the cook who stood with a tall, dark-haired woman.
“You!” Luffy exclaimed and pointed a finger at the new arrival. “That girl from before!”
“What! Nico Robin, Crocodile’s right hand?” Usopp squeaked while Chopper balked.
Zoro drew his sword halfway as Robin strolled over and crouched in front of the reindeer, a small smile on her face. “Well, aren’t you a cutie,” she said to him.
Chopper blushed. “Don’t you go trying to flatter me! You’re a bad guy!” he exclaimed.
“Just what do you think you’re doing here?” Nami bit out. “Still trying to beat us? It’s over. We won.”
Robin stood and faced the girl. “No, I’m here to join you. I’m your new archeologist.”
“Zoro, what’s an archeologist?” Luffy whispered.
“I don’t care what you are. You’re not welcome here.” Nami responded and crossed her arms.
“A person who studies a bunch of old crap in the ground,” Zoro whispered back to Luffy, though he still looked at Robin, fingers enclosed around the grip of his weapon.
“Yeah, what makes you think we’d want you to join after all you’ve done?” Usopp added.
“Thats’s dumb,” Luffy responded to his first mate.
Robin addressed Usopp, “And what exactly have I done? I never fought any of you. In fact, I recall even trying to help you. How was Little Garden, by the way?”
“It was awesome!” Luffy declared as he joined everyone else’s conversation.
Robin ignored him and continued, “I only worked with Crocodile because he agreed to help me achieve a... goal I had. But of course, that ended in him stabbing me in the back. Well, my front, actually. And then your captain saved my life.”
The crew all turned their heads to Luffy. “Oh yeah, you were there when I beat up Crocodile,” he commented.
Robin smiled fondly. “So now, I owe him a life debt, and I’m joining your crew. Plus,” she paused to take out a burlap satchel, “I brought some of Crocodile’s jewelry, all made from rare, expensive gemstones.” She extended her hand to give the bag to Nami.
Nami visibly brightened when she opened the bag and nodded appreciatively while she confirmed there were indeed many fine pieces. “Well in that case, let’s say you’re here on a trial basis!” she said cheerfully.
“I’m not so easily convinced! Captain, she has Devil Fruit powers and is seriously strong!” Usopp said.
Sanji, who had gawked at Robin since he discovered her lounging in the galley, added, “I say she stays! We could always use some more female intuition on this ship!” he shared.
Zoro looked at Luffy. “It’s up to you, Captain. But I’m not convinced either.”
“Hmm...” Luffy pondered and put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. “Well, she’s super strong, so that’s good. But she’s looking for old stuff in the ground, so that’s dumb.”
“Have I mentioned that I don’t have anywhere else to go?” Robin added.
Luffy looked at her seriously. “I see. Then I guess there’s nothing else to do. Welcome aboard!” He grinned and turned on his heals. He head back on the deck and called back, “Hey Chopper, wanna see my impression of Usopp?”
Chopper glanced nervously at Robin once more, then scurried off after Luffy.
“Hey, don’t make fun of me! Guys!” Usopp exclaimed and followed the pair.
Nami’s eyes were still on the jewels as she said, “Our room is the first door on the right, go ahead and make yourself comfortable!”
“I’ll show you the way my darling!” Sanji told the dark-haired woman.
Robin and Zoro shared a somber look as he secured his sword in its sheath. She was waiting for him to say something.
Zoro relented, “Well, you heard the captain. Welcome aboard. But remember, you’re on a probationary period. One wrong move and you’re out.” Robin grinned and turned to follow Sanji. “Oh, and one more thing,” Zoro called after her. Robin looked at him over her shoulder.
The swordsman smirked and continued, “If the cook asks you on a date, do me a favor and refuse him. It’ll be hilarious to see him rejected by two women in one day.”
That night, restlessness overtook Zoro. He was unable to get comfortable in his hammock. While the rest of the crew in the men’s quarters snoozed on, he lay awake. The events in Arabasta reeled through his mind. He was thoroughly unsatisfied with his battle against Mr. 1. He should be stronger than that by now. That man got the better of him far too many times and he hadn’t even been the strongest enemy the crew fought. And that damn Marine swordswoman kept popping up. She constantly reminded him of Kuina, the promise he made to her as a child, and the fact that wasn't close to fulfilling that promise. His fight with Mr. 1 made that clear. If he had finished off that asshole sooner, maybe he would have been there to help Luffy.
