revelations
Chapter Seven
“Dinner!” was the first thing Zoro heard when he appeared on deck. Luffy zoomed into the galley while the others followed at a much more reasonable pace.
He took his spot at the table and watched everyone eat their meals. It wasn’t as loud and lively as usual but it wasn’t dead quiet either.
“So, who’s going next?” Robin asked, looking right at Sanji. Sanji met her gaze briefly before eyeing the food on his plate.
“Me!” Luffy said. Zoro, who was still focused on Sanji, saw the man sigh in relief. Did he really detest being alone with Zoro that much?
A loud bang sounded outside, interrupting his thoughts. Cannonfire. It was a sound Zoro was long since familiar with. The rest of the crew were too.
Long since used to attacks from other ships, Luffy led the crew out the galley and onto the deck. There was a ship ahead, within cannon range. The flag indicated it was the marines. Great. Zoro was eager to fight and was frustrated he couldn’t. Nevertheless he watched as Luffy bounced a cannon back their enemies’ way with his inflated stomach.
“Fight!” Luffy hollered at the crew, before he slingshotted himself across to the marine ship. Jinbei jumped into the water, easily manipulating the waves to launch him forward at speed.
“Brook, Franky, Robin, you three go too,” Sanji said. “The rest of us will defend the ship.”
They just nodded. Franky used his self-made rocket hands to propel him up extremely high, while Robin summoned extra arms to fly herself over, and Brook ran across the water in a ridiculous manner that Zoro still couldn’t believe he was capable of doing and not drowning, given his devil fruit. He could practically hear Brook joking about how he was just all bones.
Chopper and Nami went to either side of the ship while Usopp went up high into the crow’s nest. Usopp started shooting at range while Nami unleashed Zeus from her clima-tact to deflect the cannonballs coming their way.
“Sanji, what are you doing!?” Nami yelled over the gunfire. Zoro turned and saw hesitation across said man’s face. Sanji never hesitated in a fight. Something was up.
“I’m coming!” he said, but he glanced at the infirmary door room, frown deepening.
“He’ll be okay! You have to fight!” Nami said. She shrieked as a marine used her moment of distraction to jump onboard and push her back. Zeus quickly flew in defence of Nami, allowing her to get back to her feet. The marine’s attack seemed to do the trick though as Sanji’s foot fired up, his haki flaring up in a very intense but controlled manner. Sanji took one more glance at the infirmary.
“I’ll be fine, cook,” Zoro said. Sanji nodded to himself before turning his focus onto the marines that were attempting to board.
Zoro watched in awe as his crewmates fought off the marines. He was usually either up on the frontlines or too focused on his own fights to really get a chance to see Usopp, Chopper, and Nami shine. They really were magnificent. Usopp with his sniping and pop greens, Nami with Zeus and her clima-tact, Chopper with his different forms, and then Sanji. Well, Zoro had plenty of first-hand experience of how skilled Sanji was. But it was still so satisfying to see the marines go down by the hands of his nakama. He was raring for a fight.
After only about 15 minutes of fighting, it all came to a head when the Marines ship blew up. The remaining Marines on the Sunny, made a run for it. Zoro chuckled as they did. Robin came flying back onto the Sunny with her extra arms, carrying Luffy as she did. Franky crash landed on the deck while Jinbei carried Brook onboard. They all returned looking completely unscathed. Such was the power of their crew now; they had come far and it showed.
Franky whistled as he got to his feet. “Wow, barely a scratch on her!” he said, patting the railing around the Sunny.
Nami grinned while Usopp climbed down from the crow’s nest. “Of course,” Usopp said, joining them. “Though there is some blood…”
“Blood, where!? Somebody call a doctor!” Chopper cried, sending the crew into a fit of laughter. Zoro joined in. It was the most the crew had laughed since Zoro had awoken unconscious. It was a good sound; he had missed it.
But Sanji’s laughter was the first to die down as his gaze landed on the infirmary door. The others caught onto this and the jovial mood was dampened.
Chopper nodded. “I’ll go check on him.”
There was silence—until Luffy spoke up. “Dessert, Sanji? I’m gonna see Zoro after Chopper is done.” Luffy was usually very direct and known for his bluntness. He had no filter. But Zoro had come to learn after all this time that it was still possible to be able to read between the lines with Luffy. He was anxious about spending time with Zoro and so turned to food for comfort.
The cook too seemed to sense this. “One slice of cake and that’s it,” he said, leading the way to the galley. Luffy, Nami, Usopp and Zoro followed.
The cake looked to be made of mostly chocolate and was larger than Sanji’s usual cakes, but Zoro knew that on their ship, it wouldn’t go to waste.
“What’s the occasion, Sanji?” Nami said as she eyed the cake.
“No occasion,” Sanji said, as he cut into the cake.
“Sanji’s not been sleeping,” Usopp said, earning him a stomp to his foot by the cook. “I hear him pottering about here during the night when I’m on watch.”
