Luffy sat on his box hammock in the men's quarters, gazing at Zoro's cocoon in anticipation. According to Robin, it was going to be at least three weeks before he'd see his boyfriend's new transformation. When he came out, he was going to be a human/moth hybrid, complete with feathery antennae, and an extra pair of limbs. This made Luffy happy, knowing that Zoro would be able to use five swords now.

It had only been four days, but Luffy was anxious for Zoro to come back to him. He'd been told that although Zoro was in a deep state of unconsciousness, he would most likely hear it when Luffy talked to him. So that's what Luffy did, everyday. He was even missing the festival going on right now to be with Zoro.

"Hey Zoro, it's me, Luffy," The rubberman began quietly as he lay on his back in his hammock, which fortunately was up near Zoro's current position on the wall. "I can't wait to see you again! Robin says that that fruit you ate is gonna make you be able to fly! Won't that be cool? I really hope you ate the pink leaves too, so your wings will be pretty! So pretty!" He rolled over onto his side, touching the surface of the cocoon lightly where he thought Zoro's chest to be. He could feel Zoro's slow, even breathing, and a slight heartbeat. "Chopper checks on you three times a day to make sure you're doing okay. He says you're okay so far, but I wanna see you! I wanna see you again so bad! It's almost like when we were apart for those two years."

He moved his hand up to where he knew Zoro's face to be. He caressed the covering as if it were Zoro's cheek. "I love you, Zoro, and I miss you. It's- well, not loneliness, but..." Luffy sighed. "A feeling that's like... I'm not alone, but I'm still feeling lonely... Something like that... ya know? Come back to me, Zoro. As quick as you can, okay?"

There was something Robin had also told them about the culture and people here, that troubled Luffy. But not wanting to upset Zoro, he kept quiet about it, for now. If, after the log set, they could leave immediately, then all would be well anyway. At least, he hoped it would work out that way.

Luffy let his eyes drift closed just as the first explosions of fireworks from the festival were audible from inside the ship.

Three weeks and two days had passed without so much as a peep from the cocoon, and Luffy was getting antsy. And worried. Chopper assured him that Zoro was okay, just that it was taking time for him to finish developing so that he could emerge from the cocoon in his fully transformed glory.

"Maybe he's having trouble coming out," Luffy said as he paced the floor the night of the third day that Zoro had failed to emerge. "Maybe I should help him!"

"No!" Franky, Usopp, and Chopper shouted simultaneously, moving to stop him.

"Robin didn't say it would be exactly three weeks. It could take longer than that," Franky reasoned. "Besides, when he's ready to come out, he's strong enough to get out of it himself."

Luffy sighed, hoisting himself up onto his hammock. He touched the off white surface of the cocoon. "I know, I just want Zoro back."

"We know. He'll be back with you soon enough."

His mind slowly floated to a fuzzy consciousness, the very little light he saw around his enclosure indicating that it was nighttime. The pocket he currently resided in was comfortable and warm, but cramped, and he knew instinctively that now was the time to come back out into the world from which he'd been hidden away for so long.

Joining his hands back-to-back, he let his fingers do the work of prodding and parting the densely packed fibers that made up the cocoon. It took several minutes, but he was able to finally open a hole big enough out of which to gaze. The air that hit his face was cool, almost cold, compared to the air inside his snug cocoon. His good eye had better night vision now, and he could clearly see Luffy sleeping in his hammock, a bit off to his side.

He watched the rubberman lie sleeping on his side, his arm stretched out, touching the thick, fibrous mass that was Zoro's now partially open cocoon. Zoro lingered inside a little longer, then carefully and laboriously ripped his way through the rest of the tough, cottony fibers.

Freeing his damp wings, he clung to the surface of the now empty cocoon, shaking them out and letting them hang down loosely. It wouldn't take long for them to dry, he knew, then he could set about getting himself some clothing from his stash.

He hadn't expected his new wings to be pink with lilac swirl and spot patterns on them. So the leaves he'd eaten determined the wing color. He should have left them alone. But he'd been so hungry. And he didn't remember anything from the time he'd finished the last leaf to now.

