He had been lying down in the same place and for some reason, his body didn't respond even the tiniest bit. His eyes were closed tight, not wanting to open. It's true that he has been over-exerting himself, but he didn't even care enough to rest for a while. He feels like he has to get stronger to become the greatest swordsman, to make sure his captain becomes the pirate king, and to protect his crewmates, especially that one girl. The girl with orange hair and the smell of tangerines. How he missed his crew and how he missed her.
He heard a soft breathing sound from somewhere in the room but he decided to ignore it and rest for a little longer. Slowly the breathing starts to disappear and it changes to the sound of waves. He knew for days he hasn't listen to it even once. The place he was resting felt quiet and empty.
Another sound was starting to overlap the sound of the waves. The crackle of fire, the sound of crickets was there. The air felt cold yet for him it felt warm because of the laughter around him. He heard Luffy laughing with Chopper and Franky while Usopp protested about something the three joked about. He heard Brook playing his violin, the sound joining the night air. He heard Sanji offering drinks to Robin and he heard the laughter of the orange haired girl. He wished it wasn't a dream. He wished he would never wake up and just stay in his little dream.
The sand beside him started to shift and he felt another's presence. But from that tangy smell, he already knew who stood besides him. A fist landed on his hand, waking him up from his sleep. To his surprise, he woke up seeing the campfire and his crewmates enjoying the night.
"Wake up, sleepyhead." The voice beside him said. "You have to join the party. It is for you, you know."
For him? What's this all about? And why did he wake up on a dream? Or was it not a dream?
"What kind of party?" he asked, shaking his green-haired head.
"Your birthday, idiot. Now come on, join in!" She tugged on him and he sluggishly stood up. After that she dragged him near the campfire where now almost everybody is dancing and singing except for Robin and Franky who are snuggling in a blanket.
Nami gave him a bottle of sake while they were dancing with each other and brought one for herself. She shouted, "Happy Birthday to Zoro and may we all stay together in this adventure!", and everyone of the Straw Hat Pirates happily cheered. It was so unreal and he felt like the dream was torturing him because reality clearly is different from what he is experiencing right now. But he also never want to wake up from the dream. It was too beautiful to let go.
After a while, Nami whispered to Zoro, "Let's go for a walk." And Zoro willingly succumb to her wishes.
They started to walk along the beach. Strolling along the sand hand-in-hand. It wasn't the first time he held her hand, but for the first time he felt safe besides her and he never want to let those hands go. They talked and talked as the moonlight shine on them. As the moments passed on, Zoro stopped talking and he just smiled as Nami kept on talking to him. But one question hit him hard.
"What if we're all separated?" She stopped all of a sudden and turned to face him. "Hey, Zoro answer me. You just kept smiling like an idiot the whole way."
He bowed down his head as the feelings came to him. He was already separated from all of them. This is just a dream. A dream that he doesn't want to let go.
"We won't." He simply said.
"It's just... what if?" she asked again.
"We'll find our way back to each other, right?" she giggled at his statment.
"Find your way back?" she teased. "You'll be lost without me. Literally." He can't say it isn't true. But of course he wouldn't say that. He just smiled as she said that. "But really. How would you feel?"
"Devastated." Those one word would represent all his feelings if they were separated. Which is now. "I miss you and everybody."
"You miss me?" she asked, confused as she is still standing right in front of him. "I'm still here, Zoro."
He shook his head. "No you're not. This is all a dream."
Nami took his hands in her own. "I'm here and I will never let go."
Slowly she reached up and rested her forehead on Zoro's. Zoro could feel her breathing and her heartbeat. All of them felt so real yet he knew it's not. He leaned down and kissed her. It was soft and gentle and it felt so right. He held her closer as she returned his kiss. Not wanting the moment to end.
As they held each other under the moonlight, he felt like something was ripping them apart. He could hear another voice around them. A laughter that seemed familiar but belongs to neither of them.
"What's wrong?" Nami asked, slowly making a distance between them. Zoro feared that if she let go, he would wake up and all this would be gone. He hugged Nami tighter not wanting it to end.
"Don't go Nami, please." Zoro said.
"Why shouldn't I?" she asked, "All the others are gone, Zoro. I should too."
He looked back and only saw darkness. The fire can't be seen anymore, as with the shadows of his friends. The sand Zoro and Nami just walked on vanished and replaced by oblivion. And the sky grew even darker than night.
The laughter filled the air again. This time, ghosts started to appear out of thin air. The ghosts floated around and finally got a grip on Nami's body. Zoro hugged Nami even tighter. This can't end. But no matter how strong he held her, she kept on slipping away farther and farther.
"Don't worry. You'll find us. You'll find me. And we'll be together again. I promise." She gave him a final kiss as she floated away with the ghosts.
The memory of what happened at Sabaody Archipelago suddenly came back. The pain that he felt because of the shock that was given by the Shicibukai, Bartholomew Kuma hit his body hard. It made his body numb. And what he remembered last was the same person standing in front of him and him floating across the air to where he is now.
At that moment he swore he will find his friends again. He will find Nami. And he will travel the world with them together once more.
And with that he woke up.