Disclaimer: I don't own anything concerning One Piece, only the plot of this story. Think otherwise and I'll sick Zoro on you.
Roronoa Zoro in…
Obedience School
Why? Why did this have to happen? Why now? Zoro despaired as he ran despite his pride.
He couldn't stand in fight. He wished that he could like he would in any other instance, but this person was different… and way too persistent. Zoro ducked and weaved through the roiling mass of marines, spotting one of his crewmates engaged in combat every once in a while. He longed to join them in the fray and even stopped during his flight.
Though he'd taken down a good amount of marines before he was seen and had added to the count even as he ran, his victims bearing his frustration heaped on the ground, it wasn't enough. It was no secret that the swordsman loved to fight. Zoro loved the thrill and excitement of seeing through his opponents' moves, of twisting in impossible ways, testing his techniques, and, yes, the feel of his razor-sharp blades cutting through skin and muscle.
Zoro's keen eyesight caught his pursuer's shape and he took off.
"Damn," he cursed and jabbed an unlucky marine in the gut as he passed. But now he was deprived of this joy and all because of her. What was her damn problem? Couldn't she leave him in somewhat peace?
The swordsman hated this feeling. An ache in his stomach that had started in his heart and dropped down as if he'd free- fell off a steep cliff. Zoro knew this feeling from many years back and considered it a sign that he was still human.
That the blood on his hands and the bodies that were left in his wake hadn't turned him into something else and it was this heartache, this sense of loss that reassured him when he lay awake in the middle of night. But, this had changed when Zoro met her. He didn't need that feeling to be constant. He'd lived through enough of it when his pain was fresh and yet, it doused him like a bucket of ice water whenever he saw that familiar visage.
It didn't stop him from running, however as he fled from his memories as much as his pursuer. Zoro's breath came in quick, steady pants as his boots thudded on the deck of the marine ship. He had to resist looking over his shoulder to see whether he was still being chased.
Unfortunately the swordsman didn't realize that he'd sprinted right to a dead end, or more correctly, the edge of the ship. His eyes widened as he stared out over the wooden railing and into the frothy sea. Zoro stood there, catching his breath and trying to ease his thumping heart, not so much from exertion, but anxiety at having to face that person.
Zoro's hands clenched the railing so hard that his knuckles went white. Crap. There was only one option left-to turn and face his pursuer. He went for his swords at the same instant he saw a shadowed figure framed on the upper deck, just a jump away. The dark clouds obscured most of the person's face, but Zoro didn't need any confirmation to know who it was.
Double crap.
His eyes went to the ocean again. It was wild and unruly, but he was a strong swimmer. All he had to do was get back to their ship… if he could see it through the poor weather.
What are you? A coward? Zoro's inner voice scolded him and he silently agreed.
That is until he turned to the person that was quickly closing in on him.
"Roronoa! Stand and fight me like a man!" a strong, female voice cried over the wind and the sounds of the ebbing battle.
He made up his mind. "No way in hell!"
Without another glance back at her, Zoro jumped onto the railing and dove into the awaiting sea.
As soon as he hit the frigid waters it dawned on Zoro that he had not only overestimated himself, but also underestimated the ocean. A fatal mistake when one lived their life at sea.
The waves were much bigger up close and every time the swordsman tried to slice cleanly through them his efforts were rewarded with a wave to his face. It didn't matter that Zoro possessed monstrous strength. It was the ocean he was against and it would always win.
Zoro struggled to keep his head above the frothing waves after a particularly nasty one pushed him under, filling his mouth and throat with the salty water, He coughed and paddled furiously, the current always pushing him back. But despite it all, he was making no progress.
The lights of both ships, marine and pirate, were merely dim flickers in the midst of the accumulating storm. The quickly tiring green-haired man felt an aura of despair settle upon his shoulders.
He could keep on swimming, or trying to and it would get him nowhere. So what else could he do, but surrender? To the sea and to the probability that, even if he did yell, no help would come.
Spitting out another mouthful of seawater that had sneaked in, Zoro shook himself. Goddamnit! He was going to be the best swordsman in the world with a spirit that could trump anyone's! He'd rather lose a couple limbs before accepting death so easily. And what would Luffy say if he saw him now?
His captain's disappointed face and his dream gave Zoro the will to continue to try and try he did.
