I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but I got bored and went for it. Characters are probably OC because I just wrote a story I wanted to read, not necessarily one that was the most accurate. Zoro curses up a storm, the plot doesn't really make sense, and there are probably improbable reactions to events. Also haven't proofread the 30k+ words I have down so far. If you still want to read even after all that, good luck!
Consiousness comes slowly, easily, and for a fleeting moment Zoro is under the impression he's fallen asleep on the Sunny and—for once in their goddamn lives—the crew has decided to let him nap in peace. But as he comes to, he realizes his hands aren't usually bound when he dozes.
Shit.
His eye snaps open and he jerks, instantly awake, already scanning his surroundings. He's in a thick forest of some kind—with massive trees and dense, blooming foliage—and oh. Oh. He's tied at the base of a massive oak, hands secured tightly and pressed between his back and the rough bark. Unsurprisingly, his swords are missing, too.
He squints, glaring around him, and the sudden realization that he has no idea where he is and no idea how he got here hits him like a brick. The whole place is relatively quiet, and he reaches out with his Observation Haki for a moment to confirm that he's alone, mentally adding no idea where my crew is, either to the list. Fantastic.
Suddenly, a dark blur drops down from above, and all of Zoro's muscles tense. He hadn't sensed anyone else, so how—
The kid stands from where he'd landed in a crouched position and adjusts what looks like a worn top hat on his blond hair. He's dressed well—in a dirty but clearly expensive suit, each piece of which is a slightly different shade of blue—and looks pissed. (He also looks vaguely familiar, which is a little unnerving.) "You're finally awake," the kid says, waving the long pipe in his hands with a firm grip, like he's making sure Zoro knows he won't hesistate to attack if he has to.
Zoro rolls his eye.
"Looks like it," he scoffs, shifting his shoulders. The rope is tight, but clearly not tied by an expert. One good flex and he could easily snap the whole thing. But he doesn't, because the gaps in his memory have him on edge and he doesn't really feel like hurting a little kid. If he breaks out, the boy will definitely attack, and he'll have to fight back. (Not that it would be much of a fight, he thinks. But still.)
"What did you do to my little brother?" the boy is glaring, and with some internal surprise Zoro notes that he doesn't look the least bit frightened, like the fact that he's easily four times his size and exponentially stronger either hasn't occured to him, or he just doesn't give a shit.
"I ain't done nothing, brat. I don't even know what the fuck this place is," Zoro snaps back, shifting again. Although, given that he can't remember anything, he really isn't sure how true the first statement is. Not use letting him in on that, though.
The kid's other hand balls into a tight fist. "Liar," he hisses. "We found you in the woods not far from where we lost him, and we've never seen you before. We know everyone on this island." He steps forward then, pressing the end of the pipe to Zoro's neck. "If you hurt even one hair on his head, I'll kill you."
Zoro scoffs, already-thin patience quickly running out. Maybe knocking this brat upside the head wouldn't be such a bad idea. "I'd like to see you try, kid. And those are some pretty harsh accusations you're throwin' around. Your brother goes missing and you blame the first person you see? Real smart."
The kid's face twists, enraged at Zoro's flippant tone, and he smacks him across his temple with the pipe. Zoro doesn't even blink, but okay, yeah—he is done with this. In a single motion, he yanks both of his arms, shredding the rope around his wrists and forcing his way out from the tree, snapping the restraints on his torso. The kid has enough sense to back up a few steps, but it's too late—Zoro is already towering over him.
"B-But how—"
"I'm only gonna ask this once, kid. Where are my swords?"
Suddenly, the kid's expression shifts from fear to determination, and his stance changes. He crouches low like he's ready to fight, and Zoro can't help but raise an eyebrow. Even so clearly outmatched, the brat has guts. "And I'm only going to ask this once: what did you do to Luffy?"
Zoro stops, one hand poised to swat the kid to the side and leave before the brat gets himself into more trouble than he can handle, and he blinks. The sudden change in his demeanor must make the kid think he's actually struck some fear into the larger man, though, because he steps forward and waves his pipe again.
"The fuck did you just say?" Zoro growls.
"You heard me, old man. Where is my brother?"
Although the name caught him off guard, the kid had said he was looking for his little brother, and he can't be more than ten years old. There's no way his Luffy and this brat's Luffy are the same person.
Zoro advances again, now even more determined than before to figure out just what the hell is going on. "And you heard me. I ain't done shit. Now where are my damn swords?" Instantly, he has the kid by the front of his shirt, lifting him up so they're eye-to-eye. He sees the brat's eyes widen just a fraction, but he doesn't let go of the pipe. Impressive.
Before he gets an answer, though, something hits him from above and lands squarely between his shoulders. It's not a strong blow, but it catches Zoro off guard enough that he drops the kid, more pissed that he didn't sense whatever the fuck that was than actually hurt. Suddenly, there's another angry brat in front of him, and the first boy is already on his feet again. Fabulous.
"Get your shitty hands off my brother!" the second kid roars, and then he leaps up again, brandishing a pipe of his own. Zoro easily blocks the blow, now seriously ticked off, and then both boys are coming at him with anger in their eyes and fury in their swings.
It's over before it even starts.
Within moments, both kids are pinned, one—theblack-haired one—on his back under Zoro's foot and the other held up in the air, once again snagged by the front of his shirt. "How many times do I have to repeat myself. I didn't do whatever the fuck you think I did!" Zoro yells, and it's so loud and annoyed and angry both kids instantly freeze. Good. "Now, where the hell am I?"
The blond kid blinks, then his eyes narrow. "You don't know?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't be askin' you, brat." Zoro glares back.
The kid underneath his foot has stopped struggling and snorts, and when Zoro looks down he sees that the kid is picking nose. "What an idiot." Zoro puts more weight on his chest and the kid wheezes.
"Oi!" the one in his hand shouts, and Zoro shakes him a little.
"Just shut up and answer the damn question."
"How the hell are we supposed to do both?" the black-haired brat rasps, and Zoro just roars in anger because he is so done with this shit and he does not want to deal with these snot-nosed smartasses even a second longer. His head is starting to hurt, too, and that isn't helping things one bit.
His outburst is enough to startle the shits into silence, and he's about to start knocking heads when the blond one finally spits out, "Dawn Island! You're on Dawn Island."
