He could feel it. Pain searing through every part of his body. And then he was gone. Though it had only been a second, he could not begin to imagine how Luffy had felt. It was over though, and he found himself in a land of complete white.

There were 2 signs directly in front of him. One said 'Heaven' and the other said 'Hell'. He then saw a slip of paper fall from the sky. He reached for it and picked it up. "Which path did your lifetime choose?" he read. Having already decided that hosting Asura was the sure mark of a demon, he headed towards the 'Hell' sign, but found it no longer there. He was again encased in complete white, with no clue where he was, or how he got there. "Stupid moving signs in the stupid afterlife" he muttered, walking a bit more. He then saw her. Her. "What the hell are you doing here so early? And what happened to World's Greatest Swordsman?" Screamed Kuina, furious at the green-haired idiot. "K-K-Kuina?" Zoro stuttered, unbelievingly. "Yes it's me, you idiot! Now answer my question! What are you doing in the freaking afterlife?"

"Uh.. Dying?"

Wrong answer.

"What the hell are you doing dying? We promised, remember? Or did you forget?"

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"It was an honourable death! I sacrificed myself for the lives of my crew!" Zoro said, trying to defend himself.

"You what?" Kuina had calmed down. Zoro let out a breath of air.

"I died protecting my captain. I'm a pirate now."

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Forgive me for my ignorance. But still. What man has moved you so much you have set aside your own dreams?"

Zoro smirked.

"His name is Monkey D. Luffy. He's the man who will be the pirate king."

Kuina smiled.

"Then you must return."

"Huh?"

"Go on then" she urged.

He had only walked about 10 steps when he realized that Kuina had left him completely alone. Again. By this time, Zoro was getting pretty sick of the afterlife. He felt exhausted, and sleepy. 'One little nap couldn't hurt' he thought, as he felt the pillow cushion his face, and the blankets swaddle him in warmth. The scent of herbs and rubbing alcohol tickled his nose in a stinging but achingly familiar way. Wait a second. Blankets? Herbs? Alcohol?

"Aaaagh!" he screamed startling the blue-nosed doctor sitting at his desk. "Aaagh!" screamed Chopper, morphing into Strong Point before realizing the marimo was finally awake.

"Zoro?" the doctor asked, unbelievingly.

"Kuina! Where is she?"

"Umm… Who?"

"Where the hell is hell? Aren't I supposed to be there right now?"

"Ehh? You were going to hell?"

"Well not anymore!"

The commotion had awakened Luffy, Nami, and Sanji who had come rushing down to see what was the matter.

"Zoro!" exclaimed Luffy, "You're done sleeping! See! I told you all he needed was some sake!"

"Ehh?! You gave him sake?" screamed Chopper, furious that their rubber-brained captain had endangered one of his precious patients.

"But it worked, didn't it?" Chopper sighed and batted Luffy's head away from Zoro's still groggy face.

"Shitty marino should've stayed dead…" muttered Sanji, though, secretly, he was glad the swordsman was alright.

"Ehh? What was that, Ero-Cook?" said Zoro, picking up on the blonde's curses.

"I said you should've stayed dead!" replied Sanji.

"You wanna fight?" screamed Zoro.

"Both of you stop! Sanji get out of here, you're agitating him!" yelled Nami

"Hai! Nami-Swan! Whatever pleases you most!" Exclaimed Sanji, delighted at any chance to delight 'his' little mikan-head.

"Where are the rest of the crew?" muttered Zoro, still somewhat confused.

"Sleeping." replied Nami. "We were scared you would never wake up."

'And I was all set and ready to die. What a waste' thought Zoro.

"In any case, we're glad you made it." Said Chopper. "Your heart actually stopped for 2 whole minutes!"

"I know." said Zoro "I was in the afterlife."

"Ehh? What did you see?"

He described the experience and what had happened, leaving out the part about Kuina. Nami and Chopper just sweat dropped at the end of his story.

"What?" he asked.

"Well…um.. the way you described it…" stammered Chopper

"You got lost on your way to FREAKING DEATH?! " exclaimed Nami

"I mean, we all knew you were hopeless, but THIS?"

"I did not get lost!" protested Zoro, "The afterlife just has moving signposts!"

"Yeah right!" screamed Nami "You're just a stupid, directionless, idiot head marimo!"

"But that's a good thing? Right?" Luffy asked "It means Zoro's too dumb to die!"

"Yes. Fortunately." Said Chopper "Your injuries were very serious, Zoro. Even I was afraid you wouldn't make it."

"Whatever…" muttered Zoro.

As he lay on the hospital bed, in the dead of night, he let himself admit, but just to himself, that he was secretly glad that he had a terrible sense of direction, for he was allowed some time to see Her again. And even if it wasn't long, it was just enough to etch her face permanently into his brain. 'Thank You. For sending me back' were his last thoughts before he drifted off into sleep.