Thank you so much to the reviewers! You make me so happy! As promised, the next chapter is here! This is a long one, so get ready!
Drama is my middle name (oh, and fluff and romance, too). Hehe.
Oh, yeah, and this takes place after Water 7 arc, so Brooke isn't here yet. Zoro still has a rusted-over Yubashiri sword.
One Piece isn't mine.
-0-
WHAAAAATT!!
The entire Strawhat crew was in a petrified state of stupefaction (no other word to describe it), mouths agape and eyes the size of saucers (except Nico Robin, and Zoro, who had fallen flat on his face from the shock).
"Why the hell would you choose this stupid marimo?"
"You must be very brave to consider marrying Zoro!!"
"No, no," Tashigi cried, waving her hands frantically, "I don't have to marry him at all! He only has to act as my fiancé!"
"Why choose Zoro at all? Isn't there a friend you can twist the arm of somehow to present to you father?" asked Nami. "And what makes you think we would agree to this?"
"I have been betrothed to a man named Ensou Takumi. He is the son of a family friend, and we sort of grew up together. I haven't seen him in years, but I know that he is a very good swordsman. He is a two-sword champion of the Wakamono School of the military arts."
The swordsman in question had lifted his flattened face off the ground. His face of shock was replaced by one of peaked curiosity.
"He has been operating in the background, working as a bodyguard for many different officials, and rumor has it, as an assassin, when needed. He has allegedly faced off against the Shichibukai Mihawk and lived."
Zoro's face took on a decidedly interested cast. Nami glanced at him worriedly. Wasn't Mihawk the one that gave Zoro that scar?
"If there's anyone who can beat him in a sword fight, I am certain your first-mate would be able to."
"What you're proposing is incredibly dangerous. What if something wrong happens? What if Zoro doesn't win the fight?"
"Are you saying I wouldn't win against this guy?" the swordsman said, giving Nami a murderous stare.
"All I'm saying is, this puts him in a precarious situation. Not to mention an unnecessary appearance that pinpoints his location to everyone. And most importantly, how does this benefit us??"
"I am prepared to pay in return for these services," the marine replied, pulling off the huge backpack she had on. Opening it, she then removed the contents.
Everyone returned to their state of astonishment when out spilled a copious amount of gold coins, loose gemstones in every color imaginable, necklaces, studded silver cuffs, carved coral figurines, and jade disks the size of dinner plates. It formed a small, sparkling mountain right there in the middle of the grass.
"This is just a fourth of the price I am willing to pay. The rest, I will give to you when the task is over."
Nami now had flashing Beli signs in her eyes, but she wasn't the only one.
"We could buy lots of MEAT!" screamed Luffy, hands fisted in victory in the air.
"Think of all the ingredients and seasonings we could buy!"
"We can buy more medicine and books!"
"Gunpowder and Tabasco sauce!"
"Cola and metal parts!"
"The base for operations of our clan is on Nagashima Island, a day's journey from here," stated Tashigi. "It doesn't register on normal log poses, so only those with an eternal pose can travel to it. Now, the engagement ceremony is in 10 days, so that gives me enough time to present a challenger to my betrothed. And since the log pose on this island sets after two weeks, I'll be back with Zoro before you even have to leave this place, with time to spare. Presumably, if all goes well."
Silence.
"So, may I know your answer? If you need time to thi—"
Most of the Strawhat crew turned to her, suddenly, with starry eyes and smiles from ear-to-ear.
"YES!!"
-0-
So this is what a stuffed turkey feels like.
Zoro was now on a boat with the marine sergeant on his way to God-knows-where to act as her "real" fiancé and to beat the crap out of her would-be-husband.
This was so not what Zoro had envisioned himself doing.
No, this was not what he wanted at all!
He had protested violently when his nakama, all of them, had answered yes to such a proposition, practically handing him over, bound hand-and-foot to the waiting marine and her tiny vessel. His cries of objection (and terror) had fallen on deaf ears as they waved at him from the ship, smiling and saying things like, "Bon voyage!" and "Write to us, OK?" and even "We'll miss you!" that completely irked him.
Traitors! Those damn traitors! Those idiots!
Tashigi was manning the boat, expertly tugging at the sail to catch the breeze. She checked the eternal pose she had on her other hand. "We're right on course. With this wind we picked up, we'll get to the island faster than expected."
She set the main sail steady, then sat down next to Zoro. The little boat had very little room for anything else, much less space for the both of them.
"Why are you doing this?" Zoro turned to her, a scowl marring his features. " Are you doing this to torture me?"
She suddenly looked at him, surprised.
"One moment, we're enemies, you're chasing after us, and now this? This has to be a trap to get us all captured."
"So you don't believe me? After I've sucked up all my pride and presented myself to a wanted pirate crew? One I've been chasing for months?" Tashigi eyes flashed angrily.
