The night was silent except for the faint crackling of the fire Zoro had built, its warmth stretching out to combat the chill that settled after the collapse of Absalom's castle. The stars above were scattered like fragments of glass, faintly glowing in a velvet sky. Zoro leaned back against a jagged rock, his swords propped carefully beside him.

Nami nestled herself a few feet away; her body slumped in exhaustion as she lightly snored, her head tilted awkwardly.

She had burned through so much energy. More than he thought a human could. More than she should have been able to.

Her power had been raw, untamed, yet undeniable. It had rattled the very air and even him—a golden-skinned demon lord with a reputation for being unshakable.

And now? She was fast asleep. Again.

Zoro exhaled sharply, tilting his head back against the rock. "And I thought I was the one who could sleep anywhere."

It wasn't just that she passed out. It was when she passed out. She would release energy, she would take energy, and then—nothing. No explanation. No acknowledgment. Just unconsciousness.

She could simply borrow his power and then shut down before he could even ask how she did it.

His crimson eyes drifted to her, his frown deepening.

Her petite frame was curled against his wing, the tattered remains of her dress barely holding together after the battle. He should move her. Wake her. Shake her until she answered his damn questions.

But she looked so… still.

The sharpness of her usual expression had softened in sleep; the hard lines of determination melted into something almost fragile. Her face was slack, peaceful in a way that almost irritated him more.

She had caused a storm—inside and out—and yet she was the one resting easy.

His wing shifted slightly, the sharp, clawed tips of his golden membranes flexing. He still wasn't used to this form, as he rarely took his wings out, but she seemed to enjoy them.

The wings that unfurled from his back weren't soft, angelic things. They were monstrous, more bat-like than a bird, vast and sinewy, stretched taut over long, jagged bones. The golden sheen of the membrane made them look almost metallic in the firelight, their edges curling like blades. When folded, they draped like a tattered cloak, heavy against his back. But the moment they spread—they could cut through the wind itself.

And yet, despite their edge, their weight, and their unnatural presence—Nami had curled right into them like they were a shield.

Zoro exhaled sharply, dragging a hand over his face. This woman is going to drive me insane.

When Monkey D. Luffy, the so-called Monkey King, had called on him to escort her, he had known something was up. Luffy had that look in his eye, the one that promised chaos and mischief. But Zoro hadn't thought much of it then. An escort mission—simple enough. He'd done worse.

Now, he wasn't so sure. A real witch? And this young?

The stories he'd heard about witches were nothing like this girl. Witches were supposed to be ancient, haggard beings who had been there since the dawn of time, wielding godlike powers that could reshape the very fabric of the world. Beings more potent than any demon or monster, with a will even gods feared. But this girl… she was different.

She was strong, yes, but not in the way those stories described. Her power had been raw and unrefined, her spells carried more by instinct than by knowledge. And yet, it was enough to obliterate Absalom, a creature who had made even Zoro's skin crawl.

"All this for a golden berri," Zoro murmured under his breath, his gaze drifting toward the fire. "Something so… small."

Golden berries weren't impossible to find. They were a delicacy among kings and gods, and their power was said to be worth a lifetime of riches. But their true price wasn't in gold. It was in souls. To obtain one through any normal means required a cost few could pay, and fewer survived.

And here she was, risking her life for it. For her sister.

Zoro's thoughts darkened. The idea of trading one's soul for a golden berri wasn't just hypothetical. He'd seen it happen. He'd seen the husks of people who had tried and failed to wield such power. That she wanted one for a reason, so… human was almost laughable. But that was her, wasn't it? All human. Yet, somehow, more.

His crimson eyes flicked back to her sleeping form. The firelight danced across her features, and for the briefest moment, he thought he could see a flicker of that same light she had unleashed earlier. The storm inside her. It wasn't gone; it was just dormant, waiting.

Zoro inhaled deeply, dragging a hand over his face. This woman is going to drive me insane.

His fingers brushed his lips before he could stop himself.

She had kissed him.

Or no—kissed wasn't the right word. She had stolen from him.

Even now, the memory hit like a blade, sudden and sharp. The sensation of it—hot, electric, and oddly soothing—lingered like an ember refusing to burn out.

How the hell had she done that?

Zoro had fought demons who could drain energy, shamans who could siphon power, and even ancient spirits who could bargain for life itself. Even Absalom had wielded some draining power. But Nami? Nami had taken.

No incantation as a shaman would need. No contract as a demon would require. No warning.

One second, he had been on the brink of collapse, the weight of Absalom's magic crushing them—

Then her lips had brushed against his.

And his power had poured into her like a dam breaking. Not all of it. Just enough.

That was the part that gnawed at him. She hadn't just ripped energy from him recklessly. She had taken exactly what she needed. Like she knew.

Zoro clenched his jaw, his wings flexing slightly. What the hell are you, woman?

The worst part? It hadn't felt wrong.

For a brief, horrifying second, he had almost leaned into it. The pull of energy hadn't been painful, hadn't left him drained or broken.

It had been controlled. Balanced. Like instinct.

His fingers curled against his knee. Did she remember?

He had been waiting for her to bring it up. To demand answers about what she had done—because he sure as hell didn't have them. But the moment she released their collective power to release all those trapped souls, she had collapsed, her body falling deeper into his embrace before he could so much as get a word in.

And now she was sleeping again, tucked against his wing like she hadn't just turned his entire understanding of magic upside down.

Zoro exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. I should wake her up. Demand an explanation. Shake her until she—

Nami murmured something under her breath, shifting slightly against him.

