Disclaimer: I own nothing of this expect the method and order in which these words have been placed. They belong to the brilliant authors who created both these wonderful series.
A/N: this is just something I wrote on a whim. Unlike Slayers & Fairies, this isn't a direction, chapter-by-chapter story. I have the vague idea that when I feel the urge, I'll rewrite a one-shot (or maybe two-shot, for the aftermath, later) about one of the Strawhats (or possibly another OP character) running into the FT characters. Don't expect it to be soon, or always for them to run into the FT guild hall or Team Natsu.
Hehe, just had an idea for Elfman and Franky meeting. It would be a SUPER meeting of MANLINESS! I beat Franky would feel extra manly that week.
Anyway, this was written at 2am, listening to my newly downloaded songs of the newest Naruto opening and ending themes, Lover and Freedom, which I enjoyed a lot.
I hope you like this. I personally feel that in terms of sheer swordsmanship, Zoro outclasses Erza before the time-skip and after, well, he would be as I've shown.
Why, yes, Zoro is my favourite OP character, how did you guess? (my fav FT are Gajeel, followed by Elfman, Natsu, Pantherlily, Laxus, Brain.)
It was a tad surprising when, on a perfectly normal morning, as the birds sang, the trees whispered in the wind, Elfman declared what things a Man did, Natsu and Gray fought, and the Fairy Tail guild hall had just finished its breakfast brawl, that a man with short green hair, a scar through one eye, a green jacket and three swords walked in, took a look around, frowned and wandered out. There was a moment of silence as the mages of Fairy Tail processed this. They were just about to dismiss it when he walks in from the door leading out back and repeated his previous actions before leaving.
"The hell is-" Gray started to ask the room in general when the stranger walked out of the pantry behind the bar.
Ignoring the people staring at him, the man swore and began to look cross. "Damn confusing sidewalks. Oi, you, which way to the docks?" he demanded, pointing at Mirajane with a heavily calloused finger.
The bartender frowned. "I'm afraid Magnolia doesn't have any docks. We're inland, our only water is the lake outback."
The stranger's expression became more irate. "Really? Damn."
"Oi! Why the hell do you keep coming into our guild?" Natsu demanded, leaping onto a nearby table and nearly knocking Lucy's drink onto the Celestial mage herself.
"Huh?" was his eloquent reply.
"I believe" Freed began from the bar. " he is asking why exactly have you entered three times and exited twice, with no apparent purpose?"
Giving the room a look, the stranger shrugged. "I don't know. Is your building stalking me?" he cocked an eyebrow, now watching the walls warily.
"What?" was the almost universal shout from the mages, who were becoming more surprised by the sentence.
"Did you get lost?" Mirajane, always one to be positive and look for solutions, suggested.
He snorted. "I don't get lost." After a moment's thought, he added. "Despite what the others say. Not my fault the geography keeps getting in the way."
"Enough! Stranger, tell us your name!" this shout of demand came, without much shock, from Erza Scarlet.
"Hm?" he seemed vaguely interested in the twin short swords she was pointing at him. "Zoro."
"What is your purpose here?" she asked, clearly intent on interrogating him. "I refuse to believe that anyone could have such a bad sense of direction to accidently re-enter the guild three times! Tell me the truth, or you'll taste my blades!"
"Uh, Erza, isn't that going a bit far-" Lucy began.
"Heh." The single syllable drew every eye in the room. Zoro looked...eager? "So," he drawled, hands resting against the hilts of his swords. "if I don't tell you, we fight?" he grinned darkly. "Sounds good to me." There was a silken whisper as he drew one of his katanna.
The whole guild burst into whispers as Erza stared in shock. Her eyes hardened. "Very well! We fight!"
Zoro grinned, and faster than anyone could follow had launched over the bar and his blade slammed into Erza's hasty defence. He pressed down on her, and to the guild's shock her swords were being forced back. Sweat gleamed on Erza's face as she struggled against her opponent's overwhelming physical strength. There was screech of metal and a shower of sparks as she managed to angle her weapons break the lock, blades grinding as he went past. Any hope of taking advantage of the opening was lost, Zoro reacting with unbelievable speed. Erza barely caught the attack on her right-hand sword, and she was knocked through the air.