"Sabo, don't answer hi—"
"At least someone here has an ounce of sense," Zoro grumbles, dropping the kid in a heap on the ground and stepping off the other one. He frowns, though—the name sounds familiar, but he can't quite place where he's heard it before. Although, if he's here, the rest of his crew probably is too, so Nami or Robin or someone else must have said the name at some point either before or at their arrival. They usually know shit like that.
"I'm not done with you yet, bastard. Where is Luffy?" As soon as he's free, the black-haired asshole jumps for him again, but Zoro easily knocks him back to the ground. He rolls a few feet and then skids to a stop against one of the trees, and the blond kid—Sabo—immediately rushes to his side.
"Ace!"
And then Zoro really does freeze, because that is just one universal fluke too many for the day and oh fuck no, he is not dealing with this. Without another word, he turns and stalks away, fully intent on getting the hell away from here and finding the others—and his swords—on his own. It clicks, then, why the other kid's name sounds so familiar. Dressrosa—that Sabo, Luffy's Sabo. Combine that with the fact that apparently some ass named Ace is also looking for another brat named Luffy—he could really use a drink right about now, because he hates coincidences.
Apparently the shits aren't done, though.
"Get back here!" Not-Ace (because there is no way he's calling this angry brat by his Captain's brother's name. No fucking way.) is back on his feet again and aiming a kick to Zoro's back, but it's so obvious and sloppy (and the kid's yelling so damn much) Zoro easily sidesteps it, sending the kid sprawling to the ground again with his own momentum.
"This is ridiculous," Zoro grumbles, and he keeps walking.
"You want your three swords back, right?" Sabo shouts from behind him, finally getting the message that attacking Zoro will only end in easy defeat, and Zoro pauses. "You'll never find them without us, we hid them well." Zoro whirls around and growls low in his throat, but Sabo stands his ground. "Let's make a deal—if you really didn't hurt Luffy, help us find him. Then we'll return your weapons."
Not-Ace, now standing, shoves Sabo to the ground and hisses, "What the hell are you doing?" but Sabo just pushes him off.
"He's strong, and Luffy could be in trouble."
"But we're strong. We don't need help from this asshole!"
Zoro, however, crosses his arms. His head really is throbbing now—not from Sabo's blow, but a kind of pounding ache behind his eyes—and at the very least these kids could lead him back to civilization. He doesn't doubt his own sense of direction, but he's pissed and tired and doesn't really feel like wandering around the forest much longer. This could be his ticket out of here. "Fine," he grunts. "But swords first, then asshole number three."
Not-Ace looks ready to protest, but Sabo holds a hand out. "How do we know we can trust you?"
Zoro rolls his eye again. "I don't break my promises, kid. If I say I'll help, I'll do it." The two stare each other down for a moment longer, Sabo looking him up and down like he's trying to decide whether or not Zoro is telling the truth, and then he nods.
"Alright."
In an instant, he bolts back over to the tree Zoro had been tied to and starts scaling it with a kind of practiced ease while Not-Ace shouts after him, "That's it? You're just going to give them back because he promised?"
Sabo doesn't answer, though, and as the kid continues to fume (Zoro is so tempted to hit him—just once, he swears, just once—if only to shut him up) he disappears into the branches. After a moment, Wado, Kitetsu, and Shusui are tossed down from above. Zoro catches them easily just as Sabo leaps, too, landing lightly on his feet.
Zoro raises an eyebrow at the fact that they'd kept his swords so close by, but he doesn't comment and instead secures them in his sash without a word.
Not-Ace starts to protest again, but Sabo hits him over the head and says, "Deal with it. Now, let's go. We last saw Luffy heading toward the base, right? That's as good a place as any to start."
As it turns out, Zoro does end up stuck in the forest following the boys, proving his plan to have them lead him back to the harbor not well thought out at all, and that's even more frustrating. He stomps a few feet behind the pair as they call out his Captain's name (even though he knows it isn't his Luffy, it's still mildly disconcerting) and brandishing their pipes at anything that moves. Once or twice they veer off in a random direction and leave Zoro behind, but they always turn back around and Not-Ace chews him out for not sticking with them, accusing him of trying to run away. He really does end up hitting the kid after the second time, shouting that he won't go back on his word, shithead.
Sabo just watches the whole thing with a kind of unnerving, mild curiosity masked by frustration, and Zoro makes a mental note to keep an eye on the brat in the future.
When the first massive beast barrels straight at them through the trees, the boys don't even blink and immediately start to attack, but Zoro pulls out a single sword and dispatches it in two blows. The sheer size of this place—flora and fauna alike—remind him of Little Garden, sans the Giants and prehistoric animals. He's a little disappointed at how quickly the thing goes down, and he spends the next hour taking out the rest of his frustration on the foliage around them, hacking at any vines and trees that get in their way. The second and third creatures go down in one swipe each, and when the two boys protest, Zoro bites out, "The faster they're gone, the faster we find your shitty brother". They let him deal with any obstacles with minimal fuss (largely on Not-Ace's part) after that.
Eventually, the three of them come to a small clearing somewhere in the middle of the woods. The largest tree in sight has a series of wooden slats nailed into its side, and when Zoro shields his eye and looks up into the branches, he can see that there's a large tree house built into the middle. There's a rope ladder hanging from one of the higher sections of the tree, but it disappear into the leaves and he can't make out what it's leading to.
While Sabo and Not-Ace run to the foot of the tree and start calling up for their brother, Zoro hangs back, arms crossed and silent.
The whole situation has him on edge, not just because of the gaps in his memory or because two people here apparently have names they shouldn't. No, the island itself seems off, now that he's calmed down some. His Observation Haki feels muffled, and even though he could sense the predators on their way here, it hadn't been immediate—just like with the two boys. He'd had to concentrate more than normal, and only after they'd encountered the first one and he knew what he to look for. He's struck with a sudden, almost overwhelming need to find his crew, and it's so sharp he's caught off guard for a moment.
Something is wrong here.
Neither of the boys seem aware of his internal struggle, though, and after a while they stop shouting. Not-Ace turns to Sabo and huffs. "Maybe he's sleeping?"
Sabo frowns. "Or maybe he's in the crow's nest?"
Both boys then turn back to Zoro, and Not-Ace glares. "Stay here and don't try to follow us. If you do, you'll regret it." Zoro raises an eyebrow but just shrugs.
Taking that as an affirmation, the two immediately start climbing the tree, yelling Not-Luffy's name the whole way up. They disappear into the tree house and things get quiet, then, before Sabo suddenly appear, climbing the rope latter. Not-Ace sticks his head from the single large window and glares down at Zoro, watching him while his brother vanishes into the trees. Eventually, Sabo's voice calls down, "He's not here, either!" and Not-Ace slams his fist into the side of the tree house, cursing.
