Spoiler Alert!

The prologue portion of this scene is based on Chapter 1010 of One Piece during the battle of Onigashima. Manga readers who have passed this chapter may read the intro. Anime Watchers may want to skip this as to not be spoiled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The booming sound of a thunderous explosion exploded across the sky above the island of Onigashima. Atop of the island, one of mightiest battles in years was currently taking place. A battle between Five Members of the Worst Generation against Two declared Emperors of the Sea. A legendary and historic conflict would soon construct the courses of destiny, and the ambition of obtaining the ultimate title of Pirate King would soon be a step closer to its victors

"WORORORORO!" Kaido's booming holler taunted two of the members of the Worst Generation, Roronoa Zoro and Trafalgar D Law. "Just look at Straw Hat's face. Just like before, as he lies unconscious - still, he glares me down. Should I crush his eyes? Or his head? Maybe his heart would do..."

As Kaido continued to list various ways to kill Straw Hat Luffy, Zoro exchanged unshaken words with Law.

"Listen Traffy, what I'm about to do... is the limit of my strength."

"Roronoa-ya? Are you sure about this?"

Placing his most prized and cherished sword between his teeth, Zoro grunted. "If we continue fighting, it'll only drag us down. If I can't break through here, we'll die... and it'll all be up to you!"

While Kaido continued to holler at Luffy's battered and unconscious state, he was brought out of his humor by an angered First Mate.

"Hey, Kaido!"

Glancing over, his eyes narrowed at the approaching Swordsman. "Hm?"

"That's my Captain you're threatening..." Bringing his blades before him, he prepared his final attack. "If you're tryna crush his skull, you'll have to start with me!" Charging ahead at incredible speed, the Pirate Hunter delivered his final blow.

*Demon Aura: Nine Swords Style, Ashura - Dead Man's Game!*

Blood splattered across the air. Blood belonging to the very man - Kaido, King of the Beasts. With a deep gash cut diagonally across his chest, Kaido was forced to take a step back - shaken by what he'd just experience. This effect was not caused by the slash he received across his chest, but something else entirely.

"Boy..." His voice was low, but rough. "Don't tell me... you can also use the Color of the Supreme King, too?"

Huffing and puffing, Zoro lightly chuckled at such an accusation. "What are you talking about? That was just the best attack I could do." Falling to his knees, his legs were unable to continue to support his weight. "I'm a little disappointed honestly. I... was at least hoping that attack would knock you off your feet."

Kaido's stern expression returned. "No, but you did enough. This wound will remain a scar on me for the rest of my life." Raising his club over his shoulder, his intentions in blowing the swordsman away became clear.

"Zoro!" Law screamed. "Get out of there!"

*Thunder Bagua!*

Zoro was unable to react as Kaidos Club directly impacted against his abdomen. He was sent soaring - his throat ended coughing streams of blood during the process. Landing roughly against the battered rocks, Zoro could only hazily watch as Kaido belittled him.

"What a shame. If only you'd join me, we would've conquered the world."

Unable to stay awake any longer, Zoro allowed the desperation of sleep to fill his mind until he was no longer able feel or hear anything...

at least, that's what was supposed to happen.

In the midst of his short slumber, a purple hand had shot towards him as if it were fetching a toy. The sudden appearance caused him to jolt awake, only to hiss at the unbearable amount of pain he was in. Clutching his abdomen where Kaido had struck, he released a groan of discomfort.

"Oi, kid. You okay?"

Lifting his head to the unfamiliar voice, Zoro met the eyes of a muscular, lightly brown skinned man who seemed to be running a business.

"Eh?"

Confused entirely by his situation, Zoro slowly rose to his feet before taking a good look on his surroundings. Now standing in the midst of a busy street, the sight of lizardman, humanoid wolves, and various of other races filled the area. None of this was alarming. After all, he's already encountered his fair share of weird species when venturing through the Grand Line. Taking a small step, a rush of pain had again filled his bones forcing him to hunch over.

