Hey, guys! I half-expected some of the comments to start complaining about Lady, but so far, nothing's happened like that. And, before you guys say anything, Lady will not be replacing Chopper as the ship's doctor. Her role as one of the future Strawhat crewmates will be something entirely different!
Also, like I said, Lady will have different powers, so her water powers are just one of her powers. They will be exposed later on, but not all of them in this story, but they do provide some significance and importance later on! Just a heads-up, that's all!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own One Piece, only the OCs! One Piece is created by Eiichiro Oda and run by Toei Animation! Please support the official release!
"Well? How is it, Doc?"
"Well, she definitely needs a lot of rest. You did good patching up her wounds the best you could. In fact, it was a good thing you brought her over here when you did."
"...Tell me, how bad was it? And no need to sugarcoat things or any of that crap, I can take it."
"Right...Well, she's clearly malnourished and she's got an awful lot of scars that even my medicine can't heal. She's got some bruising that'll heal in no time and she does have a few broken bones. Luckily, she should be okay if she overexert herself. I believe the area to heal faster first would be her face since not too much damage was there. I've already had a nurse take her to one of the shower rooms here. Don't be alarmed when she returns her all bandaged up, though. It's all part of the healing procedure."
Zoro nodded, letting out a big sigh. Things had been pretty hectic ever since they finally landed on an island which, fortunately, had a hospital in town. Zoro didn't immediately go to the hospital, though. He knew medical bills were expensive, so he needed money. Heaving the heavy, bloody bag full of heads over his head, Zoro received the full, large sum of bounty money from killing his target and his target's pirate crew.
Having done that, Zoro set off to find a doctor for Lady and asked for directions for the nearest clinic. The town they were in only had one hospital, which was the tallest building in town. Even with such simple directions, it took a while for Zoro to finally locate the hospital but by then, Lady was physically drained from moving around a lot, especially since she was still injured. She was still recovering from her wounds, after all.
From there, everything was a bit of a blur. Lady was rushed in to be checked on due to the severity of her wounds. With the bounty money Zoro received, he intended to use the money to help pay for Lady's medical fees. So, he waited for an incredibly long time for any news on Lady's recovery.
Zoro looked at the doctor and asked, "What about her voice? Her throat?"
"Well, her inner vocal cords are definitely damaged beyond repair. Almost as though they've been torn and ripped apart, so there's no chance of her ever getting her voice. Strangely enough, she doesn't have any wounds outside on her throat that indicates any scars or wounds, but I suspect this must have happened a very long time ago, so the wound marks aren't really there anymore. She's essentially mute."
Zoro nodded. "I see. Is there anything else you can do for her?"
The doctor shook his head. "All we can do is let her rest. We can't really do anything about her mute issue and a lot of her scars are too far deep and old to be treated. But it's likely she can't feel anymore pain from her scars."
A nurse walked up to them and nodded to the doctor. "Doctor, the patient is tucked in bed and is fast asleep."
Zoro glanced up. "Hey, can I see her real quick?"
"Well...she needs to recover and visiting hours are over, but...I suppose I can allow you to see her, for only a few minutes, of course," said the doctor, escorting Zoro to Lady's assigned room.
Upon arriving, Zoro spotted a sleeping Lady covered by the bedsheets in her own bed. He walked over and kneeled next to her bedside. Before, when they arrived at the hospital, she looked so exhausted, she was ready to collapse and fall asleep. Right now, even after the medical treatments, Lady's face looked pale and tired. Zoro reached out and brushed some hair away from her face gently, noting how peaceful she looked.
Examining her now, Zoro noted that she might be in her late teens or young adult age, like around her early 20s. With her long, silver-snow colored hair, smooth and soft-looking skin, and her bright, sea/sky blue eyes, no wonder people wanted her as a slave. Her beauty could attract even the scum of the seas.
His hand lingered near the side of her cheek, touching a spot on her neck where he found a faint mark from a whip lash. His fingertips grazed across the place lightly, lingering just under her chin. His hand formed into a fist from recalling the pain and suffering Lady must have suffered that ended up with her in her current state.
With everything that's happened thus far, Zoro found himself exhausted and needing a drink. Maybe hitting up the bar and then getting a room at the inn for the night might do him some good. He could check up on Lady tomorrow.