When both boys make it down to the ground again, Sabo plops down in the grass, scowling. Sabo rubs his temples, and Not-Ace starts pacing around, looking ready to hit something. "Where the hell is he?" Not-Ace demands, addressing no one in particular as he kicks the base of the tree.
Sabo sighs, "Maybe Bluejam took him again?"
Not-Ace shakes his head. "There's no way. We kicked his ass last time, so he should kn—" suddenly his head snaps up, and he turns to Zoro with fire in his eyes. "You're not part of Bluejam's crew, are you?" He hisses. Sabo jerks up, too, suddenly looking a little fearful. They'd faced Zoro down, barely blinking, but whoever this Bluejam guy is seemed enough to scare even them.
Zoro shakes his head, but both relax only a fraction.
Then something seems to occur to Sabo, and he stands. "We don't even know your name. You've promised to help us, it's only fair we know who you are." Not-Ace is still watching Zoro carefully, but he nods, crossing his arms.
Zoro snorts. "I don't think that's how it works. I don't owe you my name if I'm already doing you a favor."
"We gave you your swords back, asshole," Not-Ace snaps.
"Yeah, but you tied me up in the first place, blaming me for shit I didn't do. If anything, you owe me."
Not-Ace huffs and turns to his brother, who shrugs. "Then we'll introduce ourselves first, and you can give us your name out of common courtesy, how about that?"
"I don't give a shit about courtesy."
Sabo isn't fazed, though, and before Not-Ace can retort he takes off his hat and sweeps it to the side, bowing. "My name is Outlook Sabo II, one of the three captains of the ASL pirates. This," he then waves a hand toward his brother, "is Portugas D. Ace, the second captain—"
"There's no order, asshole!"
"—and our brother, Monkey D. Luffy, is the third and final captain. It's a pleasure for formally make your acquaintance."
"You idiot! We're wanted all over the island, don't go telling strangers who we are! And how come you're the first captain? I'm the olde—"
Not-Ace keeps shouting, going so far as to knock his brother into the ground, but Zoro isn't listening. He's frozen, hands having fallen to his sides, staring at the boys, trying to process what he's just been told. Portugas D. Ace? Monkey D. Luffy? No, there's no way—it can't be.
This is all some fucked up dream. This is all some terrible, convoluted, hellish, fucked up dream.
He blinks, then blink again. He wills his body to wake up, but it nothing changes. The boys are still arguing in front of him, he's still in this shitty forest, and he still has no idea what's going on or where the hell his Captain is. With a roar, he slams the back of his fist into one of the trees behind him, and only then does he realize he's been unconsciously retreating from the two in front of him—who have now frozen in place and are staring at him.
"...Old man?" Sabo asks tentatively, clearly shaken. Not-Ace has him pinned to the ground on his stomach, but the older boy has stopped, too.
"What kind of sick joke is this?" Zoro hisses, and both boys visibly flinch. Without thinking, Zoro draws two of his swords, rage in his face. "What the hell is going on here?"
Sabo and Not-Ace scramble backwards until they're pressed up against the base of the large tree as Zoro advances, fully intent on putting a brutal and violent end to whatever the fuck this is. Maybe if he kills these fucking imposters—maybe if he sheds their blood, this nightmare will stop. Because now that he's look at him—really looking at him—Not-Ace looks too familiar, too much like the real Ace. He's rough around the edges and brutal and uncouth, but he has the same facial features as the young man they'd met back in Alabasta. And to see the person who'd caused his Captain so much pain, unintentionally or otherwise, like this—weak and helpless and far too alive—
"Stop! What are you doing! Stop!" Sabo screams, but it's too late. Kitetsu and Shusui are already inches away from their faces and—
—they busy themselves in the wood of the tree just above the heads of the two boys, now visibly shaking in fear.
And Zoro is shaking too, shaking with anger and hate and confusion. His chest is heaving and he looks ready to murder. But he can't, he can't kill them—because even if they're fucking fakes, they're still his Captain's brothers, and they're still just children.
Everything goes silent, and then after a moment Zoro stands straight and yanks both blades out of the trunk and re-sheathes them, taking a single step back so he's still towering over Sabo and Not-Ace (but no, he thinks. This is Ace, even if he's just some figment of his imagination.) and crossing his arms.
"My name is Roronoa Zoro," he says, voice dangerously low, "Pirate Hunter and Demon of the East Blue, First Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates." He's never used any of his titles—never even claimed any of his titles. But he's pissed and confused and maybe stating who he is will bring some rationality into this messed up situation. And he needs these boys to fear him—fear him more than they do already, because that's how he will get what he wants.
And what he wants is to find his Captain, find his crew, and get the hell away from here.
(Luffy can't see this, he thinks. Luffy can't see them.)
The boys stay silent for another moment, still petrified, and when they don't move Zoro snaps at them to get a damn grip. Immediately, both jump, and it's like a switch has been flipped. Ace leaps to his feet and gets into a fighting stance, still wary but ready to attack at any moment. Sabo does the same, but far more reserved than his brother.
"The Straw Hat Pirates?" Sabo says, though his voice is still shaking underneath the bravado. "I've never heard of them."
Zoro scoffs, but doesn't rise to the bait. Instead, he glares, and asks, "I don't care. Now take me to the harbor, I need to find my ship."
"No!" Ace shouts through gritted teeth, all traces of fear gone from his system as he takes a step forward, right up to Zoro. "You promised to help us find our brother, and you're bound by honor to keep your word!"
Sabo steps up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder, an unreadable expression on his face. "Let it go, Ace. We can find Luffy just fine on our own."
Ace turns to look at him over his shoulder and snaps, "That's not what you said earlier, you fool! You made him swear, and now he has to do it." Their roles are reversed now, Zoro thinks with a bemused, internal smirk. In any other situation, this might be funny to watch.
"But how do we know he won't attack us again? How do we know he won't kill Luffy as soon as we find him? We don't know wha—"
Zoro growls, and both boys turn to look at him. "I won't hurt Luffy." And the conviction with which he says it makes them stop again.
Sabo's eyes narrow. "You act like you know him. I saw it earlier, too, when Ace said his name the first time. You recognized it."