He could swear the bobbing lights were getting closer and had learned to ignore his leaden arms and legs when the sea decided to end his fruitless attempts.
Zoro's eyes widened a little, for he had seen death before, however he hadn't viewed or guessed that it would be in the form of this.
Of a gigantic, monster wave, capped in white that loomed over him and the swordsman swam faster. There was no way he could out swim this wave, Zoro knew, but he had to give it a shot.
But, his pride and honor made him turn once again. Yes, he would face this natural disaster as he would any opponent… That made him wince as he thought of the woman aboard the marine ship. Yet either way, he would die with his head held high.
"Come on, you son of a bitch! Take me if you dare!" Zoro roared as the dark wall of water hung over his head for a millisecond before it came crashing down.
And crashing down it did, curving in on itself to envelop the swordsman and plunge him into the murky depths of the ocean.
There were a few things Zoro noticed before the wave struck and dragged him down into the water, unable to reach the surface. The answering roars of the wind, rain and pounding sea was one. It had seemed menacing, yet he found it oddly fitting, because now, as he sunk below the upper world, it was peaceful. Like he was in a dream, as everything seemed to have slowed around him, taking a more languid and tranquil atmosphere.
Zoro peered at the water, an array of blue shades that were not seen above. It wasn't crazed or wild either. But, the horrendous current that had aided his defeat was still tugging at his sinking body. The man glanced up, just that movement causing some of his precious few air bubbles to escape.
It was already so far away, the surface. Zoro experimented and kicked feebly, moving his heavy arms at the same time. However, every muscle in his body screamed in protest, his lungs and heart shrieking the loudest. It seemed his body had reached its limit even though his mind had not, exhausted and unable to move anymore.
His last kick and stroke inched him a little towards the lighter blue and air, his lungs straining for the oxygen. Zoro grimaced, he couldn't, and he wasn't strong enough.
A sense of such utter helplessness entered the stoic swordsman that he wanted to hide from the world.
He wasn't strong enough… Damn…
It was something that always boosted his vigor and made him work harder. Something that caused his training to become so intense, his nakama feared for his health, and sanity, but none of that stopped him, Zoro would hone his skills even further.
Only that wasn't the case now. Zoro let his muscles relax and his limbs fall to his sides. His gaze left the surface to drift as his whole being was, to land on his three treasured swords.
He didn't have to be a genius to figure out that the katanas he'd used to defend his dream for so long would help bring him closer to death. They would be his downfall, as their heavy metal weight fought against Zoro nearly as much as the sea.
Usually when he leapt into the ocean to save Luffy or to train, he removed his swords and haramaki. This time he didn't as he was both panicked and in the presence of enemies.
Smiling, Zoro thought that if he had to replay the past moments over, he wouldn't change a thing. His beloved swords, especially the one that was his promise, would remain be his side to the end.
Zoro's vision began to fade to where there was more black than blue. He didn't look back at his regrets of the past, like most tended to do in their final thoughts. No, the swordsman was as content as a man who had lost his chance to achieve his lifetime dream could be. He'd sailed the seas, fought many a strong opponent, gone on unbelievable adventures, and done it all with Luffy and the rest of his nakama.
That would be enough to satisfy him. It would have to be.
His strength continued to sap away and Zoro smirked, his last mockery at death as the last bubbles floated up and away.
The swordsman's sight was mostly black and his oxygen-deprived mind and body was beyond his control when he saw one more thing before he shut his eyes forever.
A familiar visage that he wouldn't forget as long as he lived, or died, the determined face of his childhood friend with black hair and eyes that should have been those of a child, but were not.
Kuina? Zoro managed to think weakly through the fog clouding his mind.
No, no, not Kuina.
He wasn't thinking clearly or really at all and there was no smile on her features like there usually was when he had dreams of his past. Yet, Zoro sighed inwardly. He was glad to glimpse her anyways, even if his memory wasn't perfect.
Zoro saw the image vanish and the smile stayed on his face. He was ready to see her again, this time for real.
0~0~0
The first thing Zoro noticed when he woke up was that he wasn't dead. Which would make sense considering he actually woke in the first place. This was enough to shock any man who had felt for sure that he wouldn't come back this time. Zoro wasn't just any man, but he still couldn't help staring at his hands in awe when he rose to a sitting position.
