ARC 1 Chapter 2 : Roronoa Zoro
"LUFFY-SAN! THANK YOU!" cried Coby at the small ship slowly floating away from the island. The young man on board answered with a wide smile, his arm vigorously waving his own goodbye.
Luffy laughed, delighted. What a great day! He had a new nakama! His first one!
Well, not exactly, S-nee was the first one… But the first one since he actually started his adventure! That was great! Awesome, even!
Not that he didn't like that S-nee or Ange were part of his crew, but it was different. S-nee and Ange were different. He hadn't really chosen them; he knew them for most of his life.
As for Bee… Well Bee was the problem he couldn't really shake off his back. Not if he wanted Ange in his crew anyway. Annoying.
He really hoped Ange would successfully get rid of her on Goa. Things would be way easier without the whiny little girl.
It was people like her that made Luffy understand his older brother's dislike for crybabies.
On the other side of the boat, Roronoa Zoro smirked, satisfied with his own day. Life had a strange way to send messages. To think this morning he still expected to stay attached to his post for ten more days in the name of a stupid deal he made with an even stupider daddy's little boy. Talk about strange decisions…
Sometimes he wondered at his own brain. Even he could admit that hadn't been his most brilliant moment. And that was saying something!
And now, half a day later, here he was, on a ship that couldn't have been smaller if it tried, with the strangest guy he'd ever met, the very same guy he swore himself to. His brand new captain. And he was ready to follow him in this crazy idea of his. Piracy…
To be honest, Zoro had been impressed with the guy. He was the first person Zoro ever met whose dream was even crazier than his, even more unrealizable.
And the worst in all that–or the best he supposed–the boy had absolutely no doubt that he was going to do it. Monkey D. Luffy was convinced he would become the Pirate King. Just as he was convinced the sun was going to shine tomorrow.
It was familiar. Something he felt too. He got it. Maybe that was the strangest thing in all of this. He'd only known that boy for a couple of hours at best, but there was something…
He felt like he understood the guy. He couldn't explain it.
Strange… It was an odd feeling for someone like him who spent the majority of his life on his own. Always alone, always counting on himself and nothing else. It was odd to have this boy to think of now. His captain.
Even stranger, was that apparently he wasn't the only one in this brand new crew. Which reminded him...
"So, Captain, mind telling me more about our crew?"
Luffy blinked, his hand on his hat to prevent it from flying away with the strong wind blowing around them.
The crew? Haaaa that was a good question actually! He should talk about it to Zoro! So that Zoro could know them when they finally find each other in Roger's town!
He made a face, thinking this through. His crew, his crew, this was an important question, very important. It was his crew! And Zoro was his first mate!
"Well with you we are four!" he started proudly. Then he thought again. "Or five… if we're unlucky..."
Zoro sweatdropped. If they were unlucky? Since when was having more crewmates a bad thing? He wasn't much in all this pirate thing, but wasn't more normally better? Or something like that?
" …I might need a bit more than that. Who are they?"
Luffy pouted again.
"Well, normally S-nee and Ange are part of the crew, but Ange's little sister is following him everywhere and she's so annoying and boring and- Useless!"
"Why would you put off with her in your crew if you don't like her?"
"I don't want her! But Ange is my friend and I don't want to mess with my friend's family!" he whined, scrunching his head.
It was always a tough subject. He didn't like Bee, she was annoying on a good day, but Ange liked his sister. Or, well, it was his sister. Luffy couldn't hit her because of that.
Not that it bothered S-nee… but she was a girl so apparently it was supposed to be different? Makino-nee's rules were too complicated sometimes. And anyway, if he ended up hitting her now, she would never know would she?
Zoro waited for an answer, but Luffy seemed a bit lost by all this reflection. If this was so complicated he could as well try something else.
"Who are the other two?"
The D shaped smile was back.
"S-nee is S-nee! And Ange is S-nee's friend. He came along when we were kids and then he said he wanted to be a pirate and then Ace and I we knew we wanted to be captain but S-nee and Ace where fighting all the time and S-nee said she wanted to follow me because she said it was her promise and I never ask to go back on a promise because it's not good to do that!" he nodded to himself and Zoro started to feel very lost at this point. " So when S-nee asked what Ange he wanted to do he said he wanted to see where we were going so he asked to join and I said yes because that's so much cool to have two nakama before I even started my adventure!"
Zoro struggled against his strong need to blink. That was… a lot of words. A lot of information thrown at him like punches to the face, and he had no clue where to start to put everything in order.
Luffy smiled, the memories of his very first meeting with the blond boy still fresh in his mind. It had been a funny day!
