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CHAPTER 33: Zoro's Dillema
The marines chased after them for a few miles before Nami sensed a change in the wind allowing them to catch it in the sails and make their escape. The ship had sustained long-term sink-worthy damage; including a hull full of water that needed to be drained out and a few holes that needed to be patched up but other than that it was a clean getaway.
This fact was something Zoro thought everyone would appreciate as much as he did. He was stretching his arms as he made his way to the ship's deck.
"We finally lost the Marines,"
"Hn…."
"That's good right?"
"Hm..."
The pathetic groaning drew his attention to the banister where Zoro noticed his crewmates mumbling coming from. They were sprawled through the gaps of the banister, in a row, hanging like wet laundry, dripping despondency. Each of them gazed to their left where an empty space seemed to occupy their thoughts.
Zoro's brow furrowed. "What's with you guys?" he asked, his usual gruffness tinged with confusion.
Before anyone could respond, Sakura emerged from below deck. She had just finished double-checking the rough patchwork done to prevent the ship from sinking. While it looked like it would hold for now, she knew it would be problematic in the future and need constant fixing.
As she stepped onto the deck and saw her friends looking down in the dumps, she asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"
Zoro crossed his arms, glancing back at them with a puzzled expression. "They're moping for some reason."
"I miss her!" They all cried in sync, their lips pointed downwards as far as they could reach.
Sakura blinked, taken aback for a moment before she realized what they meant. "Oh…" her gaze softened. It wasn't easy for them to say goodbye to Vivi the way they had, as impactful as it felt, they would've liked to turn around to see her face as she sent them off.
She was going to say more to comfort them, but Zoro, ever the pragmatist, scoffed. "If you didn't want her to go, you should've found a way to force her to stay."
The entire crew turned to Zoro with a mix of shock and anger and were hurling their frustrations and insults in his direction.
"You savage!" Chopper exclaimed, followed by Nami "You're the worst!"
"Moss head," from Sanji and then Luffy who didn't fully grasp the concept of an insult, referring to Zoro as "Three sword style…"
Sakura sighed, placing a hand on her hip as she looked at Zoro. "Kidnapping? Really Zoro, that's your solution?"
Zoro shrugged, a bit defensive, and uncomfortable that she was speaking to him directly. "We're pirates. If we want something, we take it."
Sakura looked exasperated, "What kind of logic is that?"
"A pirates, I just told you that moron!"
"Well, I hope being the world's greatest swordsman is all you want."
Zoro was taken aback by the statement, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What does that mean? Of course it is."
"Good. Because if you wanted anything else, we'd probably all be in trouble."
Zoro's face flushed a light shade of pink at her words as if she had touched a nerve. He quickly looked away, trying to mask his reaction by grumbling under his breath, "Idiot."
Just as the crew was recovering from their exchange about Vivi, the door to the girls' cabin creaked open, and a new presence made themselves known. Sauntering out in Nami's clothes was Nico Robin. Her appearance caused an immediate uproar amongst the crew, half who ended up slamming their heads on the banister. Chopper, Nami, and Usopp were in an instant frenzy of panic. Luffy was just surprised by her appearance on the ship. Zoro immediately drew his sword on the women, and Nami had her climatic staff ready to strike.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Don't try anything, you're outnumbered," Which ironically half the crew seemed to have forgotten.
Robin, unflustered by their reactions, knocked the weapons from Zoro and Nami's hands and calmly approached Luffy. They proceeded to demand to know why she stowed away on their ship, and her response was as shocking as her presence. She directly confronted Luffy with the reason.
"It's your fault, Straw Hat," she said, her voice smooth and confident. "Did you forget what you did to me?"
Some turned their attention to the captain now, mostly Sanji who was giving Luffy a shakedown, while the others refused to drop their guard around Robin. Sakura approached Robin, who had settled herself on a chair on the deck. There was no need for her to carry any weapon since the ones she used couldn't be knocked to the ground as easily and she doubted that the women had the strength to do that.
Sakura easily understood that the one with the vulnerable position was the former Baroque Works agent.
"Hey. Stop toying and give a straight answer, why are you here?"
Robin glanced at Sakura unfazed, and smiled, glancing over to Luffy, "Ask your captain to tell you what he did to me,"
Luffy was bewildered, "What did I do?"
"Think about what happened back in Alabasta, after you defeated Crocodile,"
The warlord had proven to be a great veteran in combat, and it wasn't straightforward, his devil fruit ability matching his doctrine. Like sand, he could slip out of nearly any predicament, even when his weakness was exposed, Crocodile was prepared for any confrontation even a straightforward one. He poisoned Luffy with something he kept on his hook for such occasions, which affected the rubber boy. Robin had witnessed the fight, but not on the enemy front anymore, she was, much like King Cobra, an injured spectator. After they both found what they were looking for, Crocodile turned on Robin leaving her injured and immobilized.
