Zoro was missing. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Luffy — Zoro got lost all the time — but this time it did. Zoro had been walking right next to him, holding hands, along the island’s main street. There were market stalls either side, bustling with activity. Luffy had let go of Zoro’s hand for a mere moment to take the two dango skewers he had paid for and when he turned around, Zoro had vanished.
“Eh? Zoro?” Luffy said, craning his neck to look around. It was no use though, there were too many heads and none of them were green. Luffy frowned but it only lasted a few moments as he looked down at the dango in his hands. He shrugged and shoved one of the skewers into his mouth, pulling off one of the dango with his teeth. It was delicious; possibly the best dango he had tried (though, it wasn’t hard to win Luffy’s favour). But something was missing. Or more accurately, someone. Zoro.
Luffy had found that while he loved food alone it was often even more enjoyable in good company where other people shared in the experience.
So, using all his restraint, Luffy refrained from taking another bite from his dango skewer. Instead he walked into the middle of the main street, one dango skewer in each hand, and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Zoro!”
Many eyes turned to him, some disapprovingly and some adults even ushering their kids to walk faster. Luffy paid them no heed, though. He looked up and down the street but still couldn’t spot that ever-familiar green.
But he didn’t need to. Because that ever-familiar green found him.
“You called,” came a familiar voice from behind. Luffy turned fast enough to give himself whiplash.
“Zoro!” Luffy said with a big grin on his face. He held up the two dango skewers and thrust one to Zoro. “I saved this for you.”
Zoro’s eyes widened and his cheeks turned a slight shade of red. “Thanks, Luffy,” he said and accepted the dango with a grin. “I didn’t know you were capable of resisting food.”
Luffy laughed. “It was hard,” he said and reached for Zoro’s free hand. Zoro reacted by intertwining their fingers, his cheeks still tinted red.
They strolled leisurely down the main street and back to the Thousand Sunny. The dango didn’t last long, but Luffy was glad they enjoyed it together.