(( Author's note: This is an idea that has been floating around in my head since I read the Manga surrounding the Sanji/Big Mom Arc the first time and that wanted to be written down. Of course, I don't own any of the characters or storylines from One Piece, just my own that I put into this story.

Please enjoy and feel free to tell me what you think! :D ))

Sometimes, being a good friend means letting yourself get stabbed in the back.

Sometimes, being a good friend means taking the hit if that means that your friend can go on.

Sometimes, being a good friend really sucks, Zoro thought as the waves pushed him under with a greater force than he imagined he could muster.

He coughed and pushed his head above water, unsure whether it was water or blood that spilled from his mouth. Disoriented, he tried to look around, only to find that the ship had already sailed and was now a good few miles away, too far to reach. A lone slim plume of smoke rose into the horizon, so thin he almost thought he had imagined it.

"That...damn...idiot", he muttered, each word more lost to the ocean as he was pushed under again. He was so going to kill him for this.

But not now, he thought as he felt his strength and mind slip further away and he pushed himself to summon up his remaining energy to bring himself up the surface of his relentless host that tried to wrap his cold arms around him every time he tried to take a breath.

It would have to wait until another time, he noted and clutched his swords, in a desperate illusion of security as he was slowly overwhelmed by a strange sense of fatigue and calm.

Another time then, cook. He thought and slipped into the painless void.

- A few days ago on Zou -

Zoro sat on the giant mount with his back against the giant curled tail, arms crossed behind his head, and observed the happenings from his comfortable position a little behind the group that was gathered before him. He had wondered when they had gotten back to Zou where the curly-brow had been and then he had seen the tears in Nami's eyes. What really had caught his attention was the expression on her face, though. The sadness that had been written in her face when she had given them the news, the beaten look now with which she secretly watched the captain as he read the letter the idiot had left.

'To the crew:

I'm gonna meet a woman.

I'll be back.

Sanji'

The letter said.

"I don't understand.", Luffy exclaimed and looked at his Nakama, begging for reassurance, "Is he coming back or not?" Zoro cracked open one eye to look at his captain and shortly wondered whether he actually had read the letter or not. Generally, Zoro still was quite unbothered by this whole ordeal. If the stupid love cook had to deal with something and said he would come back afterward, he would. It made no sense to worry about him. He gave his word and they had to trust that he would keep it. If they couldn't even respect that there was no sense in being Nakama. They had to have each other's backs.

Luffy had been working on some crazy ideas in his head. They could practically hear the wheels turning in there and he had to shut them down before his idiot captain could put them into action.

"So that's that then", Zoro said and closed his eye, feeling the people around him turning towards him in surprise.

"Granted the way it stands. He's up and gone without so much as a 'thank you for everything'. Or 'sorry for all the trouble'. Take a moment and think! We're on a bit of an express train here."

He opened his one good eye and looked at his friends. "Caesar told us, didn't he? The smile that Doflamingo was making. It was intended for Kaidou. Just as we angered Doflamingo by destroying the laboratory on Punk Hazard, our destruction of the factory on Dressrosa has angered none other than the Yonkou Kaidou!" He didn't know whether he already had known this or whether he was just thinking out loud now. Either way, the consequences of their actions might be more severe this time than ever before and he had to make sure his Nakama realized this as well.

"Kaidou and his goons are no longer some far-off threat. It's just a matter of time until they chase us down and demand payback...in cold blood", he noticed his friends staring with expressions on their faces he could not really identify. He was telling the truth though and he knew they knew.

"So, sooner or later, we're going to have to throwdown with the man himself", Zoro assessed just ever so slightly managing to hide his excitement that was also veiled in this imagination of a new challenge, "And in the midst of all his, that curly eyebrowed idiot goes and sticks his nose in the business of another Yonkou, Big Mom!"

- "Wait a sec, that's not fair", Nami exclaimed and he could tell that she was angered, "He didn't stick his nose in anything! What happened is separate from all the other stuff!"

