Chapter Text
It started off as a normal day. The skies were clear, and the sun glistened off the waves. The light spray of the sea was gentle as it tickled against Zoro’s skin from where it splashed across the deck. They had just left their most recent island, an excursion that started as a supply refill turned into the overthrowing of another corrupt leader, all because Luffy befriended yet another individual who gave him meat.
(Days later, news would spread of a dangerous and unprovoked pirate crew who attacked an innocent king, a man who was said to be highly respected and known as a phenomenal leader. None would be said of the children crying themselves to sleep hours after watching their parents get beaten and dragged away, never to be seen again solely for the crime of being unable to afford the ever-increasing tax. Or of the way a young child saw the man in a straw hat, who dined in his family’s restaurant the night before, and collapsed on the ground in tears, begging the outsider to please save his older sister from the same fate his parents endured, so they could one day live their dream of escaping this cruel country and sharing their parents’ legacy of their recipes with the world. Nothing would be said of the lack of hesitation in the man's voice as he tilted his head forward, his hat shadowing his eyes as he simply asked where the king lived. Or of the tearful hug between two children at the news of the defeated king. Or the questions of what they owed the man, only for him to solely ask if they had meat. They owed nothing. He gave them everything and expected practically nothing in return, but no one else would ever hear of anything except the stories of the betrayed and innocent king.)
The king was weak. Nothing admirable. In fact, his power came from threats shrouded in tangled-up messes of lies and mysteries painting him as an untouchable god. It was ironic–almost funny–in hindsight, that a man so untouchable, so powerful, was brought to his knees, whimpering and pleading at the first punch from Zoro’s captain. A god dethroned into a blubbering mess at the first man who opposed him, a man covered in sweat and blood, surrounded by the collapsed forms of the king’s once-army. A man whose straw hat crowned him in a way that the corrupt leader could only dream of.
Zoro’s king.
Who now laid resting on the figurehead, his limbs hanging down in a way that would seem unnatural on anyone despite the rubber man, his same straw hat dangling loosely from his neck, swaying in the wind as a relaxed expression filled Zoro’s captain’s face. Luffy’s eyes were closed as he breathed in the familiar scent of sea salt that could only ever mean home.
As if hearing Zoro’s thoughts–or maybe he had since Luffy always understood him in a way that no other could–Luffy turned around, his bright, wide smile that could rival even the sun in the way it glowed filling his face as he made eye contact with his swordsman, something that left Zoro with that urge to smile back the same way Luffy always did.
“Oi, Zoro! Whatcha thinking?”
“Eh? Just how stupid it’d be if I had to save your dumbass from the ocean again,” Zoro teased, the beginnings of a smile creeping onto his face.
“What? I won’t fall in!”
“Oh yeah?” Zoro felt himself smirk, thinking back to all the times he had to dive into the sea to save his captain from an early watery grave, just because the idiot saw something shiny and wanted to observe it closer.
“Yeah! ‘Sides, if I fell in, Zoro would save me like always,” Luffy’s smile was contagious as he confidently laughed out his response, a weird and unknown–yet still, familiar–feeling filling Zoro’s chest in response to the bright joy so plainly displayed on his captain’s face. How many others got to have that experience? That feeling of utmost trust?
“Ugh, you two are hopeless,” Nami groaned, exasperated as her footsteps quieted to a stop beside the wheel, her sudden appearance interrupting their conversation.
“Hi Nami! Whatcha doing?”
“Checking the winds. Something feels off,” Nami’s face twisted uncertainly.
“Shishishi, I’m sure Nami will find out what’s wrong soon! Nami’s really smart!”
“Yeah, yeah, dumbass,” she rolled her eyes, but a hint of fondness could be seen as she glanced back at the rubber man, “You should probably go to the infirmary, by the way. Chopper’s been driving himself crazy trying to find you–something about needing to redress your bandages.”
“Aw, again? But I just saw him earlier,” Luffy pouted.
“And it’s clear you need to see him again,” Nami rolled her eyes as she pointed to the ruffled and ripped-up bandages that were quickly unraveling on Luffy’s chest, “Didn’t Chopper tell you not to overdo it while your stitches are healing?”
“I dunno, maybe?” Luffy turned his head in confusion, his face scrunched up as he attempted to recollect his conversation with his doctor.