When Zoro left the hospital room, the doctor made sure he left before reaching out for his Den Den Mushi. "It's me. I've got some pretty valuable merchandise here, and she's quite the beauty..."
That night...
Zoro found himself gulping down another cup of booze at the town's local bar. He just couldn't stop thinking about his current situation and about Lady. Of course, the proper and correct course of action would be to leave Lady here, where she would be safe and sound.
But...at the same time, there was a part of Zoro that thought, what if she stayed with him?
Zoro knew immediately that a bunch of problems would arise from such a suggestion. First of all, Zoro was always a loner and having someone accompany him, especially one who can't even fight or defend herself, would be a liability. Second, Zoro always was at his best when fighting alone even against large numbers, and if Lady stuck with him, he would have to look after her, and Zoro wasn't really the protector type. Third, he's a bounty hunter so that means he has to frequently hunt down bounties for money which meant Lady would always be in danger so long as she was with him. Finally, she was recently freed from being a slave, so she deserves a good, happier life. She would be much more safer away from him, living a more peaceful life than traveling with him.
If she stayed in this town, then she would be safe. She's already escaped the life of slavery, so she could restart and have a new and happier life in this town. Maybe Zoro could take her to the marines in the marine base in town and have them help her get acquainted in her new life. If the marines knew her situation, they wouldn't hesitate to help her out, get her a place to stay and a job where she could support herself. She could finally gain control of her own life.
Yes...No matter how much Zoro's heart ached for companionship, this was for the best for Lady.
With his sharp ears, Zoro couldn't help but overhear a rather...interesting conversation coming from some men nearby. "Heh, so this time, that doctor really snagged a pretty girl this time?"
"Yeah, normally, that doc only snags elderly people so close to death and takes out their organs before stitching them back up and returning them to their families."
"Ain't there supposed to be some sort of program for that? Organ donations?"
"Yeah, but barely anyone does it. Hence the illegal black market shit going on in this town. Well, that's just one of the products. This time, that doctor's bringing in a patient he treated today. No organ donation but he mentioned that the girl's cute enough to be sold for hefty bucks! Just needs our help sneaking in the merchandise, especially that girl!"
"Awesome! Think he'll let us check out that girl? Did the doc say what she looked like?"
"Beautiful silver, whitish hair and blue eyes that could be compared to the sky or the seas! He even mentioned that the girl had scars but that he'll give her clothing to cover her up as to not diminish the price! Heh, I can't wait to see this cutie myself!"
Anger had started to fuel Zoro once he caught wind of the start of their conversation. That anger only increased further when he learned that it was Lady they were talking about. Silver hair? Blue eyes? Scars? A recent patient today? All of those matched Lady to a T! It was horrifying enough that a doctor, someone who was meant to cure people and save them, would resort to illegal organ donations and other black market stuff, but to go so far as to sell Lady off when she just received medical treatment and a glimpse of freedom?
Absolutely unforgivable.
Zoro wanted to march up to the men and throttle and beat them up until they gave him the information he needed. But that wouldn't do any good. Zoro needed to be smart about this and there was a good chance that the men wouldn't tell him the information he wanted, or worst, they could give him false information which would lead him into a trap. So instead, the best way would be to wait for the men to finish their drinks and then follow after them.
Stealth wasn't exactly Zoro's forte, but for Lady's sake, he was willing to try.
Lady was terrified.
Everything had been alright as soon as she woke up in the hospital bed. She was given another medical treatment, a shower, fresh and clean hospital clothes, and food. Though, after eating the food, she did feel incredibly sleepy. When she woke up all groggy and still out of it, she found herself trapped in a cage.
Panicking, she gripped onto the bars and glanced around. She appeared to be in a warehouse of sorts and surrounding her were pods filled with a strange liquid and people. Mostly elderly people but there were also children inside as well. The pods were all connected to all kinds of wiring and machinery that Lady couldn't even begin to understand.
The doors to the warehouse opened and standing in front of them were the doctor that treated Lady earlier along with some...rough-looking men who looked to be thugs.