- "Don't go making shitty excuses for him!", Zoro shouted back, his temper getting the best of him. Of course, that redhead was defending the shitty cook.

- "What do you mean?! Don't make light of another's troubles!", Nami was not short of an answer herself and for a moment Zoro thought he saw smoke coming out of her nostrils.

He was tempted to come back with another remark. Why was he getting the shit for pointing out what the idiot cook had royally screwed up all by himself?

"Okay!", the determined sound of Luffy's voice pulled him from his thoughts, "We're never going to figure out what's happening if we just sit here and argue about it. So let's just go and ask Sanji himself!"

- "Oi, Luffy! Drop it", Zoro exclaimed, hoping the sheer force of his voice might put his captain off this dangerous idea.

What ensued was a chaos of a discussion with the rest of his Nakama chiming in, trying to persuade their stubborn captain and he opted out of the conversation, closing his eye, the voices distant in his ear and thoughts occupying his head. Granted the situation now was not optimal and chasing after that curly-browed idiot could possibly do more harm than good. If they were detected and due to Luffy's inability to stay quiet that would most likely be the case, it could be understood as a declaration of war against the Yonkou Big Mom. As much as he loved a challenge and as sure he was that he would do his best to defend their crew and his captain, even he was unsure whether it was doable for them to go up against two Yonkous at the same time. They shouldn't force their luck if not necessary. For the time being, they just had to trust in the shitty cook to deal with his problem himself.

That was the only reasonable action now, was it not?

Zoro sighed slightly. He was sitting on a bench in front of this big building. His swords leaned willingly at his side, giving him some space to relax but still close enough that he could just grab them if needed. He had his arms crossed behind his head and his eyes closed, his favorite position that would suit whatever place and time.

His captain and Nami were inside talking to this guy that got injured in the attack that resulted in the cook's disappearance.

He sighed and grunted in disagreement. They went to talk to that guy to get more information about Big Mom and how to help Sanji. They just couldn't leave the idiot cook alone to deal with problems like he had asked.

Even though it was probably intended to be a private meeting, he could hear every word that was spoken. This was also due to Luffy's volume of voice that could cut through walls and steel if it was a normal quiet day. And that it was indeed.

Luffy had just charmingly convinced or more like forced the guy to take him along to Big Mom. Apparently, Luffy was under the impression that if he went with all of his crew it might cause problems, but he himself might have a chance to sneak in in time to disrupt the wedding ceremony of the shitty curlybrow. Why his captain thought that this plan, if successfully executed, might not provoke a war, Zoro had no idea.

Just as fast as Luffy had decided on this idea, he bolted out of there, seemingly very eager for immediate departure. As he ran out of the big building, he must have noticed Zoro sitting on the bench, because he stopped right in his tracks and turned to face his friend who only cracked open his one eye in order to signal his perception of his captain in front of him.

"Zoro! You were here?", Luffy exclaimed and his expression lit up in delight, "Did you hear all that just now?"

- "I did.", Zoro just said and found that there was no need for further words.

"You're probably all worried about Sanji! Aren'tcah?", Luffy chuckled and Zoro's eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

"Don't make me kick your ass.", he said and glanced at his captain, "I told you to leave that idiot alone."

- "Heeeey! Luffy! Zoro!", just then a shrill voice cut through the air, and consequently, their conversation and they looked up. It was Chopper who was walking the path to the building, with Usopp, Brook, Robin, and some of Zou's inhabitants in tow. Usopp was waving to them.

"How is Pekom?", Chopper shouted again and Zoro decided to close his eye again as the conversation had already drifted to a topic that was of little interest to him.

He heard Luffy shouting something back, regarding the health status of that guy inside the building, Pekom was his name apparently, but Zoro's thoughts shifted back to what his captain had just decided.

Against his better judgment, he had to accept his captain's decision. What kind of a first mate would he be if he didn't? Still, he was feeling uneasy to let his captain go alone into such a dangerous situation. As the first mate, it was his duty to protect his captain, was it not? Without their captain, all of their crew's dreams were lost as well.

