This is sort of a sequel to my story "I'm Zolu!"
/s/11263845/1/I-m-Zolu
Ever since their reunion at Sabaody, Zoro and Luffy hadn't been able to fuse into Zolu. Oh, they'd tried, certainly, but their attempts had ended in failure each time.
"Are you guys feeling okay?" Usopp asked after they'd tried and failed to fuse yet again. The Sunny was well on its way to Fishman Island.
"We're not in sync, somehow," Zoro muttered, getting up again and wincing. Luffy sat up and frowned at Zoro.
"You're hiding something," he said accusingly. "I can feel it. And back then, when we all fought Kuma . . . it was the same thing. That's why he split us up so easily."
Zoro didn't say a word. Usopp looked at him curiously. Off to the side, Chopper was helping Sanji with his rehabilitation, Nami and Franky were keeping the ship in check, Brook was playing soft music somehow fitting for the underwater, and Robin was watching the sealife float by, though she kept an ear open to listen in on Zoro and Luffy.
"Zoro, talk to me," Luffy pleaded, crawling towards him. "What's wrong? You can tell me."
Zoro looked away. "I . . . I can't."
Luffy frowned. "Captain's orders," he said childishly.
Zoro sighed. "I'm gonna have to disobey you just this once, Luffy."
Luffy glared at him. "Why's that?!" He yelled, drawing the attention of the others. "Why can't you tell me?!"
Zoro stood and went inside without another word.
"Zo—!"
The door slammed shut. Everyone turned to look at Luffy, whose angry expression melted away like butter to show sadness and confusion.
"I thought he loved me," he mumbled to himself, falling onto his back and staring at the sea above. "More than a friend. I thought we'd always be together . . ."
The others didn't know what to say. Sanji, Robin, and Brook all had a good idea of just what Zoro was hiding, but for his honor they kept their mouths shut, knowing that if anyone was going to tell Luffy about that, it would be Zoro himself.
"Hey, stupid."
Zoro automatically looked up when Sanji said this. Sanji promptly sniggered.
"What do you want?" Zoro snapped.
The laughter died out and Sanji became serious. "I think I know why you two can't fuse."
"And you think I don't?" Zoro snapped.
Sanji scowled. "I'm not going to make you tell him. But if you ever want to be Zolu again . . . you've got to work something out."
Zoro was silent. Luffy approached the plaza at last and the fight began.
"Luffy . . ."
They'd finished taking out every enemy except Hody. Luffy looked up at Zoro, his face blank.
"I've got something to tell you."
Luffy and Zoro silently walked away from the others.
"He's actually telling him," Sanji muttered in surprise.
Robin and Brook looked at him reproachfully.
Sanji held up his hands. "Come on, they had to reconcile somehow . . ."
"What're you talking about?" Franky asked.
"Nothing," Sanji, Robin, and Brook said together.
Luffy stared at Zoro, his face white as a sheet, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.
"I hope . . . you understand why I kept it secret," Zoro finished, looking directly at Luffy. "I'm sorry."
Luffy slapped Zoro across the face. Zoro's head snapped to the side with the impact and he didn't turn back for a moment.
"You goddamn idiot," Luffy said, his voice shaking. Zoro looked back, a fresh mark on his face, and saw that Luffy was crying.
"You were going to die for me?" Luffy said quietly. "You were going to give up your dream . . . for mine?"
Zoro nodded.
"You're so stupid," Luffy whispered, tears spilling down his face. "We're going to help each other fulfill our dreams. How can we do that if one of us dies beforehand?"
He raised a hand as if to slap Zoro again, but let it fall to his side and just sobbed.
"I'm sorry," Zoro said again. "But now . . . we're both alive, and we're together."
Luffy looked up and a smile broke through his tears.
"Yeah," he said. "We are."
He pulled Zoro into a tight hug, letting the tears fall onto his shoulder.
"You know," he mumbled through Zoro's hair, "I was worried cause I thought you hated me."
Zoro smiled. "I could never hate you."
The others smiled in relief when Zoro and Luffy walked back to them, holding hands.
"We'll take care of this bastard," Luffy said. He turned to Zoro and grinned. "Ready?"
