The Reunion of the Straw Hats
Description: After being separated at Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hats managed to find their way back to each other. On the night of their reunion, two of the Straw Hats reveal newfound feelings they developed while separated.
Note: This is a short story I wrote before the actual reunion came out. It's Zoro/Robin. Thanks for reading!
Finally, silence. It had been a long, exhausting day for all of them. But it was completely rewarding. Emotions ran high, hugs traded, excited chattering, the works. They had celebrated from around mid-afternoon and now it was nearly midnight. But it was worth it. It was worth it just because finally, after months of being separated, months of anxiety and worry and loneliness, they were together again, the Straw Hat Pirates.
Robin surveyed the damage. Empty plates save for a couple of crumbs littered the deck. Flat balloons and party streamers scattered every which way. Cups of leftover sake, tea, and coffee upturned. Someone's chocolate dessert remained untouched. Wherever the light hit, there was clear evidence a celebration had been in order. There had obviously been much festivity and merrymaking among the nine close pirates.
The archaeologist smiled softly to herself as she looked at her sleepy companions, her nakama. Twenty years ago, she barely had a family and was forced at the age of 8 to live life as a fugitive, constantly abandoned and betrayed by other pirate crews and various people. But now, she had finally found a place to call home, with close companions whose well-being she cared more about than that of the rest of the world, including her own. At last, she could stop running.
The separation had been hard on her. She had been barely reunited with her crewmates after the events at Enies Lobby, cementing her genuine and lasting bond to the Straw Hat Pirates, before they found themselves wrapped up in back-to-back adventures, first at Thriller Bark and later at Sabaody Archipelago. It was at Sabaody that she had been torn unceremoniously from her nakama to the island of Tequila Wolf.
Robin shut her eyes tightly. She was back. She was back with her nakama; they were all reunited. Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Chopper, Franky, Brook, and the Thousand Sunny. She would never have to be separate from them again. Sighing, she opened her eyes, inspecting the clutter around her. She bent down, collecting the empty plates, and headed to the dining area/kitchen, where an equally big mess awaited. She collected the plates that were scattered on the table and placed them into the sink. Walking back out to the deck, she began collecting the cups.
As she reached for the cup next to Zoro, a voice stopped her.
"Leave it. I'm not done." She did not flinch, merely glanced over to the swordsman, whose eyes were still closed.
"Would you like more sake then, Kenshi-san?" She asked, collecting Sanji's cup instead. At this, Zoro opened his eyes lazily, gazing at the archaeologist.
"No, I'm just going to finish this." He picked up his cup and drained the last of his favorite drink. Then, he stretched and got up, looking at the full moon.
"What time is it?" He asked, scratching his head and yawning.
"Nearly midnight," she responded, standing up with her collected cups. Zoro took notice and moved forward to take some from her.
"Here," he said, taking half of the cups from her, their fingers lightly brushing against each other's as Zoro lightened her load.
"Thank you, Kenshi-san," Robin said quietly, thinking about how electrifying the brief touch had been.
Silently, the pair marched into the kitchen, where they placed the cups into the sink. Wordlessly, Zoro turned on the water and began to wash the plates. Robin stood beside him, ready with a towel to dry the plates off. They worked for about ten minutes before Robin broke the calm silence between the two.
"What was it like?"
Zoro stopped rinsing, and looked at his nakama in confusion.
Robin reworded her question, "What was it like at Kuraigana Island?"
Zoro rinsed the plate he was holding, thinking back to his experience at the ruins of Shikkearu Kingdom of Kuraigana Island. He handed Robin the clean plate before responding, "It was a strange place. I was glad to leave."
Robin tilted her head in curiosity. "Why was it strange?"
Zoro shrugged as he handed her a clean cup, "It was almost deserted except for the ruins. Everything was dark and damp. Being there alone with Perona was weird; she wouldn't stop following me, said she wanted something cuddly or cute," Zoro shivered internally from the ordeal.
"But you mentioned having met a swordsman," Robin said. Zoro nodded. "Did you learn anything? Become stronger?"
Zoro turned off the water, passing Robin the last cup. He leaned across the sink, crossing his arms, with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Of course, I always learn from fellow swordsmen. And I always become stronger. Even if my opponent is weaker than me, I feel it's important to learn, to keep learning, to remember what it took to get to where I am today, and to practice," he stopped briefly and Robin saw nostalgia written all over his face, "When I was younger, I practiced daily. But I was still unable to defeat…" he stopped again, realizing he was about to reveal his past.
Robin didn't press on. She thought back to Thriller Bark, when all of the Straw Hats had been nearly defeated by Bartholomew Kuma. She hadn't been conscious to see what had happened, but she had eavesdropped on a conversation where she learned that Zoro had sacrificed himself to save them all, by taking in all of Luffy's pain. When she heard of his sacrifice, her reverence for the aspiring swordsman had grown.