After the battle, Robin no longer saw any reason to care for the fates of the country, or her own. So she gave the antidote to Luffy for the poison and in return, Luffy dragged her out from under the catacombs that had been the battlefield.
"You saved my life, and now I have nowhere to go. So, I've decided to join your crew."
Luffy tilted his head, considering her words, barely giving a moment to contemplate. "Hmm, I get it. I guess there's no other choice then."
Sakura's jaw dropped. "What?!" she exclaimed, incredulity written in her voice. "Of course, there's another choice! We can throw her overboard!"
"I second that!" Usopp exclaimed from a safe distance, but Luffy was more than nonchalant.
"It's fine, she's not a bad person,"
"She was working with Crocodile!"
"Yeah, but that's done now,"
Sakura's jaw dropped to the floor, was Luffy really that dense that he couldn't retain recent memories that included Robin being their enemy not only a few days ago? Pirate relationships were not the same as shinobi relations, where the conditions of orders dictated the status.
Rubbing her cheek, she hissed, "I'm going to lose my mind on this ship!"
While Sanji and Luffy were more than willing to let down the plank for Robin to come aboard and sail with them, she could sense the distrust of the others and decided to make her move to knock down their defenses one at a time. With a calm smile, she began to subtly work her way into their good graces.
She pulled out a small bag from her side and tossed it to Nami. When Nami opened it, her eyes sparkled as she found it filled with jewels, clearly pilfered from Crocodile's stash. "Consider this a gift," Robin said smoothly.
Nami's suspicion melted into a grin of greed. "Well, maybe she's not so bad after all...Thanks sis!"
Sanji, already smitten by Robin's charm, needed no convincing. He was practically floating as he swooned over her, hearts practically visible in his eyes. "Ah, Robin-chwan!"
Meanwhile, Robin used her Devil Fruit powers to sprout arms from the deck, playing with Luffy and Chopper, who were acting like a couple of excited children. Luffy laughed loudly, clearly entertained, while Chopper giggled as he was lifted into the air by a pair of arms. Usopp soon fell into that trap as well.
'They're dropping like flies into her web,'
That left Zoro and Sakura standing as the last stronghold of resistance against Robin's sudden and unsettling integration into their crew.
Zoro's eyes narrowed as he watched Robin, his suspicion burning as he remembered the threat she posed just a day ago. "Did everyone forget she was our enemy yesterday?"
"I can't even," Sakura blew out her frustration and rubbed her temples.
Already knowing that this battle was over and the majority rules had beaten them to a pulp, Sakura decided to exit this defeat before Robing attempted to lure her over to the other side and went back below deck to cool off with some of the new reading materials they had snatched from Alabasta's royal library.
"Where are you going?" Zoro found himself asking before biting his tongue for wagging.
"To read," Sakura waved. "What did you wanna drink together again?"
It did seem like a good time for the occasion, but Zoro just hissed a no, but it wasn't enough to goad Sakura into another argument. As she left, his eyes trailed on her back but didn't go unnoticed by Robin.
A knowing smirk crossed her lips as she casually sidled up to him, her voice low and teasing. "You might want to be careful, swordsman," she murmured. "If you keep looking at her like that, everyone's going to figure it out."
Zoro stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he met her gaze. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snapped, feeling defensive. "There's nothing to figure out."
Robin chuckled softly, the sound dripping with amusement. "I thought pirates weren't afraid to take what they wanted?"
Zoro's jaw clenched, his mind racing as Robin's words hit closer to home than he'd like to admit. He looked away, trying to shake off the unsettling seed she'd just planted in his mind. As Robin walked away, still wearing that knowing smile, Zoro couldn't help but glance back at Sakura, his thoughts muddled with a mix of irritation and... something else.
But it did confirm a suspicion Zoro held. That Nico Robin was going to be trouble.
..
..
..
In the days that followed, everyone became accustomed to Robin's presence. She kept to herself most of the time and didn't get in the way of anyone's routines. Zoro was still holding his shield, but it was more just for optics at this point.
He had been the same with Sakura when she first joined them, always keeping his guard up, ready to strike if necessary. But, over time, Sakura had proven herself—again and again—earning his begrudging respect.
Although Zoro intended to remain skeptical of Robin who had been their enemy, he was drawn to a new problem that washed out his focus.
