Zoro began feeding even before he woke. He was ushered into consciousness by luxuriously smooth lips on his and long, elegant fingers stroking his stomach and threatening to go lower.
As hungry as he was, he wasn't going to even question who it was for the time being. Zoro began devouring the sensual thoughts and intentions surrounding the person, the space between them blurring like the air over hot asphalt as the mass of energy flowed into him.
The woman moaned softly, the incubus's trademark pull of energy coaxing out lofty heights of unworldly pleasure from even just a kiss.
He would need much more than a kiss to sate him, but as Zoro began to feel himself again he had the mind to wonder who it was that he was feeding off of. His eyes fluttered open to find long, silky black hair draped in his face and the last person he thought he would ever take energy from hovering over him.
It was the Baratie's bookkeeper, Nico Robin. He stopped feeding and jerked away. He was in her office, sprawled across her leather couch.
She stood and smoothed out her blouse. "It is as enjoyable as they say," she said, giving him a cryptic smile.
"Who else knows?" Zoro asked quickly.
"Your human cover is still intact. Although you might have to turn the ambulance they called away," she told him.
"Did that asshole leave?" he asked.
Robin nodded. "You scared him off, for now. But that incubus noble is going to be wondering who the incubus with the green hair who challenged him was," she replied, her words carrying the heaviness of dangerous knowledge.
Zoro glowered at her. "Why did you really help me?"
Her blue eyes sized him up, dark amusement upon her features. "It wouldn't do to have our Emerald Prince die so soon, not when we he could still be of use to us."
Anxiety blossomed in Zoro's chest as tiny fragments of his thoughts collected like tiny snowflakes, forming a rushing avalanche to a huge realization.
"You're a Revolutionary," he said venomously. "I already told you people no!" Zoro growled.
"You have to understand our interest. We fight for the rights of humans. You seem to have human values, and the throne is rightfully yours," she replied in even tones.
"I'm sorry this kingdom is shit because of my kind, but me suddenly hopping on the throne isn't going to make it better. You know who truly deserves the throne? My roommate Luffy. He's the man who should be king one day," he said with conviction.
"If you would like to see this man rule, then seize the throne and give it to him yourself. I too would like to see a human rule," she said wistfully.
He had meant every word. Luffy could be annoyingly random and full of energy, but he was brave. Shockingly powerful, having eaten a Devil Fruit. Honorable. And he was what incubi called an Anathema, meaning someone who was immune to being fed off of. All of this would be perfect for leading a Parliament comprised solely of incubi and succubi used to getting their way by any means necessary.
There were many different reasons someone could be classified as Anathema, but Luffy fell into this category because he did not feel any sexual attraction to others. It made for a convenient roommate situation for Zoro, as he could drop his guard around his friend in ways that would have other people begging the incubus to take them.
They heard an ambulance's siren in front of the building.
"Please consider it. Know we aim to make our move soon, with or without you. I'll sweeten the deal by offering you steady donors if you help us in any way, seeing as your noble way of feeding often leaves you hungry," she said with a faint smile, a disembodied hand sprouting from the door to open it for him.
"Great, another Devil Fruit eater," Zoro groaned, passing quickly through the door.
He dismissed the ambulance without allowing them to examine him, then grabbed the box with the extra food for Luffy from the break room. Sanji could sort out the rest of this mess for tonight, and he really wanted to avoid the cops who were questioning people in the dining room. Zoro just wanted to feed.
There was a blond cook with his hands on his hips blocking him when he went for the back door.
"What, cook?" Zoro said, frowning.
"I can't believe you were stupid enough to try to face that incubus on your own! Do you know what the shitty geezer would have done to me if someone would have died while he was away?" Sanji shouted, making angry, sweeping gestures with his arms.
"I knew what I was doing. They left, didn't they?" Zoro pointed out.
"You almost died!" Sanji furiously yelled back.
"Look, I'm tired. Save me the bitch fest," Zoro snarled, trying to push past him.
"And what the hell is between you and Robin? I saw you kissing when I went upstairs to check on her," he growled, his fiery eye a brazier burning with righteous accusation.
