"Hearken to me, all ye lost souls, all ye broken-hearted."
Zoro cracked an eye open at the wispy voice. He couldn't be sure he'd even heard it or if he'd imagined it. The swordsman frowned and peered around the crow's nest that was his living quarters. Besides the slight sway of the ship over the dark waves, everything was still. He strained his ears, still glancing surreptitiously, but all he could pick up was the wind in the sails and the slumbering breaths of the rest of the crew.
"Your heart calls to me, I will be your refuge and your solace."
There it was again, that whispered song that echoed across the sea as clearly as if the singer were standing right behind him. Zoro's eyes narrowed as he got to his feet, one hand going to the hilt of a sword. It was a woman's voice, but it had an eeriness to it that sent a shiver down his spine.
"Surrender your heart to me, let me be your love, and come to me."
Upon hearing the words, sung as a command, Zoro felt his taut muscles relax. As if he was suddenly pulled into a dream, he shuffled over to the trapdoor leading down the mast. With slow, dizzy movements, he descended to the deck and walked over to the rail on the side. He peered over, eyes glassy as he stared into the dark water.
"Swordsman," a woman's voice called out from the darkness, "Why do you look so lonely?"
Zoro's mind was in a haze, and he couldn't quite understand what this woman was talking about. "Lonely?" He blinked slowly, trying to shake the mist that was clouding his mind. "I look lonely?"
A face appeared from the waves; a pale face with shining cerulean eyes set above light pink lips. "Your lonely heart is screaming for help. I could hear it for miles."
"You... you can hear my heart?"
"It's all I can hear, Swordsman. You can't hear it?" She swam a little closer to the Sunny. "Your heart has been calling out for help, and I simply can't ignore it."
"My heart..." Zoro placed a hand over his chest, feeling the warmth radiating from his own skin. "Lonely, huh?"
"Zoro?"
As if waking from a dream, Zoro shook himself and turned his head. Sanji was walking towards him, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning.
"What's going on, Moss-head? Did you get lost on the way to your room?" The blond made his way over to where Zoro was standing.
What was he doing out here again? He turned his head to face the dark waves again, but there was nothing there. Was anything ever there?
"Shut up, idiot," Zoro grumbled. "I'm going back to bed."
He couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was forgetting something important.
