Chapter 26

Zoro had a time getting Franky's attention from where he was and not get noticed by the other workers around the ship making warehouse. It took him an hour before he finally found Franky alone and got his attention.

"Hey Zoro-bro! What's happening?"

"Going good, but I got a question for Robin. Do you know a good time and place to talk to her?"

"Why sure, she's actually round here somewhere. Just hang tight." He said as he got up and started to walk around to look for the woman.

***

Zoro waited for sometime before he heard the footsteps of a woman and looked to see a familiar face.

"Ah, Zoro-kun, I was hoping to see you sometime."

"I got a question to ask you."

"That's why I'm here." She said as she sat down. "What is your question?"

Zoro took out the marimo that he brought along and showed it to her. "Nami said that this is not a normal marimo and she said to show this to you. Maybe because you're a… well used to be, a sea witch."

She looked at the marimo. "Mind if I see that?" She asked as the other handed it to her. She studied it for a moment before smiling. "Where did you find this?" She heard the other's tale and nodded.

"So… what is it?"

"The special ingredient to the potion I created that I was unable to add."

"Eh?"

She gave it back to him. "You truly are a fortunate man, Zoro-kun."

"Can you please explain why?"

"That marimo, when you add it to the potion, will not only make you human permanently but also be able to swim."

"Wait, what?"

She giggled. "Where you truly that worried about not being able to swim at all?"

"Knowing Luffy's incapability to float, much less swim…"

"I see…" She said as she looked at the ocean.

"Oi… you okay?"

"I'm very happy." She said with a radiant smile. "I'm with the love of my life and living among the race that will accept me as I am."

He could see that she seemed happy and wondered if he would to fortunate enough to be that happy as well.

"Zoro-kun…"

"Hm?"

"Cut at least half of that marimo, eat it but don't swallow, drink half of the potion and swallow. Once that's done, you repeat with the other half."

"That's it?"

"And have something sweet to eat afterwards, they leave a horrible aftertaste."

"Thanks for the warning…" He said.

"Oh, and a change of clothes." She giggled. "I made that miscalculation when I changed."

"I bet Franky was really troubled."

"After fainting three times and cleaning himself from losing blood." She said as she giggled. "He's so adorable when he's flustered."

"You have strange tastes." He said as he looked at the marimo. 'Thanks… Old tentacles…' He thought as he said his farewell to her.

"I'll see you around then? Maybe not in the water?"

"Maybe…" He said with a grin. "Ace won't like it but…" He shrugged. "He's just going to have to deal with it."

She laughed whole heartedly. "Don't worry about that. I still got a few tricks up my sleeve." She winked.

"Not to sound unthankful, but I would rather get Ace's good graces without extra help."

"It'll take longer…"

"I got time…" He smiled. "I better get going, Luffy would be back from school by now."

"Are you going to let him know?"

"Have to, he has a right to know what's going on."

She smiled. "You two truly make a cute couple."

He turned his face away from the small blush. "I don't know about 'cute', but if I do go through this…" He smiled. "Well… there's going to be a lot of changes."

"The best part for those of us, we have someone dear to us to help us through those changes." She said.

"No kidding." He said as he waved to her and dived to the water.

***

"What was all that about babe?" Franky asked as he came up.

"Zoro-kun has made a decision, but he has to wait for Luffy to tell him."

"Would Luffy-bro agree to it?"

She smiled as she looked at him and got up. "How are those ships turning out?" She asked with the same smile as she wrapped her arm around his and led them back to the warehouse area.

***

When Zoro arrived in the cove, Luffy was waiting for him with some of his homework out.

"Hey Zoro! Where've you been?" He said happily as he set the books aside.

"I was just talking to Robin… in her permanent human form."

"How is she doing?"

"Happy as a clam with a pearl." He said as he held up the marimo.

"What's that?"

Zoro explained everything and waited for the other to digest the information.

"So, you can be human and still swim?"

"That's right. You okay with me being human?"

"I know I will." Luffy said with a smile. "I've always told you about things that you weren't able to do because you were stuck here all the time. But if you're okay with being human as well, I'll be really happy to show you all the places and go on things that I only told you about."

Zoro was certain that the other would be okay with it, but he just wanted to make sure for good measure. "Well… I'm going to need clothes… Don't want to give your brother the wrong idea… again."

Luffy laughed as he knew exactly what the other meant. "Right… I got some money saved up to go shopping anyway…"

"Oi, I can settle with some clothes your brother doesn't want."

