Author's Note - This can be considered the second story in my One Piece series. It is in the same continuity as Two Broken Blades, Straw Hat Legacy, and The Legacy Storm, although as with the others, it is a stand alone creation that can benefit from the others, but not be left worthless without them
Disclaimer : I do not own One Piece or any of the other fandoms from which names, places, abilities, or references are taken! Imaginary points to anyone who catches said references throughout the story and PM's them to me. Dunno if you'll get anything real, but i give sneak peaks and deleted scenes to my repeated reviewers, so it isn't unthinkable.
Chapter 01 - Demons
We're getting close. We all know it, and even the captain is more serious than usual. It's strange, seeing his confidence shaken. Before, he would not have even considered the possibility of losing, but now, after all he'd been through, everyone could see that beneath his happy exterior, he was tense. Worried. We have been keeping watch at night for the past month or so. Two of us each night. We are allowed to share our watch however we choose, but one of us has to be awake at all times. The captain seems to think we'll be attacked before we reach Raftel. He's starting to really act like our leader.
Tonight is my night. I can't remember who else is supposed to be keeping watch with me, but I'll probably stay awake, or nearly awake, all night. Unless it is after a serious battle, I usually do. I'm hoping its not Brook, Usopp, or Franky. They're family, but it takes all my patience to deal with them all day, much less all night.
Luffy has been looking to me as his first mate as often as his friend lately, asking for my advice on decisions he has to make. It is strange, but it makes me more sure than ever that I am following the right man. He's long since earned my respect and loyalty a thousand times over.
Sanji is good company if the girls aren't around. If he's sharing my watch, he usually brings a couple of bottles of good sake to share. By morning we're usually both bruised and laughed out and spend the following day sleeping till noon.
Chopper is like the little brother I never had. He's a pretty calm little guy when he's on his own, and it's a nice reminder he is one of the smartest people on the crew. I usually tell him stories when we share a watch. Sometimes scary stories, sometimes just funny stories about some of the pirates I hunted before I joined the crew.
Nami and I play cards or tell jokes till morning. She usually sleeps for a few hours when it gets dark, then gets up around midnight. She likes the sunrise. We have only shared our watch twice, since she prefers to watch with the captain.
Then there is Robin. I never know what to expect with her. Our first watch together, it was near Christmas. She brought me a gift early. It was a new sharpening and polishing kit for my katanas. What really surprised me was when she asked if I would teach her how to sharpen and clean the blades so that she could help me. It was actually fun, talking to the archeologist about something I knew about.
The next time we were up together, I returned the favor. I had found it months back and had been waiting for the right opportunity. Honestly, I was waiting for Nami to need a gift for the woman and sell it to her to lower my debt, but after the sword kit, I decided to give it to her myself. It was a book I found in the library of an island we reclaimed from Blackbeard. It was about Ohara, long before the Buster Call.
I thought I had really screwed up when she started crying, but she never stopped smiling that night. She must have read the thing a dozen times by morning, and when she went to sleep, she hugged me and kissed my cheek, whispering thank you as I sat there like an idiot. That was when I realized I didn't mind the woman's company at all.
After that, we began spending more time together during the day. I would sit on the grass near her chair as I slept or sharpened my swords, and we'd chat about whatever came to mind. Swordsmen she had read about. Countries I had heard about. She even tried to teach me to play chess, which I was lousy at. She would sit in the crows nest and read while I exercised, and even point out ways I could improve my training.
Our third night on duty together, she read to me. I almost protested that I wasn't a child who needed a bedtime story, but I didn't. I stopped regretting that decision as soon as I realized she was reading about the histories of the swords I carried. All the previous warriors who had carried them. It even recounted how Wado Ichimonji came to Kuina's family.
It was one of the most enjoyable nights I had, learning about the history of my swords. Yoru hung near my bed, the blade severed near the handle where I had finally defeated Dracule Mihawk and claimed the title of greatest swordsman in the world. She read about it and we found that there was a blacksmith alive descended from the man who had forged it originally who might be able to reshape it into a katana for me. Now that was something I could look forward to after we had reached Raftel.
I heard a soft knock on the trapdoor that led down to the deck and smiled. Robin pushed the door up and entered the crow's nest with a smile and a blanket. I felt a rush of cold air sweep in after her.
"We've entered the climate zone of a winter island. Nami says we should pass through by morning, but it won't get any warmer till the sun comes up." Robin explained to me as she saw me shiver. She came over to the bench where I was sitting and took a seat next to me, using her powers to spread the blanket over us both as she pulled out her latest book.