They functioned as well as normal when his brain commanded them to move. Zoro couldn't stop the smirk from coming to his lips and spreading to a full-blown grin.
He'd survived. It was as simple as that, but the normally collected swordsman could barely prevent himself from whooping in glee. But he didn't have to worry about this uncharacteristic urge for long as he stopped staring at his hands and scanned his surroundings instead.
Zoro stood from where he sat on a bed with white sheets. He was in a room. There wasn't much in it, only the bed, a low table by its side and a couple ink paintings on the otherwise bare walls. His eyes narrowed as his instincts immediately searched for an exit.
Aha! One door and one window that appeared a little abnormal, but he checked the door first anyways. Needless to say, Zoro was surprised when it opened at the slightest touch of his hand. Frowning, he was about to go investigate when he heard voices.
He strode quickly to the window, his suspicions at what was going on heightening by the second. His glance out the door had revealed a vase in the next room with a sakura branch displayed in it and that coupled with the unfamiliar feel telling him he was in enemy territory made for tenseness that didn't go well with Zoro's sore muscles. That near drowning had really taken a lot out of him.
Near the window, Zoro began to distinguish the voices and started to search outside for their owners when he realized why the window had looked so weird. His hands clenched around wooden bars. Bars! He didn't even have to think in what situation bars would be on a window, which still didn't explain the unlocked door.
Cursing, he turned his attention on the sight beyond the bars and he scowled at what he saw.
"What the hell?" he murmured when a young marine marched into view followed by her, the damn woman, who seemed quite put off.
"Don't question orders, marine! I'm your superior, aren't I?" the dark-haired woman pushed her glasses farther up on her nose and managed to make it look threatening.
"Y-yes, Sergeant Tashigi!" the man stammered and saluted.
Tashigi continued to glare at him however. "I've got Roronoa under control. Go tell your captain that he'll be bound and interrogated. I've my own way of dealing with things."
Her subordinate seemed confused before deciding to salute and agreed would be the best option. "Yes sir, I mean, ma'am!"
"Good and take the rest of the men with you," Tashigi nodded. "This never happened.
Saluting once more, the marine scurried off and Zoro could hear the sounds of more of the obedient dogs falling suit. He waited for the sounds of marching feet to fade before he assumed a thoughtful expression. A few minutes later, the swordsman turned from the barred window and walked out the door.
0~0~0
"So, I'll be bound and interrogated, huh?" a voice spoke in a detached manner.
Tashigi had been watching the marines leave with a hand on the hilt of her own katana when she heard the voice. She jumped in surprise and brought her sword in front of her to defend herself.
To see Zoro's steady, icy gaze on her while he stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.
Roronoa Zoro took a couple steps forward, then leaned against the side of the small building he'd come out of. "What I want to know… is where the hell am I and what the hell you are doing here."
She took several deep breaths of air, still recovering from the shock.
"That's no way to speak to the one who pulled your half-drowned ass out of the ocean," Tashigi retorted and grimaced from the breathy tone.
Zoro narrowed his eyes at the woman. Hm, so it hadn't been Kuina or his mind's replication of her, it had been this copying witch, who he couldn't seem to get away from no matter what.
This man was dangerous, Tashigi knew… and rather dumb. Who in their right mind would jump into the ocean in the middle of a storm? Nobody with brains that's for sure…
She regained some of her dignity despite the swordsman's cold stare. Tashigi sheathed her swordsman, but kept her hand on the hilt, just in case.
"This is my private dojo," the marine woman answered his question while making it clear it was she who was running the show. "You, Roronoa, are being held in custody as you heard before."
"Uh huh…" Zoro responded skeptically and made a snorting noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter being held in unsuccessfully. Tashigi was immediately offended. How dare he poke at fun at her time after time! It only strengthened her resolve to change that.
In fact, Tashigi's intuitive guess was correct. Zoro found this situation both hilarious and mildly upsetting. Upsetting because he was probably on a strange island with a woman he couldn't fight properly and leagues away from the Thousand Sunny and its passengers, and hilarious because she thought she could keep him from escaping. Sure Zoro's inability to face her without being reminded of his deceased sparring partner, but his recent ordeal had toughened him so he would use force if necessary and bang the female marine up a little.
