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Zoro was woken up by an unacceptable amount of noise.
Irritated as he was, he didn’t think too hard about the fact that he’d fallen asleep in an inn and had woken up in what was clearly some ship’s crow’s nest. Whatever; it wouldn’t be the first time he’d loaned out his sword for a free ride.
He’d just closed his eyes for a quick morning nap when a woman called out to him. Zoro sighed and jumped down to the deck. Apparently, there were five people running around keeping him awake; the woman who so far had made the least racket, and therefore, was the least irritating, a blonde man with the dumbest eyebrows he’d ever seen wearing a suit for some reason, some guy freaking out at the sight of him, and a guy at Zoro’s back wearing a straw hat.
Zoro didn’t feel tense at having the stranger in his blind spot. Interesting.
Oh, and there was someone’s dog there. Ok.
None of this explained how the hell Zoro got there. Or why.
The frightened one was shouting again. Demanded his name without even offering his first. Zoro found him rude, and told him as much. Behind him, the hat answered.
“I’m Luffy.”
Zoro faced Luffy. “I’m Roronoa Zoro.”
Luffy was a scrawny little thing, but completely relaxed despite being as memory deprived as the rest of them-or so he’d gathered from the yelling and how Eyebrows seemed poised to attack at any moment.
Eyebrows gasped at his name. “The pirate hunter?” he asked.
Such a stupid title but at least they’d know better than to cause him trouble. Eyebrows was helpful, however, at pointing out that he was on a pirate ship. Zoro glanced up at the jolly roger. Was he here to collect a bounty? He did spend the last of his beri on dinner last night. Maybe these guys woke him up, and Zoro stowed away on the ship. It’d explain being out to sea at least.
Assuming he’d only lost a few hours. How much time had they all forgotten anyways?
***
“-eight thousand men-”
The frightened one was funny. He couldn’t help messing with him a little. Unfortunately, once a ginger girl ran off out of nowhere, Zoro figured there was no point in sticking around.
That was, until he caught sight of Luffy’s back. His shoulder blade had a ring of faded teeth marks on it. That was very interesting because Zoro knew those marks very well.
Zoro lifted the man up by the back of his shirt. “Huh. Well, that’s one reason to be on a pirate ship,” Zoro said, mostly to himself.
Zoro didn’t drop him when Luffy twisted his whole head around to see his own back, his neck stretching far beyond what should be possible, but he did raise a brow.
“Cool!” Luffy said. “Whatever bit me must be super strong. I never get marks like that.”
Zoro couldn’t help but feel a little smug hearing that. This guy clearly had some sort of devil fruit, and those marks were clearly Zoro’s work.
“Don’t suppose Luffy has a bounty then,” Eyebrows raised.
“I don’t bite people I’m trying to kill.” Zoro lifted Luffy closer, looking for something appealing about the man. Maybe Luffy did something to charm him? What would do that?
Eyebrows eyed him, amused. Zoro rolled his eyes.
Sleeping with pirates wasn’t really Zoro’s thing, and he wouldn’t expect to start with someone so scrawny, but it was the most likely thing to get Zoro to travel with one. It certainly wasn’t because they were after the same pirate. One time Zoro teamed up with a pirate who had wanted the same bounty dead. Once. Never again.
Zoro mentally shuddered at the memory.
Luffy must be incredibly reckless, though, if he actually invited a bounty hunter onto his ship for something so unnecessary.
Well, Zoro did always respect confidence.
Luffy continued to hang off Zoro’s grip, completely unbothered by his manhandling as Eyebrows broke out into lyrical speculation about having some sort of romantic affair with Nami-the ginger-or Robin-the woman whom Eyebrows was currently on one knee for.
What an idiot.
“Hehehe,” Luffy chuckled, “Sanji is funny.”
“I was going to say obnoxious.”
“Nobody asked you,” Sanji glared, his tone as hostile towards Zoro as it wasn’t for Robin.
“You’re embarrassing to watch. Don’t you have any self-control?”
Sanji straightened up, crossed his arms, and cooly said, “Says the man leaving love bites for the world to see. I’d never be so crass to a lady.”
Zoro rolled his eyes.
“You are not dating Nami or myself,” Robin smoothly interrupted.
Sanji deflated into despair, sinking to his knees away from them as if a dark cloud had formed above him. Luffy was right. This idiot was funny.
“Zoro and Luffy, however, are a charming surprise. I imagine you didn’t share this development for the sake of privacy. Apologies for what will no doubt be an uncomfortable return to your normal selves.”
Zoro looked at Luffy then back at Robin. Shrugging, Zoro dropped him. “Doubt it was a secret. No need to make a big deal.”
