Roronoa Zoro was walking around on an island that the straw hat pirates had recently landed on. He was aimlessly looking around for a shop that sold a cleaning/sharpening kit for his Kantana. When suddenly a little girl no more than five years old ran into him, she looked up at him while looked down at her. The moment they looked at each other the little girl cried "Help me please" her face was so cute and her eyes so sad that Roronoa face palmed knowing he would hate himself for doing this later, but he picked up the kid and went immediately into the shop to his right which just happened to be a clothing store. Good for finding disguises for her. "So what's your name kid and why do you need help?"
"It's Katherine, and I'm running from my god mother, because she hurts me because she wants the money my mommy and daddy left me when they died, I finally ran away, and she made a lot of people think I'm a liar, but I'm not she is." The little girl started crying, but Roronoa quickly comforted her before she made too much of a scene. "Don't worry I'll help you stop crying." "Really mister?" "Yeah so stop crying ok." "Ok" "Let's find you some new clothes, they could find you by your clothing alone and we need to cover your face anyway. Roronoa picked out a pair of sun glasses, a hooded black jacket, a pink skirt, black leggings anew shoes, then shooed her into the dressing rooms he sighed knowing this stuff would more than likely take all the money we had for booze and a cleaning/sharpening kit and all for a cute little girl with sad little puppy dog eyes. Zoro was well into his silent regret and thought process on what they were going to do next, when a woman with two officers with her Roronoa quickly turned his head hoping the guards wouldn't notice him or if they did recognize him, but helping the little girl came first. The lady quickly asked the salesman and other associates if they saw little girl that was five years old and with brown eyes and shoulder length brown hair. They said that the little girl came in matching that description being held by a man with green hair and a scar down his left eye. Zoro was one step ahead of those that came in he promised the little girl that he would help her and that was what he was going to do. Zoro passed the girl some other clothes off the racks through the curtains' without looking
"Hey kid pass me your old clothes."Katherine did as she was told; Zoro tossed them in a sales bin nearby. All of this was done before the woman came up to him with guards in tow. "Did you kidnap my god daughter?" Zoro was already ready for this to come up so he s calmly gave her a skeptical look and gave her the only answer her could possible give her
"Why would I kidnap your god daughter when I already have a daughter of my own to look after?"
"Ha you have a daughter yeah right looking like you do."
"You shouldn't judge people on their looks lady, I don't stray from responsibilities. Come on out sweetie" Roronoa crouched down to her the moment Katherine came out with sunglasses on and hood up, she walked immediately to Zoro and hugged him then stepped back.
"Do you like my outfit daddy?"
"Of course they look beautiful you sweetheart."
"Daddy who are these people?" Katherine hugged Roronoa scared, the swordsman stood up holding the girl.
"I don't know this woman seems to be looking for her god daughter."
"And I found her officer that man kidnapped my god daughter arrest him."
"Lady you really shouldn't jump to conclusions, first off if I did kidnap your daughter why would she jump in my arms instead of going to you when you're standing right there, in fact how could she just calmly jump in my arms and cal me 'daddy' if I wasn't her father, and what kind of kidnapper is calm the event of officer questioning him of their parentage to said missing girl?"
"You threatened her of course. Now hand over my god daughter now."
"I'm not handing my daughter to anyone, and she jumped in my arms without fear or stuttering, also does this girl have the same clothing as your god daughter why don't you find those as proof. First find those as proof."
"Fine we will but don't move." First they searched the dressing room then the trash, while they were busy with that Zoro quickly found the old clothes a stuffed them into various shoe boxes. The three people came back disappointed finding absolutely nothing.
"Just because we can't find nothing doesn't mean that girl is yours" the officers gave Zoro an apologetic look having already accepted Zoros logic.
"Ah yes that again why are you so insistent on taking my daughter and not looking elsewhere this is getting annoying." Katherine merely buried her head in Zoro's shirt, clearly scared of the woman and the officers the officers saw it, but the woman refused to see it.
"Come on miss that child can't possibly be yours, we should stop bothering these two."
"What this man can't possible a father."
"Miss you can't deny his logic besides that girl is afraid of us, and why would the girl possible be afraid of you?"
