Zoro had invited the young man, of all things, to begin to meditate with him. It wasn't as if it was a particular privilege- other members of the crew, such as Brooke, had spent time in meditation with him before- but he wondered whether the man had the willpower to sit in meditation for very long, as his willpower tended to seem lacking in other areas. He could not handle strength training very well, for example, and occasionally he would get wound up in emotions stemming from the unintentional ignorance of other people. Did the man even know how to relax?

At least, thought Zoro, he'd give the man a chance. He deserved a chance. He'll probably do better than Brooke, thought Zoro. He smiled inwardly at the idea, and went about meditating.

After an hour, he slowly opened his good eye. With a slight twist of his head he peered at the man to his side. The other man's eyelids remained shut. Zoro felt pleased that his comrade had managed to stay in meditation for so long, when a wave of pessimism overtook him.

He's probably just sleeping, came the morose sentiment into his cranium. I bet if I tell him that meditation time is over, he'll wake up and apologize. How underwhelming that would be.

The swordsman rose, stretching his muscles leisurely. He sighed happily; he felt good.

"Hey, it's time to wake up," he stated into the air. There was no response from the figure on the ground.

"I'm talking to you," he said, tentatively prodding the young man with his foot. "Geez, I can't believe you'd let yourself fall into a deep sleep. You were supposed to be meditating..."

There was a movement of the dark locks, the forehead rose slowly. Zoro took a step back in shock, his brow knitting in response to the ominous sight before him. He didn't say a word; he was too busy attempting to understand what it was his eye was perceiving.

A blank stare had become upturned in his direction. The pupils-

The pupils are inverted?

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the environment. The man at his feet directed the noise at his agitator, and jumped to a standing position in one fluid motion.

Zoro was pushed a few steps back by the frenzied creature, unsure what was occurring, worried that the man was having some variety of seizure or internal medical emergency. The sound stopped without warning, The front of Zoro's shirt was balled roughly within two fists, and the lips of the man collided with his. The fit of passion lasted few seconds, and then the man was before him, panting, still hanging to his clothing. The eyes were closed again. The countenance was bowed groundward.

The door to the room burst open.

"Is everything all right in here?"

Luffy and Nami had come running.

"Nothing's wrong. Don't worry," said Zoro.

"Are you two fighting?" asked Luffy.

"No."

"Okay, just making sure," said the captain. "I guess we should leave them alone," he said to Nami, who seemed more concerned and curious about the event than he. She did not press the issue, however, and followed Luffy out. Zoro could hear Luffy telling the rest of the crew that everything was fine.

"Hey, what was that," he asked, grimacing at the shorter individual.

The man had started to shake slightly. "I don't know," he said, his voice issuing forth in unobtrusive tones.

"What are you, possessed?"

"It probably has something to do with the devil's fruit that I ate..."

It was a far more rational conclusion, realized Zoro.

"We still don't know what you can do," he said, wiping his lips with the back of his hand, "I hope it's actually something useful in combat. I really can't tell, if it makes you do... whatever it was you did just there. I mean, what sort of power could that be? Hmph. Yelling and kissing someone like that..."

"I don't even know. I guess I'll have to focus more on meditation and the like, since it triggered such a thing. Perhaps I'll stay in here for a while, Zoro."

The side of the swordsman's lip curled. He let out a harrumph. "If I weren't here, though, you'd have not awoken. Do you want me to check on you, then?"

"Wait a few hours; let me see if I get up on my own in that time. I'd appreciate you checking on me if I'm not out after a long while."

It made Zoro glad that the man desired to find out by himself what his powers were. "Sure. See you later."

"I hope the kiss didn't bother you."

Zoro stared a moment. "Not really. I've been kissed before."

The kiss had, in fact, been a surprise. It was such not so much because of who it had come from- he'd already conversed with the other man about the sentiments the individual held for him- it was, instead, the manner of the kiss that had been unexpected.

He could not avoid the fact that the man was, in many cases, outright weak. He was not often enthusiastic, and he had little will, by tendency a listless sort of person. When Zoro had been grabbed so suddenly, by such impassioned hands, and assailed with so desirous a physically intimate action, he could not help having felt joy that the man would finally assert himself. Such a thing he could respect. He often found it difficult to respect the man, with all his dithering and shy quietude, even if the individual often came to sound conclusions.

Perhaps he's growing. Perhaps he'll gain something he's not yet found within himself, pondered Zoro.

He hoped so. He wouldn't mind having an individual with whom to be close on the ship; only the question of the man's honor and respectability stood between such a union. That was, ultimately, what attracted Zoro to others, and unless he yet found a noble, trustworthy heart in the newest crewmember, he'd not become close with him.