"Reading anything good tonight?" I ask her, grateful for the blanket. I'd have never noticed the drop in temperature if she had not opened the door. Would have probably been sick by morning.
"Oh, not particularly. I think I accidentally convinced Franky and Usopp to install a forge in the workshop. I decided to do some research on the subject before they burn the ship down." Robin sighed and opened the book, occasionally looking out the window. It was the least attention I have ever seen her give a book.
"Something on your mind?" I asked her. It was unusual for her to ignore her book without good reason.
"Actually... Yes. But it is nothing serious. Just trying to decide the best way to handle a personal situation. Zoro... Do you think Nami and Luffy are... together?" Robin asked. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"That is what has you so distracted? No. I don't think Luffy could or would hide it. But I think it will happen eventually." I stretch and look at her curiously. "Why is that on your mind?"
"Do you think it will hurt the crew? Them being more than friends and family? Especially if it doesn't work out?" Robin looked at me fully now. She looked more worried than I expected.
"I don't think so. We're closer than that. I can't imagine anyone on our crew having a problem with the happiness of another. Sanji might pout, but I think even he would be happy for them as long as she was happy." I turned sideways to face her more directly, one leg bent under me. She seemed to relax some then.
"You are right..." She turned to face me under the blanket, mirroring my position. She studied me carefully, setting her book behind her on the bench. She scooted closer to me and I felt my cheeks grow warm despite the cold air. "They aren't the only people who could be spending their days as more than friends, you know..."
My eye must have been the size of Luffy's mouth as she slid onto my lap and pressed her forehead to mine. It took me a moment to begin thinking again. Did I want this? She was beautiful, brilliant, strong... I decided then that I did want it. And I was an idiot for not realizing it sooner.
The next morning, I carried an exhausted Robin down to her room before the crew began their day. Of course, luck was not on my side, and Nami woke up just as I was lowering the sleeping archeologist onto her bed.
"Zoro... What... Oh... Oh! Wow... Don't you dare break her heart, idiot." Nami glared at me for a moment, then grinned. "It's about time. Wonder if that rubber idiot will ever get a clue..."
"You might need to be a little less subtle with him." I grinned back at her as I carefully spread the blanket over the sleeping woman. It was a bit wrinkled, but otherwise unharmed.
"Yes, because I am so subtle with him now... I'll press the issue after we make him king." Nami rolled out of her bed and walked past me onto the deck. "Take good care of her, and I'll forget your debt." She grinned and punched my shoulder. It was a hell of an offer, since I planned to take care of Robin anyway.
Breakfast was uneventful, but I decided I may as well take care of an inevitable uncomfortable conversation while the day was still young. I caught Sanji's attention as I left the kitchen and he followed me, raising a curly eyebrow at me for an explanation. I led him to the far side of the grass before leaning against the railing and turning to him.
"Robin and I got together last night." I decided blunt was probably the best way to say it. His cigarette falling out of his mouth made me wonder if that may have been just a little too blunt.
"That's... Sudden. Listen, Moss Head, if you..." He started to snarl at me. I held up my hands for peace.
"I'm not going to hurt her, and it wasn't a one time thing. I care about her. I respect her. You don't have to worry, but I wanted to be the one to tell you, before you found out some other way." I watched him sigh and lean against the railing beside me, picking out a new cigarette and lighting it.
"Alright. Thanks. I appreciate it. You gonna tell the others?" I shake my head.
"Not yet. Nami knows already, and I told you. The others will find out as they find out. I may tell Luffy, and I won't lie to anyone if they ask, but I don't plan to volunteer the information to anyone else unless Robin asks me to." I am surprised to see him nod in agreement.
"Sounds like the best way. It's a private matter, after all." With that, he walked off toward the kitchen to clean up whatever was left after the rest of the crew finished eating. I stayed where I was at, staring idly at Robin's empty lawn chair. Would anything really change between us, besides how we spend some of our nights? I yawned and jumped when Nami addressed me from the top of her ladder, picking her oranges.
"You know, Robin would probably appreciate it if you were there with her when she woke up. I'm not planning to go back in there till tonight, so you can feel free to lock the door." She grinned mischievously at me. I couldn't help but smile at her suggestion. I headed across the lawn and down to the room where our archeologist slept. I hope she's still asleep. I could use a nap before any more exercise.
I thought it was interesting that both Robin and Zoro have been called demons before.