Author's Note:

I came up with this on an early Saturday morning while procrastinating looking at my work phone. I'm still working on new chapters for Dark Angel and Ethereal Embers/Ashes, I promise! I just keep trying to rewrite them because... Well, they're not quite turning out the right way if you know what I mean. So... Shall we see where this runaway goes?

Disclaimer:

I do not own One Piece or any of its related content, I own only my Original Character and a few funky plot twists.

Day 3 - Night

"You again?"

Zoro grumbled, lifting his head from its rest on the uncomfortable wooden pole, scowling harshly at the oversized black cat with the strange white patches; the same one that had saved him a nasty bite from that weirdo kid's "pet" wolf.

The creature- about the size of his torso, now that he paid attention- ignored his scowl altogether, gracefully leaping over the wall and padding towards him.

Resolved to make it get to safety, Zoro glared into the all-too-intelligent amber-yellow eyes that reflected the moonlight.

"Get out of here before that asshole comes back, he'll beat you to death."

The swordsman growled, kicking at the cat in an attempt to deter it.

Instead, if it was at all possible, the human-like eyes seemed to express exasperation.

Disregarding his efforts as a whole, the stupid cat instead patiently seated itself just out of range from his flailing, staring him down the entire time.

Sagging in place with a dark glower, the pirate hunter let out a low growl as he tugged at his arms in an attempt to relieve the painfully tight binding.

His attempts at loosening the ropes were interrupted when a large furry shape leapt deftly onto the post responsible for holding his left arm.

"You're still here?"

He grumbled, tilting his head to peer up at the feline balancing so nonchalantly on his restraints; but it was then that he noticed it had a cloth-wrapped bundle in its jaws about the size of its head, previously hidden by the darkness of night.

Zoro's confusion only increased when the cat, staring at him the entire way, gracefully moved to a spot above his shoulder; where it delicately set the package despite the tense state of the man.

"W-what are you doing?"

He instantly chided himself inwardly for speaking to the cat, but by the deadpanned but very intentional look he got in return, he was somehow inclined to believe it understood him.

He watched with wide eyes as the cat nipped open the tie holding it together and almost instantly his mouth watered at the delicious scent wafting from the package.

Warily, with one last look at the cat perched on the horizontal pole next to his head, he eyed the unraveled package on his shoulder.

It was pork teishoku, albeit in small portions and without the miso, cooked and arranged with care that surprised the pirate hunter; the cat must have handled the bundle with great delicacy as well, as everything stayed separated and meticulously placed.

His belly growled insistently; he hadn't eaten in the three days he'd been tied there.

"Who would do this?"

Zoro growled, glancing sharply at the cat as though it had his answers.

"Why did you give it to me, flea-bag?"

His only reply was an intense amber stare and his stomach rumbling again.

The swordsman let out a breath of frustration, but he was far too hungry and tired to give it much thought.

He could only hope it wasn't poisoned.

To his pleasant surprise, despite the awkward angle he had to twist to eat it, the teishoku was spiced just right, everything was tender, and it disappeared far too quickly.

Hunger sated, he barely noticed when the cat collected the cloth and lazily jumped down, trotting to across the court yard.

"Oi,"

Zoro called on an impulse, something odd twisting in his chest as the cat paused to look back at him.

The swordsman scowled, but he couldn't quite scold his impulsive side no matter how ridiculous he suddenly felt.

His stomach no longer felt hollow because of the little devil-cat.

"… Thanks."

They stared evenly at each other for a long moment, and to his surprise, the intelligent creature dipped its head in a firm nod before leaping an impossible distance up the wall, leaving behind the suspicious, confused, and curious swordsman.

"Wait!"

He snapped, still trying to wrap his head around a housecat of all things understanding him, but the damn thing was already gone.

"Tch,"

The swordsman scoffed, letting the back of his head thunk against the uncomfortable wood.

"I'm more of a dog person anyway."

Day 4

"It's been fun, Roronoa! I'll be back again tomorrow to celebrate another day!"

The pirate hunter snarled silently, glaring after the marines that shut the doors behind the blond daddy's boy.

However- once he was again alone- the pirate hunter let out a quiet groan of pain, allowing the ropes to take the brunt of his weight.

The coppery flavor was making him feel sick and the green-haired man spit, grimacing at the bright red that now splattered the sand.

Judging by experience he had a bruised rib or two and his abdomen twinged sharply with the beginnings of a bruise, but despite his aches and irritation, he couldn't help but smirk.

The brat could barely hit him hard enough to cause much damage anyway.

He absently licked at a thin line of blood that dripped from a cut on his cheek just under his left eye, frowning at a quiet clattering just beyond the wall.

An irritated tic mark developed in his eyebrow when that damned cat scrambled its way to the top of the wall.

"It's the middle of the day, do you want to die?!"

Zoro snapped as the cat leisurely scaled the stone wall and trotted across the hot sand to the bound pirate hunter.

With no preamble, as though the thing was immune to the intense glower he gave it, the cat leapt on top of its perch with slightly less grace than the night before.

The man eyed the cloth bundle in its mouth before his gaze dipped lower.

Around the creature's furry neck was a thick cord, holding a black leather flask, which he realized after a long moment was what had caused the cat to stumble.

"I don't want your charity,"

Zoro said, yanking on the ropes out of irritation and ignoring the pain flaring across his battered torso and limbs.

"I've lasted four days already, I only need to make it to the end of the month. I don't want pity, flea-bag!"

He spat, bloody teeth bared at the cat… The cat that just remained staring at him in a complete deadpan.

He felt a sudden and intense urge to start tearing his hair out.

"Rrraagh! Now I'm talking to a freaking cat!"

He bellowed, glaring up at the sky as though it was insulting him.

He gritted his teeth, but didn't look as he felt a weight on his shoulder and breathed in the mouth-watering scent of fresh tempura.

His anger simmered deep in his chest, keeping himself still and silent, not allowing himself to eat what the creature had brought despite his hunger.

The sun moved and the only sound was his deep breathing and an occasional distant yell from a marine, but from the corner of his eye Zoro could surmise that the flea-bag remained still and silent through the hours that passed.

Slowly, the swordsman's irritation slipped away, replaced by exasperation that he was at a stalemate by the weird animal that decided for whatever reason to help him.

He heaved a deep sigh, giving the flea-bag his most intense frown.

"If I eat the damn food would you leave me the hell alone?"

The cat flicked its ear in reply, laying down with paws tucked comfortably beneath its chest.

Zoro begrudgingly admitted to himself that the tempura was also delicious, and he felt some of his energy come back while the demon cat picked up the cloth and pawed the flask off from around its neck.

He scowled as it was propped on his shoulder.

"You have to be kidding me."

He said, the tic in his brow returning.

The cat did not seem to be in the mood for humor either.

His parched throat was quenched and water washed away the taste of blood, leaving the man with some of his energy returned as his odd companion jumped away to climb back over the wall.

"You have no collar,"

Zoro began, waiting until the intense amber eyes met his own.

"What am I supposed to call you?"

He was left wondering if he had started to hallucinate from the sun, or if cats really could do such an accurate shrugging motion.