Chapter 1: green and orange
I don't know how long it will be, a couple of chapters? Not entirely sure. Taking place sometime after the events with Ceasar Clown ( which is, by far the most unexciting arc of one piece yet... ) . My first One Piece fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it.
Title: A force of nature
Description: Zoro may not seem like the sharpest knife in the box, but he is a thinker. At least in his own philosophy, he is somebody who is able to sacrifice life and limb for the people around him, even though he may act like a complete stranger to them.
Couplings: ZoroxNami
QUOTE: ''I lend my sword to anyone, willing to pay the prize. My soul is death and misery, a mercenary's life.
And there I was, on battleground until I felt the jaws of death carve into my flesh, defend the old and weak. But I did not retreat'' -The hero by Amon Amarth
I do not own the One Piece franchise, all credits goes to Oda and his company.
Some would probably call me bi-polar, a nihilist who kill, maim and hurt people in order to proceed to the next area to commit more crime. A parasite if you will, a plague, a scorgue who destroy buildings and humans lives just by waving around pieces of metal. Sometimes when I'm alone, I think about all the family members of the marinesoldiers who have fallen victim of my blade. What happened to the last man my sword interacted with? Was he really in this game because he wanted to or because he needed to? Did he raise his sword against me because he hated me? Because he really believed in all the bullshit about duty and protecting the people of this world? And if that's the cause, did he really believe he could stand up against me? Not many people can swing a blade with the destructive force I do. He must have realized this. I mean, you could probably buy up an entire city just by killing me. Hmm... Maybe this wouldn't sound very much like me, to an outsider. I mean, who would guess I could think other thoughts than ''go... kill... sword.. booze''? But in order to stay sane as a warrior, you have to make peace with yourself. One way to do that is to deal with your thoughts. That is probably why people would think I'm bi-polar: Because one minute I just sit in silence, sleeping or just being quiet. The next second I put all of that in the back of my head, because when the adrenaline rushes and I see nothing but red, I have to focus on one thing: destroy my enemy, protect my allies. Okay, two things actually.
That's why I like it when it's peace and quiet. It gives my thoughts a chance to spin around my head. The dock on the ship after night is probably the best time for this. I usually pass my time by polishing my swords or just sitting stil and thinking. That night I polished my swords and thought deeply. Not that it's quiet for very long, or not very often. Not when you're stuck with 3 freaks who always play music, yell ''CALL THE DOCTOR'' or fire cannons into the abyss, an idiot chef, an idiot longnose, one weird chick, one idiot to a captain and the craziest most abusive witch you could possibly find. Ugh... talk about being surrounded by fools. It feels like I'm a daddy to all of them. Robin being the exception, she can look after herself. But the rest of them? No way... Even though they compensate for being great fighters. Now I look down on them like a proud daddy. Or something. It's really not good to get ahead of myself. Though it glads me that even Usopp have been able to become strong enough to look after himself.
''So what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in bed?'' as I heard this female voice I looked up from my deep thoughts and swordpolishing. It was Nami. Holding a cup in her hand. Strange. She was usually asleep by midnight, no wonder she had never seen me sitting here. Nami may act like a psychotic, sadistic bitch from time to time. But she was, and still is, like most of the members in this crew somebody who have alot of positive sides to it. I raised my one good eyebrow.
''Shouldn't you be in bed?'' I asked her as I put the blade back in the scabbard. Almost as if I was ashamed by playing with the swords. She whirled her hair with her finger and popped the bubblegum in her mouth arrogantly.
''I tried to sleep, but then I felt for some booze. It helps falling in sleep you know.'' Yeah but only if you drink an entire barrel of it, I thought to myself. I had never in my life met anybody, human, giant or fishman who could drink even close to her. I didn't say that for some reason, not that it would make me feel unconfortable, I just didn't say it.
''Okay... Well, I hope you'll enjoy that'' I told her. Gods, that has to qualify for the worst response ever... But I wasn't in the mode for a longdrawn chat about nothing.
''There's just one problem'' she told me, with a slight irritation in her voice.
''Which is?'' I asked her closing my eyes as if I was finally planning on going to sleep.
''You're sitting on the barrel with the liquor in it'' she said to me with gritted teeth. I looked down and realized I was. It lay down on the side so I wasn't that high of the ground. Thereby, I wouldn't had thought about it if she didn't bring it up.
''Ohh...'' I said, before I slowly stood up and lifted the wooden barrel so the top was up for her to get herself some. ''Sorry 'bout that...'' I said hastily before I headed for somewhere else. I didn't feel like putting myself in an awkward situation. Standing next to her, twiddling your thumbs and stomping inpatiently wouldn't really seem like a good idea.