"There is no reason absolutely none, fine let's go. I just got wrapped up in having someone to blame for my sweet little god daughters disappearance. I'm sorry." The moment they left Katherine finally pulled her face from Zoro's shoulder
"Their gone but how am I supposed escape from the island to get away from that witch lady."
"I Know I'm going to hate myself for this later kid, but I am a part of a crew that can get you to another island we can find you a new family there if you'd like."
"Really you can do that will you please mister."
"First of all I have to ask my crew mates."
"You'll do that for me?"
"Yeah yeah sure. Oh wait don't be scared but the ship I'm talking about is a pirate ship"
"You're a pirate."
"shh not so loud, are you ok with that."
"You're really good for a pirate, so I don't think your crew mates can be bad I think." Katherine stuttered slightly sounding unsure.
"well it can't be that bad to meet them first right, and if you don't like them I can always try and get you on another ship if you'd like."
"ok" Katherine brightened a lot Roronoa was going to pay for the clothing but the sales person actually gave them the clothes for free because he was terrified of get slashed by Zoro for actually letting that woman annoy him and upsetting his precious daughter only because Zoro said with a heavy scowl I hope that these clothes are that dam much, I still got things to buy dam it."
Zoro left holding the kid he went back to the ship after buying what he needed for his Katana.
"Hey Zoro's back" Luffy shouted happily. Katherine hid behind Zoro's legs
"Ne Luffy, I have a request so get everyone up on deck."
"Ok Mena, Get up on deck Zoro has a request, Captains orders.
"Ha why does everyone have to come up on deck to listen to the Marimo's request?"
"Shut up at get out here you shit-cook?"
"What did you say?" Sanji and Zoro would have started a fight if Nami didn't stop them
"I'm not waiting for you finish fighting to hear Zoro's request especially when we all had to wait for him anyway."
"Yes Nami-swan."
"Right is everyone here." Everyone chimed in yes. "Great it'll make it easier to say this request if you all line up um shoulder to shoulder(Not really It made it easier for me to introduce everyone to Katherine in the order I wanted them to."
"Yosh every get in Line, this sounds like fun." Everyone grumbled in to line except luffy and Robin who had quite the smile on her face. After all the swordsman didn't make request very often in fact this was the first time he had done so.
"First of all there is someone I want all of you to meet and please keep in mind that it is actually her request not mine." Katherine was still hiding behind Zoro legs.
"Come on don't be shy, its ok no one's going to bite you." Zoro crouched down and pick up Katherine she clutch on to Zoro's shirt. The moment Zoro stood up. Luffy yelled
"Oh Zoro kidnapped a kid." Before Zoro could whack Luffy and say something Katherine yelled it for him.
"Did not he Saved me now shut up." Both Zoro and Robin smirk at the girl while everyone else still had shock written on their faces.
"Now would all of you keep quiet and stay in line so I can introduce her to each of you properly. Grudgingly everyone agreed. Zoro walked up to Luffy first like Katherine he also had a pouty face on.
"Katherine this is our captain Mo.." Luffy interpreted and stuck out his hand to shake with the girl.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy nice to meet ya" Katherine was a little hesitant at first to put out her hand and shake his but she did still with a pout on her face.
"Katherine, Luffy is a rubber boy." The moment that came out Zoro's mouth Katherine's face lit up "Really, Show me." She demanded
"Ok" Luffy stretched either side of his mouth. Katherine excited at seeing this grabbed and pulled at Luffy's face while he laughed, until Zoro put an end to it.
"You can play with Luffy later, come on you have to meet everyone else first."
They both pouted but then Katherine lit up at the possibility of meeting someone else like Luffy.
"This is Usopp." Usopp smugly stuck out his hand Katherine shook it vigorously excited at who was next to meet, while Usopp was excite at have a new audience to spout lies to
"I am the great Usopp , I have conq—" Usopp was cut off by Zoro whacking him
"I'm not going to have you spout lies to her first thing Baka, Katherine to listen to this Baka he's liar, his mouth spits nothing but false stories." But that didn't detour the girls enthusiasm
"You mean this mans a story teller, wow can I listen to his stories at bed time, I've never heard a bed time story before?"
"Yeah I guess I mean if your request is accepted." The girls face fell
"Oh right."
"Don't worry it's not likely you'll be turn down."