“Dumbass. You better go see him before he panics more,” her words were harsh, but Zoro could identify the gentleness that layered underneath it, the underlying love–and hell, Zoro got it. Luffy just had that effect on people.
“Shishishi, okay! See ‘ya, Zor– Huh?” Luffy’s words died on his lips as he tilted his head in confusion, “Is something wrong? Zoro’s all red. Does Zoro need to go see Chopper too?” Luffy’s face expressed complete bewilderment, a stark contrast to the smug smile growing along Nami’s lips.
“I’m good– it’s whatever, probably just the heat from the sun,” Zoro tried to shrug off Luffy’s concern, gesturing him away while internally groaning to himself. Was he seriously blushing at his captain’s words?
“Okay! If you say so!”
“I don’t know, Zoro. Maybe you do need to get that checked out? You are looking quite a bit red~” Nami’s smooth voice sang once Luffy was out of earshot, each note a taunt.
“What do you want, witch?”
“Well, I think as the third person to join this crew, only following you and Luffy, my concern about your incredibly obvious crush is incredibly justified.”
“You’re insane,” Zoro scoffed.
“Oh really? Like the rest of us couldn’t see that smile on your face as you watched Luffy beat that king earlier today? You’re not hiding anything here.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. And if I remember correctly, you all were smiling as he beat that asshole too.”
“Yeah but not as brightly as you. C’mon, it was almost as wide as Luffy’s smiles. You’d have to be the most oblivious person on the planet not to notice.”
What?
Nami’s taunting and smug expression calmed into a more concerned one before switching into something that resembled panic, her eyes searching Zoro’s face and seeing the obvious confusion, “Oh shit, you haven’t noticed?”
What?
“Oh my god, I thought you were aware! I mean, it’s hard not to considering how the two of you act–always by each other’s side. You’re practically inseparable, each other’s half?” Nami paced across the deck.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“Shit, okay. You really don’t know?”
“I think if I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you what the fuck you’re talking about,” Zoro’s eyebrow raised at Nami’s panicked stammering. It was odd, to be honest. She was normally so composed, always making sure she knew everything for future blackmail or potential bets. Seeing her so lost felt unnatural.
She stopped walking and turned to face Zoro, her voice clear as she spoke, “You love Luffy.”
“Yeah, no shit, witch. He’s my captain,” Zoro rolled his eyes.
“No, I mean you love him,” she emphasized, her eyes pleading Zoro to understand–almost apologetic for the situation.
“You just said that,” Zoro gritted his teeth in annoyance. He had no idea what she was getting at, and repeating her words wasn’t helping.
“Ugh, why do I have to explain this to one of the densest idiots in the world?” she groaned, “Not love like you love the crew. You love love him. You look at him like he’s your entire world. I think the only times I’ve ever seen you not get lost are when you’re looking for him. I’ve seen you offer to share your drinks with him. You literally started blushing when I came up here because he put his trust in you. You love him.”
Oh.
It finally clicked.
That kind of love.
Zoro paused. Him? Loving Luffy? That was his captain. He didn’t love him. Did he?
“Aren’t you overthinking this?” he shrugged off Nami’s words, trying to avoid the way they dug into his heart, a feeling of clarity starting to awaken that he shoved down in the deepest recesses of his mind. He would deal with that later–or preferably, never, because there was no way Zoro had a crush on his captain. Not Luffy, not the man who looked at Zoro from that wall and immediately chose him. The man who heard all the rumors that Zoro was a bloodthirsty murderer and instead saw a man who dreamed just like him, and welcomed him with open arms. The man who called himself Zoro’s captain but would never even think about putting himself before Zoro’s dreams and goals, who understood and trusted Zoro with his entire being. Who Zoro understood and trusted back all the same.
Oh.
Oh.
Zoro might’ve been in love with his captain.
“Ugh, I had an entire bet going with the crew and everything. I can’t believe Usopp is beating me. He’s never going to let me live that down.” Nami’s words provided a momentary break from his panicked thoughts, mild annoyance tinted with a hint of concern filling her words.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zoro croaked out, attempting to sound firm and confident in his thoughts, but even to himself, his words sounded weak.
