I said over and over again how I wouldn't do multi-chapter fics, and yet here I am. Well, these are basically one-shots that have a similar theme so it sort of doesn't count, right? ...

I don't even know why I'm posting another fic so soon...

Anyways, this will be about when Luffy considered everyone as part of his crew and when everyone else considered themselves as part of the crew. In my point of view at least.

Updates will be slow, which is why I didn't want to make a multi-chapter fic in the first place - but this was an idea from the very moment I finished catching up to One Piece and I'm terrible at resisting.

First chapter is about - of course - Zoro. Because he was the first to join the crew, the first to understand what Luffy has planned, the first to come back after their two years.


Being Nakama

keeping promises


From the first moment that Luffy heard Zoro's name something clicked. He wasn't sure what and he didn't really try to figure it out. He just knew that this Zoro person interested him even if all he heard was the other's name. He resolved that if Zoro was a good guy, then Luffy would ask the other to join his crew, ignoring the frantic warnings of his new future marine friend.

When the Pirate Hunter had asked Luffy to give him the mud ball that had chunks of rice and sugar in it with hunger and desperation in his eyes, Luffy knew.

When the other had eaten everything and even after chocking a bit said 'Thanks for the meal," Luffy wasn't surprised.

Because somehow he understood. He never questioned it, because it felt so right. So natural. Something had fallen into place the moment he had heard the green-haired's name and Luffy didn't bother to wonder how he didn't notice the missing link before because the link wasn't missing anymore and that was all that mattered.

When the little girl told her story, of how the swordsman was so brave and kind, of how the Marine Captain's son was so unfair and cruel, Luffy knew that his suspicion about the green-haired teen was right, despite not knowing anything but the other's name.

And when the marine who depended so nauseatingly much on his father had burst in and declared he was going to be a liar as well, Luffy wasted no time in showing the marine how irritating he was.

At the same time, he decided that Zoro will be a part of his crew, because after all, it was obvious that Zoro was in fact a good guy and that was all he needed to know.

x********

From the first time they fought alongside each other, he could read the other in a way he could never read anyone else before. And he knew instantly that the same applied to the other.

It was weird. Strange, foreign feeling.

He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about it just yet.

Because here was this kid - and he was a kid with all his carefree smile but Zoro knew better than to treat the other as such - barging into the swordsman's life and settling in like it was meant to be and there was no way around it.

For someone who has been a lone wolf since, well since forever, it was a rather abrupt change.

But, he stuck to his promise that he'll be in Luffy's crew, even if he was the only one in that crew for the time being. As long as the other stuck to his end of the bargain to not get in the way, Zoro would oblige. He didn't mind the thought of being a pirate. He wouldn't have promised to become one of he did. He was a man of his word after all. And somehow, he knew that the other was the same.

He found himself warming up to the straw-hat wearing teen. And it wasn't a slow and painful process like he was expecting. It wasn't even slow and natural. It wasn't slow at all.

Almost immediately he eased in his new captain's presence, content with sailing together even while they had no destination in mind. It was easy to just fall into a comfortable pattern and to bicker with the other over meaningless things, and to act like they were...nakama.

That connection of somehow knowing what the other wanted never faded, and while he doubted anyone could ever fully understand Luffy, he was pretty certain he was one of the closest.

He had thought that he truly was a Straw-hat, he had thought that he had fully accepted Luffy as his Captain.

But then he was reminded of Mihawk.

It wasn't like he had forgotten. No, he always held a strong hold on his ambitions and never, ever loosened his hold. But, just hearing the name of the current greatest swordsman flicked on something in Zoro he didn't even bother to think about at the time.

His thoughts became flooded with his desire to become the best, the excitement of knowing that his chance might be approaching soon, the childish glee that he could finally complete that one promise he was so determined to carry out because there was no way he was going back on his word.

These thoughts were enough for him to completely forget his time as a Straw-hat. It was enough for him to forget his captain telling him to go after the orange haired navigator. Enough to allow himself to forget that day at the marine base and the childish grin as his swords were handed back to him.

He wished that he could say that in the back of his mind he knew what he was doing was wrong and foolish. But, he didn't. There was no room for such thoughts because all he could think about was that Mihawk was right there in front of him and he couldn't pass up this chance.

So, he challenged the greatest and was forced to realize how insignificant he really was.

He could hear somewhere far, far, away Luffy shouting, could feel in the way he always could with the other that the captain was distressed and wanted to interrupt so badly, to help his nakama in any way he could. Yet, Luffy stayed where he was. And he kept the others where they were too.

However, at the time Zoro wasn't paying attention to that. Because he was losing but he couldn't afford to lose, he couldn't, not when he had promised. And that one promise was all he could think about.

So, he kept charging, attacking, desperately trying to gain the upper hand.

He couldn't.

He lost.

And as he put Wadou Ichimonji back in its sheath, he wasn't surprised as Kuina came into his mind. He wasn't surprised that he was thinking of their broken promise.

As he told Mihawk that he wasn't going to stand for shame even as he died, he was surprised that Luffy came into his mind as well.

As he felt the black blade cut cleanly across his chest, as he felt his body fall into the ocean, as he felt his consciousness slowly slip away and hearing a faint yell of rage, he understood.

He had failed Kuina as a swordsman.

He had failed Luffy as a nakama.

Of course he wasn't a true Straw-hat at the time. Of course he didn't fully accept Luffy as his captain. He had 'joined' under conditions he had set himself that prevented him from fully being a part of the crew.

Because being part of a pirate crew wasn't a game. They weren't children playing pirates.

He couldn't just hold his ambition over his nakama. He couldn't just hold his ambition over his captain.

And yet, that was what he did.

Of course he couldn't be a part of them, a part of him, like that.

Luffy had held to his part of the deal, though Zoro somehow knew the other wouldn't have interfered with a fight that wasn't his anyways. But either way, Zoro did not. He didn't join the crew like he said he would. Didn't allow himself to.

As he felt himself awaken after being pulled out of the water, it was to new clarity that he wasn't sure how he missed before.

Slowly, ignoring the ache of the motion, he lift Wadou Ichimonji to make his new promise as clearly as he could even with his hoarse voice, he made sure his conviction rang clear because he now understood it didn't last time.

He apologized even as his chest screamed against him. Because he had wronged his captain. Because he had failed him. And if he didn't apologize and make things right then and now, he wouldn't be fit to call himself a Straw-hat.

He was a man of his word. He never made a deal or promise that he didn't intend to fulfill. And yet, he broke two so easily one right after another. He had failed to become the best. And he had failed to be a nakama.

So, he promised again, with new sincerity on what he knew he was going to be.

As he had promised Kuina, his rival.

As he had promised Kuina's father, his teacher.

Now, he promised Luffy, his captain, the future Pirate King.

He will become the world's greatest swordsman. He won't lose again. And he will fully come through with his deal from when they first met.

He wasn't really surprised at how easily his dream fell into place with his position as part of a Luffy's nakama. It should have fallen together a long time ago, since that first day, but he was well aware that he was a stubborn person and that he was at fault for thinking he could keep the two separate.

His ambition never changed. He will be the world's greatest swordsman, but he will do that as a Straw-hat. He'll be Luffy's greatest swordsman, and he'll be sure to never lose sight of his promises again.

He was a man of his word.