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Dawn Island Eight years ago-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Luffy was generally happy in his life since he and Ace became brothers. Well, it had been better before, but things happened, and then there was just Ace as his big brother. Without this other more quiet voice, things were different. Not quite right. But he still had Ace and his promise so he was okay. Besides, he had S-nee too and she didn't even need a promise and a cup of sake to be his sister! Which was awesome! He didn't know this was possible!
He had liked her when she first came. She looked like a big cat, it was fun! And sooo cool! And even better, she liked to cuddle with him! And she never never never said no or snapped when he had a question!
S-nee was the best nee-chan in the world! Almost as good as Makino-nee except better because she was always around and she could follow them everywhere while Makino-nee could only come from time to time to give them new clothes and teach Ace polite stuff. And this boring writing and reading and counting and things. S-nee did that too though…Meh. She was still more fun.
The only problem was Ace and S-nee… They fought. A lot. A lot a lot a lot. Every day, every time! And he was always in the middle! Like- like- like meat on a table when he and Ace were hungry! And he didn't like that!
He wanted to eat the meat, not be one! That would be annoying! He'd have to eat himself! And then he wouldn't be able to eat anymore! Or be the Pirate King!
Utterly tragic!
...anyway.
But recently, S-nee had been strange… Luffy and Ace would go hunt like they always do, and instead of going with them, she would disappear.
Odd.
She'd always come back of course, because S-nee was great like that and Luffy knew she would come back. But still… Sometimes he wondered what could she do that took so much time. He hoped it wasn't an adventure! He would be very displeased if it was!
"Where is S-nee?" he asked one day.
Ace grunted.
"How should I know? I don't even care. Good riddance."
Luffy pouted.
"Meany!"
"SHADAP!"
BONK
"ITAAAAAAAIIIIII! WHY DID YOU DO THAT!"
"STOP BEING AN IDIOT!" shouted the older boy. "WHY SHOULD I CARE IF I AM MEAN TO THAT GIRL?"
"S-nee is my nee-chan!" answered Luffy.
"SHE'S NOT!"
"SHE IS! GRANDPA SAID SO!"
"BLOOD MEANS NOTHING!"
BONK
The boy fell back, bouncing on the tree a couple of times like the rubber ball he was.
"STOP HITTING ME!" He pointed an accusing finger in his brother's general direction.
They kept fighting for a couple of minutes, and it ended the way it usually did. Namely, Luffy nursing his aching head and Ace proudly resting his stick on one of his shoulders.
"Why do you always insist, Luffy? You can never beat me!"
"Shut up! I will beat you one day! I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
"PFWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH" laughed Ace. "Again with that?!"
"SHADAP!" screamed Luffy, his cheeks red with anger.
"My my… things are so animated around here."
Ace blinked, his laugh catching in his throat. Luffy tucked his head on one side like a curious puppy.
The third boy blinked back, purple eyes shining under the sun. His blond hair was bright and soft looking on his head. He looked like those poster boys found in the papers. All soft and pretty looking. Even his clothes looked soft! Like, like, like, a giant pillow!
He was also very out of place in the middle of the forest.
"Huh?" asked Luffy.
The boy smiled wider. And- were those sparkles around his face? Where did they come from?! How did he do that!?
He had a magical power! That was the only explanation! Magic! Where did he come from? Why had Luffy never seen him before? Was he hiding? Was it another magical power? Was he a mystery magic person from the forest?!
Woooooooooow!
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
"Ah, how forgetful of me!" he said, blinking his long lashes. Seriously this guy! "A pleasure to meet you two. My name is Usa Ange."
He bowed. The sparkles bowed too. They bowed! They were alive!
"WHO CARES!"
He laughed.
Luffy blinked.
"Hey, who are you?"
"HE JUST TOLD YOU, IDIOT!"
Ace hauled back, ready to hit his little brother's head again, and was abruptly stopped by the flip of a long black tail.
"Oi Oi, what do you think you are doing freckles?!" groaned the voice attached to the tail.
"Tch." pouted Ace. "Move, Saphyr."
"Get lost, loser. No one hits my little brother without reason."
"I have a reason, moron. He's being dumb."
"You're the dumb one. You don't see me hitting you for it!"
"What are you shitting about? You try to bite me half the time the other time you hit me!"
"What are you going to do? Cryyy!" she mocked him, taking back a more human form. The tip of her pink tongue exceeded her mouth tauntingly.
She was a tall girl, jet black hair not unlike the other two and piercing blue eyes currently fixed on the boy.
"Who do you take me for?"
"A cryyy baby!"
