Pride: This story is a tribute to Cardboard Pixie, an amazing friend, confidante and sister-figure who passed away on October the 9th. She dedicated her last moments to writing fanfiction, which she truly loved. I hope her hardwork and dedication is recognized, because she truly deserves it. Thanks for the great memories and times we had, and no matter what, we won't forget you.
Updated: 16/11/2014
They all knew that it was not a match made in heaven. But it was a match made in hell, and that was just fine too.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters.
Narrator's Perspective
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
"Attacks/Raised Voices"
Settings- Place and Time
Dreams
A Match Made In Hell
An One Piece original fanfiction
Recollection 3: Two of Hearts
"ARGH!" Zoro screamed, pulling at his hair.
"CAN YOU SHUT UP FOR A MOMENT! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!"
Usopp ran and hid inside a barrel on deck, hoping that it would save him from the swordsman's wrath. Chopper, likewise scared out of his wits, "hid" behind the barrel. And Luffy, oh Luffy, he just stood there, oblivious to something green that would probably try and chop his head off in a moment if he didn't seek shelter soon.
Of course, in his viewpoint, a nice game of tag was worth suffering the swordsman's wrath for.
"Zoro-bro! Put that sword away, please! I don't think I can repair the Thousand Sunny if you cut it in half!" came the desperate voice of the crew's shipwright.
The swordsman stared at the offending figure of his red-clad captain for a few more fleeting moments, before he re-sheathed Kitetsu and promptly went back to sleep.
"Ne, Chopper, why d'you think Zoro's being so noisy today?" the childish captain asked his playmate.
"I-I don't know…maybe he's angry because we didn't invite him to play with us?"
At this, Usopp shot out of the barrel, vehemently shaking his head. Oh, those two idiots were going to get him killed with them! But he was too late, for his captain was already by the moss-haired swordsman's side, pulling at his cheeks.
"Zoro! Zoroooooo come play tag with us!"
"Luffy…"
"Come play! Then maybe you won't be so pissy!"
"Luffy, I thwear! Ifth you don'th leth go of my ctheeks now and leth me thleep in peathe, I'll perthonally make thure you don'th get meath for a month, even ifth I haff to beg the thtupid cook for ith!"
Luffy leapt back with a mortified look and Zoro shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out his captain's noises of protest.
"Brook! How do I get Zoro to play with me?!" Luffy asked his crew's musician.
"Yohoho, what a fine day to play, Luffy-san! The warmth makes my skin tingle in pleasure! Even though I have no skin to feel with! Skull joke! Yohoho!"
"Alas, I don't think Zoro-san is one for games, Captain-san!"
Luffy frowned and just ran off to find Nami.
"He'd probably have no choice but to play if I threatened to raise his debt…" Nami started off.
"But I don't need more idiots making noise while playing, it's hard to focus up here! Now shoo, and let me update this map in peace!" and she positively shoved her kid captain out the doors.
"Namiiiii-"
"Hello there, Luffy-bro!" Franky paused his welding and looked up from what he was working on, pushing his work goggles up.
"Franky! How do I get Zoro to play with me?!"
"I don't think that's a really good idea, Luffy-bro…I can't stop Zoro-bro from slicing the ship in half a second time."
Luffy sighed in disappointment and went off to find some meat before he continued his quest to make Zoro play with him.
"Sanjiiii! I'm HUNGRY!"
"Food isn't ready yet, Luffy!" but contrary to his words, the cook threw Luffy a chicken drumstick just to shut him up. Never mind that it was half-cooked…
A look of enlightenment seemed to come over Luffy's face as he looked at Sanji as though in a new light.
"Sanji!"
"What now, Luffy? Haven't I given you meat already?!"
"No, not that! Will Zoro come play with me, Chopper and Usopp if I give him some meat?"
"Pfft, like hell. That moss-head – no, stone-head – screw that, moss-covered-stone-head, is definitely not gonna play. He does nothing but sleep, lazy bastard!"
Luffy walked out of the kitchen, forehead creased and eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
Suddenly another wave of enlightenment washed over him.
"Robin! She'll know what to do! She always seems to know what to do, especially when it deals with Zoro!"
And off he went.
"Robin!"
"Hm?"
"How can I get Zoro to play with me? I asked him to play tag with me, but he just went back to sleep!"
Robin giggled at that. Sounded like typical Zoro.
"Captain-san, Kenshi-san doesn't seem to like tag. Maybe he'd play with you if invited him to something more mature like cards?"
Luffy immediately poked at Zoro who was fast asleep against the back of Robin's reclining chair.
"Zorooo! Let's play cards!"
"Piss off, Luffy, I'm trying to sleep!"
"Kenshi-san…," Robin chided gently.
"Fine, fine. But only one game, got that?" he glared at Luffy. That woman, somehow he could never deny her requests.
Thirty games later, Zoro found himself with no reason left to play, having won all of Luffy's share of meat for dinner that day plus Sanji's, Usopp's, Franky's and Brook's own, cleared all of his debts with Nami, and gotten five free passes out of infirmary from Chopper. Only Robin was left, seeing as she wasn't playing, rather she sat at the sidelines, giggling lightly into her hands.
"Oi, onna! Join us!" yelled Zoro, smirking at her.
"Robiiiiinnnn! Play with us!" chorused Luffy and Usopp cheerily. Apparently it had yet to sink in that they had lost their shares of meat.
"Robin-chwannn! Help us teach this cretin a lesson, oh sweet goddess!"
"Okay, okay, just one game of blackjack," the female Devil Fruit user agreed.
She walked over to where the others were seated, and lowered herself to the ground, cross-legged. Zoro found his eyes glued to her own blue ones, and her sharp-shapely nose, and her-
"Shall we start? Just the two of us, then?" her voice broke him out of his thoughts. Thank goodness. What was he even thinking?
"It's on."
She drew the first card, which turned out to be a King of Clubs. 13 then.
Using his Kenbunshoku Haki, Zoro spied a 5 of Hearts at the top, and he drew. Since the game had only just begun, he had no clue whether that was good or not. But that aside, who would've known that Kenbunshoku Haki could be used in such a way? Zoro smirked.
While he busied himself with his thoughts, Robin had drawn an Ace of spades. That makes it 14.
Zoro went on to draw a 7 of Diamonds.
Followed by which, Robin drew a 5 of Diamonds. 19. That would be a hard number to beat…
The green-haired sword artist smirked triumphantly as he spied and pulled out a 8 of Spades.
"Ha! That makes it twenty! I'd like to see you beat that, woman!"
The other crew members all burst into mock-tears, but Robin remained smiling.
Her dainty fingers pulled at another card and flipped it over.
Zoro's smirk faded from his face as he saw what was on it.
Two of Hearts. 21.
His first loss. Dammit.
Screw that Two of Hearts.
But then again…
"I guess I don't mind losing to you," Zoro smirked at Robin.
End
Pride: This one was fun to write, I hope you enjoy it! And if any of you follow the anime Fairy Tail, may I please request you to check out the stories "fairytales before bedtime" by Cardboard Pixie and the (sort-of) sequel "Good Morning, Sunshine" by myself? Cardboard Pixie is a great friend, great writer and pseudo-sister of mine who passed away recently. The second story was written as tribute to her. She dedicated even her last days to writing fanfiction, so I want as many people as possible to acknowledge her works. It's the least we of Fanfiction can do to one who has contributed so much to us. Thank you.
- Yours truly, Pride