Talking Blues
By Chou
Chapter 4 – Zoro the Knife
A dusty truck the color of an old treasure chest and bearing a faded sign on
the side that read "Rare Animal Emporium" pulled up to the Morgan City limits.
"This is as far as I can take ya, mac." Said the driver, a short, heavily
tanned man with a bush of unkempt greenish hair on his head.
"Thanks!" Monkey D. Luffy said as he jumped out the passenger side door, his
traveling pack slung over one shoulder and his straw hat firmly on his head.
Not having a car himself, he always had to hitchhike where he wanted to go. He
waved cheerily as the car pulled away before setting off into the city, looking
for lunch, a new ride, and maybe someone to add to his crew, in that order.
Morgan City was a rough place. The commissioner was a corrupt egomaniac, the
cops were forced to follow his whims, and the mayor was a non-entity.
If you grew up there, you got real tough real quick. And the green haired man
in the black slacks and white t-shirt stalking along the street was one of the
toughest of the tough. His name was Roronoah Zoro, and when he was looking for
trouble, trouble ran.
Zoro had taken care of himself for as long as he could remember. Nobody knew
much about his parents, except that they weren't around. He had lived on the
streets, fought dogs for food, and learned how to walk by having to avoid cops.
He had quickly become the strongest of the street urchins, and was unchallenged
in his leadership of their unofficial gang.
Until he met her.
Kuina's family was her dad; her mom was somewhere out there. They didn't have
much, but made a living running a small gym on the corner. Rumors had it that
her dad had been something of a legend among thugs for his knife fighting,
although his kindly smile and nerdy glasses tended to deflate that rumor. He
had taught Kuina everything he knew about fighting, and as Zoro had found out
when he tried to steal some candy from her, that was a lot.
She looked a lot like a boy back then, a skinny sissy boy, and Zoro had assumed
that's what she was when he picked her as a mark. Zoro learned that day that
even a skinny sissy could be trouble with a well-placed kick. That had started
a feud, a rivalry unmatched in the history of the urchins. Every day, they
would fight, and every day she would win. It became worse when puberty hit and
Zoro realized she was a girl. He would try twice as hard one day, three times
the next, and still lose. But each loss taught him something, honed his own
abilities. And occasionally, Kuina's dad would give him some dinner, or a warm
bed. It was a comfortable agreement, almost a friendship.
And then one day, the news came. A car had hit her while she was traveling to
their fight. Nobody had ever seen Zoro so angry. He ranted and raved and
trashed everything in sight. Eventually, Kuina's dad took him to the gym to
have a talk.
"Zoro…I want you to have this." He said, pulling a bundle wrapped in cloth from
his pocket. "I wanted Kuina to have this, but now…well, that can't happen." He
said, and his eyes misted slightly and his voice choked.
Zoro unwrapped the bundle. Inside was a switchblade, with a handle whiter than
the freshest snow. He flicked out the blade. It was steel perfection.
"It's my old knife…take care of it, Zoro. It was her one desire in the world,
to inherit that knife…maybe this way, you two can be together forever."
Zoro nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. Then he turned and walked out of
the gym, knife in his pocket. Now, ten years later, he was the most feared
fighter, weapons or fists, in the city. He had felt that he owed Kuina no less.
Zoro was snapped out of his reminiscing when he realized someone was calling to
him. He looked around. Two guys in scruffy clothes, one wearing sunglasses,
were running up to him.
"Bro! Hey, Zoro! Bro!" they called.
"Oi, Yosaku. Johnny. What's the good word?"
Johnny went first. "Ok, there's this new guy who just rolled into town, you
dig? His name's Monkey D. Luffy. You heard of him?"
Zoro shrugged. "Nope. Why? He looking for a fight?"
It was Yosaku's turn. "No, boss, better! He's a grifter, and he's looking for
guys for a big score! A huge score! We missed out on joining by a paper thin
margin, but we said we'd bring you to see him!"
Zoro arched an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'd be interested?"
They were silent a bit after that, as they tried to think of a good reason.
"Um…because you're bored?" Johnny ventured hopefully.
Zoro scowled "Fine. Take me to see this Luffy cat. Where is he?"
"He's at the gym! We left Coby with him to keep him company till we could get
you." Yosaku said cheerfully.
Zoro sighed and followed them.
Back at the gym…
"So you wanna be a cop, huh? Hahaha, that's weird coming from a street urchin!"
