Chapter 78

Breath of life

"Hey, waish for me!"

Luffy jumped from the first floor of the Sunny and rushed towards his friends, most of whom were gathered around the swordsman sitting on the grass of the deck. As he landed with a crash among the group, Usopp nudged him away.

"I told you to come early!"

"Sanchi gave my shnack!" The straw hat boy showed him, pointing to his still full mouth.

"Shh, it's already started," Chopper whispered.

The captain and his sniper looked up and indeed, they noticed that Zoro had closed his eyes. At his side, Vivi, Malek, Franky and Brook were also concentrating in anticipation of the significant effort they were about to make and Usopp and Chopper hurried to position themselves in turn. The swordsman always started with a few minutes of meditation before doing his exercises and Luffy hurriedly swallowed his last mouthful while dropping to the ground to do the same as his friends.

Leaning on the railing of the first floor that Luffy had just jumped over, Robin smiled amusedly. When the first mate of the crew had resumed his training routine three days earlier, everyone had rushed to watch him, both curious and excited. From his more confident walk and determined look, they had immediately understood that something had happened and the excitement had turned into real enthusiasm when the next morning, Zoro had sat again on the deck after breakfast. At this moment, Luffy had joined his first mate to try to meditate, stretch and do bodybuilding exercises with him. Immediately, the enthusiasm had reached a good part of their companions and Vivi had decided to accompany them, arguing that doing some workout would be nice. Franky, Brook and Malek had followed, and eventually Chopper and Usopp had joined them as well.

This morning was the third day and this time, everyone had gotten ready and dressed appropriately, motivated to take advantage of their swordsman's momentum to also perfect their physical and mental condition. Yet Zoro was a terrible instructor and if he had not made any remark when he had seen his crewmates crowding around him to try to reproduce his gestures, he did not try to slow down or even tell them when he changed exercises. Everyone tried to follow him as best they could then.

So when his meditation ended, he got up without looking at his friends and headed towards the mast where he had decided to set up his first workout, muscle building. Actually, he had planned several places on the ship's grass to regularly change activities and force himself to adapt. As soon as he arrived, the swordsman began his series of crunches and quickly, all the others rushed to his side.

"It looks like a forced labor camp," Nami pointed out to the archaeologist when she left the library with her sister.

"They're going all out," Nojiko observed in turn.

"I'm not sure that our swordsman has planned anything for those who don't have his strength." Robin laughed, seeing the sniper and the little reindeer already sweating profusely.

"Why does Vivi impose such torture on herself?" The navigator sighed while the princess winced to follow the fencer who was doing another series of sit-ups.

"I think she likes the challenge, both physical and mental," the archaeologist replied.

"She's very determined," Nojiko agreed, observing her focus.

"I wonder if this has any effect on Brook," Nami noted while the skeleton was panting with all his might between two sit-ups.

"It's hard to say," her sister admitted. "What about Franky? Is there any risk of… damage?" She then asked the two other young women.

"He still has some muscles, especially in his back," Robin pondered. "However, it is likely that certain exercises are more beneficial than others."

"It's gonna be hell this morning," the redhead noted as the swordsman now headed towards his dumbbells to work on his pectorals. Indeed, the first consequences of the training were already there and Brook, Usopp and Chopper stuck out their tongues as they got up to move on to the second activity. Malek and Vivi had been careful and brought their own dumbbells to perform the exercise properly. As for Luffy and Franky, they grabbed the fencer's dumbbells and if the cyborg resisted, the captain became red as a brick when he tried to lift the weight he had chosen.

"Let them break their necks if they want, I'm gonna check our reservations for tomorrow," the navigator eluded.

As she was about to leave, Sanji twirled out of the galley, a tray in hand. Malek had decided to participate in these impromptu sport sessions so the blond had offered to replace him to provide snacks for the crew in return for the favor he had asked him on the All Blue. Actually, Sanji was more than delighted to be alone with the ladies and he had not skimped on the quality or refinement of his delicacies.