Amusement won out over worry. "Oi, if you're keeping me prisoner…" he paused as Tashigi's cheeks were tinged with pink. Maybe that hadn't come out right. Oh well. "… then why am I standing here and not inside some cell? I knew the marines had low standards, but not as low as this." Zoro gestured at his so-called 'prison'. It was a traditional dojo, but wasn't really built to keep high-risk criminals restrained.
Tashigi glared at him behind her glasses.
"As a matter of fact, this is only temporary. Once I fix your attitude and wring some info out of you, I'm bringing you into the nearest marine base." The woman smiled at a thought. "And a holding cell with your name on it."
Zoro only heard a few of the words and raised an eyebrow.
"Fix. My. Attitude?" he repeated slowly, a challenging look rising to his eyes.
The marine woman would have known of that, though.
"Yes." Tashigi retorted and put a hand on her hip. "You have a terrible attitude at the world in general…" The swordsman snorted, he'd heard this before. "And… especially woman," she finished and locked eyes with the pirate standing across from her.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Nani?"
"You heard me, you sexist bastard."
"I'm not sexist!" Zoro protested and uncrossed his arms. Oh, how he wanted to wring her scrawny, little neck.
However, the damn woman that looked way too much like Kuina just gave him a doubtful glance.
"We'll see about that." Tashigi strode past the irritated swordsman and into the dojo.
There was nothing Zoro could do, but wait for her to return and see what happened. He cast a bored, yet displeased glance around him. Deciduous trees bordered the grassy area in front of the quaint building, a worn path winding into the woods. Though it was well hidden, Zoro could hear the sound of the ocean beating against the surf in an ever-existent rhythm.
Freedom from Tashigi was so close, he could taste it. The salt carried on the wind and the sake that would hit his tongue when he was reunited with Luffy and the rest. And Zoro would've gone right then and there, anxious to be rid of this woman as soon as possible. If only something wasn't holding him back, and that something were his three swords.
When Zoro left his swords in the hands of the government or any potential enemy you could predict the world was about to end if it hadn't already from the sheer improbability of it all. So, there he was, a wanted man leaning against a wood support of the building and racking his brains on how to get himself out of this mess.
First order of business; retrieve his katanas. The raven-haired witch would surely know. He was staring out into the distance deep in thought, his gaze on a thick wooden pole in the ground that would be used for swords practice when Tashigi burst outside.
His curiosity reluctantly peaked when he saw that she was carrying a length of thick, coiled chains. She was sweating a little from the burden, but continued on her way until she plopped them next to another pile of links at the bottom of the training stake. Zoro had noticed this out-of-place decoration earlier and hadn't given it much thought, but he did now as Tashigi took hold of one end of a chain.
The bemused smirk that consequently came to his tanned face couldn't be helped. It was a little like his dealings with the love-cook, he wasn't able to resist teasing a person once they forced him into a less than comfortable situation.
As Tashigi toiled over the chains, her arms jerking with a repetitive motion and her back to him, Zoro broke.
"Kinky," he muttered under his breath, but loud enough for the young woman to catch what was said.
A blush rose to Tashigi's face and she trembled with growing anger and annoyance. Zoro grin got a little bigger.
"Shut up!" the marine swordswoman shot him a glare and finished whatever she was doing with those chains at the pole. "You'll see soon enough."
Zoro shrugged and tried to distract himself, but his wariness made him keep his sights on her back. That distrust had saved his life many times, so he wasn't about to ignore it now.
Tashigi stood up and brushed off her jacket and pants. The swordsman still couldn't see her handiwork without craning his head or moving from his spot. He felt no need to do so as he could be patient when a circumstance demanded.
It could be torture… Zoro mused. I wouldn't put it below the marines.
He narrowed his eyes when Tashigi faced him, chain in hand.
"It's not for torture if you're thinking that," she hissed through gritted teeth. "But I could tie you up and leave you out here if you'd like, Roronoa." Tashigi smiled slightly and Zoro bristled. If this woman thought she could hold any sway over him…
Her next words sent a warning shock through his body. "You're probably wondering where your swords are…"
He snapped. "What the hell did you do with them-?"
One shift to her right and Zoro saw what she'd been doing.
There, chained to the base of the training pole were his katanas and as he watched Tashigi yanked the end of her chain and the swords were sent almost to the top of the tall piece of wood, much like a flag would be raised. She fastened the last links of the chain to the grassy ground and stood back to admire her work.