“I see. Well, in any case, might I suggest we sit down for this conversation? You all have a lot to catch up on.”
***
Zoro was listening as Robin explained their adventures and what little history she knew of them.
“I joined your crew after you left Alabasta,” Robin said while refilling her tea. “Unfortunately, I don’t know much before that.”
“Damn,” Luffy groaned with his chin on the table. “That sucks.”
Zoro silently agreed beside him, lifting his own drink to his lips. He had been happy to see his favourite booze was stocked in the pantry.
He figured at that point that even if this was a ridiculously elaborate ruse to rob him or something, he’d just slice his way out and leave. Hundred-million beri bounty or not.
Zoro examined Luffy closer. No point in collecting that head if he was sporting a sixty-million bounty himself, but he doubted that was the case when they met.
Zoro smirked into his bottle. Sixty-million ain’t bad either.
“So, Robin,” Sanji started, “Mind telling us exactly what happened yesterday before any of this happened?”
“Sure,” Robin answered, “but lets include the ship’s doctor too.”
Robin opened the door with a disembodied arm. Zoro noted that she hadn’t needed to make any conspicuous move to do so.
The dog-Chopper-certainly didn’t like humans, that was for sure. Weird he was a doctor for a bunch of humans though.
That started to make sense when Robin won him over with a single flattering comment.
“You aren’t going to win me with flattery,” Chopper claimed, but he was so happy that he had started wiggling and grinning at the table.
“You sure about that?” asked Sanji, Usopp, Luffy, and Zoro at the same time.
Chopper sat on Zoro’s other side. He was as nervous as Usopp on his right side, but Chopper was braver than he looked. He didn’t run.
His antlers were softer than they looked too. Cute.
Chopper yelped at Zoro’s touch and hid behind Usopp. Or, he tried to. He was hiding the wrong way again.
“Aw man,” Luffy groaned, now crawling over Zoro to stretch one rubber arm towards Chopper. “I wanna feel!”
It took a few minutes to wrangle Luffy and Chopper back into their seats. Robin ultimately dragged both of them with steady arms as she sipped her tea. Guess this kind of thing was normal on the Merry.
She continued her tale.
He was listening, but he was also watching Luffy.
Just looking at him, he didn’t strike Zoro as particularly attractive. Not that Zoro was put off by him, but Luffy wasn’t his normal type.
Not that he had much of a “type”. This whole thing wasn’t that important to Zoro to begin with. There were far more important things to worry about. Like food money, training, finding a decent spot to sleep, swords. Mihawk.
Once it became clear they were in the Grand Line, Zoro had immediately considered jumping ship and hunting Mihawk down. Then he caught sight of the bite again and knew there must be a reason that he was travelling with Luffy specifically.
Luffy radiated excitement listening to Robin’s tales, from killer clowns to Alabasta. Islands in the sky, cruel kings, and foxy pirates. He didn’t seem discouraged by losing all this time. If anything, he was more excited to go on and find new adventures with what were ultimately a bunch of strangers.
Luffy was insane.
Zoro couldn’t help but find it charming. Charming enough to stay? Well...if it didn’t get in the way of his own dream, he didn’t see any reason to leave quite yet.
Sanji’s cooking didn’t hurt either, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud.
“Well,” Sanji said, eyes now locked on Zoro, “guess that means Mr. Pirate Hunter here fell asleep on watch then.”
Zoro slammed his bottle onto the table. “What was that, Eyebrows?”
“You heard me, Mosshead.”
Disembodied arms wrapped around the both of them before Zoro could beat the smug out of that idiot cook.
Zoro glared at Robin who did nothing but calmly set her tea down.
“It does seem that Zoro fell asleep last night.”
“Yeah? And how come you’re the only one who remembers anything?” Zoro accused.
Robin hmm’d, “If you did fall asleep, then I suppose the only difference was that I stayed up last night.”
“So something took our memories in our sleep?” Usopp asked.
“It would appear so,” Robin answered. “though this is only a theory.”
Zoro didn’t buy her little show of humility. He didn’t see any other explanation that made any sense.
Everyone took turns sharing what they last remembered until it circled round to Zoro then Luffy.
“All I know is I left my village a few months ago and had just crashed at an inn with the last of my beri. Was going to find a new bounty this morning. Get some dinner and maybe a ride on someone’s ship. Figured I’d just done that already when I woke up.”
“I though I’d woken up after my boat got swallowed by a giant whirlpool.”
Of course he did, Zoro thought fondly.
The rest of the conversation sort of passed over him. Something something, weird dream. Something, weird kid something weird horn. Zoro could stay awake if he had to. A few days was nothing... Robin would figure out the rest.
