By the way I don't own One Piece.

I hope you like this story so far. I do.

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False Identity: Chapter 3: Friend Indeed

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And so the newly found friend of Zoro's, Kuina, who was really Tashigi, spent an entire week in Chopper's medical room, healing slowly and trying to get better before Chopper allowed her to get up and start wandering about the ship itself.

Everyone was really surprised at the pleasantness of Kuina and they would often comment that she wasn't anything like a friend that Zoro might have. Zoro didn't find this particular conversation very interesting and would do his best about avoiding it as much as possible.

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It wasn't very surprising that Tashigi had felt so sore that one time. Once she had got a good look at her body she was amazed that had managed to remain alive. And although Zoro tried to avoid her at every possible location, she was slightly relieved at the idea that he might have thought of her as his friend. He looked like the serious type of guy. She liked serious people, they were interesting to talk to. Far better than the idea of her being rescued by the blonde-haired cook Sanji that seemed to constantly try to flirt with her at every possible moment.

"Oi! Kuina!" The Captain of the Strawhat pirates called out to her.

"Yes, Captain of all pirates." Kuina got up from her seat on deck. She had just started walking around again without the help of a stick or prop of any kind. She had noticed from early on that week that the Captain Luffy sucked up praise like a sponge. He adored it.

"This part of the sea looks like you can see for ages down. I want to go to the bottom of the sea! Tell everyone to prepare the shark!"

Kuina walked slowly over to the door heading down into the sitting room. "Everyone prepare the Shark!" They all came out onto deck, Sanji stopping briefly to guild Tashigi back to her chair and offer her a drink saying that she shouldn't overwork herself for their stupid Captain's sake.

She leaned back in the chair and enjoyed watching the strawhat pirates run here and there and get excited about what they might possibly find in the depths of the crystal-like waters.

Robin smiled at everyone's enthusiasm and then left the group to continue whatever she had been doing before. Sanji after asking Robin whether she felt tired volunteered to make her a refreshing drink that would revive any tired body. Luffy, Nami, and Tony Tony Chopper seemed all to eager to get into the water and discover new things. Nami observed that it was quite possible that they could have come across some sort of barrier reef and took with her a few navigational instruments that might be useful in updating her already impressive amount of gathered data. Whereas Usopp, Franky and Brook volunteered to be the scouters over the sea surface on the mini merry.

However there was one member of their lively crew that didn't seem all that interested in Luffy's whims. And that was Zoro.

Indeed he had been in the Crows nest all morning and she would catch him occasionally staring down at her and looking at her as suspiciously as possible as she went about her business.

As soon as the others had left she decided that she had had enough of his secrecy. He had hardly said a word to her for the entire week she had been on this ship.

"Hey!" Kuina stood up and yelled up at the Crows-nest. "Come down and be sociable!"

She wasn't really expecting much of a response so she was quite shocked when she heard a thud five seconds later behind her. She turned around to face the man that seemed to have been avoiding her consistently until now. Why had that changed? Was it just because everyone wasn't around. "Wow! You really are obedient. You didn't need to come down straight away you know. You could have used the stairs." she added, trying to calm down her fast-paced heart.

"What game are you playing?" He looked down at her. His expression not amused and not impressed. "I'm not fooled like the rest of these bums. What do you want? What are you planning?"

"Well, I was about to ask you that? Why have you been ignoring me all this time?"

What should I say that might sound like a friend of this guy's?

"Are you still upset about a little death prank? I might have been badly injured, I mean a little head injury can course a lot of damage, but I still remember you! A few cuts here and there won't hold me back!" She told him directly. Although she didn't know this man she did feel as if she had met him somewhere before. In fact she felt quite comfortable arguing with him.

His expression changed from one of contempt to one of confusion. "What?"

"You heard me. I thought we were friends."

"Whatever." He scowled at her and crossed his arms and just stood there in the middle of the deck looking out to sea as if trying his best to ignore her. But he wasn't moving away. That was a small sign at least that he wanted a sort of conversation.

Tashigi shook her head. "I don't know how much you value your friends' lives, but I'm the sort of person who will risk my life in order to protect them." she folded her own arms and gave him her best thoughtful face, she hoped.

"Kuina?" Zoro asked.

"Hum?"

"You don't really remember anything do you?" He looked back into her eyes as if he was interrogating her.

NO! I'm so busted! Now I'm going to be thrown overboard...

"Hu! Don't be ridiculous. Of course I know."

"Then you should also know that you and me didn't really part on the best of terms." He leaned towards her invading her sense of personal space. She backed up against the port-side ledge her bare feet barely recognizing the feeling of grass underneath them. She pretended to not be intimidated by Zoro as she leaned against the side of the boat looking she hoped as lazy and as bored as possible.