Zoro said nothing and even if he wanted to, he couldn't he was quaking with so much fury. His face had gone red with his frustration and his fists clenched and unclenched. He wanted direly to cross those few feet between them and throttle the woman until she screamed for mercy.
And he would have… if he hadn't observed that there weren't three swords tied to the pole. There were two, Shuusui and Sandai Kitetsu. The third was missing and Zoro knew just how to blame.
"Where's Wado Ichimonji?" the swordsman spoke slowly, trying to keep his voice calm and level. His every muscle strained towards Tashigi as she watched his reaction warily, her anxiety growing.
If she pushed Roronoa too far she realized she would be in deep trouble, even deeper than she already was for taking justice into her own hands. But her brand of justice was still that with Tashigi continuing to reign in this demon of a man. After all, she had her own self-respect and practiced the way of the sword same as he.
This was why she hardly flinched at the deadly aura Zoro exuded and shadowed features. Tashigi wanted to, but held firm.
"You mean the white one?" she asked innocently.
She was treading on dangerous ground and Zoro's intensive training over self-control was all that let him answer without moving. How could he be so stupid? Letting that katana fall into this marine woman's hands… it was unforgiveable.
He stared anywhere but at Tashigi's face. "Yes," he growled.
Tapping her chin thoughtfully, the marine glanced at the chained swords again. "Well, for one, I'm not stupid. I know you could easily retrieve your katanas even like this and I can't have you leaving without wringing valuable information from your mind. It's an order I can't disobey," she lied. "As insurance I'm keeping Wado Ichimonji somewhere safe. You won't go without such a beautiful sword, but if you did… I'd gladly keep it if not."
"You're bluffing."
"You owe me, Roronoa."
At this moment Tashigi reminded Zoro sourly of that damned navigator. Right down to the slyness of her manipulating and scheming. It was sickening and he almost blanched.
"I'm going to kill you, bitch," Zoro growled.
Tashigi looked back at him expectantly, "You're going to fight me without running?" She couldn't deny she wished to do so as much as capturing Roronoa.
He wasn't stupid either. The woman had made her motives very clear and he wasn't going to succumb to any of her demands, including fixing his attitude.
"You won't have enough time to do a thing," Zoro stated simply as he would a true, yet cruel fact.
They glared at each for another few seconds before Tashigi huffed and stalked back inside the dojo, slamming the door behind her.
Zoro stayed outside on the little porch and stared up at the darkening sky.
Damn, what am I going to do…
0~0~0
Within a few days, marine and pirate had fallen into an uneasy routine. Not a moment of it passed without hatred, distaste and suspicion on both sides, but it was there nevertheless.
It didn't take long for Zoro to discover that Tashigi's dojo was indeed that, though it was lacking a few things- namely, swords. He'd expected to see the kinds of sabers the marines used or possibly some decent katanas, at least shinai, but there were none. His only explanation was she took away all possible weapons in a chance he'd use it against her. Zoro reluctantly acknowledged her foresight, though not aloud.
But now the swordsman was faced with another problem on the side of everything else. He was going stir crazy. Usually, Zoro spent most of his day sleeping or training. Now, however, he only took short naps and dozed, not daring to give the marine woman an opening and his training methods had been severely cut down.
Either way, Zoro was not going to remain inside the spacious, lightly decorated building with a slight feminine touch in the blossoms that added a burst of color and scent around the rooms. Of which there were only a few, all centered on the main, biggest one that led to the door. So, after quickly deciding there was nothing to do inside in his initial exploration, Zoro constantly found himself outdoors.
Where he could escape Tashigi's watchful eyes and occasional questions, all challenging in their own way. Zoro found the best way was through meditation, at least his urge to kill something faded and nearly disappeared. He selected a position by a nearby stream and would sit there for hours at a time, focusing on strengthening his spirit and mind.
Eventually, Tashigi became curious and moved practicing her sword katas to the other side of the trickling river. Though she disliked and wanted to turn Roronoa in as badly as ever, she found that she respected and admired his strength. It was the only peaceful time between them, when they were joined in training. Their breathing, hers panting from using her sword in techniques and his deep and steady, were interwoven, the only sure things that existed outside the sound of the river flowing into the ocean and the distant calls of birds.
