Back then, he didn't think it twice. He just did it.
Although he tried to grab the ropes, Sanji had fallen overboard. Without hesitating, Zoro went after him. But, in the Mugiwara crew, akuma no mi users (with the notable exception of Nico Robin), were prone to reckless, brave and, specially, terribly stupid actions.
By this, I mean when Zoro jumped from the railing to save the cook, Luffy went after him, in a heroic and stupid attempt to save his nakamas.
Luckily, Robin had Chopper in her arms, like a plushie, so that he didn't followed Luffy, increasing the number of people falling overboard.
Brook, on the other hand, had managed to resist it, using all his inner strength.
With a simple gesture from the archeologist, Franky went after Luffy.
The sea whirled their bodies, and separated them from the ship more and more, but at least, they were still together.
Zoro dove into the water, just enough, so that the current did not catch him, and started searching for the blond.
The salty water made his eyes burn, even though he was used to it.
He had to find him as soon as posible, or else it' would have been too late. He plunged a couple of metters deeper, and when he felt he was running out of air, he saw Sanji sinking slowly into the darkness.
Zoro dove with all his strenght, using his powerful stamina reserves, and caught him. He put his strong arm around the blond's waist and started emerging, trying not to consume too much oxygen.
When the shipwright, who had knotted Luffy around his neck like a scarf, saw Zoro's quirky green hair poking out of water's surface, he hold him.
The calm after the storm.
The blue haired man swam using his robotic habilities to do it even faster, to the nearest land.
Once they reached it, Franky wrung Luffy like a dishcloth, and the captain spat all the water he had swallowed. Then, he regained consciousness.
Nervously, Zoro placed the cook on the sand.
- Oi, Zoro... Is he alive?! - asked Luffy worriedly.
- Fuck, Luffy, don't pressure me, I don't know! - answered the swordsman trying to take Sanji's pulse, but not knowing where to find it.
- Zoro, bro, that's his stomach... try the neck – Franky sighed, trying to help. But Zoro lost his temper:
- Shut the fuck up!
The swordsman put his fingers on Sanji's carotid, and thank god, he was alive. But it was obvious he had water in his lungs, and his pulse was weak. If they woudn't do something, Sanji could die, and they couldn't wait for Chopper to arrive.
The green-haired man undid the cook's shirt, leaving his pale chest bare, so that he could breathe better.
- Luffy, you gotta do this mouth-to-mouth thing! - the swordsman shouted, kneeling in front of cook's limp and unconscious body.
- Luffy can't do it, man! He's SUPER silly, he could shallow the water afterwards or something, and we would have to start all over again!-the shipwright said – No offense, bro – he finished, giving Luffy a little friendly pat on the shoulder.
- Ah! Ha ha, none taken! - he answered with a goofy smile.
- The cook's gonna die, shit! Franky, you do it!
- I have too much strength because of my metal weight, I could break him a rib or the sternum. Or both!
- But that could happen anyways!
- You do it, Zoro! - Luffy shouted with authority.
Captain's orders. Zoro, unhesitatingly, started to give the blond a cardiac massage, and provide him air via mouth to mouth, while the other two looked at both of them worriedly, and tried to glimpse the ship near the beach.
Every time Zoro pressed the blond's chest mouthfuls of water emerged from his mouth.
- How much water did this bastard swallowed!?
Zoro had totally forgot how unpleasant the thought of "kissing" his rival nakama was, to actually concentrate in saving him.
- Come on, Sanji! – Franky and Luffy whispered.
Zoro brought his lips next to the cook's once again, but this time it was different. Sanji, by a movement that was between a post-mortem spasm and sleepwalking, held tightly to the swordsman neck, preventing him from escaping. The three men were startled.
- Marimo... - the blond whispered against Zoro's mouth, with a voice tone that was too sensual considering the situation he was in.
Then, and before any of them could react, he introduced his tongue in the swordsman's mouth and started kissing him.
He didn't plan on releasing his grip. One of his hands was holding the marimo tightly, and the other was busy caressing and grabbing Zoro's hair.
Zoro couldn't be more shocked. He was stiff as if he had been dissected, while Sanji clung onto him with arms and legs, and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. The blond gave him chaste kisses interspersed with wet kisses.
Franky and Luffy were speechless. The scene was too ridiculous.
The cook, opened his eyes, which had been closed until now, regaining some conscience, since he was in some kind of sensorial trance state. But it finished when he realized what he was doing.
- Get your dirty hands off me, marimo! - the cook shouted, kicking Zoro away from him.
- I should be the one saying that, don't you think, blondie?!
They started shouting at each other, but Franky was glad everyone was fine. Luffy just bursted out laughing.
- Hey, look! There they are! - Luffy shouted and pointed to the west of the beach, behind a natural breakwater.
- Good, let's go back to the ship – Franky said, and the rest of them followed, Sanji and Zoro still arguing.
After a couple of minutes, Sanji intervened – For the record, I thought you were a woman, a mermaid to be precise. Alright?
- Sure, shitcook.
- I'm serious! I would never - and look at me when I say this, marimo - I would NE-VER be attracted to a man, and especially not to you! - Sanji snorted angrily – Just what I needed, "plantphilia". Tsk – he said while Zoro nodded, agreeing with him as if the blond was stupid.
- Seems legit. Now shut up, the sound of your voice irritates me. I should have left you drown, clingy kissy cook.
- Zoro, you're playing with fire... Do I have to remind you that we sleep in close bunks? If I were you, I'd be careful and sleep with one eye open... Just saying – the blond answered with a diabolical expression.
- What, you gonna rape me or something? - the swordsman asked with a smug grin, and Luffy and Franky burst out laughing again, althought they tried to hide it so that Sanji didn't get angrier.
He snarled and went a few metters ahead, followed by Luffy, who started asking him about dinner.
- Oi, Zoro... – the shipwright whispered, so that the blond couldn't hear them.
- ...Hm?
- He knew you were not a woman... - he continued, with a sly grin.
Zoro, blushed a bit, but hid it looking away.
- I'm just saying it, you know – and his smile turned friendly.
- Hmm...
- This dude feels something for you. I always notice these kind of things.
Zoro smiled shyly, but in denial. He wasn't going to talk to him about it anyway. Both men kept walking in silence while Sanji and Luffy were chatting a couple of metters ahead. And their conversation was not unnoticed by the other men.
- Oi, Sanji! Walk faster, I'm hungry!
- Aye, aye...
- Hm... - Luffy looked meditative.
- What? - Sanji felt like he was going to regret asking.
- If you thought Zoro was a girl, why did you say his name before grabbing him?
Zoro closed his eyes and wore a smug grin. God bless Luffy's compromising and innocent stupidity.
- Luffy... - Sanji said, letting his bangs cover his eyes.
- What? - the blackhaired boy answered, like he didn't know what he had done.
- You wanna eat? - the blond's expression turned dark and sinister.
- Yes, Sanji! Yes! - Luffy responded firmly.
- Then SHUT THE FUCK UP!
And by a kick in the ass, the cook catapulted him to the Sunny.