Kat: Whoozah! This is my very first One Piece fanfiction, and a one-shot at that! I'm so happy. I'm back to my writing spirit, and I hope to stay that way for a long time.
Zoro: Just get to the story already…
Kat: Testy, are we? You just want to get to the romance, right?
Zoro: I never said…
Usopp: Look, Zoro's blushing!
Zoro: (hits the marksman on the head)
Nini: Be nice, guys!
Kat: Before anymore violence breaks out, let's get to the disclaimer and start the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from One Piece; Eiichiro Oda-sensei owns One Piece and its characters and everything else. I only own my original character, Maji "Piper" Kuda. Aura is owned by SweetStar17, who allowed me to use her for this story. I found her really fascinating!
Also, the poems in this story were not written by me; both poems were written by Rob Labrecque, so credit goes to him.
Note: This story takes place sometime after Chopper joins the crew, but Vivi won't be involved that much. She is mentioned at the end, though.
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Life out at sea was always very calm, quiet, and settling. The blue-green waters of the wide ocean welcome all who travel on it. In this case, it welcomes the Going Merry with pleasant weather and the smell of salt in the air.
Two pirates were enjoying the beautiful scenery together, hand in hand. The first one was the green-haired swordsman, Roronoa Zoro. The second one, the pony-tailed brunette mermaid named Aura, was smiling at her beloved, her eyes shining the same light blue as the clear sky. Things were peaceful for these two…well, until they were interrupted by angry yelling.
"We're off course!"
Zoro winced at the sound of Nami's screaming. The redheaded woman came stomping down to where Zoro and Aura were and glared angrily at the swordsman.
"Zoro, this is your fault! You and your poor directional sense have rubbed off on me!"
Sweatdrops poured down the back of the swordsman's head, followed by a popping vein.
"What are you talking about! You're the navigator, so you got us lost!"
Nami just gave a soft "hmph" before folding her arms in front of her chest. All the while, Aura looked confused as she stared at Zoro, then Nami.
"Guys, it's nobody's fault. Besides, well get back on course in no time," Aura said, trying to calm the two crewmates. She added with a chuckle, "Although it's funny how Zoro doesn't have any directional sense."
Zoro's eyes widened with shock. His own girlfriend was making fun of him? He couldn't believe it…
"At least I'm not weak and defenseless like you…"
It was now Aura's turn for her eyes to grow wide with shock. She was only joking when she said those words to Zoro, but she didn't think that he would take it so seriously.
"Zoro, I-"
"What? You think that just because I can't tell east from west, I get easily lost?"
"No, it's not like that…"
"Then what is it!"
Now that Zoro was getting near to shouting, Aura was getting frustrated herself. She couldn't help but feel guilty about what she said; at the same time, though, she felt mad that Zoro was taking this too far. She had to let her feelings out.
"Maybe you should just stop being so stubborn!"
Aura's scream startled Nami and even Luffy, who was napping on the ram head a few minutes ago.
Zoro only looked more upset as he turned around and headed through a door, slamming it closed. Aura, with sad tears in her eyes, headed towards the women's bedroom.
"Na? What happened?" Luffy recently woke up, so he didn't know what had previously occurred.
Nami simply responded with a sigh, "Havoc…"
---
"And that's how I single-handedly defeated one hundred Navy officers when I was six years old."
Chopper, the half-reindeer half human doctor, and Piper, the purple-haired flute player, gasped with excitement as the storyteller, Usopp, finished his tall tale.
"That's so awesome, Usopp-kun!" Piper exclaimed as her pink eyes sparkled with excitement. Chopper looked the same way, his large black eyes twinkling from the sun's light along with a big grin. Chopper asked, "Will you tell us another cool story again sometime?"
Usopp grinned proudly. "Of course! Maybe after dinner."
Chopper and Piper grinned merrily, and both stood up to leave for their stations: Chopper to his lab, and Piper to the rooms. As they reached the door, Usopp suddenly realized that he wanted to say something earlier.
"Piper, I wanted to tell you-" He wasn't able to finish since Piper had already left through the door. He rushed towards the door and was about to open it, but the door suddenly flew open, smacking Usopp on the face. He fell backwards as an angry Zoro stomped through the door.
