Bumblebee gone astray

-Zoro-

"Uff!" Harsh he slammed on his back.

"Oh, my goodness," came the mocking remark from the side, "that were not even 2,000 handstand push-ups. Are you getting weaker?"

"Fuck off," Zoro grumbled, "I've just lost my balance."

"Really?" replied Mihawk, and Zoro deliberately avoided looking at the transponder snail, not wanting to see that small, smug grin. "Well, if you say so."

"Yes, I say so!" he growled, massaging his cramping forearms. He didn't want to be lectured about his training concept now, and he knew that Mihawk was aiming for that.

"How often do you train in this form?"

"Often enough. Don't get on my nerves."

"And by often enough, you mean every second or third night, right?"

Caught off-guard, Zoro didn't say anything, just straightened his braid and went back to the starting position.

"I certainly do not need to remind you that we deliberately did two-thirds of your training in that form so that the distance between your two bodies would not become even greater, right?" Of course, this know-it-all bastard still had to share his opinion.

"And I certainly don't need to remind you that I know what I'm doing, okay?" he blocked, concentrating on counting again.

The other's wordless response was annoying enough. Only the rustling of the newspaper and the soft waves in the background could be heard. Zoro continued his exercises in silence, refusing to listen to Mihawk's unspoken words.

"Well then, I will arrive in a few minutes. But Roronoa, let me tell you that it is extremely unwise to neglect this body that much, you hear me?"

"I'm not neglecting anything," he grumbled, "I'm training right now, aren't I? Stop lecturing me just because you hate your plans for the next few days. I'm not Buggy, got it?"

Mihawk sighed: "And I could not be more indifferent to his training. Yours, on the other hand..."

"I can take care of my own training." He decided to change the subject. "Why do you even go along with this crap if you hate it so much?"

"Fine," Mihawk saw right through him. "I already told you. As if I could have just accepted the disbanding of the Shichibukai without a statement. Of course, I had to send a signal that the Navy had made a serious mistake."

"But you don't need Crocodile for that, and certainly not Buggy. If you hadn't teamed up with the two of them, you wouldn't have to go to some annoying meeting right now."

"You just do not understand. I told you that working with Crocodile is beneficial, as he likes to deal with business activities. It is very pleasant..."

"It was the name, wasn't it? That's how he persuaded you?"

"Do you think I am that easy to influence?"

Zoro grinned, "That wasn't a no."

The little transponder snail scoffed. "Anyway, I must go now. Keep in mind that I probably will not be available for the next few days due to our meeting point."

"Yes, yes, I know, bad connection and stuff. Don't worry, I'll be fine," he grumbled, as always slightly annoyed by the other's overprotective behavior.

They exchanged a few more words, and at last Mihawk ended the conversation. Breathing a sigh of relief, Zoro let himself fall onto his back, this time deliberately. For the most part, these late-night calls were pleasant. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they were silent most of the time, but it always gave Zoro a bit of peace from Kuraigana. But sometimes Mihawk was in a bad mood, and if Zoro was also dissatisfied with his training, then those calls could get exhausting. Today was one of those days.

Annoyed, he sat up. He didn't want Mihawk to be right, but he couldn't deny it outright. But snorting, he chased away such thoughts. He could still deal with Mihawk enough when he called, now he shouldn't worry too much and rather get to the bathroom quickly and maybe get a few more hours of sleep.

Grumbling softly, he straightened up, but felt in his bones that it wasn't time yet. He could have sworn that he had been in that body for more than a few hours. Well, no one was usually awake at this time of day, except maybe Robin in the library or Jinbei in the aquarium bar. He shuffled across the deck, not really satisfied with himself and his performance, but at least he was tired, and his muscles were sore.

The hot water felt good. It relaxed his exhausted body and relieved some of the tension. The long, wet hair was annoying, but he didn't try to turn back. If it hadn't worked a few minutes ago, it wouldn't work now. Sighing, he dried himself. When was the last time he had transformed? Four or five days ago? Actually, one night should easily be enough. Even if he exhausted his limits — which he seldom did in wise foresight — it was a day at most. But as he tried, it still didn't work. Frustrated, he stood there for a moment, wondering what he should do. Then simple tiredness won. He put on his clothes, took his boots, and left the bathroom, shuffling across the ship until he finally stood in front of his bunk, ignored all thoughts, and climbed in.

"Night, Zoro," came a faint muttering above him.

"Night, Luffy," he replied quietly, not sure if his captain had even woken up.

He thoughtfully cleaned his swords in the flickering light of the lamp, which cast grotesque shadows over the blade and refined the few scratches, but he didn't mind. He liked the nocturnal hours, the quietness, the privacy, and a sidelong glance showed him that the first dawn was still far away. That was a good thing, they all needed sleep, they all needed to rest and regain their strength. Exciting days lay behind them and even more exciting ones were in store for them, that much was certain. But while most of the crewmembers were peacefully asleep, he wasn't tired, knowing that it wasn't time for him to go to sleep just yet.