Zoro spent that time imagining what about Luffy would interest him enough to bite him. Not just that, but hard enough to dent rubber for at least a day.
Definitely wasn’t to spite Eyebrows. He was way too busy fawning over Robin to care about any male on the ship. Can’t have been any sort of sudden attraction met the convenience of travelling the same way. He hadn’t been attracted to Luffy ‘til he started looking for it.
He did have nice hair, Zoro decided. There was a manic glint in his eyes that he found interesting, and his ungodly amount of faith was infectious. Plus, Zoro supposed the whole rubber thing would be useful. Made him durable. Less likely to break.
Zoro mentally winced at the reminder of the Incident. It wasn’t his fault she didn’t warn him about having weak bones!
At any rate, Luffy was clearly determined, a little crazy, and had zero hesitation inviting strangers onto his ship. Hell, he probably heard “pirate hunter” and just thought Zoro was cool.
Zoro’s ego didn’t really need the boost, but it was still nice.
***
Zoro stayed up with Luffy that evening.
Luffy had already claimed the head of the ship’s figurehead as “his spot”, but Zoro was sat next to him anyways. Luffy’s knee bumped his, that easy smile rested on his face like it was comfortable there. It made Zoro’s lips feel less inclined to frown, if he were being honest.
“Doesn’t the sea mist bother you?” Zoro asked as another wave of mist wetted Luffy’s front. It couldn’t be comfortable for a devil fruit user.
“Not really.” Luffy didn’t take his eyes off the horizon.
Zoro only saw wonder reflected in Luffy’s eyes. He followed them to the setting sun. The horizon had exploded into a blend of vibrant purples, blues, oranges, and reds. He wouldn’t lie. It was a beautiful sight.
Never one for talking when silence worked just fine, Zoro leaned back on his hands. He thought about how comfortable being close to Luffy was. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d just sat so close to another person without feeling awkward or crowded. He thought about the two alien swords on his hip, and how familiar they felt. It was a comfort he would have to have had the time to build with them, no matter how nicely they were crafted. He thought about how reliable and strong they felt at his side, Luffy included. How being near them made the uncertainty of their situation fell less daunting. Like no matter what, it’d be ok.
“Did you mean it?” Zoro asked. At Luffy’s questioning hum, he continued. “You said we could just make new memories. Keep sailing as a crew. Have new adventures.”
“Of course!” Luffy exclaimed. “I was already looking for a crew. You could be my swordsman and we’ll find the One Piece together.”
Zoro released a fond chuckle. “That’s pretty ambitious. Bet you’ll do it too. I get the feeling nothing could stop you from achieving any dream you set your heart on.”
Luffy grinned wider than humanly possible. The last of the sun’s light illuminated half his face, making him appear near otherworldly. Zoro’s half-smile stretched reflexively in response.
Beautiful.
Zoro followed the lines of Luffy’s face down his neck and to the bite. His smile dimmed at finding nothing but unblemished skin. Zoro traced the lines where his mark used to be, more disappointed than he expected to be.
The light slipped away as the sun finally dipped below the horizon.
“What’s your dream?”
The question startled Zoro back into the moment. The ship rocked, pushing Zoro off balance. He didn’t have time to catch himself, but Luffy had already wrapped his arms around Zoro’s bicep, keeping him steady. Neither thought to question it when he didn’t let go, or how close he now sat when Zoro met his eyes.
Luffy couldn’t have known just how personal a question that was, even compared to most people’s deepest desires. Blue hair and a steady hand flashed before his eyes, dragging him back to the moment he learned where Kuina had gone. Zoro’s chest tightened with grief and the inherent fear of vulnerability. It always felt invasive whenever someone asked about her. Like he’d been caught in the middle of something intimate. Private.
Perhaps it was the way that Luffy was so free with his own dream, but Zoro answered honestly. “I promised someone a long time ago to become the world’s greatest swordsman.”
Now, Zoro hadn’t really expected Luffy to scoff or laugh at him the way some kids at the dojo used to. It didn’t seem like his style. He didn’t really know what he expected at all, but he still found a knot in his gut loosening when Luffy lit up like Zoro had gifted him the world.
Luffy’s grin was large even by his standards when he jumped into Zoro’s side. “That’s so cool!” he shouted directly into his ear.
Zoro laughed and settled them back into place. Luffy didn’t let go, but Zoro didn’t really mind.
“You have to stay!” Luffy said, his words falling out quicker than he could think of them. “The pirate king needs the best on his crew after all! It’s only natural we stick together.”
Luffy met his eyes with such sincerity that Zoro couldn’t look away.