Zoro cursed inwardly. "It's none of your business," he snapped.
"The ladies here are my business, and if Robin wants to date you, I'm going to make sure as hell you treat her right," Sanji threatened, deadly serious.
"Oh my god," Zoro groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Your stomach's growling again, by the way," the cook noticed with annoyance.
"Yeah, I'm hungry. Now move so I can get something to eat," Zoro grumbled.
"My food not good enough?" Sanji challenged.
The cook's dishes were delicious, but the only food Zoro was craving right now was in Sanji's bedroom, not his kitchen. He yanked his unfurling energy back again.
"Get the hell out of my way," Zoro hissed through clenched teeth.
"Not until you tell me what happened out there. What the hell cut up that limo? Why did they leave so easily? Did you sell us out?" Sanji demanded, spreading his arms and legs to completely block the doorway.
"I don't sell my friends out!" he loudly insisted. Utterly starved and exhausted, Zoro felt the invisible, grasping fingers of his power wrap around and caress the cook, who had become very quiet.
"What are you doing?" Sanji said nervously, unsure of what he was sensing.
Just a few dirty thoughts and the cook's energy that Zoro was flowing over would become the food he longed for.
"I'm sorry," he whispered as he pulled Sanji close, their lips almost touching.
The cook blushed furiously, the warm feel of Zoro so close to him causing his aura to finally shift.
Luffy suddenly barged into the back, knocking them aside with the door. "Oh Zoro! There you are!"
Zoro painfully pulled himself away from the awaiting meal. "Luffy! I'm not sure why you're here, but I sure as hell could use a ride," he told his roommate, relieved at his uncanny timing.
"A lady named Robin called and said you were crazy hungry and to come pick you up," he said casually.
The incubus wondered just how the hell Robin got Luffy's number when he remembered he had put his roommate as his emergency contact on his application.
"Marimo. We're talking about this later," Sanji interrupted, scowling distrustfully at him.
Zoro glared back, trying to bury the shame he felt at nearly losing control.
Meanwhile, Luffy had discovered the leftovers and was funneling them into his mouth. "Ah, this is so good!" he exclaimed, sighing contentedly.
"That guy made it," Zoro pointed at Sanji.
"You're a cook?" Luffy said in awe. "You're going to be my official chef when I become king," he announced matter-of-factly.
Sanji couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not becoming your official anything. Who do you think you are, the Emerald Prince?"
The dark-haired boy shook his head, then began to point at his roommate. "No, that's-"
His voice was muffled as Zoro clapped his hand over his mouth. "Idiot! Time to leave."
Zoro was so relieved to be driving away in Luffy's car that he didn't realize they weren't going home until they pulled up to a strange house. The smaller man checked the address against his phone's navigation.
"This is the place," he announced, grinning at Zoro.
"Luffy, where the hell are we?" the green-haired man asked irritably.
"Robin also said that she set you up a donor for tonight only. This guy apparently knows my brother," Luffy replied, getting out of the car.
"What?! Then I definitely can't do this. I don't want to owe those Revolutionaries anything!" Zoro protested, stubbornly crossing his arms and planting himself.
Luffy's rubbery arms extended back into the car, unbuckling Zoro's seatbelt and dragging him roughly out of the driver's side door.
"Look, you've been hungry and mopey for two weeks. I would feed you if I could, but I can't. This isn't the Zoro I know. Pick yourself back up and keep moving forward! You're no use to anyone if you don't eat!" Luffy yelled, the fire that Zoro had come to admire blazing in his eyes.
"Alright," Zoro simply replied, defeated. Luffy was right. He desperately needed to feed, and it was either this comfortable-looking home with the tall elm trees out front or the back room of the strip club. He began walking towards the house.
A tall man with dark glasses and strange hair that was one half orange, one half white answered the door and let them in.
"You must be Zoro," the man said approvingly, swirling his wineglass thoughtfully in his hand as he studied the incubus.
"And Sabo's little brother. I am Inazuma. Welcome," he introduced himself, padding to the kitchen. "Wine?"
