Since Zoro met Luffy he's known that one of the captain's biggest strengths is his ability to make friends out of strangers, enemies, and the unwilling. He knows how it feels to have conviction that was so unwavering just moments ago slip away (that hard wooden cross in the summer sun by the looming marine building, the chafing of rope on his wrists, the emptiness at his side where his swords would normally sit) and be repossessed by something else, wholly new (that bright smile, the tiny boat bobbing on the ocean, the feeling of starving again but not really minding it).
Zoro sits in the little rowboat with legs stretched in front of him as Luffy takes a turn at rowing. Neither are sure where they're heading but Luffy's vigor is so contant and unflinching that Zoro can't help but feel positive about the whole thing despite that they haven't eaten in three days and that the back of his head and neck burns as the sun beats down.
Zoro's turn comes and Luffy takes his seat, leaning over the side of the boat, trailing a hand through the water, leaning much too far over the edge.
"Oi, Luffy," Zoro says, a little angrily. "Don't you dare fall out of the boat again. I'm still sitting in a damp spot from the last time."
"I told Zoro to take his pants off if it bothers him so much," Luffy grumps. "But I won't fall out - I tied myself to the boat, see?" He points, and Zoro stares. Luffy's waist is tied with the rope that came with the boat, secured at the joint where one of the oars is turning steadily in a circle, cutting through the calm waves, taking them who-knows-where.
"Tch, honestly…" Zoro mutters, feeling that now-familiar rising of appreciation (adoration) and quashing it to address later.
Suddenly Luffy shouts, leaning further out over the ocean. Zoro's hand twitches to grab him but the rubber man manages to stay in the boat. "Look, Zoro! I can see land!" He's pointing somewhere out of Zoro's vision and the swordsman turns to look. Sure enough there's an island far off in the distance, shores partly obscured by a low-hanging mist.
"Finally…" Zoro says, but Luffy doesn't answer, and everything goes quiet for a moment. Luffy's face is alight with the golden glow of the setting sun, his arm stretched in front of him, pointing to the island, the sea breeze pushing his hair from his forehead. Zoro stares, unthinkingly. Slowly the oars stop moving.
"Zoro?" Luffy says, waving a hand in front of Zoro's eyes. "You stopped rowing! C'mon, we gotta go get some meat!"
He comes to with a start, ripping his gaze from Luffy and turning to the darkening horizon before him as he begins to row quickly away from it. "Aye, Captain!"