Chapter 32
Zoro
Zoro was sweeping off the front porch when he heard the excited chattering and commotion coming from the village. Walking to the fence, he looked towards the harbor and was unsurprised to see the massive castle-snail-ship…thing…back in the port. Sighing, the swordsman quickly finished the sweeping, put away the broom, and sat on the porch to meditate. If he was going to deal with the damn cook, he wanted to try to be as centered and calm as possible.
Of course, a few minutes into his meditation, that plan went right out the window as Yaki and Tori raced outside, laughing and shrieking and just making noise in general. They rushed over to their father, making insistent demands that he play with them.
"Hey! Hey!" Zoro protested, "Can't you see I'm busy here? Go find your mother!"
"But you look like you're just sitting. And Mom said to go find you!" Yaki argued.
"Argh! Of all the-!" Zoro began, until he realized he felt a presence. An all too familiar, annoying presence. He glanced over at the gate.
"Don't stop on my account, Mosshead," the cook said, standing just on the other side of the gate, a basket in the crook of his elbow, a smirk on his face, and freshly lit cigarette in his mouth. "And you should do what a lady tells you. Especially if that lady is your wife."
Forgetting his earlier plan, Zoro looked over at the two boys. "Hey, Yaki. Tori. You want somebody to play with? Go get Curly Brow over there." He pointed at the cook, who was just walking through the gate. Upon hearing his nickname, the cook paused, frowning, until the two boys raced over to him. Zoro had the joy of watching the cook's shocked expression as the boys nearly bowled him over and started laughing as they grabbed onto the cook's arm and leg, much to the blond's protests.
"What the hell, Mosshead?! Get your little goblins off me!" the cook snarled, raising one leg and try to shake Tori off. Zoro nearly fell over he was laughing so hard. Finally, the cook raised the basket. "I'm here with a peace offering!"
"Alright, Yaki. Tori. That's enough!" Zoro called with one last chuckle. Laughing, the boys let go of the hapless cook and raced towards their father, giving him hugs before Zoro shooed them inside to their room.
"So what's this damn peace offering, Cook?" Zoro asked, leaning back on his hands as he glanced up at his blond crewmate. Letting out a huff of smoke, the cook reached into the basket and pulled out a bottle of sake. Zoro let out a low whistle. It was the good stuff.
"There are rice balls in the basket," the cook explained, as he set said basket between himself and Zoro and then took a seat on the porch next to the swordsman, wrapping his hands around one knee and stretching out his other leg. Zoro was fully ready to drink the sake straight from the bottle, but the cook pulled out three cups. The swordsman raised a quizzical eyebrow. The cook explained, "For Luffy, whenever he gets here."
"You know he doesn't drink."
"He might after this." The cook said. Then, to Zoro's surprise, he quickly poured a cup for himself and drank it straight off.
"Thought this was my peace offering?"
"There's another bottle in the basket."
After peeking in the basket to ensure the cook was right, Zoro glared at him. "Here to try to make me go back again?"
Instead of answering, the cook put out his current cigarette and lit a new one. He took a deep inhale and released the smoke in a slow breath before looking the swordsman right in the eye.
"Your wife. In our world, who was she?" the cook asked. The question took Zoro aback. Not because the cook was asking it, but the way he was asking it. Instead of the harsh tone of a demand, the cook's voice was soft, gentle, like he knew this was going to be a tough question for Zoro to answer. And the swordsman didn't miss the cook's use of the word was, like the fact Kuina was dead was a forgone conclusion.
"Why is it important?"
"I want to know. Who was she?"
Zoro took a deep breath. He'd never talked to any of the others about Kuina, not even Luffy. This was going to be a hard conversation.
"Her name's Kuina," Zoro explained. "Back when I was kid and still learning the sword, I challenged every dojo in my village. Then one day I came across this place. The instructor was a man with a kind face and round glasses. Instead of accepting the challenge himself, he made me spar with his best student, his daughter."
"Ah, and that was Kuina, eh?" the cook said with a grin. Suddenly, it turned into a snarl as the cook pointed his cigarette at the swordsman, "I hope you're not about to tell me you hit a lady, shitty swordsman!"
"Would you can it?! You wanna hear the story or not?!" Zoro snarled right back. Once both men calmed back down, Zoro resumed, "Yes, that was Kuina. And she beat me."
