Chapter 6
Zoro spent the whole night wide awake, trying to think of the perfect present to get the cook for his birthday. He wants to get him something special, something just for Sanji that he'd want to keep and would find useful. Maybe something he could use in the kitchen…?
After staying up till dawn, Zoro fell asleep on the deck only to be woken with the threat of a kick to the head, courtesy of the Straw hat's cook. Mumbling, the swordsman manages to catch Sanji's ankle, mid swing, before the blonde's foot could connect and crush his skull, "shit-cook, I'm trying to sleep."
"Idiot. Breakfast is ready. I called you several times." The cook huffs angrily, taking a drag of his cigarette.
As he finally opens his eye and looks up, his breath hitches and he finds it hard to breathe. With the sun behind Sanji it's like the man is glowing and it makes his hair seem golden. The smoke from his cigarette is swirling in the air as the cook blows out another steam; his blue eyes are sparkling with amusement as his lips turn into a sly smirk, snapping Zoro out of his daze as he realizes he had been out right staring at the blonde's face.
The swordsman's cheeks light up with a hint of pink as he grumbles and gets up from his spot on the floor, trying to pass off the fact that Sanji caught him staring.
"Come on marimo. Hurry up before Luffy eats everything."
The cook is still wearing a smirk as he turns around and heads for the kitchen, Zoro silently follows him and watches as the man in front of him deliberately sways his hips as he walks.
Once he has eaten, the green-haired man leaves the ship in search of a gift worthy for the man he loves. It's still strange for Zoro, admitting that he's in love, and with Sanji of all people. His cheeks heat up slightly as he remembers the first time he told the cook of these feelings and he frowns when he realizes that he hasn't exactly said the word love to Sanji yet.
Hopefully he can find a gift on this island which can show the cook instead as he's not quite sure he can tell the blonde those three little words yet without messing it up somehow.
Zoro finally makes his way into town - after not getting lost, honestly he didn't... -, and wonders around through the streets, looking into the shop windows. As he turns another corner he sees a large advertisement in a shop window:
Rare, brand new, solid silver, cooking knives….sharp blades…. free engraving...every cook's dream...Only one set in stock...
Deciding to take a look Zoro makes his way into the shop. They must be those knives Sanji was going on and on about this morning... However, he walks back out a few minutes later empty handed, while the shopkeeper takes down the display from the window. Unfortunately for the swordsman, someone has already bought the knives.
As he keeps walking down street after street, not really paying attention to where he is heading, Zoro ends up in a run-down part of town. No point in sticking around, I won't be able to find a good gift for the shit-cook here. Now how do I get back to where I was earlier…..
Glancing around, he turns into the direction he thinks is the right way to go, and carries on walking. For some reason, he's not entirely sure why, he stops in front of an old shop. The windows are filthy and it's impossible to see inside, the wooden building is slightly slanted and is falling apart.
Having a feeling that he should go into the shop, Zoro opens the door and walks in. The place is cluttered with old junk, including; broken toys, dream catchers, cheap jewelry, obscene paintings, patched up clothes and furniture, and old books. There are cobwebs on the walls and the piles of dust everywhere is making the swordsman's eyes water slightly.
Out of the corner of his good eye he spots something shine, reflecting the light coming in from a crack in the ceiling. Instantly drawn to the shiny object like a magpie, he makes his way over, wincing at the loud creaks of the floorboards screeching with each step he takes.
On a stand sits an old book with a gold lock and a golden spine. Zoro picks up the book, which he figures could be a journal of some sorts, and blows off the dust, revealing the gold lettering. As he reads it quietly to himself his eyes widen: "Nowaki Umi: My journey to the ocean, All Blue."
The swordsman flips through the book, the pages are worn and torn, and some even seem to be missing. Inside are large masses of text - which he simply glances over - and a few sketches of some fish he hasn't come across before. He guesses that they must only be found in All Blue.
"I see you found something of interest, kid."
The voice startles Zoro, making him jump and turn around, nearly dropping the book in the process. He swears that the old woman at the counter wasn't there before.
