Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Zoro was not lost. Nope. He was just taking the scenic route. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself as he wandered aimlessly through the woods at sunset. A bad time to wandering through the woods, even for a skilled swordsman. If the danger were wild animals, he could handle that no problem, but according to the residents of the town he’d left a few hours before, these woods were a hot spot for faeries. As long as he didn’t offend one of the creatures or step into any suspicious looking circles he would probably be fine, but he wasn’t great at not offending even the humans he ran into. Maybe it would be better to jump straight to fighting if he ran into a faerie. His swords were made of iron after all, so he’d probably be okay. Maybe.

He stopped. Something felt wrong. He looked behind him. Mushrooms. To the side. More mushrooms. In front, the other side. Still more mushrooms.

“Fuck”. 

A breathy giggle filled the air around Zoro, echoing through the trees and seeming to come from all sides. “You look lost.”

“Who’s there?” Zoro questioned, hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Oh me?” The voice said, laughter echoing through every word, “for now you can just call me straw hat. It’s what everyone calls me. How about you?” A figure launched towards Zoro from the right, almost like he’d been shot through the trees by a slingshot. Zoro stared wide eyed, taking a step back in surprise. The creature that landed in front of him appeared to be a teenage boy not much younger than Zoro himself. He wore a plain red vest and blue shorts, with a straw hat hanging from his back by a string. He could almost be mistaken for an ordinary human, if it weren’t for the otherworldly beauty that seemed to emanate from the boy’s pores, or the way the fabric of his clothes shimmered where it caught the sunlight. He leaned his face right into Zoro’s personal space, a wide grin on his face. “How about you? Can I have your name?”

“It’s Ro- wait” Zoro damn near answered him, distracted by the strangeness of the encounter until he recognized the wording of the request. It’s like his dojo master used to tell him. They always ask to have your name rather than to know your name. Zoro cleared his throat, realizing the boy, straw hat, he’d called himself, was staring at him expectantly, still nose to nose with Zoro.

“Uh, you can call me…” he looked around. Well he already gave up the Ro part of his name so might as well just stick with that, “Ro. Call me Ro.”

Straw hat backed up with another giggle. Was this guy ever not laughing? “Aw man I almost had you. Anyseem lost.”

“I am not lost!” Zoro protested.

“Look Ro” he said like he was tasting the first syllable of Zoro’s name, “truth is you’ll never make it out of faerie without a guide, so if you want, I could guide you.”

“And why would you do that?”

“So I can stick close to you and trick you into giving me your name on the way” Straw-hat said cheerfully.

Zoro’s mouth fell open. Since when were the fae so blunt?

***

Of all the stupid things Zoro had done in his life, this might take the cake. He thought back to those villagers. “Don’t go in those woods” they said, “The faeries will skin you alive and boil your bones”. Now he was following one of those aforementioned faeries through an unfamiliar forest with no way back. Well, not like he had much choice. Zoro sighed. Strawhat, oblivious to Zoro’s internal grumbling, was chatting away as he marched through the woods. He kept going on about how great some guy called red hair was, and every once in a while he’d ask for Zoro’s name again.

“So” Zoro said, “you are actually taking me out of faerie right, not somewhere to just abandon me stranded in the woods?”

“Of course we’re heading out of faerie” strawhat said. Zoro narrowed his eyes. The fae couldn’t lie but they were known for twisting words to find loopholes in their own promises, but this one was oddly straightforward, and Zoro could find no trick in his words.

“You’re really weird you know that” Zoro said.

“How’s that?”

“You haven’t tried to trick me once in the past few hours we’ve been walking.”

“Yes I have. I’ve asked for your name like ten times now.”

“Asking someone to give you something and tricking them into doing it aren’t the same thing.”

Strawhat scratched his head, “Yeah that’s what red hair said. Oh how about this, if you give me your name, I’ll give you lots of cool stuff, like um, gold. Humans like gold right?”

“That’s bargaining not tricking, and I’m not interested in your gold.”

Strawhat frowned like he was thinking really hard about something. Zoro tried not to smile. He should not be finding the faerie’s antics endearing. He was dangerous. Strawhat was suddenly distracted from his hard thinking session when he saw a large stag beetle crawling on a tree root, launching into a long speech about how cool they are. He was probably dangerous.

***

After walking a little while longer, a thought occurred to Zoro. “Hey why hasn’t it gotten dark yet?”

“Oh the sun never fully sets in this part of faerie, are you getting tired?”

“No I’m fine” Zoro denied even though his feet were starting to drag after so many hours of trudging through the woods. “How much longer until we get out of here?”

“About two days if we don’t rest at all, otherwise three.”

“Two days!” Zoro yelled, flabbergasted.

“If we don’t stop moving that entire time, but you’ll need to rest eventually, and I’m gonna want to take a nap at some point.”

“Do you even need to sleep?”

Strawhat laughed “No, I just find it fun.”

Zoro glared, “hey, are you trying to slow us down on purpose?”

He pouted “Maybe a little, but only because you’re just so interesting I wanna spend more time with you.”

Zoro hoped the light of the setting sun hid his blush.

***

Zoro was beginning to regret refusing to rest. He wasn’t one to complain out loud, but in truth his feet hurt, his back ached, and he was horribly thirsty. Too bad he didn’t bring any food or water for this unexpected trip. Strawhat had started walking directly beside him instead of in front. He looked at Zoro.

“You don’t look so good” He commented.

“Yeah, well this little excursion wasn’t exactly something I planned.”

“Why is there water leaking out of your face?”

“It’s called sweat.”

“Do all humans do that?” He tilted his head to the side, reminding Zoro of the stray dog that used to hang around the dojo. It shouldn’t be cute.

“You don’t spend much time around humans do you?”

Strawhat shook his head. “Why do humans sweat?”

“It happens when we get hot or exert ourselves.”

“So you’re tired?”

Zoro made a strangled sound at the back of his throat, annoyed at himself for having so easily shown a sign of weakness to the faerie. Strawhats mannerisms were disarming in every way. His bright smile, infectious laugh, and goofy personality could get anyone to let their guard down. He may have been a terrible trickster, but if Zoro spent too much more time around the guy he might just be in actual danger. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down or he’d fall for something idiotic.

“You might feel better if you eat something” Strawhat interrupted his thoughts, holding a strange looking fruit out to Zoro.

“Oh thanks- wait a damn minute” Zoro said, stopping himself from reaching out and grabbing the fruit.

Strawhat giggled, “Aw man I almost got you with that one. You would’ve been stuck with me forever.”

“That would’ve been embarrassing way to put an end to my dream.”

Strawhat suddenly stopped laughing, eyes wide and interested. Zoro resisted to urge to squirm under the intense gaze. “What’s your dream?” He asked.

Well, it probably wouldn’t hurt to tell him. “I’m going to be, the world’s greatest swordsman” Zoro declared.

“Woah cool!” Strawhat grinned, “you should definitely join me and give me your name then.”

“Why would I do that? And join you for what?”

Strawhat somehow grinned even wider “well I assume that if you want to be the world’s greatest swordsman you’ll have to beat Hawkeye, and you might not know this, but he’s one of us.” Zoro’s eyes went wide. “As for my goals, I’m going to be the next king of the wild hunt, and I need some people to join me. Probably like ten guys should be enough- hey are you listening?”

Zoro was lost in thought. This faerie looked and acted relatively harmless, but he’d just dropped two bombshells at once. Hawkeye was a faerie, which, now that Zoro thought about it shouldn’t be that shocking. All the legends mentioned the unnatural look of his eyes. More shocking than that was that this boy had just announced he wanted to be the next king of the wild hunt. Even the mention of them sent shivers down the spine of any normal person. Legends said a sighting of them foretold disaster. Zoro had always thought those rumours were dramatic, but now, hearing the declaration from this faerie, Zoro knew that whether or not the legends were true, he would shake the world.

“Just let me think for a second” was all Zoro said.

***

They didn’t talk much for the rest of the trip. They only briefly stopped to rest a couple times and eventually Strawhat announced that they were almost out of faerie. Zoro should have been happy, but there was strange knot in his stomach.

“So uh, what happens when someone gives you their name?” Zoro asked, trying to sound casual.

Strawhats eyes lit up, “Well I’m sure you’ve heard that if you give a faerie you’re name they’ll have power over you, but if you give me your name I’ll also always know where you are, so I can find you if you get lost of get into trouble.”

“I don’t get into trouble” Zoro humphed.

“But you do get lost.”

“Shut up. If I were to join up with you, would it really be necessary to give up my name?”

Strawhat got a serious look on his face, the brim of his hat shadowing his eyes. “Yes, because if a human runs around faerie without they’re name already claimed, every nearby creature will either be looking to take it for themselves or tear you apart, and I can’t have that.”

Zoro thought about that for a moment, and then said, “You have to give me your word that you won’t get in the way of my dream.”

A bright smile spread across Strawhat’s face, and Zoro’s heart skipped a beat. “I promise.”

“Alright then, my name” he paused, taking a deep breath before making his final decision, “is Roronoa Zoro.” Zoro felt something shift inside him. It felt has though an invisible string attached itself to Zoro’s heart, and Strawhat was holding onto the other end. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, but it was strange.

“Roronoa Zoro” he said, tasting Zoro’s full name like he’d tasted just the first syllable earlier. “I like it. Since I have your name, you’re allowed to know my name, just don’t tell it to anyone else.”

Zoro nodded.

“My name is Monkey D Luffy, and I think we’re gonna be great friends.”

With that, the pair marched off in a different direction, leaving the human world behind. Zoro didn’t ask where they were going, he just followed.

Chapter Text

“So you’re like, made of rubber?” Zoro said after Luffy explained it to him. Now he knows how he shot through the trees earlier and how his legs were wrapped way too many times around Zoro’s torso. Normally he’d be against giving anyone piggyback rides, but he was pretty sure Luffy owned his soul now, or something like that, so he’d decided not to argue (or at least, decided not to physically fight him over it). Maybe it should have bothered him more, but Zoro wasn’t one to regret his choices, and even if he was, somehow he couldn’t picture himself regretting Luffy. Luffy, Luffy, Luffy. He didn’t understand the feeling in his chest when he thought the name. A name he’d entrusted Zoro with, so Zoro would protect it with his life. A feeling like his chest was constricting, yet inexplicably, like finally being filled with air again after suffocating for so long. Luffy answered his question before he could think too hard about it.

"Yep,” he giggled, with that breathy, closed-toothed laugh that made the corner of Zoro’s lip twitch upward.

Luffy stopped laughing when they heard a noise up ahead. He unwound his legs from Zoro’s torso, dropping to the ground as they approached. Zoro subtly adjusted his stance, moving silently with a hand on the hilt of his sword. As they approached, they could hear music and laughter, and soon they broke out of the trees and into a clearing that seemed to be the sight of the most obnoxious party Zoro had ever had the displeasure of witnessing. Some people were stuffing their faces full of strange fruits, juices dripping down their chins, while others cycled around on unicycles. A few people balanced precariously on stilts. The music was loud and seemed to come from everywhere, although there didn’t seem to be anyone playing any instruments.

The most offensive thing at this already ridiculous party was the tall man with the bulbous red nose, who was approaching Zoro and Luffy as they made their way into the clearing. His eyes fell on Zoro briefly before he addressed Luffy.

"Ah, a newcomer, and you have a human with you,” he said, and Zoro felt an uncomfortable prickle in the back of his neck at the way this fae talked about him like he wasn’t three feet away.

“He’s mine,” Luffy responded before he could say anything else.

Zoro thought he saw a flash of anger in Red-nose’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a boastful smile. "Well, anyway, would you like to join in the festivities? We have room for one more. You could even have your human join the performers if you’d like. You may call me the immortal clown, by the way.”

Luffy started to say something about how that was a stupid nickname because all fae were immortal, but Zoro wasn’t listening. Something Red-nose said bothered him. He looked around the clearing again. This time scanning the faces of the people putting on various circus acts. The unicyclers, jugglers, people on stilts, and a few others. They all had the same look about them. Bags under the eyes, unnaturally skinny, worn-out clothes For some of them, their muscles twitched like they’d been overtrained during a workout. Others looked like it was all they could do to stay upright. They were all unmistakably human.

“Lu-“ Zoro started, but clapped a hand over his mouth. "Strawhat,” he said instead, interrupting whatever argument he’d been having with the clown.

Luffy turned around to respond but was distracted by yelling from the other side of the clearing. An orange-haired girl ran through the clearing, carrying a small box covered in intricate carvings that seemed too elegant to belong in a place like this. As she ran, she knocked over scores of performers, apparently breaking the strange spell they were under, as all of them stayed lying on the ground. The only indication that they were still alive was the rapid rise and fall of their chests. The knocked-over people tripped up the fae who were chasing the girl, allowing her to gain some distance. Zoro looked over at Luffy, who had an odd gleam in his eye as he watched the spectacle. The clown, however, was having a different reaction.

“STOP THAT THEIF!” he yelled, and as he yelled, something strange happened, and Zoro couldn’t decide if it was more or less weird than Luffy’s stretching thing. The clown's body divided into several parts. The head, arms, and torso flew towards the girl, while the legs stayed behind.

Before he could reach her, though, Luffy cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled, “Hey, BIG-NOSE!”

Big-nose immediately turned around and rushed back towards Luffy. “What did you say about my nose?!”

Luffy seemed to be winding up for a punch when Big-nose changed direction at the last second, targeting Zoro. In a flash, Zoro drew Wado, slashing at the clown’s stupid face, but instead of doing any damage, he just divided again. Zoro gaped at the clown and then at his sword. Even if he could divide his body, an iron sword should have at least burned him.

Big-nose started laughing but was quickly shut up when Luffy punched him in the face. The clown turned his attention back to Luffy, and when Zoro looked at him… well, it would be an understatement to say it felt like the world froze. Luffy was the only thing in the world worth looking at, like nothing else existed. His rage poured out of him like a tsunami, causing all the other fae besides the clown to cower in fear. Was that rage for Zoro?