"Wait Zoro what's."
"I'll tell you when we're done with introductions."
"The big guy's Franky"
"Hi Kid." Franky held out his huge hand waiting for her to high five it when she did, she hit his metal hand pretty hard
"Ouchy that hurt."
"Here let me see your hand, are you Ok?" Zoro said in a gentle and concerned voice.
"ah uh it just hurts a little.
"That's my fault I should have told you beforehand that Franky is a Cyborg."
"What's a Cyborg?"
"I am I'm part human and part robot isn't Super." Franky did his pose. Zoro face palmed.
" What's a robot?"
"It better if Franky just showed you." Franky produced his smaller hands from the bigger ones and moved the fingers. Katherine was both frightened and excited. Katherine reached a hand out to Franky's right miniature hand and played with it. Franky would have shown her more but Zoro needed to introduce her to the others Brook was next.
"Yahohohoho it a pleasure to meet such a cute young lady." Katherine was in awe by a actual moving and talking skeleton.
"Wow hey is that real hair."
"Yeas my dear it is." But Katherine didn't believe him and pulled it to make sure and only pouted when she couldn't pull it off.
Next was Nami
"Hello cutie how are you." Everyone got a surprise when Katherine bit Nami hand and when everyone asked why she did it (I'm too lazy to put into detail how everyone reacted just imagine it for yourselves.)
"Because the woman's an evil witch lady anyone that looks like her has to be an evil witch lady." Everyone but Sanji who said that Nami was a beautiful lady and that it was wrong for the Marimo to put such thoughts in a little girls head. Zoro ignored Sanji's comment and finally stopped laughing enough to look at a pouting Katherine who was angry that they were laughing at her.
"Not everyone that looks like your God mother are evil witch ladies and Nami is well trained to be good she now works for our captain." It took Franky Robin and Usopp to hold back Nami a calm her down and get her to remember he's trying to explain things to a kid in a manner that she'll understand especially since Zoro had yet to explain the kid's situation. She was willing to calm down for the moment. Everyone went back to the line they were in. Katherine was satisfied with the explanation for now at least, but she still gave Nami a hard and unforgiving stare. Sanji was next in line.
"This is the Shitty cook."
"Its Sanji and you shouldn't cuss in front of ladies" the Blondie yelled then turn his attention to the little girl "it's a pleasure little miss."
"ich you're the witch ladies ichy slave boy." Katherine stuck her tongue out at Sanji, everyone laughed at this too, but not as loud seeing as Nami was still on edge all though she laugh to at Sanji being called her slave.
"No no no Katherine, Sanji is the Slave of every girl alive which mean you can boss him around to."
"Really "
"Yep but come on there are two more crew members to introduce you to."
"Ok"
"This is Robin"
"Hello miss cutie." Robin had her hands behind her back but brought her face close to the child and smiled brightly. Katherine stared a robin for a while before patting her head
"It's ok, Onee-chan you don't need to be scared or sad." Robin was surprised but put her face back into a bright smile.
"What makes you think I'm Scared or sad Cutie -chan"
"Just cause, I know I can feel it, just so you know as long as Zoro onii-chan is here you don't have to be sad, you can cuddle up with me and Zoro if you ever feel sad or lonely, when I sail with you guys."
Robin didn't say anything and just raised an eyebrow, but otherwise let Zoro introduce her to chopper.
"This is our Doctor a reindeer Chopper."
"Really you're a reindeer and Doctor."
"yes I am you got a problem with that."
"Chopper." Zoro said in a stern voice.
"Oh I'm sorry"
"I believe you, "the girl touch his face. "I like your fur It nice warm and soft."
"You like me."
"Hai"
"Ok now that you've got the introductions over with why not explain to us what's going on."
"Well um Katherine here was being abused by her God mother and when she ran away from her she bumped into me and pleaded for me to help her, and I can't exactly go up to police headquarters say hey this girls being abused put her in a safe home no one's going to believe a pirate besides this girl says that a lot of people on the island believe she's a liar."
"And you believe the word of a five year old."
"Yes you weren't there to see her fear Nami and hopefully you never will. Anyway this kid wants to leave the island to escape her God Mother forever, and make a new family somewhere else. so she was hoping we could take to a new island to find her a better family"
"You do know we'd technically be kidnapping her right." Nami stated messaging her temples.
