The Colour of Emotion
Red.
Luffy.
Not because it was the colour of his shirt. Well maybe, because of his shirt, but it was deeper than that.
Red. Crimson.
It is a bold colour. It was strength, warmth.
Luffy was strong. And he was kind. Even though he was goofy, he knew when to get serious and beat the enemies. For himself and for his nakama.
Ruby. Scarlet. Red.
Anger. That was Luffy.
Distraught when his friends were hurt, when his family were suffering. The way he would mercilessly destroy enemies for the right of revenge. Not harsh. But fair. His emotions running wild, fighting not for pride or gold or jewels.
For family and the bonds that he held dear to him. His Strawhat was a representation of his bond with Shanks. It was something solid, something physical that he could defend. Something, precious, to him.
Garnet.
Cherry.
Scarlet.
Ruby.
Crimson.
Red.
Strength.
That was Luffy.
He was my strength, my leader.
My Captain.
Blue.
Sanji.
His eyes. The way they reflected the sea and the sky. The way he would stand, poised, fingers around a cigarette as he stared out across the horizon, thinking of something far away. It made him seem lonely, even when he was surrounded by his Nakama.
Azure. Cobalt. Blue.
It was a clam colour. It was serene, it was logic.
It was trust and bonds between friends and family. That was Sanji. In his element, dancing gracefully around the kitchen, proudly serving another gift for his family, for his nakama who would receive it graciously.
Indigo. Navy. Blue.
It was the Cook.
In his cool, calm façade he would display before battle, the way he would talk and taunt his opponents, his mind going through strategies before battle.
Or he was thinking carefully, trying to find a weakness without acting first. Trying to find all the pieces of a puzzle, to determine whether or not his battle was justified.
Lapis.
Navy.
Indigo.
Cobalt.
Azure.
Blue.
Serenity.
That was Sanji.
He was my support, my trust.
My Cook.
Yellow.
Usopp.
His friendliness, his emotional tendencies. His irrational fears, his anxiety. All of it was Usopp. His irritating excuses and attempted witty comebacks that usually just land him into trouble. His creativity in inventions, weapons and of the ship's he has cared for.
Canary. Gold. Yellow.
The colour of the sun. It's warmth.
Usopp was like that. He was always there; a friendly ear for your troubles, or an entertaining goofball to make a spectacle of himself. Not for anyone's amusement, but he always seemed to cheer everyone up just at the right time.
Medallion. Honey. Yellow.
And when push comes to shove, he would always be there to fight those who needed a tabasco star in their eye. Usopp had an unconventional way of fighting. It reflected in his personality.
His weak constitution. The way he would quickly change his mind. His disbelief in himself. But that didn't matter. Because he was always there.
Lemon.
Honey.
Medallion.
Gold.
Canary.
Yellow.
Emotional.
That was Usopp.
He was my sanity, my focus.
My Sharpshooter.
Purple.
Robin.
Her… calmness. Her assurance that everything was as she said it was. The way she was so sure, that everything she said ran with truth. Even though she always had a side that the crew could never understand. She reassured them.
Heather. Amethyst. Purple.
Like unrefined jewels. Rough around the edges but in themselves they held their own beauty.
Robin was like that. At first, she was the enemy. A slave of Baroque Works. A high standing slave, but a slave nonetheless. Held captive for her own desire for truth, of which she had been robbed, since her childhood. She always sort out the truth. For her sake and for the others. She didn't hold secrets from her Nakama. Secrets worth keeping were kept by all of them.
Violet. Lavender. Purple.
They were gentle colours. Just like Robin herself. Behind her walls and her defences she was gentle and kind and caring. She looked out for all of them. She was attentive to their needs.
If she couldn't do anything, she would send someone their way. Someone else whom they trusted.
Lilac.
Lavender.
Violet.
Amethyst.
Heather.
Purple.
Assurance.
That was Robin.
She was my calmness, my truth.
My Archaeologist.
Orange.
Nami.