Zoro nodded. "Whenever you are."
And it took no time at all for them to fuse.
Zolu looked at himself and laughed in delight. "I'm back!"
The others grinned and applauded.
"What's this?" Hody growled as Zolu approached him confidently. "Some kind of combination? Please. I've seen your real strength! This is just some cheap tactic in a futile attempt to make you stronger. Quit embarassing yourselves! I've seen what you REALLY are."
Zolu smirked and snickered. "No . . . you haven't."
"This is Zolu," Zolu sang, placing a hand on his chest, "back together! And I'm never going down at the hands of the likes of you, because I'm so much better . . . and every part of me is saying, 'Kick his ass.'"
"Why is he singing?" Usopp muttered. Brook brought out his old violin and played a melody to fit the impromptu song.
"The two of us ain't gonna follow your rules," Zolu sang as he and Hody circled each other. "Come at me without any of your weirdo friends!"
He crouched into a battle stance.
"Let's go, just me and you . . ."
He smirked and drew his swords.
"Let's go, just one on two."
"Go ahead and try to hit me if you're able," Zolu sang as Brook continued to provide excellent background music. Hody sprang and started attacking, but the tall man grinned as he dodged every blow. "Can't you see that my relationship is stable? I can see you hate the way we intermingle . . ." he wagged a finger cheekily while keeping Hody at bay with his other hand. "But I think you're just mad cause you're single!"
"Seriously, am I the only one weirded out by this?" Usopp muttered. Sanji shushed him.
"You're not gonna stop what we made together!" Zolu sang as he kicked Hody in an uppercut move. "Cause only we say if it's forever or never! If you break us apart, we'll just come back newer—and we'll always be TWICE the MAN that you are!"
Franky cheered.
"I am made . . . o-o-o-o-of—lo-o-o-o-ove!" Zolu sang, getting in blow after blow on Hody. "O-o-o-o-of . . . Lo-o-o-o-ove, o-o-o-o-of, lo-o-o-o-ove!"
Hody seemed to gain a second wind and he and Zolu continued to duke it out. Robin hummed backup as Brook continued the song.
"Okay, it's just me who thinks it's weird," Usopp muttered.
The fight continued. There was a huge explosion and a cloud of dust briefly obscured the subjects. Then—
"This is who we are," Zolu sang, rising from the ground. "This is who I am . . . and if you think you can stop me, then you need to think again."
Hody rose and shook his head dazedly.
"Because I am a feeling," Zolu continued, "and I will never end! And I won't let you stop my dreams—and I won't let you hurt my friends!"
The Strawhats cheered as the fight went on.
"So go ahead and try to hit me if you're able!" Zolu sang as Hody punched him into the ground. He recovered quickly and stood, throwing another slice at Hody as he sang, "Can't you see that my relationship is stable?! I know you think that I'm not something you're afraid of, cause you think that you've seen what I'm made of!"
Hody's punches and kicks were obviously getting weaker.
"But I am so much more than the two of them!" Zolu declared. "Everything they care about is what I am! I am their FURY, I am their PATIENCE... I am a CONVERSATION!"
Zolu continued a barrage of attacks as he sang, "I am made . . . o-o-o-o-of—lo-o-o-o-ove! O-o-o-o-of . . . and it's STRONGER THAN YOU! Lo-o-o-o-ove, o-o-o-o-of, lo-o-o-o-ove . . . and it's STRONGER THAN YOU!"
The fight was finally over! Hody lay beaten bloody and senseless on the ground, but the huge ship Noah was still falling.
Robin continued to sing backup as Brook kept up the melody.
"That ship's coming down!" Nami screamed.
"What're we gonna do?!" Chopper screeched.
"There's no time!" Usopp yelled. He glared at Robin and Brook, who seemed determined to carry out the rest of the song. "Will you two stop being so relaxed over there?!"
Just before the ship hit critical, Shirahoshi inadverdantly called upon the Sea Kings, who stopped Noah just in time.
"Nice one," Zolu called just as Brook played the last note.
Usopp groaned. "Was the song really necessary?"
"Yes," Zolu, Brook, and Robin said at the same time.