angelsXdemons: :) Thank you
Zoro hit the ground hard, bouncing a few times before sliding to a halt, his shirt torn from the friction. He had something light in his hand and opened his eyes clearly to remember what had happened, to see Luffy in his hand, covered in holes and blood. The blood was dry, meaning they'd been out for awhile at least. He gently pulled her into his lap, and tried waking her up. Thank god she was still breathing, but she had red cheeks and was sweaty. A fever.
While she was unconscious, she couldn't heal herself or heal a fever or infection herself. Zoro rocked her to him, terrified. Tears were in his eyes, though part of them were angry at her. For doing what she did when they could have run. How he locked him there and blocked his view of her. It was probably to spare his feelings if she died, but it still infuriated him.
As he looked at her bloody body, some of the anger seeped away. They were both alive somehow, and someplace he didn't recognize at all, a tropical looking forest. We're people here? Did they have medicine? Zoro tried not to think about his crew, and if they were safe. He wanted to think that they all could have escaped together, but the admiral had been so close so fast…
How would Luffy be punished for this? Robin surely wouldn't kick her off the crew, or it would be moot and Zoro would leave, too. She would accept any punishment, he knew. Even if it was something like she wasn't allowed to use any of her powers, she would accept it as long as they were together and safe.
He picked Luffy up and stood up, holding her in his arms. He could feel the den den in his pocket, crushed completely and ruined. He couldn't call the crew until Luffy woke up. He wandered around the outskirts of the jungle for a while, ignoring his hunger and confusion of how they'd gotten there, and trying to not let his anxiety overcome him.
Zoro glanced down often to see if there was any change, but she only seemed to be sweating more. He started running, trying to find anyone who could give her medical treatment so she could wake up. He clenched his teeth, not knowing what he would do if she died and he was all alone, unable to contact the crew.
He was running for about twenty minutes before he saw a ship sailing inland, with two giant sea monsters powering it. People! He ran faster, shouting for help. Almost immediately, many women were there and all pointing arrows at him. He would have put his hands up if he wasn't carrying Luffy.
"Who are you, man?!"
"What are you doing here?!"
"How did you get here?!"
Zoro was unable to answer any of them before another sounded another question, demanding an answer. But then, one of them noticed Luffy. What looked like a heavily injured child. Many of the weapons were pointed down, though the weapons were still drawn.
"What happened to her?" one of the women asked. Zoro, who would be absolutely humiliated about it later, burst into tears. This threw the dozen or so women off, and he tried to explain through the tears, but it wasn't understandable. They seemed to take pity on him, but didn't comfort him.
"...Follow us," a blonde woman said, her voice much kinder than anyone else's. "Take his swords," a black haired woman ordered. Zoro didn't find himself caring, as long as Luffy was treated, and let his swords be confiscated, thankful to see all three were there. He had calmed down enough by the time he saw civilization, that he was finally able to speak.
"She was heavily wounded by an admiral," he said simply and suddenly.
"An admiral?! Why?" the blonde haired woman asked.
"She injured a Celestial Dragon and didn't know who it was. We were going to go to our crew to escape, but we were separated. We were supposed to go but she decided to play hero and went on her own to fight the damn admiral. Then, I was able to reach here but we were suddenly sent here. I don't know what happened after some guy dressed like a bear touched her. If she had just run like we were supposed to, we might not be here…" he explained quietly.
The women were quiet. "We'll tell Snake Princess this story once we get there," one of the women said. "What is her name, man?"
"Luffy. She's my… sister," Zoro lied smoothly, though the pause was there. "Please, help her. All she needs is to wake up and have the fever treated and she'll be fine."
The blonde shouted, "She is full of holes! She will need a lot of treatment!" They looked at him like he was insane, and he knew it sounded insane. He sputtered out protests, but was told to be silent and to explain to the Snake Princess.
He stayed quiet and did as they said. The swordless swordsman noticed that he hadn't seen a single man since they arrived, and now that they were in a city, there were still no men and everyone was shouting at him, but then quieted when they saw the girl in his arms. He was sure he'd be dead if Luffy weren't there and in seemingly critical condition.
"Who is this?" an elderly woman suddenly asked, approaching the women and a single man. "Why is there a man here?" Zoro was sure there were no men here now, and he was the only one. That might be bad for him. For all he knew, these women hunted men. Or they'd save Luffy and kill him. While he didn't want to die, all he could think of was healing Luffy.