''Zoro...'' she said. I turned my neck slowly, facing her with my good eye.
''I was hoping you'd join me.'' she told me after having her cup filled with the hard liquor. I raised my eyebrow slowly.
''Did you hope for that before or after you got out here?'' I asked her humoristically. Nami, not being an idiot was actually ahead of my game.
''If I said before, what would you answer me?'' she said taking a zip from her cup.
''I would ask how long you had been spying on me'' I said with a broad grin on my lips. Nami seemed surprised by my (not so) very witty response.
''So you do this often? Staying up late, just polishing your swords and looking at the moon?'' she asked me. I scratched my chin slowly.
''We have alot to talk about...'' I said to her.
''So that's why you're always sleeping on daytime?'' she asked me. It actually seemed like she was interested in what I had to say. That's funny. I can't remember us ever having a conversation about anything other than the fact I have to act bodyguard to pay up some debt for small fry cash. But I nodded back to her.
''Na that's because I'm just tired all the goddamn time.'' I said sweeping my cup before filling it with more.
''The thought didn't occure to you that you are tired because you stay up all night and pretend to be a philosopher? '' she asked me as if I was stupid. I guess I kind of am stupid in some matters at least.
''You got me... I think...'' I told her raising my hands over my head. She giggled at me. Then she turned completely silent.
''Do you... Ever feel regret about hurting people?'' she asked me, turning dead serious. I was a bit taken aback, I didn't expect something like that to come up in the first place. I shook my head slowly.
''No... I can't feel regret over that...'' I said, putting my swords away. ''But I can give into my thoughts. I can think about the people I've wounded. Okay, maybe I shouldn't care about cutting down slave trading, rapist pirates. But a marine soldier? Really? What do I know about him? What if he have to amputate his limbs and is thereby unable to provide for his children?'' Nami seemed to choke on the liquor.
''If I don't get that out of my system, there's no way I can focus on fighting. ''
''Zoro... I didn't know it was such a burden on you.'' she said to me. I shrugged.
''All that really matters in the end of the day, is that you as a warrior is objective to whoever you are ordered to fight. The only thing I will protect, is my nakama and my goal. It dosen't matter who I have to go through, I can't act on emotions. So I have to kind of get any guilt out of my system before I go to battle or to sleep. '' it did kind of seem contradictory to what I said earlier. But Nami seemed to understand what I meant.
'' I never thought about it that way... I always thought about the people I meet as bad people...'' I raised my eyebrows and rolled my eyes at this statement.
''Well who dosen't? We all justify what we do... Nobody really calls themselves evil apart from psychos right? But as a warrior you can't grow unless you widen your horizion. To not act on something so subjective as good and evil. Just kind of be there, like the force of nature, and protect what's important.'' I told her. This was something I have had on my mind since I first joined Luffy... The fact that it dosen't matter whether you are feared or praised, what matters is that you stand up for yourself and your ideals. Nami sat with wide opened eyes, I think I really shoked her, cause I've never seen her like this.
'' So what's really important? To you, that is '' she asked me. I looked around, my bad eye leered out from the scar, to scan the surrounding of the ship.
''My dreams...'' I told her, sweeping my cup standing up. I made a face, this liquor had been bought by Franky, who was by far the worst alcohol connoisseur in the world.
''And my Nakama. '' I said winking at her with my bad eye. It just kind of looked like I twitched or something. I really had to check with some ophthalmologist about it. But that was probably one of the cleanest outros I've done in a while. I usually don't impress myself with trivial, childish nonsense, but I liked that certain phrase.
''It's getting late... You should go to bed too...'' I said. ''Thanks for the company.'' I cracked my fingers and stretched my arms in the air as I headed for the gents bedroom. Nami sat still where I left her. I hope I didn't make her feel guilty about her past deeds. The way I it, it was something that took a mental strenght that most people, especially not a 21 year old girl could handle. To convince yourself you're neutral, and everything that comes against you is, just like nature a force that tries to stop your neutrality. On the other side, I know Nami is a strong, young lady who could look after herself, especially after spending years around crooks and sociopathic criminals. I'd have to check with her the next morning. I hope she wouldn't lose any sleep.
So what do you think? Rate and review, there will be more, I just don't know when I'll drop it... But whatever, support Eichiro Oda for bringing us the best goddamn comic series of all time, all categories! Love! - Little Charlie