Nami’s eyebrows knitted together and she laid a hand on Sanji’s shoulder. “You know he’s going to be fine, right?”
Sanji put down the cake server and gently pried Nami’s hand off of him—Zoro thought pigs would fly before he would see the day Sanji deflected a woman’s attention. “You don’t know that, Nami-san,” Sanji said. “But it doesn’t matter anyway, because I’m fine. I don’t care. Marimo can stay unconscious for all I care.”
“Sanji…” Nami said, the pity in her voice obvious.
The cook’s jaw was tense and he looked worse for wear with the bags under his eyes that hadn’t disappeared since Zoro awoke in spirit form.
“Here you go, Captain,” Sanji said, voice low as he slid a plate of chocolate cake over to Luffy. He picked up his cake server. “Do you two want some?”
Usopp and Nami shook their heads. Usopp shared a brief look with Nami, before coming to some unspoken agreement, and faced Sanji head on. “Sanji, you need to sleep,” he said. “Zoro wouldn’t want you to suffer like this.”
“Zoro’s not here!” Sanji said, his fingers gripping hard around the cake server. “In case you’re not aware, it’s been nearly a week and he still hasn’t awoken. He’s probably not going to at this rate!” Sanji took a deep breath. “And no one wants to address that.” There was a tremor in his voice and an unusual glassiness to his eyes.
Zoro’s eyebrows furrowed. The cook really believed that.
“He will wake up,” Luffy said from the table, his cake untouched. “You of all people should know that.”
Sanji’s eyes widened for a second, before returning to normal. “The longer he’s out the more unlikely it seems,” he said, fiddling with a cigarette between his fingers. Restlessly, he placed it between his lips. “I’m going for a smoke. Make sure Luffy doesn’t eat the whole cake.” He left the galley.
Zoro floated out with Sanji. The darkness of the night sky was approaching and only Jinbei was in sight, meditating—everyone else must have dispersed. Sanji wandered over to the railing and lit his cigarette. He rested his forearms on the rail and looked out over the water.
“Cook… Sanji,” Zoro said. “Why are you giving up on me so easily?” He watched as Sanji took a drag and exhaled, a small stream of smoke billowing from his lips. Zoro reached out, mesmerised, to touch the cook’s lips. When his hand just went through, he snapped out of it.
“I hope they’re right,” Sanji said under his breath.
“They will be,” Zoro answered, going unheard. He found himself wanting to reach out again, but stopped himself. The urge to just grab Sanji by the back of his head and pull him in close and hold him tightly was strong and new, but not unwelcome at all. He just wished it was possible. But then again… Even if he was awake, a hug from Zoro was not something Sanji was likely to accept, Zoro had to remind himself.
Footsteps sounded as Nami approached Sanji on deck. “Usopp and I were cleaning up the galley for you and, well, Luffy fell asleep before he even started on his cake.”
“Hardly surprising. He hasn’t been sleeping as much either,” Sanji said, still watching the waves rock against the ship. He took one final drag from her cigarette before putting it out. “I’ll take him through to the men’s quarters. He can speak with Zoro tomorrow.”
“What about you?” Nami asked.
“I’m going to get some rest too, since Usopp is adamant I need it.” Sanji smiled, but it was brief. “Thanks, Nami-san.”
“You can’t avoid him forever, you know,” she said as she watched his figure retreating to the galley. Sanji just waved his hand up in silent acknowledgement.
Zoro wasn’t sure what to be weirded out more by: Sanji’s unnaturally level-headed behaviour around Nami or the fact Luffy fell asleep before he even touched his piece of cake. Things really were out of sorts because of him. He needed to wake up.
— —
As the crew all went to their beds, Zoro chose to stay on deck. There was always something so calming about seeing the nighttime sky while on the ocean. Just a man in spirit form, his sleeping crew members, and the steady waves rocking the ship. Brook was on watch tonight, it was quite dark that only the silhouette of his figure could be seen near the front of the Sunny.
A lot had happened over the course of a few days. Zoro really needed to decompress but his preferred method was by working out with his weights, which given his current form was not an option. Instead he just floated to the side rail of the Sunny and looked out, allowing his thoughts to run wild with the waves below.
Luffy would be speaking with him tomorrow and then it would be Sanji’s turn. Zoro was uncharacteristically nervous—with any luck he would wake up, but what if he didn’t? Would the crew explore a different theory? Or keep trying with this one? Or would they give up altogether like Sanji kind of has?
No. They wouldn’t. And Zoro refused to believe Sanji had given up on him either. Sanji may have thought of Zoro by an array of negative terms, but at the end of the day he was still nakama. And that was what mattered.
He would be awake soon. He had to be. But for now he just watched the sea. For just like the erratic rhythm of the waves, Zoro too was a bit all over the place. But there was an odd comfort in watching the ocean, knowing that once the waves rocked against the ship they inevitably would rediscover a current beyond the Sunny that led them back to the open sea. An open sea that would once again be home.
Zoro’s home was here. And he refused to believe it was his time.
