One Piece:

Tool

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Nami

Rating: T (Violence and Language)

Timeline: Post-Time Skip

"ZORO! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

'Ah, that sounds like a woman's voice, doesn't it?'

'Sultan, STOP!' He would have said, if given the chance.

'Do you know her, Roronoa-san?'

Were it within his power, he would have replied, 'Don't you DARE do anything to hurt her!'

'Would it hurt you to lose her, or would you merely toss her memories aside as you once did mine?'

He wanted to say something, to think of something to respond to Sultan's taunting, but he couldn't. There was no voice in his head aside from his ex-partner's and it governed every thought, every emotional response he could have possibly had when Nami's voice called out to him in the abandoned building in which he was immaterially being held. It had felt as though her announcement of her presence had broken the control that had been placed upon him, but all she had managed to do was awaken the monster that was his old ally and remind the vengeful man of his capabilities with the first mate of the Mugiwara under his control. In a dark room, isolated and alone, he sat in a meditative state that would surely fool his nakama when she approached him. But there was nothing he could do – his physical strength and his Haki were useless to him as he heard the click-clack of those familiar heels rush towards the space in which he was hidden.

Accompanying the sound was a cruel chuckle, as Sultan mockingly asked, 'Will she be able to stand against your strength, Roronoa-san? Oh no, your instincts tell me otherwise. Your heart is beating faster, because you know that she is no match for you, don't you? I know you can feel the cold sweat that is gathering on your brow; if you could, would you wish your hands could curl into fists as if you honestly believe that can stop me from what I plan to do with you?; your breathing is heavier because in your heart you know…it doesn't matter what you want deep inside.

'You are going to help me collect the bounty on this girl's head, or rather, I am going to help you to get it for me.'

Void of the capability to process anything but the haunting words that swirled inside of his mind, the only indication that Zoro had processed anything was the sudden jingle that chimed from the earrings he wore, when he lifted his head to see the one and only Nami's silhouette appear in the doorway of his hideaway. Dressed in her typical attire of a bikini top and jeans, her body was incredibly bare for the autumn island's winter season. From his shadowy corner of the room, he managed to catch the sight of the twinkle in her eyes when she spotted him and the fire that sparked behind them that was surely akin to some sort of relief she felt. It was the burning in his gut that grounded him as she walked into the rundown space towards her supposed nakama, begging him to defeat the invisible force that was one of his most formidable foes. "Zoro!" she sounded as though she had cheered to discover his location, "What are you doing out here!? Why did you have to run off to such a creepy island?"

'Get up.'

His right leg uncrossed itself and he planted his foot on the ground, no matter what he would have wanted to do in that very moment.

"Everyone had to split up to find you, since there are so many warehouses and burned down buildings and lackeys everywhere."

Their years together as Mugiwara meant nothing then, as the voice inside of him commanded his left leg to slip beneath him in order to allow him the leverage to stand.

"Is this island an old base for some thugs or something? Why would you want to come here?"

Much easier than he would have wished, in each of his hands, he smoothly drew his swords from their scabbards.

The navigator was stunned to see him armed without a known cause. Nevertheless, she appeared to trust his instincts and clutched her Clima Tact to her body, "…Zoro? What, is there an enemy here!?" Tossing her head in every direction, it was as if she was trying to use her eyes much like a cat's and see through the darkness to locate any sort of threat that accompanied them.

'Don't forget your precious Wadou Ichimonji, too.'

Without hesitation, he placed his most coveted blade's hilt between his tense jaws.

Indeed, his breathing was rampant, as his mind and body could be controlled but his mighty aptitude was not within the jurisdiction of Sultan's Puppet Puppet Fruit powers. The man that plagued him did not seem too concerned with the small corner of Zoro's essence that he still held onto, as there was no guarantee that it held any weight in the actions his body was about to take. Underneath his usual attire, his expansive shoulders moved in accordance with his restless breaths much like a wild animal's before a battle between a predator and its prey was set to begin.

And he could not even warn her by merely urging her to run.

