Here it comes, the second part.
Next week we start with the regular chapters, so be prepared ;-)
Farewell
He followed Luffy relentlessly, this constant light feeling in his chest, this knowledge that he would finally come home.
However, the joy was somewhat dampened by the certainty that he would leave the island of Sasaki, where he had spent the last few weeks, with all its inhabitants, with him.
But no, he wouldn't let that tarnish his return.
His captain was still catapulting one soldier after another - and sometimes several of them at once - against the walls of houses or down the streets they passed.
Luffy ran down the alleys towards the harbor, but slowly he seemed to get tired. The fight already lasted for some time and while Luffy stood his ground alone, new soldiers kept appearing like sand in a desert.
They also seemed to be much stronger than the usual minions who otherwise annoyed them. Some of them were able to dodge Luffy's attacks and even carried out more or less effective counterattacks.
Zoro on the roofs could see Luffy repeatedly wiping his forearm over his forehead. He was visibly exhausted.
He wanted to intervene, he had to intervene. The two of them would have a good chance, but he also knew that he was not allowed to intervene, otherwise...
Zoro swallowed. He wanted to help him, but he still had to wait, he had to trust his captain. Luffy was strong enough and otherwise one of the other crewmates would certainly help him. Zoro didn't need to worry. The crew was strong enough to protect Luffy, strong enough to protect him. They just had to be strong enough to protect Zoro.
But why was nobody coming?
Wasn't it obvious that Luffy needed support now? Had none of them felt that Luffy was in danger? Couldn't they feel that their captain needed them?
Luffy had reached the edge of the harbor promenade, still fighting and kicking any enemy standing in his way, trying to eliminate as many soldiers as possible. Zoro followed him across the roofs, ready to take action at any time if it had to be.
But he knew he had to hold back.
By now he didn't care about being recognized. Sure, he could do without the world finding out that he was Lady Loreen, but in the end he didn't really care.
Yet Zoro knew that if he intervened, if he didn't trust that his crew could make it without him, then...
"Luffy!" The chef's loud voice echoed across the harbor, almost startling Zoro.
He glanced over to the Thousand Sunny, which was still a few hundred meters away. He could clearly recognize some of his crew members on board and there, there he could also identify the veiled figure of Hawk Eyes. So, he had actually protected Zoro's friends.
But then he saw Sanji, who obviously ran as fast as he could to rush to his captain's aid. Some soldiers had already noticed the hero in the suit, which wasn't really surprising, given that this idiot was yelling loud enough for the whole town to hear him.
"Don't let him escape!" The lieutenant ordered behind lines of soldiers, who seemed to attack even more forcefully by now.
Like a silent bystander Zoro watched as captain and chef got closer and closer as both of them kept kicking soldiers out of their ways. Again and again Sanji called the name of the Straw Hat.
But Zoro on the roof could see it exactly, could see how fast Sanji was running, could see how fast Luffy was running, could see how fast the lieutenant was.
Luffy was exhausted, but if he'd make it to Sanji, if Sanji would make it to him, everything would be good, then everything would be...
Luffy fell.
His legs gave in and he fell to the ground, catching himself with his hands.
"This is your end!" The lieutenant had almost reached him.
Could the chef still make it?
He already knew the answer.
Zoro!
For a moment, he thought he heard Luffy, deep within himself.
The lieutenant had drawn his sword.
Where are you?
"Luffy!" Sanji screamed desperately, reaching out a hand for his friend over whom the Marine officer's dark shadow loomed. "No!"
He was too late, Sanji wouldn't be in time.
The man in the Marine coat raised his sword.
I am here.
Zoro jumped down the roofs.
My captain!
It went fast, easy, without any struggle.
In less than a second, Zoro stood behind the lieutenant, registering how much larger the stranger was. The Marine was much stronger than Zoro in this form, but he acted immediately.
Josei, the supreme great sword Hawk Eyes had given him, after Zoro had left his own with his crew, thirsted for almost every single drop of his enemy's blood. For decades it had been in a display case, this was its first fight after such a long time.
Almost indignant the sword drilled into the soft flesh of the officer, let Zoro lead it obediently between bones, grateful to finally be allowed to fight again. But Zoro did not just pierce through the lieutenant, he had learned to act quickly and efficiently. He had to win a fight within a split second.
