The gravel crunches as they walk. Zoro looks down and thinks he needs new boots. Maybe a new pair of trousers, also, since these are ripped from the last bounty.
"I agree," Kuina sighs with annoyance. Zoro doesn't remember saying anything for her to agree with. She runs a hand through her dark hair. "Looks like this bounty's gonna go to clothes, food and a hot shower."
It's never freaked him out, how attuned to each other he and Kuina are. But sometimes he definitely forgets about it, rendering him a bit speechless when she voices the very things he's thinking about. She never forgets. She always talks like she knows what's going through his mind.
It makes them invincible and a terror to deal with in battle. In ordinary day to day situations, it skips eeriness and goes straight to mildly humorous.
Zoro shifts the sack he carries over his shoulder. Bastard was hell to deal with, the least he can do is bring them in extra cash. Zoro tilts his head and looks at his partner.
Kuina's a tall woman, but it still leaves her half a head shorter than Zoro. It drives her insane with annoyance. Especially since throughout all their childhood Zoro'd been a runt.
Grinning, Zoro says, "If you bring the bounty in, he'll definitely give you more Berri than he would me."
He watches in real time the way her impassive expression shifts to fury. Her dark blue eyes are like steel when she's like this, full lips twisted in a nasty frown. "I should kill him."
Kuina hates when her womanly wiles are required to get them things she thinks should be given out fairly. If the bounty is advertised at a certain number, than that's the money they should be receiving. But the Marine Captain in this side of the East is a bastard and deducts as much money as possible from Zoro's pay when he goes in to cash out a bounty.
For Kuina, well.... He only takes a bit. And it's usually because she shuts down his advances with threat of bodily harm. And then half of what he deducts miraculously appears back in her pile of pay.
"Yeah," Zoro agrees with a laugh. "But then we'd have an entire base after us. Just go and get us the money; we need it, if we're going to sail to the next island soon."
She huffs, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I hate when you're right."
"So... always?"
"Ha!" Her smirk is as sharp as her blade when she turns to him. "You wish, loser." She jabs an elbow to his side, curving her stride so she leans into him enough to have him trip over his own feet. "You have your moments, at best."
"Get away from me," he sneers, shoving her.
Kuina laughs, head thrown back and dark hair bouncing. She's going to want a haircut soon. Once it starts to bounce and reach too close to her shoulders, she deems it too much for her to deal with. A life of bounty hunting doesn't leave much room for luxuries like hair care, she's said.
"Alright," she groans, tapping a finger on Wado Ichimonji's tsuka. "Hand over the bastard."
Zoro pauses, moving the sack carefully from over his shoulder to hang between them. The sack is saturated with blood, dripping onto the gravel ground below them.
Kuina hums in annoyance and disgust.
-
He walks out of the shower, running a towel through his messy green spikes. Rinsing at a river can only do so much, and it's been close to a week since the last time they had enough money for an inn; the amount of time it'd taken them to travel from one town to the next.
Kuina's just finishing wrapping her sarashi around her chest. She spares him a glance over her bare shoulder. "Can you pin them?"
Zoro rolls his eyes, letting the damp towel rest on his head as he moves in closer.
He takes the pins from her hand and grabs at the tail-end of the sarashi, pressing it to her left shoulder blade before placing the first pin. Then the next.
"I ordered food while you were in the bath," she says, grabbing one of her nicer shirts from the three she carries in her pack. It's plain and white, the opening at an angle and the fastening to the side. She slips on her trousers, securing them around her hips with a beat-up belt. "I also looked at the map."
Kuina's the designated navigator.
She says Zoro doesn't have a sense of direction, a 'fact' she likes to claim true based on incidents from their childhood. All fake news if anyone asks Zoro. The rice terraces back home in Shimotsuki had it out for him, just as the roads on every single island does. They're in cahoots, Zoro just knows it.
Kuina thinks he's full of shit.
"We'll set sail towards Shells Town," she tells him, dropping onto one of the two twin beds and leaning against the wall. "There's a bounty there."
"Big one?" Zoro asks, scratching at his bare chest.
