Man Overboard Ch.2
White. Just white, that was all he saw for a couple minutes. Everything slowly started to fade into color and shape. He was in a bright room, the walls were a
sage green, they looked freshly painted. The bed he was laying was soft, the bedding that covered his was all white. He sat up slowly, his head spinning with
each inch he sat up.
"Oy, what they hell happened" he said softly, his voice horse from lack of use, and something else he couldn't put his finger on. He looked around the room
slowly. There was a small dinning table, a little kitchenette, and a couch with a side table next to it. The side table had a picture frame on it with a picture of
three people in it, from the distance it was just a blur, but he could pick out bright orange hair from where he sat.
"Look who finally woke up, I was starting to worry that you were dead." A woman's voice filled his head, he whipped his head around to look at the female.
His vision started to blur for a second at the sudden movement. She looked so familiar, but he didn't know why. She had bright blur hair held back by a red
headband. She wore a white shirt covered by a red sweater and a pair of jeans and boots. She carried a basket of what looked like oranges on her side.
"I'm sorry, who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?" His coughed after the words left his mouth. His chest ached for some reason. He laid back down
trying to catch his breath.
"I'm Nojiko, you are in my house in Cocoyashi Village, and you washed up on shore. So I was hoping you could tell me how you got here since you can't swim.
Where is your crew anyways?" Nojiko asked her face like stone as she brought him some water and a pain med to cure his headache.
"I can't swim? Why can't I swim? This is not making any sense, wait! Why would I have a crew?"
"Luffy, this isn't funny anymore. You know you have a crew, my sister is part of it, and you did say you were going to be Pirate King didn't you?" Nojiko growled
sitting at the end of the bed, her patience wearing thin.
"Luffy? Is that my name? I don't remember this place or your sister or a crew. And why would I want to be a pirate, those low life dogs are nothing but trash!"
Luffy huffed finishing his water quickly. When he looked back a Nojiko her face was covered in shock and realization.
"You don't have a clue of who you are do you?" Nojiko said
"No, I'm sorry, but I'm trying really hard to remember." Luffy said his voice shaking. Nojiko sighed and pulled the boy into a hug. He let out a little gasp before
the dam broke and he let himself crew of fear and frustrations at the surrounding that he didn't remember.
"It's ok Luffy, we will talk to the Doctor and see what he can do, and I'm sure that Nami and the rest of the crew will be coming here soon, I got a letter from
her not to long ago saying that they were a few weeks away and wanted to stop by and see how things were." Nojiko said comfortingly, stroking Luffy's hair as
he cried.
He was in horrible pain from where he laid on the deck of the boat. He had no clue what had just happened. He had been standing up holding his three swords in
a manner that had grown accustom to him. He saw the bullets coming at him, he knew how to block them. But he couldn't move. The only thing that could
move was his eyes and he could see the rest of the crew frozen as well. He had quickly glanced towards the guy that had fired the gun, then at his ship. He
could see a white hair woman staring right back at him; she was holding them still.
After he had fallen from the shot he stared at Luffy, his captain, his best friend, his lover. No one had known, they wanted to keep it a secret. Not because they
were ashamed of the relationship, or that it was taboo to be gay in these times. No they didn't want the relationship to be used against the other. They both
knew that if the moment came that they would die for the other person or the crew.
Then he saw it, he saw Luffy's plan before Luffy even knew it. He wanted to scream, but nothing came out. He watched as his best friend grabbed the other
captain, using his rubber body to wrap his arms and legs around the man like 4 strong snakes. He had made himself into a human anchor, knowing that neither
of them could swim because of the devil fruit powers. He knew that they would die, he didn't care though, and he was going to save them like he always did.
Within 7 seconds from Luffy going over the railing, he was gone. The water of the east blue had taken him under. He dropped his swords, letting them lay as if
they weren't important to him. He ran to the edge of the ship and looked over, seeing the last couple bubbles pop as he had lost his captain for good. He held the
hat that had been given to him moments before to his chest and cried. He was really gone. All he wanted to do was jump after his captain, he was about to
stand when he felt a delicate hand on his shoulder. Nami stood above him, crying feeling the pain that he was feeling.
"NOOOOOOOO!" He screamed to the sky tears streaming from his eyes.
"NOOOOO!" Zoro yelled as he sat up in his bed, the memory replaying in his mind even when he slept. He was covered in sweat; he had started to cry in his
sleep. He knew that in the comfort of the Captain's courters that he was save, that no one would worry over him waking in the night. He stood up slowly, his
pajama pants that he had on were hung low on his hips, showing his muscled chest, but where long and baggy. He slipped on his boots, tucking his pants on in
the style that had become known to him. He walked towards the door, grabbing one last thing before heading out the deck.
When he got to the deck the moon was high in the sky, casting a blue light across the water and the boat making the freshly washed deck shine. He placed the
hat that he grabbed before he left the room on his head, holding it down like his former captain use too.
"You know when I see you wearing that hat I sometimes feel like he is just going to show up one day and start screaming for his hat back." A male voice behind
him said. Zoro turned around and saw Sanji standing behind him, dressed close to the way he was. Zoro chuckled and looked back over the water. He heard the
sound of a match being struck on a matchbox. Zoro listened as Sanji inhaled on his cigarette.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm going to walk into the dinning hall and he is going to be there beside me at the table." Zoro said leaning against the railing. Sanji
sighed and walked over and leaned next to his new captain.
"Zoro, I know you miss him, we all do, but your killing yourself slowly. You don't eat as much, you haven't slept well in days. You look like death. It's been a
month man. I know the new duties are hard, but we would only want you to lead us." Sanji stated patting Zoro on the shoulder. Zoro gave a shaky sigh, he
didn't want to cry, but the thoughts of the dream and his captain were hitting him like waves against the ship's sides.
"We weren't just crew members Sanji. We were a couple. Kissed, hugged, said mushy words, sex the whole 9 yards. We had been together ever since he
destroyed Arlong Park. I didn't just lose my friend Sanji, I lost the love of my life." Zoro sobbed. He bowed his head and cried, he let out a small gasp when Sanji
pulled him into a hug. He knew that in the morning this would not be spoken of, but at this moment he needed it. He let it all out.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier. We wouldn't make you guys hide it, if you guys were happy we were happy for you." Sanji said stepping away from the
swordsman.
"We didn't want it to be used against each other, we both knew that no matter how much we loved each other that the crew and the ship came first, so we had
to be willing to die for it. I just thought it would be me, not him. I was prepared to die for him not the other way around." Zoro stated wiped his eyes, rubbing
the tears across his face.
"You two are idiots, you know that right?" Sanji sighed. Taking another puff from his cigarette. Zoro chuckled. He nodded and started to walk towards the
sleeping quarters.
"I just wish I had had prepared for the loss more."
With that, Zoro closed the door behind him. Sanji sighed and threw his cigarette over the side and followed after his appointed captain.