For those of you coming back to this story, I've changed my intro at the beginning of chapter 1 to reflect that I'm adding more chapters.
Beta read by MasterQwertster, an excellent writer and wonderfully supportive advisor. Any remaining mistakes are my own; please feel free to point them out so I can correct them.
I have posted some character concept art on Deviant Art. If you're interested just go to DeviantArt and search 'One Piece Anycents' and they should pop up.
Chapter Summary: Zoro found some new swords, now he just needs to meet up with the rest of the crew.
They make it about fifteen minutes before another chance to demonstrate Zoro's fighting style comes up.
Zoro wanders into Loguetown's crowded main square at the same time Nami enters from another street with a pack stuffed full of clothing and Sanji and Usopp come from another direction hauling a huge blue fish with a floppy nose.
After casually greeting each other they start looking around for Luffy, since this is where he said he was going.
They all spot him about the same time…
Well…
It looks like he found Roger's execution stand.
And Buggy the Clown of all people has somehow trapped their captain and is planning to use him to give a demonstration of the scaffold's purpose.
Nami recovers first, "We'll get the ship ready to go! Come on, Usopp!"
As those two run off toward the harbor, the clown's crew starts firing guns into to the air and the crowd suddenly realizes this isn't a safe show and starts to scream and scatter in all directions.
Zoro draws Yubashiri into his right hand and Sandai Kitetsu and Wado Ichimonji into his left.
Wado puts aside wondering how this situation started in order to focus on the fight ahead.
Luffy is in danger and she can feel her wielder's energy winding up at record speed, "Guess you're going to see Santoryu sooner than expected," she smiles at the other two, "Let's see if you two can keep up."
The Cook leaps forward into the enemy pirates with an outraged shout at the same time Zoro rushes forward while clamping Wado between his teeth.
She hears a sharp intake of breath from Yubashiri and an offended hiss from Kitetsu.
Zoro tears into the mob of enemy pirates in a whirlwind as Buggy finishes his speech and prepares to bring his cutlass down on Luffy's neck.
Zoro and the Cook are progressing across the square as quickly as they can batter the enemy out of the way. The pirates in front of them are more like a physical barrier than proper opponents.
She aligns herself so that the force of Zoro's strikes flows cleanly through every strike.
Bodies go flying in all directions, but they still aren't moving forward fast enough.
She can hear the Cook shout in frustration and Zoro growl in outrage around her hilt.
She can feel the other two's reluctant participation stifling the full force of Zoro's strikes, "Stop acting like useless hunks of metal and live up to your names!"
Sandai Kitetsu sneers and Yubashiri huffs, "Don't you have any pride, letting him drool all over you…"
Luffy calls out to his crewmates and smiles broadly down at them from the platform, "Sorry, but it looks like I'm dead."
Zoro freezes for a heartbeat in shock before diving forward again with even greater urgency.
Wado will not allow this to be how things turn out.
She turns around and snarls at the other two spirits. She is the strongest of the three of them and for a moment they instinctively snap to attention.
Just as Buggy's blade starts to come down Zoro surges forward, throwing enemies aside so fast they fly away like water splitting before the prow of a boat.
It's not going to be enough.
A roar tears through the spiritual realm vibrating through their bones as a massive lightning bolt drops from the clouds to strike the execution stand directly, engulfing the platform in white light and smoke.
The blast throws Buggy to the ground in a smoldering heap.
Zoro, Sanji, and everyone else in the square go still as the now flaming execution stand creaks and abruptly collapses in on itself.
Wado looks around to see who has intervened on the Captain's behalf.
On the edge of the crowd stands a massive storm dragon, sinuous body bunched up ready to strike and long whiskers lashing aggressively.
Just in front of his fore claws stands a tall figure in a bulky green cloak. The only thing visible under the hood is a broad, vicious smile.
She turns around at Zoro's barely audible sigh of relief to see the Luffy has pulled himself out of the wreckage and gone to retrieve his hat, completely unfazed by having been half a second from dying, "Shishishi, looks like I did survive! How lucky!"
Lucky that that cloaked man was here and decided to intervene. She glares at the other two sword spirits as Zoro resheathes the blades, but they just mirror her irritation back at her.
She refuses to be sorry when so much was on the line.
"You saw what he can do even when you aren't helping. Santoryu works!"
Yubashiri looks skeptical, "Those opponents were trash. Any halfway competent swordsman could have done the same."