At first, Lady thought that the doctor was somehow here to help her, when the doctor suddenly issued an order to chain her up. Joy had quickly changed to confusion and fear as the thugs quickly surrounded her cage, unlocked it, and dragged her out forcibly, chaining her arms and legs so she couldn't make a break for it. Lady looked over to the doctor in hopes that he would help her, but he only stared at her with a cold look, like she was nothing.
"Don't damage the merchandise! I'm going to need her intact for the next black market auction happening later!" ordered the doctor.
One of the thugs holding Lady close said, "Damn, calling her merchandise? That's a bit cold, even for you, doc."
"Hmph. So? Merchandise is merchandise. That's all there is to it."
"I thought you specialize in organs and shit like that, not slavery," spoke up one of the thugs, looking at Lady. "This one's quite the cutie, though! You sure we can't have fun with her even a little bit?"
"I said not to damage her!" snapped the doctor. "And besides, it's none of your concern. I saw an attractive piece of meat that I know that many in the upcoming auction are just begging to get their hands on when they take on look at her. Now hurry up! I have to give her some more sleeping pills! The ones I snuck in her food were weak, but this new batch should be more effective."
From what Lady could intercept, it seemed that the doctor drugged her food with some sleeping pills, After she was asleep, she was taken from the hospital and imprisoned in a cage, meant to be sold off as a slave once more. It meant more than just being a slave again, or never seeing her savior again.
It meant returning to that life.
Face stricken with terror, Lady dissolved into panicked tears. She didn't want to become a slave again! She didn't want to go back to that life! She didn't want to die.
With terror filling every ounce of her body, Lady struggled and squirmed the best she could and if she wasn't mute, she would have sobbed and screamed out loud. But her body was still weak, injured, and low on energy, so the thugs held her firmly and didn't even need to assert their full strength from keeping her from escaping.
"Heh, where do you think you're going, sweet cheeks?" one of the thugs grinned, gripping her wrist so hard, he could have bruised it.
"Yeah, settle down, will ya? You're coming with us-"
Suddenly, one of the men guarding outside of the warehouse flew through the air and crashed towards the ground, having been thrown backwards into the hard surface of the floor with a deep gash wound on his chest. He only managed to raise one hand before closing his eyes shut and finally succumbing to his wounds.
Looking up, the doctor and the thugs in the warehouse saw a young swordsman wearing a darkened bandana wrapped around his head, swords dripping with blood as he surveyed his surroundings. He had a murderous and menacing aura that spelled that nobody should piss him off.
Roronoa Zoro, a famous bounty hunter and not someone one should screw around with.
After the men suspected of possibly kidnapping Lady left the bar, Zoro followed behind them with as much stealth as he could. It eventually led him towards the docks with a bunch of warehouses around, where tough-looking thugs gathered around, likely for guard and warehouse duties for their illegal activities. And, knowing Lady was somewhere around the area and that these thugs were pretty much on the same level as pirates, Zoro didn't hesitate to attack.
Zoro's sudden assault eventually led him to the correct warehouse where Lady was held. He instantly recognized Lady and relief filled his eyes before his eyes sharpened in seriousness. Seeing the position Lady was in, Zoro's grip on his swords tightened and he gritted his teeth so hard, they might break.
One of the thugs grabbed hold of Lady's arms roughly and attempted to pull her away from the fighting before anything drastic happened. Zoro instantly reacted, however, rushing forward and swinging it at the man's throat, slicing clean through. The thug released Lady in shock before falling to the floor lifelessly as blood spilled out from his throat. Having gotten in close between Lady and her captors, Zoro whirled around with his swords, slashing at the thugs close by and leaving puddles of blood in his trail.
Tears of relief pooled down Lady's cheeks as she had never been so happy to see Zoro again. She thought that she would never see him again once she was forced back into a life of slavery.
Glancing around the room, even though Zoro had no idea what was happening, the green-haired swordsman could tell that there was some sort of illegal stuff happening with the people in the pods. Lady was safely behind him though he wasn't sure of the extent of whatever pain the scumbag thugs had inflicted onto her. He was certain, however, that she was chained up and close to being taken away towards somewhere against her will. That sort of certainty angered Zoro and he focused his anger towards one other person inside the warehouse.
The doctor.