"Yeah, thanks," Zoro said, following him. Long ago, when his powers had been first Awakened, this used to be the awkward part, knowing that he was about to fuck the person in front of him senseless as he tried to make small talk in their kitchen. Necessity and years of practice had done well to obliterate this uncertainty and shame.
True shame was taking without permission, without consent, just like he was about to do to Sanji tonight. It didn't matter even if they had kept their clothes on, if he had just stolen his fill from kisses and caresses. He knew if he ever lost that shame he would end up being just like one of those assholes like Spandam, taking anything and anyone who suited him.
As Inazuma poured him some wine and Luffy some water, Zoro suddenly wished he was standing in someone like Sanji's kitchen instead of some stranger's, trying to identify all the fancy cooking gadgets while verbally sparring with him in some half-hearted argument. Maybe he had just gotten used to having someone familiar and steady like Perona, he thought dismally.
"Robin has told me a lot about you. I won't get into business tonight, but you should at least hear her plan out," Inazuma said evenly.
"What's that?" Luffy asked curiously, suddenly at the counter.
"We want to make Zoro king, but apparently he wants to make you king instead," he told Luffy, chuckling.
Luffy turned to his friend, a determined grin stretching across his face. "Let's do it! Give me your throne, Zoro!" he laughed.
Zoro slapped a hand across his forehead. "Look, it's not that simple. You would have to-"
"Overthrow the current monarchy and oust the entire Parliament. We are well aware," Inazuma interrupted, smirking.
"You're talking about an entire coup of a regime, not just replacing the king? You people are crazy!" Zoro snapped, his wine glass nearly sloshing over in his agitation.
Luffy was having a hard time containing his excitement. "Let's do it, Zoro!"
The incubus gave a resigned sigh. "Look, I'll tell you what a told them. I'll think about it."
As Luffy nodded, Zoro caught Inazuma giving the dark-haired boy a soft smile, looking very pleased with himself. He set down his wineglass and turned to the incubus.
"Shall we?" the Revolutionary motioned towards the stairs.
"I'll be waiting out in the car," Luffy said, bounding across the living room and out the door.
The bedroom had accents of dark, rustic woodwork, a fine Persian rug, and most importantly, a king size bed.
Zoro shrugged out of his hoodie, going through his usual checklist.
"Ever been with one of my kind?" he asked.
"No," Inazuma replied, following Zoro's suit and unbuttoning his shirt.
"How about a man?"
He looked at Zoro and gave a firm nod. The incubus let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for small miracles.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow? As hungry as I am, I'm going to do a full feeding. It won't hurt you, but you'll be tired into tomorrow, kind of like a hangover. Just eat a lot when you get up and you'll be fine," he told him.
"It's Saturday, so I'm not working. It's hard to believe you're prince of the incubi. I never thought one of you would have such consideration for their food," Inazuma said thoughtfully.
"That's because you're a damn person, not food. Now quiet, I'm done talking about all of that," he said gruffly as he crawled onto the bed.
Zoro was practically glowing when he left Inazuma's house. He roused Luffy, who had fallen asleep in the driver's seat.
"Oi, let me drive. I'm a lot more awake than you right now," he offered, his tone robust and chipper.
"No, you'll just get lost," Luffy yawned. "You look better," he muttered, smiling at his friend.
As they drove off, Inazuma was awoken from a deep sleep, nestled in the warm blankets Zoro had thrown over him, by the annoying chirping of his cell phone.
"Hello?" he answered groggily.
"So he did show," Robin purred.
"Luffy was with him. If he's really serious about subjugating the throne to him, we couldn't have gotten any luckier," he murmured, yawning.
"Yes. As much as he hates us, I'm fairly certain he hasn't discovered who Luffy's father is yet," she said, sly satisfaction in her voice.
"Probably for the best," he yawned again. "He wasn't kidding about this making you tired," Inazuma groaned.
"Go to sleep," she said gently. "You did well."
They hung up, leaving Robin to wonder how exactly they were going to push Zoro over the edge into joining their cause.