“I’m going to have the world’s best swordsman. This is so cool! I can’t wait. And you’ll need the world’s best captain! You’re going to love it, I promise. We’ll reach our dreams together!”
Luffy kept talking, but Zoro could only think one thing.
Ah. There it was.
The real reason why Zoro had travelled so far with Luffy. Beyond being pretty or strong or funny. More important than anything as superficial as sex or romance. It was why he let Luffy close. Why, for the first time in his life, he had accepted someone else as captain, accepted orders from another person, and followed him all the way into the Grand Line.
Luffy believed in him.
***
Zoro knew he had to stay awake. He had done it before, even. That didn’t make it easy, or enjoyable. But, he was nothing if not disciplined, so he spent half the night meditating over his new swords and the other training.
His body was stronger now, more agile and battle-practised. Pride steadily grew within him with each kata.
It was good to know his relationship with Luffy had not distracted him from what mattered. He’d also noticed another change to his body that he was very eager to learn more about.
It was at that moment that Zoro turned and found a shaking Chopper watching him.
Chopper squeaked and dashed behind a box. Zoro huffed a laugh, and sheathed his swords. Allowing his shoulders to loosen, and his stance soften, he said, “I can still see you.”
“So?” Chopper asked with a false confidence. “You aren’t that scary.”
Zoro politely did not mention that Chopper was still shaking. Instead, he sat on a wooden box of his own, crossing his legs and meeting Chopper’s eyes which were now closer to his chest.
“You’re hurt,” Chopper said with genuine concern, approaching him as if he’d forgotten to be afraid.
Zoro’s hand lifted to the scar running across his chest. “You’re a doctor, right?”
Chopper nodded and inched his unbuttoned shirt further apart to better see the scar. His hooves traced the lines in smooth, measured movements. Confidence, Zoro decided, was a good look on the little guy.
“Does it hurt?” Chopper asked.
Zoro shook his head. “It must have happened a while ago.”
Chopper’s hooves were surprisingly gentle as they pressed and prodded at the old wound. He could see him doing math behind his squinted eyes and tightened curl of his lips.
“It healed well,” Chopper declared. “No signs of lingering infection or tearing. Whoever took care of you did a good job. Wounds like this usually kill the patient.”
Zoro smirked, and Chopper giggled.
“It must’ve been a few months ago, from the fading. Has it hindered any movement? You’ve been training for a while. You’re sure it doesn’t hurt?”
“No, Or not enough to worry about.”
That earned him a glare. “You haven’t been doing your PT, have you?”
Zoro didn’t even know what that was. Chopper must have been able to tell, because he just grumbled under his breath about stubborn swordsmen and stupid pirates.
Zoro took offence to that. He wasn’t stupid.
“Stay here,” Chopper ordered. “I’m going to look around for any notes on you. If we really are a crew then I should have your file somewhere.”
“I don’t need-”
Chopper’s glare was enough to silence him all the way until he disappeared around the corner.
“Hehe,” Luffy laughed from behind him.
Zoro would never admit that he startled.
“Chopper’s bossy,” Luffy said. He was crouched on the ship’s railing, and didn’t appear at all concerned by how easily he could slip and fall into the ocean.
“Get down from there,” Zoro stood and dragged Luffy down to solid ground.
Incidentally, this brought Luffy eye to chest with Zoro and an awful lot closer than Zoro anticipated.
Luffy was not nearly as concerned about this as Zoro was. Instead, he touched the edges of his scar. His eyes were bright with wonder and glee. “Woah,” Luffy said, “So cool...”
Zoro flushed, but refused to do something as undignified as pushing Luffy off him and putting a few feet of distance between them.
Luffy didn’t notice any of this and said, “I don’t have any awesome scars like this. You must be super strong to have gotten this one.”
“What about this?” Zoro touched the raised line just under Luffy’s eye. It was still jagged and far too close to blinding him for Zoro’s comfort.
“That was just from when I was a kid. I wanted an eyepatch like a real pirate.”
Luffy laughed, but Zoro froze from where he’d been idly tracing the scar with his thumb.
“You did this to yourself?”’
Luffy shrugged, but answered more seriously. “It was a long time ago. My friend Shanks wouldn’t let me join his crew. Said I was too young and could get hurt.”
“So you tried to prove you weren’t afraid of getting hurt.”
“Yep! Good thing I missed, huh?” Luffy said with carefree laugh.
Definitely insane.
Zoro thought this with a rapidly increasing amount of fondness. Did he get attached this quickly the first time? Because he was getting dangerously close to joining Luffy’s crew all over again.
“Do you really think we were having sex?” Luffy asked.
Zoro blinked and used every ounce of that discipline to remain calm. He was a grown man. He didn’t blush.
