Zoro lived in a world of black and white. Wrong and right. Darkness and light. But he had always believed there would be more right than wrong, more white than black, more light than darkness.
He was lost. Incredibly, stupidly lost. But, although he'd never admit it out loud, he was too stubborn to admit that either. Too stubborn, and too proud.
He'd been wandering for years, searching for Mihawk. Because he'd made a promise to Kuina, and he meant to fulfill it. Of course, he would have become the strongest anyways, the promise was just an incentive. Or at least, that was what he kept telling himself.
Because, although he kept refusing to so much as think it, maybe he did kind of feel guilty for her death.
And maybe… just maybe, mind you… he wanted to atone somehow. To convince himself that he wasn't at fault. Or something cheesy and stupid like that. But he didn't think that, because he was a man, and he hadn't killed her, and his chest didn't hurt whenever he thought of her and… well… maybe a little.
But that was alright. Because becoming stronger was all that mattered… so what if he was keeping a promise? Loyalty wasn't a weakness. At least, not to someone like Kuina.
Zoro refused to give up, even when people beat him down and kicked him as soon as he got up. Giving up meant becoming something he despised, meant breaking his promise. If he gave up, then why would he want to live? What reason did he have to keep going, except to become the strongest swordsman in the world?
He couldn't die. If he did, at least he had fought for his dream. At least he had kept his honor and dignity.
Hanging on this slab of wood, tied up by that incompetent onion head, it didn't matter. The sun scorched him, and the rain froze all but his bones, but it didn't matter. He hadn't given up, he was going to reach his dream.
And, as stupid as he was, he had trusted that the marines wouldn't lie to him.
But they had, and knowing that he was going to die, he gave up. Let go of his dignity and his honor, and set free everything that had made him keep on living.
He had killed Kuina, but at least he'd die for her.
Hanging on that slab of wood, the white parts of his world began to fade away, and the darkness had begun to swallow the light.
He hadn't lived for Kuina. He'd lived for himself. He was selfish. He was stupid.
He was about to die.
Then his light had come in, and saved him. Luffy had brushed away any signs of darkness, and not only did he give Zoro's world light, he gave it color. Somewhere along the journey, Zoro stopped caring about his promise to Kuina.
But that was alright. He could keep on living, for the sake of the light that had filled his life with color. And, hey, that wasn't such a bad deal. And besides, he could become the strongest swordsman along the way.
Who knew? After all, their journey had just begun.