"Don't insult me, woman! I'll kick your ass to the other side of the Grand Line with my eyes closed!"
"Liar! Weakling!"
"Uh… not to intervene in your quarrel, but… Saphyr, didn't you plan to introduce us?" said the blond boy, Ange, blinking his long lashes like a lady in distress.
The sparkles were still there. They blinked too! This guy was awesome!
A strong vein started pulsing in the only girl's forehead.
"Ange…. Stop playing pretty. You're annoying."
He sighed dramatically.
"You are spoiling my fun, little girl."
The stars disappeared. Luffy couldn't be more impressed had he tried. SO COOOOOL!
Before Luffy's own sparkling eyes, the blond boy lost of his softness. He looked nothing like he did a second before. Gone was the good boy look or the pretty lashes. His face had hardened and looked more boyish and less… perfect. And the sparkles disappeared! They vanished into thin air! Poof! Like that!
Magician...
"What do you want?" roared Ace, his staffin hand, ready to strike.
Saphyr sighed.
"He's my friend. I wanted to introduce him to Luffy." she pouted, her arm hooking around the said boy's shoulders.
Luffy blinked, his eyes on the new boy.
"Friend?"
Ange smiled.
"Ah. I see! Nice to meet you!"
Saphyr smiled too, a hand on her friend's shoulder. He liked when S-nee smiled. She didn't do it often!
"Oh! Sparkle-guy! Are you a magician?"
….
"Wut?"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Back to present time-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Zoro's voice burst Luffy's little bubble of memories with a grunt that seemed to be his usual way of speaking.
"So what, this girl, S something, who is she? Your sister?"
Luffy nodded.
"And what, one day she came along with this Ange dude and what, you're friends now?"
Luffy nodded.
Zoro sweatdropped. Why was he expecting anything else? Sure the boy was strange with his devil fruit and everything else, but still. Not everyone around him was the same. And not everyone would join this crew the way Zoro had. His meeting with the rubber boy didn't necessarily mean all of this adventure was going to be crazy as fuck.
…
Did it?
"Anyway!" said the boy, gathering Zoro's attention right back at him. " Ange and S-nee have been friends since then! But!" he paused, for effect Zoro supposed with another sweat drop "Ange has a little sister. And she's sooooooo annoying! She follow us everywhere! She even threatened us to follow us on Sea!"
"Well, we'll just have to drop her somewhere if she's so annoying." shrugged Zoro.
Luffy punched his hand, his mouth open so wide that it hid almost all his face, as stunned as if Zoro had just had the best idea ever.
Again… that was something.
"Great idea!"
Zoro sighed. "Idiot."
"Shishishishishishi!"
Zoro sighed again and looked up at the sky. What kind of crazy shit did he sign himself up for?
…well, at least he wouldn't get bored.
Neither spoke for a while, to the swordsman's surprise. For someone as loud as his new captain was, he was surprisingly quiet when he wanted to be.
Both men watched the sun go down in a comfortable silence. Zoro let himself enjoy the soft lapping of the sea against the boat's hull–it wasn't a real ship–and thought about what awaited them in the following days. He thought briefly of Kuina, and Mihawk. Of everything he still had to accomplish. Of his quest and his ambition. He needed to get stronger. He was progressing, he could feel it, but it still couldn't be enough. He had to be stronger.
Luffy wasn't thinking about a lot of things. Mostly just about how he was hungry. He also wondered how many people he wanted in his crew. In the beginning, he had thought nine or ten people would be enough. If they were strong and cool, it wouldn't matter how many they were, after all! They would kick ass and have the most badass adventure!
Besides, and as much as he loved him, he remembered Shanks and his crew. How many there were and how hard it was for Luffy to remember all of them. He knew he wasn't the smartest cookie in the box. (Could cookies be smart? that would be so cool!) And he knew he was bad with names. Too many people would only be hard to remember. And he would be a very shitty captain if he couldn't remember his nakama's names. Or even that they were his nakama to begin with.
But nine… with all the stuff S-nee and Ange taught him about the sea… Maybe that was too little…
He wanted to have cool people in his crew. Good people. Like Zoro.
…
Haaaaaaaaannnnnnn! It was so annoying to have to think about stuff all the time! That was why he wanted to have Ange and S-nee around!
But he said he would be the captain on his own! He had to think about stuff!
He'd ask S-nee when he'll see her again. Yes, that was a good plan.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- The following night -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The sky was dark and full of stars. Normally by that time he would have been asleep, but Zoro was curious. Since the night had started falling, Luffy had been acting oddly.