Before Zoro could entertain that thought, something crashed into his side. Caught off guard, he was knocked into the bushes. He kicked out, knocking the person off of him with a surprised shriek.

"Ow, what was that for?” A woman’s voice spoke, and when Zoro got his bearings, he realized it was the orange-haired girl.

“You attacked me!” Zoro replied indignantly.

“I saved your life.” She shot back, fuming, and at Zoro’s confused look, she said, “while you were making goo goo eyes at that Strawhat guy, the clown's hand was coming to stab you from behind.”

Zoro blanched. “Dammit, I can’t believe I let my guard down like that.”

The girl ignored his self-reprimand and said, “word of advice: since you don’t look like you’ve been in faerie for long, don’t get close to the fae. Even if they look beautiful, they’re all monsters.”

Something like anger stirred in Zoro at her words, but he pushed it down. “Thanks for your concern, but even if I wanted to take your advice, I already gave him my name so…”

Her face fell for a moment, something like pity colouring her expression before her brows scrunched in confusion. "Wait, don’t you mean he stole your name? Like, he tricked you.”

“No.”

“You gave him your name willingly, knowing what that means?”

“Yes.”

She blinked a couple times, looking flabbergasted. She opened her mouth to say something else when Luffy poked his head through the bushes, his neck bent at an odd angle that was probably only possible because he was made of rubber. The redhead’s eyes went wide at the sight, and she scrambled backwards.

“Hey Zoro, you okay in there?” He asked.

“Fine. You?”

“Great! I got rid of that dumb clown guy.” He grinned, holding up his fist and flexing his noodly arm like it would suddenly sprout muscles, not that he needed big muscles with the strength he already had in his punches. Zoro snorted at the silly display. Luffy looked behind Zoro at the redhead and said, “hey you helped Zoro, didn’t you? Thanks a bunch lady. Can I have your name?”

She huffed a dry laugh before saying, “I can’t give you my name, but you can call me Witch; everyone else does.”

Luffy grinned. “You can call me Strawhat.” He said as he pulled Zoro out of the bushes by the back of his shirt. He offered his hand to the witch to help her out, but she opted to stand on her own.

“I can stand on my own you know,” Zoro said once he was on his feet, brushing the dust off and trying to recover some of his lost dignity.

“I know,” Luffy replied with a giggle. It seemed like all the other party attendees had run off after Luffy beat up the clown. The only ones left were the humans, who were all lying on the ground in varying degrees of consciousness.

“What happened to them?” Zoro asked.

“Forced to dance, or in this case, perform various circus tricks, until they either drop dead or some outside force stops them,” Witch said.

“You seem pretty knowledgeable.”

“Been here a while," she replied curtly, not inviting further questions. Zoro’s eyes narrowed. She was hiding something.

A voice from a little ways away croaked, “help… please.”

The witch ran in the direction of the voice, crouching beside an old man who was struggling to get up. Zoro couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she spoke softly to him and offered him water. Luffy put a hand on Zoro’s shoulder.

“She’s going to join us.”

“I know.”

***

Zoro would never deny Luffy anything, but the witch might prove to be a difficult recruit. For one, she didn’t give up information as easily as Zoro, which was probably smart, and she seemed especially uneasy around Luffy. Zoro was pretty sure the only reason she hadn’t taken off yet was because all three of them were helping the exhausted and starved group of people that the clown had kidnapped get to a nearby village. Zoro had been surprised to learn that villages populated with humans existed within the borders of faerie, but he supposed it made sense. People get lost, and so they band together for safety. Maybe Zoro would’ve found a place like this if he hadn’t run into Luffy, not that it mattered. Luffy made for better company than any human he’d ever met, not that Zoro was particularly social. Zoro carried two barely conscious people over his shoulders. Luffy was able to carry nine with his arms stretched out. The ones who could still walk stumbled along in front of Zoro and Luffy, looking like they too might collapse at any moment.

The witch walked at the head of the group, glaring at a map and muttering to herself. The ink on the map seemed to distort and move, pathways and rivers shifting places, and even whole sections of forest moving. Luffy saw this and dumped his pile of half-conscious people on Zoro’s back. Zoro grunted with the extra weight, trying not to drop anyone. Luffy ran up to the witch, looking over her shoulder at the map.

“How do you read that?” He asked, and she flinched away, but tried to cover it up with an annoyed scoff. Luffy took a step back anyway.

“It’s easier to read without distractions.”

“Are you a real witch?”

“You sure ask a lot of questions.”

"So, are you?”

She sighed and said, “I’ll answer your question if you answer a question for me.”

"Okay,” Luffy agreed easily.

“Why are you helping these people?”

“I want you to join me and Zoro.”

“Join you for what?”

“I’m gonna be the next king of the wild hunt,” Luffy announced far too casually for such a lofty goal. “Now you gotta answer my question.”

Zoro chuckled at the look on the witch’s face. He couldn’t see very well from the back of the group, but he could see her jaw hanging open in shock. “Wha- but there haven’t been any sightings of the wild hunt in over two hundred years.”

"Yeah, not since Gold Roger died. Everyone knows that. So are you a witch or not?”

She sighed, probably realizing she wouldn’t get anything else from the rambunctious faerie. "Yes, I am a witch.”

“That’s so cool,” Luffy said, his eyes sparkling. “What kind of witch are you?”

“None of your business,” the witch replied coolly.

Luffy pouted, “No fair, I answered your follow-up question.”

She shrugged. “Not my fault you gave me a freebie.”

Zoro didn’t know whether to laugh or be concerned at how easily Luffy had been outwitted, but he made a mental note to keep a close eye on the witch for now. Just because Luffy liked her didn’t mean she was trustworthy.

“We’re here!” Witch called out just as they broke through the trees to the foot of a grassy hill, on top of which stood a cluster of small houses, in the middle of which stood, surprisingly, a mansion. A finely carved wooden sign at the bottom of the hill read, ‘Welcome to Syrup Village’.

Chapter Text

Despite how much Zoro liked to demonstrate his strength, hauling eleven people up a hill was no easy task. By the time they got to the village, Zoro was hungry and in desperate want of some good sake. Luckily, it seemed like Luffy had the same idea, because as soon as they’d found a doctor’s office at which to leave the group of exhausted people, he yelled,

"Zoro, I want meat!”

Zoro chuckled, "Well, I’m sure there’s somewhere in this town we can buy some. Although I don’t have any money, do you?”

Luffy, predictably, shook his head. He looked at Nami, eyes wide.

“Don’t look at me like that! I’m not paying for your damn food. I’m leaving,” she said, stomping away down the road.

“You owe him,” Zoro called after her.

She turned around, eye twitching. “And what, pray tell, do I owe that ridiculous creature for?”

“If he hadn’t shown up, that clown would’ve killed you. He saved your life. You owe him.” Zoro said smugly. He glanced over at Luffy, who now had an excited grin on his face.

The witch stomped up to him. The scowl on her face morphed into a snarl, which morphed into a wicked grin. Zoro felt like he’d just been caught in a trap. “Two can play at that game. If you’ll recall, I saved your life back there, which means you owe me.”

“Right,” Zoro replied, leaning back from where she was leaning into his personal space and looking off to the side.

“Whatever I pay for lunch, you owe me, with three hundred percent interest.

“Three hundred percent! How’s that fair?”

***

Zoro wasn’t sure how he got roped into agreeing to three hundred percent interest, but it was going to be a problem because, as it turned out, Luffy could eat a lot of meat. In fact, pretty soon the owner of the little restaurant they’d stopped at had to tell them they were totally out of stock. Zoro had even refrained from ordering a third bottle of sake in an effort to keep his debt down. There was, however, a silver lining. The Witch wanted to stick with them until he paid off his debt, and that would at least give Luffy more opportunity to convince her to join them permanently.

Luffy patted his stomach. “That was great. It’s too bad they didn’t have any more meat.”

“You’re ridiculous,” the witch scoffed.

Zoro heard a shuffling from the booth behind him. Three kids were staring at Luffy with wide eyes. Shoot, if they looked at Luffy for too long, they’d realize he wasn’t human, although judging by their facial expressions, it might be too late for that. He went to block their view, but the second he moved, all three kids bolted out the door.

“You meathead!” The Witch yelled. “What’d you scare those kids for?”

“I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t think they should find out what Strawhat is,” he hissed.

“Maybe so, but you didn’t have to glare at them like that.”

“Was I glaring?”

She made a face somewhere between exasperated and shocked when Luffy chimed in. “Zoro wasn’t glaring. That’s just his face.”

Zoro dropped his argument with the Witch and turned to Luffy. “They’re probably weary of fae wandering into their town, so we should leave quickly.”

Luffy frowned. A pouty sort of frown that said he wanted to do something stupid. "Aw, but I wanted to go see that big house on the hill.”

“What why?”

“It looks cool.”

Zoro was about to say that was a terrible idea when Luffy’s frown deepened. Zoro glared at him for a moment before sighing. “Fine.”

“You two are idiots," the witch said, “count me out.”

“You’ll never get your money if you don’t come with.”

She smacked him.

***

That’s how all three of them ended up heading further up the hill, en route to the mansion, when they were interrupted by rustling in the bushes.

“Halt foul fiend, or be annihilated by my army of ten thousand men!” Yelled a voice from the bushes. Curiously enough, right after they said that, something that almost looked like a nose extended from the bush.

Whaaa, that bush is alive!” Luffy said excitedly, “ and it has a long nose!”

“I’m not a bush," the bush said indignantly, and the nose retreated back into the bush. “Stupid nose giving me away.”

“Oh yeah, prove it," Zoro said.

The owner of the long nose rose out of the bush. He was a young man with a mess of curly hair and overalls. He had a slingshot aimed in Luffy’s direction. “I won’t let you ruin our town’s peace,” he proclaimed, despite the shaking of his legs.

Zoro thumbed at the hilt of Wado, ready in case this guy made a wrong move.

“Are you prepared to use that thing?” Luffy asked, more serious than Zoro was used to. It made something stir in his gut.

“I-I uh…” Long nose stuttered, looking between Zoro, Luffy, and Nami, “I don’t-“

“Are you prepared to risk your life?”

Long nose lowered the slingshot, and Zoro took his hand off the hilt of wado. “We’re not here to screw up your town or anything like that,” Zoro reassured him.

“I just want to get a closer look at that big house on the hill,” Luffy said.

“And I’m only here because this idiot owes me money,” Witch scoffed, gesturing in Zoro’s direction.

“You can’t go to that house!” Long nose yelled.

Luffy frowned, and Zoro got the weird urge to draw Wado again but refrained. "Aww, why not?”

“Because... because... uhhh...” he was sweating, clearly trying to think of a good answer, when Luffy lost patience and just ran past him up the hill. Zoro followed, and the Witch pursued.

“Wait!” Long nose yelled, running after them, and then beside them, and then for some reason ahead of them. He was a surprisingly fast runner. At the top of the hill, he stood with his arms outstretched in front of the mansion, as if something like that would stop Luffy. Zoro snorted. At least the guy was determined, in his own way.

When Luffy, Zoro, and Witch were almost up the hill, a man in a black suit with oddly large hands and a sickly glow to his skin stepped out of the front gate of the mansion.

“Usopp, what are you doing here? Your visit with Kya isn’t until this afternoon after she’s had her medicine, and who are these people?”

Usopp spun around, a stricken look on his face. “Ah- Clawhador. I was just about to run these people off when-" his nose grew. "Okay, fine, I told them they couldn’t come here, but they didn’t listen.” His nose shrank again.

Zoro had to wonder why that kept happening. Aside from the nose, this guy seemed totally human. The man in the suit on the other hand…

“Your house is cool. Can I look inside?” Luffy asked with no regard for the fact that that was an objectively weird request.

“It is not my house. It belongs to Lady Kaya, and she is not taking visitors right now,” Clawhador sneered.

“If it’s not your house, why do you get to decide?

Clawhador and Luffy stared each other down while Usopp bit his fingernails on the sidelines. It was obvious now that the man was a faerie. Zoro was starting to see a commonality among them. Whether they were obviously strange looking like the clown or otherwise human looking like Luffy, there was always something just slightly off about them, something Zoro couldn’t quite place his finger on. They didn’t glow in the literal sense. That would be difficult to miss, but Zoro could almost imagine a glow emanating from them. Sometimes it was warm and comfortable, like Luffy’s, or headache-inducing, like the clown. This guy’s glow kind of reminded him of the strange fire that sometimes appeared over swamps.

"Clawhador, are you being rude?” The voice of a young woman interrupted the staredown.

“Miss Kaya, you shouldn’t be outside; you’re sick.“

“If they’re friends of Usopp, then they’re welcome to come inside. Please come in, everyone.”

She may have been wildly misinterpreting the situation, but Usopp and Clawhador were both too flabbergasted to correct her, and Luffy was just glad to be getting what he wanted. He gave a whoop and ran into the gait. Zoro and Witch sighed as they followed him, and Kaya welcomed them with a warm smile.

The house was fancy. That was the first thing Zoro noticed. It contained all sorts of treasures from both the human and fae realms. Flower pots growing strange plants lined the window sills, and golden thread lined the curtains. This girl was loaded. The second thing he noticed was the witch eyeing up these things with the trained eyes of a thief.

“Don’t you dare,” he hissed.

She rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh but pointedly looked away from the candlesticks she’d been eyeing up, which were made of a shimmering white metal. It almost reminded him of... no.

Kaya treated them to dinner, which made Luffy happy. The witch kept her face neutral most of the time, but every once in a while Zoro caught her casting suspicious glances towards both Clawhador and Kaya. He didn’t understand why she’d be suspicious of Kaya until he looked closer at the unassuming girl. She had that glow too. He’d been so distracted by Clawhador that he hadn’t even noticed. Luffy hadn’t said anything. Did he know? He must. Right?

