Oh look, I've remembered how to put words together.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Set just after the Arlong Park arc


When Nami had finally found the swordsman – in the crow's nest, not the storage room as Luffy had helpfully suggested – he'd been taking a nap, the weights resting next to him indicating he'd been working out despite the doctor's order to rest.

Originally, she'd been trying to find him to get him to keep Luffy occupied while she worked on a map, as their captain had found out where Sanji was storing the more sugary snacks.

But when she found him, her eyes had instantly been drawn to the white bandages wrapped around his torso, and the flecks of red from where his wound had reopened slightly, and she was filled with the need to understand why.

She had heard about the infamous Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro before she'd joined the crew. He was supposed to be a demon, a heartless killer. He wasn't supposed to be a man who put his life on the line just because a kid with a straw hat wanted to help a girl with a bad past.

Giving his leg a gentle kick – even though he'd started to open his eyes the moment her feet had touched the floor – Nami asked her question.

"Why do you do it?"

"What the hell are you on about? Do what?" Zoro scowled, not bothering to look up at her as he pushed her foot away from his leg.

"Why do you do it?" Nami repeated, finally managing to drag her eyes away from the bandages, focusing on his face instead. "Take on fights that aren't yours? That wound on your chest could've killed you! It would've killed a normal person!"

"Mihawk was my fight, Nami." Zoro's calm voice was a sharp contrast to her shaky yell, and she's close to the end of her rope, because no one should be able to be so calm about being injured that badly.

"But Arlong wasn't, Zoro! You were already injured, and you still fought him, just because Luffy said he'd help me! You got hurt because of him. You nearly died for him."

The swordsman didn't respond for a moment, choosing instead to pull himself up into a standing position, letting his gaze fall to her shoulder, the dark ink of her new tattoo standing out proudly against her pale skin.

It stayed there for a moment before dropping further to her hand, where a faint scar from a knife could be seen.

Then Zoro finally looked back up to her face, meeting her watery eyes with a steady gaze.

And suddenly, Nami understood.

"Some things are worth the pain."