One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ My time on the Going Merry ❯ Zoro ( Chapter 3 )

After we settled my things in their, I mean, our bedroom, Nami and I decided to go back to the deck. There we saw Usopp and Chopper.

"Usopp, do you know where our captain is?" Nami asked.

"Well, Sanji caught him and saved some sausages, but not enough for tonight's dinner, so he went mad at Luffy. They're both in the kitchen now, Sanji is cooking and Luffy has to clean the kitchen floor."

"Poor Luffy."

The three of them looked at me, their eyes were begging for an explanation. "I mean, is he's such an idiot, like Nami told me, he can't help it."

"Yeah well, that's the point with Luffy. Most of the time he truly is a complete idiot, but if you hurt somebody, or break something that is important to him, he talks like a genius," Usopp explained.

"And that's the reason why he needs to be punished sometimes." We all agreed to what Nami just said.

"Hey, isn't that Zoro, over there," Chopper said.

We all stared to the direction he pointed at. "Well, Chopper, I think you're right. Hmm… He's not wearing his sunny face today," Usopp replied.

They stood there for little while, blank faces, blinking and swallowing a couple of times. Then, at an invisible cue, they started to scream and ran away.

I asked Nami: "Are you sure that there are only three madmen on this ship?"

"Very sure, you see, those two might be scared weasels, but they are sane. Ok, they don't look very sane right now, but that is because Zoro is in a bad mood."

Nami watched Zoro approaching the ship. "Make that a very bad mood. However, I'm not going to let him scare me away. Whatever he says Kae, I do the talking."

I only nodded as a reply.

When Zoro finally got himself on the deck, he didn't seem to have a plan on going elsewhere. He just stood there, eyes closed, breathing slowly. I know staring at people is bad, but at that moment, I couldn't do anything else but stare…

I saw a young man, with mint green hair, three earrings, and three swords, including a white one. No, this couldn't be…

"Oi, Nami, tell your little friend that staring is rude"

I heard Nami mutter: "Take a look at yourself", before she said: "Hi Zoro, meet Kae, our new crewmember."

He raised an eyebrow and took a good look at me. "Nami, what did I tell you about bringing new crewmembers on board?"

"You didn't tell me anything, and it was Sanji who…" Nami started.

"Nami, don't change the subject. This ship is full, especially for women. Two are enough."

"Why…"

"Do I hate women? Because they are weak. How often have I saved you ass, na? I look like that stupid cook, running around, protecting you. But do you ever thank me for that? No, you're just using me, whenever you get in trouble, you know I will come and save you. But don't mistake me for that cook. Since Alabasta I know you can save yourself, so you won't need my help anymore. And as for you," turning to me "every girl who came on board of this ship has either tried to kill us, betray us or steal our money. So I know you're going to do something and I'm going to keep my eyes on you."

When he had said that, he grabbed my arm and pulled me against him. I heard Nami scream, while Zoro whispered in my ear: "And don't forget. I am Roronoa Zoro and I will be the greatest swordsman in the world."

"TEMEE!! What do you think you're doing?!" Sanji came running out of his kitchen, with a very large butchers knife in his hand. He pulled me away from Zoro.

I remember Zoro just stood there with a smirk on his face. And somehow I didn't feel scared at all.

"Kae-san, look at me. Are you hurt?"

"No, I don't think so…"

"Are you sure?" Sanji looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Nami, would you please take care of her." He turned to Zoro. "You are going to be so dead.

"What did I do wrong?"

"You made Nami-san scream and you tried to hurt Kae-san! Luckily I got here fast enough to save her! What were you thinking?! Ow wait, don't answer that."

"I can't help that little princess of yours is scared by me. And like the girl said, she is ok. Nothing happened, end of story." Zoro tried to walk away.

Sanji looked like he was going to explode, but before he did, Luffy appeared.

"Sanji! Zoro! What are you doing? I don't want you two to fight in front of our new friend here. She must feel welcome and I don't want her to think we're a bunch of stupid idiots. Wakatta?"

They both nodded.

"Yoshi, jya… Zoro, why don't you go and take a nap. We'll wake you up when dinner's ready. Sanji, you go back to the kitchen to cook that delicious meal. And I'm gonna… uhm… what shall I do…?"

"You're going to clean the kitchen floor. I bet you haven't finished that yet."

Luffy waved at Nami and me, while he got dragged away by Sanji.

"Nami, I'm going back to our room."

"That's ok. I'm coming with you."

In the room, I started to pack my things.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked.

"I'm packing my things."

"We can see that. Why are you doing that, Kae?" Nami asked.

"I'm going to leave."

"What?! Why?!" They both asked.

"Not because of what Zoro said, right?" Nami asked.

"No… yes… no…I don't know… It's just…"

"Yes?"

"I don't think I'll fit in, especially when there's somebody who hates me and.."

"Ah, so this is about Zoro. Well if you run away from him, you're saying you're weak. You don't want him to win this argument, right?" Nami said.

"No, but.."

"Here, take a cookie. I bet you can't resist those." Nami changed the subject.

I took a cookie, although I thought it wasn't the right time to eat one.

"Well?"

"It's…it's delicious. I have never had a cookie like this before."

"Mmm, you're right. Sanji really surpassed himself today," Robin said. "However, we shouldn't eat too many of them, because I think he's also cooking a great meal right now."

"Robin, don't start talking like a mother now! You're always so reasonable, you're driving me mad! Why can't I eat cookies all day?"

"Well, you'll become fat, and your teeth will rot and uhm…"

"Ugh, I had enough of you! Kae what do you think?"

"I think Robin is right."

"AAAAHHH!!!" Nami went mad and ran away.

Robin and I stared at the door and I asked: "Is Nami always like this?"

"Nah, she's just freaking out sometimes, when she has been around those guys for too long."

Then there was a silence, Robin just sat there thinking and I started to unpack my things, again.

"Hey Kae, what did Zoro actually say to Nami and you?"

"He told Nami she shouldn't expect him to save her anymore. And to me, well… Let's just say he doesn't trust me."

"And you wanted to leave because of that? Listen, this is the Grand Line and sometimes it's just better not to trust somebody. He doesn't trust me either. And Zoro is just a rough person. He has his nice moments, when you can laugh with him. But mainly he's working on fulfilling his dream: to become the greatest swordfighter in the world."

"His dream? Does that mean he isn't the strongest yet?

"Yes, Usopp told me Zoro has been defeated, once."

"By who?"

"The strongest, Hawk Eye Mihawk."

"And he survived?!"

"Zoro still walks around, so you could say he survived. But Usopp also told me, he was nearly cut in half. I've seen the scar on his chest, you could say that was one of the rare times Usopp didn't lie."

I was silent for a moment, this couldn't be.

"Are you surprised?"

"Yes," I answered, "but you told me about a different person. Somebody who goes that far for his dream, can't be the rude jerk I met on the deck."

Robin had no answer to that and she remained silent. I too didn't feel like talking anymore and I sat there to think about all I had learned in this short time.

Then after a while, somebody knocked on the door.

"The door is open. Oh, hi Chopper. Do you need help with anything?" Robin said.

"Dinner's ready." He whispered, and then he ran off.

"Hey, Chopper!" I shouted after him, but no answer came. "Robin, why did he run away?"

"Like he told you, it's dinner time, and everybody is hungry. If you don't get there in time, there is a big chance that Luffy has eaten all. So, be prepared, because there will be a fight as usual, and you will meet Zoro again."

Then it will be better if I bring my sword, I thought.