Zoro kept a close eye on them throughout dinner, as well as Usopp, who seemed to have some sort of connection to them and was acting nervous.

After dinner, Kaya offered them rooms to stay in for the night, since it seemed they were just passing through town temporarily. She explained that there were no inns in the town because they didn’t get many visitors. Luffy accepted with all the bouncy enthusiasm Zoro had come to expect from the faerie to whom he’d given his name. Luffy demanded Usopp show him around town before bed, and Zoro figured he’d be fine on his own for a little while, so he went to bed. He needed a nap.

What he didn’t expect was for the witch to barge into his room less than twenty minutes later.

“What do you want?” He snapped, annoyed that his nap had been interrupted.

“Sorry,” she said, not quite looking at him.

Zoro sat up, noticing the sag in her shoulders, a stark change from the guarded posture she’d kept up in the past few hours since they ran into her at the clown’s party. “Do you wanna—“ he paused, not quite sure what he should say, “I don’t know... talk about it?”

Witch let out a snort. “You’re about as personable as your average ogre.” She sighed. “You’re the only human in this house besides that long-nosed guy, and if it weren’t for all the lying, I’d think he was fae too.

“You can’t tell just by looking at him?”

She scoffed, “Not with that nose. He must be cursed or something because that’s a fae trait if I ever saw one.”

“But you knew Kaya was fae.”

"Yeah, her eyes are bigger than normal. All fae have something weird about them that gives them away, like Strawhat being stretchy. Wait, how do you tell?”

“You know the... ” he waved his hands in the air vaguely.

"No, I don’t know. What the hell does that mean?”

“They sort of glow,” he said, getting more confused. “Do you not see it?”

“Of course not! God, am I the only normal one around here?”

“Normal isn’t how I’d classify you,” Zoro grumbled, earning him an angry shriek from across the room. If she wasn’t all the way over there, Zoro was pretty sure she’d have smacked him. 

He fell silent, and a few minutes later he noticed her running her thumb over the little box she’d stolen from the clown. “What is that thing anyway? It must be pretty special since you almost died for it.”

“None of your business!” She yelled, hastily tucking the box back into her pocket.

Zoro held his hands up. "Okay, geez, I was just-“

He was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming towards him. The Witch jumped up and out of the way just in time for Luffy to burst in, dragging long-nose behind him, who seemed to be having some kind of freakout. He was shaking all over and breathing heavily.

"Zoro, we have to help this long nose guy beat up the butler!”

***

Usopp had decided to show Strawhat his favourite spot in the village to end their tour. He’d been nervous at first. More than nervous. He’d been terrified of the strange fae that wandered so casually into their village, but Luffy was nice, like Kaya but far more rambunctious, so he let the fear fade. Now they sat at the clifftop, overlooking a sparkling lake.

“Shi shi shi, you were right, long nose; this place is pretty cool.”

They hadn’t been there long when they heard voices coming from the shore on the bottom of the cliff.

“That sounds like Clawhador,” Usopp whispered, backing away from the cliff's edge and out of sight.

“Why are you hiding?” Luffy asked with a tilt of his head.

Usopp pulled Luffy back with him. “Clawhador doesn’t like me much. I’d rather he didn’t find out that this is where I like to spend my time,” he answered vaguely.

It was a good thing they’d hidden.

“Now remember, your job is to take care of our uninvited guests and Usopp. I’m going to kill Kya,” Clawhador said.

"Sure, whatever boss,” another voice said dismissively.

“Not ‘whatever,’ you need to do this perfectly, you moron. The thing we’ve been planning for decades is finally coming to fruition. We cannot afford to be flippant,” Clawhador hissed.

"Geez, calm down. We’ll get the job done,” a third voice said.

Usopp gasped. He quickly covered his mouth, but it was too late. They’d heard.

“There’s someone up there. Don’t let them get away." Clawhador ordered the other two.

“Ack! Luffy, what do we do?” Usopp whisper-yelled.

“I’ll just beat them up.” Luffy went to stand up, but Usopp pulled him back.

“We can’t beat all three of them by ourselves. Are you crazy?”

Luffy paused for a moment, almost looking like he was thinking. “You’re right. It would be rude to leave Zoro out of a fight.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

The two who were talking to Clawhador were scaling the cliff. Usopp could hear them. They didn’t have much time to run. What if they didn’t get back to the mansion on time? Then Kaya would die!

As Usopp’s anxieties grew, Luffy’s foot shot up in the air, stretching high above the cliff face. “Gum gum battle axe!” He shouted as his foot came down, crumbling the edge of the cliff and knocking down the two climbers.

Ignoring their shrieks of surprise, Luffy grabbed Usopp’s hand, and they ran back towards the mansion.

***

“And so that’s what happened,” Long nose finished explaining.

“Wait,” Witch said, “he’s been planning this for decades. How could he have hidden it for that long? He’s a faerie. He can’t lie.”

“I don’t know how he did it, but he’s been lying to Kaya for years. Please help me save her.”

Zoro looked closely at Long nose. His legs were shaking. Actually, his whole body was shaking, but he stood up straight, shoulders squared, trying his hardest to be brave. Zoro could respect that. He looked to Luffy, knowing his mind was already made up.

“Of course we’ll help. Kaya gave us yummy food and a place to stay for the night, and you gave me a really awesome tour.”

“He’s going to be here soon,” Long nose said. “We have to warn Kaya.”

Just as he said that, the shutters on the windows snapped shut seemingly of their own accord.

“Guess he’s already here,” Luffy chuckled. “Come on Zoro.”

With Wado Ichimonji slung over his shoulder, Zoro followed Luffy down the stairs in search of their enemies.

"Wait, don’t just leave me alone!” The Witch called after them.

“Stick with Usopp, and find Kaya! She’ll need someone to protect her!” Luffy called back.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” She yelled, but Luffy wasn’t listening. He and Zoro were already gone.

It didn’t take long before they ran into two faeries who seemed to be working for Clawhador. They might have been weirder looking than the clown. They had claws on their hands like cats, and the proportions of their bodies were really messed up. One of them was skinny but with broad shoulders, almost shaped like a triangle. The other one was just very large and round in the torso and head but had comparatively short legs. Zoro had trouble figuring out how either of them would be any good in a fight, but judging by their posture, they were pretty confident.

“Hey Luffy, let me take care of these guys. You can go after the big fish,” Zoro said, putting Wado in his mouth and drawing his other two swords.”

“Alright Zoro. I kind of wish I had time to watch you fight, but you’ll just have to tell me about it after,” Luffy said with a giggle before rushing off.

Zoro felt heat rise in his face and found himself staring after Luffy. Big mistake. Suddenly the swords in his hands were gone, leaving only Wado in his mouth. He pulled Wado out of his mouth and turned to face his opponents. "Damn, I let my guard down. Won’t happen again.”

“Humans are so stupid,” Triangle said, holding one of his swords.

“Don’t be mean. It’s just how they are,” said Tubby, holding the other one.

Zoro glared at them. “You know I’m starting to get the feeling a lot of you fae don’t take me seriously. You’ll regret that pretty soon.”

Triangle cackled, tossing his sword carelessly to the floor, earning an angry shout from Zoro. Tubby tossed his other one, and they both lunged at him. He blocked both their claws, rapidly turning back and forth to parry each strike. He managed to shove them backwards, giving him a moment to breathe, but they were back on him again in an instant.

Damn. They had him on the defensive.

His back hit a wall, and Triangle managed to get a claw past his defence while he was busy fending off Tubby. He cried out in pain when he was slashed in the stomach. Blocking a second strike, he kicked off the wall and jumped past them. His swords were right there. Zoro dove, but Triangle got there first. He grabbed Zoro’s swords and ran down the hallway with Tubby in tow.

“Get back here, you cowards!” Zoro yelled, chasing after them. They were fast though, and quickly got ahead of him. He looked around the hallways. Why did this damn house have to be a maze?

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” A high pitched scream echoed from elsewhere in the house. That sounded like the Witch! Zoro ran in the direction of the noise.

***

Usopp didn’t like this one bit, but at least Witch was with him. Maybe she could do some cool magic to protect him if things got dicey. Right now they were heading towards Kaya’s room, trying to get there before Clawhador. What they didn’t expect was to run into Clawhador on the way there.

“Judging by your expressions, I take it you haven’t spoken to Kaya yet.”

“C-c-Clawhador” Usopp said his name, voice trembling with a combination of anger and fear. “How could you do this to Kaya?”

“I’m going to steal everything she has, including the lives of all the pathetic humans in this village,” he sneered.

Usopp reached into his back pocket for his slingshot. Maybe if he blinded him, they could at least buy enough time to get to Kaya first. “You’ve been lying to Kaya for years. I don’t know how that’s possible, but I won’t let you hurt her!”

Too bad Clawhador had no plans of letting him have even the chance to shoot. The nails on one of his hands elongated into claws that must’ve been three feet long, and with lightning speed, his other hand grabbed Usopp by the throat, lifting him up in the air. 

Behind him, Witch screamed.

“Did you never wonder why I cursed you?”

Usopp’s face scrunched up in confusion. Why was Clawhador bringing this up now?

“I didn’t just take your ability to lie away from you. I stole it for myself.”

Usopp’s eyes widened. He didn’t even know something like that was possible. He started kicking his feet uselessly. His throat burned. He was running out of air. “Go!” He wheeze-yelled to the witch. “Please protect Kaya.”

“I don’t get why you people seem to love these faeries so much, but she’s clearly better than that guy, so fine. Try not to die!” She yelled as she ran off in the direction of Kaya’s room. Usopp had no idea what she meant by ‘you people’, but that really didn’t matter when he was probably going to die soon. Clawhador brought his claws slowly up to Usopp’s neck, as if deciding whether to slice him up or wait for him to choke to death.

Please, someone, don’t let me die like this, he thought to himself.

***

Zoro ran through the hallways, following the direction of the scream as best he could. He could hear other noises too. It sounded like fighting, and maybe Long-nose’s voice. He ran into a few dead ends, or maybe it was the same dead end a few times. Zoro couldn’t tell because these damned hallways kept moving. Eventually, he rounded a corner to see Clawhador holding Long nose up in the air by the throat, and the Witch nowhere in sight. The nails on his other hand had elongated into claws the length of swords, which were hovering dangerously close to Long-nose’s throat.

Luffy was supposed to be fighting this guy, so where the hell was he?

Well, if Luffy wasn’t here, then his opponent was fair game. Zoro leaped into action. He thrusted his remaining one sword between Long-nose’s neck and the set of claws, and his surprise at the interruption made Clawhador drop Long nose.

Clawhador sneered, the nails on his other hand elongating into claws as well. “So human, you want to challenge me?”

Instead of answering, Zoro rushed forward. The butler blocked his strike, and Zoro damn near growled in frustration. If he just had his other swords, this asshole would be dead already. The butler came in for a strike of his own, and Zoro managed to block, but his back was left open.

And he could hear cackling behind him, along with the clink of metal. Were those his swords? Was he about to be slashed with his own swords?

His back.

It was left open.

For a moment, Zoro’s brain couldn’t process what was happening until a loud crash sounded from behind, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see triangle and tubby smash two holes in the wall to his left. His swords rattled to the ground behind him, and Luffy’s breathy laugh echoed throughout the hallway. It sounded bloodthirsty.

“Hey Zoro, switch with me,” he called out, and so Zoro pushed himself away from the Butler, and they switched spots. Now they were back to back. Luffy facing off with the Butler, and Zoro facing off with Triangle and Tubby again, who were just starting to recover from getting punched through a wall.

Zoro picked his swords up off the ground and planted Wado back between his teeth where it belonged. With all three swords at his disposal, it was over in an instant. He slashed both across the chest simultaneously, and they did not get back up. Curiously, when he slashed them with the two swords in his hands, smoke poured from the wounds. Wado Ichimonji didn’t do that. It didn’t hurt the clown either. Strange.

He heard several thuds behind him and turned around just in time to see Clawhador hit the ground.

“Thanks for holding them off, Zoro.”

Zoro scoffed with no real malice. "Took you long enough to get here.”

“Yeah, Sorry. I got poisoned.”

“You what?!”

“When I was looking for that Clawha-guy I ran through the kitchen and I was hungry so I ate the soup that was on the stove and then I passed out. When I woke up I got real sick and then I felt better so I followed the sounds of fighting here.”

“So he was planning to poison Kaya. What a damn coward.”

Luffy nodded. “Anyway, I think I saw long nose run that way.” He pointed down the hallway.

Zoro’s eye twitched. That coward ran away.

As he followed Luffy down the hallway, he tapped his shoulder and said quietly, “Hey, um, thanks for saving my back.”

Luffy looked at him blankly for a moment before his expression morphed into the brightest smile Zoro had ever laid eyes on. He could probably bask in its warmth forever. “Of course, Zoro. You’re mine, aren’t you? I’ll always have your back.”

And how nice it was for someone to have his back.

***

Long nose, Witch, and Kaya had all been hiding in a room down the hallway. At first, Kaya hadn’t wanted to believe that Clawhador would try to kill her. Apparently she’d accused the Witch of being a liar, which was probably true but not about this. She hadn’t even wanted to believe Long nose right away, but he couldn’t lie. At least not without doing something to cover his nose, so she had to accept the truth.

The thing that surprised Zoro was that Kaya was her real name. Apparently since she’d told it to all the villagers, they all had a small amount of power over her, so when she told it to other people, it didn’t make a big difference. Likewise, the villagers had all given her their names so that other fae who wandered into town couldn’t steal them. Zoro didn’t really get it, but it did leave him with one question. He turned to Luffy.

"Hey, does that mean I can tell my name to people and it doesn’t matter?”

Luffy shrugged. "Technically yeah, but I’d rather you didn’t. It’d make me jealous.”

He said it so casually, but Zoro could already feel the heat creeping up his neck. He needed to get that under control or people might start to notice.

Actually, judging by the look the witch was giving him, she already noticed, and was mentally theorizing about what it meant. Well, jokes on her because it didn’t mean anything. It wasn’t Zoro’s fault that Luffy said such out of pocket things.