When she received no answer to her question, and after witnessing Kuina's blade enter his mouth, the intelligent woman that was Cat Burglar Nami measured the man before with scrutinizing eyes. "Zoro…" Was all she needed to say to indicate that she knew something was wrong with him. Of course, aside from Luffy himself, Nami had known him the longest and could undoubtedly recognize any sort of aberration in his personality—

'She is one of your crew, is she not? I recognize that face from her wanted posters… Yes, she is indeed a thing of beauty. Shall I have you retrieve her body for me so that I may appreciate her in person? No, my mere wishes are not as important as your ultimate demise is, Roronoa-san. A shame, since her life would have been marginally better had I chosen to keep her at my side.

'Given that it would have lasted longer. Now go.'

Without any further warning, the swordsman leapt forward with Sandai Kitetsu and Shusui crossed in front of his body, and the horrific battle began in an instance.

That panicked expression on Nami's face was entirely warranted after a simple blink had brought the two of them face to face. If her own weapon had not been so close at hand, there was no doubt that she would have easily perished then and there; the Clima Tact barely managed to fend off the charge and resulted in an unsuspecting Nami slipping beneath his stance in her state of surprise. "Z-Zo…ro…" Her whisper held her unbridled fear in a vice grip, his name somehow a lifeline to the reality that was before her, above her, ready to kill her. The powerlessness they both felt in such a scenario was the greatest thing they had ever had in common as the scent of her tears and blood were immediately detected by his advance senses.

With an expressionless eye, he looked down at the once proud woman on the floor. It was evident that his blades had managed to nick her hands with two clean slices as she had plummeted to the ground, the blood running clear and vibrant promising that her wounds were not very deep. However, her tears were much more noteworthy than some weakly delivered strikes – the realization that her very life was in danger at the hands of one of her oldest friends was glimmering in her once joyous stare. His wide, muscular body loomed over her, armed with all three of his swords, without an ounce of concern visible in his appearance, and yet he could still see her mind working through the situation as if she was just as focused on determining the cause in his strange behaviour as she was with her own safety.

"I-I'm sorry." She suddenly stated as a sharp blow from her knee was delivered right to his crotch. The grunt that he emitted was one that had broiled in his chest for a split second before it was released. Her powerful and shocking shot stole those weighty breaths from his lungs as the pain rolled throughout his body much more devastatingly than any other of her simple punches or kicks he had endured over the years. While his vision endured slight spotting, he witnessed as she cleverly dragged her body out from underneath him by slinking downwards instead of crawling into the immediate line of sight for the tips of his swords. It looked absolutely uncomfortable to drag her bare skin along the stone-made floor beneath her, but no one present in this battle cared much for discomfort when someone's life was at stake.

'Come now, Roronoa-san, you cannot be done in by such a cheap trick. Perhaps we will need to channel this Armament Haki of yours to prevent that from happening again.'

Sultan's words may have rattled his brain, but it was the familiar sound of Nami creating bubbles from the recesses of her Clima Tact that finally forced him to turn around and face her. Feet apart, fingers twirling at immense speeds despite the pain she must be in, brows digging deep above her worried gaze, she was definitely a powerful image to behold. "Whatever is doing this to you," she declared angrily, channeling her fear into strength that was typical of her character, "I'm not letting it take us down! Zoro, you have to keep fighting! I—"

'Silence her.'

Together, Kitetsu, Shusei and the Wadou sliced through the air from the distance in which their wielder stood and struck the woman beneath the pitch black cloud. The pressure of the wind in the air disturbed the lightning cloud above her head just as it plagued her skin with aerial cuts; the angle Zoro had used to deliver his blows allowed for a trio of synchronized lacerations that all required a second or two before they would burst open to maim the once beautiful body of his nakama.

One cut over her nose while barely missing her eyes, the blood highlighting just how widely they had opened in surprise.

The second mimicked the very same scar he wore from his battle against Mihawk. Her bikini top was no longer in one piece.

Finally, her bare torso was butchered so fiercely that it was surely her bloodiest injury thus far.

All while Roronoa Zoro stood there and watched what someone was doing to her with the honed power inside of his body.

After a short time had passed, the strangled sound of Nami's voice was heard behind the spray of blood that shot forth from her injuries. His power was enough to send her body reeling backwards, yet she was ever a surprise with how she managed to land on her knees and anchor herself in place. The pain she endured was surely new to her and the staggering way in which she tried to collect herself looked like a caged animal refusing to go down peacefully. If he had been himself, panic would have seized him when he noticed the life that was leaving her eyes with each and every attempt she made to move.