His nose was going between the sky and a small notebook stuck between his knees. He looked at it like the thing had the answer to all the questions ever asked, between its pages .
Huh. He hadn't thought Luffy was able to focus on something for long. Hell, he hadn't known he could read.
"What are you doing?"
"When they left to wait for the crew, Ange and S-nee gave me a lot of magic stuff so I couldn't lose myself into the sea and die of starvation," he said very seriously. "Did you know we couldn't drink the water from the sea! It's not good!"
Sweatdrop again. Oh boy.
"Anyway! They spent a loooooot of time talking about lots and lots and lots of boring things and hitting me in the head when I stopped listening. It was annoying." He pouted at that.
So this mysterious sister and friend had tried to educate this guy? Zoro wasn't sure what to think of it. He looked denser than a rock, and just as knowledgeable. Knowledge would probably bounce off of his head like bullets did.
Part of him was very curious to meet those mysterious people. They must be something else if they successfully taught him anything.
"But I think Ange has some mystery power, Luffy continued, catching Zoro's attention. "Because sometimes my head didn't hurt when they made me think!"
…Whoa.
Alright, he had to meet this guy.
"And I could even understand the boring stuff! Not everything, because it's boring, but still!" the captain opened big eyes, to give a bit more drama to his tale. "And they explained that we could know where we go, even at night, 'cause of the stars! He even put all of it in this mystery book!"
He showed the tiny thing in his hand, which was full of a neat writing. Short sentences and a lot of drawings. Zoro felt himself blink. Several times.
"So… you are gonna try to find our way with the stars?" asked Zoro.
"Uh-huh!"
That was dumb as fuck. The stars couldn't help navigate, that was obvious. Everyone knew that.
"That's not how it works."
"Huh? How do you know?!" he shouted, immediately angry.
"Of course I know it! If you want to go North, you go in front of you! South is behind you! East is on the right and West on the left. Easy."
Zoro crossed his arms behind his head, sure of himself. It was how he always managed. And he'd done that for years now. It never got him lost! In the end, he always ended up where he needed to be.
Most of the time. Sure, sometimes he found himself going in the opposite direction, but it wasn't his fault if people sometimes liked to move things just because they could. Like streets. Or buildings.
Tch.
"That's not wrong..." thought Luffy, a hand on his chin. "But how do you know that North is still in front of you if you go right?"
Zoro blinked. "If you go West, then North moves too. So then West is still on your left."
Luffy blinked. Once, twice. Zoro blinked back. A frown on his face.
"...Nah."
"WHAT?!"
"That's not how it works! It's a mystery thing! West is west! It doesn't move!"
"How do you know?"
"It's written in S-nee books!" he said forcefully, "S-nee books never lie!"
"Haaaah? A book?"
"Uh-huh! S-nee had a lot of books when she first arrived! She used them to tell a lot of boring things! Ace and I hated them! But she kept reading them and she even made Ace read them too!"
"Ace?"
"Uh-huh. He's my big brother."
"You have a brother too?"
Luffy eagerly nodded. "Ace is older! He wanted to be a captain too, so he left three years before me!"
"I see…"
"Now shut up! I need to watch the sky and do the magic stuff!"
Zoro shrugged. Too tired to argue, he rolled on one side and promptly fell asleep.
Luffy laughed to himself, amused by his nakama's behavior, before looking back at his little notebook.
He was so glad to still have this! When he had lost the rest of his stuff, he had been scared to be hopelessly lost at sea! S-nee's stories were full of details about how bad things could go if you got lost in the middle of the ocean. He still remembered the one about the white whale and the crew that lost its own looking for it. The tale of starving, and despair, and all the details about everything still made him shiver. Very very scary.
Are you listening to me Lu-chan? This is important!
But S-neeee! I don't like that, it's boooring! I wanna prepare for my great adventure! I'll leave soon!
I know! This is why you have to listen to me.
But why should I care about that? I just have to go on a boat and let the sea do its magic and bring me to my nakama!
That's not how it works, rubber-head, and you know it! I have not spent days and days hitting knowledge in that empty brain of yours for you to forget it as soon as we are not around and get you killed!
I won't be killed by the sea! I'm strong!
Oh really? And if you're lost in the middle of the sea? All alone in your little boat without anyone to help you navigate or cook your meal? Without food or water?
It won-
If you say it won't happen Lu-chan I swear I will attach you to a tree with your own arms and read you that book until your ears fall off. Do you understand me?
...S-nee scary…
Good boy. Now you shut up and let Feather brain tell you how the magic book work.
