Chapter 29

"You didn't need to come, you know?" She mumbled out, walking ahead of the swordsman, directing him on which way to go even if it didn't matter since he would occasionally make a wrong turn.

Zoro just shrugged and the two continued to walk in silence, their eyes attentive towards their surroundings. Silence was installed between the two until they reached the forest line that separated them from the village.

They were shaded by the leaves of the tall trees, darkening the snow covered ground.

"Your sister is around these parts?" His voice came out somewhat gruff, catching her off guard.

"That's what Bjorn told me. I wouldn't surprise me if she was indeed here." Ever since our parents died she had been spending most of her time next to the gravestones. Amaya's blue eyes turned to look at the swordsman that was accompanying her, gathering courage to speak up to him. "About what… I said back at the ship… I…"

"Don't say you didn't mean it." He cut her off quickly, making the woman stop on her tracks completely. He only turned to face her a few steps ahead.

"Then… why did you react the way you did?" Her voice came out meekly and weak, her hand resting on her chest as if she had felt offended by his actions.

"I never know how to react when… someone shows affection towards me." Zoro looked at the ground as a blush crossed his cheeks. This response earned him a loud succession of laughter from the raven haired assassin. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry." She spoke out between suffocated pants, her arms wrapped around her belly. "I actually thought it was something more serious."

"What?"

"That is just ridiculous, Zoro." Her laughing ceased lightly as she walked to the man, her hand caressing his cheek. "I actually thought you never expected something like that to come out of my mouth and that you didn't want anything like that towards you." Another chuckle escaped her lips but it was soon replaced by a gasp of surprise and fright.

Zoro had grabbed her shoulders tightly, pushing her against a nearby tree, trapping her between his warm body and the wooden trunk.

"This is not funny, Amaya." His voice sounded weaker than before as he rested his forehead against hers. "The moment you said that, I couldn't turn back."

"Zoro…"

"Don't you understand that the moment you said that you made me value you so much more?" He bit his lips lightly before letting his head fall to her shoulder, his warm breath escaping his lips. "I want to protect you with everything I have… more than before. I might even…" He snapped his tongue, the sound startling her lightly. "I might even put your life in first place instead of Luffy's."

Much to his surprise her hands found their way to his hair, her fingers tangling with the short strands of green on his head. Her lips touched the top of his head before her warm breath warmed his skull.

"I understand that, Zoro." She chuckled lightly once more and rested her cheek against his temple. "But don't let emotions get in the way. Luffy is our captain so he comes first but so does the rest of the crew the moment they are in danger." Her hands reached his cheeks, making him raise his head in order to look into her blue eyes. "Put my life in the first place when need be."

It was his time to laugh lightly.

"Easy to say."

"And hard to do." She chuckled back at him before pressing her lips against his warm ones. "Say it just once." Her eyes were shaded lightly, being half open as her blue orbs looked at his dark ones, a smile appearing on Zoro's features.

"I love you." He said in the sweetest of tones before kissing her cheek. "I love you." A titter escaped her lips as he repeated the sentence and placed another kiss on her forehead. He repeated the sentence over and over until his lips met hers in a warm and tender kiss.

"I love you too, marimo."

"Oi! What was that, witch?"

With a loud laughter, she took hold of his hand and led him to where her sister was. They quickly found their way towards a beautiful glade where the snowflakes were gently falling to kiss the ground covered in a white veil. It was a complete open space with pure white Candytuft and blood red Cyclamen flowers surrounding the clearing, giving it a warm and welcoming look. Around it there were shorter trees with pink and white coloured flowers, which petals fell gently, dancing along with the snowflakes.

At the furthest end of the clearing there was a small frozen lake in shape of a crescent moon and two stone graves that had each a small bouquet of light pink coloured snapdragon flowers. A person was standing in front of the graves: she was short and somewhat chubby with pink hair that was caught in a messy bun at the top of her head; on her shoulders rested a long dark red cloak that protected her from the cold of the constant winter in that island.

"Atsuko…" Amaya called out, making the pink haired woman turn to face the assassin. A smile drew on her lips as the woman rushed to the raven haired one, pulling her into a tight hug.

"You're alright!" She sang out, her voice coming out musical, almost like a lullaby. This image was ruined the moment she punched the assassin on top of her head. "I was worried sick about you! I thought you were dead!"

"But I'm not! There was no use for that punch, sis." She complained, rubbing the top of her head to ease the light pain that still throbbed against her skull.