While pulling out the blade, he tore the flesh, cut through it like warm butter, leaving a gaping hole in the lieutenant's chest while blood pattered to the ground like rain.
For a moment, the Marine stood in front of Zoro, blood discoloring his white Marine cape within seconds. He seemed to want to say something but fell to his knees.
Rattling his sword fell to the ground.
"What.. the...?" Then he collapsed, obviously dead.
Zoro had pointed his weapon at the corpse, but his gaze hit the cook's.
Sanji was frozen in running, one hand still stretched out for the Straw Hat kneeling on the ground, but he only stared at Zoro, the light of the midday sun reflected in his one visible blue eye and Zoro wondered if he saw something like recognition scurrying over those pale features.
For a moment, Zoro looked at his captain in front of him. He had protected him, as it had always been his duty, he had protected his captain.
But he had no time for sentimentality right now.
He quickly swirled around and confronted the remaining soldiers, standing wide-legged in front of his captain. Zoro would protect Luffy, as he had always done, regardless of the consequences.
He ignored suddenly emerging, unwanted feelings - which threatened to overwhelm him in this body at any time - and looked at the approaching soldiers.
The unexpected death of their leader had shocked them, but now they attacked again, anger and despair in their screams. Feelings that could be a hinderance in a fight, as Zoro knew only too well. He had already learned from these mistakes, had learned from the best of the best, and now turned the weakness of those soldiers against them.
It was the first true battle with real enemies since Zoro had been trapped in this weak body. The first fight that could be fatal for him, but he didn't care. Josei in his hand pulsated bloodthirsty and he gave himself to the fulfilling feeling of fighting.
Most of the soldiers were taller than him and, of course, stronger, their muscular upper arms so tense they seemed to burst. But a fight wasn't won with strength alone.
Zoro knew that one blow, one hit, could be enough to defeat him, to break the thin bones of his body, to tear open the paper-thin skin, so he didn't allow the soldiers to attack, knocked them out before they even noticed where he was, killed them directly, left no room for revenge, was too quick for their resistance.
Suddenly, he felt a familiar arm wrapping several times around his hip and a familiar voice shouted at him: "Hold on tight!"
He suspected what would follow, had barely enough time to put his sword away, heard the cook's desperate curse, and the next second they raced through the air.
Zoro's lungs were pressed together, every bit of oxygen pushed out, while the Straw Hat catapulted them somewhere, presumably towards the Sunny.
From the corners of his eyes, he could see Sanji, who seemed no less alarmed, but quickly freed himself from his captain's clinging embrace and jumped to the ground.
Zoro immediately followed his example. Luffy's escapes mostly ended in a hard impact against some wall, which he could do without, especially in this body.
But he had misjudged the tightness of Luffy's grip, had taken a moment too long to free himself, and so he hung upside down in the air and fell vertically to the ground.
At the last moment, he was caught by Hawk Eyes, covered in his cloak, standing casually at the middle of the pirate ship, as if he were nothing more than an uninvolved spectator.
Luffy, meanwhile, clashed with full force against the foremast of the Sunny and then crashed to the ground, with his head ahead.
All this happened within a split of a second and for a moment everything was quiet. Then Nami shouted orders to escape and the other crew members followed.
He was home. Zoro was back at home, back on the Thousand Sunny, back with his crew.
But while there was a lot of activity around him and the Shichibukai, Zoro couldn't move as if frozen.
He wanted to pull down the hood and shout at the others that he was back. Wanted to help Robin and Sanji fending off approaching cannonballs. He wanted to be there again, he wanted to be a part of it again.
But what if his nightmares would come true, what if his fears would come true? What if his crew would not only not recognize him or even worse, what if they didn't even want him to come back? What if his friends could not forgive him for leaving them believing that he had died? What if he couldn't become a man again? Could he then return to the crew despite that?
Hawk Eyes next to him was dead silent. Oh, how Zoro wished somebody would silence the voice in his head.
But maybe, maybe it didn't matter if he was a man or not. The main thing was that he was with his crew, right?
After all, he had just been able to protect his captain in this form and he would find some other way to return to his former self, somehow.