"A Gratitude Garuchuuuuuuuu", Suddenly, there was a deafening scream, and something hard and big collided with his body, pushing him back to the ground and scattering his swords under him. Immediately, Zoro jumped up, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Nekomamushi is bleeding all over!", he heard Chopper cry and figured that this was the figure who had just tackled him and apparently also his captain to the ground and was now lying before them. It looked like a Monster cat.

"What the hell are you doing, you damn Monster cat!", he shouted angrily and then went to gather his swords off the ground, feeling a painful bump forming on his forehead. Next to him, he heard his captain laughing.

"We don't have enough blood! Someone go get some blood for me, stat!", Chopper shouted and tapped anxiously around the fallen Monster cat.

"Th...th...thank...tha", the warrior gasped, not even managing to finish his sentence.

"Get your ass up, Monster cat! I'll skin your mangy hide!", Zoro shouted who had already drawn two of his swords, ready to avenge the paining spot on his head.

"Alright, settle down...he's still wounded!", Usopp tried to calm him down.

During all of this, all of them had managed to ignore the arrival of Trafalgar Law and his crew due to the recent Monster cat turmoil. Only when Luffy turned, did he notice his ally standing there, waiting patiently for him to notice.

"Ahh! Tora-guy!", Luffy shouted and waved his hand eagerly, "Is that your crew?"

"That's right.", Trafalgar Law stated, ever so slightly pointing into their direction behind him with the tip of his sword, "I brought them here to introduce them. All 20 members of my crew!"

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, 'Straw hat'!", the crew shouted unanimously, some of them aiming to strike a fear-inducing pose.

"Yo!", Luffy just said friendly and waved.

"We've got something to talk about.", Trafalgar stated and approached the little captain, getting straight to business.

"Sure.", the latter said and started to follow his ally up the stairs and into the building.

Zoro also followed them inconspicuously with his gaze only until they had disappeared behind the walls.

What was he going to do about him? Was he even supposed to do something? Or was he supposed to let it play out?

He glanced at Chopper and Usopp who were fussing over the Monster cat, hurrying to treat his wounds. No one realized how he removed himself from the situation and wandered around the house in direction of what he remembered to be the little town's center.

He was in desperate need of some sake.

Zoro grumbled displeased. He was not amused. Had he known that the way back to the kitchen was that long, he would have rather asked some of that Trafalgar guy's crewmates for some sake. For some reason, the environment kept changing every corner he took and he soon grew impatient and began to run. The faster he went, the shorter the way would be, wouldn't it?

He turned one more corner only to find himself in a place he had never seen before. "Shitty island", he swore while catching his breath. Then, he straightened up, laid one hand to his eyes, and gazed up to the sun. Wasn't there some trick which was about looking at the sun and knowing which way to go?

Zoro let out a frustrated sound and let his hand fall to the swords at his hips. All he could make out by looking at the sun was that it was too bright and hurt his eye. His hand tightened around the shaft of his sword. Maybe he should cut his way through?

"How often do you plan on running in circles around this house, swordman-san?", a voice said and he turned around, looking for the corresponding person.

"One might think that you are lost.", the voice said with a friendly laugh and finally he made out a figure to his right that was sitting on the bottom of stairs that were leading to a big house. It was Robin. Sitting in front of the same house that Zoro had parted from seemingly mere moments ago.

"I am not lost.", Zoro stated and felt his tenseness diminishing as he recognized that the voice came from a friend, "it's the path that keeps changing."

- "Of course.", Robin said with a smile, and Zoro nodded slightly, reassured that he had convinced her of this truth.

"Are you looking for Luffy?", Robin said and gestured behind her to the building, "He is in there still talking to Tra-guy-kun. It must be something very important. They've been talking for at least three hours."

- "Mmmh", Zoro nodded again. He decided it might be best to not reveal to her that he had actually been looking for sake.

Robin sighed and looked down at her hands. She looked pretty down, even Zoro had noticed this and he wondered whether that idiot Ero-cook was the reason.

She must have sensed his thoughts because as she looked up again, she had this weary smile on her face. "Cook-san really left some chaos behind, didn't he?"

