Disclaimer: Yeah yeah, I don't own One Piece, but Pirate X, Katsu, Mel, Ryu, their swords, and the Crossroads is all mine… Mine… Mine! MUAHAHAHAHA!

Mel: She really needs to stop doing that…

Me: SHUDDUP! ON WITH THE STORY!

Mel: Didn't you say that last time?

Me: Yeah. I just copied and pasted it.

Mel: Oh…

Lazzzy Days

By: Mischievous Sin

Chapter 3 – The Talks (part 2)

"Sure thing," Mel smiled. "I'll tell you everything I know about her."

Zoro nodded and sighed.

"Okay…"

Zoro's Story/Flashback

"Mom! Hey Mom!"

A woman turns around from her work and watches as her eager young son came running down the hill to her. He was waving a piece of paper around while wearing a hopeful grin. She smiled at her son and took the paper from him. It was a flyer for…

"You wish to start swordsmanship?"

"Yeah. Can I?"

"I don't know. The town is rather far from here. You won't be able to travel back and forth in one day, dear."

"I can stay at the dojo there with the master."

"I… I don't know…"

"But mom, I promise I'd come back. I'll return on holidays. Don't worry so much."

As soon as she was about to reply, she felt a small tug at the bottom of her dress. A little girl with green pigtails smiled back at her.

"Hi hi mama," she grinned. "Hi hi Onii-chan."

"Hi Kat," he said, patting her head. "Mom, please, let me go."

"But," the little girl said. "Mama's not holding you."

"I don't mean it like that Katsu," he sighed.

His mother frowned and looked down at him.

"Zoro, swordsmanship isn't easy."

"I know that. That's why I'm gonna go there to train! I promise I'll come back."

His mother sighed and turned back to her work.

"A-alright…"

"YES!"

"But," she turned. "You must promise to be back at least for Christmas."

"I promise."

The boy ran into the small house to pack his things, leaving the mother and the girl outside to wait.

"Mama, where's onii-chan going?"

"Katsu, Zoro is going away for a little while to train in swordsmanship."

"You mean he's going to fight with large, pointy sticks?"

The mother smiled. The boy carried a small bag on his back and looked at his family.

"Now," his mother warned. "Don't forget to come back during Christmas."

"I promise, mom."

So Zoro began walking back up the hill towards the next town over, and before he left, he could hear his sister, Katsu.

"Sayoonara onii-chan!"

End Story

"And, that's what happened. I returned during Christmas, but I couldn't find my mom or Katsu."

Mel nodded.

"I see... Well, here's what I know. She told me that after you left, about a week later, your mother got sick and died instantly. The body was buried, and Katsu was wandering the streets. I guess at Christmas time she went to the town you trained at about the same time you were heading home. She said that's where she learned how to use a sword."

Zoro lowered his head and frowned.

"So… our mom is dead… That explains a lot, but after Christmas, I went back to the dojo."

"She said that after she learned how to use 1 sword, she boarded a ship and sailed to a different town to look for you. That's when she met Ryu and I. Ryu was drawing out designs for ships when she noticed Katsu and helped her out. Then they met me at a dojo. I was already finished training with one sword so I just fought for fun. Then, I fought Katsu who eventually trained with 2 swords at the dojo. After that, we set sail for the grand line only to meet a young girl who turned into our Captain. She's Pyrate X, and she uses 3 swords like you because she idols you, in a way... After we heard about you and Luffy in Alabasta, we decided to try and catch up with you, and now, here we are!"

Zoro's eyes were wide.

"So, she pretty much traveled around when she was only 3!"

"She had help. Lots of help."

"Uhh huh. And she learned how to use a sword in one day?"

"Only enough to defend herself. She learned the rest at my dojo."

Zoro nodded again and stood up, offering a hand to Mel.

"Sanji should have prepared the food by now. We better hurry before Luffy—"

Zoro was interrupted by the loud voice of a certain cook.

"DINNER'S READY!"

The voice was followed by thunderous footsteps and a childish voice screaming "FOOD! YAY!" Mel sweatdropped and they headed into the kitchen, which looked like a battlefield with all the food getting flung by Luffy.

The table was completely surrounded, but the others had been planning a certain seating arrangement to get Zoro and Katsu to sit next to each other, considering they haven't even looked at each other since they meet. They were seated in a circle going clockwise:

Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Robin, Chopper, Pyrate X, Ussop, Ryu, Mel, Zoro and Katsu.

Though the crews' efforts to seat them together had worked, nothing was going on. Zoro was eating some chicken. Katsu was eating sushi. All was going quiet. Too quiet… until…

"Hey, where's the rum?"

Zoro and Katsu looked at each other in a weird way.

"Hey, you're too young to drink," Zoro stated.

"I am not! I've drank rum before! Besides, you're too old to drink!"

'Is that even possible…?' Zoro thought.

"Besides," Katsu smirked. "I bet you couldn't beat me in a drinking contest."

"I could drink more than a 13 year old can."

"Wanna bet?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Fine!"

Katsu and Zoro stood up at the same time and lookd to Sanji.

"Where's the rum?"

Sanji sweatdropped.

"We don't have any."

Zoro glanced at Pyrate X.

"What about your ship?"

She shook her head. The two sat down in disappointment and sighed. A minute later, they stood up again and spoke in unison.

"Let's dual!"

Everybody else practically fell off their chairs, except for the Captains.

"Wh-what!" Nami questioned them as if they were insane.

"Sure, why not?"

"Yeah! If I can get you off the ship, I win. If you can get me off the ship, you win."

"Deal."

"You guys are nuts," Ryu accused. "You're killing each other!"

"Yeah," Nami agreed. "And what happens when one of you does fall off the ship? You will probably have no strength to swim! You'll drown!"

Katsu shook her head.

"We won't drown. We'll just throw rope down to them so they can climb back up!"

Luffy looked at them with his million-dollar grin.

"Sounds like fun to me! I agree!"

Everyone but Zoro and Katsu hit Luffy on the head, making 9 huge bumps form on head.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWW! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR!"

"For being an idiot and agreeing with them," Usopp glared.

"Oh, really?" Pyrate X asked. "I just hit him because it was funny. I agree with Zoro and Katsu too."

At the same time, nine bumps had formed on Pyrate X's head as well.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWW! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR!"

"For being and idiot and agreeing with the other idiot who agreed with them," Sanji stated.

"Then it's settled," Zoro said. "Both captains agree. We fight at noon?"

"Agreed. May I suggest wearing your bathing suit?"

"Don't be talking! You should wear your swimmys tomorrow."

"Gotta have the last say, don't you?"

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Sin: Banzai! A fight! Who will win? (shifty eyes) Review time!

Mirathin: Thankies faithful reviewer! (huggles) I will not go. Sorry it took so long though…

Drop Dead Fred Is My Invisible Friend: Okey dokey! Here's your reviewer! By the way, nice pen name! XD

Sin: Hmm… Only half the reviewers this time… I need moreeeee… At least 3 reviews, okay? I don't even care if it's flames, though I hope there is none… They're too hot. O.o; Reviews!