Kitetsu curls his lip, "If he drools on me, I'll drop on his foot and cut off his toes."
Wado grits her teeth, but holds off an angry retort.
Katanas are rarely used more than one at a time and, as far as she knows, Zoro is the only one who uses three at once. They are going to have to work together as a team of four when usually it would only be a pair.
Up until now Zoro has only worked with her and two unnamed blades, so in many ways it had still just been the two of them. She had imagined the great things they could do working together with two other swords that had earned names, but had failed to consider that those other blades might not be on board with the idea.
She lets out a breath; words aren't going to convince them, "He gets into fights often enough that a chance for a proper demonstration will come up soon. Also, I'm the only sword he ever puts in his mouth."
Yubashiri makes a face like he can't believe she just admitted that out loud and Kitetsu starts cackling again. She glares at them, refusing to be ashamed just because they don't understand.
Their conversation is interrupted by the Cook turning from his inspection of the smoldering wreckage to ask Zoro, "Hey…do you believe in God?"
The swordsman ignores the question, "Enough talking. Let's leave this town already. We've got more trouble heading our way."
Yubashiri looks confused, "Really? Even though he can hear us?"
Wado considers how to explain, "It would be more accurate to say, he isn't waiting on the gods to solve his problems."
Yubashiri looks disapproving, but Kitetsu grins, "So, he isn't a total idiot."
Wado wrinkles her nose at the bad taste Kitetsu's approval leaves in her mouth.
With a roll of thunder, rain starts to fall thick and fast, soaking everyone and making it difficult to see anything more than a block away.
Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy make a break for the edge of the square, hurrying to get out before any more Marines show up.
Wado let's herself be towed along as she looks around. The shocked looks on the other two spirits' faces draws her attention to the Captain who is trailing behind them taunting the Marines.
On one shoulder the spirit of Luffy's devil fruit is finishing shaking off sparks of static. She resembles a short, broad leafed plant with roots tracing all along the captain's limbs. A pair of eyes on stalks turns to look at the boy and her leaves bristle then settle in exasperation.
On his other shoulder another spirit is imitating their captain, taunting and making faces at their pursuers. He resembles a capuchin monkey, although his braying laugh sounds more like a human's.
"Two?" Yubashiri asks surprised, "I thought that wasn't possible."
Wado smiles in amusement at their confusion as she points at the plant, "That one is Gumgum."
The plant turns her attention toward them long enough to rustle her leaves in greeting.
Wado shifts her finger to the monkey, who hasn't bothered to turn around yet, "That one is Boshi."
The other blade looks at her incredulously then at the hat sitting on the Captain's head, "You must be joking." His brow furrows, "How could something so fragile manage to build up a presence?"
She shrugs, "If the things he says are true, he's over fifty years old, and he has belonged to individuals who had spiritual energy to spare." After a moment she adds, "Lying doesn't seem to be in his nature."
The spirit finally turns to look at them, mock disapproval undercut by his grin, "It's not nice to talk about people behind their backs, ya know."
Wado shrugs, "You were busy."
Boshi tilts his head as he inspects the two new spirits, "So, you're Zoro's new swords?" He grins, "You look strong. That's good."
Wado introduces them as Sandai Kitetsu bares his teeth and Yubashiri's brow creases even more deeply, disliking being address so casually by a mere hat of all things.
Boshi seems unbothered by their expressions though. He leaps onto Kitetsu's shoulder.
The cursed swords growls and tries to grab the smaller spirit.
Boshi seems to think it is a game and starts laughing as he scrambles around Kitetsu's shoulders then head then back and around his sides a couple times before ending up to his other shoulder.
He tugs a bit at the thick, matted red hair covering the spirit's head, "Your mane is a cool color, but why's it all patchy? Did you lose a fight?"
The blade shrieks in frustration, "Get! Off!"
Obligingly, Boshi jumps over to Yubashiri, who huffs in irritation, but seems to decide it's beneath his dignity to flail around trying to get him off. Although that doesn't stop him from twitching when Boshi runs a small paw over the hairs just behind his ear seeming to examine luster of the pure black, "And you look like you haven't been fighting at all."
Yubashiri glares and Wado wonders if Boshi realizes how rude it is to point out something like that.
Not that it would have stopped him.
Boshi keeps smiling as he addresses both the new swords, "Don't get mad, things will be better now."