The fact that he had wings, oddly enough, didn't surprise him. There were many weird types of fruit to be obtained along the Grandline. Some good, some not so good. The additional limbs however, did surprise him. He smiled. Now he could wield five katana! He'd have to go into town later to buy two more. He turned, gazing down at his rubber boyfriend, realizing that katana weren't the only thing he could hold with four arms...

Luffy awoke to a familiar warm embrace. He snuggled in further. "Zoro...". Then his brain caught up with what he'd said, and his eyes shot open, taking in the new form of his sleeping boyfriend. "Zoro! Zoro, you're back!" He exclaimed as he pulled Zoro, who was beginning to awaken, closer to him. "I've missed you so much!"

"...Missed you too, Luffy..." Zoro murmured sleepily as his eyelid slid closed again.

Luffy lifted his head to peer at Zoro's wings. "I knew they'd be pink," he said with a smile in his voice. He stroked one with his palm. "So pretty..." He couldn't wait to see Zoro in full flight! His eyes drifted up to the top of Zoro's head where his large feathery antennae lay on the pillow. Luffy gently ran his fingers over the feathery part, stopping when Zoro shook his head.

"Stop that... It tickles," Zoro said, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Gomen, gomen!" The black haired man beside him laughed cheerfully. Luffy wrapped his arms around Zoro, then he sniffed his boyfriend's hair. First tentatively, then he took a deep whiff. "You smell really nice Zoro. Like... like honeysuckle! Is it a new shampoo?"

"No, I haven't bought any new shampoo in a while, and I haven't washed my hair yet either," Zoro replied.

Then Luffy remembered something that Robin had said about the human/moth hybrids. That they had a distinct sweet candylike, floral-sometimes-fruity scent to them.

"You smell so good..." Luffy said as he buried his nose into Zoro's hair once more.

"None of my shirts fit anymore!" Zoro griped later that morning as he tried on garment after garment, tossing each to the floor in frustration.

"You have wings and four arms now. Why'd you think that they would still fit?" Usopp asked as Zoro slipped his haramaki over his belly, seemingly pleased to find that his new body wouldn't interfere with him wearing it.

"I didn't think-" He sighed. "I don't know why. I just thought they would, is all."

"What's wrong?" Nami asked as she peeked in the door of the men's quarters, watching Zoro as he tried on a tank, then threw it to the floor with the rest of his tops.

Usopp filled her in, as he watched Zoro's frustration increase. "None of his shirts fit him anymore,"

"Well, that's a given," she said as Zoro picked up the pile of clothing and unceremoniously dumped them, unfolded, back into their container where he'd gotten them from. "Robin and I are going shopping. Maybe we can pick you up some more shirts made just for humoths."

"Humoths?" Zoro asked indignantly.

"Yeah, that's what I've decided to call your species. It's easier than saying human/moth hybrid," she said calmly.

"I'll have you know that I still consider myself a human!" Zoro told her as he closed the container. He tied a sash around his waist, sticking his three katana into it. "I'm not this thing you call a humoth!"

"Awww, I wonder if you remember that debt you owe me from two years ago in Loguetown?" She asked innocently.

Zoro narrowed his good eye and grit his teeth. "Fine. Call me what you want! I don't care! Just leave me alone." And he brushed past her, storming out of the room.

As he was enjoying a leisurely flight around the crow's nest of the Sunny, Zoro thought about things. He'd been happy to discover that his wings weren't paper-thin, and were actually strong enough and flexible enough to support his weight.

Try as he might, he couldn't remember anything between eating the cave fruit and leaves and coming out of the cocoon. It literally felt like one day he was a normal person, then the next he was a human/moth hybrid.

Thanks to Robin filling him in, he knew that as a newly transformed hybrid, he'd need to be careful around this island. He sighed. He couldn't wait to set sail, so he could freely fly around without restriction. He turned in mid-air as he heard a tap on the hatch of the crow's nest.

"Zoro..." Luffy marveled, coming through the hatch. "Your flight is so beautiful... How did you learn to fly so well right after you got your wings?"

Zoro thought a moment. "Maybe it's instinctive, like it is for a butterfly or moth when they get their wings."

Luffy grinned as he walked over to his green-haired boyfriend. "I wish I could fly. How does it feel?"