While Zoro hadn’t been listening, Luffy invited Long-nose to travel with them, and Long-nose, who apparently had always wanted to travel the lands of faerie, agreed. They learned his name was Usopp, and like the rest of the villagers, Kaya had his name, so he wouldn’t be giving it to Luffy.

With all that wrapped up, Luffy was eager to continue their travels, with Usopp as their new companion, and the Witch begrudgingly following them because of Zoro’s dept, they set off.

Chapter Text

It had taken Zoro a few days to get used to travelling in a group. The witch and Usopp got tired faster than he and Luffy, but Zoro surprised even himself by not being annoyed at being slowed down. All he felt was the weight of responsibility that came with his newfound need to protect the weaker members. The only thing he somewhat begrudged them for was taking up Luffy’s time. Usopp liked to tell all kinds of stories while his nose grew to ridiculous lengths, making Luffy laugh hysterically. Then he’d quickly think of a bunch of true things to say to shrink it back to a normal size. Even Witch, who hated all fae as a rule and claimed only to be with them to make sure Zoro paid his debt, would engage Luffy in lighthearted banter and roll her eyes in a way that almost seemed fond whenever Luffy did something stupid.

In fact, for someone who constantly claimed to want nothing to do with them, the witch sure was being helpful. Instead of wandering aimlessly through the woods like Zoro and Luffy had done for their first couple of days together, they now had a destination in mind.

“If you’re going to be travelling all across faerie, you’re going to need someone on your side who really knows food,” she’d said.

“I know food,” Luffy replied, licking his lips.

“You know how to eat food. You don’t know how to tell the difference between an animal that’s good to eat and an animal that will curse your entire bloodline if you kill it.”

And so they were on their way to the Baratie to steal one of their chefs. According to the witch, the Baratie was a restaurant that sat on the border between the human world and the lands of faerie. Its staff was made up of both humans and faeries, and it had a reputation for fights breaking out on the daily. It sounded like Zoro’s kind of place.

Their arrival would have to wait for tomorrow, though, as Witch and Usopp were not the type to want to walk all night just to get somewhere faster. Luffy was tired too, probably because he was still flushing the poison from that soup he drank a few days before out of his system, so Zoro offered to take first watch.

He sat near Luffy, who had fallen asleep on one of the drier patches of moss that covered much of the forest floor. With no one else awake to judge him, or in the witch’s case, shoot him weird knowing looks, Zoro let his eyes linger on Luffy. That imaginary glow that seemed to emanate from his very pores filled Zoro with a sense of warmth he’d never known before. A glow that apparently no one but him could see. It didn’t make sense to Zoro. How could they not see something so obvious?

Another thing that had stopped making sense to Zoro recently was his Wado Ichimonji. It hadn’t burned the faeries he’d fought like iron weapons are supposed to. He pulled Wado from her sheath and ran his hands along her blade. Maybe he should have noticed before. It even looked different from his other two blades, with a bright sheen that reflected the world around it like a mirror. He tilted the flat of the blade this way and that, watching the different reflections, but stopped when he angled it towards Luffy. Zoro’s eyes widened when he saw the reflection, because that wasn’t Luffy.

Or rather, it looked like Luffy but with changes that made no sense at all. The bleached white clothes and billowing, cloud-like hair reflected in the blade did not reflect the reality he saw when he looked at Luffy with his naked eye. Something about the reflection felt right, though, like there was an indisputable truth to it. Zoro couldn’t make sense of it. Maybe he wasn’t meant to.

He startled out of his thoughts when a hand landed on his shoulder. He whipped around, breathing out a sigh when he saw it was just Witch.

“Some watch you are if you can’t even hear me coming up behind you.”

“I would’ve sensed a real danger coming,” he shot back, although internally he was kicking himself for getting distracted.

“Yeah, right. Just get some sleep.”

He settled himself on the patch of moss near Luffy and ignored the pointed look the witch gave him. It didn’t mean anything. Luffy just happened to pick the most comfortable spot.

Pretty soon, Zoro fell asleep.

***

Zoro opened his eyes sluggishly when a deep chill settled in his bones. The feeling was familiar, except no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t remember where he’d felt it before. The mossy clearing in which the group had settled for the night was blanketed in a heavy fog that weighed on Zoro’s chest. Luffy was still lying next to him, sound asleep, but the witch had disappeared from the place she’d sat to keep watch, and Usopp was nowhere to be seen either. Zoro tried to sit up to go look for them but found he couldn’t move a muscle. He couldn’t even twitch a single finger. A sharp spike of panic shot through his chest at the realization.

That’s when the hooded figure appeared, casting a dark shadow as it leaned over Luffy. Zoro’s eyes trailed upwards, heart threatening to beat out of his chest as he tried to get a look at the figure’s face, but there was no face to be found. The tattered hood it wore over its head created a void of total darkness where a face should have been. Zoro shivered. Why was it so cold?

The figure reached out towards Luffy with a skeletal hand. Zoro opened his mouth to yell out, to warn him, but no sound came out. He tried to scream, to make any noise at all, but it was no use. He watched in paralyzed horror as the figure ran a skeletal finger across Luffy’s face. Then it turned to look at Zoro.

Zoro couldn’t see its eyes, but he could feel them. The unforgiving stare sapped the last of the warmth from Zoro’s body. He couldn’t move, couldn’t make a sound, couldn’t breathe. Never in his life had fear gripped him so completely. The figure lifted up its hand to where Zoro might have imagined its mouth to have been. One finger raised to where its lips might have been in a universal shushing gesture. The fog grew thicker.

***

“Zoro. Hey Zorooooooo.” Someone was gently patting his face. Zoro sat up with a start, nearly smacking his face into Luffy, who was hovering over him. “Hey, are you okay? You were breathing really weird in your sleep.”

Zoro looked around. The witch and Usopp were both looking at him, although they were trying to be subtle about it. There was no fog. There was no hooded figure with a strange skeletal hand. He took a deep breath, let his racing heart slow down, and said, “Fine.”

Luffy’s brow furrowed, creating a slight wrinkle on the bridge of his nose that Zoro only noticed because of how close Luffy’s face was to his.

Luffy was so close.

Zoro’s face heated up, and Luffy’s expression went from concerned to confused. “Hey, why’d your face turn all red?”

“Just get off me,” Zoro huffed, now hyperaware of how close Luffy’s body was to his.

Luffy stood up, and while Zoro was recovering, he turned to Usopp and the witch. “Hey, why did his face turn red?”

Zoro shot them a glare. Usopp snapped his mouth shut, but the witch simply said, “It’s a human thing; you wouldn’t get it.” She shot Zoro a look that told him his debt had just increased. Damn witch.

***

The restaurant wasn’t far, and it was made easier to find with Witch leading the way. The sound of waves crashing against a rocky shore and the salty smell of the ocean announced they were close, and soon they broke through the tree line to a view of the coast. A little ways out into the ocean, the horizon was covered by a shimmering mist. The restaurant itself was a boat that looked like a fish that was anchored at a dock by the shore.

“That’s the way out of faerie,” Witch said, pointing at the mist. “It’s one of the biggest two-way gateways in the world.”

Zoro wasn’t particularly interested, but she seemed proud that she knew that, so he nodded along while she told him about gateways and geography and how the Grand Line was a place where there were so many crossover points between human and faerie lands that it was often difficult to distinguish where you were at any given time.

Luffy perked up when he heard that. “We’re going to the Grand Line.”

“Oh yeah? Why is that?” Zoro asked.

“Because to become king of the wild hunt, I need to find all the pieces of the wild hunt king’s crown, and most of them are supposed to be in the grand line somewhere.”

The witch glared at Luffy. “No way am I going there. It’s way too dangerous. I’m just sticking around until I collect this idiot’s debt,” she gestured to Zoro, “and then I’m leaving.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Luffy laughed like he hadn’t taken anything she just said seriously.

She huffed. “You’re impossible.”

“Hey guys, can we go inside? I’m getting a weird feeling being out in the open like this,” Usopp said.

Now that he mentioned it, Zoro was feeling it too, a strange prickling sensation on the back of his neck.

“Alright!” Luffy yelled, “Awesome restaurant, here we come!”

Chapter Text

They walked in on quite the scene. A tall blond man in a black suit with oddly curly eyebrows was lifting up a second, apparently even more expensively dressed man, up by the neck. When the man made a rude comment about the food, which appeared to have been thrown to the floor, the blond lifted his knee high to drive it into the other man’s stomach. The man groaned and collapsed to the floor when he was unceremoniously dropped to the ground.

He got up and made to leave, grumbling something about ungrateful waiters. The blond responded by saying, “I’m a cook, not a waiter. Remember that, and remember to respect your food.”

Luffy, of course, immediately approached the cook with a bright smile, and Zoro knew that no matter how this conversation went, they were about to have another member added to their little group.

The cook raised one of his weird curly eyebrows as Luffy approached. “You need something?” He asked. “If you’re looking for a table, Patty can seat you.”

Luffy ignored him, instead saying, “Hey, you seem cool. Can I have your name?”

The chef chuckled. “You must not be around here. Asking for names is against restaurant rules.”

“Oh, I didn’t know.” Luffy screwed up his face, as if he was thinking really hard about what he was about to say. “Okay, I won’t ask for anyone else’s name as long as I’m inside this restaurant.”

That was the first time Zoro had ever heard Luffy use such purposeful phrasing, and it made him wonder what stupid idea Luffy had concocted to try to get this guy’s name. Watching the interaction from afar, he squinted at the guy. He tilted his head to the side, and then the other way. At some angles, it almost seemed like the air shimmered around him, but other times there was nothing.

Witch nudged him. “Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

“Does that guy look normal to you?”

She squinted at him. “I mean, the eyebrows are pretty weird, but I don’t know if that would make him inhuman. Why?”

“It’s nothing. He’s human,” Zoro decided. The weird aura was probably just him getting confused because the guy was surrounded by a bunch of other fae.

The cook sighed and said, “It’s fine. You can call me Black Leg. Why don’t you go get Patty to seat you?”

Luffy hummed. “Actually, I want you to.”

The cook’s eye twitched. “Well, that’s too bad, because I’m busy.”

Luffy started to pout, and Zoro was pretty sure Black Leg was thinking about starting a fight with him. A thing Zoro would have been happy to watch, but the Witch stepped up to stop that from happening. “Won’t you please find us a nice seat?” She asked, batting her eyelashes. “I would really appreciate it.”

Black Leg’s demeanour switched instantly, and if Zoro didn’t know any better, he’d say the cook’s pupils turned to hearts. “Yes, of course, anything for a lovely lady such as yourself!” He said, and with a flourish, he suddenly had a table set up for the four of them, along with a free drink in a crystal glass for the Witch.

After he left, Zoro gave Witch a pointed look and burst out laughing. “Madame,” he said mockingly. “Doth the lady require a taste of our finest wine?”

Witch snorted, hiding her smile behind her glass.

“Maybe she’d prefer a diamond-encrusted goblet,” Usopp added, quickly hiding behind Zoro in case the Witch decided to hit him.

Unable to hold it in anymore, Witch burst out laughing, clutching her stomach with one hand and smacking the table with the other. “You guys are assholes,” she said with no malice.

Luffy smiled at them softly as he scarfed down the food they’d ordered.

Just as Zoro was about to make another comment, the front door burst open. Through it, stumbled a man in tattered clothes, covered in dirt and soot. He didn’t seem to be sporting any serious injuries, but he was struggling to stay upright and collapsed into the first seat he could find. Many of the Baratie’s patrons were staring with a glint in their eyes, as if they expected something especially exciting to happen.

This did not escape the notice of the man that Black Leg had previously pointed out as Patty.

Patty strutted over with a grin plastered onto his face and a notebook in hand.

“Get me something to eat,” the emaciated man demanded gruffly. “Anything will do.”

“May I inquire as to how the fine gentleman will be paying for his food?” Patty asked in an overly friendly tone.

The man reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun, aiming it between Patty’s eyes. “Will this about cover it?”

The smile disappeared from Patty’s face, and with a swing of his fist, he knocked the gun out of the man’s hand and onto the floor. Then he grabbed the man by the arm and tossed him out the door, yelling, “We only serve paying customers!”

Seeing that the excitement was over, most of the customers turned away from the scene, reabsorbed into whatever conversations had had their attention before. Zoro was about to do the same when he noticed Luffy’s eyes still fixated on something. Zoro followed his line of sight and realized he wasn’t looking at the doors where that man had been tossed out of, but instead at Black Leg, who was staring fixedly at the door, standing stiff with his hands balled into fists at his side. The customers beside him were trying to get his attention, but he paid them no mind and stomped off through a different pair of doors that Zoro could only assume went to the kitchen.

“What are you thinking, Luffy?” Zoro asked.

“I’m gonna go for a walk,” he said, standing up. Zoro stood up to follow him, but Luffy pushed him back down into his seat and said, “Stay with Witch and Usopp.”

Zoro tried to ignore the disappointment weighing on his chest and nodded.

***

Sanji couldn’t believe that Patty was such an inconsiderate man. He fumed as he stormed through the kitchen, shooting glares at the other cooks who were about to open their mouths to ask questions as he grabbed a skillet and an assortment of ingredients. Pretty soon, he’d made a plate of fried rice and filled a glass of water. Then, ignoring the lingering gazes of his coworkers, he marched out the side door out to the deck.

He found who was looking for quickly. The guy hadn’t made it very far after he was tossed out, and was collapsed in a heap on the outside deck of the Baratie. Sanji hurried over and placed the plate and glass in front of his face.

The man looked up. “I don’t need your pity.” He managed to sit up, only to push both the food and water away.

Sanji frowned, taking in a deep inhale from his cigarette and letting out a puff of smoke. “Are you really going to die for your pride? How pointless. Isn’t it better to live and be prideful another day?”

