Chapter 1: The Proposition

The rhythmic slosh of the waves against the ship's hull, the warmth of his bed, and the comfort of rest for his bandaged side created the perfect sleeping environment for Zoro. He had taken the first room he walked into on Buggy's ship - which the Strawhat pirates now called their own - and promptly collapsed on the bed, exhausted from his previous battle against Cabaji the Acrobat. When he entered, he did not look around to see what was in the room; but had he done so, he would have noticed the myriad of tops, wheels, and various other gadgets his defeated opponent was fond of using. But even if he had noticed these, it would have made no difference - all he needed was a bed and lots of sleep. But a good night's sleep was interrupted by a quiet but commanding whisper:

"Wake up."

Zoro stirred, grumbling, and turned away from his visitor. It took a moment for his half-asleep brain to register that he was not alone in his room. In a flash, he shot up, grabbed a katana from beside his bed and leapt onto the intruder, unsheathed his blade and pressed it against the intruder's throat. It was a response developed after many years of sleeping on the road, where he had been attacked and mugged many times initially. But this time, it wasn't a bandit pinned under him, against the ground. Instead, the brown eyes of his "temporary" crewmate stared back at him, shock and fear apparent.

"Don't do that," Zoro growled harshly, re-sheathing his katana. "I could've killed you."

"Yes," Nami said slowly, still recovering from her shock. "You could have." She was panting. Her heart was racing, the adrenalin pumping through her veins. "You're better than I thought. I figured you sleep like a dead man."

"If I did, I'd be one, by now. What do you want?"

By now Nami had calmed down significantly, and her more assertive personality took over. "How about you get off me, for starters?" She smiled playfully, a slight smirk that was only seen because of how close they were.

Obliging, Zoro got up, placed his katana back on the floor and sat on his bed. Nami followed suit, sitting next to him. It was only then that he realized what she was wearing - a silk nightgown, almost transparent, which barely covered her body much. Given that he was shirtless, and in long cotton trousers, he edged slightly away from her.

"What do you want?" he repeated, forcing himself to think of something other than her body.

Nami had noticed his eyes glancing up and down, but chose not to say anything about it. It was tempting - Nami found hard to resist teasing anybody, especially rigid men who were uncomfortable in such situations - but this was not the time. Business first, she reminded herself. Say what you came here to say. "I have a proposition," she said coolly. "But first, I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Why did you agree to join Luffy?"

"You mean, his crew?"

"Yes. Why did you become a pirate?"

It was a question he asked himself several times after he left Morgan's marine headquarters with Luffy. Yes, Luffy had saved him on the account that he'd join his crew, but Luffy was not the sort to force anyone into something against his will, if it really was against his will. Zoro had never found an answer. In part, it was because he felt he owed it to Luffy for saving his life, and while he was not the type to do much soul-searching, he was the type who stuck to his code of values unwaveringly. One value was never to shortchange anyone. However, it was more than that; it wasn't just a sense of duty and responsibility that compelled him to stay.

"It sounded like fun, I guess."

"Fun. Really. That's why you, Roronoah Zoro the pirate hunter, switched sides and became a pirate? What is this - 'If you can't beat them, join them'?" Her tone of voice had changed from fearful to playful, then to as though she was conducting an interview. Zoro didn't mind - it made no difference to him, how she spoke, only what she said.

"My dream," Zoro began indifferently, "is to be the best swordsman in the world. I don't care if I achieve that as a pirate or a pirate hunter, or a bloody marine."

"Then do it as a pirate hunter, not a pirate!"

"Why does it even matter to you? You're a pirate too, aren't you? You agreed to Luffy as well."

"I'm just working with you guys for now. A means to an end. I hate pirates."

"I don't." Nami was silent, contemplating her next line. Seizing the moment, Zoro continued before she could start, speaking sternly, as though issuing a warning, "Now get to the point. I want to sleep. What do you want?"

"I want you to leave with me."

"What?"

"I want you to leave this crew and join me." It wasn't a plea of desparation. It was a unemotional request, an idea formed using reason - a business proposition.

"Why would I do that?" Zoro scoffed.

"A means to an end," Nami repeated, "I need you for obvious reasons; I steal from pirates, you hunt pirates. We would make the perfect team. And you need me because you'd die without me. Neither you nor Luffy can cook. Neither of you know how anything about navigation. You have no sense of direction, you have no money, you're reckless - "

"That's enough," Zoro said abruptly. "Now's not the time for this."

Nami could tell that he was issuing a command. She paused, using the silence for effect, and then said, "Think about it. We have a few more days until the next island."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Zoro."

He watched her leave his room silently, her nightgown teasingly floating around her thighs, her waist swaying from side to side slightly. She made absolutely no sound - her footsteps and the opening and closing of his door were perfectly inaudible. It was no surprise that he had not heard her enter, then. Much like how his previous lifestyle had given him the skill of detection, hers had given her the skill of aversion - and she was clearly more skilled in her personal area.

Lying on his back, Zoro exhaled loudly. "What a bothersome woman," he muttered to himself. It was not so much her intrusion that bothered him, nor even her proposition. He was used to working with others, and even more used to disturbances at night. It was the fact that she had a point that bothered him. He didn't doubt Luffy's fighting prowess nor his leadership, but his common sense. In all his previous partnerships, Zoro had been the best fighter; his job was to fight, to win, and keep on winning. He and Luffy would be able to survive any battle, but would they survive what lay in between?

Zoro was not the sort to think of such things much. He shut off all thoughts, regulating his breathing and focusing on the multiple experiences of his different senses. He closed his eyes, feeling his body sink into the bed and the soreness of his wound, listening to the waves beating gently and slowly. As sleep was on the brink of overcoming him, Zoro suddenly caught a fleeting scent that he had not noticed earlier. He was half-asleep but awake enough to remember it the next day: the sweet smell of tangerines.

Author's notes:
I changed the actual storyline slightly, to make things smoother. For example, in the manga they actually have two ships at this point, Buggy's and someone else's (can't remember). I will probably alter other small details for story-telling purposes, but don't worry, I will leave the more important things untouched!

Anyway hope you enjoyed this, please review!