A look of sympathy washed over Nami’s face, erasing the mild false annoyance it once held, “This probably wasn’t the best way to realize, I’m sorry. But it’s been years now, and I really did think you knew.”
Zoro’s mouth felt dry, his attempts to think of a response were drowned out by the overwhelming pounding of his heart filling his ears.
“I wasn’t lying earlier, by the way. There’s a storm coming, and it feels like a powerful one. You’ll probably want to get inside or prepare for now. Maybe privacy will help your thoughts,” she spoke as she turned away. Zoro waited for the sound of her footsteps to dissipate completely before letting his thoughts take over again.
He was in love with his captain.
He was in love with his captain.
Luffy.
The idiot who trusted far too much and loved even more. The man who could never sit still long enough to focus on a plan, but could look into the eyes of his friends and immediately understand and soothe their deepest fears. The man who could look at someone, anyone, discarded to the side or labeled as a monster and immediately find something to support, something to love. The man who took crushed up and broken down dreams and gently held them in his own hands until the dreamer would be able to dream on their own again. Zoro had seen this happen time and time again among all his crewmates. Despite how many times it’d happened, it never failed to pull at Zoro’s heart the way Luffy simply brought out the best in people.
Before, Zoro always thought that weird feeling he got whenever he watched Luffy do something that could only be described as Luffy’s own Luffiness was just pride in his captain, the man who he decided to follow.
But now… looking back, Zoro could see the other emotions, the ones he was too blind to understand at the moment, but with the clarity bestowed on him through Nami’s enlightening words, he couldn’t help but spot them.
Yes, there was pride, but there was also so much love. Love for the man who repeatedly changed so many lives, yet never expected anything in return. The man who would eagerly accept everyone just as the were, never once underestimating their abilities. The man who put his full confidence and trust in people. People like a prior bounty hunter tied to a post for almost a month.
Now understanding his emotions, Zoro could look back at any moment between the two of them and see the thoughts he was so blind to at the time. The moments, large and small, where Luffy won more and more of Zoro’s love.
Moments like with Arlong Park or Enies Lobby where Luffy never once forced himself into his crewmates’ lives, but rather, let them decide when they were ready for help.
Moments like in Water 7 or Alabasta where Franky and Robin were once enemies, but were still welcomed fully into Luffy’s life without any judgment or anger.
Moments like on Drum Island where Luffy saw the label of “monster” that made Chopper feel so unloved, and welcomed the doctor onto the ship without any hesitation.
Moments like those soft, brief seconds shared between a captain and his first mate. Those instances where Luffy fell into the ocean, plummeting into the common watery grave for devil fruit users, but never once panicked. His smile would be wide every time Zoro pulled him out of the water, a joyful expression filled with trust and love?, never once hesitating or worrying over the idea that Zoro might not save him in time.
His words from earlier rang through Zoro’s ears, “Yeah! ‘Sides, if I fell in, Zoro would save me like always.”
The blush that filled Zoro’s face in that and other similar moments was apparently so obvious to the rest of the crew that Nami was shocked at the idea of Zoro not realizing his own feelings, so obvious that the crew was even making bets on his and Luffy’s relationship.
Shit. Shit.
If it was this obvious, did Luffy know? He couldn’t have, right? Luffy was the most oblivious person Zoro knew. But… Luffy was always good with people, especially those he loved. Loved. That was such a strong word now that its true weight sat heavy in Zoro’s thoughts.
Sure, Zoro loved Luffy, but could Luffy love him back?
Zoro’s thoughts skimmed through the several moments of his and Luffy’s relationship. The several smiles and laughter easily shared from Luffy along with his clingy touches. But… Luffy was like that with everyone. That was something Zoro always loved about him. He was open to people in a way that Zoro never was.
No.
No, Luffy could never love Zoro back. Luffy was Luffy, Zoro’s captain. And Zoro was his swordsman, his first mate, his friend. And that’s all they’d ever be. Luffy gave his love so freely, and Zoro would never do anything to change that–to make Luffy think that Zoro was unreliable in his faith toward his captain.
No, things would say as they were now. And Zoro wouldn’t be the one to ruin it. Screw whatever the rest of the crew thought.