The man seemed to consider for a moment, and suddenly his eyes welled up with tears, and he grabbed the bowl. Between mouthfuls of rice and desperate gulps of water, he cried, “Thank you! Thank you. I thought I was going to die. How can I ever repay you?”

Sanji sat down next to him with a small smile. “No need. I feed anyone who’s hungry. You can just tell me what I can call you. You can call me Black Leg.”

“You can call me Gin.”

The two chatted for a while longer, and eventually Gin disappeared into the fog using the rowboat he’d arrived on.

A breathy laugh sounded from above. Sanji jumped, nearly spitting out his cigarette, and looked up. “Oh, it’s you,” he said to the faerie in the straw hat who’d asked for his name earlier. He was sitting on a low-hanging part of the restaurant roof. “You planning on stealing my name? You should know I won’t be as easy to trick as your moss-headed friend.” Sanji took a puff of his cigarette, eyeing the boyish-looking creature suspiciously.

“Shishishi moss head? That’s funny!” He giggled as he jumped down from the roof. “But I didn’t trick him. He says I’m bad at tricks,” the faerie pouted, forcing Sanji to suppress a snort. Following advice Zeff had beaten into Sanji’s head in his formative years, Sanji would not let the fae know he was already endearing himself to him. “He gave me his name willingly.”

Sanji narrowed his eyes. “What about the redheaded girl and the guy with the long nose?”

“Oh, I don’t have their names yet. Anyway, you should come with us and cook for my hunting party. You can call me Strawhat, by the way.”

Sanji’s eyes widened as he tried to process what Strawhat was saying. A fae travelling with humans whose names they hadn’t claimed was rare, and a human giving up their names without being tricked was even more rare. Now this fae was asking him to join up with him? His carefree nature was infectious, and Sanji was almost tempted to say yes. But…
“I can’t,” he replied, letting out a puff of smoke. “This place needs me, and I have a debt to repay, so I refuse.”

Strawhat huffed, “Well then I refuse your refusal!”

“What? You can’t do that!”

Strawhat stuck his tongue out at him, and, following a sudden whim, Sanji changed the subject. “Hey, have you heard of the all blue?”

Strawhat shook his head, looking at him with wide, curious eyes.

“It’s this place where the fae realm perfectly overlaps with the human one, with fruits and wild animals from both realms. They even say that the food there is guaranteed to be free of curses, since it’s been blessed by the god of harvest.”

“That’s so cool!” Strawhat yelled, voice completely free of the mocking he’d heard from countless others. It made Sanji’s heart ache. He didn’t really have anything he needed to do at the moment, so instead of shutting up like he’d intended to do in front of the fae, he went on and on about the all blue and his dream of finding it.

Just when he was finally starting to think he should be getting back inside before people started asking questions, the sound of banging and yelling came from inside the restaurant. He exchanged a look with Strawhat, and they both ran inside.

***

The main entrance to the dining area slammed open, and the hulking figure of a man stepped through. He was human, Zoro realized. The odd size and shape of his body must have been because of the bulky, gold-plated armour he was wearing. Although he was clearly trying to put on an air of power and importance, the man was in bad shape. He was being supported by the man from earlier, who had gained some colour back in his features, and his face was gaunt. As soon as the pair were all the way inside the entrance, the armoured man collapsed on all fours and, shockingly, began sobbing hysterically.

“Food… Please, I need food…” he blubbered weakly.

“Please help my captain,” the man supporting him said.

The couple of cooks that were in the dining room seemed to be considering it when one of the customers stood up. He was an old man with a spindly white beard. No weird shimmer around him, so definitely human. “I recognize that man. He’s from a militia that attacks fae at the border of the realm and sells them off for parts on the black market. They call him Krieg. Do not feed him.”

Some of the fae around the room gasped. Others seemed ready to tear the man apart. They didn’t have to do anything, though, because the cooks were already approaching.

“If he’s truly that terrible, we should get rid of him while we have the chance,” Patty said.

The other cooks nodded, and Patty, along with two others, attacked. Zoro thought it was excessive force for a starving man and a man who had been on the verge of death mere hours before, but the smaller man was doing a good job fending off the attacking cooks.

Realizing how long it had been, Zoro began to wonder where Luffy was. Actually he’d been wondering where Luffy was the whole time, but now he was beginning to think he should go look for him. But before he could even get up from his seat, Luffy and Black Leg burst through one of the side doors.

Zoro scoffed to himself. Why did Luffy want that guy so bad? He couldn’t be that great. Had Luffy actually spent the last few hours with him? Witch snorted at him, and he glared back at her.

Black Leg approached the scene. “What’s going on here? Gin? You’re back.”

“Please help my captain,” the formerly emaciated man, Gin, said. “He’ll starve if you don’t.

Black Leg nodded. “Then we’ll feed him.”

Just as he turned to go to the kitchen, Patty grabbed his arm. “You can’t feed him. He’s a trafficker.”

Black Leg's eyes darkened, and he said, “So we’ll feed him, and then we’ll beat him up.”

Luffy, who’d been hanging back and watching the exchange, smiled at that. Zoro couldn’t see what was cool about that. The guy seemed to want a fair fight, so maybe Zoro could respect that, but Luffy didn’t need to smile at him like that, in Zoro’s opinion. Zoro crossed his arms with a humph and only bristled a little when Witch rubbed his shoulder soothingly.

Black Leg attempted to head for the kitchen again when suddenly he was surrounded by what looked like a bunch of oversized steak knives. He wasn’t fazed, and simply lit a cigarette, taking a puff as he nodded to the stairs in the corner of the room.

“About time you showed up, Old Man.”

Standing at the top of the stairs was a man in a chef's uniform with a comically tall hat and a long braided moustache. The chefs all looked over, wide-eyed. The man’s mere presence instantly put an end to the argument between Black Leg and the other chefs.

“Shut your mouth, brat!” The old chef yelled, although to Zoro, it didn’t sound like there was much bite to his apparent admonishment.

“Head Chef! Black Leg is trying to get us all killed!” Patty yelled.

“You shut your mouth too! Do any of you understand what it’s like to starve? If you don’t, then shut up and let him pass.”

With that, the group of chefs lowered their weapons, and Black Leg finally made his way to the kitchen. It wasn’t long before he came back with a heaping bowl of noodles. He put it in front of Krieg silently, not asking for anything in return or demanding gratitude. To Zoro’s annoyance, he was starting to see what Luffy saw in the guy.

Krieg scarfed down the food while Gin thanked Black Leg profusely, but as soon as Krieg finished, he stood up, and in a surprising show of force, punched Black Leg in the face, sending him flying across the room. Zoro jumped up from his seat, getting ready to step in, but Nami grabbed his arm. Both she and Usopp were staring at him wide-eyed, like he was their only lifeline in this terrifying situation. He huffed but stayed by them, leaning against the table with his hand hovering over Wado’s hilt.

A plate of the armour on Krieg’s arm opened up to reveal a heavy-duty firearm. The kind that, in Zoro’s experience, was only available to people who had money and connections. “I have men who need food. I want a hundred meals prepared. Forget all your customers; my men are your top priority!” He yelled in a tone that implied he expected to be obeyed.

The chefs sneered at him. “Do you really think we’ll listen to you just because you threatened us?” Patty said.

“This could get ugly,” Zoro whispered, leaning down so only Witch and Usopp could hear. “I want you two to sneak out the back. Go hide in the woods. Luffy and I will come find you when this all blows over.”

For a moment, Witch looked like she wanted to protest, but quickly thought against it and nodded. She took Usopp by the hand, and they both quietly left. Zoro could only hope there weren’t worse dangers outside.

While he had been talking with Witch and Usopp, Zeff had apparently decided that they would be feeding Kriegs men, a thing that would undoubtedly invite a siege upon their previously semi-peaceful restaurant. Most of the patrons remained seated, too weary of the weapons hidden under Krieg’s armour to move. Zoro had no such qualms, and moved over to stand by Luffy.

“You gonna do something about this?” Zoro asked.

Luffy shrugged, “Probably, but I have to let them feed the weird armour guy’s men first.”

“Why?”

Luffy pointed towards Black Leg, who was just starting to force himself off of the ground with a groan. “He doesn’t like to let anyone go hungry.”

“You really think he’ll join us?”

Luffy grinned and walked over to crouch by Black Leg. Zoro followed, keeping an eye on Luffy’s back in case Krieg decided he didn’t like them moving around like this.

“Hey,” Luffy said, getting Black Leg’s attention. “Let’s make a deal.”

Black Leg’s eyes widened, and so did Zoro’s, if he was being honest. He knew some fae liked to make deals to trap humans in agreements of which they never could have predicted the outcome, but he knew Luffy wouldn’t be malicious like that, and he wasn’t sure Luffy would even know how to craft such a deal.

Black Leg gritted his teeth. “What deal?”

“If I get rid of those guys and save your restaurant, you join me and give me your name.”

Black Leg bit his lip, looking conflicted. He looked back at Krieg and Gin, and then said, “You really think you can save this place?”

Luffy grinned. “Duh!”

“I can only give you half my name,” he said cryptically, and Zoro almost thought he saw the air shimmer around him before he blinked and the blond just seemed like a normal human again.

“Sounds good to me,” Luffy said, holding out his hand.

Black Leg shook it. “Then it’s a deal. I’ll join your hunting party, and my name, well, half of it, is Sanji.”

Luffy grinned. “I’m Luffy. Nice to meet you, Sanji.”

Before Zoro had time to think much more about Luffy’s reasoning for recruiting Sanji with such a deal, the head chef and the other cooks came back with all one hundred meals. Krieg and Gin took the meals outside. When they opened the doors, Zoro could see that there was a large ship anchored to the dock not far from the restaurant, full of people who were in just as bad shape as Krieg and Gin had been not long ago. It made Zoro sigh in relief. Usopp and the Witch likely wouldn’t have met any resistance when they snuck out the back. It seemed like the Baratie staff were now having the same idea Zoro had earlier, because they had started ushering the patrons out a back door as soon as Krieg was no longer holding them all hostage with his mere presence.

By the time the group outside had finished eating, only the cooks, including Sanji and Zeff, along with Zoro and Luffy, remained in the restaurant. Luffy stepped outside, with Zoro following close behind, to head off the group of armed men getting ready to invade the restaurant.

“I think that restaurant would make a nice hideout,” Krieg announced, “So let’s capture it in good condition, along with any fae still nearby.”

Just as he said that, the ship suddenly split clean in half. A voice sounded from the other side of the ship, and soon a figure in a small boat emerged from the shadows of the split halves.

“Weaklings shouldn’t spill such filth from their mouths.”

Zoro’s eyes widened as he saw who was sailing towards the docks in a small boat that appeared to be built from a coffin. He spoke in a low drawl, sounding bored. An unbelievably large black sword was strapped to his back, and his eyes were a distinctly inhuman yellow, like a hawk’s. The aura around him was cold as steel and seemed to drain the colour from the world around him.

Zoro’s heart thundered in his chest. It was really him. It felt too soon, but Zoro knew he couldn’t back down, not if he ever wanted to keep his promise to Kuina. The man sailing uncaringly between the perfectly sliced halves of Krieg’s ship was the swordsman known to both the fae and human realms as the world’s greatest swordsman, Hawkeye.

Almost as if in a daze, Zoro walked up to the end of the dock. Luffy reached out, looking almost as if he wanted to stop him, but he bit his lip and pulled his hand back, brows creased with worry.

Zoro called out. “I’ve never seen a sword handled with such grace and precision,” he said with a forced smile.

Hawkeye’s inhuman gaze pierced through him, and Zoro had to force himself to keep still, his whole body screaming at him that he was being sized up by an apex predator.

The corner of Hawkeye’s lip quirked up in a small smile. “And who might you be, young swordsman?”

Zoro looked back at Luffy, who nodded wordlessly. “I am Roronoa Zoro, and it is my ambition to defeat you and take your title as the world’s greatest swordsman.” Zoro felt a tug in his chest, pulling him back slightly and keeping him tethered to Luffy.

“I see your name is already taken,” Hawkeye drawled. “Oh well, I didn’t want it that badly anyway. Alright, I suppose I’ll entertain your fantasies and fight you. It might cure my boredom, if only for a moment.”

Zoro glared at him but moved back to allow him to step into the dock. He got ready, placing Wado between his teeth and holding his other two swords in his hands. He expected Hawkeyes to reach for the large sword on his back, but instead he pulled a mere pocket knife from the cross-shaped necklace that hung from his neck.

“What the hell! You makin fun of me?” Zoro mumbled around Wado.

“I wouldn’t hunt rabbits with a cannon,” Hawkeye replied disdainfully, “even if that rabbit carried poisoned weapons.”

Zoro looked down at the swords in his hands, then back up at Hawkeye. “I didn’t choose the metal,” he defended himself.

“No matter,” Hawkeye replied, and Zoro, getting frustrated with his uncaring attitude, charged. He gained as much momentum as he could with the distance he had, swung…

And was completely stopped.

Zoro stared at his swords in shock, all three of them stopped by Hawkeye’s tiny pocket knife. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he tried to push back on the sheer force exerted by the hands of the world’s greatest swordsman. He jumped back, and when he looked at Hawkeye’s face, he was surprised to find that his eyes had widened slightly, the bored expression gone.

“Where did you get that sword? The one in your mouth.”

Zoro’s face twisted in confusion at the question. “A friend. What’s it matter to you?”

Hawkeye shook his head. “If you do not know why it is significant, then you are truly ignorant.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Zoro went in for another strike and was deflected again, this time getting smacked in the face with the hilt of Hawkeye’s knife, sending him sprawling to the ground.

“Zoro!” Luffy yelled from behind him.

“That sword is made of a metal that doesn’t exist in your world, and is rare even in this one,” Hawkeye continued.

Zoro got up, panting, and said, “Get to the point so I can kill you.” His words were pointless bravado at this point. Even he knew that, but if he died here, he needed Luffy to believe he wasn’t scared.