"You have no idea," she said, her voice cracking. "You have absolutely no idea! You have no idea how much of my pride has been shattered! And here I am, a marine officer, pleading with a criminal I'm supposed to arrest, to help me! You have no idea how painful it is!"
Zoro was taken aback. He was about to say something when he noticed the tears in her eyes.
"But it's my fault, too," she began, "asking help from a total stranger for problems I should have confronted years ago, for problems that don't even concern you." She smiled sadly. "All because I want to chase these dreams of mine."
The tears began rolling down her cheeks.
"You must think it's incredibly selfish. I dedicated all these years of training, to be able to bring back those precious meitou from evil people all over the world. That's all I ever wanted; to be a good marine officer and uphold justice!"
She gasped a little, looking up.
"I've said too much," she said sadly. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Roronoa! Even if you are a pirate, you don't deserve to be caught up in a silly girl's troubles!" With that she began to sob.
Zoro felt alarmed. For some reason, he couldn't stand the sight of Tashigi crying like that. He didn't know what to do. He untied the bandana off his arm and handed it to her. It was the only thing he could think of giving her.
"Uh…here."
She took it without hesitation, wiping her tears with it, and then blowing her nose on it soundly.
"Um…" She was about to hand it back but saw that it was dripping wet with tears and, well, snot.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I'll go wash it now!" Tashigi ran over to the wash area of the boat and dunked the cloth in a bucket of water.
She came back to sit down next to him and said in a hushed voice, "I'll just let it dry." She wouldn't, couldn't look at him, not after that.
The green-haired swordsman beside her leaned back and gazed up at the sky. "There was never anything wrong with chasing your dreams. We hold onto them, as much as we can, because this is what defines a man. We do what we can to keep them alive."
Her eyes widened.
"All I know is, I'm headed for a very good sparring session and an opportunity to train. I'm getting rusty", he said, smiling.
She looked at him then, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over her. "Thank you, Roronoa."
"So what do I have to do?"
-0-
That entire afternoon, Tashigi drilled Zoro on all the proper protocol.
They faced each other, sitting on their ankles in a seiza position. "When you meet Otou-sama, you must bow to him respectfully." Tashigi demonstrated, touching her forehead to the ground, fists on either side of her head. Zoro followed suit, although clumsily. "You must never speak to him unless he speaks to you first, and always address him as Shigatsu-sama."
"Another thing I must teach you is the Chanoyu, the tea ceremony."
"The what?"
"The tea ceremony is an elaborate ritual of the Shigatsu clan. It's a meticulously choreographed series of movements that celebrates our heritage. When you perform it, it'll symbolize your dedication and willingness to join the clan. There are 25 forms you have to master."
"25!?"
"Yes, but the movements are supposed to flow, so if you get the rhythm of it, you'll be fine."
So they set out to practice, from the entrance and bowing at the start to the smallest hand movements.
"Don't move that hand! And turn the bowl clockwise to the left!" Tashigi whacked his right hand with a paper fan.
"Ouch! This is hard!" Zoro almost let go of the tea bowl in his hands. How was he supposed to do this?
"I'll show you," she said, taking the bowl from him. "From the top then."
He watched, entranced, as she demonstrated the routine, her steps sure and her hands light and graceful.
"Now, do it slower this time." She handed it back.
They went through the entire thing, again and again, until they were both exhausted, sweaty, and lying on the floor of the boat.
"Well, you sort of got it," panted Tashigi.
"Sort of? I got through the entire thing just fine," Zoro protested from where he lay.
Tashigi noticed that the sun had begun setting. The orange sky began fading into the dark blue velvet of the night.
"I should start dinner."
She got up and fussed a tiny gas stove she had. A few minutes later, she had a pot merrily boiling with their dinner. As she was busy cooking, Zoro took the time out to change out of his soaked shirt.
Tashigi spooned a bit of the cooked noodles into a bowl. "Hey, is it OK if—"
But Tashigi's thoughts just zonked out as she faced Zoro, who had his shirt off. Every muscle gleamed in last golden rays of the setting sun. Her eyes roamed his well-defined chest and down his toned abs. She felt her mouth go dry.
"Hey, are you OK?"
She couldn't even find a coherent thought in her mind. Her hand on the bowl of noodles was slipping…
"You're going to spill it," Zoro said, crossing the distance over to her and taking the bowl from her hands. Panicked, Tashigi tried not to look at him, but it was harder when he was this close to him and his perfect body. It doesn't help that he has eyes that can pierce through you and make you melt…Now where did that thought come from??
"I-I'm fine really," she stammered out, taking back the bowl. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes."
He took a good look at her, and she felt her cheeks heat up from his gaze. He then left her and went back to rummage through his bag. Sighing inwardly, she went back to preparing the food. She couldn't believe her loss of control. It's all his fault, she thought grimly.