Zoro's glare turned dark upon catching sight of the scared doctor who was responsible for Lady's kidnapping. He was supposed to be a man of medicine, a professional that was supposed to be capable of helping and treating people like Lady! But here he was, using the people's trust for his own greed and nasty desires.
Just as Zoro took a step towards the doctor, more thugs stormed the warehouse, entering inside with various weapons in their hands. They wore expressions that clearly spelled out their overconfidence and cockiness in the situation. Little did they know that Zoro was used to fighting groups that clearly outnumbered him, but never outmatched him.
Once the thugs arrived, Zoro shoved Lady behind him to protect her and pointed one of his blades at the thugs menacingly. "Leave us alone now or else. You won't like what happens to you," he warned as he stared down at the men; his tone laced with venom.
One of the thugs chuckled sinisterly, brandishing a large sword heaved over his shoulder. "Look buddy, you better put down those swords before we teach you a lesson. We'll do whatever it takes to get what we want. Besides, you're outnumbered! But, we might be willing to spare you...if you hand over that cutie first."
Lady, sensing their ominous intentions towards her, felt scared and uncomfortable and gripped the back of Zoro's shirt, shaking in fear. Looking up, Lady could see Zoro's gaze on her, but even with his gaze darkened by his bandanna, she could sense the softness directed only towards her,
Removing the sword in his mouth, Zoro murmured to Lady, "Stay behind me. I'll take care of them."
Lady nervously nodded and took a few steps back as to avoid getting in Zoro's way. Having said his piece, Zoro returned his third sword back into his mouth and narrowed his eyes, focusing on the battle ahead.
Technically, Zoro didn't necessarily need to go through all the trouble of rescuing Lady again. He did his duty of helping her after dropping her off at the hospital, but after learning about her possible fate, he just couldn't let it go. If anything, there were a few types of people that really sets him off.
One type was the type of people that undid any of the deeds he's went through a lot of trouble to accomplish. Another type were people who preyed on defenseless people because it makes them feel big. And the thugs that Zoro were about to face fit those types perfectly.
Some of the thugs charged at Zoro, believing that their numbers would overwhelm them, but they were quickly taken down before they could do much as blink. One of the thugs foolishly tried to make a grab at Lady. Zoro's sword slashed viciously downward, cutting deep into the man's arm, causing a gush of crimson blood to flow across the pavement. He screamed loudly in pain and surprise, dropping his weapon and clutching at his bleeding wound before Zoro finished him off. Another attacker leapt forward, aiming to slash at Zoro. Zoro swiftly moved out of the way of the attack and retaliated with a slash, cutting down the man.
There were many thugs, and yet they couldn't land a hit on Zoro. Meanwhile, Zoro slashed and sliced through every single last thug in his way while swiftly dodging and parrying their attacks. No matter their superior numbers, none of them were a match for Roronoa Zoro in terms of sword and skill in combat.
Thus, in the aftermath of the one-sided battle, Zoro had wiped out an entirely large group of thugs, leaving no survivors and a small field of corpses to litter the warehouse grounds.
The doctor, the mastermind responsible for so many crimes including kidnapping Lady, was sweating buckets at the reality of his situation. Everything was supposed to go smoothly! The plan was to kidnap and sell the silver-haired girl as a slave as well as harvest the organs of all of the victims hidden inside of the warehouse! He hadn't expected a skilled swordsman to suddenly barge in and ruin everything!
Then, Zoro, having snuck around and was looming behind the doctor menacingly, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, ignoring the doctor's cries of distress as his feet hovered above the ground. Zoro was a terrifying sight to behold, with his bandana darkening his already menacing expression and the blood of his enemies splattered all over his clothes and body from his massacre of a killing spree.
The doctor whimpered, eyes widen, as he tried his damnest to break free, squirming around and clawing on Zoro's arm. He started sputtering out apologies, begging for mercy in such a way that Zoro thought a pig was squealing to him. Disgusted, Zoro released him, making the doctor fall down with a loud thud. But before the doctor could scramble to run away, Zoro had cut him down with one slash of his sword, killing him instantly.
What followed was silence. The only two people left inside the warehouse were just Zoro and the girl he rescued, Lady.
