Guys, this is a fanfic shipping Rose (Rebelleader1011's OC) and Zoro. This is my first time to write a One Piece fic, so please be kind. Don't forget those reviews.

I was looking at her from afar, not bothering to get down from my place. It wasn't as if I care a lot about her, right? She's a nakama, nothing more, nothing less.

I glanced at the weights that I dropped earlier before I heard Luffy and the rest of the crew laugh along with her. Rose was entertaining them again, with her speed, as they played tag. I shook my head in annoyance, and amazement; she's really different from the debt witch and the archeologist.

As I got back to my training, I tried to block the noise below. It wasn't as if I hated myself for liking her, but I'm still wary. What I like about her is that she's like me, only lesser.

After a while, there was silence and it seems that they have stopped the game, thank goodness. I was about to take a nap when I felt her presence. I closed my eye, and waited for her knock on the door. And she knocked before entering.

She let herself in, sitting down beside me, and I looked at her with a questioning eye. She didn't speak, but I know that there was something bothering her. When something was bothering her, it was always me that she comes to. I glanced, quickly, at her. Her eyes didn't look at me, and I could sense her indecision.

"What is it?"

She has stayed for over a week now, and that was because of the coma that she has in her own world. I don't really care if she stayed, that would be of good use to all of us, and she's part of the crew already.

She shrugged and shook her head. "It's nothing."

I often use my haki to feel the emotions of those around me and I found her afraid. Why was she afraid? We've been in the calm seas and there wasn't any enemies that that we know of. I wait for her to answer, but she stayed silent.

I don't know what's running in her mind, but I can sense that she's uneasy. I tried to coax her into saying what she was thinking. "Come on. You come here, and I know you want my advice. So what's wrong?"

Silence fell around us again. What's wrong with this girl? I don't understand her today. Rose was sometimes unexpected, and today was one of those times.

"Are you going already?"

"No, not yet." She shook her head wildly, along with her hands.

So that's not the reason. I couldn't press her more so I relaxed, reached for her and held her shoulder. "Tell me when you're ready."

I let go of my hold on her as I ready myself for my nap. I just had closed my eyes when I felt her arms on my left arm. I tensed at her action, nevertheless I didn't squirm away. I let her do that, and even her head was leaning on me. Something washed over me. I couldn't quite understand what I was feeling. Relief? Happiness? Whatever it was, it was good, so I didn't protest.

I guess I fell asleep because the burst from the trapdoor woke me up, and I saw the stupid pervert enter with his eyes aflame. I looked at him dazedly, and then I looked around and saw that Rose had left.

"Oy, moss head! What did you do to Rose-swan?"

"Shut up, curly eyebrows! I don't know what you're talking about."

Of course, I really didn't know what he was talking about. I was asleep! Still, his question was bothering me. His face was more distorted than it was normally, and I knew that something was relatively wrong.

I followed the stupid cook downstairs and saw that the crew was crowded on the lawn. I purposely look towards Luffy and saw his disappointed glance. He was literally irritated and I knew that look; someone from the crew was missing or was hurt, or worse was dead.

I looked around for her, but she's not there. I could easily spot her with her dark brown hair, or with her brown eyes that were often twinkling like the stars, but she wasn't anywhere. I used my haki to feel her presence, and it wasn't of use. I was not panicking, not yet. She might be around the ship, locked in some room.

"Where is Rose?" I asked quietly.

They looked at me incredulously as if I was to blame. They broke their circle, and sure enough, Rose was lying down in the middle along with Chopper hovering over her. Chopper was trying to sit her up and letting her drink something, probably an antidote.

I unconsciously fell beside Chopper and looked at her with pain inside me. It's like Kuina all over again, but this time, she's not a rival - it's Rose.

"What happened to her, Chopper?"

Chopper looked at me sadly before he spoke, "She got drugged heavily. She tried to protect us all. To protect you."

"What do you mean?"

I asked. My eyes were serious and I wanted to kill those people who did this to her. I clutched at the katanas on my side and felt the wrath coming from Sandai Kitetsu; it also sensed my anger and I had to grin. I will take my revenge and will not back down. I will hunt them, and kill them one by one.

"We heard her scream coming from the observation tower and said that you were drugged, and that there were people wearing gas masks. She fought really hard before Luffy and Sanji came. We think that she saved you; that's why you're easily awakened. You didn't inhale much of the gas.

"Luffy's mad. He wanted to fight you because you neglected her, but before she fell unconscious, she said that you didn't do any harm to her." Chopper was adjusting the bandages in Rose's arms, and noticed that the doctor wasn't happy as well.

They were about to take her to the girls' room, but I wanted to protect her properly now. I asked Nami and Robin for permission to get her back to the observation tower with me. They all looked at me with irritated eyes. I know that they're angry at me, and I understand that. But they don't understand my connection to Rose. She's like the half of me, and I can't let anyone else take care of her.

"Stupid Marimo!"

"Nami? Robin?" I looked at them with pleading eyes. I dismissed the stupid cook's remarks as I waited for the girls' decision. They glanced at Luffy, but he wasn't paying attention anymore. It means I have his consent.