-0-
They both sat down next to the stove to have their dinner. Tashigi handed Zoro (now thankfully clothed) a bowl of her creation and a pair of chopsticks.
He looked at it, and didn't start eating at all.
"Is something wrong? You don't like the food?" she asked.
"No, it's…it's just…it reminds me of home. We used to have this kind of food where I used to live."
The bowl in his hands had a bed of jelly shirataki noodles in a broth, and on top was some thinly sliced beef next to seared tofu bits, scallion slices, a shiitake mushroom top, with a chinese cabbage leaf on the side. It looked quite artistic in its own right.
She handed him raw beaten egg in a bowl. "Do you know how to eat it?"
"Yes, of course. You dip the toppings into the egg before eating," he said, wistfully.
Tashigi was pleased. All the more he would enjoy it. "So, eat up!"
Zoro took one bite, and then began shoveling the food down. Apparently, the food was so good that he asked for seconds, and thirds.
Tashigi giggled a little. "At least we get no leftovers."
-0-
With dinner done, they settled out to have their rest. Two sleeping bags were now full of their respective occupants on the floor.
"Um, Zoro…"
"What's up?"
"I have another favor to ask of you."
Just the sound of that made his skin crawl. This can't be good.
"You do know that, ah, when we get there, we don't only have to say we're getting married, we have to, uh, convince them that we want to."
"Uh-huh, so?"
"Well," the blue-haired girl began twiddling her thumbs. "We have to show them that we actually are in love."
"And how should we do that?"
"You know, holding hands, hugging, stuff that couples do?"
Sweat was now forming on Zoro's brow.
"Um, and…we could…kiss."
"WHAT?!"
"Well, I was thinking we should practice that, too, you know, before anyone else sees us," she said with a sheepish smile.
"Absolutely NO! No way am I doing that! I didn't sign up for this!" He made an X-sign with his arms at her.
"It wouldn't be such a big deal, it's just pretend. Of course, unless…it's your first kiss."
"WHAT?! Well, of course, um, I mean to say is…" How could she tell?
As he sat there flustered, she said quietly, " Don't worry, it's mine, too."
He trained his eyes to her, then, and in the moonlight, saw Kuina's face look back at him. He couldn't turn away. And he couldn't say no, either.
"Grr, fine," he conceded, tearing away from the sight of her. "What do we do?"
"Well, we could get closer to each other." She scooted in front of him. What next?
"Then we face each other." Damn! Those piercing eyes again!
He couldn't recall ever being so nervous. Never in battle, that's for sure. But now, he was dying and he couldn't get a lifeline out of it. "And then?"
Her heart was about to pop out of her chest. Would he be able to hear it?
"Uh…" Why was this so hard? Where do I look? Where do you put your hands? The questions were endless. "I guess you just lean forward then—"
Their lips touched at that moment, and Zoro gasped into it, moving his lips slightly over hers, eliciting strange sensations for them both. She moved with him, and followed suit, opening her mouth into his. She put her hands delicately onto his chest, feeling the hard muscles underneath the fabric of his shirt.
His head was spinning; every touch she made was like fire. He moaned into the kiss when he felt the tip of her tongue brush his lips lightly. His hands traveled, unconsciously, up her arms to settle at the nape of her neck, lingering there, enjoying the silky softness of her skin.
And then she suddenly pulled away, blinking away the glazed look she had, swallowing audibly.
"So, was…that…"
"I…" he gave a start. "don't…know." He was still reeling from the after-effects. How could he know what a real kiss felt like?
Like turning into water?
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
"Kind of like the blind leading the blind."
"Huh?" she blurted out, startled.
"Yeah, I guess so."
And they both laughed nervously.
"So…good night then."
" 'Night."
As they settled down, they found themselves in an uncomfortable silence, both finding it hard to sleep (a first for Zoro). He kept chanting in his mind It's just pretend, it's just pretend, but he couldn't pretend that he could just forget the taste of her on his lips.
-0-
Zoro with his shirt off AND a kiss? Whew!
Culture notes: The Chanoyu, or tea ceremony, is a ceremonial practice of serving matcha, or powdered green tea to guests. It is strongly connected to the practice of Zen Buddhism. There are 3 main schools of the tea ceremony, each with their own prescribed rituals, but there are various lesser schools as well. Tashigi's family may have its own set of rituals to follow (the 25 forms are just an invention). What's the importance of the ritual to our two heroes? Well, keep reading to find out!
Seiza position is the basic way of sitting all throughout the tea ceremony. Seiza style of sitting involves sitting on the ankles, and hands on the lap. Bows (there are three basic variations, differing mainly in depth of bow and position of the hands) performed during tea ceremony originate in the seiza position.
The meitou are the named swords, among the best crafted swords in the world.
Tashigi cooked the dish sukiyaki, as described above, in a broth made with soy sauce, mirin (a type of rice wine), and sugar.Yum! Now I'm hungry…