Usopp stood up and rubbed his sore face as Zoro stopped and stared out at the ocean. He noticed the swordsman's upset expression and wondered about the situation.
"What's the matter, Zoro?"
The swordsman only gave an angry grunt, which usually meant to Usopp, "Go away". The long-nosed marksman didn't pay any attention and waited for the real answer. Zoro's frown deepened. 'It's times like this,' the swordsman thought to himself, 'that I wish I could slice him to small pieces…'
---
Piper was about to enter the women's room when she heard crying inside. She quietly started to open the door and found Aura lying on her bed, her face buried in a pillow. Curious about Aura's behavior, the purple-haired musician walked towards and sat beside the brunette musician.
Aura, startled by Piper's presence, lifted her head from the pillow. "Oh…Hello, Piper. I didn't hear you come in."
"What's the matter, Aura? I haven't seen you like this before."
"Well, Zoro and I just had a disagreement. I joked about his sense of direction, and he went off about me being defenseless. Then I called him stubborn, which made him even madder. I don't know what to do now…"
Piper thought about this for a moment, and then she responded with a small smile. "Don't worry too much. Everyone gets angry sometime. It just takes time to get used to being called out, especially from a loved one. He should realize soon that it's just silly to take this stuff seriously."
"You…really think so?" Aura looked hopeful, the tears from her eyes drying. She gave a wide smile to her friend. "Thank you, Piper. I better find him and give him a proper apology."
Piper nodded and, with Aura close by, stood up from the bed and exited the room.
---
"C'mon, Zoro, you can tell me. Please?"
With a heavy sigh, the swordsman, with a look of defeat, turned to face the marksman. "Listen up, Usopp. I just had a disagreement with Aura, got it? I'm not in the mood to tell the full details, but she mocked about my weaknesses and stubbornness."
Folding his arms in thought, Usopp stood silent for a few seconds. He finally turned to Zoro with a small smirk.
"Zoro, you shouldn't be ashamed about admitting your own faults. Heck, I'm a coward and I know it! That doesn't stop me from trying to be brave. Aura may have been a little correct to say that you were stubborn, but can't you still lighten up?"
At this time, Usopp was prepared to get punched or kicked by Zoro for saying such nonsense. For some reason, though, Zoro seemed to be taking in these words.
"Yeah, you have a point. I guess I was being too stubborn. She couldn't have been serious about my bad directional sense at that time…" Zoro smiled and said, "Thanks, Usopp."
The marksman scratched the back of his head and gave a big grin. "It's nothing. Any friend would do the same!"
"Now I have to apologize to Aura, but how?"
Both men looked puzzled. That was until the blonde cook, Sanji, just exited the kitchen and spotted the Zoro and Usopp.
"Oi, what're you two doing just standing around? Dinner is almost ready."
"Hey, curly brow…" Zoro greeted, adding in a grunt. He then thought of an idea. "Sanji, may I see your love poetry book real quick? It's for a special girl."
"Marimo…Wait, you want to look at my book?" For once, Sanji was shocked. He added with a smile, "It's for a special girl, eh? Okay, I'll go get it." He ran into the kitchen and quickly returned with the book, which was completely covered with pink hearts.
Zoro opened the book and skimmed through the poems until one caught his eye. It was called "The Key To My Heart" by Rob Labrecque. It was perfect for showing his feelings for the one he loved. He memorized each and every line, then closed the book and handed it back to Sanji. He thanked the blonde chef before heading off to look for Aura.
"Thanks, love chef. I owe you one."
"Don't mention it, moss head. Good luck." Sanji was about to head back to the kitchen when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Usopp smiling nervously at him.
"Uh, Sanji? May I look through that book, too?"
Understanding what the marksman wanted, Sanji smiled, gave him the book, and asked, "Who's the lucky girl?"
---
"He's not by the front of the ship. Where is he?"
Piper walked back to Aura's side as they stopped to rest from searching. The two girls had looked into every room and by the front of the ship, but none could find Zoro.
