Time for another One Piece fiction by Nehszriah! -flag waves- I do not own One Piece, for I am not the Oda. Please bear with me and this story and before questions are given, check the Author's Notes at the bottom of the chapter please.
Illicit Memories
Assassin's Arc: Reflection
Roronoa Zoro looked over the ship's railing to gaze longingly at the shore before him. It was the mainland, the thin strip of land that encircled the world in a way so that it was squared up with the Grand Line. He paused in his casual walk to lean on the rail and look towards the lush green horizon, purple majestic mountains gracing the backdrop to the land that he was informed to be a barrier to farmland rich in crops.
I've missed solid ground, he thought as he ran his fingers through his green hair and sighed. Sure we have come across islands in the Grand Line, but now that we are in the East Blue again, the insanity should die down for a bit. Maybe I should ask Luffy for some shore leave so that I can train in the mountains. It would do me good to train in the cold.
"Hey Zoro," someone said, snapping Zoro back to the present. He turned his head to see Nami the navigator standing there. Her face was one of a concerned lover, for that is what she had become to the green-haired swordsman He loved Nami dearly now, her having matured into a beautiful woman since they had first met twenty years earlier. "Are you ready to go ashore? Luffy wants to get to the mainland by sunset."
"Sure," Zoro replied. "I was just wondering about maybe asking about getting some shore leave so that I can train."
"Let's talk to Luffy about that after dinner."
"Does Sanji have dinner ready at this hour?"
"No. We're getting dinner when we reach port," Nami sighed before she walked off to go and make sure Luffy was not messing about with the ship's course again. Zoro could tell that this was an order taken directly from the captain. He had become a stickler over the years about eating onshore whenever he possibly could. It was not that Sanji's cooking had been decreasing in quality, but Luffy wanted to try as many localized dishes as humanly possible.
Twenty years and I can barely find a bit of change on this ship, Zoro laughed internally while he scratched the short beard stubble on his chin. Years... that reminds me of Yume. It has been so many years since she has died. He reached inside his pocket and drew out a golden chain that had a simple band of the same precious metal strung onto it. Quietly, he clenched it in his fist as his thoughts raced. Seventeen? Eighteen? Nineteen? I cannot remember clearly when she died anymore. I do remember her clearly though. The mainland reminds me of her. Every time we anchor in a mainland port... I remember Yume. How I wish she were still alive. If only my Dream were still alive...
Eighteen years earlier
Zoro glared around the tavern with the utmost suspicion. They were in Logue Town and in the middle of stocking up on supplies and provisions when they had decided to all stop for some food. Zoro did not trust Logue Town one bit. Maybe it was the fact the Marine Headquarters was still there, though Captain Smoker and Tashigi were still out on the Grand Line searching for them or it was the embarrassing memory of Baroque Works sieging them at Whiskey Peak or even the fact that Luffy's bounty was raised again or that he now had a hefty bounty on his head as well or possibly that they had just acquired Nico Robin and her seventy-nine million berry bounty as a crew member. No matter what the reason, it was still apparent that Zoro was skittish.
Hmm... he thought as he examined the other tavern patrons. There's a family over there, the three cloaked travelers that just walked in, two men over at the bar... none of them seem to be too threatening. Now if only my nakama...
"Come on Zoro! Have a bit of fun why don't ya?" Usopp asked, swaying slightly into the swordsman. He was one of the first to start drinking and the rest of the crew made the enlightening and humorous discovery that he did not hold a single drop over three mugs of grog very well.
"Usopp, you're making a fool of yourself," the green-haired swordsman sneered acidly. Usopp just blinked heavily and returned to the grog. Zoro stood up in a flustered manner and headed towards the door.
"Zoro, where do you think you're going?" Nami called out, halting the man in his tracks.
"Out and away from you guys."
"You're gonna get lost..."
"No I'm not!" Zoro snapped back. He barged out the door to the tavern in a huff.
"Robin, how about if we go and charge him a fee later when we hunt him down?" Nami asked, chuckling into her own mug.
"That would be fun Navigator-san," Robin replied, shifting slightly in her seat in order to move herself a bit more further from the tornado of flying food that was Luffy.
Now, little did the Mugiwara Kaizokudan know it, but every move they made was being monitored by the three cloaked travelers at the bar Zoro had noticed before. The middle traveler placed an empty mug down and stood up.
"That's our target," a raspy voice quietly announced to the other two.
"The man who just walked out?"
"Yes. Roronoa Zoro. Famed pirate hunter extraordinaire. You two going to follow?"
The still seated men shook their heads and refused.
