Zoro awoke in the middle of an open air restaurant, the scent of wine and food reaching his nostrils making them flare and his stomach grumble. He was unsure of where he was, the last thing he remembered he was fighting that giant…thing on Mihawk's island. Was any of that real? The swordsman didn't know. If it was then that meant he was the last of his world, all alone and doomed to never see his crewmates again. His heart gave a violent pang at the thought and Zoro sniffed back the stinging in his eyes. They couldn't be gone, they were too strong or too stubborn they had to have survived, just like him.
Then another thought struck him. What if it was all just a bad hangover? He had woken up in bars before, and it wasn't really all that rare that Mihawk would take him off the island for a change of pace in training, and then he would visit the local tavern. Maybe that's all it was. They were just training on another island and Mihawk was waiting for him back at the hotel. But…he didn't recognize this bar, and they usually went to the same set of islands, Mihawk never ventured far from his gloomy home when he had the wanted pirate in tow. It would set too many people talking and they didn't need any rumors being spread about Mihawk training the demon of the East Blue. So if he wasn't back home…where was he?!
"Hey there, sonny," an elderly voice queried "are you alright?"
The swordsman jerked up from where he lay, steel grey eyes casting about for some kind of anchor that would reassure him it had all been just a horrible nightmare "Wh-Where am I?"
"You're in Traverse Town," the old man replied, reaching down so to drag Zoro to his feet and direct him towards a chair "for some strange reason this seems to be the place that all folks whose world has fallen into darkness tend to land. My own world was swallowed up, I assume you have the same story to tell too, eh?"
Zoro looked down at his hands, plopping down into the chair eyes wide with disbelief "So that really happened," he murmured "this all isn't one giant hangover?"
The elderly man threw back his head with a laugh "No, I'm afraid not son."
The moss headed teen leaned forward, burying his face in his hands with a groan "Then…my world, it's really gone?"
"Yes, it would appear so." The older man nodded "There is, after all, no other explanation for your suddenly appearing out of thin air to crash onto the ground."
Zoro sighed "I don't even know how to comprehend that, much less decide what to do next."
His new friend nodded sympathetically "On that my boy, I can only say, in times like this keep your eyes open. You'll see that the answer you're looking for will come to you, if you're patient."
With one last consoling pat on the shoulder, the elderly man stood up and made his way out of the restaurant leaving Zoro to his thoughts "Be patient," the man scoffed "the answer will come to you. Like I'm dumb enough to just wait here for a stupid sign? Whatever."
The swordsman stood to his feet, his features a dark cloud of sorrow, confusion and dare he admit it, even fear. What was he to do now? His world had essentially been destroyed, and the stupid little voice that got him into this mess was being frustratingly silent. Once again the piercing sting of loss stabbed his heart, reminding him that not only was his world destroyed but the only family he had ever really known and truly cared for was also gone with it.
He would never hear Luffy's deranged laugh again. Never sit in the sunshine and nap on the deck with Chopper sitting in his lap reading an oversized medical book. He wouldn't have the challenge of defeating Robin in a game of chess, or listen to one of Usopp's ridiculously over embellished stories during dinner. His mornings from now on would be devoid of Brook's violin as an alarm clock and his days would no longer include suspicious explosions coming from a certain cyborg's workshop. There would be no Nami to pester him about a nonexistent debt and no cook to scream at him for being a lazy moss head all so he could instigate a crazy but incredibly fun sparring session.
In short…he was alone and exiled to a world that he didn't have the slightest link to much less recognize. Everything seemed so foreign to him it only made the gnawing pit of homesickness worse.
Zoro stumbled out of the restaurant and out into the main square until he had come to a stop underneath a lamppost across from stone steps leading up to what looked like stores. The green haired man felt his shoulders heave as he fought off the waves of despair threatening to overtake him. He leaned his forehead against the cool metal of the lamppost, his golden earrings tinkling as he bit his bottom lip to force it to stop quivering as he strove to maintain his usual stoic façade. He would not cry! He was fine! People lose their homes and their families every day, he could move on past this. The voice even said there was a chance he could save his world, which in turn should mean his nakama…right?
"But why, why would it choose a kid like you?"
Zoro heard this, the voice making him look up at the top of the stairs to see a man probably not much older than himself. His clothes were simple but cool. Jeans with multiple belts, white t-shirt covered with a short sleeved leather jacket adorned with a crest of a red lion's head. That same crest hung on a silver chain around the man's neck. However Zoro wasn't interested in his clothes, it was the tone of voice that garnered his interest, it was the same tone you hear before a fight and Zoro couldn't deny his interest in what kind of warriors this world boasted.
"Hey!" another voice bawled, a young teen voice barely beyond the cusp of childhood "What's that supposed to mean?!"
The other man merely waved away the boy's indignant question "Never mind, now, let's see that keyblade."
