*sneeze*

"I hate you."

"Stop being so grumpy."

"I really, really hate you."

"I said shut up! Negative Hollow!"

"...I'm sorry, Mistress Perona. Allow me to clean your shoes- LIKE HELL I WILL!"

"Go ahead, clean my shoes."

"No!"

Zoro scowled murderously at Perona and attempted to free his arms in the horrendously-wrapped "body cast" that Perona had trapped him in after he had injured his arms fighting off the strange sword-wielding beasts. He grunted and struggled, ignoring the red slowly starting to seep across the dirty white bandages.

"Stop doing that, stupid swordsman! You're going to kill yourself!" Perona grabbed the rope that she had tied around Zoro's wrapped-up middle and flew up into the air, pulling Zoro along with her.

"Oi! Put me down, idiot!" Zoro yelled, narrowly being hit across the face by the top of a tree.

"I can't hear you~" Perona sang. She began to swing the rope. Zoro shouted in indignation as he was spun around and around in midair.

"I'LL BARF ALL OVER YOU, I SWEAR I WILL!" Zoro roared angrily.

"That's not cute at all!" Perona shouted back. "And stop eating so much! You're too heavy!"

"Then PUT ME DOWN!"

Perona humphed and flew to the castle, landing smoothly on a cracked stone balcony. Zoro, on the other hand, was dropped unceremoniously on his face. The irate man immediately jumped back on his feet and glared at Perona.

"Stop giving me that look! It's creepy!" Perona said, sinking down halfway into the ground.

"You're creepy! Go back to your damn body, woman!" Zoro barked, still squirming against the tight bandages. He internally sighed with relief that his head and legs weren't wrapped up, giving him the freedom to walk on his own.

"Don't tell me what to do, moss-brains." Perona shot out of the balcony and flew in circles around Zoro, laughing that bizarre laugh that only she could pull off. Zoro groaned and sat down heavily, trying to block out her chortling.

"Hm. I'm hungry." Perona stopped flying around him and frowned, tapping her chin with one manicured finger. She pointed at Zoro. "Go find something to eat."

"No. Those things are probably still out there. Cut these bandages off and let me get to my swords, idiot!" Zoro gnashed his teeth at her.

"Reasonable enough. And stop telling me what to do!" Perona said, setting to work on the big bow she had tied. Zoro sat quietly as she unwound the bandages, humming a creepy little tune to herself.

"What were you doing here while you were alone, anyways?" Zoro asked out of curiousity, wiggling his arms as the blood-stained cloth loosened.

"Lurking around, singing depressing songs, looking for berries to eat." Perona said absentmindedly.

"Yeah. You're definitely creepy."

"You're the one with no sense of direction!" Perona flailed.

"What does that have to do with being creepy, eh?" Zoro shot back at her. He stood up as the bandages fell away, revealing his cut up arms and chest. Zoro flexed his fingers and reached for the swords that had been tied against his side, feeling the marks the hilts had made against his skin.

"That sword is almost as creepy as you." Perona said, pointing at Shuusui.

"Eh? Oh, yeah, this one's from Thriller Bark." Zoro said vaguely, wiping off Wado's blade with a corner of his ripped up shirt.

"Thriller Bark?" Perona gasped. She grabbed at the black sword, only to be stopped by Zoro's hand.

"Are you stupid? You'll cut your finger off." Zoro scowled, swatting her hand away. Perona's lower lip trembled, but Zoro's stare remained as stony as before.

"I miss Moria-sama..." Perona whimpered, wiping at her eyes. "I miss Bearsy, and I miss all my cute zombie servants, and I even miss bossing Absalom around."

"Whaddya mean, you miss those things?" Zoro cocked an eyebrow. "Let's see. You dressed me up as Bearsy, you forced me to do your bidding with your damn negative hollows, and you won't stop nagging at me."

"You're not the same as Bearsy, you stupid oaf! And Absalom isn't as stubborn as you!"

"Well, I'm sorry for not being a creepy zombie bear or an equally creepy invisible animal guy." Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Your face is creepy!" Perona pointed out.

"WHAT WAS THAT, EH?"

"Negative Hollow!"

"... I'm just a worthless piece of rotten fruit, I- STOP DOING THAT!"

"See! You look creepy right now!"

"GAH!"