"Elder Nyon, he and this injured girl just showed up after a fight they had. She needs treatment immediately. But there's the man, and we're not sure whether to bring this to the Snake Princess's attention." Zoro still didn't know anyone's name, and he wanted to thank them but was smart enough to stay quiet. He was positive Sanji would be dead by now if he landed here.
The old woman, Elder Nyon, looked at Zoro and Luffy, before saying, "The Snake Princess has been injured, don't bring this to her attention at the moment. Take her to the hospital."
"M- May I speak?" Zoro asked quietly. He wasn't going to be tough and his usual self. These women were strong, had his swords, and were the only people who could help Luffy. If he had to be pathetic and submissive, then he would be.
"He's quite the well-mannered man. I've not seen one like this in awhile," Elder Nyon said. "You may speak."
"It's going to sound weird, but Luffy can heal people of wounds. Cuts or broken bones. Not sicknesses, or surgeries, or head injuries. But if your Snake Princess has any broken bones or cuts, Luffy can heal them if she wakes up."
"That's why you aren't concerned over the holes," one of the women who hadn't spoken but had been there the whole time said. Zoro nodded.
"The Snake Princess has broken her leg badly. Can Luffy heal her?" Elder Nyon asked.
"She should be able to. If she wakes up. There's more to explain, but I want to get Luffy help and then I'll tell you everything," Zoro said. He sounded desperate, and Elder Nyon seemed to take pity on him.
"Very well. Take Luffy to the Snake Princess. Man, if you are lying, you will die painfully," Elder Nyon said.
Zoro nodded. "It doesn't mean much, but I give you my word I am not lying." Elder Nyon looked at him suspiciously, and then down at Luffy, and asked his relationship with her. Zoro clenched his teeth. He'd already lied once, would they be angry if he lied again? Or would they be happy he told the truth? More lies would dig him deeper.
"I'm sorry, I lied before. She'd not my sister. She's my lover, and she's seventeen. I'm sorry I lied, I didn't want anyone to think I was a pedophile," Zoro said completely honestly. Elder Nyon started laughing, and Zoro blushed furiously, completely embarrassed.
The other women chuckled, too. "She sure is small for her age," the blonde commented.
"It's a defect," Zoro said awkwardly. Which was true. Sort of. "It will need to be explained more." He felt he would betray her if he explained too much, but he cared more about Luffy than the rest of her species. It was selfish, but true.
"Very well," Elder Nyon replied.
Zoro tuned out the confused shouting around him and looked down at Luffy's sleeping face. Unlike most times, she wasn't relaxed, she looked uncomfortable. Not necessarily in pain, but her sleep was not restful. He bit his lip and took a deep breath.
Soon, they were at a palace, but Zoro barely paid any attention to where they were going or how they'd gotten there. He just knew they ended up in a room that was clearly some sort of infirmary, and there was a stall that had many women fretting around it. Probably where the Snake Princess was.
"Do not worry, this will not defeat me. A mere broken bone," she scoffed. Zoro thought she sounded like she'd be a bitch, but of course made no show that that was his thought. He went where he was directed and laid Luffy down on a mat. He was pulled away and handcuffed while women began working on his lover.
He was shoved down and he sat obediently. This was so different for him. He hated being pushed around and would never act so meek. But Luffy's life was in danger and that changed everything. "Snake Princess, you will be unable to walk again with this injury," someone told the Snake Princess quietly. There was shouting of horror, but they were told to be silenced. Elder Nyon turned to Zoro, and told him to explain everything. So he did.
"Promise you won't tell the World Government what I tell you. Please, it's for her safety," he began. Elder Nyon seemed like the most reasonable woman he'd met so far, and she promised. "Luffy isn't a human. She's called a nymph and from an island in the grand line where her kind is kept a secret. She has no vocal chords, so she can't speak at all. Usually she can talk with other nymphs, but not with humans, so she writes what she says on boards she creates. Luffy had multiple powers. She can create anything she wants that isn't a living creature, can heal most wounds that aren't head injuries or anything needing surgery, or a sickness. She can banish things, and dissolve things, too. You may have heard about her during an incident many weeks ago at Enies Lobby. I met her and we f-fell in love, so she joined the pirate crew I'm part of." He was blushing near the end.
