It's a shame, really.
They're at it again. Zoro and Sanji are fighting. Not that there's something unusual about this. At first I was surprised by the way they always seem to find something to argue about, and eventually turn into a fight. You'd think that even the most ingenious would run out of excuses after all these months, but they certainly haven't. No, if something, they seem to create completely new reasons for these matches, no matter how ludicrous they might be.
It's truly a shame.
I now know why they fight here, on the aft deck, instead of the more spacious main deck. It's because of the privacy. It must get annoying to get interrupted so many times. I admire them for not giving up yet, for looking for solutions. Then again, it makes their fights all the more interesting to watch when they are short of time and they know it. Then, they fight as if their life depended on it: not slacking a bit, not yielding an inch.
What a shame.
I don't really know what they're fighting about this time. What I can tell from my lookout it's Sanji's turn to be the offensive one. It's admirable, the way he fights. His kicks look so graceful, so natural, even though he must have trained for hundreds of hours. Still, he carries all his strength effortlessly, almost as if it wasn't even there. It's so very deceptive, yet so intriguing.
A real shame it is.
Zoro is Sanji's polar opposite. He's so proud of his training, so confident of his abilities it's almost frightful. But on the other hand, he has all the right to be so, after all the work and time he has put into it all. Even now, when all he really does is dodge or block Sanji's attacks, his strength and skill undeniable. Every swing of a blade seems calculated, every step and tilt and shift seamlessly fitting the whole.
It's such a shame.
What I admire most isn't their skills as individuals, though. It's the way they meld together, their attacks in perfect synchronization, flowing effortlessly and seamlessly from move to move. It's hypnotic, like a well-coordinated dance more than a real fight. It's almost as if they could read each other's thoughts, and in a certain level, I think they do. How else would they be able to avoid hurting each other?
It's a shame.
These matches aren't about something as simple as defeating the opponent. It was easy to miss, but after long examination, I finally noticed it; the simple underlying truth of their battles. The reason Sanji's kicks are always just a quarter-inch off, why Zoro's blades are always just slightly off the optimal cutting angle.
It truly is a shame I seem to be the only one seeing this.
And more than anything, when Nami finally steps in and interrupts their brawl, I see the truth in the look they give each other when Nami is not looking. Even when they finally realize they're doing it again, and Sanji rushes off to cook and Zoro rushes off to train, and both of them have that same embarrassed but not displeased expression on their faces, it's still plain clear to me.
It's a shame, really, that neither of them sees it yet. But I'm sure it will be interesting when they finally do.
I expect I won't be running out of things to observe until then.