I've been thinking about this scenario ever since I watched the live-action series and finally found some time to write down what's been playing in my head like a broken record 24/7. I'm still trying to get over my writer's block, so in the meantime I'll stick to short stories. I hope you like how this one turned out. happy reading!
KNOW YOUR WORTH
Zoro ran his tongue over the palm of his hand, the metallic taste of still-fresh blood mixing with the end of a rather bitter fight. He had been overconfident. Even though he knew who he was facing, of the risk that the aforementioned duel could entail, his senses were clouded by a rush of adrenaline that ran through his veins like snake venom. He had waited so long for that moment...
He had waited so long to face Mihawk, that he didn't measure the weight his words carried when defying him with his blade. Thinking that he was on par with a man of his caliber only showed Zoro that he still had a long way to go.
Young and naive, with his body bathed in blood and a promise carried on his shoulders, Zoro looked up at the sky. It was filled with clouds, as if a storm was about to fall. The cold air touched his chest now covered by a makeshift bandage that Luffy had insisted on taking care of.
Luffy... He hadn't left his side since he had woken up from a long slumber. It was as if Luffy feared that, if he happened to close his eyes, he'd never see him again. Zoro didn't blame him. He knew that if he had been in Luffy's place, he'd feel the same way. He would've been right beside him until he was sure that Luffy was safe, that his heart had started beating again, that blood was running through his veins... that he was still alive.
"Zoro is thinking too much again." Luffy said quietly. He had been there for a while now, yet no words had come out of his mouth. Zoro guessed that perhaps he had fallen asleep after insisting that he finish the breakfast Sanji had made. "Is it because of what I said last time?"
Zoro nodded. He wasn't good with words, much less when emotions were involved. Luffy didn't seem to mind. He understood the reason for his silence, the wall he had put between them upon joining his non-existent crew, as well as the need to prove to himself that he was good enough to achieve his goal. Luffy trusted him completely and Zoro... Oh Zoro felt like he could sink into the feeling that filled his chest just by thinking about it.
"I said it was fine." Zoro still had his eyes on the sky, but he knew that Luffy was looking at him. He may even have had that smile on his face, the one that Zoro wouldn't hesitate to kill for. "Zoro is strong. The strongest I know. Even if he loses once in a while, he's still the strongest for me."
Zoro gritted his teeth. His eyes stung, as if he were about to cry. Fuck. Had he always been so weak?
"It's okay." Zoro felt the warmth touch his cold, blood-stained skin. His heart was beating fast, pounding against his chest, it was as if it were about to explode. "As long as I'm here, I won't let Zoro fall again."
Zoro bit his lower lip. The tears had begun to flow, sliding down his cheeks in a silent cry. He felt defeated, yet the weight on his shoulders wasn't so hard to bear. It was as if what Luffy said made losing a little less bitter, as if he still had a chance to turn over the cards that had been dealt before, as if that fight was his to win. He had never considered himself a believer but, standing in the middle of a hungry sea as Luffy held his hand in the eye of a storm, Zoro chose to believe. "Captain better catch me if I fall."
Luffy laughed softly, his fingers intertwined with Zoro's. "You bet I will!"
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