Thank you AngelFallenDemon for the nice review

Here's the new chapter, enjoy reading

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece


Chapter 1


"Saaanjiiii! Meeeeeaaaattt!"

The every morning routine-scream spilled through the air, completely ignored by every soul on the ship. It would annoy anyone who didn't have the opportunity to spend enough time with the crew to get used to it. Which is about two days max, because of the incessant cries of food or meat or saaaanji from Luffy - who has a bottomless black hole someone once called "stomach"...maybe it once WAS one, but it was a long time ago and it was like a high school fuck buddy contract, it was unstable and didn't last long as both went their own separated ways... - at least milion times a day.

Now the etternaly hungry captain was rocket-speedy ramming into their cook's personal space through the galley door, being stopped by a leather heel firmly planted into his face, making the rubber mans skin coat it inhumanly.

"Shut up you asshole! Scream one more time and you will be eating broccoly instead of meat, for the next three weeks!" roared infuriated Sanji, effectively silencing and terrifying Luffy by the idea of vegetable future. He flopped down on his chair pouting.

By the time the breakfast was ready, everyone was already settled down around the table, patiently waiting for the food - as patiently as it could be with this energic bunch. Well, almost everyone.

"Hey, where's Marimo?" asked Sanji as he served breakfast. "Even plants have to eat, besides, I won't allow wasting food. If he won't come soon, I'm giving his food to Luffy."

"Yay~! Extra Food!"

"When you mention it now, I haven't seen Kenshi-san this morning either." Robin said in her usual calm and polite way.

"When I last saw him, he was still in his bunk." Usopp remembered. "Maybe he's not feeling good? He certainly didn't look twice healthy when I called him to come eat with us..." the sniper added with worried expresion.

"Maybe the grassland on his head was overly long on the sun and now is too sear to get up." Sanji mumbled quietly, annoyed that his food was getting rejected. It was his job as the crews cook to make sure that no one was hungry, marimos included.

"I'll go check on him after breakfast, maybe it's really a mild heatstroke, after all we'll anchor on an summer island soon, the weather's really hot." exclaimed Chopper, their little reindeer doctor was always concerned when came to Zoro.

The man always refused to ask for help, however bad his wounds were. He was the crews first mate, their guardian, he protected all their dreams, always helped them shoulder their pains and troubles and didn't admit his own in order to not worry them. Which on the contrary worried them all the more.

Everyone agreed with the furry doctor, resuming to eat their food, protecting it from their captains greedy hands.


In the boys's room, lying in one of the many bunks was the swodsman.

Feeling like shit.

Yes, phisicaly he felt sick too. His body felt suffocating, like it's suddenly became smaller... And then his head hurt like bitch. It was pounding with pain as if someone shot him in it. Again and again... But come now, he had it worse in the past.

The shitty part was something else.

He was starting to feel pulls. The power inherited in his family for generations was starting to awaken within him. He thought it was long gone, that he already lost it along with his family...

This situation was dangerous. If it was under original terms he would undergo the ritual and adopt the powers, but that was not to happen. Without the ritual the powers will corrupt and absorb him...he'll die or become a monster. He would be lying if he said he's not scared a bit...

And then the dream. The fucking memory-evocating dream. Of how weak he was back then. How he could only run when his parents died. How he cowardly fled when his beloved big brother sacrificed himself in exchange for Zoro's life. Oh, how long and hard he cried for his aniki. For his mamma and papa. What he would give up in exchange for at least one of them to live. For his aniki not to find him.

'stop!'he thought. 'this isn't like me, clinging to the past, sulking in bed like a baby. i'm older now. stronger. i have finaly found people who accept me, love me, people to protect. i won't let anything happen to them ever again... I'll protect my family this time around!'

'if you won't have to leave them when you become a monster.' little negative voice stinged him at the back of his mind. 'if you survive it at all...'

As he thought this, the door creaked and Chopper peeked in.

"Are you alright Zoro? Are you feeling any pain? Dizziness? Headaches?" comes the worried stream of questions.

"No, I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. Sorry to bother you Chopper." Zoro answers with a small smile.

Chopper wasn't so sure, Zoro looked pale and his cheeks were flushed a bit, but he decided not to push the matter. "Ok then. But be careful, it's really hot outside. If you ever feel sick or strange, come straight to me."

Zoro nodded, knowing the raindeer doctor was being thoughtful of his wellbeing. He's always seen Chopper a little like his little brother, always looking at him with the big brown sparkling eyes.

They both went out to the deck, only to bump into Nami. "Ah, Zoro! Here you are! Glad you're ok. We just arrived to the summer island, the village is really big."

And really they saw an island in front of them, village taking half of it and a jungle spreading on the other. The village houses where pressed against each other narrowly in lines, forming about 5 vertical main streets, the two in the middle were filled with street markets, buzzing with converzations of dozens of people. It was built uphill, so they saw a little bit of the big round main plaza in the middle of the city, with a huge clocktower, black as raven feathers. The clock itself was white, with green spiral-like ornaments.

Zoro couldn't tear his eyes off the clocktower. Fragments of memories flashed through his mind. Memories of old family visits. Of walks in the narrow streets and games on some of the many rooftops. Of ritual in the jungles he only observed from the sidelines. Of the petite old man in the dimly lit room.

He watched the clocktower intensely. His breath narrowed and heart drummed in his ears.

"Nami? What is this island's name?" he asks so softly she almost missed the question.

"Huh? I think it was...yes! Kaemon."

Zoro's heart skipped a beat from the stream of emotions.

KAEMON VILLAGE!


to be continued...