Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay. I'm glad to see everyone seems to be enjoying my story so far. Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint!
Disclaimer: As always, I don't own this beautiful world or these wonderful characters!
Part One: The Godless Sea
Chapter Four: Twin Hunting
The sun doesn't rise in the morning. None of the strawhats are particularly surprised, though the disappointment is thick in the air as they rise from their beds and head to the gallery. Usopp is sitting on deck when the arrive, watching Luffy as he sits on the figurehead and stares out into the forest.
"He's been there for two hours," Usopp mumbles to the cook when he pauses beside him. "Said good morning, jumped onto Sunny's head and hasn't moved since."
"What's he doing?" Sanji asks.
"Worrying." Zoro walks by them on his way to the figurehead, eyes set on the man that isn't his captain. "He's worried about his crew. Worried because the sun didn't rise like it was supposed to."
Usopp looks up at Sanji as the swordsman makes his way across the deck. "How does he do that?"
The cook shrugs. "Maybe there's some 'idiots only' telepathy thing we don't know about. Come on, help me set the table."
The sniper nods and clambers to his feet after the cook, glancing over his shoulder one more time before he disappears into the kitchen. Zoro pays neither of them any mind as he stops at the rails behind the Sunny's head, staring out at the vast forest behind Luffy.
"Zoro's worried too, huh?" Luffy asks after a minute, not looking away from the forest.
He hums in agreement. Not that he'd ever admit that anyone else. He's worried about Luffy - his Luffy. Worried about this damn island and the tales Robin told. Though, he's hesitant to admit to himself, he isn't worried about this Luffy. This Luffy, is his Luffy, more or less. He doesn't foresee any danger.
They fall to silent again, watching the quiet forest, trees swaying in the wind. Behind them, the rest of the crew begin to emerge for breakfast. A few glances are thrown in their direction, but for the most part, the two are left alone.
"Zoro." Luffy turns on the figure head to look at the first mate.
"Hmm."
"We're going to find your nakama." A big grin spreads across the rubber man's face. "My nakama too. I promise!"
Luffy is Luffy, no matter where he comes from.
"Hai," he agrees. "We'll find them."
"Yosh!" Luffy hops off the figurehead as the cook opens the gallery door. "Sanji! Meat!"
Rubber arms shoot over, grip the door frame beside Sanji and fling the captain toward the gallery. Sanji helps and jumps out of the way as Luffy crashes into the room, rushing to sit at the table and shovel food into his mouth. Zoro shakes his head at the cook but crosses the Sunny to join the rest of the crew at the table for breakfast.
This meal goes similarly to the previous. It starts out quiet, as though the crew are just remember that the person sitting at the head of their breakfast table is not their Luffy. If it's not the lack of a giant scar on his chest that reminds them, the fact that Luffy is only trying to steal food from Zoro's plate will do it. The swordsman frowns, batting the other captain's hand away in between bites, while the rest of the crew eat in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
"Zooorrrroooo!" Luffy whines. "I'm hungry."
"There's food on your plate, you damn glutton," Zoro snarls back.
"Are we sure this isn't our Luffy?" Usopp mumbles again.
"If it wasn't for the lack of the scar, I'd be wondering that too," Nami sighs. She glances around the table. "What's our plan?"
"To find our nakama," Luffy pipes up.
Nami lets out a long moan. Maybe Usopp is right. Maybe this is their Luffy and the outward appearance is just an illusion or something. Stranger things have happened, right?
"Yes, Luffy," Robin says. "But I believe Nami is asking how we are going to go about finding them."
"Exactly." Nami nods. "Now, I think the best thing to do is split up-"
A collection of moans go around the group.
"Nami," Usopp whines. "I don't want to go into the forest again."
"We're not going into the forest," the navigator replies shortly. "We're going to go along the shoreline. That should eventually take us to a place where we can see their Sunny."
"And our Luffy?" Chopper pipes up. "What about him, Nami?"