— —
Breakfast had been uneventful, however, Chopper had announced that Zoro’s scent had lessened and dispersed some more, much to Zoro’s relief. Luffy had eaten even more than usual, claiming he was eating for two.
(“You have no idea what you’re implying there, do you, Luffy?” Nami had said.
“No?” Luffy said, stuffing his face with two slices of toast.
Nami just rolled her eyes. “It’s something pregnant people usually say, you dummy,” she said, but the fondness in her eyes belied her tone.
Usopp laughed openly. “Luffy’s having a baby!”
Luffy frowned and patted his stomach. “No, I meant I was eating for Zoro too. It’s what he would want me to do,” Luffy said, sincere and noble-like as he nodded to himself.
Zoro couldn’t wipe the amused grin off of his face.)
Chopper saw to Zoro’s vitals and next thing Zoro knew, Luffy was in the infirmary with him.
Zoro floated on the bed and watched Luffy investigate the infirmary. He was searching for something but what?
After about five minutes of searching, Luffy sighed and collapsed onto the wheely chair in dramatic fashion. “Damn. Thought Chopper might have some candy lying about. That would be good, right, Zoro?”
Zoro chuckled to himself. Chopper did have a secret candy stash, but it was hidden well and there was no way Zoro would disclose its location. He was loyal like a dog to his captain, but even he knew when it was wiser to keep certain information from Luffy, especially when it came to food.
Nevertheless, Luffy wheeled closer to Zoro and leaned over him, looking unnecessarily closely at his face. “Zoro, can you hear me? It’s time to wake up. Zoro…. Zoro…”
When Luffy received no response he turned his attention to poking Zoro’s cheek. “Zoro, you better wake up! Mihawk is here and he wants to fight you!”
Zoro snorted, though part of him kind of hoped that would’ve worked, given how adrenaline coursed through his veins at the mere mention of the number one swordsman. But this time it did not.
Defeated, Luffy sat back in his chair. He didn’t say anything—just watched the steady rise and fall of Zoro’s chest. A good fifteen minutes passed until he spoke again. It was the longest Zoro had seen Luffy sit still.
Luffy cleared his throat. “I know, you know,” he said.
Zoro tilted his head. Hmm? Knew what?
“I know you sacrificed your life to save mine. Back on Thriller Bark.”
Zoro sat up straight, eyes wide. “Wh-what?” he said weakly, like the wind had been knocked out of him.
“I’m not gonna lie, Zoro’s actions angered me a lot.”
Zoro swallowed the lump in his throat. So they were doing this, huh? This was probably one of the biggest signs he knew that his current situation was having an impact: the fact that Luffy was talking about the past like this. That wasn’t Luffy and it wasn’t Zoro either, really. They never relived the past through words; they were always moving forward, never looking back. It was just how they were.
And Luffy wasn’t one to filter his thoughts, but he obviously had to some degree since he’d never brought this up before. Zoro exhaled. Once again, like with other crew members’ confessions, he found himself grateful he wasn’t expected to react; he wouldn’t know how—not straight away anyway. At least he could process it in his own time.
He settled himself into listening to what his captain had to say.
“But my anger wasn’t at Zoro. Not really. I was just…” Luffy clenched his fists on his lap. “Too weak. And that’s what I was mad about. I was powerless to stop it because I was… too weak.”
“No. We all were,” Zoro said. And it was true. Being forced to fight Kuma straight after defeating Gecko Moria and his minions had been terrible, but even then they had no idea about who or what exactly they were up against with Kuma. They tried to fight without Luffy but not even Zoro and Sanji’s combined strength was enough to defeat the pacifista. Zoro had been left with no choice except to offer his head in exchange for Luffy’s life.
But he had survived—they all had. Even if he had died, Zoro had no regrets. It was a decision he would make again and again. Because Luffy was the man who would become the Pirate King.
Determined eyes and a small smile broke out on Luffy’s face as he clenched his fists in front of him. “But I trained and got stronger. We all did. I wouldn’t let the same thing happen again.”
Zoro grinned. “Aye, Captain!”
When Luffy focused back on Zoro’s face, his smile vanished. “The crew is not the same without Zoro. Chopper told me I’ve been, uh, what’s the word? Dissociating—I think—a bit since you collapsed. I don’t really get what it means but Chopper said it’s a natural response to something like this.” Luffy sighed. “I just want Zoro back.”
“Likewise,” Zoro said. He made a mental note to check with Chopper about Luffy’s condition. It was new to him.
Luffy planted the side of face on the edge of the bed, facing Zoro. “Wake up soon. I need my first mate.” He sighed and closed his eyes.
Zoro could count with his fingers the length of seconds it took Luffy to then fall asleep. It was no wonder if he hadn’t been sleeping right, like Sanji said. Maybe sleeping in Zoro’s presence helped ease his worries. Zoro remained in the infirmary just in case.
In any case, Zoro felt lighter.
Eight Straw Hats down, one to go.
↑ Top