Reading Guide

"Hello" Talking

'Hello' Thinking

(Twenty Minutes Later) Time

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Naruto.

This is a non-scheduled story. More information is available at the bottom of my profile.

The marines closed in on all sides, there were thousands of them.

Zoro smirked. 'The more the merrier.' With that he unsheathed his third sword and began to fight in earnest. With each swing of one of his swords dozens of the foes were sent flying. The battle was a whirlwind, a kaleidoscope of confusing colors. Images would appear and fade just as quickly.

Chopper fighting a group of marines using Kung Fu Point.

Nami surrounded by slightly crispy enemies.

That idiot of a cook running towards Robin who was managing just fine on her own.

The images whirled on, faster and faster. The heat of the battle rose higher and higher and Zoro's hearing faded until he could only hear the stead beating of his own heart. The battle continued, for how long he couldn't say, until a yell broke through Zoro's passion.

"Everybody!" Luffy yelled. "Let's go back to the Sunny! Retreat!"

"Huh?" Zoro yelled back. "Why? We can take them! Let's finish this and then we can set sail!"

"We should retreat!" Luffy yelled again.

"Fine. . ." Zoro grumbled. He turned his attention to the Southern end of the island where the Sunny was docked and he began to fight his way towards it. When he had finally reached the Sunny he felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck. Looking up he saw a shadow covering part of the sun, and when he realized what the shadow was his blood ran could. Who, actually. Kizaru shot down from the sky and landed a heavy blow on Luffy just as he was jumping to the Sunny.

"Luffy!" Zoro yelled. He wanted to rush to his captians side, but there were way too many marines in his way. "Damn it," he cursed as he one again began to fight his way through the crowd, literally. He could hear the sounds of the two fighting, Luffy's screams and the sounds of Kizaru's devastating attacks. Akainu might have hated the Strawhats, but it was Kizaru who perused them most fiercely, though not by his own violation. The Celestial Dragons had all but forced him out of Headquarters to chase them down.

Zoro spent the better part of a half hour fighting desperately through the crowd of white, barely making progress. When he had made it more then three fourths of the way, the crowd finally parted. But not to let him pass. Rather they parted so that they would not be hit by Luffy. Or rather his body.

Luffy's smoking form flew through the crowd and landed a few dozen feet away from Zoro who's eyes widened.

"Luffy!" he screamed as he ran to his captain's side. Kneeling down, he looked his captian over. He was in bad shape. He was covered in cuts and wounds of all sorts, but worst of all was his arm. The one that he still had appeared to be broken and the other one was nowhere to be seen. Zoro gritted his teeth as he grabbed Luffy and slung him over his shoulder.

'Chopper's really going to have his work cut out for him,' Zoro mused. Turning back to the Sunny he was just in time to watch it go up in flames. Amid the wreckage, Kizaru stood, covered in wounds which Luffy had presumably inflicted. Zoro nearly dropped Luffy, but he managed to keep his concentration. Kizaru would be coming for him next and he needed to protect his captain.

Just as he had expected, Kizaru immediately leapt off the ship and walked towards him, the crowd of marines parting to allow him to move unhindered.

"One left," Kizaru said, almost to himself.

"What?" Zoro asked.

"Mmmm?" Kizaru responded. "You're the last one. Everyone else is dead, or in Strawhat's case, dying."

Zoro froze, every muscle in his body tensed. His mind quivered before shattering completely. He saw red.

Zoro and Kizaru fought for what seemed like days but was actually more like minutes. Kizaru would have been out of Zoro's league, but the wounds that Luffy had inflicted on him were effecting him greatly. The longer the battle wore on, the more apparent it became to Kizaru that he was going to lose if he dragged it out. Jumping back he charged up one of his lasers. Zoro wouldn't have enough time to react.

Everything slowed down. The light that gathered at the end of Kizaru's fingertip exploded outwards towards Zoro. He would die. Then, he felt movement on his shoulder. Luffy, barely conscious, had seen the attack. Finding strength within his dying body, Luffy managed to haul himself over Zoro's shoulder, falling off it. The attack that was meant for Zoro tore into and through Luffy's back, missing it's intended taget completely. With a heavy thud Luffy landed on the ground. Kizaru was shocked, to say the least. Falling to his knees once again, Zoro knelt by Luffy's side.

"Sorry, Zoro," Luffy managed to choke out. "I lost. I'm a pretty. . . pretty lousy captain, aren't I?" His entire body was racked with a fit of coughing and he spat up blood. "Looks like I-i'm going to die, shishishi. . . but Zoro, don't give up. You. . . you can still be. . . be. . . the best." Looking up at Zoro for the last time, Luffy smiled. "I believe," his entire frame shook and his voice cracked, "in. . ." the last word was so quiet Zoro almost didn't hear it, but he did. "you."

Even in his broken state, Zoro understood. Slowly rising to his feet he stood. Alone. Blinking, he realized that he truly was alone. The marines were gone, and Kizaru lay dead at his feet. Looking at his hand he found them covered in blood. He vaguely wondered when he had killed him, but he couldn't muster up the will to care.

"The Pirate Hunter Zoro," a voice droned behind him. Slowly turning around, he saw the gigantic form of PX-0. The giant of a man smiled slightly. "If you were to travel, where would you like to go?"

It sounded almost as if Kuma himself were speaking. "I can send you there." The Warlord offered. "Give you a second chance."

Zoro looked at him with lidded eyes. "Without my nakama," Zoro added.

Kuma smiled again. "You might like it. And, you won't know until you try." That said Kuma shifted his ever present Bible to his other hand and removed his glove. Zoro couldn't muster up the will to care, and simply remained where he was.

"Good luck," Kuma said. "It's thanks to Luffy that I am myself again, so I owe him this much." Taking a real interest in the Warlord for the first time, Zoro looked up in time to see Kuma's paw an inch from his face, and then he knew no more.

(There will be a poll on my profile concerning this story. There will be three options. The first is that Zoro should end up in the Elemental Nations after the Fourth Great Shinobi War. The second is that he should arrive before Naruto and CO start at the Academy, and the third will be that this should remain a one-shot. Please vote. I'm not saying that the vote will decide what I do, but it will certainly influence me.)