As a swordsman, he had always been aware of his surroundings. Yet, when he was among his friends, he allowed himself a small reprieve, a rare comfort in knowing he could let his guard down around them. But lately, that comfort had started to wane, and it wasn't Nico Robin's fault. No, despite his lingering distrust of the woman, it was someone else who made Zoro uneasy.
It was Sakura.
At first, Zoro couldn't put his finger on it. He chalked it up to stress, fatigue, or just not drinking enough. But every time he tried to relax, there she was. Even when she wasn't directly near him, she occupied his mind far more than he liked. Her voice would echo in his thoughts, her determined gaze would flash before his eyes, and that damn smile of hers that he saw in Alabasta—it wouldn't leave him alone. What Zoro feared the most was being called out for it.
Such as that one morning.
..
..
..
At six am, the galley should've been empty, Sakura was looking forward to that cold silence and a glass of milk mixed with some form of alcohol to get her back to sleep after a nightmare-filled rest. The images still clung to her mind like cobwebs in a corner.
When she stepped into the galley, she was surprised to find Sanji already at work, humming to himself as he skillfully maneuvered pots and pans. The delicious aroma of breakfast filled the small space, and Sakura felt her stomach growl in response.
"Good morning, Sanji," she greeted quietly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Sanji turned to her with a warm smile, though his eyes immediately lit up with hearts when he took in her appearance.
"Ah, my beautiful Sakura-chan! Up so early? You look positively radiant even in your nightwear!" Sanji swooned, practically floating over to her. Sakura chuckled, brushing off his compliments as usual.
"Cook, I need sake," Zoro called entering the kitchen, Sanji's face turned around.
"Damn moss head, it's too early for drinks, and don't drip your sweat in the kitchen!"
Her eyes flicked to the table, clearly surprised to see her awake so early. Zoro wasn't sure why, but seeing her up this early unsettled him.
"Morning Zoro," He grunted, rubbing the back of his head, and turned his heel to retreat.
"Oi, didn't you say you wanted a drink-
"Forget it,"
Zoro pinched the bridge of his nose, swallowing back his thirst, 'It's like I can't stand the sight of her anymore,'
And that was just one of many events. Following where Zoro actively could not stay within Sakura's presence before becoming exceedingly uncomfortable. Yes, that was how he could only describe the sensation that enveloped him whenever he saw her in the corner of his eye or just glanced his way.
When Sakura was helping Nami with her new climatac staff. The girls were out on the deck, and Sakura was demonstrating all the ways a simple staff could be utilized in a fight and that was without the tricks built into this particular model.
The weapon Usopp had redesigned to fit into a more combat-worthy style. Nami was still angry at him for taking her request for a weapon and twisting the words to create some kind of party staff. Nami had improvised in her battle with Miss Doublefinger, aka Zala. She credited her intellect in getting her out of that jam, but the winning blow was really just a turn of luck she couldn't gamble on again.
Sakura was swaying Nami through the motions, guiding her hand from behind, "Can't we do some more advanced moves? I know how to use a staff well enough,"
"Like this," Although her specialty was hand-to-hand combat, Sakura was trained in an array of weapons, she just limited her arsenal, and she didn't like the feel of most of them in her hands. Long weapons especially weren't her to her preference. But she was decent enough to show off some advanced movements combining her agility, and shifting with the staff. That was the thing about long-handed weapons, they required constant spatial awareness, and to be able to extend yourself beyond the point. Sakura just didn't enjoy it. But she did enthrall Nami with her display, swinging the staff around, twirling it with a calm dexterity.
"Okay, let's stick with the basics. I don't bend that way,"
Zoro stood off to the side, leaning against the railing of the ship, his arms crossed over his chest. He watched them practice with an almost blank expression, though his eyes betrayed a deeper concentration.
Just then, Sanji waltzed out of the kitchen, a tray of snacks balanced in his hands, swooning as he made his way toward the ladies.
He noticed Zoro standing there, staring into space, and immediately smirked. "Oi, moss-head, what are you dazing at?" Sanji asked, his voice dripping with mockery. "Don't tell me you're thinking about something. You're straining that tiny brain of yours, huh?"
Zoro's eye twitched, irritation flaring. "Shut it, dart-brow, I'm just thinking,"
Sanji, of course, didn't miss a beat. "Thinking, huh? That explains the smoke coming out of your ears. With a brain that small, no wonder you look like you're about to burst a blood vessel." He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself as he goaded Zoro.
Zoro clenched his fists, ready to respond with his usual retort, but before he could escalate things, Luffy bounded into the scene, drawn by the smell of the snacks.