"Oi, take it easy kid." The man running the shop rushed over and held him by the shoulder - providing enough leverage to stay on his toes. "You look absolutely terrible. Almost like you got out of a fight against hundreds of mabeast."

"Mabeast? ...nevermind." Zoro brushed off. "Old man, where am I? This place doesn't look like Onigashima to me."

The man rubbed his chin. "Onigashima? I've never heard of such a place. Wherever it is you're from, it's long and far from here. This is the Kingdom of Lugnica."

"Kingdom of Lugnica, huh?" Zoro hummed. "I've never heard of a place within the Land of Wano. So what island are we on?"

"Island?" The man chuckled. "This is no island my friend. We're standing on a huge mass of land. A continent!" Crossing his arms, he couldn't help but grow concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I feel like I should be asking you that!" Zoro sighed in frustration. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way no-"

He suddenly felt it. Something... something missing. Something of value.

"My swords!" He blurted out. "W-Where are my swords!" Turning back to the market owner, he was in need of answers.

"Your swords?" The man hummed. "Well, earlier today a thief had sped through and swiped your swords before targeting a woman with white hair."

"And you did nothing?"

He shrugged. "What could I do? She was too fast for me to catch. Besides, it all happened so quick."

Growling in annoyance, Zoro clawed his hair with discontent. "Where did she go? Do you know who she is?"

"Woah, calm down there." Taking a small step back, the man could only shrug. "I couldn't get a good look at the girl. She was small, and I think she had blond hair. The one and only thief that comes to mind with those features is a girl named Felt. She lives somewhere in the Slums."

Zoro nodded and immediately departed without another word - limping his way through the streets.

Minutes later, Zoro stopped in an alleyway panting and out of breath. In his injured state, there's only so much he could do without overexerting himself.

"Dammit, I should've asked for directions!"

Leaning against the cold wall made of bricks, he rested his aching head against its structure finding comfort in its cool nature. His fight with Kaido had done its damage. The result was the inability to do everyday tasks as he'd normally done. Hopefully, it'd be temporary. Taking a moment to catch his breath, his jaw found itself clenched as realization settled in that his friends were still fighting without him. This is unacceptable. He had to get back to them! But first, he'll need to retrieve his swords - fast.

"Well, well. Look what we have here."

Three mediocre looking thieves approached Zoro threateningly.

"Look at him! He's already hurt, ha! Alright punk, listen here. Cough up everything you have and you won't get hurt."

After being faced with the gut wrenching fact that his friends are fighting for their lives elsewhere, Zoro was not in the mood for this shit.

"Eh? You're tryna pick a fight, brats?"

"Hoho! Looks like he has some bark left in him."

The three bandits pulled out their knives, brandishing them threateningly to the unarmed Swordsman.

"Last chance, give us all you have in exchange for your life."

Despite in his current state, Zoro still pressed on menacingly. "I'll take my chances."

The two sides stared off heatedly against one another. Zoro smirked confidently. With or without a weapon, he was more than certain he would rise to be the victor.

"Move, get out of my way!"

A new voice had emerged. One much younger and more full of life than these three before him. In the direction the thugs came from emerged a blonde girl speeding down the alley. Everyone diverted their attention to the girl. Zoro - noticing something strapped to her back - widened his eyes in realization.

"O-Oi!" He took a step forward, but the blonde girl slipped pass him with ease. He could only watch her disappear onto the roofs of the buildings. "My swords! Come back with my swords, brat!"

He attempted to sprint after her, but the strenuous pain had returned - heightened even greater than before. "Dammit, I really can't do anything in this state."

"What do you think you're doing ignoring us like we're no-"

"Stop right there!"

A new voice had joined the party. Turning towards the newcomer, a woman with silver-like white hair had appeared.

"And who the hell are you?" Another Thug asked.

"Stop what you're doing now, and I'll let this slide. In return, I expect you to graciously return what you've stolen from me."

"What we stole?"