“It’s called mirror iron, but unlike the real iron, which burns us, it reveals our true nature. And from what I can tell, that sword is highly attuned to your soul.”

Zoro’s eyes widened. “So that’s why…” he muttered to himself.

Hawkeye sheathed his pocket knife and finally reached for the sword on his back. “Despite your inexperience and ignorance, you clearly have the soul of a true swordsman, so I’ll do you the honour of striking you down with my best blade.”

Zoro huffed. “I appreciate it.”

He raised his swords, and charged one last time. The blades in his hands shattered, leaving Zoro only holding their useless hilts. To Zoro’s relief, Wado was okay. Hawkeye stood behind him, waiting to see what he would do. He sheathed Wado and held her in one hand as he turned around and spread his arms wide.

“But why?” Hawkeye asked, looking shocked once again.

Luffy stood not far away, watching the whole thing with wide eyes and a pained expression. Zoro smiled at him apologetically. “Scars on the back are a swordsman’s shame.”

Hawkeye smiled and, raising his sword, said, “Admirable.” Then he brought down his sword and sliced open Zoro’s chest.

His ears were ringing as blood flowed freely from the wound.

There was a presence beside him, a warm glow.

Luffy.

Luffy was touching his face, whispering something Zoro couldn’t hear.

Pain shot through his chest as he breathed in, trying to force enough air into his lungs to stay conscious for just a few moments longer.

His vision cleared, and he saw Luffy’s face hovering above him with tears in his eyes. “C-can you hear me, Luffy?” he croaked, quiet enough that no one else could hear him say Luffy’s name.

“I’m here, Zoro,” Luffy replied just as quietly.

With all the strength he had left, Zoro grabbed Luffy’s shoulder with one hand and Wado’s hilt with the other. He raised Wado high in the air. “You need me to be strong, and today I failed.” Luffy shook his head at him, but Zoro continued anyway, now speaking as loud as he could in his weakened state. “So from this day forth, I solemnly swear that I will never lose again! Is that good for you, my king?”

Luffy let out a soft sound, halfway between a laugh and a sob. He pressed his forehead to Zoro’s. “Yeah, that’s good.”

Having said what he needed to say, Zoro’s strength left him, and his arm flopped back to the ground.

The world went dark.

Chapter Text

Zoro was floating in darkness—an endless void where none of his senses could reach him. Something brushed gently across his face, and his eyes flew open. He was still in that same void, but in front of him, illuminated by a cold glow, was a cloaked figure. Its skeletal fingers caressed his cheeks. He tried to jump back but found that he couldn’t move an inch.

A gravelly voice came from the darkness within the creature’s hood. “You’ve never been this close before.”

The voice echoed through Zoro’s head. It grated against his ears and sent ice through his blood. The voice had no tone, but for some reason, to Zoro, it sounded elated. Its hand began to reach for his face again, and the closer the hand got the more dread pooled in the pit of Zoro’s stomach.

But before the creature could touch him, another voice cut through the darkness, bringing with it a warm light from above. Soft at first; words indistinguishable, and then louder, more clear.

“Zoro.”

“Zoro.”

“Zoro. I need you.”

Luffy.

He opened his eyes find Luffy’s face inches away from his. His eyes were wide and shining like he was on the verge of tears, but a wide grin spread across his face when he saw Zoro was awake.

“Zoro! You’re okay!” He yelled flopping down on top of Zoro in a big hug, making him groan at the pain that spread across his torso.

“That’s questionable,” he wheezed. It didn’t help that the surface underneath him was horribly uncomfortable. Looking around, he realized he was in the kitchen, lying on top of a counter in the middle of the room.

From behind, Sanji smacked Luffy on the head, although from Zoro’s perspective, there didn’t seem to be much force behind the strike. “You dumbass. You’re gonna reopen his wounds.” Then he sat down in a chair off to the side, looking exhausted. Zoro looked down at his chest, which was covered in a messy crisscross of bandages. Had swirly brow saved his life? For some reason, it felt wrong to be in his dept, so Zoro made a mental note to repay the favour as soon as possible. An unfamiliar boy ran into the room and stood beside Sanji. He looked nervous, shifting from foot to foot with his eyes glued to the ground. 

Luffy got off of Zoro as carefully as he could manage, rubbing his head. Despite his joy at Zoro being awake, he seemed unusually sombre.

“The restaurant’s still intact, so you won the fight, right?” He asked.

Luffy nodded, although he didn’t seem to take any joy in his victory.

“Are the others safe? Where are Usopp and the witch?” He looked around, but there was no sign of them in the room. He hoped they were just outside.

The look on Luffy’s face dashed his hopes of that. He bit his lip like he didn’t know how to break some horrible news to Zoro.

It was Sanji who spoke up. “They were taken, along with some others who ran out the back door when Krieg showed up, by a faerie called Arlong. He’s notorious for kidnapping large groups of humans, but he’s never targeted the Baratie before.” He looked pale.

The boy sitting next to him spoke up. “Um—it looked kind of like that read head girl—I think you called her Witch?—well it looked like she was working for Arlong. She even seemed like she enjoyed helping him.”

“Shut up!” Luffy yelled, making the boy jump. “She’s not like that.”

At the same time, Sanji scoffed, “I already told you. A lady would never work for a brute like that willingly. Just tell us what you saw.”

Zoro pushed himself into a sitting position with a groan, giving the boy his full attention. When they first met, the witch had told him to be careful around the fae. Had she been speaking from experience? Luffy sat beside Zoro on the counter, resting a hand on his shoulder as if to ground himself, as they listened to the boy’s story.

With a shaky voice, he explained how he’d run out the back of the restaurant with the other customers and hidden in the woods. Most of the fae customers ran away, but most of the humans had boats moored in the bay. Don Krieg either hadn’t noticed them leaving or didn’t care, so they thought they were safe to hide in the forest until the fighting was over, or until they could get back to their boats. But then Arlong showed up. It seemed he and some of his gang were looking for something, and the boy, curious to a fault, had followed them until they found it.

What they were looking for was the Witch. The Witch had handed a small box over to Arlong—a part of the story that had bells ringing in Zoro’s head at the memory of her stealing that box from Buggy—and when he asked her why she’d been hanging around with some other faerie (apparently he could smell Luffy) she claimed she was just using him for protection until she could get back home.

Then, Arlong rounded up all the humans he could find, including Usopp, and took them away. The boy explained that the only reason he’d gotten away was because he was a good climber, and had scaled a large tree and managed to stay out of sight in the foliage.

Zoro listened to the story with bated breath, then, he swung his legs out over the side of the counter, ignoring the pain in his torso, got down, and dropped to his knees in front of Luffy. Sanji stood up as if to stop him, probably concerned about his wounds reopening, but Luffy held up a hand and he sat back down. He looked down at Zoro with an unreadable expression, waiting to see where he was going with this.

Zoro took a deep breath before he spoke, bowing his head. “Luffy, it’s my fault they were taken. I’m sorry. I sent them outside. If I hadn’t done that—if I’d just stayed by them and protected them—then maybe—

Luffy made a shushing sound, shutting him up. He must be angry. Their friends were gone because of Zoro’s incompetence. Zoro’s heart beat hard against his ribs. He was supposed to protect them and he didn’t. Luffy should just abandon him somewhere and find someone else who won’t screw up like he did.

A hand snaked under his chin and tilted his head up. A frown coloured Luffy’s usually bright and cheerful face. It made Zoro’s heart sink even further. He was the reason Luffy was frowning.

Zoro’s racing thoughts ground to a halt when Luffy opened his mouth and spoke. “Wow. You’re really stupid, Zoro.” He didn’t say it like he was trying to insult Zoro. He simply stated it as a matter of fact. Zoro stared up at him opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, trying to figure out if he should deny the statement or simply hang his head in shame, not that Luffy would allow him to do that. His hand was still holding Zoro’s chin, forcing him to look him in the eyes. Luckily, Zoro didn’t have to decide what to do, because Luffy kept talking. “How would it be your fault? It’s not like anyone knew those guys would be there. Dummy.”

“But you told me to stay with Witch and Usopp. I was supposed to protect them,” Zoro said dejectedly.

Luffy made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat and let go of Zoro’s chin. He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a minute, before finally saying “I still need you to protect them, so stop moping and let’s go get them back!”

Zoro nodded, pushing himself to stand despite the pain shooting through his chest. For a dizzying moment, he thought he’d fall down, but he managed to remain upright and grasped Luffy’s forearm. “I promise, I will make this right. We will get them back.”

Luffy frowned at him for a moment longer, but then his face split into a wide grin, making Zoro’s heart flutter. “Of course we will!”

“Are- are you guys really going after Arlong?” The boy—who Zoro had forgotten was there—stuttered. “Isn’t that too dangerous? He’s so strong.”

Luffy looked at the boy sharply, almost seeming like he was going to knock the boy’s lights out before Sanji beat him to it. A roundhouse kick sent him flying out of the room, and he quickly got up and ran off. “So, when are we going?” He asked, ignoring Zoro and Luffy’s stunned looks.

“As soon as we can,” Luffy replied.

* * *

As it turned out, the head chef had a map of the nearby area. When he’d been explaining the map to them, he circled an area labelled Cocoyashi Village. Supposedly, it was the center of a territory controlled by Arlong, and the most likely place he’d bring the kidnapped humans.

The Baratie cooks provided them with huge backpacks full of dried fruits and cured meats, saying something about how most of the food where they were going was cursed. Arlong Park, as it was called, was nearly a week’s trip away, and apparently, Zoro had been in and out of consciousness for nearly two days, although he couldn’t remember being conscious at all. At this point, it was unlikely they’d be able to catch up to Arlong and his gang before they got back to Cocoyashi, so they’d have to travel into the heart of his territory. Zoro’s fist clenched around Wado’s hilt. It didn’t matter how injured he was or if he only had one sword. He would cut down everyone who got in his way. He wouldn’t let Luffy down again, or any of his new friends.

His thoughts were interrupted by Luffy sitting down next to him. They were waiting outside the baratie for Sanji. The head chef had insisted he have a private conversation with him before he left. Zoro couldn’t blame him, since they might never see each other again, but he, admittedly, was starting to get anxious.

“They’ll be okay. Witch and Usopp are strong,” Luffy said, eyeing Zoro’s restless leg.

“How do you know that?” Zoro asked, clamping a hand down over his knee to make his leg stop moving. It didn’t work.

Luffy smiled at him. “I just do.”

 Zoro chuckled. “I suppose the same way you knew to pick all of us in the first place.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Zoro wanted to ask ‘What made you pick me? I was just lost in the woods like an idiot but you came along and told me you wanted me. What did you see in me? What do you see in me’ But those questions were too big, and they got stuck in Zoro’s throat, so instead he asked a different question that had been plaguing his mind. “Why’d you make that deal with the cook?”

Luffy shrugged. “He wouldn’t have agreed to come otherwise.”

Zoro huffed. “Yeah but… it’s just… well you…”

“Oh!” Luffy said, apparently somehow getting what Zoro meant despite his total failure to say it. “He had a debt to pay the old chef guy, and if he saved the restaurant I figured that would pay it. Besides, he really wanted to come. I could tell.”

“Oh,” Zoro replied simply. He once again had to wonder how Luffy knew these things. Maybe it would always be a mystery, but deep down he knew Luffy had it right, that he wouldn’t be led astray as long as he followed him.

The door to the Baratie opened, and out came Sanji, followed by the head chef. They were both a little red in the eyes, like they’d been crying. The head chef glared at Luffy. “You’d better not let anything bad happen to my son, or it’ll be on your head.”

Luffy smiled. “Yeah okay, but don’t worry too much Mr. Moustache man. Sanji will be safe with us.”

“Stupid old man,” Sanji huffed under his breath. “I can take of myself.” He turned around and lit a cigarette like he didn’t care at all about what the old man had to say, but Zoro could have sworn he saw him tearing up again.

“Alright let’s go! Luffy yelled, and they all turned around to leave.

But just before they were out of sight of the restaurant, Sanji, hands shaking, turned around and yelled “Hey old geezer! Thank you for everything!”

* * *

Zoro’s lungs were burning. His body had gotten a rush of adrenaline when he found out what happened to Witch and Usopp, but now exhaustion was sinking into his bones. They’d been walking most of the day, and he was starting to lag behind. Luffy was up ahead talking to Sanji about a place called the ‘All Blue’ but Zoro couldn’t hear their conversation over the ringing in his ears. Just how much blood had he lost?

He stumbled a bit, grabbing a tree to steady himself, and took a deep breath, then another, and another until the world stopped spinning. Then he pushed himself to walk faster. He couldn’t slow Luffy down.

A little while later, as the sun got to the lowest point it could in this part of faerie, they settled down to eat and rest for the night.

When Sanji started a fire and got out a pot to boil water for a soup, Zoro said, “If you didn’t do that, we’d get there faster.”

Sanji looked up from where he was busying himself prepping ingredients with a glare. “If we don’t eat properly, we won’t have the strength to fight Arlong and his gang. They’re a hunting party too you know, probably aiming for the same goal as Luffy. They’re experienced fighters.”

“I’m plenty strong enough,” Zoro grunted, adjusting his shirt to cover up the layers of bandages holding his torso together.

Sanji made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat. “The only reason we stopped so early is—

Luffy punched him in the arm, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Sanji groaned, rubbing his arm, but seemed more annoyed than in pain. He shot Luffy a dirty look, who stared back at him with furrowed brows. Eventually, the cook backed out of their weird stare-down and went back to making soup. When it was done, Luffy seemed to forget all about the silent exchange and ate happily.

When Zoro was done with his meal, he tucked himself straight into his bedroll and pretended to be asleep. In reality, he was glaring at the tree root next to him. He didn’t like Luffy sharing silent exchanges with Sanji that he wasn’t privy to. His stomach churned, making him feel like he might throw up that soup he ate. He knew what the cook was gonna say when Luffy stopped him. ‘We were slowed down because of you.’