Aura was about to call it quits, until she felt a soft but firm hand on her shoulder. With a light gasp, she turned to see Zoro standing in front of her. To her surprise, he was smiling.
"Aura…" Zoro started, "I just want to say that I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I hope you forgive me…as I tell you a poem."
Both Aura and Piper stood in silent, too shocked to believe what was happening. With a nod and a smile, Piper gently pushed Aura closer to Zoro. Aura blushed and held his hands as he started to cite the poem…
I had once lost a key
A key that locked my heart
I thought the key was gone for good
But now I know where it is
The key to my heart is right in your hand
That is why I love you so
I never want to let you go
You had the key and now I love you
And you love me
And now we are happy…
As Zoro finished, he noticed Aura's eyes sparkling with fresh, happy tears. The two held onto each other in a tight embrace for a long time, and then gave each other a passionate kiss on the lips. After what seemed to be forever, Aura finally separated and looked up at her boyfriend with a smile.
"Zoro, I'm sorry for-"
"No, it's not your fault. It was a simple misunderstanding," the swordsman interrupted. Aura nodded in agreement. "Yes, nobody's at fault here." She turned to face Piper, who was cheerfully smiling at the couple the entire time.
"Uh…Piper?"
Startled by the sudden voice, Piper turned to see a shaking Usopp. With a small tilt of her head, she looked curiously at the nervous marksman. "Is there something wrong, Usopp-kun?"
Before the purple-haired musician could expect an answer, she felt her hands taken hold by the marksman's. They were soft and caring, just like he really was. Piper felt her cheeks becoming red and warm.
"Piper, there's something I've been meaning to tell you, but I wasn't sure how to say it until now."
"Yes, Usopp-kun?"
At first, Zoro and Aura looked at each other in confusion. Then Aura began to understand, so she winked at Zoro, who understood as well. Both held each other's hand as they awaited the results.
With a deep breath, Usopp remembered what he found in the poetry book and began to cite the poem he found the best he could…
Love is sweet
Love is true
Love is what I want to share with you
It's not a place that we fall
It is only what we do
Love is what I live to do
I live only to love you
Love is what I give to you…
Eyes widened, Piper stared into the eyes of her marksman friend, who stared back at her with hidden anticipation. Her eyes shined with held back tears. She was finally able to speak after a few minutes of silence.
"Usopp-kun…That was the most…beautiful story I have ever heard!"
Jaw immediately dropped, and eyes became wide and blank with disbelief. 'St-Story? She thought it was only another story?' Usopp thought to himself.
Zoro and Aura were also staring in disbelief, sweatdrops pouring from the back of their heads. They both expected their musician friend to take the hint; at the same time, they knew about Piper's naturally playful personality. She tended to take almost everything lightly.
The musician added, "Thank you, Usopp-kun…"
Needles to say, something did happen next that the couple was half expecting. Piper, with a big smile on her face, leaned close to Usopp and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. The marksman, now having a look of sudden surprise, slightly blushed from this action. This… he least expected.
As Piper backed away and once again showed a big smile, the sound of Sanji's voice echoed throughout the ship, followed by the captain's voice.
"Dinner's ready, so come and get it! Ahh! Nami-swan! Vivi-chwan!"
"Yay! FOOD!"
With a giggle, Piper ran towards to dining area with Usopp close behind, a reassuring smile on his smile. Maybe she wouldn't know now, but she will know his true feelings eventually.
Zoro and Aura followed behind, both still holding hands. Thanks to their friends, they can make it through any hardships with ease and pass the obstacles together as one…
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Kat: I'm finally done! Whoohoo!
Zoro: Geez, I got mad that easily?
Kat: Well, sorry if I got any characters out-of-character! It was part of the story. Poor Usopp didn't get his girl yet.
Usopp: I'll keep trying, for I am Captain Usopp: girl charmer!
Kat: XD Yeah, sure…
Nini: Please review, minna! Kat says that all flames will be used to burn down enemy pirate ships, so good flames are appreciated. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for future One Piece stories by yours truly!
Kat: For now, Kat and Nini are signing off. Sayonara!