“I’ve never really wanted to do that sort of thing with someone so it’s kind of surprising. But I like talking to you, and sitting next to you was nice, so maybe I changed my mind.”
Zoro opened his mouth to speak but didn’t really know what he wanted to say. It wasn’t like he was always thinking about it either, but he was still flesh and blood. And besides, how do you even talk about being together when neither of you remembers it?
“I don’t date,” Zoro blurted out. He winced. “...but,” he tried again. “I like sitting next to you too.”
This was why he didn’t talk about feelings and shit. This would be so much easier if he just had something to do. Someone to chop up, even. He was great at killing people. Not so great at the explaining how Zoro didn’t just leave marks like that on just anybody, even on the rare occasion he fucked anyone at all. OR how just knowing Luffy for a night had him thinking of all the ways he’d gut anyone who made him sad. Zoro was getting way too attached to that smile. How did he do that? It must hurt, smiling like that all the time. But Zoro was pretty sure Luffy wouldn’t care even if it did. He’d never make himself smaller in any way. Especially not to avoid something so unimportant like pain. And the thought of someone getting in the way of his dream? Torture. Long, bloody torture. And then death. Long, slow death. Would Luffy like that? He hoped so because Zoro was going to do it either way. Oh. He’s smiling again. That’s nice. It’d be awkward if Zoro had to torture himself.
Luffy beamed like he understood Zoro perfectly.
“Let’s kiss.”
Zoro choked on air. “Wha-you don’t have to-”
Hands cupped the sides of his face, guiding him back to Luffy’s gaze.
“If we’re having sex, we must like kissing. I’ve never liked kissing before, so I want to see if I like it more with you.”
Zoro had no idea how to respond to that, but he didn’t stop Luffy from pressing their lips together.
The kiss was chaste. Luffy didn’t push for more, didn’t press closer than he already was, and didn’t panic the way Zoro very much wanted to.
Zoro felt like his heart was going to stop beating or explode. Adrenaline coursed through him as if they were fighting or running for their lives. When Luffy slipped his fingers just slightly into Zoro’s hair, Zoro shivered and sank a little deeper into it. He moved a little bit more, grabbing the sides of Luffy’s vest and pulling him closer, angling the kiss so they moved a little more in sync.
It felt familiar. The push and pull of being close. It felt...reliable. Like he was fighting alongside an old friend.
Luffy pulled away first. Zoro almost followed his lips, before realising what he was doing and pulling himself together.
Zoro met Luffy’s eyes, a question keeping the air from his lungs.
“I like kissing,” Luffy grinned.
Fuck his memories. Zoro wasn’t going anywhere.
***
Zoro found himself carrying Chopper on his shoulders as they trekked through the island’s forest.
He wasn’t complaining. Chopper was soft, and he didn’t shake so bad when Zoro was holding him.
He’d opted to linger near the back of the group, keeping one eye on Nami and the other on the trees.
Robin was strong and had a sound head on her shoulders. She could cover their front. Sanji was an idiot, but he wouldn’t do anything to hurt Robin or Nami. Usopp was too scared to do anything besides maybe run away. Chopper was Good.
Nami, however, was a time bomb waiting to go off. She hated pirates enough that Zoro knew there was personal history there. She had already stolen from them once and was only cooperating now for the chance to steal from them again.
Zoro tightened his grip on Chopper and watched her hands. He was careful to keep her on the opposite side of his swords for good measure.
She was just as wary as all of them. Save perhaps Zoro, ironically. Maybe because of the whole “pirate hunter” business.
Wonder how long that’d last once she realised that Zoro had already dropped the “hunter” part of that title.
Well it looked like he was about to find out because she made a bid for ditching the others and sailing the Merry back home.
“No way!” Luffy shouted, but Robin calmed him with a hand on his shoulder.
“We should stick together.”
“Why?” Usopp asked in a surprising bout of bravery. “This is getting really dangerous, and none of us really know each other.”
Zoro simply looked at him and Usopp inched behind Nami.
“I want to stay,” Chopper decided. Zoro squeezed his ankle in approval, encouraging Chopper to say, “Luffy said he wanted to be my friend. I want to help, and be crew.”
“Luffy’s captain,” Zoro said. “Nobody’s sailing that ship without him.”
The warning was heard loud and clear if the look of fear and betrayal on Nami’s face said anything.
“Staying or not,” Sanji added, “I’d like to see whoever took our memories and kick their ass.”
“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day,” Zoro said far more friendly-like, and resumed walking.
Having sufficiently cowed Nami, he ended up walking beside Luffy, who was grinning up at Chopper and rambling about how fun it’ll be to be pirates together. Zoro silently appreciated how the man appeared to glow at being called captain.