Kitetsu scoffs and Yubashiri looks at Zoro who they are all running behind, "It could hardly be worse."
Boshi pats the shoulder he is standing on, ignoring the return of the sword's offended look as he jumps over to Wado.
He looks her over, assessing if anything has changed since they last saw each other. He stabilizes himself by burying a paw in her mane. He turns the tuft he's grasped onto back and forth for a bit to admire the iridescent undertone of the bright white.
She reaches up to rub the back of his head so hard it's almost a noogie, "Captain is making things interesting again."
Boshi looks proud that she noticed.
That's when the Marine from the sword shop steps into their path, her sword, Shigure, standing at her side bristled up with irritation.
The woman declares, "I shall take back Wado Ichimonji!"
Wado growls at her presumption as Zoro responds with a challenging smirk and a, "Just try it…"
A moment later, Kitetsu has leapt forward tearing into the spirit standing beside the Marine woman. Shigure claws back at him and Kitetsu flashes a sadistic grin.
They are locked at an impasse until Zoro reaches over to draw Wado as well while telling Luffy, "Go on ahead."
Boshi jumps back to Luffy's shoulder as the captain runs past. The young man grabs the suddenly infuriated Cook who has started protesting leaving Zoro to potentially harm the Marine woman.
Fortunately, Luffy doesn't pay him any mind and drags him off toward the harbor.
Even with two swords against one, the Marine manages to block all Zoro's strikes. However, unsurprisingly given how often they've already seen her trip, her footing is bad and Zoro quickly starts driving her backwards.
When her back smacks into the wall of a nearby building it startles her enough that Zoro is able to disarm her, sending Shigure clattering to the ground well out of reach.
Zoro drives Wado's blade into the wall by the marine's head causing the woman to flinch.
A strange reversal of the last time Wado was used for this move.
The defiance on the woman's face flashes to confusion for just a moment as he pulls Wado out of the wall. As he turns to walk away it burns into rage.
The marine screams at Zoro's back, berating him for not killing her.
Wado is not impressed. Why would he kill her when he was able to defeat her without even harming her? If she really wants to be maimed so badly, she should take up her sword again and force the issue.
A moment later the marine seems to decide to do just that. She lunges into a roll and grabs Shigure off the ground, jumping up to swing it at Zoro.
Zoro draws Wado again to block her strike and they are once again at a standstill.
As the two humans square off, snarling at each other, Shigure starts to lecture Wado, "It's because of scum like this pirate that blades become twisted! You should turn on him before you end up as scared as that one!" She flicks a finger at Kitetsu.
They both growl at her in return, although for different reasons.
Wado bares her teeth, "Don't speak of things you know nothing about!"
She is eager to have another go at the other blade, but much to her frustration, the humans just stand there yelling at each other until they are interrupted by a whole mob of marines appearing out of the rain just down the street.
Zoro notices the mob and dons his characteristic smirk.
But before he can step forward, another dragon roar echoes through the spirit realm.
The wind starts to pick up and Wado has just enough time to become alarmed before everyone in both realms is swept up and sent tumbling in the direction of the harbor by an irresistible gale.
Zoro spends about half a block cursing as he smacks into the ground and various bits of flying debris.
Finally, he manages to get his feet underneath himself and starts running, leaning to keep from falling over while jumping and ducking to get around rubble and fallen people.
The Captain comes into sight tumbling down the street just as the Cook pulls himself out of the rubble of a nearby wall.
Zoro grabs Luffy and starts dragging him toward the harbor so they can get away before the storm traps them here.
Boshi's fur is fluffed up in offense and Gumgum's eyestalks are swiveling around as if wary of an attack.
"You encountered another enemy?" Wado asks, wondering if they might still be attacked.
The rain is stinging now, coming in almost horizontal due to the wind that is still gusting hard at their backs. It would be difficult to stop and fight.
Boshi crosses his arms and stomps a foot on Luffy's shoulder, "He cheated!" Not clarifying anything.
The plant's leaves shiver and frustration is clear in her voice despite how soft spoken she is, "It was the second other devil fruit we've ever fought and this one wasn't working with someone too lazy to develop his skills. If that man with the storm dragon hadn't shown up, who knows what would have happened."
Wado knows that Luffy and Gumgum have been working on becoming stronger together for years and that she always drives herself to the edge trying to make up for what she considers her natural weakness.