"You sure?"

There was a moment of silence before Zoro concluded. "I guess I can ask Franky if he has some shirts and, hopefully, some pants to get rid of for me to use…"

"I'm heading to the warehouse district anyway, so I can ask him."

"Why are you going there?"

"I was going to ask him to build me a boat so we can go out to sea together. That and Ace will tag along."

Zoro chuckled. "I bet that idea got annoying."

He shrugged. "Oh well, I have a feeling that Franky won't do it and that's okay."

"Really?" He knew the other well, and he knew the teen was actually looking forward to the boat thing.

Luffy giggled as he gathered his stuff and gave the other a quick kiss on the forehead. "See you later with some clothes!"

"Make sure you tell Ace! One less surprise for him to wig out about!"

"Right!" Luffy said with a laugh.

Zoro shook his head as he set the marimo with the potion and decided to take a nap.

***

"Zoro!"

He woke up when the other flopped himself on top of him. "Oi!"

"Got you some clothes!" He said as he handed out a worn island shirt and black swim trunks.

It wasn't much, but he would rather have that than walking around in the nude.

"Thanks Luffy." He said as he took the donated items. "How did your brother take the news."

"We argued." He said simply.

"And?"

"I won."

"That's not telling me anything."

"Ace will let you stay with us, but you're taking his room while he stands guard in my room."

"Okay… I was thinking about couch duty, but looks like I have to be in his good graces before he can trust me."

"He's just being weird…" He said with a pout. "But he also said that you have to get a job or he'll kick you back out into the ocean."

"That won't be a problem." He said as he got the potion out and the marimo and tore it in half. "Here it goes." He said as he chewed the half of the marimo and washed it down with half of the bottle. "Aw shit…" He shivered at the horrid aftertaste.

"Zoro?"

"I'm okay…" He said as he chewed the last half of the marimo and washed down with the rest of the potion, which he felt the change happening. He curled up as he panted and trying to grip the sand in vain.

"Zoro!" Luffy said as he held the other close to him. "I'm here Zoro… its okay."He whispered as the other shook from pain as he watched the pale green shark tale violently shook and it looked like a cat trying to get out of a bag.

Soon the tail stilled and the man's breathing slowed to even itself out.

The teen was greatly confused when he noticed something was different with the tail. He reached towards the tail and was about to touch it, but the man made a sound that made him stop.

"It's been done."

"But Zoro, your tail…" He started to say when he saw the other crawled out of the tail, revealing the two strong legs and leaving the tail like a snake would leave behind its old skin. "Oh…" He said as he looked at the new lower half and blushed a brilliant red.

"Luffy… give me the pants now." He said as he felt a little uncomfortable with the way the other was looking at him.

"Oh, right…" Luffy said as he handed the pants to the other.

"If Ace asks…"

"You told me to give you space." Luffy said as the other got the pants on. He poked the first leg. "So it's for real."

"It's for real." He said as he let the other poke his new leg for a while before moving it to avoid another poke. "Well… Should we get going?" He asked as he got the shirt on, only for the other to go in between his legs. "Oi… What are you doing?"

"Getting used to the idea of you having legs." He said as he kept roaming his hand everywhere, making the other a bit uncomfortable, especially when the thin hand was on the inner thighs, near the other's once unnoticeable part of his anatomy.

"You done?" He asked between his teeth as he fought any thought that suggested anything of what he would like to do to the teen. Mostly what Ace would do to him.

Luffy can see the other's tensed form and stopped his roaming and made it up with kissing the other. "Let's go home."

He nodded as he slowly got up, helped by the other, and both walked out of the cove, which he had done before when he was working undercover, but now it was different and it felt odd about it, but he knew it was a change that he was going to have to get used to.

"Zoro…"

"Hm?"

"Even though you're human, the cove is still our secret spot."

He smiles as he held the other's hand. "I know…"

Luffy returned the grip and leaned against the other's shoulder. "I love you Zoro."

"I love you too… And thank you…"

"For what?"

He smiled as he stopped and kissed the other softly. "For saving me…" He kissed the other again. "For being with me for all these years…" He kissed again then grinned. "Just being you."

Luffy giggled. "Well I can't be anyone else." He said as he kissed the other and dragged the other to the beach house, which they were greeted with an unlikely sight of Ace making out with Smoker on the couch.

"And you say I'm a pervert…" Zoro said as Ace was beet red in the face.