"It's not worth our lives. We got half the payment already just for taking on the mission. Let's just say that we couldn't find him..." one said, but was cut off by his standing nakama.
"You fool. We need to at least try to kill him, or we are done for," the raspy voice said again. "I'm going it alone then. Come get me if there's any trouble."
"Got it," the two others said. They watched with concern as their third walked out into the night street. Hopefully, the mission could be carried out and they could retrieve the rest of the payment for killing him, as well as a bit of bounty from the government on top of it.
Hopefully was the key word though.
80808080808080808
Not sure anymore about how long he had been wandering, Zoro looked up at the sky and tried to find the North Star. He remembered Nami telling him and Luffy that the North Star could help them navigate when they were lost. Unable to find even one star in the overcast night, he cursed silently to himself.
Damn it! Stupid stars. Now I'm going to have to just wander around until I find the wharf. Stupid wharf. He turned onto a street, wondering why things just could not be labeled as being left and right, forwards or backwards... not all this north, south, east, west crap. Things would be so much easier if everything just happened that way.
Suddenly, Zoro heard the sound of light footsteps. Nami, was his immediate response, knowing that she could have been the only one sober enough to find him for profit. Shaking his head, he continued forward. Then the footsteps began to become quicker, jumping onto a nearby building in order to get in front of him. Zoro stopped walking and clutched the hilt of his cursed sword, ready to attack.
"Finally I have found you Roronoa Zoro!" a raspy voice yelled. A figure dropped from a rooftop to the street, chuckling menacingly.
"An assassin?" Zoro questioned.
"That's right! I have been paid to kill you. Now draw your swords!" the cloaked stranger yelled. Zoro just turned around and began walking away.
"Loser," he muttered. He did not have time to deal with an assassin. They were too cocky and not worth the kill. At least that he knew from experience.
"Don't turn your back on me!" cried the assassin. Zoro spun around as he heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. He was just barely able to react in time to block the weapon aimed at his throat.
"You must be serious," he chuckled. Zoro forced the attacker away and drew his other two swords. "Onigiri!"
Zoro charged full-force at the assassin, certain that he would strike him down. Instead, the assassin jumped up into the air, timed perfectly so that the attack missed completely. Landing behind Zoro, with a couple seconds and some fancy footwork, the green-haired man's right arm was gushing blood and he was struggling to fend off his attacker.
I haven't faced anyone like this since Mihawk, Zoro panicked. As the fight continued, it became more and more apparent that he was starting to lose. The assassin began to fight with not only the sword, but would throw in a few kicks and punches in for good measure. Mr. 1 was difficult, but he had Devil Fruit power that turned his body into a big blade. This guy is going on pure talent alone. I can tell. He's like a creature built with Sanji's kicks, Luffy's sheer power, my swords skills...
CHING went the horrific sound of Zoro's two swords as the assassin forced them from his hands. They stuck themselves into a water barrel nearby, sending the liquid out into the street.
Damn Mihawk, Zoro thought, bringing the white Wado sword down from his mouth and into his hands. Looks like I won't be able to fight you for the title after all. He tried to parry the assassin's attack, what felt like a final attack, but his precious sword was knocked from his hands due to the sheer velocity of the blow.
Red filled his vision as Zoro fell and his head smashed into the wet cobblestone-brick street below. He gazed up and saw the assassin walk calmly over to him, sword clutched in hand. He could feel the weight of the cloaked figure's knees pinning his shoulders to the ground so that he would not move as the sword blade caressed his soft throat. A wan glimmer of light from a far-off and unknown source was able to just barely illuminate the assassin's face. A regretful expression filled ruby eyes.
Now's my chance. Zoro shifted his body weight and knocked the assassin off. It was a risky move, but it worked. The cloaked assassin lost grip of the sword as it slid across the slick ground to Zoro, who was able to pick it up and in what seemed like an instant, place the assassin in the exact same position he was in before.
"Any last words?" he spat cruelly. Zoro was in no mood for niceties at this point. The man was going to die anyways. Might as well enjoy it.
"What do you live for Roronoa Zoro?"
"Huh? What kind of a question is that?"
"What do you live for?" the assassin asked. The voice was no longer raspy, but smooth and feminine. Zoro moved backwards, keeping the sword to his enemy's throat. The assassin sat up and removed the cloak hood, forcing a gasp out of the green-haired swordsman.
He had been fighting a woman.
Her hair was black and sleek, just like Kuina's had been, though it fell to just above her shoulders. Her pale skin made her haunting ruby eyes seem like crystals in the night light. Her build was better than average for the life of a sword-for-hire, being sturdy enough to not frailly break under pressure.