The women around him were fascinated with the story, and asked him questions about her powers, but Elder Nyon silenced them. "That is not important right now," she scolded. "Did she get a bounty recently?" Zoro nodded.
"Her old wanted poster had her name as 'Gasmask'. Chemicals poison her, so she had a gasmask on during Enies Lobby."
"Why did you just tell us her weakness?" a woman asked in bafflement. Zoro locked eyes.
"A sign of trust. I will tell you anything you ask if you treat her," he replied in a strong voice. He looked over to Luffy, who had an oxygen tube now, and was being injected with things, which made him scared. He hadn't thought about the fact that they'd use human medicine on her.
"Wait!" he shouted in panic. "Human medicine can make her sick!"
Elder Nyon said that the medicine they used was all natural, and Zoro sighed, though he'd upset some by yelling. "I apologize for yelling, I just got scared." God, Sanji would be laughing his ass off if he saw Zoro now. Though he'd also be bleeding profusely from a nosebleed at every single woman here and their revealing clothing.
"Wait for her to be treated silently, now," Elder Nyon ordered, and he nodded and sat silently, watching her be treated with medicine and salves for her numerous wounds. The old woman, who had been more than understanding with Zoro, got up and went to explain everything to the Snake Princess, who was doing her best not to cry out in pain. Zoro could hear it, and wondered just how bad the broken bone was.
He sat there quietly, hands fidgeting in the cuffs. He saw his swords were set by the wall, which made him happy, though he would not even have the chance to use them or escape if things went south. His and Luffy's lives were in the hands of these women, and he could do nothing else but be patient and hope to be lucky.
Luffy was lost in darkness, completely blacked out and unable to think or feel any pain. She heard some voices for a while, but they went away and came back like she was underwater. She didn't recognize any of them, and they were all the voices of women. She felt like she was made of lead. Well, heavy.
The voices came and went for what felt like a long time before she could understand what they were saying.
Her heart pace has quickened.
Her breathing is picking up.
I think she's going to wake up.
Quiet man! This is an infirmary.
Sorry…
Her eyes snapped open at Zoro's voice and she looked around in panic, not recognizing anything or anyone. "Shh, Luffy. Calm down, you're safe. We've treated you. You have a bad fever, but it's under control. You have a lot of injuries, but we've been told you can heal them." The woman had a kind face and she sounded calm.
Zoro was suddenly there, looking worse for wear and his hands were behind his back, cuffed. She didn't grow angry, not knowing the situation. Then, some of it came back to her and her face crumpled as she looked at Zoro, who was smiling at her.
"I know. I forgive you. You gotta heal yourself. The admiral gave you a lot of burns, or something," he said in a kind voice, though it wavered slightly. The same woman who woke her up gently lifted her back up. She was wearing a tiny hospital gown. Luffy lifted her hands shakily, and held them together to heal the holes in them. She moved to each wound and healed it, sighing once they were all gone.
Those in the room had gone silent, watching her heal herself. She had been cleaned of all of the blood she knew had to have been all over her. But, where were they? This wasn't the Sunny, and she wasn't with Chopper, treating her wounds. Did they escape? We're they alright?
Luffy formed her board, and wrote, Where are we?
"I'll tell you in a bit, you have to heal their princess's wounds first," Zoro said. Luffy nodded, trusting him since she didn't know the situation. She stood up, though her legs were a bit wobbly. Zoro was acting weird, but she trusted him. She was led to another stall where she saw a pretty human, a bone sticking out of her leg and looking to be in a lot of pain.
She seemed to be unconscious, probably out on medication. Luffy walked forward and gently put her hands on the wound, where the bone smoothly reformed and sunk back into her smooth skin, the tear in it disappearing until her thigh looked like a blank canvas. She was very tall, even laying down. People rushed past Luffy to check on her. Two big women, one very overweight and the other with a big head, were crying out "sister!"
Luffy was hugged by many women, who were crying. She wanted to get to Zoro, who was watching with an extremely relieved expression on. She was released and hurried over. "Don't dissolve the cuffs. Don't do anything that can be seen as suspicious, okay? And I had to tell them a lot about you to get you treated. I'm sorry," Zoro explained. Luffy nodded, and hugged him around the waist.