“Yeah! ‘Sides, if I fell in, Zoro would save me like always.” Zoro groaned. It’d been almost an hour since his enlightening conversation with Nami, and he couldn’t get it out of his mind. No matter what he did or where he went, it was like Luffy was following him–haunting him. His words of faith and devotion drifted behind Zoro’s every motion, his joyful “shishishi” hidden around every door and corner.
Even training didn’t work as Zoro sat beside his weights, tossed aside after several moments of Luffy’s laughter interrupting his ears or his bright smile filling Zoro’s vision. All Zoro wanted was for things to go back to normal, but apparently, even his own mind had plans against that. He gripped the bar, lifting it back up again. Zoro wasn’t a quitter, and if his mind’s new focus on Luffy wouldn’t leave him alone, then he’d find a way to make it.
“Oi! Zoro!” Luffy’s cheerful voice broke through Zoro’s focus once again. He groaned at his brain’s repeated insistence on not leaving him alone, turning back to his weights as the loud sound of flip-flops slapping against the wooden floor grabbed his attention, gradually getting louder as they got closer, “Gum gum rocket!” Zoro froze for a moment, bracing himself at the last moment as he came to the realization just in time that this voice was real.
“Oof, Jesus Luffy, you’ve got to stop doing that,” Zoro groaned under the messy pile of rubber limbs. He tried to ignore the thoughts of how close he was to his captain. Too close. Luffy’s body was sprawled across Zoro’s with his hair tickling Zoro’s nose in the way it always did when Luffy launched himself at him.
“Shishishi, but it’s so much fun! And I’ve been looking for you!” the gentle laughter poured out of Luffy’s mouth as his head gently shook against Zoro’s chest. Luffy’s hair was soft, and his smile could only be described as glowing as it split across his face, mesmerizing, fitting of Zoro’s king. The wide split of his mouth was infectious as Zoro felt the trace of a gentle smile finding its way onto his own lips. He felt a pull in his chest, an utmost joy and longing at this moment and time spent with his captain.
Zoro’s eyes lingered across every joy-filled crease along Luffy’s face. The way his eyes scrunched up as Luffy’s entire face only screamed happiness and love, and the way the corners of his mouth reached up for the sky. How the light danced across the drops of the misty sea salt along Luffy’s hair. Zoro’s heart pounded as his eyes focused on Luffy’s face and the way it glowed in pure, utter joy, his mind swirling as Luffy drifted closer.
“What are you two doing? We’ve been calling you! We need you down here!” Usopp’s voice rang as his head began to peak through the entrance of the crow’s nest, interrupting Zoro’s thoughts. Zoro suddenly realized just how close he had subconsciously gotten to Luffy’s lips, pushing himself back almost instantaneously to the confusion of his captain. He felt himself grate inwardly as he understood how close he had just been to breaking his promise and destroying the trust Luffy held in him. Most pirates wouldn’t take a launch from their captain as a chance to almost kiss them, and Zoro shouldn’t have either.
“Oh yeah! I forgot! Nami wanted me to find you. Apparently, the storm she predicted earlier is stronger than she expected, and she wants us all down to help,” Luffy’s voice was cheerful as he explained the situation.
Zoro groaned as Luffy’s feet dug into his stomach and the rubber man launched himself up, laughing as he dropped himself down and out of the crow’s nest to follow Usopp, completely ignoring the ladder. Grabbing a towel to wipe off the sweat lingering on his forehead and pushing away all lingering thoughts of Luffy, Zoro grabbed ahold of the rungs, lowering himself down as he became more aware of the ship’s violent rocking as the rainwater poured heavily against his skin. He glanced up, seeing the recently set-down weights rolling across the floor.
How had he missed that before?
In his thoughts of Luffy and his thoughts of avoiding Luffy, he’d apparently missed the ship entering one of the strongest storms they’d faced in weeks. He groaned, pushing his mistake to the back of his mind, knowing that if Nami ever found out, he’d never hear the end of it.
“Where the hell have you been? I know I told you to take a break, but this is not a good time!” Nami screamed over the roaring waves as Zoro hit the deck, “And where is Luffy? I told him to find me after bringing you out!”
“He just jumped down here!”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, I am! Do you really think I wouldn’t recognize my own captain?” Zoro grunted in indignation.
