Done!
Title: Ship's guardians
Theme: Guard
Claim: Zoro
Words: 1035 + 379 (omake) = 1414
Rating: G
Warnings: Set post-current-canon-time.
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece.
While the Strawhats and the Red-Haired Pirates partied, Zoro grabbed himself two barrels of grog and retreated to a corner of the island, far enough away from the festivities for him to drink in peace, near enough to be able to keep an eye on all his nakama.
There was Nami, laughing as she talked with a woman with green hair - not the light green of Zoro's own thatch, but a much deeper, almost iridescent green. Robin had found herself a different quiet corner, from which she was watching the festivities with her usual trace of a smile. Usopp was holed up with his father, enthusiastically recounting stories that no longer needed exaggeration to impress. Sanji was hard at work feeding a man named Lucky Roux, perhaps the only person in the world with an appetite to match the newly-crowned Pirate King's. Brook was playing a medley of old pirate ditties, accompanied by Franky and Chopper's chopstick dance, while Shanks' men roared out the choruses.
And of course, the two pirate captains were in the centre of it all, laughing happily as they danced a jig to Brook's music. It was odd to see the battered straw hat on Shanks' head rather than Luffy's, and for Luffy to be completely unperturbed by its loss. But the sight brought a smile to Zoro's face, of a Luffy looking even happier than he had when they'd found One Piece. Becoming Pirate King had always been his goal, but over the years that goal had subtly morphed into the desire to keep his promise to the man who had set him on his path. Just as Zoro had found that the title of World's Greatest Swordsman meant nothing in comparison to keeping the promise he'd sworn to Kuina.
He'd fulfilled that promise, just as he'd now fulfilled the silent promise he'd sworn when Luffy rescued him from the execution squad in Shell Town. He shook his head as he recalled the incident. It felt like a lifetime ago.
"Mind if I join you, Zoro-kun?"
Zoro looked up at Shanks' first mate, gave a quick nod, the curtness of the gesture balanced by an offering of sake. Benn accepted the barrel, and they spent some time sitting in companionable silence, Benn's eyes repeating the same routine Zoro's had as he checked off his mental roster of his own crew. Satisfied that all his nakama were present and accounted for, he took a swig of rum, casting a quick sideways glance at his drinking companion as he did so, immediately recognising a kindred spirit in the raised eyebrow marking his exasperation at the antics of his captain, in the pride hidden behind that smile.
Zoro didn't have the lines of care that seemed carved into Benn's own face, but the twin grooves on either side of his forehead were worn deep with worry. In the flickering light of the bonfire, Benn could discern a few silver hairs lurking among the green, the perennial curse of first mates with captains like theirs. He wondered what sacrifices the man had made, what secrets he had kept, to preserve not only Luffy's life, but his innocence and his ability to laugh.
It had evidently not been an easy task. Zoro's unbuttoned shirt made no attempt to conceal the two huge scars that criss-crossed his chest, not to mention the many smaller scars that littered his body like a topographical map. And yet, though he couldn't see it, Benn was sure that his back would be as unmarked as Shanks' own, the pride of a swordsman who had never turned his back on friend or enemy, who had never once allowed himself to be caught unawares.
Even now, at a time of celebration, Zoro was clearly on the alert, one hand lying casually on his katana as he drank with the other, while his dark eyes constantly scanned the crowd and out towards sea, hunting for the least threat to his crew.
"Worried, Zoro-kun?"
Zoro grunted an affirmative. "Terrific idea throwing a party in the village everyone knows is the hometown of the Pirate King."
Benn spread his hands in a gesture of mock helplessness. "Shanks wanted to taste the sake here again."
"Luffy kept going on about how it was the new 'town of the beginning'." Zoro shrugged.
And the captain's word is law. Neither needed to voice the thought, knowing that his fellow first mate followed that creed to the letter.
Benn's next comment was pre-empted by a brief flash out of the corner of his eye, from somewhere beyond the two pirate ships that lay anchored in the harbour. Squinting into the darkness, he could discern the distant silhouette of a Marine battleship. Not just one. Five... seven... probably ten. A Buster Call.
Benn's lips curled downwards in distaste. It was a futile move at best, one that reeked of desperation. Even if the Marines succeeded at killing off the Pirate King and one of the Yonkou, it wouldn't - couldn't - save the World Government. Even without the pressure being exerted by the Revolutionary Army, it was already imploding under the weight of its sins and secrets, its lust for complete control overwhelmed by its people's rekindled craving for freedom.
An audible sigh came from the younger man beside him. Apparently Zoro had seen them too. "Marines just love to crash parties, don't they?" he asked, his tone resigned.
Benn stood up, a touch wearily, resting his rifle on a shoulder. "Wanna get the others?"
Zoro cast the briefest of glances at the rambunctious partiers, and shrugged. "Nah." He got to his feet, tying his bandanna around his head. "We can handle 'em."
