Been wanting to write this ever since I mentioned the prospect of it during the main Coming Home story...

xxx

He can't quite put his finger on it, and the frustration is driving him absolutely crazy. There's something different about that blasted moss-headed swordsman today, but the exact nature of the discrepancy has been eluding him all afternoon, and twice Zoro's demanded to know just what the fuck he's staring at and his snarky retorts - "not much" and "beats me, I'm not a herbologist" - have started impromptu duels that have Franky wringing his over-sized hands because Nami's not around to squelch their strident endeavors to kill each other and therefore prevent battle damage to the surrounding ship.

Well, whatever's wrong with Marimo's got nothing to do with his fighting form, Sanji considers as he deftly blocks the katana slicing through the air towards his face with one upraised foot.

"You realize you'll need to find a replacement before the hole eventually starts growing closed," Robin remarks casually without looking up from her book as their struggle carries them past her lawn chair, causing Zoro to falter and only narrowly avoid the unsportsmanlike heel aimed at his groin. "Our navigator might have some spare studs; I'd strongly recommend against any of her larger hoops, seeing as you're liable to have your ear ripped right off your head if something like the rigging or an opponent's weapon catches in it."

The cook falls back, peering incredulously at the combating expressions of embarrassment and pride on his green-haired nakama's face as the other pirate sheathes his blades. Sure enough, a closer look reveals two, not three, teardrop-shaped beads of gold dangling from his left earlobe.

"Forget it- I've seen the ones she wears. I'm not parading around with some fucking pink thing in my head," he tells the historian, raking fingers through his hair. "If she's got plain gold or silver ones, she's hiding 'em."

"It would certainly be an interesting sight," Robin agrees and favors him with a bemused smile before returning to her novel.

"How the hell'd you lose it?" Sanji asks, now curious despite his annoyance. "I've never seen you without them. You don't even take the damn things out during training or baths."

To his surprise, the swordsman flushes slightly and glances away with a cough. "Well, I didn't exactly lose-"

His explanation's cut short as the women's quarters' door bangs open and a blur of red rushes out and flings itself over the railing, implicitly trusting that it'll be intercepted by the startled first mate before it hits the lawn face first. Thankfully, the older pirate's well acquainted with such antics and catches his captain before he's got the chance to slam into the deck hard enough to bounce himself right off the ship.

Luffy's craning his neck back and forth, simultaneously attempting to show off and catch a glimpse of his newest acquisition from the corner of his eye, and he's babbling excitedly about a mile a minute.

"Oi, Zoro, look-look-look! Nami did it with a needle and it kind of hurt but it looks really cool, doesn't it - she showed me in the mirror and it's all gold and sparkly-looking - and now Zoro doesn't need to worry about Chopper kicking his ass since he doesn't need to chew a hole in my ear and-"