Franky activated a Coup de Burst at Nami's demands, and seconds later the small pirate ship sailed through the air. Away from the island Sarue, away from the Marines, away from Zoro's memories.
His body was still not moving, he was frozen, wanted nothing more than to return to his friends, here and now, and yet he could not even make a sound.
What if they didn't take him back, what if they didn't understand him? What if they didn't understand what had happened to him? What if they simply didn't care?
He had already opened his mouth, after all he had agreed with Hawk Eyes that he would talk, that he would tell his friends the truth.
But his body did not obey him.
"Nami!" Chopper cried suddenly from the side, where he had thrown himself over the rail in his giant form to catch the falling Usopp. "There's a ship behind us."
The Thousand Sunny landed gently in calm water again, but Zoro only looked at his young friend, what had he missed his little Chopper.
"What do you mean? Who's following us?"
His gaze wandered to the cook, who just lit himself a cigarette, he seemed to be the calmness in person, but Zoro knew him too well, could feel the inner restlessness of the blond.
"No," replied Chopper, "nobody follows us. It looks like it's attached to the Sunny and it's really small."
For a moment Zoro looked up to Mihawk, who had attached his small boat to the Thousand Sunny as agreed. The other acted just as they had agreed on, did not move an inch from their strategy, quite different from Zoro himself.
Usopp in Chopper's arms mumbled something under his breath while Franky pulled Luffy out of the ground.
"That's the coffin boat!" Usopp suddenly cried, and his voice filled Zoro with ice, as if the other had blown his cover.
"Yes, that would be mine."
The man next to Zoro spoke. Although they had agreed that Zoro would talk to his friends, Mihawk had raised the word and somehow, he was grateful.
All crew members were staring at them. He noticed how their eyes first looked at the tall man by his side and then fell on him, noted how recognition flickered over one face or another, followed by horror and disbelief.
Sanji took a step in front of his crew, stood between Zoro, Mihawk, and the others, as if he wanted to protect them, to protect them from Zoro.
"What's going on?" Brook asked, confused, but his gaze hit Zoro.
For a moment they stared at each other, and although it was impossible for Brook to recognize him under his hood, he took a step back. Zoro knew exactly why.
Because he could see it and that meant that the skeleton could see his as well. The shadow of a former life.
But then Mihawk's voice woke him up again.
"Who would have thought we would meet again like that," Mihawk said calmly, pulling back his hood, "Monkey D. Luffy, future king of the pirates, if I recall correctly."
Distrust turned into terror.
"Hawk Eyes?" Only Robin, as always, seemed to be calm. "What does a Shichibukai want from us?"
"She's right!" Sanji growled hostile, pointing his index finger at Mihawk. "What do you want, Hawk Eyes!"
Zoro's heart raced incredibly fast. But he still lacked control over his body.
"Good Lord! What a rude salutation after we even helped you." Mihawk next to him sounded almost relaxed, he seemed to master the situation without any problems. His calm words reassured Zoro.
"If you're here because of Zoro, you're too late!" Sanji almost screamed, making another step further ahead of the others, with so much written in his face that Zoro couldn't put into words. "He's dead."
It was like a sword piercing through his back. It was natural that his friends thought he was dead. After all they had seen him die, after all the whole world had declared him dead. Such words should not surprise him and yet, nevertheless, they stabbed right through him.
"I know it must be difficult to imagine, Blackleg Sanji, but I am actually capable of reading the newspaper, you know?"
Again, it was Mihawk, who responded with a relaxed, although slightly threatening voice.
Zoro had to pull himself together. Who was he to let himself be overrun by his own feelings?
He was Roronoa Zoro and no matter what body, it didn't suit him to be protected by some idiot Shichibukai.
No, this was his fight.
He ignored the alarmed exchange of words of his crew members and prepared himself, now he would face his fears and tell his crew the truth.
"Only over my dead body!"
Before he even knew what was going on, he saw Sanji attack.
Zoro had obviously missed an important point of the conversation, but he knew he had to prevent this attack. Hawk Eyes might had a weakness concerning Zoro, but he certainly wouldn't be gentle with the cook.
