Cześć! It's bad I know. But meh. I apologize. Questions or comments please let me know. Have fun.


Passage Six: The Strength of a Fool

Calling Zoro mad was a massive understatement. He was pissed, aggravated, indignant, furious. The fact that a bunch of lowly pirate scum got the best of him when they were out at sea fueled the rage fire burning within him. Each stroke of his katana was a well placed "you-will-die-horribly" stroke. Though thoroughly fuming, he was pleased at those falling victim to his swords.

As the last man charging him slumped to the ground, Zoro stood among the bodies. Was it overkill? Possibly. Did he have to kill them? Absolutely not. Did he want to? Absolutely yes. He looked around him, seeing rubble scattered everywhere and smoke floating through the debris. The rain was doing little to douse the fires. He was in what previously was the market street though it was difficult to tell. Shame. He thought this place had good alcohol. It wasn't like they were going to be staying long anyway.

His attention turned to his captain happily bouncing around as he was pursued by several pirates. Sanji was doing his usual dumbass pervy prince act as he helped people, mostly women, from the splintered wood and broken stone to lead them away. He had no idea where the Scaredy Cat Three and that assassin were. Not that he really cared. He's sure they can handle themselves.

What he doesn't understand was why the townspeople weren't fighting back. And where was that one girl? Curtsy or whatever her name was. With her fighting skills, she should be able to do something. She wasn't anywhere in sight though. Probably just another coward.

He shook his head clear. He's got bigger things to worry about. Like that giant ship in the harbor. It was like an anthill; the pirates kept coming out of it no matter how many Zoro, Sanji or Luffy fought off. It was endless. Zoro does have a bit of pent up stress for being defeated by these pitiful examples of pirates he needed to use up. Problem was the colossal sized ship. Mihawk could slice one with ease. Remembering the carnage left behind that man made back in the East Blue caused Zoro clench his fists tightly around the hilts of his blades. If Mihawk could do it why couldn't he?

"Roronoa Zoro! We meet again!"

He knew that voice. His blood boiled in remembrance of a fat slob of a man standing over him laughing. He turned around to the greasy haired, obese pig of a human being chortling with a squadron of cronies behind him. This was the one that somehow managed to get the better of Zoro. He was in a haze, like a mist hung over him back then. Was it a type of poison that weakened his body? A hallucinogen maybe? All he knew was that he was going to brutally murder this man pig.

"Ready for a rematch?"

"Oh it won't be a rematch asshole," Zoro remarked bitterly as he rose Kitetsu towards the man. "I will exterminate you."

"My words exactly!"

Man-Pig made a reach into his trench coat, but Zoro was quicker. He had charged him with Kitetsu and Yubashiri primed to strike. Or so he thought. Man-Pig wasn't where he was before. There was a sour scent in the air that he recognized. It was just like back then. He quickly held his breath for a few seconds while he spun around like a tornado to rid the area of the mist.

But it didn't work. Did he breathe some in? He looked around, seeing shadows in the mist. Shadows with eyes like burning embers. Laughter echoed around him. He slashed through the haze and shadowy figures, only for them to form again. Those vines from before were beginning to wrap around his legs, making his body feel heavier and heavier with every passing second. A swamp was starting to suck him in once more. He was better than this. He can't be beaten again by Man-Pig and his cohorts again. He needed to focus, clear his mind, steady his senses.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

The sour smell made him want to gag. As he relaxed, the echoing laughter began to fade. The odd tingling sensation of his skin vanished, the vines snapped and the swamp receded. It wasn't long before the putrid smell was replaced by the familiar aroma of blood and smoke. His ears perked when he heard the cocking of flintlock and spun around, swinging Yubashiri behind him to slice right through the gun. His darkened gaze met the astonished face of Man-Pig.

"H-How did you..."

"I won't fall for it again."