"You like being up here, don't you?"

"It's quiet here," he replied simply, not even surprised, while the other sat down next to him, "and I didn't want to wait until the next day. It's important that I take good care of my remaining swords."

Unpleasant memories of the past fight came to his mind. Stupid, naïve, inattentive. But it was what it was, he couldn't change it, but he would never forget that his mistake had caused his Yubashili to be destroyed. He hadn't broken a sword since his fight against Hawk Eyes in the East Blue, but now one of his swords had to pay for his weakness. He would not forget that sacrifice and would learn his lesson. It was important that he took good care of his swords, only this way could he hold his own, only in this way could they hold their own. That's why he cleaned his swords now, didn't want to wait until the next day.

Of course, he could have done it downstairs, but since most of them shared the large living space, the light could have woken them up and Chopper needed his sleep now.

"Mhm," the other just said, leaning against him. Zoro let him, regarding his sword.

"So you're not here because you can't sleep?" he asked, a rather unusual question.

Zoro grinned dryly at him. "Are you seriously asking me that right now?"

Luffy grinned too, briefly, then looked at the horizon, pushed his straw hat deeper onto his face and leaned against him a little more. Zoro sighed.

"It'll get better," he said, and Luffy agreed with him wordlessly. "After you've slept and eaten a little, you'll feel better."

"I can't sleep." He sounded soft, rubbing his bandaged arms as if he were cold. "It's hard."

"Yes, it is," Zoro agreed, ignoring Luffy next to him, who lowered his head even more, and looked at his sword. "Losing a friend is always hard and... Merry was really a good ship."

"Yes, she was." Luffy's voice broke, his shoulders trembled.

Zoro was silent.

"All this," Luffy whispered, "so much has happened since we've been here. Usopp, Robin,... Merry, and I... It's hard."

That's what he'd said back then as well after the fight against Usopp. Back then. It seemed like it had happened years ago, yet it had only been a few days, back then the world had been a different place, this crew had been a different one. Now they were enemies of the World Government.

"No one said that the captain's burden is easy to shoulder," he said, his eyes on his sword, "but you mustn't break, or we all might break."

"Mhm," Luffy said, his shoulders shaking. "It's my responsibility," he said in that voice he only showed in such moments, "with Usopp, Robin, the Going Mery and... I have..."

"You've done your duty as captain," he said unequivocally.

"Then why doesn't it feel like that?" whispered Luffy and looked up at him, showing him this face that he only showed in such moments. "Why do I feel like I'm letting everyone down?"

"Because a captain's decisions can't always be consistent with the idea of an ideal world. You've made the right decisions regarding Usopp, saving Robin, and also to let the Going Merry go. You must not doubt that. You're the captain, you have to be strong. After all, who else should we rely on if we have doubts, if not on our captain?"

Silence, then Luffy lowered his gaze.

"And what if I'm not that strong?" he asked the night.

"Then sooner or later this crew will fall apart," he replied simply. "Because these crewmembers are too strong to follow a weak captain."

"Would you leave?"

"I wouldn't follow you if you were weak."

He felt Luffy's head tilt against his shoulder, felt the shuddering and the trembling.

"In a few hours, when the sun rises, the crew will need a strong captain. A captain who doesn't question his decisions, doesn't let his authority be undermined. Tomorrow morning you'll be that captain." He put his sword away and put his hand on the straw hat, pressing the other a little more closely. "So be weak now, doubt, cry, break. And tomorrow morning you'll be strong again so the crew can count on you."

Like that he sat there and watched the dawn as his captain clawed into his shirt and shed silent tears.

"Hey, get up, Marimo! You've overslept and it's long past time for breakfast."

"Shut up, don't be annoying," he grumbled into his pillow and turned his head away demonstratively.

He could feel the kick of the Cook against the bunk, as he often did – and the Cook kicked him even more often – and after another admonition and a quiet curse, the Cook stalked away.

But Zoro knew it wasn't going to do any good. Thanks to the Cook, he was now awake and even though he would like to go back to sleep right away, he was still hungry after the long night.

Ponderously, he sat up, noticed slight muscle soreness between his shoulder blades, a good feeling. He didn't waste any more thought on that dream, on days gone by, but threw his feet over the wood and wondered if he might be able to avoid the patching of the sail and put in an extra session. Then he noticed it, the long hair on his shoulders; he was still in that body. Sighing, he closed his eyes and... couldn't transform.

"What the...?"

He tried again, knowing exactly how it worked, but nothing happened, not even that pain set in. And yet he must have been in this body long enough...

He looked up, noticed his breathing quickening.