Zoro couldn't be satisfied by these moments, alone or not. His gaze would constantly turn towards his chained katanas, causing anger to flare his eyes again. At the woman who sat a fair distance away from him, eating with her chopsticks, who made his heart twinge and his body cringe every time he saw her face or heard her spoke.
It was inconceivable they could be so alike.
Yet, the green-haired man wasn't fooled by her appearance, as in the evening and sometimes morning, Tashigi would lead him to a room with a chair and table and lock the door. Her true colors as a dog of the government would show as she chained him to the table and bombarded him with questions, some pertaining to his crew and nakama, others to more personal demands to change his attitude towards women and to quit being a coward. More often than not, Zoro would sit there and glare, not responding with anything other than snarky, uninformative comments and managing to look like as arrogant as always.
On the worst of days, she would get so frustrated she'd scream at him and tear at her hair. Those evenings she'd leave the interrogation room, glasses askew and vein pulsing in her temple, without the swordsman. He would be left, chained in the room for the rest of the night until the sun rose again. Zoro would stare out the window then, as each room in the dojo had one, and think.
She's nothing like Kuina.
0~0~0
A week had passed and Zoro was beginning to wonder if his nakama even noticed he was missing and if so, who had taken him hostage. Though, he used that word loosely. Tashigi's version of confining and beating a new take on the world into his head was a strange way to take care of a pirate. In fact, he doubted whether this was allowed in the first place.
If he could just get Wado Ichimonji… then he would be free to leave.
Zoro sighed and reclined on a collection of rocks jutting out of the sparse grass bordering the sand. The black-haired Tashigi had moved on to a different tactic, reaching out with simple niceties, trying to have a cordial conversation while wincing in disgust the entire time, and being less present. Zoro appreciated the last, even if it wouldn't work, and was grudgingly impressed at not just her persistence, but her strong will to get things done her way that shone through all she did. Her training, the way Tashigi conducted herself… he was a little surprised such an independent woman worked beneath others.
But then Zoro would witness the times where he saw the fragile, vulnerable girl underneath her determination. It reminded him that she was human, weak like the rest and made him feel both relieved and guilty for being so.
Was it risky to know an enemy this well?
One week. That wasn't long, but it had been the longest week Zoro had ever had.
He stretched his arms and put his hands behind his head before closing his eyes, content to listen to the waves on the beach. Zoro stayed this way for a while when he heard the light clattering of the pebbles that littered the sandy stretch and signified someone was coming.
Bracing himself, Zoro turned his senses towards the newcomer, but he knew who it was even before they sat down near him.
There was a heavy sigh and he cracked an eye open to see Tashigi. Her eyes were downcast and her head hung as if she was weary of everything. Even as Zoro kept a curious eye on her, she wrapped her arms around her knees and drew her legs into her body. Beside her, was the sword she always carried, a fine quality one that Zoro was swift to recognize.
Seconds turned to minutes and those also dragged on. The sun was beginning to set, lighting the sky and ocean aflame with hues of pink, orange and red. Zoro opened both eyes to see it better when they got to the hour mark. To be a swordsman he had to be in touch with his surroundings and could feel the day's end nearing. The colorful cycle put him more at ease than he'd been for days.
As the sun soaked ocean beat on the sand and rocks in a gentle lull, Tashigi spoke, "Sometimes… I wonder how one person on one side of the world could be seeing the same sight I am on the other. Even though we're miles apart we're still connected by such a simple thing."
The swordsman raised an eyebrow. He wasn't the philosophical type, preferring to just accept the way things were. If he didn't like how they were, he could attempt to change it, but it merely existed. It was meant to be so he would just wait and see how it panned out. Then making his own path.
So, he couldn't get why this woman was talking about a sunset like it was a big pot of feeling.
When Zoro didn't remark, Tashigi frowned and tightened her grip on her legs. If she could get an answer…
"Roronoa," she started. "Why won't you fight me?"
That illicit a reaction and his expression went from confused to mildly irritated in a second. It seemed they always came back to this.
"I did."
"No, you didn't," Tashigi argued. No way was he being let off that easily and that scuffle could hardly count. "You were fooling with me."
He shrugged. "So what if I was?"
The marine's head whipped around so she could glare at him, her glasses perched on her head.
