Everyday life with the Straw Hats

Mariejois Arc: part 8: Zoro Takes a Stand

Zoro and Centorea were heading after the thief on the motorcycle, the motorcycle must have had an oil leak, because there was oil trail the motorcycle left behind, which made it very easy for Zoro and Centorea to follow him. Eventually, they saw him in the distance.

"Over there! I see him!" Centorea pointed out.

The thief was off his motorcycle, and was ordering some food from a hot dog stand, as he started to eat it, he looked over and saw Zoro and Centorea coming right towards him. He spat out his chewed food and screamed as he started to make a run for it with the money bag in one hand. "Shit! They're after me! All I wanted was some money, if I knew that shopkeeper had a horsewomen working for him, I would have robbed somewhere else!" he ran behind the hot dog stand, asking the guy who was selling the hot dogs to try and reason with them. "please man, you gotta help me! Try reasoning with them. After all, I just bought one of your hot dogs, it's the least you can do!"

The hot dog guy clearly did not want to get involved with this, but asked anyway. "excuse me! But what did this man do? Lets try to handle this peacefully if possible." The hot dog guy said, clearly nervous as he lowered himself behind the hot dog stand.

Centorea answered with stern look on her face, pointing her finger at the thief. "he stole money from a local shop! And he tried to get away by motorcycle!"

The hot dog guy looked even more scared now, he turned to the thief with a look of complete fear. "WHAT! I don't want anything to do with this! Please don't steal my money too!" the hot dog guy said with a trembling voice.

The thief quickly tried to act all sympathetic, he even was using the puppy dog eyes. "Please help me, mister hot dog guy, I know you will do the right thing. Remember, I bought one of your hot dogs."

"BUYING A DAMN HOT DOG IS HARDLY ENOUGH TO MAKE ME HELP A CRIMINAL!" the hot dog guy shouted. He then ran away, down the street calling for help.

Zoro watched the hot dog guy run away, flailing his arms in the air like a madman as he cried for the police. "What a coward, he probably doesn't even know where the police station is." Zoro grumbled to himself. "I hate it when people can't remember simple directions, it's not that damn hard." Zoro thought to himself, shaking his head annoyance.

The thief Was now trying to reason with Centorea. "I know! Lets make a deal, you leave me alone, and I use some of my money to buy you a saddle. I know horses love saddles!" the thief said in a desperate attempt to reason with Centorea, he was even trying to act cool and convincing.

Centorea's eyes stared straight into his, her eyes narrowed and became quite fierce. "What…did you say?" she said, she began to clench one of her fists. "Did you say…a saddle?" she started to grind her teeth together in anger.

Zoro had a look on his face, the kind of look someone has when they're thinking "Oh boy, shits about to go down."

Centorea clenched her hand around her sword even tighter, and shouted. "HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME IN SUCH A WAY! I AM NO 'HORSE'!" she slashed her sword in the air, trying to scare the thief and make him realize the mistake he just made.

He ran into an alleyway behind him. But there was a dead end.

Zoro and Centorea walking into the alleyway, Centorea still had the fierce look in her eyes.

The thief started to panic, but then he noticed there was a long, jagged piece of metal that he could use as a make-shift sword. He hid it behind his back, waiting for the moment to strike.

Zoro and Centorea were now only five feet away from the thief, unaware of the weapon he had behind his back.

Centorea started to slowly walk even closer. Still completely enraged by his insult. "I am a centaur! I am a part of a noble race, to compare me to just a simple horse is unforgivable! I must teach you some manners!" Centorea said with a heated tone.

Centorea was too angry to notice, but Zoro noticed the thief was slowly starting pull something out from behind his back. Waiting for Centorea to be in reach.

"TAKE THIS!" the thief shouted as he swung the sharp piece of metal downwards to her head. Suddenly, there was a clank of two piece of metal hitting each other.

All of a sudden, Zoro was blocking the overhead attack that was intended for Centorea with two of his own swords.

"How dare you…" Zoro said in anger, "Attack someone who wasn't readily prepared. You chose the wrong day to wield a weapon, even if it is just scrap metal." Zoro's open eye narrowed in anger. "you just pissed off the wrong swordsmen."

The thief was frightened and taken off guard, but then he thought that Zoro was bluffing. "nice try, but you wouldn't dare…" the thief said arrogantly. "You act like you are hot shit, but I can see you lost an eye, no one who is truly skilled would receive such an easy injury."

Zoro gave him an intimidating smirk, "I could show you what my injured eye looks like, but I wouldn't waste showing it on a piece of shit like you." Zoro growled. Zoro pushed back the jagged scrap metal back and quickly cut the rusty metal weapon in to several smaller pieces while the scrap metal was still in the air.

The thief looked completely shocked, and scared at the same time. He fell on his knees, and begged for mercy.

Zoro just looked at the pitiful thief and let out a sigh. "you really are pathetic, I will let you off the hook, but first you have to apologize to Centorea." Zoro stated.

"I'M SO SORRY! I'LL NEVER SAY ANYTHING INSULTING AGAIN OR STEAL ANYTHING AGAIN! I PROMISE!" the thief shouted while crying like the little wimp he was.

Suddenly. They all heard a voice from behind them. "That's enough, I'll take it from here." The voice said.

Zoro and Centorea turned around to see Ms. Smith standing there with handcuffs in one hand.

"I was in the area when some hot dog vendor came running up to me telling me about some thief in this location." Ms. Smith smiled and told Zoro and Centorea that they could go if they wanted, and that she would take this thief to the local jail.

Zoro and Centorea started to walk back to the house where the straw hats were living, just like they originally planned before the thief came driving past them on the motorcycle.

Centorea was starting to blush, "you know Zoro, what you did back there, jumping in between me and the blade to block with your swords was really brave." She said, her blushing cheeks becoming more red.

Zoro scratched the back of his head, kind of embarrassed by the sudden thanks. "I-it's no problem, it wasn't that big a deal, no need to thank me." He said, starting to feel awkward at the situation.

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, no one has ever risked their life for me." Said Centorea.

"I appreciate the thanks, but it no problem, really, I wasn't even hurt." Zoro replied.

"But it was the thought that counts, you were not hurt, but you were willing to take the risk for me. And, I feel like, I finally know who I want to be my 'partner'." said Centorea. Her blushing becoming an incredibly bright red.

Zoro quirked an eyebrow, "Who would that be?" he asked.

"…You." Centorea said, putting her hands on her cheeks trying to hide the blushing. "A-And, I was wondering, could you call me 'Cerea', that's what all my closest friends call me."

Zoro's cheeks started to turn a light red, not nearly as bright a red as Cerea's cheeks. "Um, okay…Cerea."

"Thank you." Cerea replied, then she thought to herself, "I know he is the right choice, I'm so glad I was able to meet you today…Master."