"Well we are Pirates isn't that what we're supposed to do." Robin said
"It's not like we have the luxury of finding evidence, since we need to leave the log pose has set." Franky said "Like Zoro bro said it's not like people are going to believe pirates."
"Eh and now that Cutie-chan has willingly come aboard our ship there's no way anyone will believe her now ."
"So you want us to put ourselves at risk to help a five year old girl find a family."
"Shi shishi I like it lets do it."
"Luffy ha I get it I know when I'm beat come on the tide will be out soon lets set sail to the next island." Once they we're out on their way everyone went back to their daily as if everything was normal. Sanji went to cook dinner, Nami went into her room to do some mapping robin was reading on deck in a lawn chair Chopper had slunk off to finish some new medicine before he could play with Katherine. Franky had gone to refill some of the ships inventions with cola. Zoro had lain back against the Thousand Sunny's mast he watched as Usopp and Luffy played a game with Katherine. Zoro watched the three of them meticulously. From the moment that Roronoa laid eyes on her something about him changed.
He suddenly bolted up right when he saw Luffy toss Katherine in the air and catch her.
"Oi Luffy be careful don't let her fall." Zoro's voice was filled with the kind of concern that he only had when Luffy or one of the other devil fruit eaters fell overboard (Robin never fell overboard she's too smart for that.)
"I won't"
"And don't toss her to high"
"Ah Zoro Don't spoil the fun."
"Luffy" Zoro said in a warning voice
"Ok ok" Luffy pouted but otherwise went back tossing Katherine in the air. Zoro watched carefully but settled back down when Usopp whined about not being able to play with the little girl and Luffy put her on the ground so they could play hide n seek. Katherine was it which was unfair since she had yet to have a tour of the ship, but the game was the perfect time to give her one. As soon as Luffy and Usopp hid Zoro walked over to Katherine.
"Come on I'll help you find the idiots you don't even know you way around yet."
"Yea, will you give me a piggy back ride."
"Sure" the two took off looking for two boys. Zoro brought her to the aquarium room first she squealed when she saw all of the fish Zoro took her off of his back and held her up to the glass. He let her look in aw for a few moments before reminding her that they had two idiots to look for and that the aquarium was on the ship so she could go down every day she was on the ship. Next they went to the library, were Nami was drawing some maps. Katherine kept at least five feet from her in all directions. Zoro could barely keep in his laughter. He finally burst out laughing when the door to the library closed. Zoro let her look around t he women quarters alone (he knew that know guy would dare enter it but he let her search anyway.) then he let her runaround the men's quarters to search the stench didn't really seem to bother her and she found Usopp behind one of the curtains. She was so excited. At her achievement. Zoro smiled at her and patted her head. Then took her to look through the storage room and the kitchen she stayed five feet from Sanji too. Finally Zoro picked her up and climbed up to the crow's nest, he held her tight and he let her wander through the crow's nest looking for Luffy. Little did she know her was waiting on the ceiling to scare her. When she was looking to see if any of the benches sits lifted up and while Zoro was looking out the window Luffy got down behind her and yelled boo she jumped up and yelped and when she turned around she screamed at the face he was making, but it wasn't just his face that made her scared Luffy also had some orange string in his hair. She ran to Zoro as quickly as possible crying. While Luffy was Laughing, when Katherine stopped crying he spoke menacingly to Luffy
" I hope your done because I'm going to kill you for making her cry" But Luffy had jumped through the trap door before Zoro Could strike. Zoro picked up Katherine and asked Robin to hold her (when they got on deck) while he made good on his threat. Five minutes later he came back dragging a barely alive Luffy with him. Katherine was sitting on Robin who was teaching her to read. Zoro put Luffy in front of the two girl and Robin closed her book.
"Now apologize"
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry Katherine, will you consider paying with me again." She put up a pouty face while Robin patted her head encouraging her to accept the apology.
"It's ok but don't where that string again or I won't play with you."
"Ok I won't friends."
"Friends" Zoro sent Luffy to Chopper to get patched up.
"A little protective I see."
"Not really I mean she's still just a child and he shouldn't have done it in the first place."