Despite being an overly large man, he had quick reflexes once he knew his life was in grave danger. Man-Pig shouted at his men to attack and they swarmed Zoro with guns and swords at the ready. These guys were slightly stronger than the first throng of pirates. Only slightly. He cut his way through them like they were human cakes, his anger leading him to closer Man-Pig. Zoro could see the fear in his face now. He was trying to scamper away from the enraged swordsman, sending his men to their deaths one after another. Like the sheeple they were, they obeyed.

Even though a few managed to land a slash here and a gunshot graze there, it was no match for a wild pissed off Zoro. Yet being blinded by anger had problems. Zoro didn't realize something had been shot into his leg, causing it to go numb. He fell to his knee hard which woke him from his rage. The numbness was slowly spreading through his veins. Perfect fucking timing...

He tried to stand, but his body wasn't responding. It wasn't until he stopped that he realized how much damage had been done to him. It was nothing compared to what Mihawk, Arlong or Mr. One had done to him. It was more of a nuisance what these guys had done.

Zoro noticed a shadow of a hand reach for him and he slashed up with Kitetsu, hearing the screeching of a wounded person. Man-Pig was holding his bloody left arm that now ended in a stump. The pirate's hand fell to the ground in a thump and twitched a few times before laying still. A little satisfaction was a nice change of pace.

"You bastard! You fucking bastard! I'll have your head!"

Man-Pig reached for a pistol hidden in his trench coat and aimed it right at Zoro's forehead. Unfortunately his body wasn't responding right and he couldn't move. A small speck of panic crept up on him. He watched in what seemed like slow motion as Man-Pig cocked the gun and his finger closed around the trigger. Zoro was screaming at his body to move now. No response. His efforts before were wasted now. Once again he was bested. Not like this...not like this dammit!

It was a blur. Something silvery-grey and black raced out of Zoro's peripheral and barreled into Man-Pig, knocking him to the ground. Whatever it was then landed before the swordsman snarling. It was a dog. A medium sized dog with a thick coat, pointed ears and a curled tail. It was an almost wolf-like looking canine, but smaller. And it was wearing...clothes? It was wearing clothes. And a saddlebag.

Man-Pig squirmed to sit up and required the help of his underlings. The dog stayed in front of Zoro, growling. Why does he have the sudden feeling like he knew the dog? He hasn't seen anything like it while wandering the town. Or beach. Or forest.

"I thought you were suppose to be a badass."

The dog spoke in a voice he knew. It was confirmed to him who it was when the dog turned it's head towards him and he saw eyes of teal. A Devil Fruit user like Chopper? He saw the tail wag faintly.

"You're that...girl?"

"Kirsi. Yes that's me." In a fluid motion the dog was replaced by the ashen blonde girl who was barefoot and wearing tight clothing. She smiled softly at him and placed the saddlebag on the ground. "Sorry I'm late. I had...inner problems to deal with."

He scoffed, looking away. "I was starting to think you really were a coward."

"A fool is more like it. Sadly it's in my blood not to run from a fight. But I had to take a fist to the face to see that."

"What does that-"

"Now you just sit tight and let me handle this," she interrupted him and gave him a head pat.

She ignore him ranting and raving about being treated like a child as she stood between him and Man-Pig who was finally on his feet. He looked confused at the woman standing before him. He suddenly started laughing like a maniac and pointing at Kirsi.

"This little bitch thinks she can fight me?! I am the first mate of this crew! The infamous Roronoa Zoro can't even win against me!"

Kirsi shrugged. "Positions don't always prove your strength, you oversized grease bucket."

Man-Pig gaped like a fish gasping to breath and ordered his men to attack as he slunk back behind them. Kirsi grounded her feet and rose her arms up. The first man charged sword first which she sidestepped, bringing a fist into his gut hard. He crumpled as the next one attack with similar tactics. Kirsi jumped up with a front flip, shifting back to the dog form and bit him hard in to the back of the leg when she landed. Her ears flattened when a rifle was aimed at her and she launched herself at the next victim, pointed teeth bared and going for his neck. She hit her mark and blood spurted.