A situation that had struck Wado as very familiar when she'd first become aware of it.
Boshi glances at Gumgum and then glares in the direction they come from for a few long moments before letting the whole thing go with a huff.
His face splits into a grin, "You worry too much about stuff that didn't happen, Gummy. We got away, so it's fine!"
She looks like she wants to protest, but seems to decide that focusing on what's ahead of them is more important since she returns to swiveling her eyestalks around looking for danger.
They reach the ship, where Nami and Usopp have gotten everything ready to go. The ocean has become choppy enough that they had to move the Merry out a ways to avoid the ship ramming into the shore.
Of course, with Gumgum's aid Luffy just wraps one arm around Zoro and Sanji while using the other to reach for the ship. Usopp dives out of the way as the captain sends them all sprawling onto the deck.
They untangle themselves and Sanji and Zoro each thump their laughing captain on the head before Nami yells at them all to stop screwing around and help get the ship out of the harbor.
Wado stands off to the side with the other two sword spirits watching the small crew scramble to get everything in order.
She places a reassuring hand on the railing and feels Merry stir and murmur in welcome. Yubashiri looks around for the presence they just felt emanating from the ship. He looks confused when he doesn't see anything.
"She's still young," Wado pats the rail.
"It's actually pretty amazing how fast she's waking up. We've only had this ship for a few weeks." She smiles around at the crew, "But they are pouring a lot of attention into her."
She points to the Sniper and smiles fondly, "I think Usopp might even be able to hear her. He always seems to know where she is hurting."
Wado introduces the new additions to their crew again and she feels the warmth emanating from the young ship spirit in return as well as her determination as she does her best to break cleanly through the rough water and forge ahead for her people.
Yubashri seems intrigued, "It's been years since I last saw a Klabautermann."
Kitetsu is prowling toward the back of the ship, but he throws over his shoulder, "Yeah, not many ships in a storage closet."
Before Wado can say anything, Yubashiri growls and strides after him, "That's rich coming from someone who ended up in a barrel full of costume trash."
He also disappears from sight as Kitetsu hisses in response. Moments later a ruckus of snarling and cursing from both blades lets them know a full on brawl has started.
Wado leans against the railing and waits. Boshi scrambles up onto the railing and sits next to her looking in the same direction.
A dark haze quickly starts condensing on the raised stern deck where the Navigator's mikan trees are kept.
There is a sound like a branch breaking and the two sword spirits yelp in alarm as they come rolling down the stairs back onto the main deck.
They lay in a stunned heap for a few seconds before they simultaneously realize how ridiculous they look and shove away from each other growling.
Wado represses a laugh as they stand up and straighten themselves out, both pretending that they were done with fighting anyway.
The dark haze has disappeared like it was never there.
Boshi grins and lectures with all the smugness of seeing someone else get into trouble for once, "Serena gets grumpy if you bother her trees. So, if you're going to fight, do it down here."
A rough, but feminine voice comes over the railing, "HA, like you're one ta talk, ya nuisance."
Yubashiri's irritation at being punted is tempered by surprise, "What is one of her kind doing on a ship?"
Boshi smiles proudly, "She decided to come with Nami's trees out to sea. How else would a dryad get to see the world?"
A lean humanoid figure with rough, coffee colored skin and long 'hair' made of green pointed leaves decorated here and there with mikans comes to lean on the railing, "And lucky for you I did, otherwise these trees would have died from salt and then where would all your precious humans be? Dead of scurvy, that's where!"
The hat spirit waves a placating hand, "Of course, of course."
The tree spirit rolls her eyes and waves dismissively back at him, leaning on the railing and turning her attention toward the humans scrambling around on the deck under Nami's direction. Now that her trees are no longer being distrubed, her irritation has dissipated just as quickly as it came.
Yubashiri looks around warily, "Any others we should know about lurking around?"
Wado points to where Sanji is currently adjusting one of the sails, "A brownie followed the Cook when he left his home ship. They're mostly nocturnal, so he's probably sleeping right now."
Boshi jumps up and runs off, "Let's go see." He raises his voice as he runs through the closed door into the galley area, "Hey, Lamar! Are you sleeping?"
Wado sighs. Well, it's already too late to stop him. Serena drops through the deck into the kitchen and the rest of them follow up the stairs.
They enter in time to see the hat spirit dragging a person who looks like a lanky, dark haired human except that he is only a little bigger than the monkey and has pointed ears.