"Goddesses of mine, I have made delicious madeleines for you with fresh butter! There is lemon, tangerine, banana, hazelnut flour, chocolate chips and honey madeleines!"

Nami leaned towards the tray and grabbed a tangerine madeleine under the heart-shaped eyes of her friend who then approached the two other young women to offer them some. After Nojiko and Robin had thanked him, the blond straightened up worriedly, looking for the one who was missing.

"Where's the queen of my heart, where's my Viv-

Sanji almost dropped his tray when he discovered the pretty young woman gritting her teeth alongside the swordsman in the plank position below.

"My princess!" He exclaimed, mortified.

"She takes care of herself; she's right to do so," Nami pointed out to him.

"A monarch must have iron discipline; their responsibilities are tremendous," Robin agreed.

Excited, the cook jumped onto the edge of the railing to hang from it.

"Vivi, my princess, you're the best!" The athletes raised their heads when hearing his desperate cry and Sanji continued his tirade. "I believe in you; you can do it! Don't be discouraged and beat the crap out of those clowns! I'll serve you the most delicious and nutritious snack as soon as you finish your workout!"

Below, Vivi smiled as the fencer started to do push-ups, drawing tired sighs from some of their friends.

"That's very kind, Sanji-san, I would really need it!"

"I am at your service, lovely Vivi! Ask me anything you want!"

"What about us? What will we get?" Usopp wanted to know as he was getting into position as best he could.

"We're in terrible pain too," Brook confirmed while trying to catch his breath.

"My stomach hurts," Chopper whined, touching his aching abs.

"It really is not easy," Malek admitted, trying to follow the rhythm of the horribly slow push-ups that the swordsman was doing.

"I'm hungry!" Luffy added, laughing.

"We're trying hard and it's not that easy," Franky muttered, emptying his bottle of cola into his mouth to recharge.

From his perch, the blond barely glanced at them. "It's not my problem, you idiots, you're the ones who got yourself into this situation. If you're hungry, you're on your own."

Indignant protests arose in front of this biased treatment.

"That's one way of looking at it." Malek sighed as he continued his efforts.

"That's not fair," Chopper lamented. He was even struggling to roll to the side now.

"This is called favoritism!" Usopp protested as he collapsed on the ground, exhausted.

"I approve of your impeccable service to these ladies, but ours seems somewhat neglected," Brook noted as he sat down to rest.

"You could encourage us at least, bro," Franky pointed out with a scowl.

"Don't worry, I'll share," Vivi whispered to them with a smile despite the difficulty of her exercise.

"You're awesome!" Luffy yelled, struggling to stabilize his left arm to perform a lateral balance like his first mate.

At the railing that she had not left to grab another madeleine, Nami glanced at those who continued to slave away. "They could use a little shaking up," she said, savoring her treat. "They've been slacking off since we left the New World."

"This new ardor on the part of our swordsman has given everyone new momentum," Robin agreed with a smile.

"By the way, Sanji-kun, do you have any idea why this change happened?" The redhead asked him, raising an eyebrow in his direction. Busy waddling to encourage Vivi, the blond laughed nervously as he turned to her. "Who knows what's going on in his stupid mosshead, Nami-san? He's nowhere near as smart and distinguished as you!"

"I'm sure." Nami continued to stare knowingly at the cook, batting her eyelashes excessively, not fooled for a second. In the end, she shrugged. "It doesn't matter as long as he gets his spirits up anyway. Just make sure he doesn't overdo it; the wedding is in a few days and I want him to be able to keep up his post."

"You can count on me, my beloved navigator!"

The redhead then turned her back to focus on the other two young women. "I've arranged to meet Amy and Lily at eight tomorrow morning," she told them. "We should be on the island of Mörm in less than two hours, Liam told me the route with the best currents. That way, we'll be ready to enjoy brunch as soon as we arrive."

"As you predicted, the weather will obviously be on our side too," Robin congratulated her, looking up at the clear sky.

