It was silent.
Zoro sat at the deck , deep sinking in his thoughts. The sun started sinking down in the ocean, and the sky begun to be orange with a tone of red. On the other side of Going merry Nami and Usopp sat and spied on him. Zoro had acting strange the whole week since he got that mysterios letter, and the were worried, something was wrong.

"What to you think it was?" whispered Usopp, talking about the letter.

"I'm not sure," answered Nami. "But it don't look like it concider good news."
They observed the swordman. He didn't move, but they didn't expect that either.

"Have he slept something?"

"No, I don't think so. Or I have'nt seen him do that."

Then Nami understood that something was wrong. He didn't came to the dinner earlier in the day, he said he wasn't hungry. He didn't eat and he didn't sleep. But he wasn't sick, she was sure. Then what was wrong?

"What do you think we should do?" asked Usopp.

"I'll talk to him!" Nami said and stood up.
Usopp saw the navigator went to the silent one and sat down beside him.

"Ok..." Usopp said and walked down to the boy's room to see what Luffy was up to.

Zoro stared empty on the ocean. He didn't heard Nami until she stand beside him.

"May I sit down?"
He didn't look at her.

"Sure."

Nami sat down and crossed her legs.
Noone said something. The sun were almost gone when Nami put a hand to his shoulder.

"Zoro.."

He didn't move.

"What do you want?" he asked.
Nami hesitated.

"What...what is wrong?"

Zoro finaly looked at her.
"Nothing is wrong."

Lier, Nami thought. Why don't you wanna tell me?

"That's a lie and you know it." she said and tried to catch eyecontact with him but he pull away.

"You have acting strange in a whole week now, and you say that nothing is wrong?"
Zoro shrugged. Nami hand were still on his shoulder. She hugged it.

"Zoro...Maybe you can trick us in two or three days, but not a week! You have acting... very wierd since you got that letter.."
She felt the swordman frooze under her hand.

"It's the letter huh? What did it said?"
Zoro shoked his head.

"You would'nt understand..."

"How do you know? Maybe I would. Let me know." He signed.

"Ok"

He looked at her once again.

"Do you know why I want to be the best swordman in the world?"
Nami shoked her head.

"No."

Downstairs Usopp were talking to Sanji. Usopp had found Luffy sleeping in the boys room, so he decided to go and talk to Sanji, and found him in the galley.

"I wonder what the letter said..." Usopp thought loud.

"What do you think Sanji?"
The chef light a cigarette and started smoke.

"I don't know. Marimo-head always acting wierd..."

"Yeah...But maybe something happened?"
Sanji snorted.

"Don't think so. If it was something serious he should have told us. Don't you think so?"

"Hmm...maybe you're right." Usopp yawned.

"I think it's time for me to sleep." he said and directed his steps towards the boys room.

Out-side Zoro just finished his story. He stared out on the stars.

"Oh.." Nami said. "I didn't know that."

"Mmm." Zoro said.

"But what about the letter?"

"A couple of years after her death I left the dojo to be the best. Some months later I get a letter from the Sensei, who told me to return as fast as I could..."

o-O-Flashback-O-o

"It's been a while Zoro."

"Sensei.."

"How are you? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine Sensei. But why did you want me to return?"

"You know the story Zoro. Kuina fell down the stairs and broke her neck..."

Zoro nodded.

"But it isn't so simply as it sounds. Kuinas death wasn't an accident..."

The older man grabbed the swordmans shoulders. He looked deep in Zoros eyes and took a deep breath.

"She was murdered."

Zoros eyes widden. He didn't know what to say.

"W-what? Are your sure Sensei? But I thought..."

"Yes, we all thought the same."

He relised Zoro and turned around.

"I have talked to one of the younger students. He saw it happen..."

o-O-The Flashback's Flashback-O-o

Ray sat and read in his room when he heard a unfamiliar voice and become curious. He sneaked closer to the door and listening. It sounded like a battle! He opened the door and looked out.What he saw made him frooze.

He saw Kuina fighting with a strange boy dressed in black with a purple bandana around his waist. He had two daggers out and Kuina had her sword out. The saya were on the floor. The stranger suddenly took a large jump and attacked Kuina from the top.
She stoped his daggers with the sword and jumped back. She didn't noticed that the stairs were behind her.
But the stranger did.
He rushed towards her, finted with the daggers and kicked her in the stomach.
Kuina had no time to scream.

Rays eyes widden and he grabbed his bambu-sword.

"Kuina!"

o-O-End of The Flashback's Flashback-O-o

"But he couldn't win. The thief spared his life only to make it look like an accident. He also threatening to kill Rays younger brother if Ray told anyone about him. Ray become scared and didn't say anything in all these years. But one day he spotted the thief and followed him. He saw him walk aboard on a ship. When the ship was gone he rushed back to the dojo and told us the whole story" Sensei turn to face Zoro.
The swordman looked down in the ground and his face was covered in shadows.

"Zoro..."

Zoro looked up with angry tears in his eyes.

"I'll find him! Even if it'll take my whole life I'll find him!"

Sensei nodded.

"I know that. The older man put an hand to his shoulder.

"Then, Zoro, find my daughters murderer and bring him to me. And I'll give him the punishment he desurve."

"I promise!"

o-O-End of Flashback-O-o

Zoro signed.

"That day I visited Ray and asked about the stranger. About what clothes he had, what kind of weapons he used and then I left the island to find him."

Zoro put a hand to his neck and Nami saw a long scar she didn't spotted before.

"But I didn't expect to meet him so soon..."

Hi on u. This is a new story, and a special one...'cause... It's my second! (TA-DAH!) Maybe I should finish the 3rd chapter on my first story, but I've got a new idea (don't worry, I WILL continue with the first one...!)...Hope I don't write TO horrible, my english sucks...

What happened that day when Zoro and the murderer met? Who is it? And what did the letter really said?
All this and of course more, in the next chapter! Hang on!