"Screw you. You have problems and if it's with women…"
" That was never it. If anyone knows how strong women can be it's me," he neatly bit his tongue to stop the words. "I didn't have to accept," Zoro put in.
Tashigi was thrown off balance. "What?"
"In a challenge you don't have to accept. It may not be honorable usually, but in my case it was the best decision. If I want to keep a promise and a dream alive."
"What do you mean?"
She couldn't grasp why this seemed to mean so much to this man. Before, it had seemed obvious he was a condescending piece of scum that considered him above those, who may be, admittedly, weaker than them. But now, Roronoa had made his standing clear.
Zoro narrowed his eyes to glare at the woman, his head still propped by his arms. She was too nosy and that would get her killed. He couldn't understand why he was talking to her to begin with., but it wasn't as difficult or strange as he would have predicted. It actually felt, like they understood the other on some higher level.
He settled for silence and relaxed further on the rocks. Zoro could afford it, as he had the marine's weakness exposed.
"You're a horrible person!" Tashigi suddenly burst out and stood, hands in fists by her sides.
This was getting tiring and Zoro was suffering from lack of sleep on top of other things. All he wanted was to be left alone to think and figure out how to get his swords back…
He blinked in surprise that could be it.
The thought of going back brightening his outlook, Zoro yawned and stretched. He had his dream to fulfill
"Most pirates are," he replied to Tashigi. "But it's all a matter of perspective." He gave her an arrogant smile. "Kind of like your two places, one vision story."
For several heartbeats they looked at one other, each seeing a new side to their enemy.
Never once had Tashigi considered a pirate, much less one of Roronoa's caliber and reputation to be so… so… so moral. Though he hadn't said it, or much of anything, she could see it in his eyes, so dark and filled with shadows. There were two sides all right and not just of two separate people, but of one person.
Zoro had guessed earlier that it couldn't have been easy for a woman to become a marine sergeant. It was a struggle one born a man like himself could never imagine and he saw the relentlessness to never give up as she looked away and tilted her head to the painted sky. He could admire that, as he had in Kuina. Maybe, they had the same fire. Two sides, one life, it has always been there.
"I don't trust you…" Tashigi breathed softly. "But…" She locked eyes with Zoro and gave a little smile. She grabbed her sword and held tight. "You are a true swordsman."
It was a turn of events he hadn't anticipated, yet he smirked all the same. "I suppose you aren't going to have a change of heart and give me my katana back? Or is that heart too strong to break?" Zoro held out a hand and feigned grabbing her sword instead.
Tashigi clutched it to her chest with a laugh. Her eyes widened in surprise and guilt came to her face. "Never. You're still my prisoner, Roronoa."
She vanished with the last rays of light and Zoro sat up, scratching his head. He wondered what exactly happened. Had he actually connected with the female marine for a time there?
Yes, that had definitely been interesting and Zoro just hoped his newfound respect for Tashigi wouldn't disrupt his plan.
0~0~0
Only one light was on in the entire dojo, a flickering candle that Zoro switched his gaze to every few seconds. When that moved, so did he from his place sitting on the bed in his room. He smiled and the moonlight hit his face, creating a devious look.
In the main room of the building, Tashigi looked into the flame of the candle. Its simplistic beauty was memorizing and made her remember the way Roronoa had looked when he spoke of two and one. A similar fire had burned there, as it did in her and in a few selective others. What it was, she didn't' t know, but it terrified her. Tashigi took the cup of tea in her hands and brought it to her lips.
A shiver ran through her and she nearly dropped it. That swordsman was so different and his confidence seemed to boost her own. The mere fact that she admired him was scary enough when she didn't know how he'd act. It was about time she finished her personal issues with Roronoa before bringing him to the base. The very one she'd disobeyed to satisfy her questions and bring him to her private dojo.
Tashigi brought the tea to her mouth again, blowing on it before taking a sip. The hot liquid scalded her tongue, but warmed her throat as it went down and the feeling spread to her fingertips. Her hands closed around the folds in her skirt, uncertain, then she rose from her knees and picked up the candle with her free hand.
She made her way to her room, the bobbing light illuminating the way.
He caught the shift of the shadows and the shuffle of clothes and he crossed to the doorway. With a last glance at his room for the past week, Zoro strode forward with the ease and silence of a born hunter. Flattening himself against the wall, he waited for his prey to come within range, oblivious to danger.