Benn smiled. He could come to like this kid. "Shall we go save our captains' asses from their own stupidity, then?"
Town of the beginning this might be, but no way in hell was Zoro going to let it be the town of the end. "Yeah," he growled from around the hilt of a sword. "Let's."
.....
I was sad at not having the rest of the Strawhats in my last couple of fics, so...
OMAKE!
They had made it down to the harbour when they heard a none-too-subtle cough behind them.
"And where do you two think you're sneaking off to?" Shanks asked, fingering his sabre, looking pointedly at Benn.
"Yeah, Zoro, no fair trying to hog all the fun to yourself!" Luffy grinned, winding up his arm.
"It's a Buster Call," Robin murmured, gazing seawards, brow furrowing at the menacing sight of the ten ships.
"Don't worry, Robin-sis! We'll take care of them! SUPA leave it to me!" Franky said, checking his cola supply.
"All right, does everyone else have enough fuel to go on?" Sanji asked, bringing up a huge plate of chicken drumsticks. "Marimo, I don't seem to recall seeing you eat anything this evening."
Zoro rolled his eyes and grabbed a drumstick. "It's not like I'm Luffy," he objected between chomps, even as Luffy and Lucky Roo cleaned out the platter between them.
"Remember, everyone, no one's allowed to get hurt this time! The fine's one million beli per stitch! No one's allowed to die either!"
"Yohohoho! I'll try my best, Nami-san! Ah, although I'm already dead!"
"Go on, everybody! Dad and I will cover you from the shore!"
"What, you're staying here?!" multiple voices chorused.
Zoro felt a tug on his pants and looked down at Chopper, though not so far down as he once had to. "One million beli per stitch," the doctor emphasised. "You can't afford it, Zoro."
Zoro exchanged a glance with Benn, smiling around his sword. They had all changed through the years, but some things would always remain the same. Only one thing was out of place now.
"Feels weird wearing this hat again. It's kinda blocking my line of sight," Shanks complained. He took off Hat and parked it on Luffy's head. "Go on, lead the way, Pirate King."
Luffy grinned in understanding and tipped his hat back on his head. "C'mon, you guys, let's go teach the Marines a lesson! Zoro and I'll go first!"
"What? Luffy, nooooooooooooo!" Zoro's protest was lost to the winds as they catapulted through the air, king of pirates and king of swordsmen, captain and first mate, partners to the very end.
THE END
It's been so much fun ficcing with you guys! Thanks for all the help and encouragement! *hugs*
And if anyone's interested, here's the link table.
Theme: Guard
Claim: Zoro
Words: 1035 + 379 (omake) = 1414
Rating: G
Warnings: Set post-current-canon-time.
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece.
While the Strawhats and the Red-Haired Pirates partied, Zoro grabbed himself two barrels of grog and retreated to a corner of the island, far enough away from the festivities for him to drink in peace, near enough to be able to keep an eye on all his nakama.
There was Nami, laughing as she talked with a woman with green hair - not the light green of Zoro's own thatch, but a much deeper, almost iridescent green. Robin had found herself a different quiet corner, from which she was watching the festivities with her usual trace of a smile. Usopp was holed up with his father, enthusiastically recounting stories that no longer needed exaggeration to impress. Sanji was hard at work feeding a man named Lucky Roux, perhaps the only person in the world with an appetite to match the newly-crowned Pirate King's. Brook was playing a medley of old pirate ditties, accompanied by Franky and Chopper's chopstick dance, while Shanks' men roared out the choruses.
And of course, the two pirate captains were in the centre of it all, laughing happily as they danced a jig to Brook's music. It was odd to see the battered straw hat on Shanks' head rather than Luffy's, and for Luffy to be completely unperturbed by its loss. But the sight brought a smile to Zoro's face, of a Luffy looking even happier than he had when they'd found One Piece. Becoming Pirate King had always been his goal, but over the years that goal had subtly morphed into the desire to keep his promise to the man who had set him on his path. Just as Zoro had found that the title of World's Greatest Swordsman meant nothing in comparison to keeping the promise he'd sworn to Kuina.
He'd fulfilled that promise, just as he'd now fulfilled the silent promise he'd sworn when Luffy rescued him from the execution squad in Shell Town. He shook his head as he recalled the incident. It felt like a lifetime ago.
"Mind if I join you, Zoro-kun?"
Zoro looked up at Shanks' first mate, gave a quick nod, the curtness of the gesture balanced by an offering of sake. Benn accepted the barrel, and they spent some time sitting in companionable silence, Benn's eyes repeating the same routine Zoro's had as he checked off his mental roster of his own crew. Satisfied that all his nakama were present and accounted for, he took a swig of rum, casting a quick sideways glance at his drinking companion as he did so, immediately recognising a kindred spirit in the raised eyebrow marking his exasperation at the antics of his captain, in the pride hidden behind that smile.
