a/n: This is set during the Post-Enies Lobby Arc, any time after Luffy meets Coby and before Zoro refuses to let Usopp join without apologizing.
"Zoro," Luffy called, finally breaking the silence when the sun began to melt into the horizon. His words rang clearly through the erratic crash of waves. "I was wrong."
The swordsman's gaze moved from his broken sword to his captain. "...You're not talking about Usopp."
It wasn't a question; the fight between Luffy and Usopp was many things but wrong wasn't one of them. The challenge was issued and accepted, the battle was fought and the outcome submitted to. It was the hardest thing Luffy ever had to do, but he was the captain and let Usopp go.
And therein lied the problem, Luffy's failure: he was the captain but had been too caught up in moving forward that he didn't look back.
Luffy realized too late that Usopp might have walked away but Merry, their ship and home and eighth crew member, had been left behind.
He had left one of his nakama behind.
"I was wrong."
"Yes," Zoro answered, only breaking the silence when darkness rose into their space of sky. His words cut smoothly past the erratic crash of waves. "But I've never seen you make the same mistake twice."