Chapter 21: I don't own One Piece or any of the Characters in it.

I just can't believe it! I have just done a very rough outline of what I would like Tashigi's Heart to be like and it will chapter-wise take me a long... time to complete. I'm a little bit worried. Do I have the patience and skill to carry on? Will I make it to the end?

May the Force be with me.

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Tashigi's Heart: The Lost Leads the Blind

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I'll give him credit for a few things, he most certainly can sprint, and with three swords on one side as well, that would normally unbalance anybody else, but he was moving forward like a cannon ball that had been fired. His energy and speed were incredible, and I was finding it a little difficult to catch up with him. Watching him run, would have given anyone the impression that this man had the grace and agility of a cat, but then they would have got distracted with that zebra- costume. What … and why would any swordsman wear such a terrible … Did he buy it or ... choose it himself? Don't be stupid! These Pirates probably didn't buy it. Maybe he just found it and decided it would be as good a thing to wear as any, or he stole it. But why would someone want to steal that?

I've had enough of this. Wait a moment? I'm quite sure this is the route we took earlier. Are we going back out the way we came in? "ZORO! STOP RUNNING LIKE A COWARD AND FACE ME!" I yelled as loud as I could. With the way he was running, ducking in and out of buildings, and jumping up and over walls I was very impressed with myself that I had managed to keep up with him, but why was he going in circles. Some sort of neat trick to try and deceive me, probably.

"NO WAY! YOU STUPID MARINE! LEAVE ME ALONE AND GO AND PICK ON SOMEONE ELSE!" He looked over his shoulder before jumping over the next wall. "Back there … " he pointed in the direction he was going, "... are plenty enough swords for you to swoon over! You can have them! Courtesy of ME!"

"I DON'T SWOON OVER SWORDS! YOU BASTARD!" I yelled and jumped up after him. He had started to climb up a very old and unused drain pipe. I could hear him wince from the pain of the heat that had been conducted into the object. That's just one of the reasons I wear and carry around gloves you never know when you could need them. If I follow him up this one he could cut the top section off and knock it to the ground. That is a no go.

"And what did those men do to you that got you so worked up that you would cut them down in the middle of town. Were they all old acquaintances or enemies of yours that you had just got bored of?" At a closer glance I noticed there was a broken part near the top of the pipe. If I could throw something that would break the joint it would come crashing down. glanced around and a sharp, old tent pole caught my eye. That would work! I looked up, he was about 4 stories high. A fall like that would kill or in Zoro's case wind a man, maybe.

"You have no idea of what is going on Marine!" Zoro called back without looking down. "So just shut up and go back to obeying and being your captain's errand girl and mopping up his mess and mistakes!" YES, it's confirmed. I hate him. There is not a splinter of respect now. That was the last straw! And he just snapped it! I picked up the pole and hurled it at the broken section. It shattered the pipe and inbedded itself into the wall with a loud thud. There was a moment of silence, as Zoro realized what had happened. Our gazes became fixed to the top of the building, one willing it to stay put, and the other wishing it to fall. The creaking started and it began to bend or break backward away from the wall. Well, that was one awesome javelin throw if I do say so myself.

"What was that about mopping up mistakes?" I called up to the stranded swordsman. Now it's my turn to gloat. "Your right! I don't like trash on the streets especially the kind that creates more trash. You should be locked up for all the trouble and pain you have caused!" I pulled out my sword as he came down. "Give up Zoro!" I yelled, I can't believe it. Was this it? Was he going to lose? Focus Tashigi! Don't underestimate him. What could he use? What side would be best to approach for an attack? To my astonishment and amazement he didn't wait for it to bend any further, he flipped himself off the building by kicking off the wall and away from the pipe. What did he think he was doing? Did he want to die?

He quickly fell the rest of the way down and landed 3 meters away from me as lightly as a cat. How did he do that? It was if he didn't feel the shock from hitting the ground at all. It was then that I caught a glimpse of his clothes beneath the patterned cloak. He is still wearing the same black trousers that he had on when I first saw him, and the same boots, but they look a lot worse for wear than he does. He stood up slowly and straightened his back. He just fell three to four stories and didn't even seemed to be batting an eyelid! Wow!

"No one tells me to 'give up' and expect to get away with it." he sounded very threatening and dangerous. Should I be backing up a bit or standing firm. Shut up! What are you thinking? You wanted this. You will stand your ground!

"Well, it's about time you took up a stance against me." Come on Tashigi, shrug him off. Don't let him get to you! I shifted Shigure about in my hands getting a firmer grip on the hilt. His head was down and he was inching backwards towards the broken pieces of piping. Was he going to throw a few? "Draw your weapons!" I demanded. I won't strike again unless he has something to defend himself with.