Except for that one time after Eizen's failed coup, he had never had any trouble transforming back. Since that day, even the pain was gone, he endured it longer in his body. He knew exactly what to do, just as he always did, had done for years now.

But, for whatever reason, nothing happened.

Zoro sat there, in his bunk on the Thousand Sunny, unable to transform.

-Sanji-

Absently, he scrubbed the pot while the rest of the crewmembers ate breakfast, all except for the Marimo.

It was part of his usual morning routine, sometimes others of the crew took care of it, but often it was he who hurried to the boys' cabin and woke up the sleepyheads – usually only the Marimo. It was quite normal, but today had been different.

He didn't know exactly what had happened – was it because of the conversation he'd had with Zoro ages ago about his alter ego? Or maybe Hawk Eyes exaggerated reaction? Or something else entirely? - but it had surprised him. He had stormed into the cabin with his usual morning cigarette to wake up the other, as always, with a bit of well-intentioned harshness, and suddenly... Zoro had been in the bunk. But not quite Zoro either. Sanji knew it was him, but for a moment the wild curls had startled him.

Zoro never, never, showed himself in that form if he could somehow avoid it, and so it had just been surprising, or rather shocking, yes, shocking.

He knew he should get used to it, but how, if it was an absolutely unfamiliar situation? Did he now always have to expect to suddenly run into a... female Marimo, into Lady Loreen? And hadn't he demanded it himself somehow? How naïve he had been.

And then a new thought came to him. Should he warn the others? What he had talked with Zoro about back then? What he'd just seen?

No, of course not, stupid. Nothing unusual had happened, nothing unusual at all. He had only gone to wake up the Marimo, as he did almost every morning, and the Marimo would probably…

"Morning," the door slammed open and the Marimo came in, the shaggy curls bouncing in all directions, the much too big shirt around the slender body, on bare feet, and those black, tight-fitting pants that he always seemed to wear under his normal pants, as Sanji remembered from an outburst long ago.

Sanji saw the looks, saw the big eyes of Franky and Usopp, a subtle smile from Robin before she drowned it in her coffee, a brief note from Jinbei, who quickly turned back to his conversation with Nami about the current course, but Zoro didn't seem to notice them as he threw himself next to Luffy and began to gorge himself over the greetings of the others, almost as bad as their captain.

Sanji couldn't help but stare at him. He knew better, he knew better. But this was weird. Yes, he had seen Zoro in this form once or twice by now, but to see him sitting there now, sleepily glutting as usual, but in this form, it was so strange, so very weird.

"What?" the Marimo growled at him.

"No… nothing," he murmured, whereupon the other just rolled his eyes and only after a second did Sanji realize that this had just been an absolutely uncharacteristic behavior for him. Normally, he would have been only too grateful to accept this invitation.

After that, breakfast went its way halfway normally. Sanji noticed the sideway glances of the others, their frowns, caught himself staring at Zoro again and again, but otherwise it was almost normal, while Luffy told Zoro about his plans for the day between five hundred bites and Zoro only grumbled more or less approvingly as he usually did, and even the soft voice did little to change that.

One by one, the others trudged outside until only Usopp – who was supposed to help Sanji with the dishes – and Nami – who was still reading the newspaper – remained in the galley. Sanji waited until Brook had closed the door behind him, then jumped around from the sink to look at the other two.

"What was that?!"

"What?" said Nami absently, looking up briefly.

"Oh, the Marimo!"

"Sanji." Usopp sounded both unsettled and somewhat mediating. "You know he..."

"Yes, of course, but what was that? Honestly, yes, we all know this thing with Lady Loreen, but normally he never runs around like... that. Why now all of a sudden?"

Nami sighed. "Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? He has two forms and must be in the other from time to time, right? Chopper doesn't always run around in the same form neither." She didn't even look up.

"It's different," Sanji murmured. "He said quite frankly that he..."

"Oh, and that's why he never does it. Because he thinks we're going to make a big deal out of it." She folded up the newspaper. "Honestly, I think in the last two years he's usually spent his day-to-day life as Loreen as well – probably just training anyway – so we should see it as a good sign if he's doing that on board now. It's taken long enough."

"A little warning would have been nice," Sanji said, "I was really stunned this morning."

Nami brought the newspaper to the sideboard and looked earnestly back and forth between Usopp and Sanji.

"Come on, Nami," Usopp jumped into the breach. "Yes, sure, it's a good thing, really. But it's also unfamiliar. Not only that he looks like that, but above all that he..."

"... behaves the same as usual," Sanji murmured. "It's kind of creepy, like Torao's body swap, or something."

"In two weeks, we'll all be used to it." She crossed her arms. "But we should be careful that we don't react rather stupidly until then, okay?" She looked at Sanji.

"What? I didn't do anything."