He could hear Usopp follow them, and Nami reluctantly do the same in his periphery.
Zoro let Chopper down so he could keep walking with Luffy before lengthening his stride until he was side by side with Robin.
“You have a plan,” he said in lieu of a formal question.
“A theory,” she answered. “Something about that stone before stood out to me.”
“You going to share that theory?”
“When it’s helpful.”
Zoro hmm’d and accepted it. Not like he had any better ideas, and he’d bet he’d still get to slice up their memory thief before the night was done.
“I admit,” Robin shared after a stretch of silence, “it is pleasant to have your trust in this.”
“Do I normally not trust you?”
She thought about it for a moment, which Zoro appreciated. He’d rather have a serious answer than a comforting one.
“I think you want to,” she ultimately decided, “but you find it difficult when we met as enemies.”
Zoro let the silence linger between them. It was true that she was easier to trust in their unique circumstances. There was no memory of battle or hostility between them. He had never seen her treat anyone on the Merry disdainfully or maliciously. He respected her strength, her intelligence, and her rationality. So far, she had not used any of her abilities to harm them, and he had not found a lie in her words or actions. He wasn’t about to hand her his life, but he would follow her as far as it remained mutually beneficial.
Luffy trusted her, he acknowledged, but Luffy was quick to trust them all. Zoro should keep that in mind for the crew’s sake. After all, he was their swordsman.
“Any reason I shouldn’t?”
She thought harder. Ghosts lingered in her silence, but she blinked them away. Softly, she said, “I hope not.”
***
When the dream boy appeared, Zoro was quick to draw his blades.
He was an odd child. Cold and distant, holding a squid in both hands like a musical instrument. Zoro remembered him from his dream. He did not like this boy.
“Hm,” the boy said coldly, looking down on them from his perch on a boulder, “You should have all scattered by now.”
“Hey!” Luffy shouted with a raised fist, “You’re that kid who stole our memories! Give them back right now!”
The boy glanced at him, unimpressed, and said, “You should just leave. Return to your villages and live your lives. Stop bothering me.”
Zoro grit his teeth and prepared to lunge at the boy, a single swing of his dual blades slicing cleanly through his neck. Before he could, Luffy jumped high in the air. The boy’s eyes followed Luffy’s descent, and dodged just as Luffy’s fist swung down onto the boulder, cracking it in two.
Usopp squeaked behind them at the display of strength, but Zoro only smirked and lunged for the boy himself.
“If you won’t give our memories back-” Zoro swung for the boy’s head, landing on a large branch of a sturdy tree, “-I’ll just beat them out of you.”
“Wait..” Zoro heard distantly, possibly from Robin, but he had far more important things to focus on. Like slamming the pommel of his sword into the boy’s head.
Sandals leapt off Zoro’s back, flinging an equally angry Luffy into the boy’s back. Rubber limbs wrapped around him, threatening to squeeze him until he popped.
The boy screamed, dropped the squid, and tried to fling Luffy off. Zoro kicked out his leg, blue mist flying around him as he tripped the boy while he was distracted. He raised his swords to finish him off-
Hands sprouted from Zoro’s arms and swords, yanking him back and throwing him down at Robin’s feet. Zoro glared up at her.
“What the hell?!”
“The boy is not our enemy.”
Zoro jumped to his feet. “Like hell he isn’t!”
“She’s right!” a tearful Usopp cried. He had rushed to the boy’s side not long after Zoro had fallen. A confused Luffy de-tangled from the crying child at Usopp’s insistence.
Zoro narrowed his eyes. Usopp was different. Assertive and confident where before he was cowering behind Nami.
“He’s just a pawn,” Robin explained. “Likely a villager who got lost.”
“Then who stole our memories?” Chopper asked.
Together they all looked to the squid on the ground. It had been lying there, forgotten, since being dropped, but as if it knew the jig was up, it popped upright all on its own and glared at them.
“Fuck off all of you!” the squid shouted. “Or I’ll make you forget your own names!”
The squid tried to run away, but was swiftly blocked by a long black leg.
“The hell do you think you’re going?” Sanji growled.
“Let’s go,” a softer Usopp murmured to the child, picking him up and running back towards the village.
“Hey!” an angry Nami shouted after him. “Don’t leave me!” She didn’t follow.
The squid, for its part, growled right back and jumped up so it was glaring down at them from the air.
“Fine,” it growled, “You want to fight? Be my guest.”
Robin covered Zoro’s eyes as the squids’ began to glow red. He could only assume she’d done the same to the others as well.
“Don’t look at it!” She yelled, and didn’t release him until the light faded.
