Chapter 23

"Ace!" Luffy whined as he spent the hour trying to talk to his brother, who was acting like a child covering his ears and shouting a song to drown out what he didn't want to hear.

The rest of the group didn't know that to take of the sight. They can see that Luffy was grown up a little and was serious to keep on being friends with the now known sharkman, and the eldest brother was being childish. A switch to the norm of the two brothers, but they didn't want to say anything to interrupt the failed brotherly talk and made their way back home, except for Smoker, who was enjoying his coffee slowly as he watched the two.

"No is no, Luffy!"

"But Zoro isn't mean and he wouldn't hurt me for no good reason."

"Maybe right now, but what about tomorrow or next week? I don't even wanna know what will happen next year knowing that guy is still here somewhere on this island!"

"What the hell is your problem!? He hasn't done anything to you!"

"It's not about me! It's about you and him being alone together!"

"Yeah, we've been like that for ten years! And he has never been mean to me!"

"Ten years ago and now are completely different! You're almost a man, and he's too old for you!"

"He's only two years older than me! And you're a year older than him! That's not old!"

"I just don't trust him not doing something to you."

"Like what?"

"Touching you for one thing!"

"Oh my god, Ace! Zoro isn't like that!" Luffy said, knowing well enough from health class what his brother is afraid of.

"How do you know he isn't like that?"

"Because he's my best friend for ten years and I'm his only friend!"

"Ten years can change a person."

"Obviously! But I trust him fully because I know him!"

"Well I don't!"

There was a silent stare down between the two as they glared, the atmosphere getting heavy, but didn't bother the cop.

"Maybe the kid can tell Zoro to meet here and have a one on one chat with you, Ace." Smoker said which brought both brothers' attention.

"Huh?"

"If Ace can't trust Zoro like you do, how the hell do you expect him to understand unless he hears Zoro's side of the debate."

"Oh, good idea." Said the brothers, the atmosphere gone within a blink of an eye.

"I better tell Zoro then." Luffy said as he ran out of the house.

"At least I'll tell that fishman to not mess with my brother."

"Don't you think you're being a bit of a hypocrite?"

"Huh?"

"You said that Zoro was too old for Luffy, but if that's so, then I'm too old for you and should not be anywhere near you."

Ace seemed surprised. "H-Hey, don't take it personally, Smokey-kun!"

"Oh I'm not, I'm just saying that there's a fine line of what's old and what's too old." He gulped down the rest of his coffee. "But since Luffy is technically still a minor until he reaches eighteen, but even then the only worst thing that can happen is them having sex."

Ace was horrified.

"But I do believe that can be difficult in Zoro's position. He many not even know what the hell it is."

Ace considered this as he thought about the years he had seen his brother run out early to meet the other and hearing him tell stories that he once thought were his brother's imagination. "Just one thing to ask him of when I get to see him."

"I best be going. It's time I get those bastards behind bars once and for all."

"Right…" Ace said as he watched the man head to the door. "Will you come back?"

Smoker stopped by the door and there was a pausing silence. "The kid was right on one thing… Zoro wouldn't try to hurt him for no good reason. In fact, I don't think that guy would leave your kid brother after knowing him this long." He said as he walked out of the door.

Ace sat in the living room in silence as he stared at the door. "Bastard…" He said as he looked at the carpet and thought about questions to ask the sharkman.

***

"You're brother wants to talk to me?"

"Yeah, since he doesn't understand you like I do, it's best that you two have some time to get to know each other."

"That makes sense." Zoro said as he and Luffy were lying out in the sun. "Does your brother have a certain time in mind?"

"He didn't say."

"Okay, I'll arrive sometime in the evening then."

"Okay, I'll tell him that." He said as he noticed the green object in the other's hand. "What's that?"

"A marimo."

"Huh? They actually grow here?"

"No, it was a gift from an old octopus."

"The one that lives at the bottom of the cove?"

"Not anymore."

"Where is he?"

"Finding his resting place."

"Oh…" Luffy said as he knew what the other met. "So, what does it do?"

"He said it's some kind of medicine, but I can't be sure."

"Sounds yucky…"

Zoro chuckled. "Yeah, it does." He said when they heard someone coming out of the water and looked to see Nami. "Hey."

"Glad to see you're okay." She said as she looked at Luffy. "Looks like you got to him in time, huh?"

"Yep! It was a real close call too!" Luffy said as he laughed.

"That's good, even though he's not part of any merfolk group, if anyone where to see him, then there's going to be proof of existence and there will be humans hunting for us."

"I bet." Zoro said. "Even I said that I was the only one, there's no doubt that there will be others that will risk a limb to see and capture another."

Nami nodded. "Well… We'll be heading out soon." She said with a smile. "Thanks for not saying anything and letting me come here."

"You're welcome!" Luffy said.

"Take care and don't get eaten by a shark."

"Very funny." She said with a grin. "But thanks." She went down and the two were sure she was gone."

"Looks like we won't see her for another ten years."

"Really?" Luffy said.

"Yeah… I used to be in the group she's in now, and they come to this island once every ten years."

"Why?"

"The currents."

"Oh, where are they going?"

"Don't know… their home base, a place to raise a family, who knows. They just go when the time is right."

Luffy looked at the sky. "Will you ever do that? Leave?"

"Nah… This place is too good to leave."

Luffy giggled.

"Will you?"

"Huh?"

"You have school, right? Don't people usually move farther away to go to a different school?"

"Yeah… but there's a school on the island I can go to, so I'll always be around."

"Do you really want to stay on this island for the rest of your life?"

"I don't see anything wrong with that. Do you want me to leave that badly?"

"No, I don't. But I also don't want to be the reason why you shouldn't see other places either."

"Zoro…" He said as he shook his head. "You are my world. Why would I go too far off places when I have the most amazing friend right here?"

He blushed as he tried to hide it. "Still… It wouldn't hurt to at least see something once in your life. You only have one."

"I know, but it wouldn't compare to spending time with you."

Zoro was touched by that, but he also felt guilty that the other would rather stay than see the world.

"Besides, how many people see the whole world throughout their lives? And how many have someone special and unique like you as a friend?"

"Would you still feel the same way if I was human?"

"Of course! I think everything is amazing anyway. And you amaze me every day."

Zoro could feel his face burning, and it wasn't from the sun, when the other laid next to him.

"I'm really happy when you're around. Ever since the day I found you after that storm. You're the greatest treasure I have… much more than Booshi."

"Oi…" Zoro was beyond embarrassed with this flattery, but he couldn't help but feel really happy too. "I'm happy too… ever since you saved me. You always seem to make the day much brighter even on a cloudy day."

Luffy smiled as he rubbed his face at the curve where the neck meets the shoulder, making the other laugh as he rubbed his face in the black hair.

A simple gesture of being together that seemed just right for them.

***

Back at the beach house, Ace was pacing back and forth on the floor. "Where the hell is that little brother of mine!?" He called out.