"What do I live for?" he whispered, embarrassed now that he was virtually sitting in this woman's lap. "A promise made long ago."
"At least it is a noble life. You can kill me now."
"I'm not going to kill you," Zoro said, dropping the sword and standing up. He turned to retrieve his lost swords and heard the sound of soft sobbing.
"A swordsman is supposed to die in battle," she sniffled. Zoro just rolled his eyes and turned around angrily once he sheathed his swords.
"Be happy that you are still alive!" he growled. "I doubt many will live after facing me in battle, for I am going to become the world's greatest swordsman!"
The woman assassin just sat there and looked morosely at Zoro, making him cringe. He sneered and began to walk away when he heard the sound of two rushed pairs of feet coming down the street.
"Yume-san!" a voice called out. Zoro saw that it was the other two cloaked travelers from the bar, running towards them at top speed. Their hoods were down and he could see that one was taller and had sandy-white hair, tanned skin and crystalline eyes while she shorter had green eyes, fiery hair and a massive amount of freckles.
"Minna!" the woman assassin replied tearfully. The two men rushed over to her and helped her stand.
"Get your sword! The Marines are coming!" said the taller. The woman assassin quickly grabbed her sword and placed it in the scabbard.
"We shall meet again soon Roronoa Zoro!" she announced proudly, trying to mask her defeat. On a dime, she turned and began to run away.
"Tch," spat Zoro. He kept on walking in the direction he was originally headed in, only to find that the prediction of the woman assassin's comrades were indeed true. A small unit of military officers were running through the street, responding to a tip that a sword fight was taking place in the street.
"Halt!" the officer yelled. "You are under arrest!"
"Ah shit!" Zoro cursed, turning around and running as fast as he could the other way. He went down a few bends and turns until he was able to find the Merry Go, just getting ready to set sail.
"HEY!" Zoro yelled angrily as he ran towards the boat. "WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU ARE DOING LEAVING PORT WITHOUT ME!"
"Zoro?" everyone on the ship seemed to say at once, poking their heads overboard to catch a glance at their first mate.
"Hi there Zoro!" Luffy called out, waving his arm wildly from his special seat. "I thought you were here on the ship!"
"I'M NOT ON THE SHIP, YOU IDIOT!"
"I can see that now!"
"Hurry up Zoro! The Marines are after us!" Nami ordered. The green-haired man leaped from the pier straight to the deck of the ship, barely allowing the ship to go three feet without him.
"Come back here and fight pirate scum!" one of the officers yelled, having gotten to the pier only to be able to stand there helplessly. Zoro just looked over at Luffy and nearly fell down as he saw his captain make a very rude hand gesture.
"Just try to catch us!" he giggled, his words slightly slurred from all of the drinking he had done at the tavern. Zoro leaned up against the rail and sighed as he watched the faint lights of Logue Town fade away into the distance.
"Where were you Marimo?" Sanji snickered, taking Zoro by surprise.
"Playing with death," he muttered, fingering the scab that had now formed over the wound on his arm. It was not a deep wound; definitely not something Chopper had to worry about.
"Death is a tempting mistress," the cook continued, the alcohol on his breath spoiling the air. Zoro knew where this was going; another spiel about how he had to survive all that time without food as a kid, blah, blah, blah. He was sick of it. As soon as Sanji was able to rest his arms on the ship's rail, Zoro took off for below deck and his hammock. He knew he looked horrible, all wet and bloody, but he did not care. All he wanted now was some sleep so that the memory of the recent attempt on his life could meld into the remnants of the other assassins that had come after him throughout the years.
Author's Notes
Flashbacks: Yes, the first section was in the Mugiwara Pirates' future, but where it was left off is still in the past. Think of Homer and his conventions. A good chunk of the story from this point on will be flashbacks, just as a warning.
The Woman Assassin: Hey, I'm trying real hard to not turn it into a Mary Sue fiction. Just hear me out for a while, please? Things will get a lot un-Mary Sue soon. Honest. It will become better!
"Minna": 'Tis the Japanese expletive meaning "everyone" or "guys". I'm almost positive this is going to be one of only a few words used throughout the fiction by the character that's in Japanese.
Time Period: The flashbacks are set, unfortunately, in the space just before the Skypeia Saga, but after Nico joined. This does not mean that I do not plan on completely leaving the happening of after to go to waste. All I need to do is some more "research".
Next Update: Soon. When I feel like it. Reviews might make me update quicker however. -winks-
Edits: Fixed the division lines, Robin's name and changed "Rogue Town" to "Logue Town"