Zoro blinked his vision back into focus. Everyone seemed ok...
Luffy had turned still. Zoro tensed for battle before registering the crazed look in Luffy’s eyes.
“Everyone run!” Robin ordered. This shook everyone given they’d never heard her so frightened.
Hundreds of arms sprouted around Luffy, but they only slowed him down. Zoro raised his swords, instinctively putting everyone but Sanji behind him.
Sanji lunged at the squid, aiming a high kick to its side, only for a stretched arm to grab his ankle and throw him into Robin.
Zoro had ducked just in time to avoid falling with them, but that only drew Luffy’s attention to him.
“Don’t make me kill you, captain,” Zoro warned.
Luffy said nothing. His eyes showed no recognition or feeling at all.
“We need to go,” Robin pleaded, her bodied hand wrapped around his arm.
Zoro could see the others reacting to Robin’s fear in the corner of his eye. She remembered sailing with Luffy. She knew what they were all capable of. Even if she didn’t, Zoro could feel it now that all that joy and eagerness had been buried. Every ounce of love for life and adventure was locked somewhere far away, and Zoro knew that stupid squid would pay for dimming his captain for even a moment.
Torture. Long, excruciating torture.
Zoro did not turn and run. It was never his style, and Robin seemed to see that because she let him go and gathered the others.
As she did, Zoro steadied his dual blades in one hand, and drew Wado Ichimonji. The hilt settled perfectly between his teeth, as steadfast as she’d always had been.
“Go ahead. I’ll take care of Luffy.”
“Are you crazy?! Nami hissed, but didn’t fight Sanji taking her hand and leading her away.
Robin and Chopper were close behind. Luffy’s eyes tracked them. His arm stretched out as far as it’d go behind him. Zoro could see the punch’s aim at Chopper’s head.
Zoro blocked his fist with the combined strength of all three blades. The force of it pushed him back hard enough to dig his heels into the dirt, leaving one long boot print in the ground. Now standing between Luffy and the others, there was nobody else to direct all that pure murderous intent towards.
Good.
Luffy’s arm snapped back into place and hung limp at his side. Zoro did not miss that the damned squid had disappeared as well.
One-hundred-million beri huh? Zoro readied his blades.
Time to see what that was made of.
***
Just about every boulder and tree in the surrounding area had been decimated by the time Zoro had his shot at Luffy’s heart.
He learned very quickly that any attempts to stop Luffy without killing him would only leave Zoro dead instead. So he fought like his life depended on it and held nothing back.
He was pretty sure Luffy had broken something internally at some point, but Zoro had just spit the blood out and got up. Most of the bleeding, however, was from the litany of cuts scattered across Luffy’s body.
Zoro took a steadying breath as the giant cloud of dust settled around them. He watched from the branch of the last tree standing as the air cleared, revealing Luffy below him.
Zoro hated to lose his captain so soon after gaining him, but it’d be suicide to stop now. It felt like suicide anyways, but Luffy was only down for now. It would not take long for him to free himself. He was resilient, determined, and incredibly powerful. There was no doubt that he would be the most difficult opponent Zoro would face before Mihawk himself.
Luffy would not want Zoro to spare him if it meant endangering the rest of the crew. A captain who raised a hand to his crew was not a captain worthy of the name, let alone the One Piece. And while Zoro knew this was not Luffy’s will, the pain would not feel any less shameful if he killed a single one of them.
With Luffy pinned underneath half a boulder, Zoro jumped down and sunk the blade into flesh.
There was a scream. Zoro wasn’t sure from who. He didn’t check, opting instead to collapse beside Luffy. Blood pooled from beneath Luffy’s wound, soaking the ground between them.
Blue mist flitted around them. Zoro couldn’t care quite yet. He was too busy calming his racing heart and trying not to be too upset over a man he’d known for two days.
It was fine. It would be fine. Zoro didn’t need to be a pirate to defeat Mihawk. Didn’t need Luffy to find his dream. The Merry was a fine ship, but Zoro had never stuck to one place very long anyways. It was a shame to kill him. He’d definitely be taking his time with that fucking squid once Zoro found it. This was all its fault.
Fuck! This was why Zoro didn’t do this shit. Wasting time brooding while there was a head to chop off. Pathetic. He needed to get out of there. He needed to go.
The others would need him. They were a crew without a captain. Luffy loved them. Zoro couldn’t just leave them behind.
The blood crept into his hair. Zoro closed his eyes and breathed. All he could smell was Luffy sinking into Zoro’s skin and staining his clothes. Zoro pressed his hand into the blood. Grass and dirt stuck to his sticky palm, pressing tiny pebbles into the insides of his clenched fist.