"Yes! I knew you could do it, Kuina-chwan!" the cook cooed excitedly. Zoro gave him a dumbfounded expression before deciding to just continue on.
"It was the first time I had ever lost. So I started training at this dojo. And I sparred against Kuina. And I lost. Again. And again. And again."
Zoro glanced over at the cook, expecting some sort of mocking comment or anger or some other interruption. The blond simply watched him quietly and smoked his cigarette. Zoro decided to take that as his cue to continue.
"For our 2,000th match, I challenged her to fight with real swords," Zoro explained. At the cook's quiet gasp, the swordsman explained, "Relax, Cook. It ended up being her 2,000th victory. No matter how hard I trained, I could never beat her.
"I remember how frustrated I was. I mean, I was only a kid, but I remember being so upset that I couldn't beat her. Told her that it was my dream to become the world's best swordsman. And you know what? She told me that was her dream too. But her dad told her she'd never get to be the best. Just because she was a girl. She even started crying.
"I was so mad at her, Cook. Told her that if I beat her, it would be because I was more skilled, not because she was a girl. So we both made a promise that one of us would become the world's best swordsman."
Zoro heard the cook take a deep inhale of his cigarette, as though he knew the worst was about to come. The swordsman took a deep breath himself.
"The next day, she was dead." Those intense feelings of sadness that returned whenever he thought of Kuina's death lately began to creep at the corners of his mind. Zoro forced himself to stare straight ahead, to focus on the distant horizon, to stay centered and grounded. Out the corner of his eye, he could tell the cook was keeping absolutely still. "She'd fallen down some stairs."
"Just like that?" the cook asked gently.
"Just like that," Zoro confirmed. His voice was staying level. Good. "I asked her father for her sword. Promised that I'd become a swordsman so great, my name would reach the heavens."
The cook was silent for a long moment before he asked, "Her sword's that white one you've always had, right? The one you usually carry in your teeth?"
Zoro nodded. "I developed the Three Sword Style not long after."
"It's hard to lose someone close to you. Especially when you're young," the cook said sympathetically. "How old were you?"
"I was about ten, I think."
"Were you in love with her?" the cook asked. Zoro glanced over at him, looking for any signs the love cook was mocking him. He found none; the other man looked completely serious. Sighing, Zoro ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe he was telling the other man this.
"I don't know. At the time I was so…young and she was this goal I was never able to obtain. I didn't realize how much I missed her until she was gone," Zoro replied. "Never realized how strongly I felt about her until I got here."
The cook coughed at that. Zoro glared at him, thinking the man was finally making fun of him. To his surprise, the blond looked…sad? Angry? Definitely upset, though Zoro couldn't fathom why. Maybe the man was hoping he'd be able to talk Zoro into returning to the other world and was realizing how hopeless such a feat was going to be.
"Look, Cook, I already told you, I'm not going back."
"Yeah, I remember," the cook said quietly. He paused a moment more, then, "Zoro, there's something I need to tell you."
Any further argument Zoro had been about to make stopped at the use of his name. What the hell was wrong with the cook? He was being unusually serious. This wasn't how they had conversations; there was always arguing and fighting.
"You feeling alright, Shit Cook?"
"They've been manipulating you."
Zoro blinked at that. "Manipulating me? Who are you talking about?"
"Vegapunk. His damn assistant. We're still in that lab. Have been this whole time," The cook gestured vaguely. "This whole place is a dream, Zoro."
"You're still on about that?! Look, Dartboard. Look around you!" Zoro bent down and scooped up a handful of dirt. He let it pour out of his fist onto the cook's shiny dress shoe. He knew it was a childish action; he didn't care. He wanted to get a rise out of the other man. "That real enough for you?"
The cook stubbed out his cigarette and stood up, his hands in his pockets. But there was no anger in the cook's face, to Zoro's surprise. No heat in his actions. "Kuina and the boys, Zoro. They're not real. They're a dream created by-"
Anything else the shitty cook had been about to say was interrupted by Zoro's fist meeting his jaw. As the blond rocked back, Zoro was furious. The other man wasn't bothering to dodge, to block. He wasn't getting angry; he just kept looking at Zoro with that pitying stare, saying those shitty lies.
"You can hit me all you want. It's not gonna change the fact that Vegapunk's been…" This time, the cook was interrupted by Zoro grabbing his collar and forcing the blond up close, until their faces were only inches apart.