Her bright golden hair, her cheery smile, the sparkle in her eyes. Some may have thought her shallow, with her obsession with money, but that was her own security. She was a lot deeper than that.
Tangerine. Marigold. Orange.
She was still Nakama. She was still the one that the crew depended on to guide them on their journey. Her strength was not in her ability to fight. It was her wits. Her quick thinking. He sense of direction. Without her, the crew would sailed aimlessly, never knowing when, or even if they would reach land again.
Amber. Ginger. Orange.
Nami's smart comebacks. Nami's love for money. One which does not out way her dedication to her Nakama and friends. All of it is Nami.
She may be emotional, sometimes having immature tantrums but she has her reasons. All to protect her friends. Her Nakama. Her family.
Marmalade.
Ginger.
Amber.
Marigold.
Tangerine.
Orange.
Passionate.
That was Nami.
She was my security, my guide.
My Navigator.
Pink.
Chopper.
His hat. His cute little doctor's hat that he wore. And his gentleness. His warmth, his care. His need to help others. All he wanted to do was help others. It was all he had wanted to do. It wasn't to be accepted. It wasn't to be needed. He didn't desire love and acceptance from the people he helped or the people he saved. He just wanted to know that he was doing everything he could to help them. Doing everything he could to save them. So that they wouldn't be lost.
Cerise. Salmon. Pink.
Chopper's defiance.
Where he believes no disease is incurable. His love for knowledge, to find the answers, to find the cure, to save the one that he is caring for. Chopper's respect for his patients.
Rose. Blush. Pink.
It was Chopper's love. Love of his stupid Nakama that would hurt themselves time and time again, returning to him to let him patch them up. Because they needed him. They accepted him. And they loved him.
Peach. Coral. Pink.
His child like personality, his innocence. The way he is easily impressed. His inability to see his own strengths. The way he relied on the others, but stood side by side when they needed him. And when he needed them.
Watermelon.
Coral.
Peach.
Blush.
Rose.
Salmon.
Cerise.
Pink.
Love.
That was Chopper.
He was my love, my kindness.
My Doctor.
Light Blue.
Franky.
His intelligence and ingenuity. His ability to create masterpieces from junk and scrap wood. His passion for his work. His eccentric, free-spirited, crazy personality. A man who does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, with a blatant disregard for rules.
Sky. Cerulean. Light Blue.
His clarity and focus. His eye for detail and pride in his work. And pride in his Nakama.
All of whom he supports, be it on the battlefield, or lazing around on the ship. Everything he has done has been for someone else. He has always been a strong person in his own right. The leader of the Franky Family. Always looking out for his brothers. Always looking out for others. Looking for the good in people. Standing up for those who can't stand for themselves. He was never prejudiced. Never allowing anyone be accused for something because of who they were.
Artic. Teal. Light Blue.
Friendly but uncouth. Emotional but stubborn. His SUPER sense of humour.
Cyan.
Teal.
Artic.
Cerulean.
Sky.
Light Blue.
Intelligence.
That was Franky.
He was my amusement, my humour.
My Shipwright.
Black.
Brook.
His gentlemanly appearance, lightened by his appreciation for the simpler things. His security in his skill and his thoughts, focused and defined. As if he always knew what he should be doing…
Coal. Obsidian. Black.
And his pain. Pain that he had suffered with for so long.
The heaviness of the burden. To continue living, even after his crew had long since left him. Floating aimlessly in the darkness, waiting for his loneliness to end, not once believing that he would be reunited with his shadow, nor that friends would one day find him and save him from his suffering.
Onyx. Crow. Black.
Suffering, which he masks with his humour. His bad jokes and his unrefined gentlemanly appearance. His impatience and abrupt changes in personality. His loneliness filled by the love of the crew that he sailed with. His Nakama. His new family.
Ebony.
Crow.
Onyx.
Obsidian.
Coal.
Black.
That was Brook.
He was my recollection of my own pain, my memories.
My Musician.
My Nakama.
Where have they gone?