"Well unlike you I am a very forgiving person. I forgave you a long while back." Somehow that felt strange to say.

He closed the distance between them and placed both arms on either side of her. The feeling of awkwardness increased as he came closer. He looked so serious.

"So I take it you remember what I promised you when we were kids." His eyes were entirely focused on hers, and she felt herself beginning to blush. What the hell had this guy promised Kuina? Did he want to … ?

Her right hand dropped instinctively to her left side. Why she didn't know, because she didn't have anything there that was any different from her right side.

"You're a little to close. You're invading my personal space." She slowly stated. And shoved him away with as much arm muscle as her weakened body had got back. "Why don't you give me one of your swords so I can give you my answer?"

He grinned at her retaught. "Very well. Which one?" He pulled out all three swords and hell them all up inbetween them. She could tell from his gaze that he found her answer in of itself to his liking. Maybe that meant that this Kuina girl was a fighter just like him.

She reached for the nearest blade and touched it's handle briefly with her fingertips and felt the essence of death and malice coming out of that sword, and instinctively curled her fingers away from it's touch. Black Blade. She moved her hand to the sword beside it. It looked rugged and old as if it had been around for centuries, she found herself feeling intreged at just how odd it looked. But somehow she didn't like its presence. Then her hand took a hold of the white ivory sheathed blade. This was a work of art. As soon as she touched it she felt a feeling a belonging, she wanted this sword.

"Bad luck you took too long." Zoro pulled away from her taking the swords out of her grasp.

"No, I picked the white one."

"Oh, no. You did not just say that." Zoro looked back in cynical disbelief.

"That is the one I want." She held out her hand hoping she was acting like Zoro's old friend.

"You didn't call her by name." Zoro smirked. "And that's is how I know you have lost your memory. Faker."

"Wait, so you never believed I am Kuina?"

"I said you looked like her," Zoro paused a bit and turned his back on her putting his swords back into place at his hip. He was again unable to look into her face. "but she died a long time ago. I was there for her funeral."

Tashigi felt annoyed for some reason. "Did you see the body?"

Zoro's shoulders stiffened, obviously visible. "What! Did. You. Say.?"

He turned back to her eyes blazing with unrelenting look of hatred in them. She could feel the tension build up around them as if it was a real and tangible thing. What on earth am I supposed to do now?

"Well?..." I don't know how I'm going to get out of this one. "I'm a pretty shrewd person when I want to be. If there was an opportunity to fake my death in order for me to get out of a crappy and stale environment don't you think I would have taken it? I'm not just another weak woman you know. I like taking my chances with life and death."

Zoro looked down at her shocked. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea afterall. He looked white like he had seen a ghost. He didn't move. He just stood there staring.

He's going to pick me up and toss me over-board isn't he.

"Um, Sorry Zoro. I didn't mean for you to get hurt by my deception. I just wanted a better life for myself." She reached out and touched his hand. He pulled away at first as if it had burned him, but then let her take a hold of it. She pulled him into a hug and wrapped her arms around his back. She felt him stiffening up in the embrace. Maybe this friend of his had meant a little bit more to him than just a friend. That would explain why he was angry at her and yet so concerned enough to rescue her. "I'm really sorry Zoro." she rested her head against his chest and pulled him tighter into the embrace. He did not try to return it.

What should I do now? Was that girl really Zoro's … Well, at least he thinks that it could be possible that I'm his friend... girl-friend?

She looked up into Zoro's confused and angry face. Well, why not? It's not like things could get any worse.

In her bare feet she raised herself up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. He pushed her away as if stunned at what she did.

Maybe this Kuina wasn't his girl-friend then.

"What the hell?" Zoro looked... she wasn't quite sure. "Why did you do that?"

She felt herself becoming weaker as her legs felt heavier. Maybe she had been standing up too long. She placed her right hand over her head feeling another head ache rising and made her way back across the lawn. "Hey! I'm talking to you." Zoro added.

The so called Kuina stopped, "By the way Zoro." She uttered glancing briefly behind her. "I am really grateful for the promise, I hope that one day I might be able be able to make you as proud of me as I am of you."

She stumbled down the stairs anxious to get to anywhere where Zoro wasn't. She felt so awkward. She was quite sure she wasn't the sort of woman that went around giving men kisses on the check. It had felt so unnatural, but at the same time she felt that she liked it.

The word Pirate for some reason filled her with disgust, and she was sure that she shouldn't be doing anything like this in reality, but something told her that Zoro wasn't just an ordinary pirate.

She would have to keep a wary eye out for him. Having her arms around had just made her really aware of their difference in strength. He could have snapped her arm or neck in two seconds if he had wanted to and she could feel a strong sense of danger coming off him. She could only think of it being described was that feeling one got when being watched by a predator that was simply waiting to strike.

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End of chapter 3. Now it's getting interesting! :D