She managed to right herself before she landed, the S-Class mage sliding as she landed on a table. The occupants scattered. The area around the walls and the second floor were becoming thick with observers. Near the front, Natsu was punching the air and cheering her on with Lucy.
Erza eyed the swordsman, wary. Despite herself, she could not help feeling doubt worm its way into her heart. He had only swung twice, but in those duel meetings of blades she had felt...power. Not magical power, nothing so mystical. It was not even raw power. It was a wild, burning strength formed from a body forged for battle and skill. She knew, without a doubt, this man deserved the title of Sword Master more than anyone she had met. They said that in when the weapons of two warriors met they could read the other's heart. If so, he had a heart filled with determination and ambition like none she had fought before.
They stared, waiting for the other to make the next move. Erza's armour glowed, breaking apart as she requipped her Black Wing Armour. "I am Erza Scarlet, my magic Black Wing Armour enhances the power of a single weapon, the blow one stri-" she began her dramatic dialogue.
"Tch." Zoro turned away, sheathing his blade. His shoulders slumped as he sighed in...disappointment. The swordsman began to walk away. Confusion spread through the suddenly quite crowd. Was he afraid of Erza? What was going?
The woman herself wanted to know. "Where you going?" she shouted. "Why are you running?"
Zoro waved a hand vaguely in her direction, not even bothering to turn. "I ain't interested fighting someone who relies on magic instead of skill and training." He said with dismissively. His head half turned and he roll his remaining eye towards her. "It's not a real sword fight. I've got no reason to keep going."
Erza found herself speechless for a moment, inarticulate as the man's words washed over her. Her face went pale, and the hands gripping her blade tightened. Just as Natsu opened his mouth to roar at the swordsman, she spoke.
"Alright."
"Hm?" Zoro looked at her again, curious at the odd, flat tone.
"Alright." She repeated, meeting his gaze. Her armour glowed, and soon faded away. She wore the outfit she had in the Tower of Heaven, facing a sinister member of Trinity Raven, mage assassins. There was a few mutterings as the guild stared at her skimpily bound chest. A katana was held in each hand. "No armour. No magic. Just swords. Just you, and just me."
He watched for a moment before grinning and turning to face her fully. "Great! I knew you had it in you." He congratulated. She did not take offense. He wasn't being patronising. He was honestly praising her, one warrior to another. His sword was back in hand before she knew it. "Now, let's get serious.
A smile forced its way onto her face. "Yes, lets." Erza leapt onto the next table, running to the edge where she pushed off, sailing through the air at her opponent. Zoro held his lone drawn sword in his right hand, wielding with just the one. He met her downward stroke from her right blade, disengaging in a movement that forced it away long enough for him to easily parry the flanking attack from her left sword. His return, a straight cut aimed at her left shoulder, sparked against her crossed sword. The force lifted her away, the swordswoman landing gracefully and on guard.
Without missing a beat, Zoro went on the attack. He was in her face before she knew it, blade driving through the air from his upper right. It bounced away from her first parry, but was followed before she could counter-attack. The swordsman kept up his assault, thrusting from the front only to feint for her stomach and dive for her legs, forcing Erza to react with acrobatic leaps and dodges. The fight was relentless, Zoro not letting up for a moment. There were openings in his defence, but nothing she tried managed to pierce his defences. Zoro's reflexes were amazing, even to her, and he seemed to notice the slightest shift in posture and not only blocked, parried or even prevented her from attacking, but had a follow-up in motion. He did not even seem to have a blind spot like anyone lacking an eye should.
After the first minute, the fight had moved to the open ground between the bar and the main entrance. Small cuts and slices dotted Erza's skin, drops of red against her pale frame. She had yet to land an attack on Zoro by the second minute mark. Erza tried crossing her swords and forcing his up and away, sliding one sword out to slash at his throat. Zoro swayed to the side, knocked her second blade further and came down for her head. It was all Erza could do to jump backwards, but even so a long bloody gash trailed down her cheek.