"Of course there was! You're my baby sister! I couldn't help but worry about you and your well-being!" She shrieked before pulling the woman back to her embrace. "I'm so glad you're alright." She chanted once more before her pale green eyes turned to the swordsman that stood silent, assisting to the events unfold before him. "And who is this hunk?"

"My name is Roronoa Zoro."

"The pirate hunter?" Atsuko raised an eyebrow at the swordsman that nodded to answer her question. "What are you doing with a pirate hunter?" She looked over her shoulder, at Amaya and walked to stand by the swordsman's side. "What happened to Kurai?"

"He got what he deserved." Her answer was quick, making her older sister cross her arms over her chest. "Zoro is a pirate."

"A pirate hunter that is a pirate? Is this the beginning of some bad joke?"

"No, Atsuko. He's from the Straw Hat Pirates, the ones I'm with, now."

"I hope you aren't planning on doing anything funny to her." Her hands reached for the collar of Zoro's coat, their faces inches apart as her eyes shone with defiance.

"Wouldn't dream of it." His smirk what devious as if he was enjoying joking around with Amaya's sister, wanting to see where it would lead him.

"He's alright, Atsuko. Don't get stressed over it." Amaya assured her sister, much to the swordsman boredom.

"I trust you, Amaya." The pink haired woman circled around Zoro, her hand caressing his back gently, making him tense up and feel uncomfortable. "He is a very handsome looking man."

"I know, but he's not for you to touch, sis." The raven haired woman spoke out as her hand held her sister's wrist, blue orbs meeting green ones in defiance, something that amused Zoro that wrapped his arm around Amaya's waist, pulling her close to his body.

"I'm only hers."

"Someone is feeling bold." The assassin chuckled out, looking up at the swordsman that had a smirk on his lips. "I like this side of you, Zoro."

"Just for you, witch." He whispered at her ear, making her blush lightly.

"Come Atsuko. You need to meet the rest of the crew." Amaya was quick to speak up, her arm resting on her sister's shoulders as the three casually walked out of the glade, leaving the graves to rest peacefully under the few sunlight rays that shone through the clouds in the sky.

The trio quickly made their way back to the tavern, a loud thud of the door capturing the clients' attention.

"I HAVE RETURNED, BJORN!" Atsuko chanted out, her arms wide open and a large smile on her lips. Instead of being greeted by the old man, her pale green eyes met blue ones that belonged to a blond male.

Sanji.

"Who might this wonderful being be?" He knelt down before the pink haired woman that chuckled sweetly before she scanned every inch of the man before her and making a humming an approving sound.

"Atsuko, my dear. What is your name?" She smiled, her hand gently stroking the cook's cheek, causing a thin stream of blood come out of his nose.

"Seems like you're already acquainted with Sanji." Amaya laughed out before her captain's stretched arm wrapped around her, pulling the assassin back to the table the Straw Hat pirates were feasting.

"Come and eat with us already!"

"Seriously Luffy, I am really weirded out by the fact that you are motivating me to eat that you want to devour." She laughed at the sight of her captain's squirrel-like cheeks that were triple the size of his skull.

The group continued to party away, actually pulling the rest of the people around them into the feast, except for Bjorn and the tavern workers that were constantly on the move to bring more food to feed the black hole that was Luffy's mouth.

As the group celebrated, Amaya caught from the corner of her eye a shadow pass by the window. A smiling Samuru greeted her from the distance, the glass fogged with "1 Day" written on it.

With a smirk, she picked up a mug filled with ale and took it to her lips, making sure the hand she used was the one that he could see. Her blue eyes never leaving the figure, she raised her middle finger at him, a smile drawing on his lips before he disappeared.

Bring it on. I am ready, Samuru.

A/N:

Chapter 29 done and I'm so happy I could write this in one night. I am upset still that I lost SO much work and I need to rewrite everything as I did before. Of course that's not going to happen… But I shall do my best to bring out better material and make it up for all I lost in my USB flash drive.

FFS I'm tired XD

I am going to continue to update on Wednesdays and Sundays until this is over. Once the ending comes I am not sure when I will release a new fanfiction but I can promise it will be soon. I have a few of them saved on my computer and I can correct them before releasing them so that I am a bit ahead.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

As always, I do not own One Piece! It belongs to Eiichiro Oda.

I only own Amaya, Atsuko, Bjorn, Yoru no Ame and Samuru.