"Please, return what you've stolen. You can keep everything else, but I can not allow you to have that."

"Wait, so you're not here to help this man?"

The woman took a brief glance at Zoro showing little to no interest. "If you're asking if I have any sort of connection with this man, I'd have to say no."

"Then you have no right to interfere! Your thief ran that way earlier!"

Taken aback by how sincere they sounded, the girl hummed - convinced of their words before speeding towards the opposite end of the alleyway. Zoro glanced in the corner of his eye as she bypassed him believing she would be gone by now. Instead, she stopped in her tracks and turned. A glare written all over her face.

"Still, I can not ignore the fact that you're all attempting to mug an injured man." Raising her hands, she shot three balls of ice towards the thugs knocking each of them on their backs.

Zoro perked his head at the sight. "A Devil Fruit user?"

The thugs stood to their feet and attempted to threaten the girl with superior numbers, but an unexpected appearance of a floating, talking, tiny cat had appeared beside her. He did not understand why, but that seemed to be enough to send them all running with their tails between their legs. Once he was certain the three brats had ran off, he slowly turned to greet the newcomer.

"You didn't have to help, really. I could've handled it by myself, but than-"

"Don't move!" She cut him off.

Blinking confusingly, the two locked eyes momentarily. That's all they did, stare at each other in silence. It went on for a few seconds until Zoro averted his gaze after feeling a sense of awkwardness crawl up his spine.

"See! You averted your gaze because you have a guilty conscience. It seems like my instincts paid off."

"That's a terrible way to confirm your thoughts!" He comically screamed.

The cat giggled at his reaction. "I don't think he averted his gaze solely based off your belief. I believe it could've just been natural male instincts."

"Be quiet, Puck." Huffing at her partner, the girl turned her attention back towards the man.

"You! You know who stole my item, don't you?"

"Sorry lady, but I don't have the slightest clue as to what you're looking for." Slowly limping around the girl, Zoro was hoping to begone of this situation. "I have my own thief I'm tryna catch."

Suddenly, as if some switch had been magically turned on, the girls attitude took a complete 180 in terms of her displayed bearing and pressing nature. A look of panic filled her bones as she glanced back concerningly. "E-Eh? W-Wait, then does that mean I came around the long way?"

Unsure of what she should do now, her attention settled upon an sudden and abrupt noise.

*Thump*

Turning her attention back towards Zoro, her gaze lowered to where he fell flat on his stomach. His injuries started to take over as he lie near a state of unconsciousness, unable to press on any further.

"It seems like his injuries finally caved in on him." Puck hummed. "What should we do?"

"It's none of our business. He won't die. We'll leave him here and pursuit after the thief."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

Zoro - slowly shifting his head towards the commotion, weakly gazed upon the two who bickered back and fourth about his current state. "So annoying." He thought before his mind succumb to its inevitable desire for sleep.

Feeling something warm and unusual pressing against his abdomen, Zoros eyes slowly fluttered open. His head was lying on something soft and furry while his eyes noticed a pair of feminine hands pressing against his skin in a glowing fashion. Unfamiliar with this kind of sight, Zoro shot straight up causing the two tending to his injuries to jump back in fright. Realizing his mistake, he was unable to brace himself for another jolt of pain to spread across his body. Clenching his stomach, he gave a soft glare to the two who were still startled by his sudden jump.

"The hell are you doing to me!" He shouted.

"H-Hold on, take it easy! You're still very hurt!" The girl pleaded.

"I'm fine. Whatever it is you're doing, just stop i-" Grabbing his abdomen again, he hunched over releasing a painful hiss.

Sighing, she seemed disheartened by his display. "You clearly are not fine. Please, I just want to heal you."

Narrowing her eyes at the woman, her gaze had slowly averted his as if she were being judged. By expression alone, he could already tell her social life hadn't been the best. Glancing at the cat who took on a more humanoid figure, the animal gave him a reassuring smile that he would be alright. After a few more seconds, Zoro released a depleted sight - finally giving in to her request. Laying back down on Pucks lap, the girl slowly worked her way into healing his broken body. Her palms were gentle as she slowly made her way around his figure - being extra careful in places where he winced at even the slightest touch.