"I couldn't let my bachelorette party take place in the rain; it'd have ruined half the program," her friend said.

"You've organized a real princess day for yourself," her sister pointed out. "I can't wait to see what it's gonna be like."

"Nami-san, I'd love to be there too!" The blond man chimed in behind her in a pleading voice, "I could be your knight in shining armor and I'll make sure you're always perfectly safe!"

"That's not gonna happen," the navigator replied, dismissing him with a wave of her hand without turning around. "It's a girls' day, no men are allowed to come or even know what will happen there."

"Really?" The archaeologist asked, amused.

"So there'll be an unfathomable mystery forever connected to this divine day!" The cook realized as he fell to his knees, struck right in the heart by the revelation.

"Absolute secret," the redhead confirmed with a sickly-sweet smile while Nojiko was worried by the blissful look of the blond who had rolled on the floor. "In times of need, I could offer to share this information for a few berries…"

Zoro looked up at the library and saw the faint light filtering through the windows. He took a breath and headed there with determination. At this late hour, he was almost certain to find the person he was looking for in this quiet place and it was the perfect time to share the questions he was asking himself.

After his conversation with the blond and the realization of what his swords had sacrificed for him, the swordsman contemplated the rest of the events in a completely different light. His blades had shown him absolute trust and a flood of gratitude had overwhelmed him, sweeping away the guilt that could have nestled in him at that moment. He simply did not have the right to disappoint their shared dream now and in the silence of the crow's nest after the cook had left, he had offered them to rely on him as he had relied on them during his fight against the Vice-Admiral. With his new resolve, the fencer had made a drastic change in his daily life the very next day.

First of all, he was aware that his body was weakened right now, both because of his mental exhaustion and own discipline that he had let loose. He had then planned a complete training program to fully regain possession of his physical means. This was the basis that would allow him to be in the best possible condition in order to tap into his mental and spiritual resources to control Haki and reconnect with his wounded swords.

Zoro was used to his solitary training and he had been somewhat destabilized when he had noticed that his crewmates were joining him during his session. Aside from Malek and Vivi, all the others complained while following him in a rather noisy manner and he had feared that he wouldn't be able to focus enough as a result. Ultimately though, he had decided to use Usopp and Brook's complaints, Luffy's laughter, Franky's metallic squeaks and Chopper's moans as an extra test of concentration. Moreover, he had come to understand that getting back in shape was not the main objective of most of his friends since they stayed hanging out in the grass not far from him once they had reached their limits. Actually, this was their way of showing their support and encouragement to the fencer after he had told them he couldn't overcome the obstacle he was facing. This tacit and omnipresent trust had warmed his heart and he was now all the more aware of the distance that he had unconsciously created between himself and his crewmates. Sanji had been the only one to refuse to be pushed away and he had managed to force his way towards him relentlessly.

As he climbed the stairs, Zoro glanced up at the starry sky above him. He hadn't taken the time to thank the cook for what he had given him, but he also knew that the blond was simply waiting to see him become himself again in return. Zoro had then decided to concentrate exclusively on his objective for the moment, even if he didn't forget that a day would come when he would try hard to put into words the infinite gratitude he felt towards him.

A few seconds later, Zoro pushed the door to the library and its hushed atmosphere immediately enveloped him. This room was probably the place he frequented the least on the Sunny: he only came to look for one of his crewmates or, even more rarely, to find information about the history or characteristics of some swords. He didn't mind this calm atmosphere, but the studious side of the place gave him the impression of not completely belonging here sometimes.

"What can I do for you, dear swordsman?"

Zoro immediately spotted the figure of the archaeologist sitting at one of the tables, a book opened in front of her that she was studying thanks to several candles. With her discreet gestures and intelligence as sharp as her knowledge, Robin definitely belonged to this place that was both quiet and mysterious among the treasures she revered most in the world, books.

"I got a question. If you don't mind."