"Not. Another. Word."
"I know you love them, Mosshead." The cook said it quietly, so quietly. Like he was afraid Zoro would break under his words. "I get it. I do. And I wish I didn't have to tell you this. But, please, listen…"
Zoro's next punch knocked the cook to the ground. Before the blond could get up, Zoro was on him, punching him back down. "I told you not another word! You and Luffy go and leave me here!"
"We can't leave without you, Shitty Swordsman!" the cook yelled at him from the ground. "If we do, it'll kill you!"
That made Zoro pause, but he still ground his teeth into a snarl, "What the hell are you talking about, Shit Cook?"
The blond wiped the blood from his mouth on his sleeve before answering. "This world. Somehow, it's being run by all three of us. Powered by us. If one of us leaves, the whole place is going to come crashing down." The cook paused to give the Zoro a significant glance. "If we leave you here, you'll be killed, Zoro."
The swordsman felt like his feet were frozen to the ground. He couldn't move. It felt hard to breath.
"Cook," he finally got out, standing up and staggering back, "What's going to happen…to them?" He pointed towards the house where Kuina and the boys were.
The cook looked directly into Zoro's eyes. "What happens to a dream when you wake up?"
Zoro's hands were tight fists as the cook stood and brushed himself off. "Damn it, Cook! Just say what you mean!"
"What do you think, Mosshead? This world will be destroyed!" The cook glanced away, unable to look the swordsman in the face. "And them with it."
With a roar, Zoro grabbed the cook's collar again and punched him in the face. "Shut up!"
The cook raised a leg and pushed the swordsman away from him this time. "Look, shithead, I didn't want to tell you this, but-!"
"Liar!" Zoro shouted, coming at the cook again. "You're lying! Just shut up! Just-!"
"Dada!"
Both men paused at the tiny voice, their scuffle momentarily forgotten as Tori came running up to them. By some unspoken mutual agreement, the cook lowered his leg and Zoro hid his bloody fists behind his back. The toddler grabbed onto Zoro's pant leg. "Dada! I find you!"
"Yeah, yeah. You found me, kiddo. Now go inside. Daddy needs to finish this conversation," Zoro said, shooting a glare at the cook.
"Dada, I…Aha! I found you two! SU~PER!" Suddenly, Tori assumed a wide stance, leaned to one side and put his forearms together, bending with the lean. Zoro's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. That pose! There was no way…!
"Franky?!" the cook shouted, recovering first.
"That's right! The one and only!" the two-year old proudly announced. The swordsman stared at the cook, completely and utterly confused. The bastard must have gotten a good kick in on the side of Zoro's head-that must be it. This was all some weird dream. There was no way… "Sorry for the odd appearance, but this kid was the closest person near you two."
"I…see…" the cook replied hesitantly, before lighting another cigarette. "This is just like what Vegapunk did."
"Vegapunk?" Tori… no… Franky… no… dammit… the kid asked.
"Yeah, he did the same thing with my mom. It's freaky as all hell." The blond explained. He took a deep inhale on his cigarette, and then let it out in a slow exhale. "So, that's you, Franky? How's everything in the real world?"
"Ah! So you guys know this is a dream already?"
"More or less. Also know that Observation's the ticket out of here and that if anyone gets left behind, their ticket's punched for good." The cook confirmed.
Zoro felt like he was going to be sick. He didn't want it to be true, tried to deny the evidence and explanations. But there was no denying this. That was, without a doubt, Franky. Even with Tori's voice, the cyborg's way of speaking was distinct enough that Zoro could tell. But that meant…
"Cook…" Zoro's voice was a little above a whisper, a growl in his throat, "What you were saying earlier, about them manipulating me…?"
He somehow still expected the cook to use this opportunity to gloat. To Zoro's surprise, not only did the blond remain serious, he could tell from the crossed arms and expression that Franky was too.
"Every time you interacted with Kuina, Vegapunk or his shitty assistant was there, using their damn machine to literally pull at your heart strings," the cook growled around his cigarette. Maybe it was Zoro's imagination, but the cook seemed more pissed than usual.
"Curly Cook's right," Franky affirmed. "It's a little complicated, but basically, the scientists here can play with the emotional core of your brain. Every time you interacted with a loved one in here, they could increase those feelings you have for them even more. Mess with your memories and emotions about them. In that department, it sounds like they were focused the most on you, Sword-bro."