Zoro didn't have the lines of care that seemed carved into Benn's own face, but the twin grooves on either side of his forehead were worn deep with worry. In the flickering light of the bonfire, Benn could discern a few silver hairs lurking among the green, the perennial curse of first mates with captains like theirs. He wondered what sacrifices the man had made, what secrets he had kept, to preserve not only Luffy's life, but his innocence and his ability to laugh.
It had evidently not been an easy task. Zoro's unbuttoned shirt made no attempt to conceal the two huge scars that criss-crossed his chest, not to mention the many smaller scars that littered his body like a topographical map. And yet, though he couldn't see it, Benn was sure that his back would be as unmarked as Shanks' own, the pride of a swordsman who had never turned his back on friend or enemy, who had never once allowed himself to be caught unawares.
Even now, at a time of celebration, Zoro was clearly on the alert, one hand lying casually on his katana as he drank with the other, while his dark eyes constantly scanned the crowd and out towards sea, hunting for the least threat to his crew.
"Worried, Zoro-kun?"
Zoro grunted an affirmative. "Terrific idea throwing a party in the village everyone knows is the hometown of the Pirate King."
Benn spread his hands in a gesture of mock helplessness. "Shanks wanted to taste the sake here again."
"Luffy kept going on about how it was the new 'town of the beginning'." Zoro shrugged.
And the captain's word is law. Neither needed to voice the thought, knowing that his fellow first mate followed that creed to the letter.
Benn's next comment was pre-empted by a brief flash out of the corner of his eye, from somewhere beyond the two pirate ships that lay anchored in the harbour. Squinting into the darkness, he could discern the distant silhouette of a Marine battleship. Not just one. Five... seven... probably ten. A Buster Call.
Benn's lips curled downwards in distaste. It was a futile move at best, one that reeked of desperation. Even if the Marines succeeded at killing off the Pirate King and one of the Yonkou, it wouldn't - couldn't - save the World Government. Even without the pressure being exerted by the Revolutionary Army, it was already imploding under the weight of its sins and secrets, its lust for complete control overwhelmed by its people's rekindled craving for freedom.
An audible sigh came from the younger man beside him. Apparently Zoro had seen them too. "Marines just love to crash parties, don't they?" he asked, his tone resigned.
Benn stood up, a touch wearily, resting his rifle on a shoulder. "Wanna get the others?"
Zoro cast the briefest of glances at the rambunctious partiers, and shrugged. "Nah." He got to his feet, tying his bandanna around his head. "We can handle 'em."
Benn smiled. He could come to like this kid. "Shall we go save our captains' asses from their own stupidity, then?"
Town of the beginning this might be, but no way in hell was Zoro going to let it be the town of the end. "Yeah," he growled from around the hilt of a sword. "Let's."
.....
I was sad at not having the rest of the Strawhats in my last couple of fics, so...
OMAKE!
They had made it down to the harbour when they heard a none-too-subtle cough behind them.
"And where do you two think you're sneaking off to?" Shanks asked, fingering his sabre, looking pointedly at Benn.
"Yeah, Zoro, no fair trying to hog all the fun to yourself!" Luffy grinned, winding up his arm.
"It's a Buster Call," Robin murmured, gazing seawards, brow furrowing at the menacing sight of the ten ships.
"Don't worry, Robin-sis! We'll take care of them! SUPA leave it to me!" Franky said, checking his cola supply.
"All right, does everyone else have enough fuel to go on?" Sanji asked, bringing up a huge plate of chicken drumsticks. "Marimo, I don't seem to recall seeing you eat anything this evening."
Zoro rolled his eyes and grabbed a drumstick. "It's not like I'm Luffy," he objected between chomps, even as Luffy and Lucky Roo cleaned out the platter between them.
"Remember, everyone, no one's allowed to get hurt this time! The fine's one million beli per stitch! No one's allowed to die either!"
"Yohohoho! I'll try my best, Nami-san! Ah, although I'm already dead!"
"Go on, everybody! Dad and I will cover you from the shore!"
"What, you're staying here?!" multiple voices chorused.
Zoro felt a tug on his pants and looked down at Chopper, though not so far down as he once had to. "One million beli per stitch," the doctor emphasised. "You can't afford it, Zoro."
Zoro exchanged a glance with Benn, smiling around his sword. They had all changed through the years, but some things would always remain the same. Only one thing was out of place now.
"Feels weird wearing this hat again. It's kinda blocking my line of sight," Shanks complained. He took off Hat and parked it on Luffy's head. "Go on, lead the way, Pirate King."
Luffy grinned in understanding and tipped his hat back on his head. "C'mon, you guys, let's go teach the Marines a lesson! Zoro and I'll go first!"
"What? Luffy, nooooooooooooo!" Zoro's protest was lost to the winds as they catapulted through the air, king of pirates and king of swordsmen, captain and first mate, partners to the very end.
THE END
It's been so much fun ficcing with you guys! Thanks for all the help and encouragement! *hugs*
And if anyone's interested, here's the link table.