"Flying feels wonderful!" Zoro admitted, letting Luffy crawl up to his shoulders, taking off again. "I can't wait until I can fly outside, fully free!"

"Just a few days more," Luffy reminded him. "Mmm... This does feel wonderful!"

"Where are you going?" Nami asked Zoro a couple days later as he came up from below deck, looking as if he were preparing to leave the ship. He was wearing one of the new shirts she and Robin had picked out for him.

"Gonna go buy myself some new katana, 'cause I can use five now," he told her, as he unfolded his wings, preparing for flight. He had grown tired of staying hidden.

"You can't! I mean, it'll only be a few more days before we leave this island," she said standing and walking over to him. "You have to stay hidden until then."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me," he said confidently. "They couldn't catch me anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Nami said. "But, if you're insisting on going out anyway, then wait here. I have something you'll need."

Dressed in a long cloak to hide his wings and a large hat that flopped down in the back to hide his antennae, Zoro strolled through the marketplace searching for a merchant selling katana.

He knew he had to be careful and not reveal what he really was to anyone on this island. According to Robin and the others, the people who consumed the fruits and gained the moth-like characteristics such as he had, were treated as national treasures, but at the same time, their humanity was stripped from them by law. People here preferred to keep them as beautiful, elaborate pets, where they lived their lives in small cages, and were not allowed to leave the island. It was probably no wonder he hadn't seen any other human/moth hybrids in his time on the island. Until he'd become one, he hadn't even known such a thing existed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shop selling new and used katana, and wrapping his cloak tighter around himself, he walked in.

"Irasshaimase!" The man behind the counter greeted cheerfully. "Is there anything I could interest you in? We have many types of katana. Is there a specific type you're looking for?"

Zoro shook his head, reaching up with one hand to pull the hat tighter onto his head. He quickly pulled it back into the sleeve. "Not really. Just browsing for now."

The man's eyes dropped down to Zoro's three katana, which were tied to the cloak with his red sash, then back up to his face. "You a collector?"

"Yeah," Zoro answered simply. "Something like that." He wished the man would leave him to his browsing.

"You collect rare katana I see," the man observed, noting the type Zoro had with him. "I have a few here, if you'd like to see them."

Zoro really wanted to see them and check them out, but he didn't have enough money to buy two rare ones. Plus, he didn't have much time. He didn't want to get found out before he could get back to the ship. Then again, the katana were rare. "Yeah, I'd like to have a look."

The man took him into another room of the shop and over to a large glass display. "Here we are. They're not quite as rare and sought after as yours are, but it's what we have. Browse till your heart's content. I'll be in there if you find something you like." Then he walked back into the main room of the store.

Zoro breathed a sigh of relief as the man left. As he browsed the selection of rare katana, his ears picked up the sounds going on in the other room. He couldn't really relax though, or take off his cloak, even though it was uncomfortably warm.

He browsed some more, finding some katana to his liking, and wanting to try them out, but unfortunately, that wasn't really an option. He wished, just for a moment, that he could go back to being normal human Zoro. But things had changed now. And until they set sail for the next island, he had to stay as inconspicuous as possible. He knew he could fight off the people of the island and get away, but he preferred not to cause a stir.

Deciding on a rare katana from the case and another cheaper one from the wall beside the glass display, he went to get the man from the other room.

"I saw two I'm interested in. One of the rares, and a normal one," Zoro told him, hoping the man would remove it from the case to show him.

"Which ones would you like to see?" The man asked Zoro as he led him back into the other room.

Zoro pointed to the two he wanted; the man taking out the rare one from the case first. "So you like this one then," he said as he liberated the blade from it's sheath. He watched as Zoro's good eye lit up, and he tried and failed to contain a delighted smile. "The Moriume," the man said. At Zoro's look of confusion, he explained, "It has an innocent sounding name, but it's a very formidable katana. Would you like to hold it?"

Zoro was itching to hold it. Feel it come alive in his hands. But time, however, was of the essence. He regained his composure, and told the man, "Actually, I'd like to buy it, along with the other one."

"Good choices," the man said as he took the other katana off the wall, taking both swords to the checkout counter.

"That will be 375,000 beri please," The merchant said as he rang up the katana.