Lady felt as though time had stopped. Zoro had killed so many men in front of her, but not once had she felt fear. Oh, she felt fear at the thought of being forced back into slavery, but she never feared Zoro even when he killed in front of her.
Being a slave to many masters, Lady had bore witness to many murders whether it was through betrayal or through battle, though she stayed out of such things because she was a slave, not a fighter. She never feared for her own life because she knew nobody had any reason to try and claim her life.
Zoro looked at her, his expression unreadable through the shadows of the bandanna he wore around his head. After sheathing his blades, he scratched the back of his neck as he approached her. Was her nervous? Did he think that Lady was afraid of him because she was witness to his bloodshed onslaught?
"Hey, Lady," Zoro spoke softly. Lady rubbed her arms and looked up at him, wondering what he wanted. "...Sorry if I scared you. If possible, I wouldn't have wanted you to see all of...this." He gestured with one of his sword hands the entire scenery of bloodshed and corpses laying about and internally kicked himself when he noticed how Lady flinched upon seeing the scenery. Maybe that was a bit insensitive and stupid of him to say something like that.
He stared at Lady before taking a few more steps closer, approaching her gently and carefully like one would approach a small and defenseless creature. Satisfied that she didn't flinch or move away from him, Zoro sheathed his blades back to their scabbards and reached out a hand to pat her head softly.
The wide-eyed innocence and curiosity in Lady's eyes as she looked up at him only made Zoro want to protect her more.
"It's alright, you're safe now," assured Zoro, his calloused and rough hands gently stroking her soft, silky hair over and over. He soon stopped and rubbed the back of his head, looking away as though shameful of something. "...I'm sorry. It was my fault that you ended up in this situation. I mean, I know you urgently needed a doctor, but still, I wasn't expecting anything like this. And, again, I'm sorry that you had to see me killing all of these men. But, they needed to die. If they were the type of people to condone stuff that involves the black market, kidnappings, and worst, then they deserved their fate."
Lady hated the sight of killing, but in her life as a former slave, she had bore witness to many killings before. Seeing Zoro killing the men didn't faze nor scare her, but it did make her feel a bit uncomfortable. Still, if it weren't for Zoro's arrival, she would have been forced back into a slave and have led a horrible life.
The reminder clicked something inside of Lady, making her tear up and sob profusely. Even if no sounds uttered from her mouth, it was clear that she was crying.
Zoro panicked internally, unsure on how to deal with this new situation. When it came to fighting, he could deal with stuff like that, but emotional things were out of his control. But he knew that Lady had been in a terrible situation and that she needed some comfort and emotional support right now.
Glancing around, as though to make sure nobody was around, Zoro grabbed Lady and tugged her against his chest, giving her a firm hug. Lady's eyes widen in shock, but she relaxed against his body, feeling warm and protected even when the blood of his enemies got onto her clothes as well. After a while, Zoro pulled away and took off his bandana off his head, wiping away the rest of the tears on her face. He was a bit rough when doing so, but his intentions were sweet enough that anyone would ignore the rough handling.
That was when Zoro knew he had to do something about all of this.
A few days later...
The entire island was filled with activity soon after a rather...anonymous tip was reported to the marine base. A large investigation started immediately in the warehouses and it didn't take long to connect criminal activity in the town's only hospital as well, which caused fear and some chaos within the town, making part of the marines' duty to calm the civilians as well.
Apparently, the doctor's criminal activities were quite a shock to the entire community within the town, especially since he was connected to an unknown, secret black market that was hidden and soon discovered by the marines later that day. It wasn't uncommon for some patients to wind up dead in the town's hospital due to old age or sickness, but it was a horrible shock to the entire town to learn that the corpses of their loved ones were deprived of vital organs, organs that were sold in the black market. It was an utter disrespect to the dead to pillage the corpses of their organs for money and then sewing them up as though nothing happened.
As such, many marines were stationed in front of the hospital to keep a large, angry mob from storming inside and demanding answers. If the doctor was still alive today, he would have been dragged outside and killed several times over for his crimes towards their deceased loved ones. What was even more unfortunate was that the bodies inside the pods discovered in the warehouses were already deceased, so there was no chance of them reuniting with their loved ones, further angering the mob.
