So here she was, with Zoro once again. Upside? She gets to leave behind that stuffy marine place. Downside? She's fairly sure she's going to get a wanted poster from this. She just hopes her Epithet is something cool. Oh and Zoro also did this cool thing with Sandai Kitetsu where he tested his luck against its curse. That dunderhead hadn't changed at all.

At least he let her hold Wado again. That was nice. But the whole having to run from an angry Captain in the middle of a crazy storm? Not so nice.

Want to know what was worse? Getting hurled across the water by a crazy Captain who had devil fruit powers. She was fairly sure that she was going to die. Again. She hit the deck with a large thud and immediately hit the Captain, whom she had learned was called Luffy, with the sheath of Shigure.

"Warn me next time, dumbass!"

"Shishishi!"

"Don't laugh!"

"So let me get this straight," the one she'd learned was called Nami said as she rubbed her temples. "You're Zoro's childfriend, Kuina who died 11 years ago only to take over the body of the Marine known as Tashigi and one thing led to another and Luffy let you join the crew because you were strong?"

"Yep."

"Not enough booze in the world."

Kuina merely laughed at that. "Oh believe me, you're going to want to be drunk when it comes to dealing with Zoro."

"I'm well aware. Still, I suppose I should be thankful. It's nice to have someone with a modicum of common sense around here."

"The question is. What will last longer, our common sense or their stupidity?"

Nami let out a despair filled wail at that.

"Tashigi-chwan!" a certain chef called while doing a noodle dance behind her.

Kuina, without turning around, slammed the butt of Shigure into his stomach. "No."

"Ack! So rough! Yet that's what I adore about you!"

"I'd prefer if you guys called me Kuina," she said as she rolled her neck. "Tashigi is fine amongst enemies and the like. In fact, it helps protect my identity. But you guys know my secret, so it feels weird being called Tashigi by you."

"Ah~! I can do that, Kuina-chwan! Tell me, do you have any preferred meals?! I shall prepare them at once!"

Kuina rolled her eyes and turned around to face him, resting her arm on the back of the chair she was sitting in. "Just rice, meat and carrots."

"A disciplined diet! It fits you so well!" he chimed as he ran off to the kitchen.

"I already feel my sanity eroding away around him."

Zoro, meanwhile, was laughing up a storm. "Please, do beat on him more."

Without a word, Kuina walked over to him and thwacked him over the head.

"The hell?!"

Kuina shrugged. "Felt like it."

She stood at the front of the ship, the wind whipping through her hair. A day ago, she had been in a small village, struggling to find her place in the world. She had been told a girl could never make it as a swordsman, let alone a warrior. She had been told to just give it up, settle down and get married. And all it took was a brush with death to change all of that. To give her a chance to become something more.

She still felt a little guilty about taking over someone else's body, but it's not like she had any control over it. It could even be that she and Tashigi were so similar that their personalities merged and that the trade off was losing Tashigi's memories. Either way, she couldn't do much about it now.

It was still so strange, but considering the fact that she witnessed her new Captain be struck by lightning and walk it off, she supposed that things just didn't make sense anymore.

She lifted her arms above her head and stretched. She had thought that getting used to this body would be difficult, considering the size difference, but it was almost like it had been her body all along. Muscle memory was one hell of a thing.

She shifted slightly as she heard movement behind her. "You want to fight me, don't you?"

She could somehow hear Zoro's smirk.

"That win at the store didn't count and you know it. Let's see who really is the best right now," came his reply.

She chuckled as she turned to face him, adjusting her glasses as she did so. Oh yeah, did she mention these damned things? Apparently Tashigi was blind as a bat and that had carried over to her. Maybe she could commission contacts? Because it'd certainly suck to lose the things at sea.

She noticed Zoro reaching for Wado and was surprised when he tossed it to her.

"It wouldn't feel right if you weren't using that," he said as he drew both Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu.

She smiled as she caught and unsheathed her beloved blade. "You're right. It'd feel weird if I whooped your butt without it."

"We'll see about that."

And so they clashed. But unlike their countless spars as children, this fight now was much closer. Zoro had strength, but she had speed. For every blow against her blade he made, she was able to make five against his. Sure, her legs would buckle when she parried his attacks, but that was only when he managed to actually strike her.

It was a beautiful dance. And in the end, there was no victor. For the first time in their lives, their magnificent duel had ended as a draw, with the both of them sweating buckets. But neither looked upset. In fact, they were both more than content with the outcome.

"You've gotten stronger, Zoro," she said with a big smile.

"And you've gotten more refined," he said with a smirk.

Sure, some of the praise had to go to Tashigi, but still. It felt amazing! That was a true duel! A true fight between swordsmen!

"I'll win next time though," she said as she sheathed Wado and tossed it back to him.

"In your dreams," he said as he caught it.

She chuckled and then paused when he suddenly grabbed her shoulder. "What's up?"

"Kuina, I saw it."

"Saw what?"

"The pinnacle. Dracule Mihawk."

Her breath hitched. "The world's strongest?"

"Yeah. I had the chance to fight him."

"And?"

He shifted his jacket to reveal the bandages covering his torso. "He kicked my ass."

She wasn't focused on the result of their duel however. No, her eyes were staring directly at his chest.

"Are you an idiot?"

"Huh?"

"You were fighting while injured?! What if they opened up?!"

"Eh, it's fine."

"No, it is not fine, Roronoa Zoro. You get in bed this instant."

"Why?"

"No more fights until you're better!"

"What?! Who says?!"

"I do! A swordsman must cherish their body as much as their blade! Don't go destroying yourself, dumbass!"

"Who are you, my mom?!"

"If I must be!"

Zoro grumbled something about her being a wet blanket before leaving and saying he wanted to sleep anyway.

She merely huffed and crossed her arms. She'd have to make sure he didn't do anything suicidal like that again. It wasn't good for her heart.