"No." He then bent down to pick up one of the larger pieces of fruit that had been in the stand before it was hit by the falling pipes. What are you doing Zoro? Is he was going to eat it? He brought it up to his mouth, but then suddenly spun round, I was caught off guard as he lobbed the giant juicy piece of fruit at me. I ducked and it splattered against the wall behind.

Zoro shook his head. "Just like a marine to waste a perfectly good meal, and here am I trying to do you a favour."

"What do you mean by that?!" I yelled, "I ... We don't waste! Sure there are some people who make a few mistakes..."

"Wastage and Marines are always spoken of together in the same sentence." Zoro cut in. "Someone needs to weed through your ranks and get rid of the weaklings." Weaklings? I suppose he thinks of those sort of people as unnecessary.

"What are you doing for the public? Nothing! … but the majority of us are helping and holding up the weak citizens of the government from this plagued world of pirates!" I pointed my blade at him. "YOU! Are the type of people who are wasting things! Wasting time, wasting space, wasting food, and wasting multiple supplies of every kind." you haven't even begun to see what I think about the subject. "You pirates! Are the reason that so many of the world's greatest treasures have been lost, because of careless planning and reckless behaviour, many pirates have thought to escape on their so called precious and magnificent ships in the middle of terrible storms with their stolen goods only to be dashed to pieces by the sea. Why do you feel the need to take what isn't rightfully yours?! Why can't you just find a job that pays well and be content!"

He had been listening to me quietly, but once I mentioned a job he started... "Ha! Ha! Ha!" I stopped talking. Zoro was laughing? He stopped after 5 or so seconds, turned his back on me, and picked up another piece of fruit from the abandoned store. "If all the pirates stopped being pirates that would put you out of commission wouldn't it?" He bit into the fruit and turned back to look me in the eye. HOW DARE HE! I looked down at the fruit in his hands. I bet he didn't have any money for that either! "Marines?" He looked thoughtful. "They wouldn't have anything to do, anyone to catch, or to blame for their problems." He paused and grinned at me from underneath his head guard. "If there weren't pirates you wouldn't be a Marine, and if I wasn't a pirate you wouldn't be here now. So overall, you should be thanking me for making your life exciting and bearable."

I looked at the half munched segment of fruit in his hand. "You gonna pay for that?!" I asked. I bet he won't.

"No! you can," He shrugged his shoulders as if he had no care in the world. "...since you're the one who caused the piping to fall on this shop stall anyway. You should take responsibility." I knew it! The Bastard! He grinned and wedged what remained of the fruit into his mouth.

Before I could reply, he jumped up on top of the roof of the collapsed stall and pulled himself onto the window ledge above him, then jumped up and latched himself onto the sandy edge of the roof of the building. I watched in shock as I saw him adjust his grip and then pull himself up as if it was nothing.

"Well," He sighed. "I would be lying if I said it was nice to see you, but thanks for the food and I hope not to see you again." He pulled the fruit out of his mouth and took a few more bites, and then chucked it at me. "Bye!" He waved and took off over the roofs, jumping from one roof to the other effortlessly, and was gone out of sight.

"Damn it!" He had got away again. He was heading back in the direction of which we came. Should be easy enough to find him again.

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"Captain Smoker?"

"I wonder where Captain Smoker could have gotten to. He must still be chasing after Strawhat but..." I took a turn down a narrow alleyway. I had lost track of Zoro. So I was now trying to find my Captain. I had been so sure that I had kept an eye on Zoro and had followed him down the right streets, but he was amazingly fast. That was something I would have to work on.

"Stop! You can't!" something yelled out me. And I tripped over it, and landed on my face again.

Oh, no not again. My glasses where are they?

"This is just great. I'm helpless without them." I felt the ground in-front of me for any trace of them. Please don't be broken. I heard someone groan and fall. "Oh no," Was he hurt?!

"Excuse me sir? You haven't passed out have you?" Everything was a bit blurry, but I could make out an old man with a top hat and a white vest lying there on the ground. I put my hand on his stomach, and then touched his shoulder and shook him a little. "Come on you say something." I hated it when civilians got hurt by accident.

"Sergeant Major Tashigi! We've been looking for you mam."

"I'll be right there." How on earth will I manage to fight or protect anyone without my glasses. I might as well be fighting blind.

"Um," "are these...?"

"Oh, nice! You found my glasses. Your such a kind person." After I had just bowled into him as well.

"Thank you very much for you help." I said cheerfully. "I'll be seeing you." I bowed a farewell, and winced a bit. My eyes were still aching, maybe I needed new prescription. It just sucked being part blind. I felt like I was missing out on something very important.

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Well I liked that chapter. About Time we saw some more of Zoro.