She was surprised when he dropped to his knees, tears spilling out of his eyes. Luffy held his head to her chest soothingly as he cried. "I-I thought you w-were gonna die. You would've died i-if they hadn't helped me."
Luffy felt like the worst person alive. She had hurt Zoro. She tried to help him, but had hurt him. Do you know if the others are okay?
"The den den was destroyed. We can check-"
Elder Nyon approached and Zoro silenced, Luffy turned to look. "Thank you for helping the Snake Princess, Luffy-chan. We've heard a lot about you. You're quite strong. You'd thrive well here." When Luffy looked confused and uneasy, Elder Nyon explained where they were. "You and Zoro landed on Amazon Lily, where we are now, yesterday. You were incredibly injured, which was the only reason we didn't kill him. Men are strictly not allowed here," she explained when Luffy looked shocked. "When we heard you could help the Snake Princess we healed you. Thank you for your help."
Thank you for helping me first. She didn't care if they only healed her because she was useful, they healed her, period. If there's anything else I can help you with, I will.
"Zoro said you can create things?" Luffy nodded. "We have some requests for that, if you don't mind." Luffy nodded and followed the old women. Zoro was finally unhandcuffed, and hurried after Luffy. She looked down at the list in front of her. It was long, but doable if she saved some energy for making anything she or Zoro might need.
Medical instruments were made seamlessly, along with fabrics and tools, she had been asked to create shapes of seastone, which she easily made for them. By the end, there was a huge pile of new items. She was about to walk back to Zoro, since he was unhandcuffed, when she was called by name by the now awake Snake Princess.
The tiny woman walked to where the beautiful woman was, and she gave her a smile. Luffy wasn't expecting a soft smile, but returned it. "Thank you, Luffy. If you weren't here, I would have been unable to walk unassisted. If there's anything I can do to help you, just ask."
Thank you, Snake Princess, Luffy wrote respectfully. Zoro came up behind her and picked her up. He didn't kiss her, since it really would look awkward even if they all knew her real age. She hugged him tightly.
"Why don't we try and call the others?" Zoro asked. She nodded, and created a den den that would connect to the others she'd created. "Can we go in private and call our crewmates?" Zoro asked the Snake Princess. Luffy was confused with him asking them for permission, but they gave it and he walked to the hallway.
Why are you acting like this?
Zoro blushed. "I had to do some pretty embarrassing things for them to treat you and not kill me. I had to be supre respectful and honest and all that horrible stuff." He didn't tell her he cried. No way. "Anyways, I'll call now." He dialed the number and then waited for a good two minutes, nervous and extremely worried, before the line picked up.
"Zoro, Luffy?!" Nami's voice screeched. "Is that you?!"
"Yeah, Nami, it's us. We're both alive and healthy. We're somewhere completely out of the way though, and you won't be able to get us. We're in the calm belt, on an island called Amazon Lily," Zoro said. "Are you all alright?" he asked worriedly. Luffy was wringing her hands nervously.
"We're okay. No one came after us, but when we looked for you you weren't there. There was a really angry guy who was really injured and shouting out for Luffy, but we avoided him. Why are you in the Calm Belt?!" Nami demanded.
Luffy looked to Zoro, and he said, "Can we talk to Robin?" Nami grumbled but got the captain on the line. Luffy wrote Tell Robin this: I disobeyed my orders and fought the admiral to try and let everyone get away. I'm really sorry. I'll accept any punishment. Please forgive me. Zoro looked at her sadly, but said, "Robin, Luffy has a message." His voice was sad. "'I disobeyed and order and fought the admiral to try and let everyone get away. I'm really sorry. I'll accept any punishment. Please forgive me'."
There was silence on the other end and Luffy was trembling, thinking Robin hated her now. She endangered Zoro's life. "I accept your apology, Luffy. I don't know what punishment to give, but it is most likely not as bad as you think it will be. I forgive you, but I want you to trust in our strength. Most likely, we wouldn't have gotten off scot free from the admiral, Kizaru. But, it is the principle. We are a team, fight together or die together." Luffy nodded. "Can you explain to me what has happened and where you've been for the three days?"
Zoro explained everything that happened. Then he asked, "Did you hear about the guy that helped Luffy out? Or what happened to the other super rookies? Did they all go down to Fishman Island, or flee? Where did Law go?"