Keyblade?! Zoro straightened up, his full attention on the duo. One of them had a keyblade? So that meant maybe they had heard the voice too, or even lost their world? His voice had told him he would meet others who would help him on his quest to restore his world, maybe this was the guy!
"What?" the kid gasped "there's no way you're getting this!"
"Alright then, have it your way."
The cool silky voice broke through Zoro's shock from the revelation at someone else wielding a keyblade, making the swordsman jump to attention. Especially since there was a fireball coming not too far behind said statement.
Zoro whirled around to see the older man pull a sword unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was a blade to be sure, but also…a gun? Strange, but the idea thrilled Zoro at what kind of challenge such a sword could offer. It appeared the man was battling against another opponent, but the second swordsman was nowhere to be seen. Zoro focused his gaze, standing on tip toe to see over the brick ledge going up the stairway and higher into town. He could see a mop of disheveled spiky brown hair. The swordsman couldn't help but chuckle at how it reminded him of Luffy, but still the face was obscured by various objects getting in the way.
The man slashed his sword, causing the shorter opponent to jump backwards with an impressive flip. Whoever this guy was fighting they had guts, though their swordplay was sloppy. Finally the first fighter paused summoning an impossible ball of fire in his hands before shooting it at his dueling partner. Zoro's mouth dropped open, did they have Devil Fruit here too? However his shock over the extremely odd person who was somehow able to shoot fireballs was forestalled when he finally got his first good look at the second fighter. It was a child, no older than thirteen or fourteen. He was dressed in a red jumpsuit of sorts that stopped right at his knee similar to capris pants. A blue belt and white jacket along with white gloves accessorized his attire, but certainly did nothing to hide his youth. The baby fat cheeks, childish pout and wide innocent blue eyes showed everything you needed to know on just how old this kid was. But the most outrageous thing was what the kid was using to fight. His sword was shaped like a key, like his blades were.
Zoro wasn't one to interfere with other's fights, but something about this kid, his weapon and the fact he was fighting an obviously more experienced fighter made him decide to do just that. However, it appeared that he didn't have to, for just as he was moving away from the lamppost, the child ducked into a roll before springing up and neatly disarmed his opponent. Zoro smirked at the kid's accomplishment, despite being a complete novice and stumbling through the basic footwork of swordplay he somehow managed to overpower and disarm a master.
The older man grit his teeth in frustration, clenching a leather clad fist "There's no way I can lose!"
"Yeah," the younger one slurred exhaustion overtaking his thin frame "well now you're…you're gonna…gonna…"
Immediately he fell backwards into a faint, and Zoro found this an appropriate time to step forward. "Leave the kid alone," he growled "he beat you fair and square, even despite the difference in skill and experience."
The other man looked up at Zoro, assessing him even as a young woman ran up behind them "Aw," she cooed teasingly "you're slipping Leon."
Leon merely scoffed "I went easy on him," immediately shooting Zoro a dark look when the swordsman snickered at the obvious lie.
"Anyway," Leon continued "things are worse than we thought, a lot worse."
"Guess we better take him now while he's sleeping," the girl suggested walking over and preparing to stoop down but was cut off by Zoro's bulk.
"You're not taking him anywhere," the moss haired man snarled "I'm not going to stand by and let some random strangers kidnap a kid after he's passed out from a fight."
"Don't worry we're not going to hurt him," Leon muttered.
"Oh yeah, you made that real clear when you shot a stinking fireball at the kid!" Zoro shot back "third degree burns just gush friendship and trust."
The girl snorted before patting Zoro's well defined bicep "Don't worry, we really won't hurt him. Leon's just a socially awkward meanie, but we need him so he can help us restore our world. He has a keyblade and that's super important."
"So you're taking him just because he has a keyblade?"
The girl nodded with a cheerful "Yup!"
"Looks like I'm coming with you then," Zoro smirked triumphantly satisfied as Leon's glare deepened followed by a very unmanly pout "because I have a keyblade."
"Oh really?" Leon mused strolling up to Zoro in a very Sanji like way before invading Zoro's personal space by going nose to nose with the man "Prove it."
The moss haired swordsman merely shrugged "Alright,"
Focusing inwards the way the voice had told him to, Zoro once again reached out for the strange yet powerful light source glowing within his heart. Just as before a flash of light exploded in front of him and his blades each found their respective hands (or teeth) before the man was standing there fully armed "Their name is Dreamer's Destiny apparently," he explained around his mouthful "but I don't mind them, their power is beyond anything I've felt before and they're light despite the damage they can inflict."
Leon stood with his mouth hanging open, his gaze completely befuddled before he could only stammer "Th-Thr-THREE? How do you even manage using three swords?!"
"It's a fighting technique I invented and developed myself," Zoro stated proudly before dismissing his swords "now, are we going to just stand here and yap some more, or are we going to go someplace where you can explain to me where I am, what happened to my world and what on earth is a keyblade?!"