“Ugh, I don’t mean it that way. But I didn’t see Luffy come down. Are you absolutely sure he wasn’t just up there hidden behind some boxes or something?” she pulled the two of them indoors and away from the overbearing sounds of thunder and waves smashing against the side of the ship.
“No, I watched him jump down myself moments before I went down. Maybe you missed him? I think he went down with Usopp.”
“Damn it, I was sure I had this ladder in sight the whole time. Whatever, I guess I’ll go find him myself. I’d ask you, but with this storm, I don’t trust you not to get lo–” Nami’s voice was cut off at the sound of a loud explosion toward the back of the ship, the two of them being flung forward against the wall.
“What the hell was that?” Nami groaned, pulling herself back up, but Zoro was already gone. He flung himself out the doors and toward the back of the ship, the dense rain filling his vision as massive waves pounded against the side of the ship, rocking him back and forth. He gripped the railing until he saw the source of the sound. A large marine ship Zoro didn’t recognize was pressed against the Sunny, clearly using the ship's weakness against the storm as a chance to attack.
“Zoro-bro! Man, am I happy to see you!” A voice called out from the left as another loud boom shot off with another cannonball flying toward the Sunny. A flash of blue caught Zoro’s eyes as Franky called out again, “Robin and I have been holding them off super well, but they’re using seastone, and one of them shot her.” Zoro looked down and saw Robin clutching her shoulder as she sat on the deck, drenched beside where Franky stood. “I’ve been doing my best to hold them off, but I can’t get Robin out safely without keeping them from sneaking on the ship. Zoro-bro, I need you to help her get to the infirmary.”
Zoro nodded and held a hand out to Robin, making sure to be careful around her wound.
“I’ll be fine. I’m sure Chopper will easily remove this bullet,” Robin pressed her hand against her shoulder, a mix of blood and rainwater leaking through her fingers as she leaned against Zoro for support as they trenched through the heavy rain, the seastone obviously weakening her.
“What the hell happened?”
“It appears we’ve angered the world government enough after our last island’s adventures that they’ve sent a vice admiral on our trail. It seems the storm only provided the coverage they needed to launch their sneak attack,” Robin’s voice was level despite the seastone, her words confirming Zoro’s assumptions in the worst way possible.
“Shit, and I’m assuming most of them are willing to use seastone liberally.”
“Well, considering how quick they were to launch their seastone attack, that appears to be the case. Though, unfortunately, in the storm, it has become quite difficult to differentiate between what is seastone and what’s not.”
Zoro nodded along, growing more concerned by the second until a loud shout ripped through their conversation.
“Zoro, you idiot, stop running off! You’ll get lost somehow, and we won’t have the time to find you in this storm! And, another thing–Robin?” Nami’s voice broke off from annoyance to concern at the sight of Robin, drenched in the rain as her hand clenched against her shoulder, her other arm wrapped around Zoro as he helped support her in her weakened state. Her face was mostly smooth, but to those who knew her, the subtle creases along her eyebrows showed the pain she was truly in.
“Marines are attacking. They brought seastone. Robin got shot,” Zoro’s words were swift and sharp like the edge of his blade as he tensely summarized the situation as quickly as he could.
“Oh my god, I’ll go find Chopper. Zoro, bring her down to the infirmary,” she called out quickly, panic in her voice as she dashed off, leaving Zoro alone to continue helping Robin indoors.
He walked her to the bed, leaving only to find a towel as the two waited for Nami to return with Chopper.
“ROBIN!! I’m here!” a teary-eyed Chopper sobbed as he shoved his way into the room, immediately running to her, visually panicked and scared.
“Chopper, I’m fine. It just seems the marines are fighting dirty with seastone,” Robin smiled gently at Chopper, her voice reassuring enough for the doctor to push back his tears and nod stiffy, turning back to grab tools after one more worried glance at Robin.
“You said the marines are here?” Nami’s voice was taut with anticipation, her face failing to mask her clear panic at those words.
“Yes, it appears the king at our last stop had a vice admiral friend, and he is quite unhappy with the new adjustments to the island’s leadership.”
