The Crows Nest is one of the most quiet, secluded areas on the ship during the night. Most of the time, you felt a bit on edge during your watch because if even the slightest sound is heard, you tense up.
For most people, this has happened on more than one occasion.
Usopp and Chopper have had panic attacks more than once, waking up the entire crew claiming there to be anything from monsters to witches to ghosts.
And of course there was the time Zoro had decided to give Sanji a scare by climbing up the side of the Crows Nest and thwacking at the sides, the sound almost inhuman.
Despite the fact that Sanji barely fed him a thing that week, he'd said it had all been worth it to see the look of terror on the cook's face as he went tearing down the ladder, slamming on Deck and running while screaming something that was hard to make out.
Tonight, however, Zoro is all alone in the Crows Nest.
The small clock on the table by the window reads 4:36 on it, and Zoro's eyes felt as though they were being dragged down.
Normally, he could take his night watch all the way into the early hours of the morning before he went down on Deck for a nap.
But something tonight made it almost impossible to try and stay awake, and whatever it was seemed like a curse to Zoro.
Shutting his eyes for a moment, a sudden jerk at his side made him snap up again, rubbing his eyes as he yawned. He managed to stay awake for a minute or so before he began to doze off again.
This time, it felt like someone was shaking him to wake him up, and he bolted up, looking around.
There wasn't anyone else around, so who could possibly be doing this? Damn, was he going crazy? It was probably just his imagination playing tricks on him or something.
That's what it had to be...
Closing his eyes and finally being allowed to rest, he found his dreams to be filled with pleasant images. Something that was rare for him more often than not.
And yet...He could hear someone calling his voice in all of them...
But it was so calming, to hear his name being said in a whispered tone. Whom ever was calling to him, he did not know.
"...I am always watching over you, Zoro...I will never leave your side..."
With a final whisper of his name, Zoro opened his eyes in time to see the sun slowly rising out the window. Standing up and going to the window, it looked as though both the moon and the sun sat equally in the sky. Parallel to one another.
Nami had told him about this kind of thing, hadn't she?
Something about a great phenomenal thing...About the stars and all that stuff. It didn't really sink in though as he stared.
Continuing to stare out the window, the feeling of someone behind him made him shiver.
Turning, he watched something quickly fade from the corner of his eye.
At that point, he couldn't help but let his lips curl into a small smile. Sitting by the window and staring out, Zoro closed his eyes and let the warm heat of the morning sun hit him.
"...I will always be with you too, Kuina..."