Ace's gaze flicks back and forth between the two as he scowls, this time much darker. Before he can say anything, though, a loud crash sounds up from the left, and all three heads snap in the direction. Zoro's grip tightens on the hilt Kitetsu, now at his side, and he almost feels sorry for whatever creatures decide to get in his way now. Because he is not in the mood and—
Suddenly, a familiar presence bursts into focus in that same direction, and Zoro starts running. Halfway to the edge of the clearing, a voice shouts, "Green Star: Devil!" followed by a load roar, and Usopp bursts through the trees just as a massive rhinoceros crashes to the ground behind him, ensnared by vines and half-enclosed in the mouth of a giant venus flytrap. He skids to a halt, still facing the creature with his slingshot raised. "Take that, you overgrown hippo!" The beast continues to wail, but after a moment its pained cries die out, leaving the clearing in silence once again. The boys are staring, slack-jawed and wide eyed, as Usopp puts his hands on his hips and laughs. He turns around, then, a confident swagger in his step—and freezes as soon as he lays eyes on a familiar face. "Zoro!"
"Usopp." Zoro nods, "I guess that means I'm not dreaming."
Usopp rushes over and stops just in front of his friend, a look of sheer relief on his face. "Thank God, I thought I was alone on this Island. Where are the others? What happened?"
"I have no idea. I just woke up from a nap."
Finally broken from their stupor, Ace raises a fist and shouts, "A nap? We captured you, old man! Don't try to deny it?" Zoro turns to glare at him over his shoulder, and Ace's mouth snaps shut, but he doesn't stop scowling.
At the new voice, Usopp peers around Zoro to finally notice the two boys, and his eyes widen. "Who are these kids? And how the hell did they capture you?"
Zoro sighs, reaching a hand up to press on his temple. His headache is getting worse, now. Fantastic. "It's a long story, but apparently," he jerks a thumb at the kids, "they're Luffy's brothers." Usopp blinks at him, clearly not understanding.
"Um, what?"
But Zoro just huffs again. "Do you know how we got here?"
Usopp shakes his head, still staring at the kids as they glare in return, clearly wary of the new addition. "I woke up in a tree when that thing started bashing its head against the base trying to shake me out. It's been chasing me ever since—this forest is endless! Do you have any idea where we are? Are they really Luffy's brothers? They're just kids!"
"Oh, great." Zoro runs a hand through his hair and steps away, not in the mood to deal with the boys glaring at his back any longer. It's starting to grate on his already-thin nerves. He ignores Usopp's second question. "Someplace called Dawn Island, apparently. But I don—"
"Dawn Island?" Usopp shouts, throwing his hands up. "We're on the Dawn Island?" Zoro nods, but Usopp isn't quite finished. "How the hell did we end up here? We were in the New World! The New World, Zoro—"
"I'm well aware."
"—so how the hell did we end up back in the East Blue?"
Zoro blinks, understanding slowly making its way onto his face. That's why it sounded so familiar. He'd lived in the East Blue almost his whole life, and worked as a bounty hunter there for more than half of it. Dawn Island was a haven for bandits, and the name had come up once or twice on his travels. His travels, of course, in the East fucking Blue, which—the last time he checked, anyway—was not the Grand Line.
"...I need a drink."
Nami comes to slowly, blinking up at the sunlight streaming through the soft, white curtains fluttering at the edge of an open window—wait.
An open window?
She jerks up, inadvertently knocking the blankets covering her, and nearly tumbles onto the floor she'd been lying in, and then comes to a sudden halt. She's in a simple, small room with wooden floors and pale yellow walls, and only a small desk and the bed she'd been lying in by way of furniture. A faint, salty breeze wafts through the air, and she can hear the sound of the ocean not far away. Immediately, her hand goes to her hip, but the three pieces of her Clima-Tact are missing, along with—she notices when she looks down—the New World Log Pose normally on her wrist. Her clothes have also been changed. Shit. Where the hell am I?
She turns to bolt for the door, only to stop in her tracks when it opens part-way and a young woman with dark green—almost black—hair peers inside. "Oh! You're awake, thank goodness." She steps into the room, then, smiling. "You were out for quite a while, so I was beginning to worry!"
Nami eyes her suspiciously, and says, point-blank, "What happened?"
The woman frowns. "You don't remember? I was hoping you could tell me. A few of our fishermen found you floating in the water and brought you in—that was yesterday morning."
"Yesterday?" Nami's eyes widen, and then a thought occurs to her: if she'd been in the ocean, what about— "Were there any others with me?" The woman shakes her head, and that only sends a spike of fear down to the pit of her stomach. Luffy, Robin, Brook, and Chopper—if they had been in the sea with her, there's a very real possibility they could be long dead by now.
No, she thinks frantically, mentally shaking the notion away. They wouldn't die that easily. The distress must be clearly evident on her face, though, because the woman steps forward, concerned. "Perhaps you should lay back down. I'll go get you some water, try not to move around too much. You've only just woken up."
Nami waves her off, instead turning to look out the window. "I'm fine," she says, focus already shifting. The scenery is beautiful, to say the least—outside, she can see a sparse village that is, in fact, right next to the ocean, as well as a small dock near the coast. The Thousand Sunny is nowhere in sight, however, and the only boats she can see are a few tiny fishing vessels. "Where are we?"
"The Goa Kingdom," the woman replies, worry clear in her voice. "Are you sure you don't want to rest?"
But Nami's mind is already working a mile a minute, trying to process what she's just been told. "Dawn Island? We're on Dawn Island?" She whips around to face the woman, eyes wide. "In the East Blue?" The woman nods.
"Shit, how did we—?" Her shock switches to annoyance, then, as she thinks of her Captain. "Of course this would happen. Of course something stupid like this would happen." The woman blinks at her, clearly unsure of what to do, and Nami sighs. "Thank you very much for taking care of me. I'm not sure what kind of trouble my crew has gotten into this time, but I really appreciate it."
The woman visibly relaxes, then, and smiles. "It was no trouble at all, really. I'm just glad you're alright." Nami returns the gesture, and then the woman perks up. "My name is Makino, by the way. And you are...?"
"Nami. It's lovely to officially meet you. Now, do you kno—" Suddenly, a loud growl erupts, and Nami instinctively finds herself glancing around the room for Luffy, even though she's well aware by now that her Captain isn't anywhere to be found. When she looks back at the woman, however, she's giggling behind a hand at her mouth.
"Ah, questions later, food first. You haven't eaten in at least a day, and you must be hungry," she laughs, and though she does her best to fight it, Nami feels a blush creeping up her cheeks.
"Right, thank you."