As he turned to bundle the swords in a long sack made just for carrying them, Zoro took that opportunity to fish the currency out of an inner pocket of his cloak, pulling it back around him before the man could see anything. With one hand, he handed the man the money once he'd turned around again.

The man counted the money after handing Zoro his new katana. "Thank you, and if you get the chance, come again!" He waved as Zoro left the shop.

After Zoro had gone, the man noted the odor that still lingered for a few minutes in his shop. It smelled strongly of sake with fruity, sweet notes to it. Like honeysuckle. It was like nothing he'd ever smelled before. And he couldn't help but wonder about the hat, cloak, and the secretiveness of the young man. If he hadn't known better, he'd swear that the young green-haired man was one of their treasured hybrids. But, going by his appearance, he wasn't even from this country. But then, even with as rare as the fruits were, it still wasn't a stretch that a lucky foreigner could get ahold of one. They'd certainly not know what it was unless they'd done research on the island's plantlife. If the young man really was a hybrid, this was an urgent situation, and he couldn't be allowed to leave.

Grabbing his den den mushi from under the counter, he tapped in a number...

As Zoro walked along, he pulled down the brim of his hat, trying his best to look inconspicuous and blend in. It wasn't easy though, dressed as he was. There were a lot of people stopping and staring as he walked by, trying to ignore them. He had what he'd set out to acquire, now he just had to get back to the ship... If he could remember where it was.

Except for the one hand holding the sack, he was careful to keep his cloak closed and his eyes on the road ahead. Now if he could just find the area where they'd docked the ship, everything would go as planned.

"ZOROOO!"

Zoro nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the familiar voice calling his name. He turned to see Luffy jogging toward him. "Shit Luffy! You nearly scared me half to death!"

He laughed. "Warui! Shishishishi!" He slowed to walk beside his boyfriend, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Nami told me you were buying new katana today. Are these them?" He peered at the long sack in Zoro's hand.

"Yeah," he said. "I didn't have enough money to get two good ones though. I had to get a cheaper one. I'll replace it when I have more money."

Luffy grinned, offering to carry them for his boyfriend. "I can't wait to see them in action!" He then sniffed at Zoro. In a quiet voice, he said, "Your honeysuckle smell is mixed with a sake smell now. It's weird."

"I had to disguise my scent some kind of way. This was the only thing I could think of," Zoro commented. "Why do I have to smell like flowers anyway?"

Just then, about eight armed officials from the country's government quickly surrounded them, cutting off any route for escape.

"Roronoa Zoro."

Zoro didn't like the way the head official spoke his name. By the way he'd spoken it, Zoro realized that this man was not looking to collect his bounty. Zoro's cloak was off and his katana drawn in less than the blink of an eye. Wings fully exposed now, he growled, "I'm only warning you once. Just step away, and no one gets hurt." He was not going to be forced into someone's tiny cage and live on this island for the rest of his life. He was a pirate, and pirates were free!

The officials hoisted their rifles and Luffy took action, using his Gomu Gomu no Gatling to clear a path for Zoro. Fortunately, he hadn't needed to, because as soon as the rifles had been raised, Zoro had taken to the air, swooping down to disable any reinforcements.

More government officials showed up, aiming and firing at Zoro who'd expertly diverted or dodged their bullets, while others on the ground tried to stop Luffy.

As Zoro swooped down again, he felt a jabbing pain in one of his upper left arms that nearly caused him to drop his katana. He had no time to pay attention to the gunshot wound however, he needed to-

And it was then that it hit him. A sense of acute drowsiness that threatened to pull him under. He glanced wide-eyed at the wound in his arm, and discovered... a tranquilizer dart. So those weren't bullets in those guns. Yanking it out, he realized he needed to get to the ship, and fast. If he got to the safety of the Sunny- He then felt the same jabbing pain in his right leg. Up in the air as he was, he could see the Sunny from his vantage point; his vision blurring and tunneling. Now just to get there before the darts knocked him completely unconscious.

Barely able to keep his eye open, he flew as fast as his wings would carry him, racing against time and the sedative to get to the ship. As the sedative took complete hold though, all three katana fell away from his hands. Taking a nosedive, he hit the ground at a bone-jarring speed, sliding a ways before coming to a stop.

Luffy screaming his name was the last thing he heard.