"We'll search from him after we meet up with the others," she says. "The more people we have looking for him, the quicker we'll be able to find him."
A round of nods go around the table. All except Zoro, whose stopped defending his plate in order to stare at the wall over Sanji's shoulder.
"We're not splitting up," the swordsman says firmly.
Everyone's eyes focus on him, though he doesn't move his gaze from the wall. He can feel it, beneath the surface. The katana at his hip hum with foreign energy, Kitetsu calling for blood in a way that can only mean danger is coming. If they split up, they won't be able to keep each other safe. He won't be able to keep them safe. And he'd never forgive himself if that happens.
"Zoro," Nami protests. "It'll be faster if we do it my way."
"We're not splitting up." He puts more heat behind his words and turns his head to meet Nami's scowl. Most days, he's lazy enough to let the navigator do as she pleases. Today, there's too much at stake.
"You're being ridiculous," Nami snaps. "I said we're splitting up. So we're splitting up."
Luffy bristles, pausing with his food halfway to his mouth and putting the fork down. "Why does Nami make that decision?"
The crew all turn to him, staring back at the navigator with a blank face. Even Zoro looks a bit confused at Luffy's question, more so by his face. His lips are turned down in a frown, eyebrows scrunched tightly. This is his serious face. His 'someone's screwed up and now it needs to be addressed face'. Zoro's seen it used on Usopp, on the cook. On most of Luffy's enemies. But he doesn't think he's ever seen it used on Nami. Not even when the damn witch pretended to betray them to Shiki years ago.
Nami's eyes widen a bit as she blinks at the captain's annoyed face. "What?"
"Nami's not asking. Nami's telling," Luffy observes coolly. "Zoro said it was a bad idea and Nami didn't listen. Why does Nami get to make that decision?"
Still unsure of what to say and clearly uneasy under the harsh gaze, Nami folds her hands on her lap.
"Why shouldn't Nami-san make that decision?" Sanji demands. "She's our navigator. One of the smartest people on our crew."
He'd say the smartest, but that would imply the lovely Robin-chan is of lesser intelligence. And everyone knows that's not true.
Luffy glances at Sanji and then around the table before his gaze finally settles on Zoro. "My Zoro's first mate," Luffy tells the crew. "Everybody's supposed to listen to him when I'm not there. Are you not your Luffy's first mate?"
Silence fills the gallery. That's not something they've ever discussed - who's in charge after Luffy. The role has always fallen to Nami on the seas. Or Zoro when they're in battle. The inbetweens have always been a manner of agreeing on one plan. But a true naming of the first mate has never been official.
"I'm his swordsman," Zoro says around his dry mouth.
Luffy blinks back at him. "Is that all?"
There's something else there, in those deep brown eyes. A question that Zoro isn't quite sure if he can answer.
Is that really all he thinks of you?
"I'm whatever Luffy needs me to be," the swordsman corrects. He spares a glance at Nami as he stands. "There's something wrong with this island. We shouldn't split up."
He's out the door before anyone else can speak up. Silence follows him, the crew unsure of what to say. Luffy blinks, turning back to the crew and looking at each stunned face.
"Zoro's not your first mate?" he asks.
"I don't believe our captain ever named a first mate," Robin says after a moment, chin resting on her intertwined fingers. "We tend to go with whatever the best plan is, on the rare occasion Luffy is separated from us for an unreasonable amount of time."
"Rare?" Usopp scoffs.
Luffy ignores him and smiles at Robin. "I see. Your crew is funny." He cocks his head at the archeologist. "What does Robin think the best plan is?"
Robin's gaze flickers to Nami, still sitting shell shocked in her seat. "Does it really matter? You've made up your mind, haven't you, Luffy?"
"I'm not Robin's Luffy."
"But you're Luffy. And I have the overwhelming feeling that your voice will be the one this crew listens to."
The captain grins. "Your Luffy has a good crew!"
"And your crew a good captain."
Luffy laughs.