In the end, I was able to get Rose, and I managed to lay her down with her head on one of my legs as I sat down, swords at the ready. I kept my focus and I made sure that I wouldn't fall asleep – again.

The afternoon passed by uneventfully. I was looking at her face, and I see her smile. She's dreaming? What was possibly good in her dream that made her smile like that? It was almost heartbreaking, and I wanted to lean in and…

"Zoro?"

I stopped at my action. I was about to… Did I really think that I could kiss her? Stupid motion, Zoro! I mentally slapped myself. She was looking at me curiously, but I averted my gaze. I didn't want to make her think of what I was about to do to her. I tried to relax my tensed muscles and asked her quietly.

"How are you?"

"I'm alright." She said it with defiance, showing that bravery of hers.

I knew that she wouldn't tell me that she's still hurting. I can see in her face though that she's still wincing with the pain. I don't know much about what happened and I don't want to know more about it, or else I would have more reason to kill them.

"I'm sorry."

That was the first time that I said an apology to someone, let alone a girl. But I was sincere, I was really sorry for putting her up with that, even though her skills were still needing some improvement. I couldn't say much, and I knew that she knows that I need not say anything else. I'm not that talkative, and that's why I like her – she doesn't ask me many questions, and I don't need to talk much around her.

I glanced at the window. The clouds were floating like soft wisps in the orange sky. It was nearly evening, and I'm getting hungry with all the chaos that happened earlier. Rose slowly sat, lifting her weight off of me, not that I mind. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn't, and it left me hanging.

She's staring at me; I could sense her in my haki. I just said sorry to her, no wonder she's thinking about that. I didn't look at her; I just waited for her to talk. I yawned lazily, thinking of food and some booze. I wanted to at least drink to what I was feeling.

"Do you want to sleep? I'll leave you to your nap."

She stood up, and was about to go down the trap door when I said, "I do need your company right now."

She turned to me, cocking her head to one side. This was definitely not me. I curse myself for softening to this girl. I felt her ease her way back to my side and sit. Her presence was calming, as if it really belonged here. I suddenly tensed; she suddenly touched my knee which caught me off guard. But eventually, I relaxed.

We sat down for an hour, not talking really. The silence was really inviting, and I can't think of anything else right now. By the time the sky darkened, the stupid cook climbed up and called to us.

"Rose-swan, dinner is ready!"

His eyes turned into hearts, and his body was convulsing like the stupid ero-cook that he was. Then he turned to me, and spoke in a menacing tone.

"Lawn head, I don't care if you eat or not, but don't you dare make Rose-swan wait for you!"

After he left, I glanced at Rose. She had that deep thought again. I wondered what it was, but I can't force it out of her. I stood up and waited for her. We went to the lawn where Luffy and the others were. Dinner was, as usual, boring. I didn't like the food, but I hate to admit that it was edible.

After drinking some beer, I went to the observation tower, just to lessen the noise. I knew that the stupid cook wouldn't mind if I left, and neither would Luffy and the rest. I settled down katanas, not really putting them down, but placed them on my knees to make sure I'm ready when battle comes. Whoever they were, I'm sure they were bound to come back.

I stared out of the window, doing nothing, just observing. I listened to the every sound in Thousand Sunny, and everything seemed in place except for the lone soft footsteps coming towards the galley. It was her. Again. I can't seem to take my eyes – in a manner of speaking – off of her, and I don't understand why.

I don't bother going down. If she needs to think about some things, I have to let her. I was about to take a snooze when I sense other people. I see her being captured by unknown men. I immediately shout, "Rose!"

I know that the others were on alert as well. I didn't bother use the stairs as I jumped off of the observation tower to follow where they were taking her. I didn't look behind me and just pursued the filthy scumbags who took her. Behind me, I heard the others scream as they got ready for battle.

When I got closer to the culprits, Rose was already tied to their ship's mast and had a gag on her. I don't know much about damsels in distress, and I considered Rose just like how I considered Luffy, Chopper, Franky, and Usopp – though I can't compare Rose much to Usopp's cowardice, but when I saw her there tied and panic stricken, I just couldn't contain my fury.

I left where I was hiding and I went to where the guards were. She saw me, I know, since she was looking to where I came from and where I was now. I readied my katanas, and in a flash, I slashed the blasted nincompoops. They fell down immediately, and I went to untie her binds.

The smell of the ocean was salty, and a little bit tangy. There are some things that we can't really understand in this world, especially now that someone like Rose came, but it's the New World and there were more crazy things that happened, and these bandits were slower than what I could have thought they were. I saw in my peripheral vision that Luffy and the others were already aboard and were fighting with the other bandits.

When I was able to unbound Rose, she fell limply and I saw that the ropes were tight; there were marks on her wrists and ankles. It seemed like the blood flow wasn't circulating properly, causing her to become dizzy. I caught her immediately, holding her on her arms and she smiled sheepishly before falling unconscious in my arms.