…
Don't look at me like that Lu-chan, it's you who want to do this on your own. You have to be able to manage by yourself at least until you find enough people to help you survive the sea in good conditions.
Like a navigator. And a cook.
And a musician!
THAT'S NO-
SBAFF
Yes darlin' a musician too if you find one.
Nihihihihi
Why did you have to hit me you beast of a woman?
Shut up feathers.
He really didn't like the book…
The stories were awful.
It had taken many MANY nightmares for him to really get it. Adventure was the greatest thing in the world. But it was like his Devil Fruit. If he wasn't careful or if he was all alone and helpless, he could die. And he could lose friends too! Which was even worse!
He was determined to be the best Captain ever! SO he needed to be ma-…. Huh… ma…? Something!
At least while it was just him and Zoro! When they'll have their navigator, everything should be easier.
And a cook too! Cook and food was important! He didn't want to become meat! Like in the boo-
But let's not think about things that start with a b. He had to do smart things.
With a new focus, Luffy spent the rest of the night thinking very hard on his book, as to which way they were supposed to go.
As useful as his magic notepad was, he had lost the map that came with it. So he couldn't really tell where they could go from there.
But he hoped that maybe going in one direction would help them find something sooner? Maybe?
They had to find an island at some point after all!
All was going to be fine! He had faith in his adventure!
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Three days Later-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The sea was boooooooooooooorrrriiiiing!
"Zooroooooooh!"
"What now?"
"I'm bored."
"Sad."
"Entertain meeeee!"
Zoro rolled his eyes. Luffy pouted. Not fair!
Why has no one ever told him how boring things could be in a boat? There was nothing to do! Except try to catch the fish… But he didn't have any rod to fish with so that made things a bit more complicated.
He tried with his hands but fishes were hard to catch like that…. And Zoro grew angry after he had to drag him out of the water too many times.
Meany.
Besides, as cool as he was -and Zoro was suuuuper cool! - the guy wasn't a talker. He slept. A lot.
It was fun in the beginning because he could apparently sleep everywhere, anytime, just like that. But now it was just boring when Luffy had no one else to play with.
"Play with me Zoro, I'm bored!"
"Don't care."
"Captain orders!"
"That's not how it works!"
"Why not? I'm the Captain and I get to decide what happens on my ship! And I decide it's time to play! Entertain me Zoro!"
And promptly, Luffy jumped right on the poor swordsman who, to his surprise, failed to catch the hint. Currently, the rubber boy bouncing on everything and throwing things everywhere whenever he wants to.
One splash in the water later, Zoro seriously wondered why he hadn't just killed the boy and been done with it. Far less trouble.
Why did he even bother again?
Oh, yes, he had sworn himself to this maniac and his crew…
Grrreat.
"I'm gonna kill you." he groaned, more to ease his own anger than in any real threat.
Luffy laughed, clapping loudly.
"That was impressive Zoro! Good jump!"
"IT WASN'T A JUMP YOU THREW ME THERE YOU IDIOT!"
Luffy laughed again.
Zoro's hand twitches in his sword's direction. Tempting. Soooo tempting.
In the end he didn't do it. They both sat back and Zoro allowed Luffy to talk to him about whatever was going on in this head for half an hour. Without napping.
Had to play nice with the other kids from time to time. Especially the kids he was doomed to have around for a certainly long amount of time.
"Zoro?"
What now?
"Let's follow that bird." A finger pointed to the bird they could see high in the sky.
"What? Why?"
"Because I'm hungry! And S-nee said to follow the birds when I'm hungry in the sea!"
"That doesn't even make sense! Catch the thing if you want to eat it! Can't you do that with those arms?"
Luffy pouted, thinking it through. Then he grinned, threw his arms back for momentum, and then reached as far as he could to grab hold–and instead of pulling the bord down, got pulled up to it, and didn't come down.
"ZOROOOOOOOO!"
"What are you doing, you moron?!" he called back, oars already in hand.
Now that was a great occasion to keep his mouth shut. He just missed that.
While he was frantically paddling to follow the bird, he thought back of his life the past couple of days. He definitely was not going to get bored with this one.
TBC
NOTE: Zoro should never be able to advise anyone in terms of directions. Never.
Yes Luffy is a tiny bit smarter. Blame Saphyr. Also did you see what I did? Little mention to the story that inspired Moby Dick? I've never read Moby Dick per say but I did read In the Heart of the Ocean... so here's my reference
I would like to remind you people that I have a Discord server if you want to join us and talk about One Piece, the story or anything really! here's the link: discord . gg/m2q5x3c6
Also Thank you to my Chou and Jess who helped me correct this story.
See you next time!