"If you're buying it, bring it over here, or put it back and get out."
Zoro scowls and walks over to old lady, placing the book onto the counter, "I'm buying it."
The woman glances down to the journal, "hmm, I forgot this was still here."
"What can you tell me about it?"
"Not much."
Zoro glares at her but it seems to have no effect, "You must know something."
"This isn't for you is it," she simply states, with a sly smile.
The swordsman's eye widens slightly but he quickly composes himself, "No. It's for someone who means a lot to me. And it's important that he gets this."
"...Fine, I'll tell you what I know. But I'll only say this once so listen well kid. This guy here," she says, pointing to the name written in gold, "Nowaki Umi. He was a cook. Now, obviously you've heard of this mystical sea, well it was his dream to find it. And apparently he did."
"Apparently? This is evidence right?" the swordsman interjects and yelps when the old lady whacks his hand with her wooden cane, "Don't interrupt!"
"Now...where was I….oh yeah…He was a cook. A blonde, skinny man he was."
As he nurses his still red hand, the description of this man makes him think of the blonde cook back on the Sunny.
"Set out by himself in search of the All Blue, leaving his lover behind... Years went by before anyone heard word of him again and he went back home. Told everyone about how he found his dream ocean and proudly showed off this journal he wrote of his journey. Poor bastard, they laughed in his face, saying he'd made it all up. Others believed that he just got stranded out at sea and went insane, that he was hallucinating."
The swordsman frowns and opens his mouth to ask another question but slams it shut as the old lady silently threatens him with her wooden cane before continuing.
"Affected him badly it did. The guy wouldn't leave his home and shut himself off from the world. Wouldn't even talk to his lover, no matter how hard she tried to get just one word out of him...…. It wasn't that long after that he died there…. guy was still so young..."
Zoro could tell that there was something more to this story as he could see the sadness in the woman's eyes but he didn't want to pry, "So how come no one has heard of this journal now?"
"What did I say about interrupting?!" the old lady screeches, hitting his hand again with her cane"
"STOP HITTING ME YOU OLD WITCH!"
The woman just ignores Zoro's outburst, "Everyone back then just passed it off as a joke and said no more about it. Eventually, it was forgotten."
Near silence follows her words, only the ticking of a few still working clocks can be heard. For a few minutes the old women stares at him, as if assessing him.
Annoyed, he glances to the journal on the counter, "How much?"
"Not for sale."
"What?!" the swordsman growls in irritation, slamming the palms of his hands flat out on the counter.
The old woman doesn't even flinch, still staring him down with a cold, scrutinizing glare.
"Like I said kid, I'm not selling it. To you or to anyone."
"You don't understand! I need that book! It's for someone very important to me…"
She just rolls her eyes and folds her arms, "Repeat after me: NOT-FOR-SALE!"
Zoro growls and grips the counter tightly, staring down the little old woman, "I'll do whatever it takes to get this book...you don't understand. This book is very important."
The old woman sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose gently, "You really want this book?" She only continued after seeing the desperate nod coming from the man, "I'll make you a deal…tell me who this book is for and I'll give you a price."
"This book is for my-...the person I...love…" the swordsman explains, "It's his birthday tomorrow, and it's his dream to find All Blue...I want him to find his dream, and I'll do whatever it takes to help him."
She thinks about it for a moment, taking in the man's plea. The woman didn't really want to sell the journal, but she couldn't deny him the book. She finally gives in and states her answer, "I'll sell it to you for 1,000,000 beli."
The swordsman frowns and reaches for the money he tucked away safely in his red sash, "All I have are my savings, 500,000 beli."
As soon as he gets his money out, the old woman snatches it from him and starts counting it, "This is fine. Now take the journal and go before I change my mind."
Zoro grins as he grabs the journal from the counter and thanks the old lady on his way out of the shop. The sun is going down when he steps outside and the swordsman rubs the back of his neck as he decides to turn left and take a shortcut back to the Sunny. Despite getting lost and getting back to the ship when the sun had gone for the night, he still had a very angry cook to deal with since he missed dinner.