"I've never seen such injuries in my life." She softly spoke. "What happened to you?"

His only response was a deep exhale he held in for some time. The girl decided not to press any further. She could tell he did not wish to speak of it, so she will respect his wish. After another few minutes, her healing process finally came to an end. Sighing in exhaustion, the girl slowly stood before dusting off her knees.

"I hate to say it, but I've done all I could." Entwining her fingers together, she continued to observe. "Try getting up, but slowly this time."

With another deep breath, Zoro did as requested. Being sure to lift his body from his lying position while half expecting the stinging pain to wreck havoc upon his nerves. Finally pushing himself to his feet, he was surprised to realize that such pain did not come.

"Whatever you did, it helped numb the pain." He complimented. "Thank you."

"Don't get the wrong idea, you're still extremely damaged. I'm honestly surprised you can stand." Sighing in relief, her expression became stern. "I didn't help you solely off the kindness of my heart. There's a few things I want to ask you. Healing your wounds and allowing your head to rest on Pucks lap was intended for my personal benefit. I'll need you to repay my act of kindness."

Zoro hummed. "For such a normal favor, you're making it sound like I'm indebted to you pretty big."

"Precisely." Approaching the swordsman, the girl halted just before him. "Do you have any idea who stole my insignia?"

"Huh? This again? Lady, like I told you earlier I have no idea who stole your-"

"A thief had sped through earlier and swiped your swords before targeting a woman with white hair."

His eyes furrowed slightly in realization. The woman before him matched the description that shop owner gave him earlier. Perhaps he was referring to her.

"The thief that stole your insignia..." Zoro began. "Was this person small?"

Puck floated before his contractor. "The thief was pretty small. I wasn't able to get a good look since this person was able to blend in to the crowd instantly."

"Puck!"

The spirit backed off and sat among the girls shoulder. Giving the cat a firm glare, she turned back towards Zoro.

"What Puck is saying is true. We weren't able to see who this person was due to their height."

"She was small, and looked like she had blond hair. The one and only thief that comes to mind with those features is a girl named Felt. She lives somewhere in the Slums."

The Slums. Zoro did not know where this place was located, nor what it looked like. These lands were absolutely foreign to him, especially for a Pirate. He'll need help from someone who knows their way around in order to end up where he needs to be. If this person was also a victim of that brat - just as the shop owner had stated - then this should be easier than he initially thought.

"I think I might know who you're looking for." He finally answered.

The girls attention spiked immediately. "Y-You do? Please, tell me!"

"I spoke with a man earlier today who said that a small girl with blond hair had swiped something from a girl matching your description. He believed the girls name is Felt, and that she's based out in the Slums or whatever."

Puck hummed in thought. "The Slums, huh?"

"That explains where the thief- er, Felt - could've gone." Smiling at Zoro, the girl bowed graciously. "Thank you for the information." Attempting to speed off in the direction of the Slums, a firm grasp on her wrist had prevented her from doing so.

"H-Hold on for a second."

"Eh, is there something else?"

Releasing his grasp, Zoro scratched his hair while contemplating. "Er, yeah. You see, I'm clearly not from here. That girl you're after also stole some things very important to me. I was hoping it'd be okay if you'd allow me to accompany you there."

Taken aback by his statement, she looked hesitant to respond. Before she could utter a word, Puck had answered for them.

"Yeah, sure! The more the merrier!"

"P-Puck!" Her tone was filled with objection.

"Oh, come on. He's alright. I sense no malice from this man. At least, nothing directed towards us."

"Still, you shouldn't go off deciding everything on your own!"

"I know, but you were taking so long. Besides, he's in need of navigation. I see no harm in this whatsoever."

Sighing in the defeat, the girl nodded. "Fine, you can come along. But don't slow us down or we'll leave you behind!"