Closing his eyes, Zoro vowed that he wouldn’t let the cook be right about him. He wouldn’t become a liability. He was responsible for bringing Usopp and the Witch back safe. He’d prove he was strong enough.

* * *

A couple of days later, the landscape began to change. The woods got darker, tree trunks grew closer together, and the branches overhead became gnarled and tangled with each other, blocking much of the light. Their little group walked closer together, as there wasn’t much space and sometimes the air shimmered like there was something there, but when Zoro mentioned it neither Sanji nor Luffy had noticed. Maybe it was a trick of the light, or maybe the fever was starting to get to Zoro’s head.

He hadn’t told anyone about the fever. He could feel the sweat pouring down his back most of the time, but he was able to hide it from Luffy well enough if he pointed out a cool enough bug when he asked about Zoro’s condition.

He was pretty sure Sanji noticed, but Zoro had shot him a look when it seemed like was going to open his mouth to say something, and he’d left him alone, seemingly understanding his intentions.

Begrudgingly, Zoro was beginning to appreciate some things about this guy. He kept Luffy fed, and he knew which foods from the forest were safe. He also seemed to get the sense of urgency Zoro and Luffy had about going after Witch and Usopp, even though he’d only met them once.

Zoro just wished he and Luffy would be less chummy, though he couldn’t understand why. Luffy was friendly with everyone, but the way he ate Sanji’s food made Zoro want to cut the shitty cook in half. He shook his head, ignoring how dizzy it made him. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about why he felt like that.

Luffy and Sanji had gotten ahead of him again. He needed to catch up, but as he pushed himself to go faster, the world around him got darker. He didn’t see the tree root in front of him, and his boot caught on it. He fell forward, barely catching himself on his arms to avoid hitting the ground face first, but his arms gave out from under him too and he wound up laying on the ground, breath heaving.

Through blurred vision, he saw Luffy start running to him, but at the same time, beside him, the air shimmered. Something that looked like a weird cross between a human arm and an octopus tentacle appeared from thin air and grabbed onto Zoro’s motionless body. He couldn’t seem to move. His body wouldn’t listen to him, and as he was dragged through that shimmering spot in the air, Luffy disappeared, and soon after that, the world went dark.

* * *

The first thing Zoro became aware of when he woke up was motion. The second thing that he became aware of was that he was in a barrel. There was no lid on top of the barrel, and with some effort, despite the cramped conditions or the fact that his arms were tied behind his back, he managed to push himself to his knees and poke his head over the top.

The barrel was strapped to some guy’s back. Well, guy might not be the best word. Man octopus might be a better descriptor. His arms were the very same that Zoro remembered grabbing him before he lost consciousness, and he had strange spiky hair. He sort of glowed, but not like Zoro was used to from the fae. It was an odd sort of shimmer that disappeared if you weren’t paying attention, but he had to be fae. He certainly didn’t look human.

The octopus man turned his head, and Zoro stared wide-eyed. He had the strangest face Zoro had ever seen. His mouth looked like a trumpet, and he had a tattoo of the sun on his forehead. Maybe he wasn’t real. This whole thing would make a lot more sense if this guy wasn’t real. It could be a fever dream. Zoro did still feel cold and sweaty, although maybe not as bad as before?

“Oh, you’re awake!” Trumpet face said in a voice far too friendly for someone who just kidnapped a barely conscious man.

Zoro just stared at him.

“I was worried you were gonna die. You were pretty bad for a bit there. Luckily I had some medicine on me to bring your fever down. You got pretty nasty injuries there. How’d that happen?”

“What do you care?” Zoro asked, narrowing his eyes at the barrage of questions coming from the strange probably fae man.

The octopus made a surprised face and said, “Oh! How rude of me! You’re probably wondering who I am and where I’m taking you.”

“Uh… yeah,” Zoro replied, starting to get exasperated with the guy’s blasée attitude.

“Everyone calls me Hachi. You can call me that too if you want. All the humans found around here gotta get taken to Arlong, so that’s where we’re going.”

Zoro’s eyes narrowed more. “What does Arlong do with the humans brought to him.”

Hachi suddenly couldn’t look him in the eye, and instead turned around and kept walking. “Uh… You don’t need to worry about it too much. You look pretty strong, so as long as you give up your name to him when you get there he’ll get you healed up and won’t do anything too bad to you. He’ll probably just get you to do some manual labour.”

“My name’s already taken.”

“Oh,” Hachi said, falling silent.

Zoro sat back down. Oh well. He’d been trying to get to Arlong anyway. He’d just consider this a free ride. This guy seemed pretty stupid, so he’d probably just escape when they got there and then he’d meet back up with Luffy and Sanji.

A while later, Hachi said, “We’re here!”

Awkwardly, Zoro managed to get to his knees again to look over the top of the barrel. Ahead of them was a large area where the air seemed to shimmer, and when they went through it, though before it seemed like there were only woods ahead, there was now a multitude of buildings along a stone road.

Above the road, mounted on two wooden poles, was a large sign that read ‘Arlong Park.’

Chapter Text

At first, keeping Luffy calm was a damn near impossible task, but Sanji couldn’t blame him. One minute Zoro was there and the next he’d just vanished into thin air.

Luffy had immediately rushed towards the spot where he disappeared, but there was no sign of him left besides the crushed foliage from where he fell. They searched the nearby area, keeping an ear out for any suspicious sounds that might tip them off as to the location of their invisible enemy, but whatever or whoever it was seemed to be long gone, and the longer their search went on the more panicked Luffy became. He called out for Zoro every few seconds and choked on a sob every time he didn’t get an answer.

If they strayed any further they’d lose their path, so Sanji had to practically drag Luffy away from his search. Once they were back to the place they’d been before, and Luffy had stopped hyperventilating, Sanji finally managed to talk some sense into him.

“You have his name right?” Sanji said slowly, putting his hands on Luffy’s shoulders to hold his attention.

Luffy nodded, sniffing once.

“Then can’t you sense him?”

Luffy’s eyes widened. “Oh yeah, I can!”

“You idiot,” Sanji sighed. “How did you forget that?”

“I’ve never had anyone’s name before.”

Sanji didn’t have time to be stunned by that revelation. They needed to get moving, so instead of asking a million questions like he wanted to, he just let Luffy concentrate. He closed his eyes, and after a minute or two he pointed in a direction not far off from the path they were already taking.

“He’s in that direction, but he’s moving.”

“It was probably one of Arlong’s guys that took him. That means we’ll be heading in the same direction”

With the revelation that the enemy who took Zoro was the same one who took Usopp and the girl they called Witch (Sanji didn’t think that was a very nice name for a lady), Luffy’s expression hardened, and his panic boiled down to a quiet rage. It was almost scary how quickly his entire demeanor could change. With single-minded focus, he set forward on their path, eyes locked on their destination. With a deep breath, Sanji followed behind, preparing himself to see the storm that Luffy would bring to Arlong Park.

* * *

As Hachi walked him through the streets of Arlong Park, Zoro could hardly believe his eyes. The town looked as though it had once been brimming with life. Old food stalls and wooden signs advertising various products and services lined the street, and the architecture was simple but well-made. Zoro could imagine these streets were once filled with people buying and selling goods, children playing, and parents running after them. It might have once been one of the few safe havens for humans within the land of Faerie.

Now the windows of houses were boarded up with once bright coloured paint chipping off, some of the signs and food stalls were smashed to pieces, and a single stuffed bear lay abandoned in a mud puddle in the middle of the road.

Initially, Zoro had planned on escaping as soon as they got to Arlong Park, but he suddenly had a strong desire to meet the man responsible for all of this. Luffy and Sanji would just have to catch up later.

As they made their way further into the village, Zoro had the distinct sense that he was being watched. Hachi didn’t seem to notice. He just kept trying to make small talk as if this was a leisurely stroll with a friend instead of a kidnapping and probably an attempted enslavement. Zoro concluded he was a bit dim.

Zoro looked around at the houses, trying to find the source of that prickling sensation he felt on the back of his neck. Eventually, through one of the few windows that wasn’t boarded up he caught a glimpse of a thin young woman watching him with narrowed eyes, but the moment their eyes met, she pulled the curtain shut. It was odd, but whatever these people were going through, Zoro supposed they probably had a good excuse for acting odd.

They made their way away from the village and through some farmland. There were more humans there than in the village, but to anyone not looking closely, it might have been difficult to recognize them as such. They looked more like the walking dead than any living creature, and were in far worse condition than even the people the Clown had tormented. Some of them looked up at Zoro with pity or fear in their eyes, but most kept their heads down and kept to whatever pace of work their frail bodies could manage.

Zoro looked away, taking a deep breath despite the pain in his chest. To prey on the weak like that… he took in another shuddering breath as he felt his heart rate spike. He pushed away thoughts of what could be happening to Usopp and the witch, and avoided thoughts that that boy could be right and the witch really was a traitor. Luffy wouldn’t want him thinking like that, and losing his cool now wouldn’t do any good.

He just hoped Luffy wouldn’t be mad at him for going on ahead without him.

* * *

Luffy was mad.

Sanji trailed behind him in an effort to stay out of his intense gaze. He was mad at the group of faeries who took what belonged to him. It made sense. The fae were known to be territorial, and were even less tolerant of theft than the greediest of humans. Sanji knew Arlong was dangerous, but to allow one of his subordinates to take Zoro was beyond brazen. Maybe he didn’t know.

Luffy was clearly anxious to get to Arlong Park faster, but Sanji had pointed out that there could be traps along the way, and when Luffy almost didn’t listen to that he managed to get through to him that if they got caught in a trap it might stop them from getting Zoro back.

In his frustration, he’d spent most of their walk grumbling under his breath, and Sanji was starting to think he was mad at Zoro too.

“Stupid Zoro,” he mumbled as he stomped along. “Why couldn’t he have just told me he wasn’t feeling good? Doesn’t he know I can take care of him?”

Okay, so Luffy was definitely also mad at Zoro. Well, whatever. That wasn’t Sanji’s problem. The mosshead could deal with it later when they got him and the others back.

Luffy kicked a random tree, shattering it to pieces.

Okay, so Luffy was mad at everything. That might be Sanji’s problem.

“Hey, idiot,” he hissed. “Doing crap like that is dangerous in these woods.”

Luffy grabbed onto two of the surrounding trees and started walking backward, stretching out his arms. “I can’t take it anymore. We have to get there now!”

“Luffy, what are you doing,” Sanji asked, sweating.

“Grab onto me.”

Sanji did not like where this was going, but he grabbed on anyway and regretted it a few seconds later when Luffy launched him into the air. If the fall didn’t kill him, he was going to kick the shit out of Luffy later.

* * *

When Zoro finally laid eyes on Arlong, he knew he was supposed to tremble in fear at the imposing figure before him. He towered over him with a sneer showing off his rows of razor-sharp teeth while Zoro sat bound on the stone floor below him. Instead of fear, all Zoro felt was blood-boiling rage.

He was in front of a pool of water. Something that was probably meant to intimidate him with the threat of drowning, but it only pissed him off more. He wondered how many others had gotten the same treatment. How many others had been looked at like insects only fit to be crushed underfoot if they couldn’t be useful? Had Usopp gotten that treatment? Had Witch?

He didn’t see either of them, but it was possible they were there and simply hidden behind the crowd of fish-like faeries. It was a slim hope.

Zoro was brought out of his thoughts by a sharp slap to the face, Arlong’s sharp fingertips leaving shallow scratches across his cheek. “You damn brat. Were you even paying attention?”

“Oh sorry, were you saying something important? The sound of your ego was so loud I couldn’t hear anything else.”

He earned another slap to the face for that comment, but it was worth it. Arlong grabbed him by the chin, leaving more shallow cuts on his face and forcing him to look up at him. “I said give me your name, human, or die.”

Zoro grinned. “No can do. I’m afraid it would make my Captain jealous.”

“Your captain?”

“We’re a hunting party.” Hunting parties had captains, right? He was pretty sure guys who went in big groups to hunt monsters in the woods called their leader captain, although maybe that was just the military. Whatever. He was just going to own it.

“Your name is claimed already,” Arlong said, realization dawning on his face. He turned to Hachi. “Was there anyone else with this human when you took him?”

Hachi scratched the back of his neck with one of his weird tentacle hands. “Well yeah, but I didn’t think I’d be able to beat them in a fight, so I just grabbed the one.”

Arlong heaved a long sigh. “Next time, instead of kidnapping the only weak and helpless member of a group, report them to me so we can deal with them quickly and avoid a mess.”

Zoro bristled at being called weak and helpless, hating that with the state he was in, it was accurate.

“Sorry, captain.” Oh good, so he got that right.

“Stupid half-breed,” Arlong muttered under his breath. “What do I do now?”

“If I may,” A familiar voice called from within the crowd a fae.

“Of course Nami,” Arlong said, as the person Zoro had only known as the witch for the past few weeks stepped out of the crowd.

“The Fae who’s claimed him is called Strawhat. He's very territorial, not to mention protective. Hachi over here has stolen what’s most precious to him. If you kill him now, Strawhat will know and cause havoc, but he’ll probably be more careful if he still has something to protect.”

“You said something similar about that long-nosed coward, even though he isn’t even the one who has that guy’s name. Are you sure you don’t have some kind of attachment to these people?”

Nami scoffed, but for just a moment, Zoro thought he saw a flash of fear in her eyes. “Of course not, but I spent enough time around Strawhat to understand what he’s like.”

Arlong scrutinized her for another moment but seemed to accept what she said. She didn’t seem to be just a slave like the people he’d seen in the village. Arlong took her advice, maybe even trusted her. Zoro didn’t want to question Luffy’s judgment, but right now it was his responsibility to ask; where did her loyalties lie?

“Nami,” Zoro called out, and her eyes snapped over to him. “That’s a good name,” he said before pushing himself backward with his legs and hitting the water with a splash.