Zoro froze.

His entire body went rigid as her face nuzzled—actually nuzzled—against the inside of his wing, the heat of her breath brushing against his ribs.

The sharp edges of his feathers twitched violently, but she didn't stir.

This. Woman.

Zoro gritted his teeth and turned his gaze back to the fire. Fine. Let her sleep. But when she woke up—she was going to answer some damn questions.

She stood in a field of iridescent flowers, their petals glowing faintly under a dreamlike haze. The sky above shimmered with colors that shifted and swirled like liquid light.

Ahead of her, beneath a sprawling mikan tree, stood Belle-mère.

Nami's breath hitched. "Mama?"

Belle-mère smiled. "Took you long enough, kiddo."

Nami ran to her, throwing her arms around her. "I miss you… I'm so sorry."

Belle-mère chuckled, stroking her hair. "You say that every time."

"I mean it every time."

Belle-mère lifted Nami's chin. "We are all connected, even when we are gone. The stars are proof of that."

"I know… I feel it… but…"

Belle-mère tilted her head. "But?"

"It feels different now."

Belle-mère's eyes gleamed. "That's because he's here."

"Who's he?" She asked as the wind seemed to collect her mother and the flowers.

Her mother leaned in, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead before whispering something quickly in her ear. The words were warm, almost electric, but too fast for Nami to grasp fully. Before she could ask for clarity, the field began to dissolve, the flowers fading into the shadows.

Nami's eyes snapped open, her heart pounding. The dream lingered in her mind—the scent of mikans, the warmth of Belle-mère's presence, and the cryptic words that refused to leave her.

She blinked, taking in her surroundings. The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows against the rocks. She was tucked against Zoro's side, his massive wing draped over her like a golden shield. His face was mere inches from hers, his crimson eyes half-closed as he sat in quiet contemplation.

And before she could stop herself, the words tumbled from her lips: "I want you to bond with me!"

Zoro's mind stopped. Of all the things she could have said—of all the ways this conversation could have gone—she had to choose that?

His mouth opened, then closed. The heat from that damn memory rushed back, but he shoved it away, pushed it down because there was no way in hell he was going to be the one to bring it up first.

"W-what?" he stammered, feeling alarmingly unbalanced for a demon lord.

She looked just as shocked, her face going crimson as she realized what she had said. "I-I… well… um…"

Zoro narrowed his eyes. Was this her way of addressing what had happened? Did she remember after all?

"And… where did this idea come from?" His tone was cautious, but there was something else under it. Curiosity. A test.

Nami hesitated. "What if I told you my dead shaman mother, Belle-mère, whispered it to me in a dream?"

Zoro stared. Then, with a deadpan expression, he said, "…Right."

No. No, she didn't remember. Not at all.

Silence stretched between them, and for a moment, Zoro debated whether he should tell her. Just ask. But at this moment, he was afraid for the first time in his life.

With a huff, Zoro folded his wing back. "Let's just sleep. We've already lost time thanks to your kidnapping."

Nami's mortification turned to irritation. "Oh, as if! You, running around half-naked, stealing clothes—typical demon behavior."

Zoro scowled. "Typical human hypocrisy! You'd rather be that necromancer's bride?"

Nami gaped. "Excuse me?! And what took you so long? Got lost again?"

"I-forget you! At least I came!"

"Because you wouldn't be able to get anywhere without me!"

"Then don't leave my side, witch!"

"Then keep me by your side, demon!"

Without thinking, Zoro tore three golden earrings from his right ear, along with a strand of his long emerald hair. He crushed them into his palm, his fingers glowing as his magic surged through the metals.

A faint golden light pulsed between his fingers.

Then he opened his hand. The small golden pendant—a fusion of his earrings and hair—rested in his palm, glowing faintly with his energy.

Wordlessly, he forced it into her hands.

"Wear this," he muttered.

Nami blinked, looking down at the pendant, then back up at him. "And what the hell is this supposed to be?"

Zoro scowled. "You told me not to lose you. So I won't."

Nami gaped at him. "What does that even—?!"

He leaned forward, securing the pendant around her neck. The chain fused without a clasp. The three golden earrings rested against her collarbone, warm against her skin.

His voice lowered, suddenly quiet, as he finished binding the spell.

"I've engraved my power into it… this way… it's like a compass. I'll know where you are. It'll ward off other creatures… like that necromancer. And you can…"

"I can?" she pressed, voice softer now.

His crimson gaze flickered—another glance at her lips.

"You can…" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked at her mouth.

"…not steal my power again."

The wind swept between them before her fist collided with his jaw.

"You self-absorbed IDIOT!"

Zoro growled, rubbing his cheek. "What the hell was THAT for?!"

"For being YOU! And what makes you think I need your power?"

"Oh, you really don't remember?" He demanded as he rubbed his cheek.

"Remember what, demon?"

He wanted to ask her about it, his eyes trailing down to those lips again. She had to be a witch and cast some spell on him. But then she huffed and muttered about everything else, and he suddenly had zero desire to bring up the fact that she had sucked him dry with her lips. Whatever had happened, whatever she had unlocked—it was her problem now.

"Never mind, witch," Zoro muttered.

"Fine, demon!" she snapped back.

They turned away, each stewing in their own frustration.

Above them, the stars twinkled mischievously as if amused. In the unseen threads of fate, a witch had unknowingly bound herself to a demon. And a demon had made sure the bond would never break.