It truly was a sad day, but time would pass on and the marines would see to it that justice was served to each and every single one of the victims' families.
Meanwhile, Lady and Zoro were inside of a restaurant and eating their own meal together. In fact, with everything that's happened so far, they were seemingly the only customers inside, thus all alone to eat and chat to their heart's content. Well, Zoro could chat to Lady, whereas her only form of communication was a new notebook that Zoro bought for her.
After Lady's kidnapping and rescue, Zoro took her with him instead of handing her over to the marines so they could care for her. After trusting in a doctor, who was supposed to care for Lady instead of kidnapping her, Zoro didn't exactly trust in the marines.
Sure, his relationship with the marines was on business levels, mostly neutral. He always bought in the bounties and he always got paid, that how it always was. But, despite the marines helping civilians and arresting pirates, he knew that there was a lot of corruption within the marines. Hell, he even came across a couple of them during his job as a bounty hunter, which only made him dislike them.
Zoro could have left her with the marines or just left her alone in the warehouse after rescuing her. She could have just wandered off and someone far more capable of helping her would have come around. But Zoro didn't feel at ease leaving her alone to fend for herself. Even if Zoro handed over Lady to the marines so that they could care for her, there might be a chance that some corrupted marine might take advantage of her naivety, so he wasn't going to take that chance.
Instead, Zoro took care of Lady, spending a few nights at the inn and allowing her to sleep in his bed while he slept in a chair so she could recover faster and better. A chair or a bed made no difference to Zoro anyways, especially since he always sleeps with his swords nearby in case of any danger. But traveling around, Zoro's learned to make use of anything that could make a good decent napping spot, whether it be a chair or against a tree or anything that most people would think of as uncomfortable.
During the past few days, Zoro still took care of Lady's needs, buying her a few new clothes and even her current new notebook so she could write down whatever she wanted as her form of communication. During the time he spent with her, he noted several things that brought to his attention.
Lady was curious about a lot of things. She liked modest-looking clothing compared to lots of other women he's seen wearing revealing clothing. She liked the color blue. Zoro had a feeling that even if she wasn't mute, she would still be a quiet and shy girl.
And finally, he noticed that...she trusted him the most, which was a given, considering that he not only saved her twice, but never once treated her like a slave.
Even with him, Lady hadn't really let down all of her walls. He saw the way she hid behind him whenever someone approached them, whether it was just bypassing them or something else. After all she's suffered through, it wouldn't be easy for her to trust anyone so easily.
And it certainly wasn't easy for Zoro to find a solution where she could be safe somewhere and happy at the same time. After some time thinking things over, he finally came to a decision.
"Lady, I want to ask you something," spoke up Zoro, causing Lady to pause from eating. "I...Look, would you-you should be safer and-gah, I dunno how to deal with any of this emotional shit..."
Confused and concerned, Lady wrote down her concerns towards Zoro with her notebook. "Master Zoro, is something wrong? Did I do something wrong to upset you?"
"No, no, you did nothing wrong. It's just..." Zoro took a deep breath and exhaled, looking straight at Lady seriously. "Look, I was wondering, do you want to travel with me?"
Lady nearly dropped her notebook in shock at the proposal. She honestly hadn't expected such a question directed towards her. But, the thought of traveling with her savior...didn't sound so bad. He was kind to her. He saved her. He gave her food, clothes, and even a new notebook. And Lady felt as though she never repaid him for his kindness.
Zoro continued. "Look, I...I don't think it's a bad idea, having a traveling companion and all. But, I also feel like you'll be safer here. I mean, there's the marines and other hospital people who'll take care of you if I explain your situation them-"
Lady immediately shook her head, eyes filled with fear. She actually didn't want to remain in this town any longer than she had to. In fact, she was a bit terrified after all that's happened. The doctor, the kidnapping, the illegal organ donations, the secret black markets, all in this town? It didn't really seem like an ideal place to live in after what she's experienced.
"Right, sorry. Stupid idea. Well, I mean, another idea is that you travel with me for a little bit, at least until we reach a safer place where the people will definitely take care of you. You won't...you won't have to be a slave anymore. If I take you to a safer place, you'll get a chance at a better life. But, that means you'll have to put up with me for a bit, alright?"
