Zoro tossed and turned as he started to dream...

Zoro watched himself fight kuina for the first time. And for the first time he watched himself lose. He knew he was arrogant back then, getting mad when a girl beat him. It didn't matter whether you are a man or a woman, if you want to learn the way of the sword, nothing should stop you.

The kid Zoro trained hard and then even harder. It didn't matter the season or the weather all he knew is that he had to become stronger, he had to he better.

Kuina and kid Zoro faced off again for their 2000th match. They sliced, jabbed, dodged, maneuvered, all trying to win but just like all the others Kuina ended it with a hit to the face.

He was one the ground as she towered over him, "You're still weak, Zoro."

Those words echoed through the dojo and within himself. Those are the words that pushed him, that made him train as hard as he could. His past self was looking at her back as she walked away and he already knew what he was thinking. Tonight, they would duel for real.

Zoro followed himself as he ran down the path with two katanas in his hands.

He saw Kuina sitting on the side, his past self breathing heavily walked up to her.

"Zoro..? " she said looking at him, quickly wiping her tears before he noticed, "What are you doing out here at this time of night? "

"I came to request our 2001st battle, for this will be out last duel. Let's end this! Fight me with a real sword."

"You do have a real blade right?"

Wado Ichimonji. The sword I'll never break, the one I'll never let go of, its too heavy to ever let go of..

"With me?" she said, then grinned, "Fine!"

She went off to get her sword.

They stood, posed to fight in a field with the moon as their only light. Zoro was uneasy watching this. It's been so many years but this is something he would never forget.

His younger self charged Kuina sliced down but he blocked. He followed with his other blade swiping at her head and managed to cut part of her hair off as she dodged.

She lunged at him and he blocked just barely hanging on from the power of her attack.

Again and again they each advanced, hacking and blocking with full intent to kill.

Never holding back.

They faced off as young Zoro was breathing heavily while Kuina was standing composed.

"Two real swords must be heavy," she said angering him, "seems you still lack a bit of stamina."

Enraged he yelled, "SHUT UP! "

As he yelled, Kuina took the opportunity to attack sending him flying and disarming him. While still mid air she lunged and trust her blade down on him, millimeters from the side of his head.

"This is my 2001st win," she said as she stood up.

"Damn!" his younger self cried, "I can't accept this!"

That was hard. Losing so many times, I never want to be that helpless again, even though I am..

She said in a small sad voice, "I'm the one who wants to cry because I can't accept it.. "

"Eh? "

"Girls.. When we grow up we become weaker than men. I'll probably be overtaken by you soon. You always said that you'd become the best swordsman in the world. My father told me that it's not possible for a woman. I know.. I already know this! But... But, I can't accept it! Zoro, it must be nice to be a man. I also want to become the world's greatest swordsman. My chest is already starting to grow out. If... If I was a boy... " she said crying.

"After beating me, how can you say such weak words! That's despicable! You've been my goal this whole time!"

"Zoro.. "

"Whether you're a man or a woman is that what you're going to say when I beat you one day?! As if it weren't because of my skills. It makes me, who's been training hard, a complete fool! Don't say things like that! "

He walked over to her, "Promise me! One day either you or me will be the greatest swordsman in the world! We will compete to see who does it!"

She smiled, "Stupid, saying that even though you are weak."

He held out his hand, she shook it and in unison they said, "It's a promise!"

The image faded away and Zoro felt a pain in his chest.

Somewhere along my journey I stopped only thinking about my goal, and instead I focused on my captains. It's like I threw away our promise.

Next thing he saw was his past self working out, pulling boulders up behind him and with a weight in his mouth.

This is where I found out..

That she's gone...

How he wished he could've saved her, or done anything to help her..

"Don't you see you already did help me?" a very familiar voice said behind him, Zoro spun around so fast, knowing that there was no way she was there.

But she was. Kuina stood there as if she was pulled straight from his memories.

"Kuina..? "

He reached out, his hand shaking and touched her arm, he pulled his hand back as he stopped breathing falling backwards. For a moment her was truly afraid. Afraid of facing her for breaking their promise.

"Zoro," she said smiling, "you did nothing wrong. I was careless and a simple mistake lead to my death. You can't blame yourself for this. "

"I should've been there and did something, anything!"

"It was out of your hands, there was no way of knowing that would happen and no way to have prevented it. Can't you see how much you actually helped me?"

He looked at her confused. She continued, "that night was when my father tore my dream down. He said there was no way for a girl to be the best swordsman but that night you change that. You gave me the hope that it was possible. You made me want to get stronger and faster and better. I want to not only prove to my father that I was the best, but to you and the rest of the world. If it wasn't for what you said I would have probably quit training that night."

He never realized this, that what he said made that much of a difference.

"Even if you don't focus on being the best swordsman but for your captain's dream, I'm sure that along the way you'll make it to the top."

"I will, I will become the best!"

"And I'll be watching, I've always been watching. I'm glad that I was able to finally tell you everything, thank you Zoro. But it seems like my time is up.."

"What?" he said frantically. He can't lose her again, "Where are you going?!"

"Back to where I've always been, watching you. I may be real Zoro but I'm still not alive anymore, I'm glad that she was able to let me talk to you, she's risking a lot by coming here, it could even kill her other half by being gone for so long... Goodbye Zoro, looks like you're not that weak anymore.." she said smiling as she and everything else faded to black.

Zoro woke up with a start, nearly jumping out of his bed. Taking a deep breath he calmed down until he realized he wasn't alone. Looking over the was a massive wolf with six massive tails looming over him. The colors reminded him of someone.

"Alex..?"