Of Straw and Steel
Summary: Zoro was always warned of the dangers of falling for the Captain's daughter. He just never imagined the dangers that came with falling for the Captain herself. Oneshot series on people's reaction to the Captain and First Mate's relationship.
Chapter Warnings: Innocence, c'mon. Vivi's!
Vivi was, in many ways, innocent.
Through the last few years of her life, she had seen and felt many things. The drought had brought pain and suffering to each and every citizen. She, the princess of the land, carried the weight of this burden on her shoulders each and every day. As things had grown steadily worse, she knew she had to do something, anything, to free her people.
She was crazy, mad, insane, but she managed to infiltrate Baroque Works.
From then only it had only gotten worse. If she had felt helpless before, it was only furthered as she worked and worked and got no where. When she got upgraded to a numbered agent, she had been filled with relief. It was a start, she has assured herself as a renewed hope grew within her.
After that, things got bloody. Being a numbered agent, having to play a part that wasn't her, hurt more than anything yet. The thought of her people kept her fighting, kept her from fleeing the mission as she watched pirates and civilians alike being slain by the cruelty of Baroque Works.
Then she, bright as the sun with her never ending optimism, had walked into her life. She hadn't know at that moment that Luffy would save her and what was her entire world. The girl was only a year older than herself, it was hard to believe that she would have the power to take down a shichibukai. And why would she want to? Vivi meant nothing to her at the time.
They became friends, nakama, sisters, family, whatever you wanted to call it. To Luffy, it didn't really need a name.
Luffy was, in her own way, just as innocent as Vivi. Vivi knew this.
Her eyes, bright with the prospect of adventure and grinning and the endless possibility of a day, shone with an innocent and purity that Vivi did not imagine could be found in someone that was capable of what Luffy had shown herself capable of.
She soon learnt, however, that Luffy was innocent in very, very different ways. Perhaps innocent wasn't even the word for it. Naive, maybe?
She would have never imagined it, really.
Sure, Zoro was, without a doubt, endlessly loyal to his captain. Anyone could see it in the way he looked at her, the way he carried himself. He was proud, though he might not admit it, to sail under her. The swordsman would risk everything and anything for her.
At first, Luffy had seemed too irresponsible to carry the same burden. Carefree and wild as she was, there were very few things she concerned herself with. Vivi hadn't realized it at first, but soon came to the realization that Luffy would stop at nothing to protect every member of her family.
Vivi remembered clearly the anger she felt at the straw hat captain prior to seeing this. Everyday, she fought for her kingdom, for everyone's lives. This pirate did nothing more than bound around and take life for granted. Or so she thought, until Nami fell ill. It was clear that no matter what anyone said, finding a doctor was their top priority. When Luffy had fallen to her knees beside her, pleading instead of choosing to fight, Vivi had felt fondness swell within her for the first time.
Time and time again, Luffy had proven just how much her family meant to her. Usopp, Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Zoro... even herself. A princess and royalty by birth did not belong amongst the crowd, but she found herself feeling at home on the small sailing ship.
But no - the secret looks, the quiet whispers behind her back, Luffy's reckless sacrifices - none of them could prepare the oblivious princess for the truth behind the relationship of the captain and first mate.
Everything had been going fine since Luffy woke up, or so she had thought. Luffy, as though she had not slept three days and should still be recovering, was as energetic as ever. At dinner, she didn't cease to amaze anyone with her stomach either.
Uncharacteristically, the girl had sat calmly through the bath, until the boys had attempted to sneak a peek. With a huge grin, Luffy's calm demeanour slipped away and she jumped to her feet. She waved enthusiastically and called to them, managing to give them more than an eyeful as the towel dropped.
They cried out as they fell backwards and Luffy stared at the wall with confusion. Vivi giggled again, summoning the pirate back so that she could rinse out her hair. The captain complied, staring at the wall with a frown. Vivi was struck again by the captain's apparent innocence as Nami lost it, yelling at the boys before informing them that this time, they'd get away with it - if they paid up the hefty price.
Luffy left the bath early, leaving Vivi and Nami to chat until they were finished bathing. Neither knew why exactly the captain had taken off so soon, but Nami had bets that she was off to find more food.
Perhaps that had been her original goal but as Nami and Vivi exited the bathes to enter the small but regal hallway, they found that she had been... distracted.
Luffy was pushed against the wall, her legs wrapped around Zoro's waist and holding tight. One arm looped around his neck, the other hand buried in his still-wet hair. His own hands were splayed across her hips, pushing her shirt up as he kissed her deeply.
There was no one else in sight, and Vivi was quite sure the two were much to caught up in each other to have even notices her and Nami. Nami grabbed her arm, urging her down the hall so that they remained unnoticed. Vivi, still in shock, felt her face heating rapidly as she was pulled away.
"He... what? But, she...?" Vivi muttered once they were out of the hall. Nami simply rolled her eyes, casting the hall they had come from a dark glower.
"Honestly, those two!" She exclaimed, bringing her arms across her chest as she scowled. "They have no decency."
Vivi managed to recollect herself at that, shaking any other thoughts from her head. Although she did not doubt the crews loyalty to Luffy, she now understood the soft whispers and hidden touches between the two. The two, beyond the bond of the crew, shared something completely unique and beautiful.
"Oh, leave them," Vivi said calmly, leading Nami towards the quarters the crew was residing in. "What harm can they do?"
"More than you think."
That was when Vivi realized that the captain was not, as she thought before, so innocent.
Vivi is too innocent for anything dirty, shhh.
If you guys want to see anyone besides the crews' and Luffy's families' reactions, lemme know and I'll work it in. Already planning on: Chopper, Franky, Brooke, Grap, Coby, Shanks, Law, Rayleigh, Boa Hancock, Ace, Sabo... And I'm doing them in order of when they are introduced. So, up next is Chopper and then Ace. Should I do Conis?