After far more assuring than Nami thinks is strictly necessarily, she manages to convince Makino that she really is feeling alright, and the woman reluctantly leads her through a narrow hallway and down a set of wooden stairs. The first floor, she realizes, is some kind of pub—just as quaint as the rest of the village, but still cheery enough to suggest well-use and love. Makino leads her to one of the seats at the bar and then busies herself behind the counter preparing food, leaving Nami a moment to take in her surroundings.
One thing in particular catches her eye—a set if ten or so bounty posters pinned up on one of the far walls, at the center of which is a face she recognizes instantly.
Makino hums, catching her attention, but when Nami looks back at the woman she isn't paying attention to her, but rather has followed her line of sight and is looking at the posters fondly. When she noticed Nami staring, however, she snaps back to attention and busies herself at the sink. "I apologize if the posters are a bother. We don't get visitors very often, and a young friend of mine insisted we hang their pictures up after they left not long ago, despite the fact that they're pirates."
Nami blinks. "The Red Hair pirates were here?" That couldn't be right—Red-Haired Shanks was one of the Four Emperors, and he and the rest of his crew sailed in the New World. But, then again, they had been in the New World, and now they... aren't.
Makino, however, looks taken aback by Nami's outburst. "Ah, yes. I could take them down for a while, if you'd like. I know that the notion of pirates isn't exactly the most comfortable for some." But Nami is already shaking her head.
"No, no—it's fine. I was just surprised, that's all. It's rare to see such a famous crew outside of the Grand Line, but then again I suppose they can do whatever they want."
As she sets a glass in front of Nami, Makino laughs warmly. "I don't know if they're a famous crew, really, but they certainly leave an impression wherever they go." Nami raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't say anything. If this really is the East Blue, there's a very real possibility the gravity of an Emperor title either doesn't mean much or just isn't know. Makino fills up the cup with water and Nami can't help but frown, temporarily distracted, which sends Makino chuckling a second time. "Expecting something stronger? You're still recovering, I'm not about to give alcohol to someone who nearly drowned. Ah, in any case—you mentioned you were part of a crew?"
Nami takes a sip and sighs, disappointed but not terribly upset. The woman's logic was sound, after all, even if she did feel perfectly healthy aside from a small headache. "Mhmm, I'm the navigator on my ship." Her gaze flicks back toward the posters for a moment, then addresses Makino as lightly as possible. "I assume this village is friendly toward pirates, then, if Red Hair and his crew were here recently?"
Makino hums, stirring something on the stove behind the counter for a moment before gathering up a few vegetables and going at them with a knife. She looks right at home in the kitchen, Nami thinks, and that makes her wonder just how old the woman is. She couldn't be more than in her mid-twenties, if even that. "We're largely neutral here in Foosha. It's best not to make too many waves." She turns, then, and glances back at Nami with a knowing look in her eye. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason in particular, really. Simple curiosity."
"I see," she turns back to the pot and hums again. "Because we found you out in the water, your clothes were soaked through and I took the liberty of washing them, if that's alright. They're hanging out to dry at the moment, but they should be fine by now." Already, delicious aromas have started to fill the room, and Nami starts to realize that maybe she is a little hungrier than she's initially thought. She can't remember the last time she ate—or even how she'd gotten here in the first place. Makino had been doing a wonderful job of distracting her from her worries thus far, and that single thought is enough to set Nami on edge. She can't tell if it's intentional or out of sheer kindness, and that is concerning in and of itself.
Suddenly, the lack of weight on her hip feels even more uncomfortable than before.
"That was very generous of you, thank you," Nami replies, taking another sip. "Was there anything else with me?"
Makino, still chopping vegetables, nods. "Yes, there were..." she frowns, "three metal poles and a strange compass, I believe?" She glances up at Nami, who nods back, and then she smiles. "They're upstairs. This still has a bit of boiling to do, so I can go fetch them and check on your clothes if you don't mind waiting."
Nami visibly relaxes. "I would appreciate that." Makino flashes her one last soft grin before dumping the vegetables into the pot and disappearing up the stairs, telling her once again that it's no problem at all.
As soon as she's gone, however, Nami's face falls and she rubs her temples. Her headache is getting worse, and the calm quiet of this place is almost unnerving. On one hand, that could just be the pirate in her, itching for action (damn those idiots, she thinks, their stupidity is starting to rub off on me) but on the other hand it's a clear sign that the rest of her crew is nowhere around. Knowing the others, they would have long-since raised hell by now, eager for adventure and food and whatever trouble they could stir up, even in such a peaceful village.
As she finishes her drink, she can't help but wonder if they're all alright—and if they're even on this island at all. She'd been found floating in the ocean, which means she could have either been thrown overboard during a storm or the ship had crashed. Although the latter seems hardly likely to her, the fact that she, the navigator, isn't with them anymore is worry enough even if they are all perfectly fine. Without her to lead them, there's a very real possibility they might not be able to find her.
She sighs, gazing out one of the windows toward the sea. This could be bad, she thinks. Very, very bad.
"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?"
"How the hell should I know? I've never been here before."
"...Right. I shouldn't be talking to you about navigation, anyway."
"The fuck did you just say?"
"N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"
Zoro sighs, turning back to the forest in front of him. After Usopp's impromptu and somewhat startling arrival, introductions and half-assed explanations had been made, and the boys—though still incredibly wary, especially after the sniper's display of power—had agreed to let him in on their search. Although Ace had started to demand answers about how they knew Luffy, Sabo had shushed him and said they would have to wait. Their brother came first, after all, and he claimed they could take care of the two idiots if the situation came down to it. (Zoro had looked at him, then, one eyebrow raised. The boy was smart, he thought. He knew something was wrong, but didn't question it.)
Sabo and Ace had reconvened with the new additions to their party, listing off other possible locations for Luffy. At the mention of a training ground, both Zoro and Usopp had perked up, and the group had agreed that they would check there next. And so, with both boys in the lead, they set off again through the forest.
Unlike last time, only a few animals bothered to step in their path, much to Zoro's dismay and Usopp's relief. Neither of the kids seemed bothered, though, and Zoro couldn't help but wonder what kind of life they were living—how they could be so well-adjusted to the dangerous jungle and its inhabitants. He'd resigned himself to not fully understanding the situation, but he couldn't help but wonder if this was the kind of life his Luffy had grown up surviving. It would make sense, really—only a strong man could come out of constant peril alive, and his Captain certainly was.