No, Zoro was suddenly quite sure that he had to intervene. He briefly stared at Mihawk, feeling that there was something within his companion that could be more than dangerous for the cook.
He rushed forward. Sanji was indeed fast, but Zoro could sense his movements with ease. They had been almost equal to each other, a month ago, but although Zoro was now in the weaker body, clearly inferior to the other, he knew that he could defeat the cook within one breath.
Damn it!
It took less than a second, he ducked under Sanji's outstretched leg, slammed his right arm to the side and threw himself at him, his hood sliding backwards.
Hard, the chef crashed to the floor. Zoro pressed one hand against his throat, the other he held only an inch above his chest, ready to kill, showed no weakness, no gap in his defense. Quickly breathing, he lingered over the cook.
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
Zoro noticed how the other looked at him, looking at every detail of Zoro's face.
That look didn't suit the chef, at least not when he looked at Zoro. He shouldn't look at him that way. With such an expression on his face, the chef should not look like this at his favorite enemy.
But Zoro also noticed something else, he noted the pale, ashen skin stretching parched and dry over sharp cheekbones, noted the dark, heavy circles under the other's eyes, making him look even harsher. The cook looked sick, his lips were dried out and ripped open, he looked thinner, even thinner than he already had been.
Zoro had become stronger during recent weeks, had become more mature and wiser because of what had happened to him. Sanji, on the other hand, Sanji had suffered and had lost his strength. He had become weaker. Zoro's alleged death had weakened him.
Damn it!
Why had he not understood what Zoro had told him at that time? Why had Sanji mourned him instead of becoming more cautious? Why had Sanji neglected his dream and himself?
Anger crouched through Zoro's body. This idiot was as stupid as he was blond!
Zoro stood up and threw his ponytail back.
The chef had apparently not understood what Zoro had told him at that time, that was why he was too weak. The cook was too weak. Damn it!
"Don't throw away your life that easily," he said coldly, taking a step back.
But why did the other look at him in this weird way? Why did he still look at him with this longing stare?
"But isn't that Lady Loreen?" Nami whispered behind him, and he turned to her in surprise. Of course, Nami would recognize him from the newspaper, of course she would recognize his alter ego.
"Who?" Usopp muttered.
"Don't tell me you have never read about her? She's famous. She's in the newspaper every single day. She's a former World Noble but gave up her title because of love."
"What?" That was new to Zoro. He knew that many rumors were told about him, especially about his relationship with the Shichibukai, but he mostly ignored the gossip.
Confused he looked at Nami wondering why she would believe such chatter?
How could he explain to them who he was now? Would they even believe him?
Nami waved it away with her hand.
"Oh, don't worry about such barbarians. I read every single article about you and your gift to buy beautiful clothes for small money inspires me. Your style is gorgeous."
Her words bothered him. Neither of those things – not clothes nor money – were interesting for him in any way.
"You are beautiful."
He stared at Sanji, who still looked at him with something like desire in his eyes. The cook should not look at Zoro like that, he simply couldn't look at Zoro like that. He was Zoro and not...
"I read that you're fighting slavery. I admire if people use their position to do something good." Even Robin had fallen for this charade, even she believed the sea of flimsy lies.
"She really looks friendly and she helped Luffy. I think we can trust her."
Chopper!
Their words irritated him, they all spoke with him differently than usual – nicer than usual - only saw Lady Loreen, not him. They had no idea what was going on here. But from now on they would never be able to see him the way they had before.
It was over. He could never again be simply Roronoa Zoro for them as soon as they would know the truth.
"But what do you want from us?" Franky was the only one who seemed suspicious.
But then Luffy walked past the chef - pulling his straw hat deep in his face - and stopped right in front of Zoro.
"Luffy, what are you doing? You're scaring her."
No, Franky, not him too. Although he was not wrong; Zoro did feel worried, maybe even scared. He had often dreamed of that moment and just like in his dream he could feel the tension, could feel how his world would break any moment.
Luffy stood in front of him, for a moment no one moved and then his captain grabbed him, grabbed Zoro's petite, weak body, wrapped one arm around his hip and held his hair with the other one.
For a second nothing happened at all, Zoro only saw the surprised faces of the other crew members, felt the warmth of his captain, inhaled his scent.