They find their swordsman napping against the mast when the finally emerge from breakfast, breathing evenly with his swords rested against his shoulder. It doesn't take much to wake him, as though he hadn't been asleep at all and he slides his swords back into his sash when he stands.
"Franky, Brook, and Chopper are staying with Sunny," Nami tells him. "The rest of us are heading east."
You win. We're not splitting up.
He nods at her and the crew disembark together. Chopper, Brook, and Franky stand at the helm, waving to them as they start down the beach. The quiet lasts far longer than any of them expect. They walk for well over an hour, the rocky ground beneath them leading them up, over a mound, to the edge of a cliff. The scenery doesn't change much as they venture onward, Nami and Robin at the front, Sanji and Zoro taking up the rear. Between them Usopp watches Luffy take in all of his surroundings, the crew included.
"Neh, Zoro." Luffy turns to walk backwards so he can look at the swordsman. "Why do you have three swords?"
"Eh?" Zoro looks from his swords to Luffy. "What are you talking about?"
"You have three!" The captain points to the three katanas at his hip. "Why? Zoro doesn't have three hands."
"Your Zoro doesn't use three swords?"
"Nope." The excitable captain pops his 'p' and cocks his head at the swordsman. "Just Shusui and Kitetsu."
Zoro stops to look down at the katanas on his hip, fingers brushing over Wado. This Luffy's Zoro doesn't have Wado? But why? Does Luffy's Zoro not know Kuina and Sensei? Did he grow up with his family, whoever they may be?
If Luffy's Zoro never met Kuina and Sensei, does that mean they're happy and together?
"I use Santoryu," the swordsman tells him. "The three sword style."
"But Zoro doesn't have three hands," Luffy says again, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"He puts one in his mouth," Sanji says, shooing them forward again.
"Suge!" Luffy's eyes sparkle as Usopp pulls him onward. "Suge, suge! How does Zoro do that? Isn't it hard to use a sword in your mouth?"
A smile goes around the group at the captain's awe, eagerness to see this swordsman's talents displayed. Luffy pulls away from Usopp to dance around Zoro and check out every ounce of the swordsman's being.
"It seems something's never change," Robin laughs.
Nami's lips twitch up a bit as well and she puts a hand to her hair as the wind whips around them. "We must nearly be there," the navigator says looking around. She squints out at the sea, relieved to see that the thick fog has faded to a vague mist. A dark shape takes form. "Oh, Robin, look! Is that ship?"
The archeologist moves away from the boys to join the navigator.
Sanji keeps a gaze on the ladies while the captain trips over himself to observe their swordsman. In far more familiar ways then Sanji's used to him being. Sticking his hands in Zoro's mouth to test his jaw strength, lifting the swordsman's arms. Zoro is good about it all - not that the marimo is physically capable of not being good to Luffy - only raising an eyebrow and snapping half-heartedly at Luffy's fingers.
Then, Luffy freezes. His eyes lock on the swords at Zoro's hips. His brow furrows in confusion and concern.
"This is Wado," Luffy breathes, his hand lingering near the white katana. Zoro's eyes widen in surprise. "This is Wado. Why does Zoro have Wado?" When the swordsman only stares in confusion, his voice becomes more urgent. "Why does Zoro have-"
The three monsters sense it all at the same time. A shift in the air. Something dangerous is coming. Zoro pulls Shusui lose as Luffy spins and Sanji ushers Usopp back to the girls. Robin frowns at them as Nami inches slightly behind her.
"What's wrong?" Nami asks.
"Someone's here," Sanji says. "Someone big."
Luffy snarls, crouching into his gear second position. Steam pours of the captain, rage filling his eyes. "Them."
"Them?" Nami asks. "Luffy, who are they?"
Branches crack. Leaves rustle. Someone moves fast, too fast. Luffy cracks his knuckles. Sanji inches over to stand in front of the ladies and Usopp. Zoro draws a second blade. A blur shoots out. Stone crumbles.
Nami screams.