"Sanji! Are those for us?" Luffy grinned, reaching out to grab a handful of the snacks on Sanji's tray.
But Sanji deftly dodged Luffy's greedy hands, though it was like trying to stop a tiger from striking prey. "Oi, oi, hands off! These are for the ladies. Yours are in the kitchen."
Luffy wasted no time dashing away. The brief distraction did nothing to dispel the tension between Zoro and Sanji, but before either of them could throw the first punch, Nami and Sakura approached, wiping the sweat from their training.
"Sanji, thanks for the snacks!" Nami said with a smile, and Sanji immediately melted, hearts replacing his eyes as he handed her the tray.
"Anything for you, Nami-swan! Sakura-chan!" he said, bowing dramatically.
As Sakura reached for a snack, she noticed Zoro moving quickly past her, his usual brusque demeanor even more pronounced. She frowned slightly, trying to catch his attention. "Zoro, wait—"
But he didn't stop, brushing past her with a mumbled excuse about needing to train. The abruptness of it caught Sakura off guard, and she watched him retreat, feeling something she couldn't quite place welling up inside her.
Nami nudged Sakura gently with her elbow. "Hey, is something wrong?
Sakura blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Oh, no…"
..
..
..
Zoro threw down his weights with a heavy thud, the metal ringing slightly as it hit the wooden deck. He flexed his muscles, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had been gnawing at him for days. Usually, training was his sanctuary—a place where he could lose himself in the rhythm of his swordsmanship and drown out all distractions. But lately, even the familiar comfort of his exercises wasn't enough to quiet the thoughts.
Thoughts that kept circling back to Sakura. She was just another crewmate—like Luffy, like Nami, like the rest. So why was he so occupied with her lately? It wasn't like this when she first joined the crew. Back then, he'd been suspicious of her—just as he was with anyone new who crossed their path. But over time, she had proven her loyalty to them, and he was able to comfortably call her a crew mate and friend. Now he was being churned the wrong way whenever he caught sight of her.
He thought about how relieved he felt earlier when he knew she would be occupied with Chopper below deck.
'Did she put a curse on me?' Zoro muttered under his breath as he began lifting one of the heavier weights. His muscles strained, but the discomfort in his body was nothing compared to the turmoil in his mind.
As the day wore on, Zoro tried to immerse himself in his training, but it was no use. No matter how many reps he did, how many times he lifted his weights or swung his swords, the unease remained. It was almost as if his instincts were trying to tell him something, but he just couldn't decipher what it was.
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Sneak peek: Chapter 34
"Have you noticed Zoro's been acting strange?" Sakura and Nami were comfortably settled in the girl's room, readying for bed. Sakura decided to bring out her thoughts while Robin was taking a shower.
Nami raised her eyebrow, "What registers as strange to you?" Because after just a short while with this crew, that word had lost all meaning and she would've thought Sakura was around them long enough to erase it from her dictionary.
"It's just I think Zoro's been a bit skittish since we left Alabasta. But it's only with me."
Nami tapped her chin, her Zoro was still being Zoro. The typical louse who trained all hours of the night slept during the day, and drank all the alcohol he could get his hands on in what little free time he had. Just thinking that thought made Nami's vein tick and her eye twitch. The only time they really saw Zoro was in a life-threatening emergency if he wasn't sleeping through it.
Of course, there was a contagious habit of this for everyone on the ship. There was no pressure of an obligation to constantly function together as a unit when the situation didn't call for it. Nami spent most of her free time drawing her maps, Sakura and Chopper worked on improving their medicines and learning new medical skills and procedures, Sanji saw to a lot of the chores in the kitchen, and was preparing meals on a constant to fight against Luffy's appetite, Usopp worked on his inventions and Luffy spent most of his time finding ways to disrupt each of these units for the sake of his amusement and cure his boredom. That was another way to say he wanted to spend time with his friends even if they were busy with something important.
"Why exactly do you think that Zoro's avoiding you?"
Sakura recounted the few times she had attempted to interact with Zoro and how he basically dashed away every time.
Leaning on her hand, Nami asked, "Why don't you just go and talk to him about it?"
"Because he isn't giving me a chance, I can't interact with him longer than a few seconds before he ignores me and goes off to do something else," Sakura scratched at her forehead. It perturbed her with how much of a bother it was to think about. But perhaps it was due to her own expectations. She thought that they had a pleasant encounter back in Alabasta that time, but that was the first and last time. He was having better encounters with Robin right now.
Sakura hugged her knees tighter. "I don't know... it just feels like something's off. And then, earlier, when we were washing the dishes, he seemed so... tense around me. Like he couldn't wait to get away."