Nami groaned, slumping into the chair behind her. Zoro felt a pit of sympathy for her. She had already been stressed enough with the weather, and now the marines were attacking too? It had to be overwhelming. Not to mention, she was still looking for–
“Luffy!” Zoro suddenly shouted in alarm. The sudden shift away from his silence was enough to shock the entire room as they turned to him. “You were looking for Luffy, weren’t you?” he turned toward Nami, her face twisted in confusion.
“Yeah? What does that have to do with- Oh shit,” the color drained from her face as she turned toward Robin, “You said the marines are using seastone?”
“Ah, yes, unfortunately. It seems they are,” Robin slowly nodded as she began to understand, “And the seastone is quite difficult to distinguish under the heavy rain.”
“Ah! So Luffy and Brooke won’t know that they’re being attacked with seastone?” Chopper’s face was visibly panicked.
“That is if they even know they’re being attacked in the first place. That explosion from earlier could’ve been something malfunctioning due to the storm for all they know. At least, that’s what I was initially thinking,” Nami groaned, growing paler by the minute, “I’m especially worried about Luffy. Brook will at least know to dodge the bullets, but assuming Luffy thinks they’re normal bullets…” She shuddered, and Zoro could understand why. If Luffy didn’t know he needed to dodge the bullets, who knew where they would hit before Luffy had a chance to realize the true threat? Robin was lucky it only hit her shoulder, but if Luffy were to try his gum gum balloon a hoard of bullets away, there was no telling what damage it could do.
“Ah!! We need to go find them now!” Poor Chopper sounded like he was on the verge of tears as he scrambled to move, distraught between treating Robin and finding his friends.
“No, you stay. You need to take care of Robin. Zoro and I will go,” Nami pulled Zoro with her outside the infirmary, “You’ll find Luffy, and I’ll find Brook. If you find anyone else, let them know what’s going on. We’ll need as much help as we can get.”
“Oh, and Franky was trying to hold off the marines. He said some of them were getting through, so he could probably use more help there as well.”
“Good thinking, cutting them off where they come from,” Nami nodded before Zoro spoke again.
“Wait, why do I have to go after Luffy?” he glared, internally not wanting another repeat of the crow’s nest or the deck from earlier. A marine attack in this storm was hard enough without having to balance it with the way thinking about Luffy had been driving him insane. At this point, maybe it’d be better for him to avoid his captain. At least until he knew he could deal with this mess in his mind. It would always feel so strange having an enemy he’d have to face rather than being able to strike down or push aside.
“Ugh, you idiot. I already told you. The two of you just always seem to know where the other is. I swear, you have a weird built-in compass leading you to each other. I’ve literally only ever seen you not get lost when you were trying to find your way back to Luffy, so hopefully, that’s enough to give you a sense of direction in this storm. Besides, if you go after Brooke, there is a high chance you’ll somehow get lost on the marines’ ship, and I’d really prefer to not deal with that if I can.”
“I don’t get los-” Zoro started, only to be shut off again by Nami.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. We’re losing time. Go!” Nami ran off, leaving Zoro behind to go the opposite way, back toward the stern of the ship where Franky was.
Yeah right, a Luffy compass. Was the witch insane?
Though… thinking back, he always had this pull toward Luffy. As if a string of fate tied them together with Zoro forever being left to follow the cheerful and bright smiles of his captain. Almost as if when he was beside Luffy, he was home. That, no matter where they went, he would be happy as long as he was by his captain’s side.
He shook his head, shaking himself out of it. No, that wasn’t right. That was just how everyone felt about their captains, right? It wasn’t his fault that Luffy was just so…
A strange glimmer of light pulled him out of his thoughts, catching his attention as he continued forward, his eyes being drawn toward a fight. Beside the wheel of the ship (Wasn’t he on the way to the back of the Sunny?) stood Luffy, surrounded by marines. But as always, Luffy was standing strong with his signature straw hat securely placed on his head as he smirked confidently.
Zoro knew what he was feeling at this moment. Zoro himself had felt it thousands of times before in every fight he’d been in since he could remember. The adrenaline was most definitely pumping through his blood as he faced off against a group of what appeared to be at least 30 marines. They were lackeys, nothing strong, but a fight was a fight.
But, Zoro caught that same glimmer again, his eyes drifting to one marine toward the back, aiming with a gun that just felt wrong. It was like time froze, blood pounding in Zoro’s ears as he slowly watched the marine pull his finger closer and closer down on the trigger.