In response, the young woman pointed to a chair in front of her and Zoro slowly approached the table, his three swords clinking with each of his steps. Now that he had realized he had cut himself off from his crewmates, he wanted to show them that he appreciated their concern and that he intended to lean on them if necessary. And this evening, the swordsman wanted to know more. Sanji had shown him the way and after getting back on track in recent days, Zoro wanted to get ready as best as possible for the future.

Near the chair, the swordsman took the time to place his swords against the table before sitting down. Zoro observed the archaeologist's face for a moment. She was lit by the faint light of the candles and quietly lent herself to this examination. After all the adventures that the Straw Hat crew had experienced together, the young woman knew the swordsman's taciturn personality well enough not to be offended.

"Haki," Zoro suddenly said, "I need to know more and since you told us about it last time…"

Robin nodded. "What do you want to know?" She asked him. Zoro shrugged, annoyed. "I don't really know. Have you ever read somewhere that some kind of link between objects and people can exist thanks to Haki?"

The young woman began to think. "Armament Haki is transmitted to certain parts of the body and even to certain objects," she recalled. "It allows to strengthen power."

"No idea how it works?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Zoro glanced at his swords before turning his attention back to the archaeologist. "The cook thinks that I was using Observation Haki to communicate with my swords and that some of my attacks came from Armament Haki. The problem is that I don't control them consciously."

Robin stared at him for a moment, clearly surprised. "What a brilliant analytical mind," she finally said, closing her book with a smile. "Even if he stayed away from us for so long, he manages to know us better than we know ourselves…"

The archaeologist got up to head towards one of the shelves and Zoro let his gaze linger again on his swords. Sanji had always been able to decipher what he could not explain to himself and the separation they had undergone had changed nothing. His stomach tightened strangely at the thought then, but before he could think about it further, Robin returned to place several books between them.

"Observation Haki is known throughout the world under different names and its manifestation seems very personal to the user but we can still identify two types," she explained as she sat down again. "For example, it can be used to predict the immediate movements of your opponent or detect their presence at any time if they are hidden. In your case and according to our chef's deduction, I think you use one as well as the other. This explains your ability to dodge certain attacks in order to better repel them."

"I can't fight effectively now," the swordsman reminded her.

"It makes perfect sense in light of this new data." The archaeologist opened one of the books she had brought and turned the pages before stopping on a highlighted paragraph. "The most common use of Haki is the user's ability to sense the presence of their surroundings, both their environment and other individuals," she read.

"That's the thing," the swordsman chimed in, "I don't sense my surroundings without going through my swords."

"Hm, that's pretty predictable."

"Really?"

Robin turned the book towards her crewmate to point to a page and Zoro leaned over it, curious. "Users of Observation Haki can understand the emotions and nature of others," she showed him. "I think you instinctively focused all your attention on your swords given their importance to you and this is how your vision developed through them."

Zoro leaned back in his chair, suddenly thoughtful. "So if I focus enough, I should be able to sense my surroundings apart from my swords, right?"

"It's very likely," the archaeologist agreed.

The swordsman seemed to get lost in thought for a moment and Robin observed him with curiosity. In the end, Zoro got up and put his swords back on his belt. "Thanks, Robin. I think I know what I have to do."

"I'm glad I could help you. But, if you don't mind, I have a question of my own."

"I'm listening."

"Why don't you try to focus on your swords again? It seems to me that this is the most direct way to develop your Haki."

At these words, Zoro smiled before turning away. "The cook's got another interesting theory about that and this time, it seems it's up to me to help them."

The door closed behind the swordsman and Robin looked at it for a few more moments before getting up to put away the books scattered on the table, a smile on her lips. The bond Zoro had formed with his swords may have temporarily disappeared but what she was sure of was that he had not lost the bond he shared with Sanji.

For Zoro's training session with the whole crew, you can listen to Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. That's what inspired the scene!

I hope that this slightly more relaxed and funnier chapter did you some good.

Next chapter is about the bachelor and bachelorette parties!