In a span too short to recount, he reacted to the change in light and pounced. Tashigi was knocked backwards with a startled cry, the candle and tea crashed to the floor, the cup shattering while the extinguished candle rolled to a halt. Boots crushed broken pottery as Zoro whirled Tashigi around and pushed so that she was pressed against the nearest wall.
One hand held her wrists above her head in an iron grip and the other… the other held a sword to the base of her throat. Tashigi swallowed a gasp and gazed up to see Zoro's steely eyes pinned on her. She winced involuntarily and tried to get free. He only moved an inch to accommodate her struggles.
"H-how?" her strangled voice asked.
His grin was demonic and Tashigi couldn't believe he was the same man as earlier that night. Honorable and passionate about where his life would lead and confidant that he would determine it. All she saw now was a criminal aiming to kill.
"You know when you said that I could probably get my other two swords free?" Zoro prodded and flicked his gaze to a second blade at his hip. "You were right, it was pretty easy."
Tashigi frowned. This was bound to happen, so why didn't she it?
"You're going to kill me." It wasn't a question, but a statement.
Now it was Zoro's turn to frown. "Eh, I was thinking about it, since what you've done is unforgiveable." She cringed as he voiced her thoughts from a while back. "However… I need my katana back, the white one. " He clarified and leaned in threateningly.
She tried not to look at the blade at her neck. "I would never tell you where it is in the name of justice!"
"Justice?" Zoro gave her a skeptical look.
Caught in her lie, Tashigi turned his head away in shame. It would've been better to give him to the government at once and be spared from facing his swords again. She sighed, her curiosity and pride wouldn't allow it.
The swordsman sighed. "That's what I thought. But, I'm not worried about if you tell me or not, because I already know."
Shock petrified her as Zoro's smirk spread and he unsheathed Wado Ichimonji. He lay the blade out for her too see.
"I-It's impossible!"
Sheathing the katana, he shook his head. "It was hidden in plain sight. You most likely thought I would never guess it would be in your room of all places."
Tashigi squeezed her eyes shut. This couldn't be happening. She wasn't supposed to die this way. She'd underestimated this monster of a man.
Then she heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being sheathed. Tashigi opened her eyes again to see that Zoro had let her go and was already turning to leave.
Straightening her back, Tashigi stood her ground.
"Roronoa!" she screamed. He looked back in surprise. "Kill me now!"
He shot her another disbelieving glance. "No."
"Why not?" Tashigi yelled in fury.
"Because it's not your time to die yet." Zoro ignored her shocked expression and the slackening of her body. "Besides, I got what I wanted and learned some new tricks in your 'obedience school.'"
Damn. She wasn't going to put down like this. He was walking to the open door now, a night gust blowing through and throwing her hair back.
"I'll never forgive you!"
Even though she couldn't see his face or hear, the swordsman chuckled. He raised a hand in farewell without looking back. "Neither will I."
And so they were back where they started.
0~0~0
Not long after and very much lost, Roronoa Zoro trudged through the forest, three swords hanging at his hip. He would be in a good mood if it weren't for the damned trees. They all looked the same, so how was he expected to get to a port.
He assumed there was a port, since those marines Tashigi had been talking to come from a base, but it was taking far longer than it should have.
Zoro was about ready to cut his way through and make his own damn way there when he stumbled on a rough path that looked more like a game trail though he couldn't be sure with only the moon for light. He continued on it for some time when he could hear the waves again and with it was something else.
"Zorooooooo!" a voice dragged out his name and he went for his swords. "There you are~!"
Suddenly he froze and could see a familiar figure with short red hair. Zoro cursed whatever entity was listening.
"You've got to be kidding me."
0~0~0
Author's Note: Good lord! This killed me! Too long, and it got off the original topic… oh well. Some Zoro torture of course involving Tashigi, and it's not intended to be romantic but if you really want it to be knock yourself out. Though, I must say, those two seemed to want it to romance. It was hard .
On another note, I was a little put off by the lack of interest in the first of this series. I'm not going to discontinue for something so silly, but I will be taking a short break from this. If you'd read and review I would be grateful.
And as sneak peek for the next bizarre scenario: Nami. There's some competition in town, what will Nami do to come out on top?