Begrudgingly stomping away, Puck floated over to Zoro with a light snicker.

"Even if you did slow us down, she wouldn't abandon you."

"How can you be so sure?"

Thinking of his contractor, Puck couldn't help but smile in admiration. "That's just who she is."

Without another word, Puck hurried off after his contractor while Zoro sighed already feeling a headache coming along.

"Gah, how much farther is it?" Leaning against a wooden fence, Zoro could feel the fatigue building up in his muscles once more.

"We're not far now." Stopping besides Zoro, she carefully leaned close out of concern. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay as soon as I get my swords back." Doing his best to put up a front for the unbearable pain his body was in, he could only curse the man who was responsible for such damage in the first place.

"Here's hoping Luffy broke his body even more than I." He thought.

Taking notice in the girls depleted nature, her expression had fallen slightly.

"Um, sorry. I couldn't heal you anymore than what I was able to."

Brushing her apology off, he began to believe this girl saw herself as anything but human. "It's okay, really. You did your best with the amount of knowledge you possess. Your involvement made the pain that much more bearable. I can't thank you enough for that."

Confused by what he meant, she pressed on for answers. "What do you mean? How can you thank me for something I wasn't able to eradicate."

Glancing in the corner of his eye, he could see the wonder in her eyes. Vacant and in search for something to hold on to. A purpose to fulfill. A destiny to be made. A person to befriend. He didn't know her life story, but even he could see how tired she truly is. She's been working so hard lately, but for what?

"Because, despite knowing each other for less than a few hours, you gave me your best. After the actions you just displayed in trying to mend my broken body, I'd say it's safe to consider you my friend."

"F-Friend?" Covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers, she was even more confused by his statements. "B-But, I'm half elf."

A brief paused came in between the two. And the girl who was known to be half elf had gulped, believing that realization over who she was affiliated with would settle in causing him to shun her. Clenching her fists tightly, she waited for those words to bring pain to her ears. Those belittling words that would make her feel less than any other living creature. So why, why was he laughing instead?

While Zoro hollered at her words, he began to list off various of individuals he's affiliated with. "A half elf is suppose to change my opinion? Well, let me tell you something. I have a friend who's half man and half cyborg, and another who's a talking reindeer. I have a friend who's a fishman that could breathe under water, and another who can stretch his body to abnormal lengths. I have a friend who has a funny looking nose, and another who's a literal pervert. I have a friend who's made out of bones, and another that's considered to be a demon in the eyes of the World Government despite being a mere human. If being half elf was suppose to alter my thoughts, then I'm sorry for not giving you the reaction you were expecting."

"U-Um, no. It's not that. It's just, I... well. You-"

"Roronoa Zoro."

Confused by his words, the gentle smile on his face had somehow calmed her soul.

"That's my name." He clarified.

"O-Oh, uh." Fidgeting slightly, she knew she'd have to tell him her name eventually. "M-My name is S-Sate-"

A disappointed look from Puck was all it took for her to retract her words.

"Emilia!" She blurted out. "My name is Emilia."

"Emilia?" Zoro hummed before smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"L-Likewise, Zoro."

Standing in awkward silence once more, the sight of the setting sun had bounced its light off their figures gently. Emilia and Zoro stayed quiet, unsure of how to continue this conversation.

*Yawn!*

"P-Puck?" Emilia glanced at her father-figure once realizing what was about to happen.

"Mmm, sorry Lia. It seems like my time is coming to an end."

Zoro's confused gaze caused the greater spirit to elaborate.

"Ah, I see you're confused. Maintaining this form throughout the day takes a lot of mana and wears me down throughout the day. When the sun starts to set, I am unable to stay any in this form any longer." Sighing in exhaustion, the spirit collapsed on Emilia's shoulder.

"So it's like you're working a 9 to 5 job, huh? How depressing."

Ignoring the swordsman's words, Puck struggled to gaze into Emilia's eyes. "Sorry, Lia. But I don't think I can hold out for much longer."

