Dear Naivchan,

on one hand I want to apologize that this is just the prologue of the story and that it turned to be a multichapter, on the other I hope you will like it anyway. I will try to update as regulary as possible but can't promise anything. The plot that was planned to go for a longer one-shot escalated and I have a few chapters planned out. Writing it in one go wasn't possible so please excuse that.

Have a nice Valentine!

viv

AN: S.H.I.E.L.D - a secret-agent organisation stuff from the Marvel universe that deals with supernatural stuff

I don't own either that one nor One Piece.

Please Enjoy.


Prologue

Nami glanced over at Robin. "I still can't believe that we are doing this."

The older woman didn't reply and just shot the younger agent one of her mysterious smiles before opening the door of the car to get out.

Nami sighed and did the same, following her boss up the stairs and to the door of the house the person they were looking for inhabited together with some others.

Robin had already rung the bell when Nami arrived next to her, but it took a moment before the door opened anyway.

A very unfriendly looking and from what they could see from her through the small gape between the door and the wall, very corpulent woman stood behind it, staring at them, her hand on the door knob and a rifle in the other. Nami rolled her eyes.

"Good morning." Robin greeted her with a smile. "We are here to see your tenant Mister Roronoa."

The woman glared at her. "What business do you have with him?"

"I believe that isn't of your concern, Miss." Nami stepped forward, glaring at the woman the same way she glared at her. She was pretty good at this.

"My house, my business." the woman barked, ready to slam the door into their face. Nami prepared herself to stop it, but just then, a tall, green-haired man appeared behind the hag.

"Alvida? I was told somebody was looking for me?" he looked around, making the impression of being still half asleep.

"Who told you?" the landlord snapped back at him. "Who dared to disrespect the house policies? I am the one who decides who can and who can't enter this house! Was it Coby?!"

The man rolled his eyes and proceeded to check out who was standing behind the door without further comment. His eyebrows rose as he realized who exactly was waiting for him, and furrowed immediately after, which looked incredibly comical.

"Can we talk?" Robin asked without further ado. "We are here because of a job." she added, scanning Zoro from behind her glasses.

The man was about to say something, but Alvida stopped him. "A job? Take it! So you can pay your rent on time! Or I will kick you out!" she commanded.

"I actually paid it on time last month!" Roronoa growled back, a vein throbbing visibly on his forehead.

"You didn't!" the woman insisted.

Obviously, this was very common as Zoro reached out for his jacket and finally opened the door fully so he could get out.

"Let's go get a coffee." Robin suggested with a smile, motioning to the car. She didn't miss that the rude landlord was watching them from behind a curtain.

"What a bitch." Nami muttered from the back seat. She had hated the idea of going to get Roronoa and now she knew why.

"We are here." Robin announced as she parked the car in front of a small shop and the two others followed her out without a word.

Only as they sat down, their drinks in front of them, Zoro decided to speak.

"So what's up? It doesn't happen every day that some S.H.I.E.L.D agents appear on your doorstep and want to talk to you."

Nami wasn't sure how to approach the matter, but Robin went straight for it as always. "We want you back." she said calmly, studying Zoro's reaction carefully.

"Me?" the man let out a deep laugh. "Why? I quit years ago! And you know exactly why!"

"I do." Robin sighed. "But it is an emergency and you used to be the best in this kind of things."

"You said it yourself. I used to." Zoro looked away. "And it wasn't worth shit."

"Zoro-" the raven tried again.

"No. I quit. That's it." his voice was steady and low, but it was clear that he didn't want to talk about the matter.

That's when Nami snapped. "Seriously? You don't even want to hear why we are here? You think we traveled across the fucking country to this shitty place for fun? Really? If it wasn't important we would have taken somebody else. But Robin was sure you would be the best for the job and more important: that it was personal to you! So you should let her speak out at least!" she hissed over the table.

Zoro frowned even more, but stayed silent.

"We believe Ace might be alive." Robin stated. "The kidnapping case we are currently working on, and want you to help us with, gave us some leads that he might have survived."

"What do you want me to do?" his voice was barely audible, but it was clear that he was determined to do whatever was necessary.

Nami had to give Robin credit for her people skills. Especially since it was super hard to convince Zoro to do something he didn't want to. Somehow she always managed. Poor guy.

"I want you to accompany Nami and save Princess Vivi Nefertari of Marokko. The kidnappers seem to be the same people you and Ace fought in the past."

"A two-man team with her?" Zoro shot an amused look at the ginger. "Sure that it is a good idea?"

"W-" Nami was speechless. Who did he think he was?

"A lot of things have changed in the five years you are out of business, Zoro." Robin stepped in before Nami could recover from the shock of the direct insult. "She has finished the training with full marks and is one of our best people right now. When you met, she wasn't in training for longer than a month. Right now, Nami is probably more skilled than you."

"What a joke." Zoro laughed. "I really doubt that."

"We will see." Nami glared daggers at him, but there was a challenging smile split over her lips. "I will prove you that you have become an old rusty man. It will be a pleasure to save your sorry ass, Roronoa!"

"I can't wait." he grinned back.