"What the hell are you talking about, bro?" Franky asked. Zoro sighed and Luffy laughed. Well, they didn't get any information they wanted.
"Go see Shakky. Ask her some questions about what I just said. The Snake Princess said she'd help get us anywhere we want. Where are you all? Are you still at Sabaody?"
"We're a bit away from Saboady, but close. We'll go see Shakky. If you can, do your best to get back to Sabaody. We can't go to the Calm Belt, it just isn't possible," Robin explained.
"Will do. I'll call back when we have a plan," Zoro replied. The den den hung up, and Zoro sighed. I want to go home. "Me too. We can go ask Snake Princess to take us back." Luffy nodded, and latched onto Zoro's back, still feeling bad for everything even if everyone turned out alright. Well, her, just barely.
When The two went back inside, the women were marveling at Luffy's creations and the quality of them. They weren't knock offs. Zoro did his best not to scowl when someone said that they should keep Luffy. Though, he wouldn't need to protect Luffy. Though, seeing her like that… full of holes… would always haunt him. Forever. Even worse than when he's stabbed her once, and had nightmares for days after that. This time, he didn't do it to her, but the sight was even worse.
He tried not to slip into the mindset that he had to protect her. She was protecting him, even if it was a roundabout way, chaining him to the ground and out of view… Luffy would hate it if Zoro started treating her weak. Even if she lost two battles in a row. He looked down at her, and she had a blank expression on.
"Excuse me, we'd like to ask the Snake Princess something," Zoro said. It seemed the women had warmed up to him, calling him by his name, after everything he'd said turned out to be true and Luffy healed their leader.
"Sure. Snake Princess, Luffy-chan knows what she wants to do," Mary said, one of the women who'd given Luffy the oxygen tube.
"What is it that you want, Luffy-chan?" We want to go home. To our ship. It's by Sabaody. Please take us home. Luffy couldn't help the tears in her eyes, and the Snake Princess suddenly grabbed her, hugging her into her very large breasts. Luffy couldn't breathe.
"You're so cute, of course I'll take you home! And your man, too," she added. "And my name is Hancock, Snake Princess is long to write and say." Luffy smiled and nodded in thanks. Hancock was treated some more and monitored, to her annoyance, before the three got ready to depart. Luffy recreated her clothes and changed. Even her underwear had been soaked in blood. She was disgusted when she peeled them off.
Zoro was so much more comfortable when his swords were returned to him. And despite being a man, he got treated like a prince when they left, since he'd brought the person who healed Hancock. He would be forever grateful for the Amazons' help, and hoped to never see Elder Nyon again so he wouldn't need to address those embarrassing moments.
The moment the ship departed, Hancock showed her true colors, and banished Zoro from the room, only keeping Luffy, who was incredibly confused, and got up to follow Zoro, wanting to be with him. Hancock, it seemed, only wanted to be around Luffy. "Luffy-chan, why don't we talk about things? I want to hear all about you," Hancock said sweetly. Luffy stopped, still wanting Zoro. But, she knew she had to be respectful, and went back to Hancock to talk.
Hancock was an incredibly prideful person, irritated with anyone suggesting to help her with anything, but was so gooey with Luffy, continually telling her how adorable she was. She held her temper, realizing after the Celestial Dragon incident that it could get her in a lot of trouble, and Hancock was helping them out a lot.
They would get back to Sabaody quicker with her sea monsters that swam the ship. When they ate meals, Luffy had to sit next to Hancock while Zoro sat at the other end of the table. The princess, and warlord, either didn't care or didn't notice that Luffy looked miserable when not sitting with Zoro.
She locked eyes with him and he gave her a sympathetic smile. Luffy drew the line when she was made to sleep in Hancock's room on her huge bed. They both easily fit, but after the princess fell asleep, she snuck out and went to find Zoro. She found him in a room with bunk beds, and climbed onto his bunk and shuffled under the covers. He wasn't surprised at her appearance, and wrapped his arms around her tightly.
Hancock barged into the room in the morning, trying to find where her new friend went, before she saw Luffy's sleepy and confused face, and the anger on her face melted at the cute sight. Luffy was pulled away again, and Zoro sighed. Well, she'd come to him that night, at least. Honestly, he was impressed that she'd put up with it this long. They'd both done a lot of uncharacteristic things lately.