- "He did.", Zoro said, his hand playing with the hilts of his swords, "He is an idiot. That is all." Zoro really didn't feel like romanticizing the departure of the idiot cook. It's not like he wasn't responsible for his own actions.

- "Maybe he is.", Robin said and Zoro could tell from the expression on her face that she was thinking thoroughly about something. "Maybe we all are then.", she said and looked at him, a weird sparkle in her eyes, "Maybe we are all just a big bunch of idiots. In fact, what we are doing can maybe only be described as idiotic."

"Mmmh.", Zoro grumbled to state disagreement and impatiently stepped from one leg to the other. What the heck was that woman talking about? He didn't think that there was a single idiotic thing to find about him. Certain other curly-browed crew members on the other hand...

"Chasing dreams that big might certainly seem idiotic to many: curing all illness, uncovering the secrets of the Void Century, becoming the greatest swordsman...becoming the Pirate King...some of these dreams might even turn out to be unrealizable, wishful thinking at best. Nevertheless, all of us have decided to aim high, not to settle for something mediocre.", Robin shifted in her position as if to gather her thoughts for a moment.

Then she looked at Zoro directly, who shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the wise woman, "Along the way though, we have found something, none of us has ever expected to find, have we not? We have found a home and amazing people to share it with. Amazing people with amazing dreams of their own. Maybe most of us haven't realized it yet but the fulfillment of our dreams no longer depends on us alone. It stands and falls with the fulfillment and the safety of the others. What use is finding the secret of the Void Century if there is no one to share it with? What use is being the Pirate king to Luffy if he has no crew? It's ironic, isn't it? We're working so hard to fulfill our dreams but in a heartbeat, each and every one of us would gladly give up his dream for the rest of the crew. That might actually be the most idiotic thing about all of this, don't you think?"

Zoro didn't know whether this was a question he was expected to answer, not that he knew what to say to all of this. The woman was right, deep down he knew that. The bond they shared in the crew was long as equally important as their individual goals. They were family, Nakama. But what was the woman playing at? Why was she telling him all this? He knew Robin well enough to know that there must be some reasoning other than simple conversation behind all this.

"What a chaotic bunch of idiots we are then!", said woman gigglingly, her laughter catching the confused swordsman off guard, baffling him even more, "Say, can you blame us though, and can you blame cook-san for running off in an attempt to protect the rest of us? Can you blame Luffy for trying to go after him to protect his Nakama? That's what this is about as well, isn't it? Protecting each other?"

Zoro frowned and grumbled slightly but didn't answer, only subconsciously aware of the little nod that he shot the woman. That had to suffice for an answer, he decided. He had no time to engage further in such a philosophical conversation, especially if that woman continued to ask him questions she didn't want an answer to. He had listened and now he was done. So he turned in a direction to walk in that he felt was a new one.

The archaeologist, familiar with the short attention span of the swordsman, smiled knowingly and asked "Where are you going to go now, bushido-san?"

Zoro, who had one hand resting on the hilts of his swords in restlessness, turned slightly back to return her gaze through the corner of his eyes. "Tell Luffy I'm gonna handle this. Take care of the others until I'm back."

He saw a slim smile forming around the mouth of the woman and she nodded affirmingly, seemingly trying to hide an uneasiness he depicted in her composture. She worried. He understood. This time the trouble was real. That was exactly why he needed to do it instead of Luffy. It was his job as a first mate to ensure the safety of his captain, to protect his Nakama, was it not? Even if that meant going against what he deemed wise. If it meant that his captain, his Nakama could continue their dreams, he had to risk it. He chuckled silently. That woman! That was exactly what Robin had intended when she held him her little monologue, was it not? You could really always count on her for a surprise!

Zoro turned to continue in his path. With big strides did he make his way along the little island, not once doubting if he was walking in the right direction this time. After all, he always turned up where was supposed to be in the end. He sighed heavily, realizing that it might be a long while until he might get another taste of his beloved sake.

That damned cook.