So, there's the update. I hope you people like the story, since I haven't heard anything otherwise, I'll try to keep up updating.
Disclaimer: No, not yet. Not mine.
Zoros meeting with the rest of the crew was somewhat awkward. He, Nami and Neah stood in in the doorway to the living room, where the whole crew, apart from Sanji, sat. The silence was broken by Luffy, who, with loud yell "ZORO!", pounced at Neah. Zoro automatically stepped away from Neah, so she won't be thrown back as well, but he seemed to have been wrong – Luffy, hugging Neah tightly, flew out of the room and into the corridor.
"Zoro! It's been a long time!" Luffy kept hugging Neah, who seemed to have a concussion from hitting hard floor with her head. "Zoro, are you alright?"
"Luffy, I told you Zoro changed his hair-colour, not gender!" Nami barked.
"Oh, sorry." Luffy left Neah and launched himself at the right person this time.
"Long time no see, Zoro!" the captain laughed sitting on Zoros stomach inside the living room where a coffee-table was supposed to be. The named table was now under Zoro, broken beyond repair.
"You too, long time…" Zoro grunted, not moving.
"WAAAAAH!" came from the corner where Franky sat. "Man, I'm so touched!"
"It was certainly a very long time, swordsman-san."
"Yohohoho! You are more popular than I am, it makes me cry… Although I don't have eyes to cry with! Yohohoho!"
"Wow, Zoro, you've changed… Still no match for captain Usopp…"
Zoro was lying on his back, listening to nostalgic babble of his nakama.
"How is it to be blind?" Robin asked, as blunt as ever, going for the worst question.
Zoro sat up, thankful to Luffy for getting off of him.
"Well, it's dark." He tried to sound somewhat mockingly.
"Are you going to be blind for the rest of your life?" Robin was still set on the worst-case scenario.
"Dunno. I need Chopper to examine it first. He read some other doctors diagnoses, so he could at least give me some medication, but he won't be sure unless he examines me himself." Zoro tried to sound high-spirited, not wanting to give his fears away. If it was really bad, then he could not hold the title of the strongest swordsman in the world for much longer. He already felt really bad for letting his crew down, not having half of the strength he possessed when they found one piece.
"Oi, Zoro, why's ur hair black?" Luffy said, puzzled.
"Good for stage?" Zoro said thoughtfully. He didn't quite remember how that happened, it just did and it worked really well for Aon. "Don't worry - the black is going off as soon as I get to the bathroom."
"Zoro, you're weird." Luffy sat down on the floor in front of Zoro. "You don't seem like our swordsman. Are you sure you are Zoro?"
Zoro didn't find an answer to that, so he just nodded.
"What's his favourite food?"
"Onigiri."
"Wrong! It's meat! You're not Zoro!"
"Luffy, meat is your favourite food." Nami face-palmed.
"Oh, right… Then what're his swords called?" Luffy continued asking.
"Wadou Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu and Shuusui."
"Wrong! It's Pork, Beef and Chicken!"
"Luffy, that's meat again." This time Usopp corrected Luffy, also face-palmed.
"Oh, right… When's Zoros birthday?"
"November, the 11th."
"Wrong! It's May, the 5th!"
"Luffy, that's your birthday…" Nami said, exasperated.
"Oh, then… then…" Luffy looked around, thinking as hard as he could. "Then… who's the Pirate King?"
"It's kind of hard to believe, but it's you, Luffy." Zoro rolled his eyes.
"Correct! Ok, you're Zoro." Luffy nodded content with the answer.
"Thanks, captain." Zoro tried not to sound annoyed with Luffys stupidity. Three years spent with normal people had spoilt him.
"You're welcome. Now, where's Sanji? SAAAAAAAAAAANJIIIIIIIII! I'M HUNGRY!"
"Shut up, Luffy, we're not eating until Vivi comes." Sanji argued from the corridor, where he helped still shocked Neah back on her feet.
"But Sanji, I'm hungry now!" Luffy whined.
Zoro sat on the floor, thinking about the amount of patience he had before… He could ignore Luffy and, what's worse, Perona, but as he now was getting irritated with Luffys normal behaviour, how would he react to Perona? Probably see red or something… His crew wasn't bad, not at all, but after three years with average people, he was afraid that reunion with his dear nakama would leave him banging his head against concrete. Zoro didn't even want to think about how Neah will adopt to the crew. Probably by banging her head along with him…
"Zoro, who's your friend?" Usopp asked, noticing Neah.