The lack of entertainment, however, left Zoro once again taking out his frustrations on the woods, despite the fact that he was significantly calmer than before. Usopp's presence, surprisingly enough, had done wonders for his temperament. He wasn't dreaming, at least, and that was something. And though he wouldn't admit it, it was nice to see a familiar face.
Now, after an hour or so of relatively uneventful walking, both Sabo and Ace come to a screeching halt. Or, more accurately, Ace stops, and Sabo crashes into his back, instantly cursing out his brother for being so stupid. Ace isn't listening, though—he's gone completely stiff, frozen in place.
And then, out of nowhere, a high-pitched, bloodcurdling scream smashes through the silence.
"Ace!"
(For a moment, Zoro swears he hears two voices—one, the wail of a child, and the other stronger, more familiar, more desperate than angry. Ace!)
The boy instantly bursts ahead, but Zoro is already running, because that sound—that yell of pain and rage and fear—is his Captain's voice. Within moments, he's torn through the trees and into a small clearing, only to stop dead in his tracks.
The training ground is barren, with little grass left over after too much time spent beaten down by countless sparring matches. There's a small, makeshift chalkboard at the edge with three names written in messy, childlike handwriting at the top: Ace, Sabo, and Luffy, underneath which are a series of checkmarks. Or, more accurately, underneath two of which are tallies. Luffy's column is blank.
But that's not what catches his attention. No, in the center of the clearing is a massive bear, snarling and angry. And in between its teeth is a tiny, black-hair child. Blood is dripping from puncture wounds in his side, and he's screaming, crying out Ace! Ace! Ace! over and over again through tears.
(And several feet away, upside down on the ground, is a hat that looks too familiar to be real.)
His hesitation is enough, though. In the blink of an eye, Sabo and Ace blur past him, brandishing their pipes at the bear. "Let him go!" Ace screams, and at the sound of the voice the small child looks up, eyes wide.
Both Sabo and Ace charge, smacking the side of the bear's head with enough force to make it stumble, and the sudden disruption makes it open its mouth to roar. The tiny child flops out, but one of its teeth is still lodged in his side and he doesn't hit the ground. Instead, he just hangs there, all of his weight help up by his wound.
(And God, he screams.)
"Luffy!" Sabo yells, now standing on the back of the bears shoulders, pounding its head with the pipe. It doesn't seem hurt though—just pissed—and the shout is enough to break Zoro out of his stupor. Without thinking, he draws a single sword and advances—
But a hand on his arm pulls him back. "Get off," he growls, but Usopp—looking somehow both terrified and like he wants to help, himself—jerkily shakes his head.
"If you go in now, you'll hit the kids! You can't just—you can't just charge!"
Zoro curses and doesn't sheathe Kitetsu, but he stops, grip white-knuckled on the hilt. Sabo and Ace are still frantically calling their brother's name, but Luffy keeps screaming. After more strong attacks that seem to have no real effect, Sabo orders Ace to grab Luffy and run, and then both make for the creatures mouth, leaving its body open to attack.
Zoro takes it.
He pushes off the ground with incredible speed and force, and slices down in a single stroke, relishing in the feel of steel against flesh. The bear roars as blood and guts spill from the wound, opening its mouth wide enough to allow Ace a chance to wrench the child out of its teeth and throw him to the ground, both boys leaping down after, shielding their brother with their bodies. The bear turns on Zoro, rearing up, but two slashes later it's on the ground, dead.
Satisfied, Zoro flicks the blood off his blade and replaces it at his hip, before turning to the small trio. Sabo and Ace are glaring up at him, both fearful and grateful, with the littlest one continues to cry.
"Ace..." he wails, and for a moment Zoro feels his heart crack—because it's so small and scared and sad and still too familiar.
But Ace turns around, then, and kicks the kid in the head. "Shut up, brat! Don't be such a crybaby!" Usopp, who is now at Zoro's side, waves his arms frantically like he wants to intervene.
"Oi, oi! He's just a kid!"
Ace's demand, however, seems to do the trick, and instantly the gags and his tears stop—not completely, but enough that Ace seems satisfied. Sabo sighs, moving toward the edge of the clearing to retrieve the fallen straw hat, and only then—without the children blocking the smallest from their view—does Zoro get a clear look at the boy.
And seizes up.
Because there, bleeding and sniffling on the ground, is a tiny version of his Captain. Wide, brown eyes, facial scar, shaggy black hair—all of it. And when Sabo returns with the hat, the boy grabs for it, pressing it down on his head to the brim covers his eyes. He feels his heart almost stop, and hears Usopp beside him suck in a sharp breath.
Yes, he thinks. This is definitely a nightmare.
—-
While the two older men stand, frozen in place, Sabo rips off pieces of Luffy's shirt to bandage the wound on his side, and even though the child winces he doesn't cry out. Ace watches on, arms crossed and scowling, and that seems to be enough to keep the boy's emotions in check. Even so, he keeps the brim of his (too big, far too big) hat pulled tight over his face with two tiny, fisted hands, until Sabo sighs and steps away.
"That's all I can do for now, it'll just have to heal on its own."
Ace shrugs, and Luffy nods, whimpering out a weak, "Okay."
That breaks Usopp, at least, out of his stupor. "Okay?" he shrieks, frantically stepping forward. "That wound is deep, and he's just—he's so small! He needs medical attention immediately!"
Sabo and Ace blink at him, and Luffy lifts his head slightly, as though he'd just noticed to the two others in the clearing. Ace scoffs, then, and starts picking his nose. "And where the hell are we supposed to get that? It's not like we have any doctors on the mountain, and besides—he's had worse. He'll be fine."
"There aren't—he's had—oh my God!" Usopp is officially losing his mind now, Zoro thinks, as he watches the sniper throw his hands up to fist in his hair. "This is insane!"
Luffy stares at him, and then finally speaks up, most of his tears gone by now. "Who are you?"
Usopp freezes, staring at the kid, looking like he's just been stabbed in the heart. Instantly, all of the anger fades out of his system, and his knees start to shake—it's a wonder he hasn't fallen over yet. "You... don't know?" Luffy shakes his head. "How could you not know me?" Usopp shouts again, pleading, and it's enough to make Luffy jump. Instantly, both of his brothers are in front of him in a protective stance, and if possible Usopp looks even more hurt. "It's me, Luffy—It's Usopp." Luffy blinks, still startled. "...You really don't know me?"