She never told anyone of her discovery and was not planning on revealing it anytime soon. It was Zoro's decision. He had been the one who sacrificed himself for them, so he had the choice to tell them if he wished.
"What about you?" Zoro asked, suddenly breaking her thoughts. She knew immediately that he was referring to her brief incarceration at Tequila Wolf.
Shrugging, Robin said, "It was an experience. I never heard of Tequila Wolf or the bridge they've been building until my internment. There was much to be learned about the island and purpose of the bridge. And meeting Dragon was not something I expected, but worthwhile."
Zoro looked at his companion in mild surprise, "Dragon? You mean…"
"Yes," Robin locked eyes with the swordsman, "Luffy's father, Monkey D. Dragon, the revolutionary."
Zoro fell silent, his arms still crossed, his face expressionless. After a couple of minutes, he asked, "Does he know?"
"I didn't tell Luffy yet," Robin said. "He's had quite an ordeal; I didn't think it wise to bring up his father at the moment. With time, I might tell him, but I may not need to. Their paths will eventually cross." She remembered everything about meeting Dragon, especially his excited expression when he learned she was a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. It had been a very brief moment of obvious excitement before he remembered himself and covered up his excitement with curiosity instead, but Robin could still traces of vivid anticipation and pride, emotions only a father harboring homesickness could possess.
Zoro nodded, "Most likely they will bump into each other. We're going to the New World." He unfolded his arms, running a hand through his messy green hair.
Robin swept by him, stopping before the circular window that looked out to the deck. She gazed at the silhouettes of her sleeping nakama and smiled softly.
"It'll be much harder," she said, "We'll be facing stronger opponents than before."
"But we will get through it," Zoro interrupted, his tone fierce. "We are stronger too."
Robin smiled at the determination in his voice. Wordlessly, she pushed the door opened, walking back out to the deck. A light breeze had settled in, and the stars shone brighter than ever. Within seconds, she heard the door open again, and she knew without having to look back that Zoro had walked out behind her.
"I realized something, while I was separated from everyone," Zoro said, quite abruptly. Robin turned at this; she heard urgency in his voice. Zoro plunged further, without stopping. "I…I think it was building inside me for awhile now, l-little by little, but I suppressed it down. However, when I was on that island alone, everything…hit me."
Robin didn't say anything. Her breath quickened. She could feel her heart pounding; it almost sounded like it was right next to her ear.
"Robin," Zoro took a step closer to her so that they were practically intertwined. She could see every crease and line on his kind, tense face. A bead of sweat was trickling down his face; she wanted to brush it off, but refrained.
"I… just wanted to tell you…that I…I…I'm glad you're safe!" He exclaimed the last part as though he was in-between thoughts and changed his mind halfway.
Robin smiled nonetheless. Zoro did not compliment anyone, nor did he show signs of affection. He was much closed with his emotions, and aside from his dream, she had been certain he cared for little else. Although he cared immensely for his nakama now, Robin had a feeling he had not been so considerate at the beginning of his pirate days. Zoro vocally expressing worry and delight in her safety was novel.
"Thank you, Zoro-san," she said, using his name for the first time since she joined the crew. She surprised herself, but quickly covered up her small shock. "I'm glad you're safe as well." She had never used his actual name before, whether addressing him directly or mentioning him in a conversation with the other crewmates. When she first joined, she had been so sure she would be betrayed by them or she would leave them willingly after a short period of time. Gradually, she felt a sense of belonging with her crewmates, and after the events of Enies Lobby, she had took to calling them by their names one-by-one. It had been a slow, ongoing process, but finally, she had been able to call everyone by their names except Zoro. Why she refused to call him by his name was a mystery, especially for her. She didn't know the reason, but there was always something that prevented her from doing so.
Zoro looked shocked too. He had not anticipated Robin saying his name; in fact, he was quite used to being called Kenshi-san. However, he found himself liking the sound of his name on her lips, the way it rolled off easily and gently. He smiled widely, glad that the archaeologist had finally started calling him Zoro and glad that she wanted him safe as well. It wasn't exactly what he had planned to say, but it was a big step, especially for him. Maybe someday, he could say aloud what he had really wanted to say.
The two crewmates stared at each other, both smiling. Silence ensued between them, but it was a comfortable silence, the kind that only occurred between two people that were familiar and at ease with each other. They were still standing very close to each other, the moonlight producing an interlaced shadow, as though it knew they were one. Everything was as still as the ocean itself, except for an occasional light breeze, there was a calm stillness for miles.
"MEAT!" Their captain's voice startled the silence, breaking the tranquility of the evening. However, it neither bothered the swordsman nor the archaeologist. They merely smiled at each other, and then looked to where their captain laid, sprawled out, sleeping soundly, and dreaming of food. It was an ever typical evening for the Straw Hats. Well, almost typical.