No stalling from the men, like they were in a trance as they charged. Kirsi switched from dog to human freely as she fought. It was confusing the pirates. They aimed high, she went lower as a dog and bit the tender bits of flesh and important veins in their legs. They aimed low, she stayed in human form to turn their swords and guns against them. Blood splattered her skin or fur as she tore through the fodder.

Just like when they fought, her motions were fluid. She didn't hesitate as the pawns fell in line to die by her fangs. Zoro noticed something different though. Back then, she wasn't trying to land a blow on him; she was just dodging until the end of their fight. But now she was in full attack mode. Changing from dog to human, ignoring what injuries were laid upon her, fighting like it was her last battle. What kind of person trained her?

While she was distracted by fighting the peons, Man-Pig had grabbed a rifle to use as a bat and swung it at Kirsi's back. Her reactions had slowed too much for her to defend herself. But Zoro was back in the fight and blocked the blow for her. He pushed Man-Pig back with his blades, making him stumble and allowing Kirsi to strike at his knees with a doggy headbutt. The greasy man landed on his back, calling out to be helped again. There was no one left alive to obey him. Both Zoro and human Kirsi loomed over him like hungry fiends.

"W-Wait please..."

Zoro smirked. "Begging for your life already? I thought you had more fight in you."

"Don't kill me please! My captain...take him instead!"

"How low can you get?" Kirsi asked in a flat tone. "Using human's like sacrificial pawns? Being disloyal to your captain?"

Man-Pig went into fury mode seeing the blonde. "What do you care bitch?! You killed my men with no remorse. The both of you!"

"Oh he does have some fight left. I was worried."

Man-Pig shrunk back, reverting to the coward when Zoro pointed the tip of Kitetsu at the his nose. "Just l-let me live. I was only following orders."

"Didn't look like that to me. Like I said before, this is payback asshole."

It was soundless. Man-Pig's body convulsed with his dying gurgled breath then lay motionless. Zoro sheathed his swords after wiping the blood and grime on the first mate's coat and sat on a broken cart with a huff. Kirsi was going to follow in suit until she froze in her step and let out a gasp.

"I almost forgot!"

"Forgot what?"

She didn't reply as she raced back towards the battleground for the saddle bag. She jogged back towards him, looking inside with a sigh of a relief. "None of them are broken."

"What's in there?" Zoro asked.

A sly foxy smile formed on her gunk covered face as she opened one of the sides of the bags and showed him. It took a moment before he noticed what they were and jumped back.

"Where the hell did you get those?!"

"Tahgu gave them to me. If you'll excuse me."

He was going to ask what she planned on doing with a bag full of grenades, but she went into dog form and dashed off again. Silence was settling in once again as the remaining pirates tried to hurry back to their ship while being chased by Luffy and the little gang of townspeople he picked up along the way. Kirsi was going towards the ship. Which means...

"You've got to be shi-"

A loud explosion shattered the quiet and shook the ground. The blast of air bringing debris and body bits washed over the broken town. Zoro felt himself get knocked back from the force and land hard onto a heap of cracked wood, adding more minor injuries. He shimmied out from the pile and hurried back towards the battlefield. Where was Kirsi?

"I think he added too much gunpowder."

Zoro whipped around, seeing dog form Kirsi sitting behind him and watching the aftermath of the explosion. She looked battered, but nothing serious. She just sat there, tail wagging, tongue hanging out, looking like a derpy dog.

"Dumbass."


Anti-climatic? Mary Sue? Lame? Typical? Predictable? Zoro best boi? We all know he is. And it's not like she magically became strong. She trained for a few good years like Luffy and Zoro. And my writing for fight scenes is abysmal sorry. Anywoot thank you for reading. Have a weebtastic day you lovely snowflakes owo/