The water was colder than he expected, and his joints locked as sunk into its depths, not that he could’ve done much swimming anyway with his arms tied firmly behind his back. He didn’t have to consider the possibility of drowning for long though, as someone grabbed him and pulled him to the surface, dragging him onto land.

“You idiot!” Nami yelled, staring at him with wide eyes. “Why would you do that?”

Zoro coughed. “I just needed to know.”

He’d seen what he needed to see. Clear as day, her face was full of worry. He should never have doubted Luffy’s judgment, even for a moment.

* * *

Before Sanji could die a horrible death by going splat on the hard ground, Luffy blew up like a balloon to cushion the fall. It was strange. All fae were different, but he’d never met one quite like Luffy before.

He stood up and looked around. They seemed to be on a small side street on the outskirts of town. Even so, it was eerie how empty the place felt.

“Darn. I shot us in the wrong direction. Zoro’s all the way over there,” Luffy said, pointing in what Sanji figured must be the direction of the main part of the village.

“At least we got into town. We should try to scout around a bit before we do anything else recklessly. That place looks nice. Let’s see if anyone lives there,” Sanji suggested, pointing at a little house on top of a hill surrounded by tangerine trees.

When they knocked on the door, there was no answer, so they circled to the back. There might not have been anyone home, but if they could find information on what was going on in this village—

Something sharp jammed into the side of Sanji’s neck as an arm wrapped around him, not quite breaking the skin but showing whoever was behind him meant business. “Don’t fucking move,” a woman’s voice said. “Answer me, who are you and what are you doing here?” She sounded terrified.

Luffy had been walking ahead of Sanji, and when he turned around to take in the scene before him his face was unreadable, although Sanji couldn’t help but think that if Zoro were here he’d know what he was thinking. It took Luffy a moment to finally speak. “We aren’t here to hurt you. We’re looking for some people.”

The pressure on Sanji’s neck eased up a bit, and the woman’s voice softened with pity. “If you had to come here to look for them, I’m sorry, but they’re a lost cause. The two of you should get out of here while you still have the chance.”

“They’re mine. Arlong took them. I’m going to get them back.”

“You’re fae,” she realized, a hint of fear returning to her voice.

“My lady, I promise you we have no intention of harming anyone here. We only came to get our friends back, but maybe if you told us more about the situation here we could help you out too?”

The pressure disappeared from his neck and she stepped back. He turned around to see she was a very beautiful woman with purple hair and tattoos. “It’s a nice thought, but I doubt anyone can help us now. But come inside and let’s talk. It’s been a while since I’ve had company.”

* * *

Zoro was thrown into a dark cell somewhere in the main building of Arlong Park. He hit the ground with a thud as he was shoved inside, and bit his lip to avoid letting out a hiss of pain when the rough landing pulled at his stitches.

There was a gasp beside him, and a terrified voice whispered, “They got you too?” It was Usopp.

“The two of you can wait right here for your captain to come die.” Arlong laughed as he slammed the door shut, leaving Zoro and Usopp in darkness.

“Are you hurt?” Zoro asked as he awkwardly managed to get into a sitting position despite his arms still being tied.

“I should be asking you that!” Usopp hissed, quickly coming over and fumbling with the knots on Zoro’s ropes until they came undone. Zoro rubbed his wrists. It felt good to finally be able to feel his arms again. “You’re covered in bandages. Did Arlong—“

Zoro shook his head and then realized Usopp probably couldn’t see him well anymore with the door closed and said “No, it wasn’t Arlong that did that. It’s a story for later though. Right now we need to come up with an escape plan.”

“Escape?” Usopp hissed. “Are you crazy? That door is as thick as your arm and I’m pretty sure it’s reinforced with magic. You couldn’t muscle your way out of there even if you weren’t horribly injured.”

“We won’t get anywhere if we don’t try,” Zoro pointed out, standing up and feeling around the wall to try and find the door again.

When Usopp heard him slam his shoulder into the door he let out a startled squeak, and when he heard the following groan of pain he jumped up and got between Zoro and the door. “Stop it. You’re just hurting yourself more. Let’s just wait for Luffy. He’ll come rescue us.”

“You might be okay with playing damsel in distress, but I’m not. So get out of the way.” Usopp squeaked and jumped out of the as Zoro threw himself against the door again, sending pain radiating through the cut down his torso.

Eventually, Usopp got tired of watching this, and when he saw an opportunity he snuck up on Zoro and wrapped all four limbs around his torso, clinging on for dear life. Zoro didn’t want to break Usopp’s bones by slamming him against the door, so he signed in defeat and sat down.

“How long are you gonna do this?” Zoro asked after a while.

“Until you promise to stop being an idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot… but I’m not gonna give up on breaking out, if that’s what you’re asking me to do.”

Usopp sighed.

Suddenly, the room flooded with light, and although he was mostly blinded after being in the dark for hours, he could barely see a head of fiery red hair through the glare. “What are you guys doing?” Nami’s surprised voice said.

“Usopp’s being stupid,” Zoro replied, finding he was able to see her better as his eyes adjusted to the light. She was holding Wado.

Usopp climbed off of him but stayed close. He seemed nervous of Nami. She threw Wado to him and he caught it in one hand. “Promise me you’ll make Luffy leave,” she demanded.

“You know I can’t make him do anything,” Zoro replied, standing up and grabbing a hold of the door on the off chance she changed her mind about helping them.

“Then at least tell him I said to leave. This is none of his business.”

“Alright.”

She sighed. “And if you get caught again, I’m not helping you,” she added, jamming her finger in his face.
“Got it,” Zoro said pushing past her and out of the cell and dragging a terrified Usopp behind him. As he was walking away he turned around and said, “Oh, and Nami…thanks.”

She turned away from him.

“I can’t believe she helped us,” Usopp breathed out when they finally got under the cover of trees and at least temporarily out of danger. “She seemed so scary when Arlong showed up at the restaurant.”

“Let’s go find Luffy,” Zoro said instead of replying. He was sure Usopp would find out it was an act on his own soon enough.

* * *

“You can call me Noji,” said the lovely lady who had so kindly invited Sanji and Luffy into her home. She made some tea and set a cup down in front of each of them. “So Arlong took your friends. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Luffy’s leg was bouncing under the table. He wouldn’t have the patience to talk long. “Yes, Sanji answered. One of them was severely injured when he was taken, so we’re in a rush.”

Noji shook her head. “Going against Arlong is a mistake.”

“Well, we’re gonna do it anyway!” Luffy declared, slamming his fist against the table. “I’m getting Zoro and Usopp and Witch back no matter what!”

Noji’s eyes widened. “Did you say, Witch?”

“She’s one of the friends Arlong took,” Sanji explained. “I don’t love calling a lady something like that, but it’s the alias she uses.”

Noji’s hands balled into fists. “I’m sorry to tell you, but you’ve been tricked. That Witch is not your friend.”

“You know her?” Luffy jumped up, looking excited. “Then you can help us!”

She shook her head. “Let me introduce you to some people.” She got up and headed down a hallway out of sight. “You guys can come out. These guys are okay.” She came back with an old man and a kid. “When Arlong took over the village, the one person whose name he wanted most was my sister’s. The person you call Witch, my sister, very literally is a witch, as well as the best cartographer in the East. My sister was able to make a deal to protect us if she gave up her name, but it was only us she was able to protect.”

The old man who introduced himself as Gonzo, a pseudonym Sanji had to assume was dangerously close to his real name, sat down and started talking about what happened to Cocoyasi village, and how he, Noji, and the kid were the only people left not under Arlong’s control. Both of them urged Luffy to give up, but he wasn’t listening. In fact, at some point, he just got up and wandered outside. Sanji figured he should follow, but there was something he needed to ask first.

“Hey, do you know if there’s a way for a person to get their name back after it’s been taken?”

“I do,” Gonzo said. “It happened when Witch made her deal. Arlong had our names, but he gave them back in exchange for Witch giving up hers. The only way to get a name back once it’s been taken is for the fae who took it to give it up.”

“And what if that fae dies.”

“Truthfully I’m not sure, but I’ve heard various rumors of what happens to people when the fae who has their name dies, and it’s never anything good.”

Sanji nodded. “Thanks. I’ll make sure to let my captain know,” and with that, he left to go catch up with Luffy.

* * *

Zoro and Usopp had been wandering around the woods for a while (they were not lost, thank you very much) when they heard shuffling up ahead. Zoro pulled Usopp behind a tree, covering his mouth in case it was one of those fish guys.

When he saw who it actually was, he let go of Usopp and stepped out of his hiding spot with a grin. “Luffy! It’s good to— oof.”

“Zoro!” Luffy knocked Zoro on his ass with a full-body hug. He was so happy to see him again he didn’t even register the pain, but Luffy must have noticed because he pulled back from the hug with a furrowed brow and a frown. He ran a thumb under the scratches on Zoro’s cheek.

“I mouthed off at Arlong,” he explained.

In the background, Usopp ran up to Sanji, saying something about being relieved to have another strong guy on the team, before backtracking and going on about how he was the strongest guy and recounting a fake tale of his feats while Sanji made a complicated expression as he watched his nose grow longer and longer.

“Arlong hurt you,” Luffy said, an edge of possessive anger creeping into his voice that sent an unexpected shiver down Zoro’s spine.

“It’s nothing,” He replied, his cheeks burning.

Luffy leaned in and kissed his cheek. “It’s not.”

Zoro was speechless.

* * *

Nami sat in her room, arms wrapped around her knees. She wondered how long it would take for Arlong to discover his hostages were missing; how long it would take to connect the dots and figure out it was her. She grabbed onto her hair. What would he do then? Would he hurt the only family she had left? Would he kill them? The deal she’d made at eight years old was only to get their names back and ensure they wouldn’t become slaves like the other townsfolk, but it didn’t protect their lives. She’d been too young and naive to think of that at the time.

She kicked the desk next to her, scattering papers everywhere. She knew it was dangerous. She knew it was stupid, but she couldn’t let any of the friends she’d made get killed. Friends. She should get that idea out of her head. If they didn’t leave, they’d die, and there was nothing she could do about it.

The only thing for her to do now was get to Nojiko before Arlong found anything out, and tell her and Genzo to take Chabo and get as far away from Cocoyasi as they could.

* * *

After Zoro and Usopp got acquainted with Noji, Gonzo, and a kid who didn’t seem interested in introducing himself, the group got to discussing plans. Noji and Gonzo, who apparently had been discouraging Luffy from going after Arlong before, were invigorated by Zoro and Usopp’s escape, especially after they learned it was Nami who let them go.

“I knew she was a good person,” Luffy declared when Zoro told him.

Zoro told everyone everything he could about Arlong’s numbers and the layout of his main base of operations, but the group quickly disregarded anything he said related to navigation when his memory of its location conflicted with Noji’s. Luckily, Usopp was able to fill in some of the gaps.

At some point, Noji squinted at him before saying, “I think I saw Hachi bringing you in earlier, and you were coming from a completely different direction than you said.”

“Huh? That can’t be right? Luffy, defend me on this,” he said, turning to Luffy, who had been silent until now.

“Huh?” Luffy said like he had been lost in thought and was just tuning into the conversation now.

“Tell them I’m good at directions.”

“You know I can’t lie,” he said, completely stone-faced as Sanji and Usopp burst out laughing. He put his hand on Zoro’s shoulder, who suddenly felt his heart beat faster because he was slowly starting to notice all of Luffy’s casual little affections more and more. He wondered if they meant anything. “Zoro, we met because you got lost.”

Usopp and Sanji laughed even harder.

Zoro sat stewing in a strange mix of embarrassment and some other feeling he couldn’t name, and Luffy fell back into silence as the conversation resumed. A few minutes later, Luffy looked up and said, “I want to talk to Witch before we go after Arlong.”

The conversation stopped. “Is that necessary?” Sanji asked.

“It’s not like she’s gonna be mad at you for saving her,” Usopp added.

“I want to talk to her,” Luffy said, crossing his arms.

“It’s not that I think you’re wrong—“ Zoro said, shooting Sanji and Usopp pointed looks. Sanji glared back at him with his stupid curly eyebrows. “—but that might not be easy. She seems to be staying right where Arlong is—at least that was the impression I got—so if we go to her we go to Arlong, unless she just shows up here, which doesn’t seem—

He was cut off by the door bursting open.

For a moment, Zoro hoped there was truth to the idea that speaking of demons or witches made them appear, but it wasn’t Nami who came through the door. It was Arlong.

* * *

When Nami got to Nojiko’s house, the place was already trashed, and there was no sign of her, Genzo, or Chabo. Were they already dead, or were they waiting for her back at Arlong Park to be killed in front of her? Maybe he’d only kill one and keep the other two as hostages.

Tears she swore she’d locked away long ago poured from her eyes. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to keep them safe.

She rolled up her sleeve, revealing the shameful tattoo on her shoulder. What was the point of it if she couldn’t protect them? What was the point of everything she’d done if they died anyway?

She pulled out the knife she always kept hidden in her shorts.

Her face contorted in a mix of rage and anguish, and she stabbed into her shoulder. Once, twice, three times, until blood poured down her arm and soaked her shirt as she sobbed in front of the wreckage of her childhood home. As she raised her arm a fourth time, someone caught her wrist.

She twisted around, thinking that maybe Arlong was there to drag her back like he’d done so many times when she was a child, but instead, she found herself staring into soulful brown eyes.

If Luffy was here, then maybe she could allow herself to hope. “My sister, and the other two who live here, are they…”

“They’ll be okay. They got hurt, but we got them away.”

Nami sighed in relief, dropping the knife to the ground. “Please, help me, Luffy.”

She couldn’t look at him. It wasn’t something she dared to ask anyone before, and she was terrified of the answer, but after a moment a weight settled on top of her head, and she reached up to find Luffy’s precious straw hat.

“L-Luffy?”

“OF COURSE I WILL,” Luffy yelled to the heavens, and as if summoned, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp soon appeared beside him.

With that, the march on Arlong Park began.

Chapter Text