"That's Neah. She's my seeing eye, so to speak." Zoro considered the rest of the information about the girl. It probably won't shock them. "She's my student as well." After considering some more, he added the final piece of information. "And she is also Mihawks daughter."
The room felt silent. Then, Robin asked:
"And why is she your student, if Mihawk is probably stronger than you right now?"
"He's dead. Somehow got himself a leukaemia. When I found him, he was still fine, more or less, but he died within half a year. He asked me to make something good out of her. Preferably next best swordsman in the world." Zoro explained.
"Is that so? Like father – like daughter?"
"Not entirely. When I met her she barely knew which end of the sword she should hold on to."
"Don't exaggerate. I knew that." Neah pouted, as she walked, somewhat uncertain in her steps. "Get up."
"Well, that was the extent of your knowledge. I had to build up everything from the scratch." Zoro accepted Neahs hand to help him back to his feet. He turned around, not entirely sure where in the room the crew sat.
"And what will we have when you're done with her?"
"Another Santoryuu user." Neah said proudly, as Sanjis student snorted. When everybody looked at him, he said:
"Isn't Santoryuu just a joke? Don't you mainly fight with only two swords?"
"Don't make fun of Zoro!" Luffy yelled at Sanjis apprentice. "He's awesome! Even if you are making good food, I'll kick your ass if you make fun of my nakama!"
"Sorry…" The boy said quickly.
"Don't underestimate our marimo - it's not called national treasure for nothing." Sanji said, lazily walking to the sofa.
"You call me marimo once again and you'll be scrubbing your ass off of the floor, curly brow." Zoro threatened.
"Are you sure you want to fight?"
"Are you saying I'm weak?" Zoro opened his tube and took the swords out, one by one, putting them back in their rightful place – his right hip.
"Well, maybe I am." Sanji smiled wickedly, although Zoro couldn't see it.
"Kaya, you better get out of here, it's dangerous." The swordsman heard Usopp whispering to his young wife.
"They won't start fighting, would they?" Kaya asked quietly back, concerned.
"They won't miss the opportunity, trust me."
Zoro took a deep breath and listened. He heard Sanji roll the cigarette in his mouth, he listened as Sanji took one small step back, to get a good start, and he felt Nami tense behind him and Neah moving out of his way to the door. He took another deep breath, putting his hands on the swords. Everything happened within a second. Sanji kicked off, aiming for his head as Zoro unsheathed Kitetsu and Shuusui and blocked the kick. The cook moved a little, adjusting his weight and attacked again. The swordsman moved fast – it's not like he sat, doing nothing, using blindness as excuse, - he tripped Sanji, as he hit him hard on the back with blunt sides of the blades. The cook hissed, as he stumbled forward, angry with himself for underestimating Zoro – the same thing he just warned his own student about. He spun around, but Zoro was already attacking, moving with an amazing speed for a blind man. Sanji jumped up, thankful for the high ceilings, and landed behind swordsman, kicking him hard in his right shoulder. Or, rather, tried hitting. Zoro bent backwards, as Sanjis leg swished above him.
Turning around to attack again, Zoro stumbled over the rests of the coffee table and lost his balance. Sanji was unable to stop his own attack, aimed right in Zoros face… Only millimetres were between his shoe and swordsman's cheekbone, when:
"Cut it out, you idiots!" followed by a hard hit on the head for each of them.
"Nami-swaaan…" Sanji obediently sat on the floor, holding his head.
"Sea-witch…" Zoro grumbled.
"Hai, hai. I know, I'm going straight down to hell and if I don't – you'll push me down." Nami smiled pleasantly. "Now, please, don't destroy anything, I won't be paying for damages."
Neah seemed to take that close to her heart.
"How much was the table worth?" She said, concerned.
"Probably hundred thousand berri. It's a royal palace, you know." Nami smiled; Zoro could literally see Nami taking her hunting stance, smelling easy money. "Do you want me to give you a credit?"
"No, no, I'm fine, I have the money. Should I pay you now or…?" Neah was searching her bag for her wallet.
"You should give money directly to Vivi, if you want to pay for it, I wouldn't trust Nami to pay Vivi in your place." Zoro said darkly, earning another hit on the head. "You give that money to her now and you will never see them again, nor hear about them."
"Good one, Zoro!" Usopp laughed.
I know, ending sucks, but I didn't know how to end this chapter.
Reviews are welcomed.