A swordsman stands at the edge of the water, a silent figure among the rustling branches and slapping waves. He is still but the intensity in his gaze as he looks into the night betrays his thoughts; he wants nothing more to take the remains of the boat Mihawk has given him and dive into the waves untill he reaches where he should be, beside Luffy. That is what he reached the sea to do and he would, if it were not for the uneasiness settling in his mind.
A rustle to his left and he turns around, smoothly pulling his sword outwards into a horizontal arc. Humandrills, the baboons he's ran away from in his haste, have caught up with him and they snort and stomp their feet in anticipation when they realize he has noticed them as well.
The humandrills are on the ground, up the trees, in the shadows shifting with their weapons. They are powerful and he is outnumbered; the odds are not in his favor. Even in full health these baboons would have presented him a challenge. With his body and reflexes in his current state, the battle will be closer to a death wish. The strategic move would be to risk the night and waves, for remaining here only promised a bloody battle and moreover he wanted to go back.
Do as you wish, Mihawk had said, but he cannot. He is a pirate; he does as his captain orders. And somewhere, the nagging uneasiness in his mind tells him, in that morning paper is his order.
And what stands between him and that order are the humandrills.
He glances down at the sword in his hand and stills-before snapping the white hilted katana back into it's sheath. Keeping a eye on the baboons for any sudden movements, he reaches for another instead. His fingers grasp the scarlet hilt and the rush of bloodlust that is always lurking beneath the touch, floods back. In one fluid movement he pulls the sword out and gives his wrist a snap, watching the moonlight gleam against the blade. The cold voices overwhelm his senses, luring him to break and bleed, and he doesn't fight it.
When the baboons jump, Zoro let goes.
("You were beaten by the baboons, couldn't get out to sea, so have crawled back here. I have nothing to teach to the likes of you."
"If it's about the baboons, I beat them...! All that is left is your head.")