If there was any consciousness he still controlled within his mind, Zoro would have begged her to play dead if only to procure her life for a tad bit longer.

Sultan cared not for her suspension of vitality, as made evident by his stiff command, 'This should not be taking you so long. She wields a metal staff, for heaven's sake. Break it with your Haki if you need to and bring me her head.'

Faster than he had ever imbued them before, his Armament Haki coated all three of his precious blades, ready to take the navigator's life. The mindless way in which he watched these horrific events unfold before him did not allow for even Kitetsu to sense something amiss within his body and behave as disobediently as it did long ago; nothing could protect Nami from the manner in which he was about to kill her, and it would not be until well after the fact that it would even faze the swordsman she had most likely once cherished in her heart. The silence inside of him as Sultan watched what was about to occur raised goosebumps on his skin and helped him to grit his teeth on the Wadou's hilt even harder, and yet he still could not garner any more control over himself in order to spare his nakama's life.

He did not need to race towards her – Nami did not have the strength to move, let alone run, or even attempt to strike him down with one of her Heat or Cold Eggs. Swords at the ready, the first mate of the Mugiwara prepared himself to execute his cruelly selected Tora Gari attack. At such a close range, he was known to end the lives of two men at once; the wounded, shuddering, barely conscious navigator would meet her end by the sharp ends of his swords without any effort, their Haki-infused state resulting in a dramatic overkill. Regardless, nothing was in Roronoa Zoro's control as he began to strike.

"Th-Thunder…"

'Hm?'

"B-Bolt Tem…po." Nami muttered in a way that was almost inaudible, yet the instincts of the man who had endured that attack one too many times before tensed at her words.

'What is it? Why are you—? No!'

In a literal flash, the once darkened space illuminated with the brilliant crackle of lightning that was akin to Nami's formidable weapon. Her entire being looked as though she had bathed in her own blood under the dazzling light – the ooze that spilled from her body having heavily stained both her disheveled clothes and her once lustrous hair – as she fell to the ground while her attack struck its target without remorse. Zoro did not understand why, but he regained his consciousness in the split second before he was bombarded by a vicious multitude of electric shocks that tore through his body like never before. The sight of his non-conductive blades in their protective condition provided him with enough sense to guard his entire body in the same way, just in time to avoid the true brunt of her attack. For nearly half a minute, he endured the assault of the currents attacking the black armour his body was coated with while trying to regain his senses as to what it meant to be in control of himself once again.

However, none of that mattered the instant that the room darkened once again.

Sultan was gone, Zoro remained, and he was forced to awaken from his temporary lapse to the sight of a severely mutilated Nami lying on the ground in front of him. He choked on the mere concept of speaking words to her as he fell onto his knees with a lifeless thud. "N-Nami…" was all he could say, the only word he could process as the reality he was forced to face laid motionless before his eyes. For the first time in his life, the infamous swordsman allowed his blades to fall from his hands as if he could not bear to acknowledge them after committing such treacherous, horrendous acts with them, by his hands.

Had he just…killed Nami?

Instantly, his heart processed his feelings of remorse, regret and powerlessness by transforming them all into rage. Caring not for the strain it would cause on his vocal chords that had been rendered useless for far too long, he bellowed with all of his might, "LUFFYYY! CHOPPERRR! HEEELP!" She had mentioned that they were present on the island – he remembered everything that happened to him under Sultan's reign, slowly but surely – and he could only hope that his captain's dumb luck had rubbed off on his navigator, that their crew's doctor was near enough to arrive in time and save her life. The only knowledge he knew to potentially rescue her from death's door was to avoid moving her until Chopper arrived, given that he could not possibly apply proper pressure to every single fissure he had carved into her skin—

"ZO-RO! Where are you!?" He heard his captain shout from somewhere nearby.

"Luffy! OVER—"

His response was silenced when Chopper's voice rang throughout the nearby hall, "Wait a minute! I smell… Oh no, that's Nami's blood!"