And oh.
Oh.
Oh shit.
“Luffy! Watch out!” Zoro cried, breaking out of his trance, his voice echoing across the deck and reaching Luffy who turned at the last moment, unknowingly dodging the bullet just in time as he faced Zoro. Their eyes met, Luffy’s widening in horror, but Zoro just smiled. He did it.
He did i-
The last thing he heard was the scream–oh that scream, so wrong and unnatural from the usually sunny boy–that ripped itself from the depths of Luffy’s throat, calling out Zoro’s name, before something icy-cold gripped his body, and everything went black.
“ZORO!” his name ripped itself out of Luffy’s voice as icy dread–colder than the piercing rain pelting Luffy’s skin–found its way into Luffy’s heart, like a dagger stabbing itself straight into Luffy’s chest over and over, twisting and ripping itself out only to hurt more each time.
Luffy couldn’t breathe.
Zoro was just there. He was just there.
But Luffy was too slow… too weak.
All he could do was watch in horror, the warmth in his chest at the sound of Zoro’s voice turning into ice as he watched a marine, hidden in the shadows, rip out a sword–or maybe it was something else, Luffy couldn’t quite tell. He couldn’t care to tell. All he cared about was the way Zoro smiled as the marine’s attack hit him, and he went limp. The way his body collapsed like a puppet whose strings were suddenly cut as he slid off into the icy-cold ink of the ocean, the storm's unforgiving waves swallowing him up whole as he dropped so seamlessly into the raging sea below.
Distantly, Luffy knew the marines were still attacking him. Still chasing him as he stretched to the rail, rushing forward like his life depended on it, and well–it did. Because Luffy didn’t want to know a life without Zoro. Hell, he would refuse a life without Zoro.
He vaguely registered a sharp sting ripping itself through his arm, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that couldn’t be good, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Not when Zoro was…
No. Zoro was still alive. He had to be.
Luffy was fighting alone here. He knew he was as the marines had tried to corner and surround him before Zoro showed up. He picked this fight specifically because he knew it would be fun to take them all on, but now, all it meant was that they were alone. Zoro was dying, or maybe, he was dead already, and they were alone. The only person who saw and would care was Luffy.
Looking back, the choice was obvious. As if Luffy would ever make any other decision. But at that moment, Luffy didn’t even think. He didn’t even hesitate.
“Yeah! ‘Sides, if I fell in, Zoro would save me like always.”
Just as Zoro would always dive in for him, always splashing in less than a second later, Luffy dove.
He kicked desperately, holding his breath in for as long as he could against the sea’s cold grasp, his hand waving around wildly, hoping–no, needing–to find Zoro in the inky-black darkness of the sea.
His hand could barely move, the cold pricking into his skin as his lungs ached from his attempts to fight off the bone-deep weariness of the sea.
Where was Zoro?
Even if he could move freely in the ocean, the darkness of the storm blinded him. All he could do was reach helplessly into the void he was slowly sinking deeper and deeper into. Every movement burned more painful than the last. It felt like it was taking all of his energy to even stay awake, let alone attempt to control his limbs.
It was fine though. He only needed a bit longer. He just needed-
There it was! Weakened joy sprouted through him as Luffy’s hand hit something soft and fleshy. The outlines of Zoro’s hand became clear as his findings pumped slightly more energy back into Luffy’s body, spiking a brief moment of full consciousness.
Luffy urged himself to move as he slid his hand into Zoro’s the same way Zoro would do to him every time Luffy fell into the ocean, his lungs burning as his body fought off the ocean’s promise of exhaustion and death.
He attempted to move, to right himself, to kick and propel himself upward. Anything. But he couldn’t move. Exhaustion was starting to take over his panic as his body’s energy drained further and further. The water screamed against his head as he felt himself drift closer and closer to a sleep he knew he wouldn’t wake up from, his body growing limp and immovable. But still, he persisted.
He would not live without Zoro.
With one last push, he couldn’t keep going. He felt the last bit of oxygen escape his lungs as he succumbed to the relentless pull of the sea.
He barely registered as the lax hand in his grip tightened, securely intertwining their fingers in a way that if Luffy had only been conscious, he would’ve associated with safety and home.