Hiver's Note: Yo, people. This is a weird story I always have in mind. And today I decided to post it *_* It's very different with what I usually write. Oh well, just read :D

Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Oda-sensei. Lucky man.

Stray Cat

Chapter 1: A Prelude

It was now evening. A soothing old classical music was playing on the radio. I sat, doing my homework rather intently yet tediously at the same time. A bitter taste in my mouth; the chewing gum had become hard. I spat the gum onto tissue and threw it into the trash bin, other hand unwrapping a new sugarless gum. I could never do Geometry HW without gum in my mouth. It was too boring for me to bear. I twirled my mechanical pencil between my fingers.

The phone rang.

Having stopped in tracks, I cursed slightly before I picked up the telephone. I turned down the music.

"Roronoa's residence."

"Zoro!" A loud childish voice cried from the other end of the phone.

I frowned, knowing the voice well and wished not to hear any of it for the time being. "Yes, Usopp. What's wrong?"

Usopp smirked from the other end. "Listen, my–"

I groaned in displease.

"Hey, I haven't even started yet! Geez, you're such in a bad mood."

"Tell me about it."

He hummed thoughtfully. "Geometry homework?"

"Right on."

"Good thing someone invented chewing gum," he chuckled, "anyway, I need your help."

From the kitchen, I heard my oyaji humming as he made dinner. If my olfactory receptor worked well, then today's dinner is curry rice.

"Hey, are you listening?"

I tried not to think of dinner. "Yeah, I am. Sorry about that. My mind kinds of wander off."

He continued, "Listen, Tamanegi told me that he saw something suspicious at the shore few blocks away from your house. He and the rest of Usopp pirates want me to investigate it. But it's almost dark already and the cliffy shore is quite hard to climb down. So you see… I need a strong guy to be my assistant in this investigation…"

I rolled my eyes. I could mentally picture him smiling sheepishly as he asked me. "No, not interested."

"Oh, come on Zoro! You're my friend right?"

"I guess I am…" I sighed, "I don't even remember why I become your friend."

"Ugh! You pierce my heart. I can't believe you say that to me!" That idiot began to sob hysterically, well, sarcastically too. "Forget it! You successfully hurt my feeling! You're not qualified as my assistant!"

And the phone went dead. I felt like a storm just passed my house.

Just when I was about to continue with my homework, the phone rang again. I picked it up (this time rather roughly). "What!?"

"Do you really not want to join?"

I hung up. Groaning, I decided to ignore any more phone calls and concentrate on my homework. It gave me headache. I squinted at my homework and found three more numbers left, which means I can soon get a nap. Turning up the music, I began to solve the first problem, then the second and the last. Satisfied, I gave myself a good stretch. Not even interested to check the homework, I cleaned up my desk and threw myself onto bed. Finally, peace.

"Zoro," there was a knock on my door, "dinner's ready!"

"I'll catch up later. Terribly sleepy." I told him.

"Okay. Don't be too long. The food tastes better when it's hot."

"'Kay, thanks."

I buried my face into the pillow and slept.

This feeling… I feel like having it for the first time. Somehow, I know it well from the back of my mind. It's a complex emotion, which I clearly don't understand. It's…weird. Strangely weird. I feel like it makes me who I am. Just what is this?

My body is light; I think I'm floating midair. Not to mention the air. For the first time I feel like I'm truly breathing. The breeze passes me smoothly as if I'm a plane above the clouds. Strangely I'm unable to open my eyes. That's why I keep saying that I'm feeling it. Feeling something that is somewhat unusual. I know that my hands are spread, brushing the wind. Then my eyes are open. It is a sudden movement that I do not expect. All of the sudden, I feel like I can see everything. I have not yet seen it but I have the indescribable emotion that I can. Now I know I'm dreaming.

Down below me, through what I assume as clouds, I see a bearded old man with a scar on his left eye. His chest is broad and his whole body is muscular. A tough man. He stands on the narrow shore below the cliff, face upwards. And I can see his death.

I woke with a start. My oyaji flinched, seemed surprised by my sudden wakening. I looked around. I was in my room, specifically on my bed. Beside me, oyaji knelt and looked at me worriedly. He tilted his head a little. "Are you okay?"

I swallowed. "Yeah… I guess. I just had a weird dream."

He stared at me, his expression encoded.

"I'm fine," I reassured.

He smiled and stood up, ruffling my green hair while doing so. "The food's cold already. Let me heat it up for you." Then he walked out of the room.

I smiled a little. For a moment, I closed my eyes and relaxed. The dream seemed so real…and stupid. Anything overly stupid should be forgotten. I shifted my position and groaned.

Unexpectedly the telephone rang. Again.

I pulled myself lazily into a sitting position and grabbed the phone on my desk. "Hn?"

"Hi," Usopp voiced, "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to be my assistance this time. I've been there myself."

I shrugged and I heard him sigh. "Zoro, I found something that is rather…unexpected."

"What did you find?"

"How should I say this…" He hesitated. "You can call it a corpse, I think…"

Oh, great. "You found what?!"

"Actually he's an old man. Quite muscular. Anyway he lied on the shore, eyes closed, no pulse. And erm… should I call 119? The kids here are getting hysteric…"

"Yes, you should." I rubbed my temples, somehow feeling déjà vu.

"Yeah, yeah… okay, thanks." He hung up.

I sat on the side of my bed, utterly confused. This was truly a mere coincidence, right? The dream I was having had no connexion with a stranger's death. Probably just once for lifetime weirdness. Or so I thought.

Hiver's Note: Ha! Zoro has a dad! (oyaji=dad). And Zoro listens to classical music *plays some*

Anyway, Read and Review! XD