A/N: ZareEraz here! I've got another update for you guys :3 Enjoy!

(Updated October 2024)

Chapter 6: Die Fighting

This time I'm going to make it to the top of that platform! I'm going to stand where he stood, and see what he saw! That had been Luffy's goal when they arrived in Lougetown, and he was determined to see it through. The crew had been doing their own things for quite a while, but when they all ran into each other in the afternoon, something was about to happen. Zoro had been having a bad feeling for the last several hours before everything went to crap, and when he wandered into the rest of the crew (minus Luffy) he had said as much. The feeling had become more acute when Luffy's hat had disappeared in the wind, with the rubber man running after it and getting lost. But even with his bad feelings, Zoro didn't know just how horrible things could've turned out.

It's time for the execution! Buggy the Clown is going to kill Straw Hat Luffy! The townspeople's words had sent a shock of panic through Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami, and the swordsman had to fight growing nausea and worry knotting his stomach to stay calm. He had to get to Luffy, no matter what, and pull him out of the mess the idiot had gotten into.

"Let's go!" he called, starting to run towards where some of the townspeople were running from with Sanji right on his heels. Nami and Usopp ran towards the Merry, wanting to get the ship moving so the crew's escape would be easier. The weather began to turn for the worst as thick, black clouds hung heavily in the sky.

When the pair had finally reached the square, it was so full of people that it would take a miracle to get to the platform in time. But as he looked into the distance, seeing his idiotic but beloved captain trapped on the execution platform with a sword at his neck made Zoro's stomach drop. How the hell did he get into this mess!? And how the hell did Buggy become a problem again!? Luckily, the whole crowd's attention was drawn to the swordsman and the cook when they made their entrance and people cleared out of the way when they heard the Pirate Hunter's name, making getting to the platform that much easier. Luffy was smiling like an idiot at the sight of his friends and besides the burning desire to take down anyone that was messing with his friend, Zoro wanted to punch the shit out of Luffy for making them all worry.

But then everything was set into motion: the mad dash towards the platform, the ensuing fight with the Buggy Pirates, and the shrill cackle of Buggy's laugh as he lifted his sword into the air. There wasn't enough time! Zoro wasn't going to make it to Luffy; he had to be faster! Zoro slashed at another pirate as Sanji knocked the air out of another with a kick. I have to go faster!

"Not even the great Zoro can stop me now! There's nothing you two can do!" Buggy gloated, relishing his revenge against the rubber bastard. "It's the end for your captain!"

"Bastard!" Sanji was yelling and Zoro took down two more pirates. He thought, If I can just cut down the platform! But time had run out. Buggy was cackling again, starting to bring down his sword as the sky rumbled menacingly.

Luffy looked down at his friends from that high platform, proud of their loyalty and strength. They were really good friends, and he wouldn't have had anyone else on his crew. He could sense Buggy's movement and knew that he only had seconds until that blade separated his head from his neck, so he had to make amends the best he could.

"ZORO! SANJI! USOPP! NAMI!" he called each of their names, his swordsman and cook looking up at the sound of his voice. He gave them the biggest smile he could, wanting to leave them with at least that. He'd always said that if he died pursuing his dream, that'd be alright. He only wished that his adventure could go on longer with the people that he loved and trusted. A smile was the least that he could give them. "Sorry! I'm dead!"

The blade dropped as time condensed into that one moment – the moment right before Luffy died. Zoro's heart seized up in terror, stopping for that one instant, as his world started to collapse. He had only the briefest moment to think, Don't you dare die, you idiot! Don't you dare!

And then the damndest thing happened: lightning struck.

The force of the strike caused several bolts to shoot out of their places and the platform caught on fire before it started to tilt. One of the supports clattered to the ground as rain began to fall, the clouds finally releasing their furious bounty. Then as the fire raged, the execution platform collapsed with a bang. A straw hat drifted down from the sky despite the howling winds, falling on the ground gracefully, where it was picked up and placed back into its customary spot. Monkey D. Luffy stood in front of the crowd of shocked citizens and pirates, still smiling, having narrowly escaped death.

"Hey, I'm alive!" His grin widened as he chuckled. "That's nice!" Buggy was a burned mess next to him, collapsed on the ground after lightning had connected with his sword and fried every inch of his body. It was kind of pathetic.

