Zoro looked down at the x marked on his wrist, the symbol of their friendship with Vivi. Not even half a day after she said farewell and already he missed her. He could not begrudge her for her choice however. She was a princess. He was a pirate. they could not travel the seas together even if she did not have so many responsibilities to her country.
Zoro took a breath sighing as he let it go. as he walked onto the main deck of the ship.
He was going to miss her.
"Looks like we finally lost them." Zoro said by way of conversation.
All he received was a chorus of "Hmms" from his crew-mates. Zoro eyed them quizzically. they seemed rather Melancholy'
"Oy, We did lose them didn't we?" Zoro asked.
Again he received a chorus of "Hmmms."
Zoro pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "What is with those indifferent replies?"
"We miss her." The crew chorused in an incredibly sad voice.
"You know if you guys wanted her to come so badly we should have just taken her." He said, not meaning it. though he kind of wish he had done so. Sh would have forgiven him eventually right?
"how can you be so insensitive?!"Apis yelled.
"You're the worst!" Chopper yelled.
"A real savage!" Nami chipped in.
"Moss head." Sanji added his two cents of course.
"Three swords." Luffy said. Zoro shook his head, his captain could be childish at times. He did not bother listening to any of his crew's banter. He didn't want to show them how much he really missed her, or how much their banter was helping him cope. He had a reputation to keep.
"Oh. It looks we we are finally off the island." a feminine voice said from behind him."good work."
wait. who was that?
Zoro turned drawing the Wado Ichimonji. the other crew members scrambled to get into a position they could attack or defend from. it seemed like the situation would devolve into violence until Luffy got a good look at her.
"Robin!" Luffy cheered joyously throwing himself at the woman, Ms. Allsunday. or Robin apparently. "So you did come. I was worried for a moment!" Luffy had a big goofy grin on his face.
"sorry to keep you waiting Captain-san." Robin said a light smile on her face even as arms sprouted from Luffy's side and started tickling him, causing Luffy to let the woman go and roll around on the floor laughing.
Zoro huffed but sheathed his sword all the same. he will trust in his captain's judgment for now.
"I must admit. I did not expect you to actually be telling the truth." Another colder voice said. A boy who looked remarkably like a Tanuki stepped out onto the deck, he had a large gourd on his back and wore a lot of red. "when you told me you had received an invitation from Luffy."
Luffy looked up from his position on the floor and grinned. "Gaara!"
"Gaara! You're alive!" Nami yelled in surprise.
"What are you doing here? Your country misses you." Sanji asked confused.
"I can assure you they do not." Gaara said in his monotone. "Besides that I am here because I was invited."
"Luffy! Did you try to get everyone to join your crew!?" Usopp asked exasperated.
"No." Luffy said crossing his arms. "Only the people I like."
"But she's our enemy! She's evil!" Usopp said pointing at Robin.
"How dare you say such terrible things about a beautiful lady!" Sanji yelled in the background. Zoro pinched the bridge of his nose again in exasperation.
Luffy crossed his arms. "My decision is final. she's not a bad person anyway."
"She tried to destroy Arabasta." Usopp pointed out.
"No she didn't." Luffy answered.
"no no. She clearly did." Usopp rebuked.
"Give it a rest Usopp." Zoro said putting a hand on Usopp's shoulder. "Luffy isn't going to change his mind." Zoro looked to Robin. he would defer to his captain on this matter but if she ever even hinted at betraying them he wouldn't hesitate to cut her down. And from the look Gaara was also sending the ex-agent he must have had the same thought.
Zoro huffed and walked away, taking up a position at the bow where he could think without interruption.
-o0O0o-
Apis looked at her new crew-mates with a critical eye. She knew she could trust Gaara, he showed up at the last minute with Luffy to save the day. they had until just this moment thought he had sacrificed his life for his country. His country didn't like him but Apis saw nothing amiss with the newcomer.
The other one however was a different story. Nico Robin. She was mysterious. Their first meeting had been without any real danger. and Apis remembered that Robin had kept her word then. Even if Robin was dangerous she seemed like an okay person, the others seemed to have quickly warmed to her at least. She was playing with Luffy Chopper and Ussop using her power.
Apis walked up to Luffy and looked him in the eye. "Luffy. are you sure about this?"
Luffy smiled reassuringly from where he lay on the deck. "Of course I'm sure. They saved my life."
Apis blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah! She dug me out of the sand when I lost to Crocodile." Luffy didn't say anything else as he was pulled back into the play by Chopper.