My Strawhat Captain.
My Black Leg Cook.
My King of the Snipers, Sogeking.
My misunderstood Devil Child.
My greedy Burglar.
My innocent Cotton Candy Lover.
My perverted Cyborg.
My noisy Skeleton.
I miss them.
I miss them all.
It hurts...
Fern. Emerald. Harmony.
Juniper. Pine. Stubbornness.
Moss. Jade. Obstinacy.
Mint. Lime. Perseverance.
Pear. Equity.
Viridian. Defiant. Decisive. Resolve.
Hunter. Determined. Bold. Firm. Brave. Confident. Indomitable….
Green.
Moss-head.
Green.
Marimo.
Green.
That was Zoro.
He was the balance between us. He was a little bit of all of us.
He was Red.
Strong, like Luffy. He could slay numerous numbers of enemies for the sake of his Nakama. Always for the sake of his Nakama. He wouldn't fight for pride. Nor his title.
Greatest swordsman in the world. That wasn't for him. It was for Kuina. His childhood friend who he couldn't protect. It was for her that he first raised his sword. It was for the friends along the way that helped him raise it over and over. He was our strength, and we were his.
He was the reason Luffy could act so carefree. Because Luffy knew Zoro would be the one to tell him to stop and get serious when he needed to. We were his reason to fight. To protect us. We were there for him as well.
Usopp was there, to calm him. To remind him who he was fighting for before he became a savage monster hell-bent on destroying everything.
He was Yellow. Emotional, like Usopp, even though he chose to hide it. Behind a wall of stubbornness and a mask of stone. Behind scars and wounds and pride. Pride that would cast aside in an instant.
Like Nami. She threw away her pride and her love for money when I meant putting her friends and her family first. He was Orange. Passionate. Like Nami. Passionate about his swords, his skill and strength. All of which he fought harder for, just to protect the bonds of Nakamaship.
Pink. Loving. Like Chopper. Doing all he could for us. Spending time with us, laughing with us, looking out for us, like Franky.
Light Blue.
And Black. Full of pain. Taking our pain. Taking our pain and turning it into his own strength, his own will to fight.
He was purple, like Robin. He was calm and collected before he fought. He knew the side he was fighting on and he fought those he was against.
Blue.
My blue.
Sky blue and sea green.
Focused. Calm, standing ready to face his enemy. And sometimes like a monster, drenched in blood. Unforgiving. No pity, no sympathy. He wouldn't let anything cloud his judgement. If they hurt his nakama, he'd kill them.
His nakama. That was what it all came down to. He fought for us, with us, over and over, time and time again.
All for the sake of his nakama.
For our sake.
Not his.
He was selfless. Selfish and stubborn, rude and an asshole and selfish for throwing away his own life when he constantly reminded us that we should all stand up for one another.
Always.
Zoro was selfish. He had thrown his own life away.
To save mine.
To save Luffy's.
To save Nami and Robin and Chopper.
Brook and Franky.
His nakama.
Whom had lost the strength to stand and fight.
When we had fallen, he had been the one to return to his feet.
Time and time again.
Taking the bullets, the swords, the insults.
The finishing blow.
He dealt it.
And took it.
With a smile on his face, he dropped to his knees.
With a laugh in his voice and tears in his eyes, he turned to us.
Too far to help.
Too tired to force ourselves up.
Too shocked, too confused, too absorbed by grief and despair to realise we could've saved him. He didn't have to die.
But we let him.
We watched him fall.
We listened to his rattle breaths, his last words spoken.
The last words he'll ever speak.
"Keep fighting. You're almost there."
Soft tears spilled, mingling with his crimson blood.
And sweat.
And rain.
"C'mon Pirate King. You can't be defeated here. None of us can. Not before we've seen our dreams come true."
His medallion earrings that chimed a soft melody. "I know you've still got some fight left in you."
Their marigold glow. "So stand up."
Wado's bone white sheath.
"Stand up and fight."
The watermelon tinge on his tan skin. "It's not over yet."