"Thank you." Softly, Luffy's voice sounded so calm and gentle, so unfamiliar, but never before had it had touched Zoro more, had reached him deeper.
Luffy had recognized him, had already recognized him before he had explained himself to him. Luffy had never given up on him, Luffy had never ceased to believe in him.
"Luffy," Zoro whispered as he burst into tears. "Luffy!"
He clutched his hands into his friend's back, never wanted to let go of him while burying his face in his shoulder.
Luffy was strong, Luffy was strong, but it was more than that. Luffy accepted him as he was, did not even question what had happened. All what mattered to Luffy was that Zoro had returned.
Only now did he realize how much he had been afraid of that moment, how much he had been afraid of Luffy, of his captain, of his friend.
But Luffy saw him, and that filled him with gratitude, relief, and joy.
Suddenly the other let go of him and Zoro noticed that he, Roronoa Zoro, was crying here in front of the assembled crew. He quickly tried to cover the evidence of this shame.
"We should celebrate," Luffy explained excitedly. "Sanji, take the..."
"Wait!" He had spoken before he even knew what had happened. At last Zoro was home, finally he had arrived. "I need to talk with you. Alone."
He had made a decision.
"Wait what? Listen up, honey. Whatever you gotta say, you can say in front of all of us."
He barely heard Usopp talk. He realized what he had just decided. He lacked the air to breathe.
But Luffy sounded light-hearted as always: "Sure, no problem. You guys go inside and wait for me."
"One moment. I don't leave you alone with him."
Zoro heard the uncertainty in the cook's voice.
"Yes, we all stay!" Oh, little, naive Chopper.
He couldn't tell them; how would he even be able to tell them...
"No!" Luffy's voice was unusually serious. "We're not in danger and that was no request. You go inside and close the door. That's an order."
For a moment it was dead silent, but then the cook spoke: "Aye, captain," and so the others left.
Zoro stayed behind with his now silent companion and the captain of the Straw Hats, who still grinned at him so innocently.
"So?" The younger one asked.
But how could Zoro tell him? For another time he had the feeling that his body did not obey him. Nothing happened the way he had planned.
"What's going on?" Luffy asked with big eyes and an even bigger smile.
He had to say something, he had to tell him.
"Your swordsman's alive!", It burst out of him, "I... Zoro lives! But he can't return, not yet at least."
He couldn't say it. He could not say that he was Zoro, after all he was not Zoro, at least not yet, not completely.
"Your swordsman is still too weak. He's not who he's supposed to be. But if you can wait, if you're willing to wait, he will return, he will come home. You have to believe me. This is a promise!"
It hurt, it hurt unbelievably. But he had decided.
"Wait here." That was all the other said before Luffy turned around and followed the rest of their crew into the dining room.
Slowly, Zoro realized what he had done, what he was about to do.
He had finally returned home, finally returned to his crew, his friends, his family, and now he would leave them, not because he wanted to, but because he hoped it was the right thing to do, it had to be the right thing to do.
Luffy accepted him as he was and he was also incredibly strong, but Zoro had to realize that Luffy alone was not enough.
Never again would he be able to forget this expression with which the chef had observed him, this desire, this longing, which was not for him but for an artificial character that Zoro had created and somehow was.
He didn't know why Luffy had left or what was awaiting him, but suddenly the door opened again, and his captain rushed towards him, Zoro's three most precious treasures in his arms.
"They miss their master."
He could feel the three swords recognizing him, could feel how they greeted him, after such a long time. Wado-Ichi-Monji almost sparkled with sheer gratitude that he had returned alive. Shuusui greeted him sublimely and paid its respect. Even Kitetsu seemed to show a mischievous cheerfulness.
"Thank you," Zoro whispered. Finally, he was able to hold them, finally he was complete again.
"Sure thing," Luffy laughed, "and don't worry. I can wait. We all can. No matter for how long or for what reason."
Zoro had made a decision and Luffy understood.
There was nothing more to say, although he still wanted to say so much. He turned away from his captain, away from the place where he belonged, and then he looked at Mihawk. Something in him was pleased with this rarely seen expression of confusion on the older one's face, but the rest of him felt cold and deaf.
"Let's go."