Zoro recalled the comment he made to Vivi after Luffy ran into the desert after Crocodile. Crocodile will fail. Luffy will win. It’s that simple. But it wasn’t that simple, was it?
Zoro huffed and climbed out of his hammock. He carefully stepped over Sanji's body, asleep on the floor. If he was awake, he might as well train.
On the main deck, Zoro was in the middle of his 109th push up when footsteps he recognized came closer behind him. “Something the matter, captain?” he grunted between the strain of the workout.
Luffy chuckled. “Not anymore. You were so noisy sighing in the sleeping quarters you were keeping me awake. I was glad when you got up.”
Zoro kept an even pace as he replied, “So then why are you here instead of sleeping?”
He saw Luffy’s feet stroll in front of him. The younger man stopped, crouched down, and bent his neck to catch Zoro’s attention. “Do you think I made a mistake letting that girl on board?” he asked.
“Yes,” Zoro bit back immediately. Then he relented, “No, I don’t.” He stopped his exercising and pushed himself to stand while Luffy rose with him. “I think it’s a gamble, and you’re taking a calculated risk.”
“I’m not so good at gambling...” Luffy muttered, eyes on the ground.
“You are good at gambling with people.”
Luffy’s eyes widened, and he looked up to Zoro. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Zoro said firmly. “But you’re shit at poker. You have to stop playing against Nami. Do you even have any money, or has she won it all from you?”
Luffy flashed a wild smile at Zoro and laughed. “Nope! Not a cent! But I'll have lots of money once we find the One Piece. So much that I won’t mind losing to Nami because I’ll just have even more. And by then you’ll be the world’s greatest swordsman too!”
Though Zoro had been grinning with his captain, his lips faltered. Luffy noticed. “What’s up, Zoro?”
The swordsman’s knee-jerk reaction was to deny. He didn’t like to talk about any sort of weakness, not even to Luffy, who he’s known the longest on this ship. But in the quiet of the night, the sea steady behind them, and just the two of them on the deck, Zoro couldn’t hold it back. Not when Luffy looked at him with such an open expression, as though her harbored no expectations or even concern, and just wanted to talk to his first mate.
“Well, you see, when I was a kid, you know how I trained at a dojo in Shimotsuki Village, right? I had this classmate, and she was so much better than me...” And Zoro told him everything. About Kuina, Tashigi, his frustrations, and his fight against Mr. 1.
“And I promised you I’d never lose. And I didn’t lose, I didn’t, but I’m not proud of that battle either,” he finished.
Luffy looked past port gunwale and showed no expression. “I see. Well, Zoro, you have nothing to worry about.”
Zoro huffed. “Yes, I do. I should have defeated him more easily. I should have...” I should have been there so Crocodile didn’t fuck you up so badly. But Zoro couldn’t say that.
“Should have what? You did exactly what I needed you to do.”
The older man turned his head to his captain. Luffy went on, “I needed you out there, taking on those other guys. If Mr. 1 was so strong you had a hard time with him, what would have happened if he found someone else on the crew? If he found Nami, or Chopper? Because you were with them, I knew I didn’t have to worry about any of that. I was able to focus on Crocodile because I trust you completely. And because you fought him and won, you’re stronger than before, and closer to the dream you and Kuina had together.”
Zoro didn’t say anything for a few beats and returned his gaze to the horizon with his captain. “Thanks, Luffy,” he finally mumbled.
“Hey Zoro.”
“Yeah?”
“Is that a tiny island with a huge campfire in the distance? With a... uh... person on it?”
“Yeah.”
“So that’s probably a shipwrecked man, huh.”
“Yeah. Yeah, captain, it is.”
Luffy whooped out loud and stretched his arms to the sky. He hopped onto his feet and made his way below deck. “Hey Straw Hats! Get your lazy butts up! It’s time for another adventure!”