The cherry hue of burns and blisters. "Even if I fall…"
The Onyx blade that lay broken at his feet. "…. This fight isn't over."
The lavender hilt scarred with grooves from Zoro's purple sword. "There are still enemies you must face."
The shine of navy on his silver blade. "There are still friends that you will save."
The pine grass at his feet. "And nakama you will meet."
The jade clover leaves nestled between the blades. "So stand up."
The shadows on his face. "Luffy."
The teal traces of tears. "Stand up."
Tiredness upon his face. "Chopper."
The lemon strands of sunshine that pierced the grey storm clouds. The lapis rain drops that continued to fall. "You have to stand up."
The ginger tinge of sand. The marmalade stones at his feet.
"Nami."
The cobalt sky.
"Robin…"
The cyan sky.
"You can't depend on me…" The tinges of lilac, coral, peach and tangerine as the canary sun began to rise.
"…. To carry you…." Clouds tinged with cerise pink, as if they had been painted.
"….all the way…." The streaks of artic lightening that forked through the sky as the storm began to die out.
"You're strong enough now."
The salmon and heather flowers. "To stand on your own."
The alabaster white blossoms. "Usopp."
The garnet splashes against their velvet touch. "Franky."
Juniper leaves rustling in an invisible breeze.
"So stand up." Rain that still continued to fall; azure puddles soaking the ground, reflecting the light blue sky far above.
"Brook." His ebony bandana he pulled off of his head.
"Stand up and fight."
His hazel eyes, sometimes focused, sometimes glazed, tinted with a darker colour.
"Look your demons in the eye." An amethyst shine.
"And fight them."
And Obsidian.
"They will not best you."
The colour of death.
"Not today."
Like the wings of crows.
"Nor tomorrow."
Black.
"On our journey, all of us have become stronger."
Like coal.
"Without even noticing."
Luffy's honey Strawhat held close to him, as if it was his own precious gem. "You have to protect one another…"
The dark amber streaks where it had been cut. "…And their dreams."
The strands of moss-coloured hair, darkened by ruby blood. "You have to stand beside them…"
Flecks of Viridian and Lime and Pear. "…And fight for them…"
Mint and Fern and hunter green. "When they can't." His Emerald haramaki, stained scarlet with trails of blood.
"Do for them…"
Wado, her blade surrounded with a cerulean glow.
"… what they cannot do…."
The rainbow reflected from the falling raindrops.
"… And they will do what you cannot."
Red.
"I can't fight anymore."
Orange.
"So fight for me."
Yellow.
"I'm counting on you."
Green.
"All of you."
Indigo.
"You must support each other."
Blue.
"Support each other."
Violet.
"Always."
Purple.
"No matter what you face."
Pink.
"I'll be waiting."
The blush on his cheeks, the rose of his lips.
His golden smile.
His green hair.
"I'll see you at the end."
"The Man who reunited with his comrade. The Shipwright who built the world's strongest Ship. The Doctor who can cure anything. Cartographer who mapped the entire world. The Woman who knows the True History. Brave Warrior of the Sea. The Man who found All Blue."
"And Luffy."
"King of the Pirates."
He was a little bit of all of us.
We lost him that day. And with him, a little bit of all of us.
We can't forgive ourselves for what we've done. But there is no way to get him back.
Even if we sailed to the end of the Grand Line, over and over, we would never be able to bring him back.
All we can do is hope and pray that Zoro will wait for us. One day, we'll find him. Each, in our own time. We'll be reunited again.
And we'll sail, on new waters.
New seas that Nami will map out. New adventures for Luffy. New medicines for Chopper to make. Usopp and Franky will make us new inventions to help us defeat new enemies. There will be new secrets for Robin to uncover, and Brook can bask in the sunlight.
I'll cook everyone's favourite foods again and the two of us can spar. We'll fight with each other and we'll laugh with one another. We'll fight side by side with our Nakama.
Wait for us.
Zoro.
The World's Greatest Swordsman.