Silence
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters.
Most people use the word silence to describe lack of sound or sounds that are very low. But, there are also different types of silence. There was the comfortable silence, the one you hear when everything is fine. There was the award silence, the one you hear when something ridiculously weird happens. There was silence, pure quietness. And then there was that silence. IT was the silence that was enough to say everything without saying a word.
Roronoa Zoro was guarding the ship. It had been two years. Two long years. He gave a muffled sigh and leaned back against the mast. Two years ago, he would currently be in the crow's nest, training, especially when he was on watch duty. But not tonight. No, not tonight because this was their first night back. Their first night back since two years. He didn't know about the rest, but he really missed them during the two years. So tonight, he would guard the ship with his life. If any trouble were to descend upon the crew at this very moment, it would be severely dealt with.
He kept his eyes trained on the sea. His thoughts drifted back to their reunion earlier as he watched the swell of the waves. It had been… warm, comfortable and … familiar. Of course, they had all changed, physically as well as in their maturity. Well, most people. Some had stayed the same, or decreased in maturity like the ero-cook. He went insane over ladies now. But, he realized, something was missing. 'What was it?' he frowned.
He was so busy thinking, he almost missed the sound of the door opening and closing. At first, he tensed, hand sliding down to the hilt of the white sheathed katana. Had someone sneaked on board without him knowing? But, the sound of slippers slapping against the floorboards told him who it was. He instantly let go of the hilt of the katana and relaxed. Then he shifted his position slightly, leaving some space on his right. Enough space for a certain someone.
Sure enough, his captain dropped down into the empty space next to him. He didn't say a single word, just copied his position. There was a smile on his face.
Probably dreaming of adventures to come, thought Zoro.
He heard the sound of the door opening and closing again and the footfalls of heels tapping sharply on the deck. Their navigator walked into view. She took a look at them, just resting against the mast, shook her head and went back in. Zoro felt bewildered. What had they done wrong now? He glanced to his right and saw his captain looking unconcerned. If, that was the case, then, he wouldn't be concerned either.
The door opened and closed, he heard her footsteps accompanied by two more. Hooves and a pair of boots. A blanket was shoved in his face by their navigator. He accepted it and watched as she sat near them, staring at the same scenery they were all staring at. Next to him, his captain wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and leaned against the mast again. He saw their sniper and their doctor sit together, their doctor sitting nearer to Zoro and their sniper sitting nearer to their navigator.
Soft, almost unheard footsteps were heard and their owner walked into view. Their archeologist smiled and sat beside their navigator. Zoro wondered how she got the door open without him noticing.
Heavy footfalls accompanied by light ones joined them on the deck. Their musician and their shipwright took a seat near them. The tapping of shoes, well polished ones, Zoro thought, came out of the kitchen. Their cook, quiet for once, handed out their various favorite beverages to them.
He still hasn't forgotten what we like.
Their cook took his place near the ladies but turned his attention to the sea. Zoro wondered why before he realized it. The sun peeped over the water, its beams shooting into the sky. The colours changed from dark blue to purple, to light purple then orange and crimson red. Zoro smiled. He'd been so busy watching his crew mates, he hadn't realized that the sky had been slowly lightening. Then he realized something else. One, no one had said a single word since they got up and two, this was the one thing they had been missing. This silence.