Lady was a bit confused. "I'm a bit confused. You make it sound like traveling with you is a bad thing. But I don't think you're a bad thing!"
Zoro could feel his cheeks fluster a bit from the compliment before he shook his head. "No, it's just-Look, I'm a bounty hunter. And I'm trying to aim for my dream, which is to be the World's Greatest Swordsman. Got that? That means that my life will always be in danger no matter what.I'll always seek out the toughest opponents and challenge them, even if it means my life is at stake. Plus, since I'm a bounty hunter, I'll always hunt down pirates for money which could mean your life could be in danger because you'll be associated with me."
"But, I'm not a fighter. I don't know how to fight and I'm not as strong as you."
"It doesn't matter if you're a fighter or not. Actually, it's precisely because you're not a fighter that I'm reluctant to take you with me. That's why, if you don't want to stay in this town, I can take you with me until I find you a safe and good home to live in."
Lady pondered on that for a little bit. She wasn't new to being exposed to danger, though. And in all honesty, she wanted to remain by Zoro's side, even if it meant that he did find her a good home where people could take her in.
Lady wrote down her thoughts. "Master Zoro, no matter what happens, I want to stay with you! Even if we did come across a kind home, I want to stay with you no matter what! I don't care that you'll face danger! I'll face danger with you!"
"...Don't be so trusting. I told you that your life will be in danger if you stay with me, remember? Besides, I'm a man who makes a living by killing people."
Lady smiled, writing down her next message. "That's okay. Even if Master Zoro is a killer, Maser Zoro is my hero, after all."
Zoro paused, staring at her message far longer than he needed to. He sighed and hid his red face with his palm, looking away. 'Damn, why did she have to go and say something like that? I'm no hero. Far from it, but...' he thought. 'Fuck it, fine. I'll just take her with me for a bit and we'll see how that goes. I...I don't want to be alone all the time, either.'
Zoro looked back at Lady. "Alright, fine. I-I'll allow you to come...for a while, but what about you? You coming or what?"
The enthusiastic and bright-eyed look that Lady displayed on her face was more than enough to confirm her answer. She even clapped her hands and silently cheered that she was going to be traveling with her savior.
Perhaps this was truly fated to be. Two lost souls in desperate need for something. One wished for companionship and perhaps someone to protect, while the other wished to be protected by someone trustworthy. These two were united by their need for companionship and purpose, so they needed each other more than they thought.
As Lady was about to return to eating, she felt her cheeks being pulled apart as Zoro leaned in close. "Alright, but listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once. I. Am. Not. A. Hero. Far from it, really."
Even with the stinging pain of her cheeks being pulled, Lady shook her head, still firm that Zoro was like a hero to her. That persistence only rewarded her with more pain and her cheeks further being pulled apart until Zoro ceased and sat back on his chair, leaving Lady to softly rub her aching cheeks.
"Seriously though, I don't like being called a hero. A hero will share his sake with all of the other people. But I want all of the sake! Therefore, I'm not a hero, and I don't wanna be!"
Lady's expression was so perplexed by the odd logic of Zoro's definition of a hero that...that she had no words to say to that. Her definition of a hero was someone who always saves people, was selfless, kind, and so forth. What Zoro was saying was...was far from the definition of a hero!
Zoro didn't care if she got it or not, just that she had to understand that he wasn't a hero. He pushed his plate of food towards her and said, "Now that that's settled, eat. ...Come on, don't give me that look, I'm fine. I prefer drinking over eating anyways, now come on."
Having finished her plate, Lady took Zoro's place as he requested and started eating. Despite all of the strange events that's happened recently, Lady was just happy that there was a new turn for her life. Maybe things will get better from here on?
Hiya, folks! This is the end of the prologue, but moments between Lady and Zoro won't end anytime soon! And yes, her official name won't be Lady, she will have an official name change soon!
Like I mentioned before, she'll have more powers than just water and healing powers! I'm not going to do something crazy like she has all of the elemental powers like the Avatar or anything! Nope, she'll have other powers with side effects.
Check out my AO3 account: SageofHope with the link to the AO3 version of this fanfic! Link: /works/45506545/chapters/114500989
Read and review!