Zoro thought back to every time he had seen or thought of Kuina or the boys in this world and the wash of emotions that had accompanied those moments. Even when he'd been in Syrup Village and his thoughts should have been about Usopp and the crew, Kuina and the boys had ended up being at the forefront of his mind. And the worst part was, even though he understood the situation, understood all too clearly what had happened to him, Zoro also knew that the damage had been done. That it was far too late.
"So, it's true then? All of it?" Zoro asked, quietly. He already knew the answer.
"Yes." The cook's voice was soft, gentle. He already knew, Zoro realized. The cook already knew what this all meant for the swordsman.
It was through pure force of will that Zoro kept standing. He felt like his entire universe had been flipped on its head, again. And just when he had accepted his life here, realized he was happy with his life in this world. Now it felt like the world was shaking, threatening to break apart.
"What was that?" the cook suddenly asked, alarmed. And then Zoro realized that it wasn't just his imagination; the world actually was shaking.
"Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention, the Navy's on its way. They're attacking to island now with some kinda long range weapon." Franky explained, way too calmly.
"What?!" Both men shouted in unison.
"Yeah, we have less than thirty minutes," Franky continued, still way too calm.
"How the hell are we supposed to find Luffy again in less than thirty minutes?!" the cook screamed at Franky. The cyborg continued to look unperturbed.
"Same way you did before, I suppose. If nothing else, Brook already talked to him," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Look, I've read a bit about this project. You're in a dream world; time flows a little differently here. To give you a scale, you've only been in here a couple of hours."
"A couple of hours?" Zoro stated in disbelief.
"It's been weeks for us! How is that possible?" the cook asked. Franky held up his hands.
"Look, Nico Robin and I will explain all the details later, but for now, you two need to find Luffy and get out of this place, before the whole simulation crashes," the shipwright explained.
At that, Zoro felt the blood leave his face. He must have turned pale because the blond suddenly gave him a critical look.
"Hey, Mosshead, why don't you go sit for a minute? I want to have a word with Franky," the cook said, pointing over at the porch.
Feeling numb, the swordsman walked over and dropped to the porch without argument. The cook and Franky's words flowed around him, but Zoro didn't hear any of it, cradling his head in his hands. He had to leave the simulation, he knew he had to. But to leave Kuina, Yaki, and Tori here…What would it be like for them as their world ended? Would it be quick, done in an instant? Would it go dark first or would the world just crumble away? The boys would be so frightened and Kuina would try to calm them, keeping her own terror hidden from view…
"Dada?" Zoro glanced up to see Tori's innocent gaze, Franky no longer inhabiting the toddler's body.
"Hey, Squirt," Zoro said softly, rustling the boy's hair with one hand.
"Dada, you okay?"
"Yeah," the swordsman replied, quickly rubbing the forming tears from his eyes. "Go find your mom, okay?"
"Okay, Dada," Tori replied cheerfully, before giving Zoro a quick hug and skipping off. The swordsman watched him go. Maybe he could stay here. It was a crazy thought, he knew, but maybe he could stay here, with his family, as the world ended. At least then he could comfort Kuina and hold the boys in the end. That wouldn't be so bad, would it?
"ZOOOOOROOOOOOOO! SAAAAAAAAAAANJIIIIIIIIIII!" At his captain's cheerful shout, Zoro was brought out of his dark thoughts. The rubber man came bounding up the path to the dojo, his smile as bright as the sun. "There you two are! It's time to go back!"
Author's Notes: I'm sorry if I made anyone cry!
-I feel like Zoro would make a pretty good dad, if for nothing more than his interactions with Chopper. If nothing else, then the grumpy uncle that all the nieces and nephews love anyways. Sanji would be a loving father simply because he'd want to be a better dad than Judge (Heaven help him if he ever has a daughter!) I also feel they'd be great uncles to the other's kids, despite their aversion to each other.
-Luffy would be the uncle that always wants to watch the kids, but everyone makes sure there's a more responsible adult around as well.
-There are a couple reasons for the Franky-taking-over-Tori's-body plotline here. It serves as some needed comic relief in a very sad and tense chapter. It gives absolute and unshakable proof to Zoro that yes, this is a simulation. And Franky gives a clearer and more thorough explanation for everything Sanji's already said, plus warns them about the approaching Navy attack. There's one more reason, but I'll save that for later.