Luffy was just a distraction. Zoro had to protect what was left of his crew. It was the least Zoro could do for him. Did that make him the captain now? The thought hurt. It felt dishonourable to call himself that even in the privacy of his own mind. Like he was nothing more than a traitorous thief.
He knew that wouldn’t be what Luffy wanted either. He’d want Zoro to be there for them now that Luffy couldn’t be. And Zoro had made a promise. He was a Straw Hat Pirate with or without Luffy. He would sail on the Merry and become the World’s Greatest Swordsman. Perhaps he could do that then. If it meant protecting the ones Luffy loved, becoming captain was the least he could do.
There was a groan, and that was definitely Luffy. Zoro’s heart raced all over again. He scrambled over to Luffy, climbing over him with something dangerously close to hope. Luffy twitched then groaned louder.
Zoro realised that his sword was not pierced through his heart. Zoro knew he would never miss, but he didn’t have to. Luffy had stretched himself at the last second so that his sword ran through his shoulder. He’d saved himself, and Zoro hadn’t bothered to check before deciding a fight was over.
Zoro cupped Luffy’s face and laughed. He wanted to say it was from relief, but it was manic and very sad, but maybe that was ok. Luffy was alive. He was too strong and too determined to be killed so easily. Zoro should never have doubted his captain’s resolve. Luffy would never die before achieving his dream. He would never give up while his crew needed him.
With another surge of relief, Zoro realised that not only was Luffy alive, but he was smiling up at him like he was himself again.
Zoro was kissing him before he’d made a conscious decision to. He couldn’t help but press closer. His breath shook with the weight of what he nearly lost.
“Hey, Zoro?” Luffy breathed onto Zoro’s lips, his eyes half-lidded as they met his. “Are we-like-dating now?”
Zoro pressed his forehead to Luffy’s and let out another laugh. Softer this time, but as shaky as the rest of him. “Sure. Just promise not to get brainwashed and try to kill us all again, ok?”
Luffy grinned so wide. “Ok! Hey, do you think Chopper will be mad if you take the sword out of my arm again? ‘Cause he was super mad last time, but I’d really like to get up now.”
Zoro was about to ask Luffy if that meant he’d remembered them all, if he’d regained his memories, but more blue mist wrapped around him until Zoro was breathing in the last few months of his life.
He hadn’t realised how foggy bits of his brain felt until they cleared. Zoro felt himself relax above Luffy as that easy familiarity returned to him, slotting himself into place against Luffy in that way that they’d learned over many naps across the Merry felt best. For a moment, it felt like the two of them had just finished tussling on the deck over something ridiculous and decided they were far too comfortable to move until dinner. Like Zoro could just resume his afternoon nap right there and keep Luffy pinned down as petty revenge for waking him.
Only to tense all over again as he remembered.
He remembered eating dinner with the crew the night before all this started. Sanji had started waxing nonsense at Robin and Nami as he served a dessert that nobody else got. Chopper was joking along with something Usopp was talking about. Zoro had been watching his elbows as he ate because Robin’s book was dangerously close to his plate, and he didn’t want to find out what would happen if he messed it up. That was why he’d seen Luffy sneaking a long arm around her to snag a chicken leg off Zoro’s plate.
Zoro remembered wrestling Luffy across the table which escalated to the two of them brawling all around the galley, trading punches, kicks, threats, headbutts, hair pulls, and-fuck. And a god damn bite.
How embarrassing. And everyone saw it too so there was no lying about it honestly being a love bite. Fuck. The damn love cook would never let him live this down.
Zoro stood and took the hilt of his sword in hand. “When we get back-” He pulled the sword up and out of the flesh of Luffy’s shoulder. “-We tell everyone we’ve been married the whole time.”
That should be a good enough excuse to feel some sort of romantic connection or whatever to Luffy. He dared anyone to prove they weren’t. They were pirates. Not like they did paperwork for stuff like that.
“Ok,” Luffy agreed easily. As if being married to Zoro was as easy a commitment as anything else in his life. Zoro shouldn’t be surprised. Luffy didn’t do complicated or half measures. It was part of why Zoro loved him.
Zoro sliced the boulder into pieces, freeing Luffy entirely. Blood spilled freely from his arm now the sword was out, but Luffy didn’t pay it any mind. Zoro sheathed his sword and untied his bandana from his head. It was sticky with blood, but Luffy didn’t mind as he tightened it around the wound.
It staunched the bleeding. At least for now. Zoro had faith that Chopper would be able to handle it once they found each other again.
With Luffy by his side, finding the others was not difficult.
Letting Sanji find out that Zoro thought he’d been fucking Luffy just because the selfish glutton stole his dinner?
Impossible.