Then all hell broke loose as the Marines surrounded the square, intent on capturing all the pirates within. Able to breathe again now that Luffy was out of inescapable danger, Zoro grabbed his captain's collar as he was marveling over the new fight that had broken out and began dragging him away. After they'd been running to the Merry for several minutes with Sanji out in front of them, Zoro was finally able to reprimand his captain for his stupid mess.

"You idiot! What were you thinking, letting Buggy trap you like that?! You could've died and then where would we be? HUH?!" Zoro shouted as the rain poured down on them, still not quite believing what had happened. "Seriously?! All to stand where the King of the Pirates stood!"

"It was serious, Zoro!" Luffy argued. "I was only going to get to do this once!"

"But it was stupid that you dragged Buggy and the Marines into your little adventure!"

"Shut up! I didn't do it on purpose!"

"Both of you shut up," Sanji sighed, running along with his crewmates through the streets of Loguetown. "You're like an old married couple."

"Shut up you!" Zoro and Luffy both snapped back at the cook, their pointy teeth and glaring eyes growling at him.

The cook shrugged, rolling his cigarette around in his mouth; it was almost out due to the rain. "Whatever."

"But it was so cool how that lightning came out of nowhere, wasn't it?" Luffy's eyes sparkled at the memory.

"It was dumb luck! Buggy was about to cut your head off!" Zoro snarled as his worry, frustration, and helplessness at the time morphed into worried anger. "Don't do shit like that again! You had me worried!"

"Aw! You were worried about me!" Luffy laughed, nearly slipping in his sandals on the wet cobblestones after the fact. Zoro was glad the darkness of the storm hid his slight blush at the rubber man's clumsy cuteness.

"Of course I was! You're the one who dragged us all into this "King of the Pirates" dream of yours and you were just going to finish it by dying and leaving us without a captain! How stupid would it be if you did die?! Where would we be?!"

"If I die fighting for my dream, then I die," Luffy said with a smile on his face. "I've always lived like that. I can't change now or else it wouldn't be worth dreaming."

"But what's the point of dying without fulfilling your dream?" Zoro shot back. Sanji fished out another cigarette as they argued; his old one was snuffed out by the rain. The cook distinctly remembered Zoro doing the exact same thing at the Baratie when he'd faced Mihawk and was about to bring that up when Luffy beat him to the punch.

"You almost did the same thing, remember? With Mihawk." This time they could both see the swordman's blush of embarrassment.

Sanji smirked at seeing the dumb swordsman put in his place. Zoro knew that Luffy had got him there, but it seemed whenever there was something involving Luffy, Zoro didn't hold him to the same standards that he held himself to. If he died for his dream or his captain and crew, then that was alright. But Luffy dying? He couldn't stand the thought of that. Even as Buggy was swinging his sword down to separate Luffy's head from his neck, Zoro had still been trying to come up with a plan to save him, and any crazy idea would've been fine. He just couldn't let his captain die, no matter what. And that's why he was upset: Luffy was prone to lots of good luck like that lightning bolt that had fried Buggy and saved him, but what if his luck ran out? What then? It was a horrifying prospect.

"I guess that's why I'm so glad you guys showed up." Luffy had moved on and was still talking, even as Zoro thought. "I know you've got my back." The rubber man turned to smile at his swordsman and cook. "And Nami and Usopp too. We look out for each other, right?" And the huge smile on his face chased away all the anger and worry for a moment and Zoro found himself forgiving his captain's stupid actions.

"Right," Zoro nodded.

"BUT DON'T EVER SCARE US LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Sanji leaped up and planted his foot right into the back of Luffy's head and Zoro just gave him a shocked look. He hadn't known that the cook had been as pissed off as he had been.

"I'm sorry," Luffy mumbled with a huge goose egg swelling on his head, "But I can't make that promise."

"Idiot," both the cook and the swordsman grumbled. Just then, they could hear the Marines behind them, shouting and trying to shoot at them. Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy hightailed it down the street. Luffy grabbed Zoro's hand to pull him along, calling to Sanji to move his ass. Zoro smiled despite their situation and let himself be dragged along with Luffy with the wind at his back, just like he always did. His hand felt warm with the slightly smaller one in it, and the man couldn't help but squeeze it back and hope that the dumb cook couldn't see his bashful smile.

To be Continued...

A/N: And there you go! See you all Later!:3