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“WAIT! Luf-!”
Her sentence unfinished, Nami sighed and rolled her eyes at the blurry red and blue spot disappearing in the lush green vegetation. Cheerful, bubbly laughter was soon absorbed by the bushes and trees growing where the white sand gave in and the only sound audible for a short moment were the waves gently lapping at Merry’s sides.
“He’ll be fine, and probably back soon - he hasn’t taken any food with him,” reasoned Sanji, looking at the half-full box in his hands. He was just starting on dinner when he heard their captain’s loud voice yelling something about an island and adventure. Knowing him well, Sanji tried to put something quick together - but still missed the rubber boy catapulting himself straight into the forest.
They were sailing for a couple of days without having sighted any land, and while their provisions could keep them full for a little longer, the vision of fresh food and water ( And an adventure! added Luffy’s voice in Sanji’s mind) was too tempting to miss the unknown island.
“I know, probably..it’s just that I haven’t found this place on any maps and I think the log doesn’t really point towards here as well, it’s slightly..off.” Nami sighed again and checked the quivering tip of the compass on her wrist - she was right. Pointing a little to the right rather than straight ahead, it looked like even the log pose was trying not to lead them here.
Nami shivered slightly and decided to not voice her thoughts loud lest she want to make Usopp panic.
“He’ll be alright. I need to stretch my legs, I’ll go get him.”
Without any further ado, the crew watched their swordsman jumping over the railing, his three katanas firmly at his side.
“Just don’t get both of you lost, Marimo..” Sanji snorted and returned to the kitchen. It was, after all, dinner time, and his beloved ladies were certainly very hungry.
---
“He’s gotta be pretty far, damn, I can’t hear him anymore…” Zoro grumbled and pushed away the same leaf that was trying to poke out his eye for the third time in a row. There was no sign of his captain - not his usual laughter, not even the sounds of something breaking, followed by this odd sound of rubber snapping back to its original shape.
Getting more and more flustered with his fight against the everpresent nature, Zoro finally decided to make his suffering shorter. Two quick slashes and the green around him fell to his feet, allowing him to look around - he apparently made it back to the beach, wait, no, there’s no Merry, this is - what is this?
His brain was too slow processing all the things happening. With the greenery cut down, Zoro could not only see the beach ahead of him, but the buildings there, too, and the large group of armed people, currently all looking at him.
The colours of their clothes..the symbols.. “Ah, fuck.”
Groaning, Zoro had barely time to whip the dark bandana from its usual position around his left arm and fasten it on his head before the first marines got to him, yelling and readying their weapons. Grinning wildly, Zoro knocked the first marine who reached him down and laughed. I wanted to stretch my legs, after all.
---
Blood dripping down his swords changed the texture of the sand under his knees. Zoro was breathing hard, scanning the beach frantically. He had no idea where all the marines were coming from. The three tall buildings he saw before didn’t look like they could provide housing for so many people, and there weren’t any warships on the ocean, no matter where he looked. The attacks were vicious and merciless and constantly coming, no matter how many times Zoro deflected them. What looked like a short evening brawl turned into a night battle where only the moon and stars gave the desperate fight away.
Trying to calm his heartbeat a little, Zoro inhaled and exhaled calmly. He was painfully aware that some of the blood seeping into the white sand was his own, and the pulsing dull pain in his left thigh didn’t disappear either. Zoro stood up, rolled his shoulders and tried to ignore the throbbing in his right arm that was sporting a deep cut, and braced himself for another attack he saw incoming.
Just...one more sunrise. I promised..I would be there, next to him, the next time.
---
Zoro yawned and rubbed his eyes. It was almost an end of his watch and the sky was rapidly changing - from the deep blue into the cerulean hue that was definitely a good sign for their voyage. Who even knows, it was snowing two days ago..the weather is insane. Yawning again, Zoro decided it was about time to leave the crow’s nest and get some more sake and maybe someone to take over so he could find a calm place for a nap. There’s never much calm once sencho wakes up..I’d better fall asleep before he starts jumping around, Zoro snorted. He still must be dead to the world - it’s so quiet.
The swordsman liked these serene, peaceful moments just before the sunrise, even if he’d probably never admit it to anyone. The world seemed to slow down, everything looked soft and for a few moments, everything was possible.
Climbing the rope ladder down, Zoro stretched and decided to check the ocean around Merry once more. He started at the starboard and headed to the bow when he froze in his steps.
He was wrong; he wasn’t the only one up at the ship.
There, on the figurehead, firmly perched between Merry’s horns, was the captain of the Strawhat Pirates himself, sitting ramrod straight and looking far ahead; for once he wasn’t grinning but looked serious and calm. The breeze was gently toying with the hem of the signature straw hat, and the sky above them was coloured in various tones of red, pink and orange. The vast ocean looked like it was on fire, with the sun slowly rising at the horizon.