Ace growls threateningly as if telling the older man to back off, and even Sabo looks concerned. But Zoro steps forward, then, taking charge of the situation. "It seems like we need to explain a few things, not that we know enough to give you a whole lot of information, though. But that can wait. No matter what you say, Luffy's hurt—and he's hurt badly. I know I'm not one to talk—" Usopp shoots him a glare. "—but he at least needs real bandages."
Ace's eyes narrow, but after a moment Sabo nods. "Alright. We have first aid stuff back at the base, we can take him there." He glances back at his little brother then, and starts walking off like he expects Luffy to just get up and follow. When he doesn't immediately, Ace kick's Luffy again—Usopp looks ready to protest, but doesn't—and that gets the little boy moving, though shakily. His clothes are completely soaked through with blood, now, but he stands and starts slowly shuffling after the two as they stalk off.
Zoro and Usopp bring up the rear, ignoring the suspicious glances Ace keeps shooting their way between shouts of, "Move it, Luffy!" that seem to stir fire within the boy despite his obvious pain. It's so unlike the polite, caring older brother the crew had met in Alabasta Zoro can't help but wonder for the hundredth time whether or not this really is Ace, but neither boy seem bothered by how cold he's being. Only when Luffy stumbles on a branch and trips does Ace even pause, and even then it's just to kick his little brother again, demanding he get up.
Finally, Zoro intervenes. "We need to move faster, and we can't do that like this," he bites out, and without another word he scoops up the tiny Luffy in his arms. All three boys immediately begin protesting, but Usopp looks relieved.
Ace bolts forward to kick Zoro's shins, however, as Luffy starts squirming in his arms. "Put him down, you old bastard! Luffy's a man! He doesn't need to be carried like some kid!" Luffy looks startled at the words, momentarily stilling, but then he starts fighting back anew.
"That's right! I'm a man! Let me go!"
Zoro just snorts, completely unfazed. "A man, huh? You're, what—ten?"
Luffy seethes, pulling his fist back to punch at Zoro's face. "I'm seven, you jerk!" For a moment, both Zoro and Usopp freeze, knowing full well what a hit from their Captain can do, but when Luffy's arm stretches back it catches on a branch behind him and hangs there, limp. Luffy's face scrunches up into frustration, and he starts squirming again. "Let me go!"
Zoro and Usopp just look at each other for a moment, though, before bursting into laughter. Usopp clutches his sides, falling backwards, and even Zoro throws his head back, guffawing low and loud. Because it finally hits him—this is Luffy as a child, no matter how ridiculous and stupid the whole thing sounds. And their strong, fierce, fearless Captain hasn't always been that way. It's so ridiculous to think about, Zoro almost can't believe it, even though in so many ways it makes sense.
Still smirking, Zoro kneels down and sets Luffy on the ground with a short, amused, "Aye, aye, Captain." Luffy looks startled at the title, but after a second he puffs up with pride and grins wide. He yanks on his arm, then—still caught in the tree—and it snaps back.
Only to hit him in the face, which sends him sprawling back into the dirt.
Sabo shouts for his brother, but the whole thing throws Zoro and Usopp into another fit, and even Zoro has a hand on his chest now. "Oh, this is too good," Usopp chuckles, wiping a tear from his eye. Even so, he glances back down at the scowling boy as Sabo helps him up, concern in his eyes.
Luffy shakes Sabo off and stands, glaring at both Zoro and Usopp defiantly. "Don't laugh! One day I'm going to get super strong, and then I'll be King of the Pirates! Just you wait!" He throws his fists up like he's ready to start hitting both men, but Zoro and Usopp exchange another meaningful look before Usopp goes down again, wheezing.
Zoro shakes his head, smile softening just a fraction (so small that even Usopp misses it), and says, "Sure will, Captain." Sabo's gaze flicks back to him again, and even Usopp stiffens at the familiar title. He'd missed it the first time, too caught up in his laughter.
"Zoro..." he says quietly, tone halfway between worry and warning, but Zoro just waves him off.
Ace is standing by his little brother again, glaring at the two men, and looks like he wants to say something. But Sabo holds out a hand. "He promised to explain it to us, and he held up our first deal so I think it's alright. For now, let's just get back to base." Ace doesn't look happy, but he nods and stalks off into the woods, leaving the rest of the group behind. Sabo and Luffy scramble after him, the latter at a much slower pace, and the two Straw Hats bring up the rear once again.
Fifteen minutes later, however, Luffy falls again, this time wobbling dangerously when he forces himself up at Ace's orders. Without a word, Zoro scoops him up a second time and slides him into his back. Despite the three boys' adamant protests, he just starts stalking forward, and after a while they give up and just let him carry Luffy. Usopp casts amused glances Zoro's way at the sight, but Zoro ignores him, instead keeping his attention on the child he's holding. The farther they walk, the looser Luffy's grip around his neck gets, until his arms are practically stretching with his own weight as he sags.
It takes slightly longer to return to the tree house than the initial trip, and by the time they arrive the sun has already started to set. Only when Sabo and Ace start to climb the tree, however, does Zoro realize Luffy has passed out. When he informs the brothers of this, they exchange a few hushed words in the branches before Ace declares that Zoro can come up—but only this time, because he's carrying their brother. Usopp stays at the foot of the tree, practically pouting, while Zoro grips the handmade holds and scales the trunk with relative ease.
He's stopped at the entrance of the massive home (which is much larger up close than from the ground, he note with some internal surprise) by Sabo, and only when he steps aside after a few minutes does Zoro enter and see Ace with the end of a series of strings in his hands. These boys were prepared—they'd set up traps. Zoro can't help but feel mildly impressed.
Sabo instructs him to set Luffy down on a pile of blankets near the middle of the room, and he does so with relative ease as Ace disappears behind the tree branch shooting up through the middle of the place. Luffy, still unconscious, doesn't budge as Sabo begins to strip him down to his shorts, and now that his job has been done Zoro sits down cross-legged against the massive tree foundation and sets his swords at his side, watching.
Ace reappears moments later, a small bag in his hands, and Sabo gets to work patching up his little brother. Luffy only stirs once, moaning out, "Ace... Meat..." and for a moment Zoro thinks he's woken up. But he's familiar enough with his Captain's sleep-talking tendencies to realize quickly it's not the case, and Ace sighs.
"We left that bear back in at the training grounds. We should have brought it with us so we don't have to go hunting again."
Sabo hums, wrapping bandages around Luffy's middle. "I don't really want to get up early and find food before breakfast, and we'll be weak tomorrow if we don't eat something today. Head back and get it."