Luffy said around a mouthful of food to the small, bookish looking kid sitting
in a cringe in front of him.
"Even if it is, I still want to be a cop, and uphold justice! Maybe someday
I'll even make it into the FCI!" Coby said with as much indignation as he could
muster, which admittedly wasn't much.
"Haha, that's good kid! Always follow a dream and you can never go wrong!"
Luffy said and slapped Coby on the back so hard the boy's glasses nearly flew
off.
"Oi. You wanted to see me?" came a rough voice from the doorway. Luffy looked
up and grinned.
"Hey, you must be that Zoro guy! What's shakin'?"
"What do you want?" Zoro said as he came in.
Luffy deftly threw a newspaper at Zoro, who caught it one handed. "I'm looking
for some good guys for a heist. A BIIIIIIG heist. By the way, nice catch. Those
two guys didn't even make that!" Luffy said with a grin, pointing at an
embarrassed Yosaku and Johnny.
Zoro read the headline. "What the hell's an Alabaster?" he said, arching an
eyebrow at Luffy.
"Hahaha, y'know, I'm not too sure. I know it's a place, and I heard the country's
real tough! But anyway, the casino's the important part. So, what do ya say?
The payoff's big, and I could use a guy with muscle and all." Luffy grinned
hopefully at the frowning Zoro.
Zoro thought about it. For all of a second.
"No."
Luffy's face fell. "Aw, why not?" he said, sounding
remarkably like a kid.
Zoro shrugged. "I just don't want to. Now scram."
Luffy would have argued, had the police not kicked in the door, guns drawn.
"Roronoah Zoro!" one barked "Ye're wanted for questioning, lad."
Zoro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Says you, pal."
The cops' fingers tightened on their triggers. "Aye, says us. Now hands up, be
a good lad. Ye had to have known that Chief Helmeppo wasn't going to let you
hurtin' his dog slide."
Luffy looked at Zoro. "You hurt a dog? That's mean. I ain't so sure I want you
on my crew then."
Zoro growled at Luffy. "Butt out, grifter."
Yosaku, Johnny, and Coby peeked their heads out of their hiding places.
"Zoro, you hurt a dog!?" Coby said, shocked.
"Hey, it wasn't like that!" Yosaku shouted.
"Yeah, it was gonna bite this poor little girl!" Johnny added, before a sharp
glance from Zoro sent them hiding again.
Luffy nodded sagely. "Ah, ok, that's different then…" he brightened up. "Okay
Zoro, you're back in my crew!"
Zoro glared at him harder. "I didn't say I joined, asshole!"
Luffy waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, I don't bother with the small details
like that."
"All right, enough of the chatter! Hands up, you're coming with us, Zoro!"
another cop yelled, cutting into the conversation.
Silence reigned. Luffy scratched the side of his nose, looking interestedly
back and forth between Zoro and the police officers
Zoro cracked his knuckles, then his neck. His hands strayed near his pockets,
relaxed, ready.
"Is that a fact?" he said with a voice like a razor.
Hell broke loose shortly after.
Author's Notes:
Meet AU Zoro. AU Zoro, everyone, everyone, AU Zoro.
Obviously, some stuff's been changed around, but that's what AU fics are for.
Zoro needed a gang, and who better than the dynamic duo of Yosaku and Johnny?
Coby's here because this is basically the Morgan part of the series, before the
Alabasta heist. Why? Cause I like Luffy and Zoro's first meeting.
Oh, and the cops are supposed to be Irish sounding. Because hey, most cops were
back then, so it fits into the time period. That, and I like the Irish. Good
folks.
Luffy saying the country's real tough is a pun. See the country "has a lot of
sand." which can also mean, "has a lot of guts/balls/cojones/etc." If you
figured this out beforehand, kudos.
Oh, and word to the wise: don't try to tell me its Roronoa. I won't listen :) I
like the look and sound of Roronoah, I think the "ah" adds a masculine oomph to
the name, and I won't hear differently. Not trying to be snarky here, just
trying to save someone the time typing "But so-and-so source says its Roronoa."
Dedicated to Nik-san, for being kind enough to write me when I'm bored, and for
being my first "I need new fic chapters, please!" email for this fic.
Dedicated to Bobby Darin, for Mack the Knife.
Next chapter: Zoro and Luffy take the fight to the boys in blue and city hall,
but will Zoro join Luffy's crew?
Yeah, probably. Duh :)