Luffy noticed there was someone else, and he turned slowly to look at Zoro. He smiled widely. “Good morning.”
Zoro was certain that if he had tried to say anything, his voice would betray him. He didn’t know what was happening, only that his heart undoubtedly skipped a beat upon seeing his captain’s smiling face, so sincere and happy, and for some reasons stated beating harder than during his usual workout.
He blinked and swallowed. What the..? What is going on? Deciding to risk it, he licked his lips, suddenly nervous despite not knowing why. “S..sencho. Mornin’.”
Luffy laughed and immediately jumped to his feet, mumbling something about having to go to wake Sanji up so the cook could make them breakfast, and also go find Usopp and Chopper because they..
The rest of the sentence was lost as Luffy had already disappeared, running off to do as he had said.
Zoro, unable to move, turned back to the ocean and the sky. The sun was already out and the moment was broken and seemingly lost, but the swordsman understood anyway. He clenched his fist into his shirt, crumpling the fabric at the place where his heart was still thumping hard and fast.
Next..next time, I want to sit there beside him. One of these mornings, I’ll watch the sunrise next to Luffy.
---
Zoro growled, anger pouring out of his throat, when the hit made him drop to his knees. The marine, probably a higher rank, lookin’ at all the gold..stuff on his uniform, laughed victoriously. “This is your end, Roronoa.”
The greenhead considered answering, but that would require some energy left - and he knew that he couldn’t afford any of what he had if he ever wanted to return to Merry. He was glad none of the crew had decided to look for him, getting in danger themselves, and he knew that Luffy was alright too - Luffy was somehow always alright. Right, don’t think of Alabasta. This is just a small, unimportant island. Nobody’s going to die here.
Sinking his teeth deeper into Wado’s hilt, Zoro got ready for one more strike.
That’s it. Shit, I’m exhausted. But I can’t give up..Not before becoming the best swordsman. Not before Luffy becomes the Pirate King. Not before...not before I see the sunrise with him.. I need..one more morning.
The blades glistening darkly, Zoro inhaled deeply and with the picture of the red sky, burning ocean and his sencho smiling imprinted onto his eyelids, attacked the officer in front of him.
One. More. Sunrise.
One more.
---
“I finally got out of the jungleeee!” Loud, clear voice rang through the cold morning air and ran over the calm surface of the ocean. The beach was empty and there was no sight of the Merry - but it was okay, he’d find it and his crew. Luffy laughed and dusted his jorts, evaluating the damages his night run through the forest, chasing the small, brown piglet that looked like it could be a really tasty roast, caused. Nothing was torn which was greal - Nami would be mad at him for ruining yet another clothes she’d have to fix, or worse - buy new.
Looking around, he spotted some buildings in the distance, almost hidden below the horizon. What caught the rubber boy’s attention, though, was a body lying on the beach between him and the houses. “Hm?” Jogging to the place where the person lied, yet to move, was a matter of a minute. The closer Luffy got, the weirder he felt about it. “Heeeey! Heeeeeeey, are you alright?” Once he spotted the three katanas next to the person, Luffy cleared the distance left in seconds. “Zoro!”
Falling to his knees beside his bloodied swordsman, he poked the sweat and sand stained cheek and bent his head. “Oi, Zoro. Are you okay?”
One eye cracking open, the lying man rasped: “Do I look like I’m not okay?”
“Well, sorta,” Luffy admitted, scratching his head. “Where has Zoro been? … Did Zoro go on an adventure without me?”
Taking into account the slight frown forming on the captain’s face, Zoro couldn’t help himself and chuckled. “No, sencho. I wouldn’t do that...it was just a small misunderstanding.”
“I see..” The look on Luffy’s face didn’t hide the fact the boy probably didn’t buy it but was okay for now to let it go. He plopped onto the sand next to the swordsman, poking the hole cut in the shirt’s sleeve. “Zoro will have another misunderstanding with Nami back on the Merry.”
“N..no shit, sencho.”
Luffy giggled and smacked Zoro’s shoulder, earning a sharp gaps from the injured man. “Luffy -!”
“Ne, Zoro, look.”
Raising his head, the swordsman looked what the captain was pointing at. At the horizon, the ocean started turning orange, and the dark blue of the night faded into lighter colours, the tiny clouds tinted pink.
One more sunrise.
Zoro felt his eyelids falling close and his head was suddenly heavy. He let it drop back to the wet sand that had turned light pink - a clear evidence of how gruesome the fight had been - and exhaled. The next thing he knew, there was a rubbery hand over his eyes and slightly dry lips gently pressed into his own.
“Good morning, Zoro.”