"No, it's okay Puck. Thank you for helping. We'll take it from here."

The Greater Spirit turned to face Zoro once more before leaving. "Zoro, while I'm away I expect you to take care of Lia despite your injuries."

"Yeah, don't worry. No one will lay a finger on her."

Satisfied by his words, Puck dissipated into tiny particles before returning to the stone hanging on Emilia's necklace.

"Interesting ability." Zoro thought.

The two continued their search within the Slums. The deeper they ventured within this poor neighborhood, the more rundown it became. Children with ragged clothing and dirty hair. Houses with broken doors and boarded windows. It just continued to grow worse with every step.

"I guess every civilization always have those who are rich and those who are poor, huh?" Zoro scoffed.

Emilia's eyes softened at the sight. "Yeah, it's not a pretty sight. I hope all of this will change in time."

"So, how are we going to find this Felt person anyways? The Slums doesn't seem to be very small. If we search door to door, it would take us a few days to cover every inch of this place."

Thinking for a second, Emilia hummed once an idea popped up. "Let me ask the Lesser Spirits."

"Lesser Spirits?"

"Yes. They're like Puck, except these spirits haven't fully matured. They will in due time."

Stopping atop of a bridge, Zoro took a few steps back to allow Emilia the space to do what she needed. The sight that unraveled next had somewhat taken his breath away. Small specks of shiny particles began to gather and float around them. The light it illuminated brightened up the water that flowed below the bridge, and Zoro found himself reaching out to grab one with his palm. His gaze returned to the half elf. Her presence among the dozens of Lesser Spirits that swarmed them gave her an angelic appearance. And dare he say it, but the sight had taken his breath away. Gulping at the charming sight before him, he could only mutter.

"Wow."

"This is the place."

Standing in front of an old building under the night sky, the two stared at the structure in silence.

"Are you sure this is it?" Zoro crossed his arms.

"Are you saying the Lesser Spirits lied?"

"No, but I'm not saying they aren't either."

"They specifically said the girl went to a place the people here know as Old Rom's Loot House. This is the exact spot that was described by them."

"Okay, okay. I got it." Zoro waved off. "Lets just hope my swords are actually here." Stepping onto the porch, Zoro stopped in front of the door. His eyes narrowed at an uncanny feeling in his gut. "Emilia, do you mind waiting out here for me?"

She didn't expect such a request. "W-What, why?"

"Well, I just feel like negotiations to get back our a possessions may not go our way so much."

"And how is that supposed to convince me to stay?"

"I don't. I know you will" Giving her an assuring grin, he couldn't help but enjoy her reaction. "Don't worry. I'll come back out with my swords and your insignia. I promise, as your friend."

Emilia felt her cheeks flush at those words. Turning away, she refused to meet his eye. "F-Fine! You better come back out, Zoro. Or else!"

Chuckling, he nodded before pushing through the door and entering the building. Inside the Loot House, various artifacts, weapons, armor, and many other objects could be seen scattered around the room. It was almost like a museum being displayed. Taking slow and subtle steps across the room, his eyes continued scan his surroundings.

*Splug*

His shoe made contact with something liquid. Glancing down, a large pool of blood had formed at the base of his footing. Following the source of blood, his eyes settled upon an overly built man who had been stabbed in the throat. A gruesome sight to witness. Approaching the man, Zoro kneeled an inspected the corpse with slight sympathy.

"Sloppy work." He muttered. "And still no sign of my swords."

"Oh my, you weren't supposed to find that. It seems like I have no choice."

The malicious voice of a woman echoed across the room. Standing to his feet abruptly, he winced at the pain that jolted across his body.

"Aww, it seems like my prey has already been wounded. By who I wonder?"

"Where is she?" Zoro glared while taking quick glances in the dark corners of the room.

His senses went off, and he found himself catching the arm that had already went for a strike. Squeezing the feminine hand that intended to kill him, the lady released her grip from the hilt of her blade...

