Alrighty, another chapter up! You should all be very surprised at how fast this ca,e up- hell, I'M surprised. Also, I'd just like to thank everyone who reviews, just because it means a lot to me and really helps me get my shit on the road. I usually get at least one review a week and it keeps me on track, for which I'm very grateful. 3

Disclaimer: BLAH BLAH BLAH You know the drill.

'Thoughts'

Implied

"Talking"

Narrative

"Multiple people saying some thing at the same time."

Captain's Mate - Means change of scene

captain's mate - means time skip/perspective skip

Captain's Mate

The moment Crocodile was launched into the sky, blood trailing like streamers and sand spiraling out, Zoro smiled. Because even though he'd never doubted Luffy neverneverneverwouldIeverdoubtLuffy He'd still been... anxious. He'd still had that tight feeling in his chest, squeezing his heart.

And when he saw Cobra carrying Luffy on his back, asleep and worn out and wounded but most importantly alive, that feeling disappeared completely. His heart which had been suffocating before, cramped and pained and clenched- now it soared and he laughed because it was okay. Alabasta was saved and nobody died.

Later on he would think and wonder about that tight feeling and anxiety, but would give up and attribute it to the war, never thinking farther on it.

Captain's Mate

"Oi, Zoro, look at us! Training, we're training!" Luffy yelled and he slid around on the bathroom floor with Usopp.

"Training? You call that training?" Zoro scoffed and quickly looked away from the duo. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he looked down, scrubbing harder at Chopper fur.

Idiots.

"So, where are the women's baths?" He heard Sanji pester- er, ask Igaram.

"As if I would tell you! Vivi-sama is in there!"

"It's right over that wall." Cobra pointed, shrugging.

The boys quickly gathered, climbing up the dividing wall to look over and peek at the women. Hell, even Chopper and Eyelashes -how the hell did the camel get in here- took a look. It seemed Zoro was the only one who wasn't interested in the slightest.

"Happiness Punch~!" He heard Nami's voice yell, and then all the men fell off the wall, blood spurting from their noses.

And it pissed him off. He didn't know why it pissed him off, but it did. Nami always did things like this, why should right now be any different?

Luffy laughed, standing up and wiping away the evidence, and Zoro became just a little more pissed.

Captain's Mate

"Can we really trust him? This Bon Clay?"

"We were friends with him before..."

"The idea of you guys being friends scares me." Zoro grumbled, clenching a fist. Scared him? Hah. No, scared wasn't the word. But in the end, he wasn't quite sure what exactly the word was, so he'd go with scared.

He didn't like the idea of Luffy making new friends.

He didn't like it when Luffy spent time with other people.

He didn't like it when Luffy didn't spend time with him.

It was stupid. It was really, really stupid and he didn't get it.

-Captain's Mate-

"So you're using us so that you can escape safely too." Zoro said, looking at Mr. 2 out of the corner of his eye. Usually he wouldn't say anything like that. Hell, usually he wouldn't even care- but right now he did. And he cared a lot.

He wanted to drive a knife into this budding relationship and tear it apart.

Mr. 2 spouted some more bullshit, bullshit that Zoro didn't care to listen to. All that mattered was that Luffy fell for it and he was dancing arm in arm with the okama seconds later.

He scowled and looked away, trying to ignore them.

Captain's Mate

Another new person trying to become all chummy with them. 'New' being a subjective term, seeing as they knew this lady already.

Miss All Sunday.

He was the lone resistance left on the ship after Usopp fell for her charms. But he wouldn't let up. He wouldn't let this chick worm her way into the crew, only to betray Luffy.

This woman... What's she plotting?

In the back of his mind, a small voice was asking why the hell he gave a shit.

Captain's Mate

"Zoro. Don't fight back."

And for a moment, he was shocked. For a moment, he was confused. For a moment, he didn't understand.

For a moment, he asked why. Why he would let this piece of shit weakling spit on him and beat him up.

But the next moment, it didn't matter. Because Luffy asked- no, told- him not to fight, so he didn't.

It was at that moment that he solidified the fact that he would follow Luffy till the ends of the earth.

Captain's Mate

"Oi, Luffy." Zoro called, pointing to Bellamy's mark, drawn on the wall in blood.

Luffy said nothing as he saw it, simply tilting his hat as he straightened up.

"Will you need a hand?" Because obviously he was going to beat the crap out of those miserable sons of bitches.

"No, I'm good." And that was that.

"What- kid, where the hell do you think you're going? You better not be trying to interfere in our busine-" Cricket yelled out, trying to stop Luffy, but Zoro cut him off.

"If you want to stop him, you'll have to use this." He said, holding out Wado Ichimonji, his most precious sword. This was simply rhetorical though, seeing as the only person who could use Wado was Zoro himself, therefore the only one who could stop Luffy was him.

He wouldn't though of course, because Luffy said that he would be back by dawn, so he would be.

-Captain's Mate-

"How come you didn't go with him? I mean, you got beaten up too, right?" Nami asked Zoro as he was fixing the mast.

"Beaten up?" He scoffed. "It's not like they were standing in our way." There had been no real reason to fight them. "A fight that that leaves you with only pity... only brings pain." It would have been useless to fight as it would have given no gain.

It'd taken him a while to understand it but... eventually, it clicked. Zoro, now Zoro had no problem with kicking everybody's ass but Luffy didn't like fighting for no reason. And it had pissed him off to just let those weaklings throw their punches, but...

Well... Luffy.

Captain's Mate

"Luffy! We don't have time to be playing around! Nami-san and Robin-chan are at the sacrificial alter!"

"Mah, mah Sanji, like I said, they'll be fine." Luffy waved it off with a smile and a laugh. "Zoro's there with them!" And that was the end of that, because Luffy's trust in Zoro was endlessly invincible.

"As if I'd trust that idiot."

Ah, well, Sanji didn't trust him, but Sanji was stupid like that sometimes.

Captain's Mate

YOSH. How does everyone like this chapter? I love the feedback you're giving me, so keep it comin'! Again, yeah, not very long, but hey, blame the season, not me!