Going Merry rocked gently, offering comfort Zoro didn't feel he deserved. He had been standing at the rail staring into the sea for three days. The others would come and try to get him to speak, to open up, to forgive himself. They would give up and go 'til later. It was Nami's turn.
"I saw it, Zoro. It was an accident. He stepped back to attack an opponent. He didn't see you. It's not…"
"If that sentence finishes "your fault", you may want to grab that rail so you don't fall in."
The navigator sighed and walked away, for now. Her eyes still red from crying.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days earlier…

"You're blocking my sun!" Zoro snapped at Sanji who was busy hovering over Nami's deck chair with a tray.
"I am tending to Nami-san," Sanji sniffed as if that would excuse any inconvenience to anyone. Zoro slapped Sanji's leg with the side of Yubashiri and slipped it back into its scabbard before the cook could look down to see an innocently "asleep" Zoro.
Sanji shrugged and moved off to plump Nami's pillows.
"Useless cook," Zoro smirked to himself and went back to sleep.

"Do you think they have meat?"
"Have we ever been to a town that didn't?" Zoro answered his captain.
"Good. I have a craving for venison."
"Arg! How could you!" said Chopper.
Luffy looked at the doctor. "Well, you look kinda tasty!"
"I doubt you'll find venison here," Sanji said. "There aren't enough trees. This is grazing land. It's beef and lamb for you, Luffy."
"Can we put antlers on it?" Luffy asked.
"NO!" his crew answered as one.

The others never tired of markets, but shopping was never Zoro's thing. If he had something to buy he would buy it, but looking at endless rows of things he couldn't afford or didn't want, soon had him looking for an open space to swing his swords.Even the display of swords couldn't hold his attention. He snorted at Sanji. That baka cook was on the verge of exploding trying to fawn over Nami and Robin and select supplies for the ship from the stalls at the same time.Zoro looked away in annoyance. The boy could cook and fight alright, but for anything else he was more trouble than he was worth, and if he decided to go off on his own Zoro couldn't say he would be heart-broken.
Feeling bored and hungry, Zoro left to find a food vendor.

"AHHHHH! They're back!" a woman's scream rose over the chatter of the shoppers, silencing them.All turned towards the sound. Zoro climbed onto the food vendor's wagon to get a better look.
They were wearing marine uniforms but their weapons were mismatched, their uniforms unkempt. The man leading them was tall, broad with thick brown hair, a sword in each hand.
The man had a death-mask grin on his face.
He yelled a name Zoro didn't hear.
"Tax time!" he bellowed gleefully at the fearful citizens gathered in the square.
From the reaction, Zoro guessed the tax system was far from fair.

There was talking after that. Luffy challenged the marines, named an attack and struck some of the men down. The Straw-Hats gathered between the citizens and the men.
Zoro knew Luffy had left the man with the blades for him on purpose. Zoro smiled and the fight began. The reason, the story, no longer mattered. This one had to be stopped. His captain wished it. The clank and ping of blades, the sounds of his enemies breathing were the only sounds he heard. Every attack on both sides was blocked. Around him Luffy and Sanji were dealing with the others. Some of them were putting up a good fight but the details were a blur.
Five blades clashed and spun in controlled chaos. The townspeople watched, amazed. A few of the bolder were placing bets.

Then Nami screamed.

Zoro's opponent looked away from Zoro, to his right. The green-haired swordsman took advantage of this and swung in for a crippling blow. The man fell and Zoro grinned.
Nami screamed again. Luffy cried out, "Sanji!" Zoro looked to his right and his smile disappeared.
Sanji had his hands against the side of this throat, his face pale and shocked.
Zoro dropped his blades and pressed his hands over Sanji's.
"Chopper!" he called out. "Get over here!"
The reindeer was already on his way.
"What did you do to yourself, baka?" he growled at Sanji. "You've got blood on your new shirt and I don't know how to get it out. Now stop messing around."
Luffy had his arms around Sanji's body, holding him up. "Stop bleeding, Sanji!" Luffy ordered.
Chopper came, ordered them to sit him down. Nami was crying hard, Usopp looked like he was about to. Robin looked more serious than usual.
Chopper, Luffy and Zoro all worked on him but no one could stop the light fading from his eyes.

Zoro surged to his feet.
"Who did this! Where is the coward who killed my nakama? Show yourself!"
Nami cried harder. Robin shook her head. "It was you," she whispered. Zoro rounded on her. "What?"
"He was struck by your blade. He got too close. I…"
"I said show yourself!" Zoro turned on the few standing marines. "Who did this!""Zoro? Zoro?" they called but he couldn't hear them anymore.

His hand was cold. Too hard and too cold. That face. Zoro hated every goofy expression he ever saw on it when a girl was around, yet he would have melted Wadou down to see any of them again. Zoro idly lifted the yellow hair of the left side of Sanji's face, smiled, and laid it back down.
"It's time," Robin called down the stairs.
Zoro insisted on carrying Sanji's body himself, wrapped in a sheet. They said words as they stood on the deck, all except Luffy. He hadn't spoken since… since then. He sat on the sheep's head and watched with haunted eyes, with angry eyes. Zoro had to look away. He also said nothing, just felt the weight of Sanji's body in his arms, long after the water had taken it.
Zoro look up at the stars, unable to enter the room he had shared with Sanji.
Words clawed at his brain until they arranged themselves into a final epitaph;

The boy could cook and fight alright, but for anything else he was more trouble than he was worth, and if he decided to go off on his own Zoro couldn't say he wouldn't be heart-broken.

The end