Only, this blade hadn't fallen to the floor as expected.

"My, what quick reflexes you have..." The lady complimented.

Staring into the eyes of his attacker, he watched as her face inched closer to his. Her malicious eyes held a sense of satisfaction while her lips spread wider in a taunting fashion. Licking her lips, she whispered in glee.

"...but not quick enough."

Confused, his eyes traversed down to see her blade impaled into his abdomen. The amount of pain inflicted by Kaido had left this wound numb to his nerves. Yet still, its puncture had drawn the line as to how much pain his body was able to endure. Falling on his back, his legs were unable to support his weight any longer. The woman had pulled her blade out of his abdomen - being sure to slice across to the other end as to enjoy witnessing his innards threaten to fall.

"What a marvelous sight." The lady giggled.

Zoro pressed his arm against his abdomen trying to stop the bleeding himself. His mind rapidly grew fuzzy with the amount of blood he had lost prior to this.

"D-Damn it." He hissed. "I... can't, die... here."

The door flew open, and the sound of Emilias voice had echoed across the building.

"Zoro? Zoro, are you okay?"

"Emilia." He couldn't even scream. "G-Get out of here, y-you... idiot."

*Slash*

Emilia's corpse had fallen right next to him. Her gentle figure also lying in her own pool of blood.

"N-No." Reaching out with his already blood soaked hand, he entwined his fingers around hers. His lips quivering as he spoke of an undeniable pledge. "I'm... going, to... save... you."

His eyes grew heavier and heavier with time. The last thing he could make out were his and Emilia's hands entwined together in a desperate fashion.

"I-I... promise..."

*Darkness*

.

.

.

His eyes became blurry, and his hearing was muffled. Blinking profusely, Zoro shook his head only to realize that he was lying down in the same street he first woke up in.

"Oi, kid. Are you okay?"

Lifting his head up, Zoro noticed the same Shop Owner he met earlier was still there.

"Oi, jiji!" Zoro greeted. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon, I wa-"

His eyes widened once his memories returned. Jumping to his feet, the unbearable pain Kaido's attack inflicted had dawned upon his broken figure once again. This time, it was even more intense than before. Almost like Emilia didn't heal him in the first place. Ignoring the pain that stung profusely, he glanced under his robes to see if the puncture he received from that woman was still there.

"Nothing?" He muttered surprisingly.

"You look absolutely terrible. Almost like you got out of a fight against hundreds of mabeast."

"Uh, yeah. You already mentioned that before" He scoffed before thinking. "What the hell is a mabeast anyways?"

"Before?" Scratching his chin, the man shook his head. "Kid, I never met you for a single minute in my entire life. You must've been hit harder than expected if you're starting to act all crazy on me. Do you even know where you're at?"

"I believe you said we're in the Kingdom of Lugnica or something like that." Waving him off from further conversation, Zoro began making his way to the streets. "It doesn't matter. I have to go get back my swords!"

"Your swords?" The Shop Owner hummed before snapping his finger. "Oh yeah, a thief had sped through earlier today and swiped your swords before targeting a woman with white hair."

Stopping in his tracks, Zoro took another look at the man. "Old man."

"Hm?"

"Don't you remember explaining this to me before?"

"Huh? No, why would I?"

For a brief moment, the two continued to observe one another. Shortly after, Zoro scoffed before making his way down the busy streets of Lugnica. This man was weird. He realized that now. Yet still, he couldn't help but feel that there was something entirely abnormal to his situation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

End of Chapter 1!

I had this thought on me for awhile ever since I started watching Re:Zero a few weeks back. I know Zoro is an absolute badass, but I felt it would be best to not make him immensely overpowered off the start. After all, this is Re:Zero. He has to experience this worlds issues and abnormalities once and awhile, and I fully intend to make that possible one way or another. Hope you guys found interest in this chapter and would look forward to see what kind of Havoc our beloved Pirate Hunter would cause in the world of Re:Zero!

Ciao!

~TheLivingMyth