Guilt gripped the awaiting first mate's heart so tightly, it felt as though it could have prevented it from beating. But no, the fear that had kept him grounded in place inspired a pulse that thrummed in his neck without consideration for his attrition. Zoro could not look away from the sight of the navigator keeled over from pain and blood loss and most likely terror, and yet, he did not examine her body; the scene was absolutely traumatic to his delicate psyche without needing to stare into the half-lidded gaze she gave to the floor, or the nearly non-existent rise and fall of her back as if she no longer had the strength to breathe. He had put her into such an exanimate state, and he did not have the right to avert his eyes while waiting for help to arrive.

However, when it did, a pair of rubber-like hands gripped his robe's collar and dared to try and lift him off of his knees. "Zoro," came the enraged, hardened voice of the typically carefree Monkey D. Luffy, as if he was ready to end his first mate's life for the sake of his navigator, "What. happened. here?" Though the young doctor tried to protest the aggressive response his captain was experiencing to Nami's well-being having been compromised, it was all he could do to examine the bleeding body of the woman who they had all considered to be family; it made perfect sense that he was being made to answer for his crimes to the one man who had the capacity to gut him in the same way he had hurt her.

Lowly, without hesitation, he admitted, "I did it. I attacked her."

At once, a pronounced Pistol-like punch landed against his cheek. Defenseless and without concern for his own safety, Zoro allowed for his body to be thrown across the darkened space and crash into the poorly structured wall. Instead of allowing himself to emit any cries of pain, the building groaned as its stance was compromised by the impact. In response, Chopper yelled at his captain with genuine rage, "Luffy, stop! If this building falls, it will hurt Nami more, so knock it OFF!" The severity of her livelihood only became more of harsh truth when Tony Tony Chopper could not remain calm when looking over her abominable condition.

He had hoped, on some level, that Luffy would worsen his state of being when he was lifted from the ground in order for him to suffer a fate worse than the one he had mindlessly delivered to their navigator. Zoro had seen that look on the future pirate king's face many times before; he had fought beside him in states such as this, where it seemed as though the rest of the world was nothing but white noise when his current adversary stood before him. And in his clutches, was one of the men he must have hated the most in his entire life. But to the swordsman's unarmed surprise, a fight did not break out; with great control, Luffy ground out one simple word in inquiry, "Why?"

And it was in that moment that Zoro lost control of himself once again, only this time, it was to his own emotions. He tried to shut his eyes as tightly as he possibly could, grit his teeth until they shattered against one another, all while hanging limply in his captain's clutches – Roronoa Zoro had been reduced to a weak, sobbing mess of a man before he could even provide an answer. Nothing he could say seemed to be worthy of justifying anything that had happened to her.

Nami was struck down by his swords.

He had killed the Mugiwara navigator with his irrefutable strength.

There was no mercy shown when her life slipped away by the power of his honed might.

He would not apologize, since it would not bring her back. He would not expect forgiveness, as he would never be able to move past the heinous way in which he had conducted himself today. He would never forget the look on her face when she cried, when she tried to rescue him, when she had succumbed to her wounds; his life, nor anyone else's in their crew would ever be the same again, and he was entirely to blame. The only thing Zoro felt he could do with his emotions – with what remained of his pride as a swordsman – was hunt down the bastard Sultan and end his life as gruesomely as he had forced him to end Nami's. In his fit of emotional turmoil, he managed to gargle the word, "S-Sul-tan." with absolute hatred and rancor.

It was only after he spoke his enemy's name did Luffy drop his body made of dead weight to the ground. He fell with a thud, only to grip his head in his hands and dig his fingertips into it, trying to reach the very mind that had been so easily controlled and manipulated into stealing away his nakama's life. His weakness tore through him, but he still was not suffering enough in comparison to the redheaded woman who was slowly being lifted into Luffy's arms. "Zoro," barked his captain without looking at him, "Let's go." Without waiting to see if he would turn around, the doctor followed after the departing rubber man and the bloody woman in his arms, the sound of paws rushed passed in order to keep up with the nervous paces set on taking her to the Medical Bay on their ship.

Behind them wandered a soulless man who followed due to honour and responsibility, not out of right.

Author's Notes:

This will be a trilogy with an epilogue (a tetralogy?) that is already completed. This is my first time posting a story and having completed the entire thing before uploading, so updates will happen promptly! I won't promise dates to upload the rest on or by, since I might even post the next chapter tomorrow!

I look forward to hearing from you all, and seeing what you think of my attempt at throwing in some angst to the ZoNami relationship. Hope you enjoyed!