Apis took a breath and walked up to Robin. She was rather intimidating, very cool and mature and Apis hoped to one day look even half as beautiful as her.
Robin looked up from her book as she approached giving her a small but friendly smile. "How can I help you Redcap-chan"
Apis stuttered in her step a little at the nick-name given to her. It was the moniker the navy had given her on her wanted poster. "Call me Apis please." She said blushing self consciously, she still wasn't used to the fame associated with having a bounty.
Robin giggled, it was a nice sound. "There's no need to be embarrassed Apis-chan. I had a bounty as well when I was your age."
Apis looked up at Robin with wide eyes. "Really?"
Robin pulled out a poster and showed it to Apis. It had a picture of a girl no older than Apis, in fact the girl might have even been younger than her. The bottom of the poster read "Devil-child Nico Robin." Apis eyes nearly pooped out of her skull when she saw the bounty. "eig-eight-eighty Million!?" that was way higher than her's and at such a young age too. Apis refused to acknowledge the jealously she was feeling.
"I was eight at the time." Robin said offhandedly. Apis got an impression of sadness from the woman despite her attempts to brush off Apis's surprise.
"Eight? That's younger than me!"
"How old are you darling?" Robin asked. Apis could tell she was trying to change the subject. she must have been feeling self conscious or perhaps it brought bad memories.
"I'm eleven." Apis answered quietly. she didn't like being the youngest member. Having to rely on everyone to protect her. watching them get hurt without being able to do anything. it wasn't something she liked to think about.
"Your lucky you know." Robin said looking away out to sea. "finding nakama so early. Apis felt a pang of sympathy for Robin. The woman looked so serine. calm and collected. But Apis could tell that she was sad and lonely and remembering other time when she was alone.
Apis made her decision about her.
Apis got closer to robin and climbed into the woman's lap. she felt Robin tense but ignored it. "What are you reading?" she asked looking at the book in Robin's hand.
Robin was silent for a time.
"Mysteries of the Rainbow Mist." Robin eventually replied.
"Will you read it to me?" Apis asked looking up at the woman.
"Of course, Apis-Chan" Robin said with a light smile, Apis thought she saw a tear in her eye but smiled as she tried to follow along with where her new Nakama was in the book.
-o0O0o-
Zoro saw Gaara come to stand next to him.
"Are you sure about this Gaara?" Zoro asked eyeing the new crew-mate. "Won't your country need you now."
Gaara eyed him with his usual blank stare. "They have no need of me. In fact my presence in that country may even be enough to start up another war." Zoro raised a brow. the idea sounded fairly far fetched. Gaara interpreted the look correctly as he continued his explanation."I am the face of the monarchy everyone hated, regardless of whether the hatred was well founded. It was I alone that held back the rebel army. and when Vivi went missing I was the one that turned the battlefield into a slaughter." Gaara fell silent as he looked back towards where Zoro supposed Arabasta was, though he personally didn't think it was the right direction he didn't say anything.
"So you left." Zoro pointed out.
"I died." Gaara answered. "it is the best thing I can do for my country now."
Zoro had to give his respect to the man not only becoming a monster for his country but also throwing away his life up to that point so that it could know peace.
Vivi's father treated me and my siblings as his own children. he saved me from my darkness and I own him everything. That is why I will protect Vivi with life." Zoro was confused what was Gaara getting at. Zoro froze at the blood chilling expression on Gaara's face "I don't know what your intentions are with my sister but if you ever hurt her I will bury you. Am I clear Roanoa?" Gaara asked a tendril of sand looming threateningly above his head.
Zoro spluttered. "I didn't do anything!"
"I saw what you two got up to." The sand moved closer to Zoro's face. "Take responsibility."
Zoro huffed. "Whatever you say nii-san."
Gaara's brow twitched.
It was the start of a long friendship between the two crew-mates.
-END-
so when i went over the last few chapters I noticed I wrote in some admittedly very minor interactions between vivi and zoro so i decided to to just take it all the way and then drop it. i might throw some stuff in later but for the most part its all done and wrote. this chapter is just to introduce the new crew-mates and to map out the nature of their future interactions with each other.
While I like fluf I don't like writing it so most of the "Relationship" stuff in this story is going to just be a think that develops in the background. no less apparent I just don't feel it is enough to deserve its own segment in the chapters, perhaps with a few exceptions. I will try to portray it in all of their interactions but other than that don't hold your breath for full love scenes.
that's all. ciao.