"You're good." Zoro complimented, watching her stance and movements carefully. "You've trained your body well, you've got excellent reflexes and you pack a punch. You could be one of the best." He considered that for a moment. "Nope, you are one of the best. Wish Mihawk was here to meet you."
She panted, watching him. She was getting tired extremely fast, Erza knew. She was drawing on every ounce of skill and experience to keep up. The nagging doubt in her pointed out that she wasn't keeping up; he was still unharmed and had yet to draw his second sword. Considering he was using the first one handed, it wasn't hard to believe he was a master of two sword style.
He looked her over. "This fight is going to end the same way." He informed. "Whether it takes an hour or a minute."
"SHUT UP! Erza will kick your mossy-headed butt!" Natsu roared from the crowd.
"..." There was an offended silence from between Bixlow and Evergreen.
"Woops, uh, sorry Freed."
"Shut the hell up, you little brat!" Zoro suddenly shouted at Natsu. "I'm trying to be serious here, you pink punk!"
That got to Natsu, not that it was a fantastically hard thing to do. He slammed one foot onto the railing, waving a fist. "Say that again, moss-head! I'll burn you to a char!"
Further arguing was forestalled. "What do you propose? I will not give in." Erza told him in her firmest voice.
The swordsman nodded, grinning. "I didn't think you would. Let's end this." With a swift movement, the near-black bandanna on his arm was lifted and around his head. It made the swordsman look remarkably more evil as his eyes glared out from the shadow it cast. He pulled the other two swords out, lifting one to his mouth. "I'll finish this with the style I created – Santoryu." He held his swords up at angle to each other, level with his mouth.
"The man I seek to surpass showed me his strength when we first met! He crushed my body, broke my blades! It hardened my resolve, it made me vow never to lose against any other sword! I don't know what goal you seek, if you seek any. But! Erza Scarlet, show me if you have the will to become stronger." His voice was loud and clear, and so deadly serious it silenced even Natsu. "Show me your ambition!" he roared. His swords began to spin clockwise in perfect harmony. His legs tensed and he erupted into movement at the same moment as Erza.
"Santoryu Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds!"
They blazed past each other in an instant, moving too fast and blades flying with speed no one could follow. They stood where the other had been, facing the opposite direction. The room was deadly quiet.
"Amazing." Erza muttered, a moment before she fell to the ground as blood sprayed from the red line that appeared on her side. The tip of each sword, cleanly sliced in two, embedded in the wooden floor.
The guild burst into motion, half towards Erza and half towards Zoro, some, like Natsu, screaming bloody murder. He did not even seem to see them, reaching up to touch his cheek just below his scarred eye.
"Stop!" she suddenly roared, pulling herself to her knees. It was obvious to everyone that Erza was barely able to stay conscious. "Do nothing to him! We fought honourably and without malice! I will not have you shame that!"
"Incredible." Zoro turned at last, a soft grin on his face. Sheathing his blades, he took off his bandanna. The hand which had touched his cheek was smeared with blood, and a flow was slowly damming the light cut beneath his eye. He walked over to her, reaching out. She responded, and they clasp hands. "You're a fine swordswoman." Seen only by the woman who's hand he held, sadness pressed against him, coming to his eyes for only a moment before it was gone. Erza found herself wondering if she had imagined it. "It was an honour to fight you."
"The same...to...you..." Erza smiled up at him as she lost consciousness.
Turning to the stunned guild, Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You guys got a doctor?" another thought occurred to him as Wendy ran forward. He wasn't about to question their medical professional, considering his own was a man-reindeer. "Got any rum?"
Hope you enjoyed, did my best to get the character's across. You know, I've never written something this purposefully small and self-contained before. I might write a follow up, but don't expect it anytime soon. With this one, it will be rare bouts of inspiration at late times of night. I wonder if the sore throat and sniffles helped me write? Who knows!