The kitchen sprite blinks in confusion, "Wha?"
Boshi jumps up and down jiggling Lamar's leg, "We have new crewmates! You have to meet them!"
"…ok…OK!" the brownie shakes the monkey's paw off his leg so he can stand up and brush imaginary dust off of himself.
He looks at the two human sized spirits curiously as he straightens up to his full two-foot stature.
Wado injects cheer into her tone, "Lamar, this is Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu." She tries to tamp down her own misgivings, hoping the other two sword spirits will behave, "They are going to be working with Zoro and me."
The little spirit lights up as he greets them, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
He knows she had been hoping Zoro would acquire some other named blades.
Kitetsu looks away like he can't be bothered to respond to such an absurd assertion, but Yubashiri gives a polite nod, mollified by finally meeting someone with some manners, "This is a well-kept kitchen."
The little spirit beams, "Sanji works hard to keep everything in order."
Wado chuckles at the brownie's modesty, "He came along, left his whole clan behind, to help keep any of the food from going to waste."
Lamar looks embarrassed, "Being a sea cook isn't easy, especially when the Captain is so hungry all the time. I just thought he could use a little extra help. He's a lot like us."
It's in the nature of his kind to be helpful, though she learned the hard way that thanking them directly is sure way to incite their ire. Very like the Cook indeed.
"We're lucky to have you," she asserts easily.
Kitetsu doesn't say anything, but his determinedly closed posture has relaxed just a fraction in the peaceful air of the galley while no one has been paying attention to him. Wado decides it would be best not to draw attention to it.
Boshi, always restless, scampers out the door only to come right back in a moment later, "Come on! You all gotta see this!"
They all move back out onto the deck where the crew has finished getting the ship under way.
They are all toward the prow of Merry looking toward a light burning through the rain and mist even as the tower supporting it remains almost invisible in the gloom.
"The Light of Guidance," Nami explains leaning on the front rail, "The entrance to the Grand Line is just beyond."
Except for Usopp, who nervously wonders if entering in the middle of a storm is the best idea, almost everyone stands up straighter, grins lighting their faces.
Kitetsu's mane bristles up in alarm and he casts about not understanding why only Usopp seems alarmed by this information.
He turns to Wado, angry at their lighthearted reactions, "You know the kind of things that are on the other side of that mountain."
Wado nods, but keeps her voice level as she replies, "Should be lots of good fighting."
Kitetsu looks around at the small crew of teenagers and the ship that was clearly not designed to sail one of the most dangerous oceans in the world, "Not if we end up at the bottom of the ocean."
Yubashiri is looking toward the bright glimmer of the lighthouse through the fog. He speaks over his shoulder, "Playing it safe is what left me sitting in a closet for the last forty years. Would you rather have stayed in the Arms Shop's bargain barrel?"
Kitetsu's ears lay back flat against his head and he sneers at the other spirit without saying anything.
Sanji drags out a barrel of beer from the storeroom to celebrate their entrance into the next leg of their journey. He shows the others what to do by placing his dress shoe clad foot on the lid and declaring, "To find the All Blue."
Luffy quickly follows suit, "To become Pirate King."
"To be the Greatest Swordsman."
"To draw a map of the world!"
"To…To become a brave warrior of the sea!"
They all grin like loons as they raise their heels together and stave in the top of the barrel.
Yubashiri grins, "Ambitious."
Boshi jumps onto Wado's shoulder and buries a hand in her mane, standing up to his full height and stating with certainty, "They will live up to it."
They all stand a little straighter as they feel Merry's warm swell of pride in her crew and her determination to carry them toward their goals.
Except for Kitetsu who hunches up like he finds all this optimism oppressive and annoying.
Boshi breaks the moment by jumping onto the grumpy sword spirit's head to engage him in another round of 'tag,' scrambling all over the larger spirit's body as he spouts encouragement, "Don't worry, Kitty! You'll do great! I'm sure!"
"That's not the problem you ridiculous fashion accessory!" Boshi jumps down and runs off laughing only for Kitetsu to chase after him.
The rest of them watch as the two of them weave through the celebrating crew. Yubashiri calls out in mock encouragement, "Don't let him get the best of you, Kitty."
Serena laughs and Lamar sighs as Zoro looks down in confusion at the wash of murderous rage that emanates from Sandai Kitetsu.
Thank you for reading!