"Don't tell me what to do!" Ace snaps, but he nods anyway, turning to the door with a huff.
Zoro quirks an eyebrow at the exchange. "By yourself?"
Ace rounds on him, a single fist raised, glaring. "Don't underestimate us, old man!"
Unperturbed, Zoro scoffs. "At least take Usopp with you. Otherwise it'll be hours before you get back."
Ace looks ready to protest, but Sabo hums. "That's probably a good idea. If you don't hurry, Luffy'll eat us all when he wakes up." Zoro actually snickers at that, and Ace doesn't have a retort so he just storms out of the tree house, calling for the long-nosed bastard.
The sun has fully set, now, and Zoro closes his eyes, listening as Usopp and Ace's footsteps fade into the forest, leaving everything once again in silence. The gentle sounds of Luffy's breathing and the breeze through the trees is enough to lull him momentarily, though not as well as the swell of the ocean below the hull of a ship. When Sabo sighs, however, he glances up to see the boy wiping his hands on his pants, now stained with Luffy's blood. His little brother has been patched up relatively well, he notes with some surprise, but that thought is clouded slightly at the notion that practice means his little Captain has been hurt like this before.
Sabo is watching him now, though, and the piercing curiosity in his gaze is enough to make Zoro stiffen. Neither say anything for a while, both waiting for the other to speak, before Sabo scoots around next to his brother and puts Luffy's head in his lap. Absently, he begins to run his fingers through his brother's hair, still staring down the swordsman.
Zoro is the first to break the silence.
"You really care about him."
It's not even a question, and Sabo just shrugs. "He's our little brother, it's our job to watch out for him." He glances down at Luffy, then, still sleeping peacefully. "He gets himself into heaps of trouble on his own, so someone has to watch his back."
Zoro smirks softly in the dark. "You can't even imagine."
Another quiet descends, and Zoro almost thinks that's the end of it when Sabo finally speaks up again. "Are you going to explain how you know Luffy but he doesn't have a clue who you are?"
"There isn't much to tell," Zoro grunts. "You already know I was napping—"
"Passed out."
"—in the forest, and I don't have a damn clue how we got here."
Sabo tilts his head to the side, watching him carefully. "That still doesn't answer my question."
"No, I guess it doesn't." Zoro sighs, then, and sits up a little straighter. He hasn't always been—isn't—the best with words, and he doesn't have a clue how to approach this, but he owes it to the brat, especially after seeing how well he looks after his Captain. "He said he was seven, right?" Sabo nods. "The Monkey D. Luffy I know is nineteen."
Sabo blinks at him, suddenly at a loss for words, and then says, "You can't possibly think they're the same person, can you? That's impossible!"
Zoro just shrugs. "They look the same, even if Luffy's a little smaller. And I'd know that damn hat anywhere. We are the Straw Hate pirates, after all, and as far as I know it's the only one like it in the world."
"So you're basing your ridiculous assumption on a hat," Sabo deadpans, and Zoro shrugs again.
"Like I said, I don't have a damn clue what's going on. But I do know my Captain. Been sailing with him for years, now."
There's another pause as Sabo processes the information, still gently stroking his brother's hair. The hat in question is resting at Luffy's side, and after a moment Sabo picks it up and sets it by one of Luffy's hands. Almost instinctively, the little boy's fingers curl around the brim and he shifts, but doesn't wake up. Sabo hums. "The Straw Hat Pirates, huh? Sounds like something Luffy would call his crew. I guess it's good to know he really does get to follow his dream."
Zoro scoffs. "Of course he does, and he'll achieve it, too. Luffy's the man who will become the Pirate King." And the way he says it—with so much conviction and devotion and pride—catches Sabo off guard for a moment. He blinks at Zoro, and the suddenly starts chuckling softly.
"He must really be something when he's older. Tell me about him."
And so Zoro does. As well as he can, Zoro describes his adventures with Luffy, from the moment he met the man (leaving out a few details, of course) to Orange Town, Syrup Village, the Baratie, and Cocoyoshi. Stilted and awkward in places, he talks about Loguetown, about Reverse mountain, about Whiskey Peak and Little Garden and Drum Island and Alabasta. Sabo's eyes go wide when Zoro talks about the Grand Line, but he doesn't comment more than a few soft exclamations of surprise, saying only once that the place sounds wilder than even his books described. When he talks about Crocodile's defeat, however, Sabo actually chokes.
"He beat a Royal Warlord?" he gasps, and Zoro nods.
"Looking back now, that was easy."
"Easy?" He glances back down at his brother, gaping. "What kind of monster does he grow up to be?"
Zoro hums quietly, low in his throat and surprisingly dark. "The kind of monster who can protect the people he cares about, I think. That's just who Luffy is." Sabo looks at him, then, like he has a million questions he doesn't know how to ask, but Ace's voice sounds up from the base of the tree before he can say anything else.
"We're back!"
Sabo gently moves Luffy out of his lap and goes to the window, sticking his head out to look down below. "Great! Get a fire going and start dinner. I don't know when Luf will wake up, but it'll be good to have something for him when he does."
"I said don't tell me what to do, asshole!" Ace calls back, but a few moments later the smell of smoke and roasting meat wafts up through the trees.
Sabo returns to Luffy's side, settling back down in the blankets, and then looks at Zoro again. "You said you were the first mate, right?"
Zoro shrugs. "I was the first crew mate, and everyone seems to act like I am. We're not a crew that puts stock in hierarchy though."
Even so, Sabo nods. "I'm glad he has someone as strong as you at his side."
Zoro isn't sure what to respond to that, so instead he just says, "Don't tell Luffy," and Sabo nods, glancing back at his little brother. Without another word, Sabo stands and makes his way over to the door of the base. Zoro doesn't follow, and instead sits with his unconscious captain, watching the rise and fall of his chest, wondering what kind of trouble they've gotten themselves into this time.
(And he hopes, somewhere deep in the back of his mind, that his Luffy is okay. And the others, too. They're strong, all of them, but there are some wounds that don't heal so easily.)
(And despite his Captain's tendency to leave out details, he can't help but wonder why Luffy had cried so much in Dressrosa when he met his other brother—the man Zoro now realizes must be Sabo.)
At the top of a cliff, a young man with a straw hat sits, watching the ocean spread out in front of him as a gentle night breeze blows past, leaving the smell of the sea in its wake. Absently, he pats the ground next to him, running his fingers through the grass as he hums a familiar tune under his breath. He is waiting.