Kuina hums, looking around for the wads of paper she usually carries. She ignores Zoro's nakedness as well. They're too comfortable with each other; the best of friends since childhood, since Zoro can even remember. They're individuals, but also like extensions of each other.
The life of a wanderer living off bounties is fine if Kuina's with him.
He'd left their village alone when he heard Dracule Mihawk was near and being heralded as the world's greatest swordsman. Zoro was outraged and set out to challenge him for the title. When his quest proved fruitless, he tried to go home but ended up lost.
Kuina then left home in search for him.
But the second she was free of the chains that bound her in Shimotsuki, she had no desire to go back. And Zoro would ride or die for Kuina, so he stayed with her. By then, he had a list of bounties under his belt but was suffering from piece of shit Marine Captains taking a good portion of his pay.
And now here they are, titles like the Demon Twins of the East like badges of honor and praise. Not exactly what they both had envisioned for themselves but it's a start for the end goal.
A knock at the door makes them tense before Kuina lets out a little chuckle. It's the room service, she tells him as she gets up to get the door.
Zoro pulls up his new trousers but leaves them unbuttoned for a bit of comfort. He drops onto the twin bed Kuina'd left for him, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
"Check it out," Kuina says, walking to the beds with a tray of dishes and two bottles of sake. "I splurged. I felt like I deserved it."
Zoro raises an eyebrow.
"I landed the killing blow on that pirate," she tells him in a tone that makes Zoro want to kick at her knee so she falls with all that she's holding.
"You did not, you damn liar," Zoro sneers, sitting up. "I slashed at his chest---"
"And I gutted him!"
"He was already dead!"
She sucks at her teeth. "Nope, you're wrong."
"Don't piss me off," Zoro growls, truly contemplating kicking her now.
She laughs, bringing the tray to eye level so he can look at the sashimi and bowls of rice. It's enough to stop Zoro in his tracks, his gray eyes admiring the display.
"Eat up, loser," Kuina says. "At the ass crack of dawn, we're outta here."
-
The salt in the air is soothing. Rare, since before this chapter in his life Zoro's never sailed. But he finds a fondness in being out at sea, the waves caressing the hull of the dinghy they stole.
He sits back, eyes closed and hands behind his head as he lets the sun warm him and the breeze cool him. A nap will do him well after Kuina slaved him away at paddling when the wind had disappeared for over an hour.
His arms still throb. It's a delicious feeling.
Kuina's standing at the bow, the wind in her hair as she watches the horizon. She does that often; Zoro can't tell if she's being vigilant or merely lazily observing. With Kuina, it's hard to tell. It's how she usually gets the upper hand on people.
Zoro hadn't realized he'd drifted off to sleep until he's startled into consciousness by Kuina taking a seat next to him. Drowsily, he wonders how much time has passed.
"Want me to clean your swords?"
Zoro grumbles, shifting to lie on his side. "Can do it myself."
"Yeah, but you're bad at it," she says with a laugh. She's bored and wants to get a rise out of him, he knows it.
And yet Zoro sits up to glare at her. "Am not!"
Kuina blinks at him innocently. "Touchy. Only the truth gets that reaction out of someone, Zoro." Her attention shifts to the three swords resting at his side. "C'mon. I'll do the Skillful Blade you scored from that Baroque-guy."
Zoro smacks at her hand when she tries to reach for it. "No, I got it. I'll do it when we get to the island."
Kuina pouts, rubbing at her hand as she sits back. "You're no fun."
He rolls his eyes before he spares his swords a glance. Two of them were given to him by the old man, Kuina's grandfather. They're nameless and, to the old man: duds. But to Zoro they've gotten him through a lot of shit. The third he acquired not too long ago, when he got rid of a fool that tried to come and recruit him for some group of mercenaries. The sword looked nice enough and could serve him, since he'd broken his third sword around the start of his adventure.
Kuina says its a Skillful Blade, but she isn't too privy on the title. She says she didn't memorize the names in the booklet but that anyone with eyes can see a ranked blade when in front of them.
Zoro had scoffed but said nothing.
"We'll be there by tomorrow," Kuina says, unsheathing Wado Ichimonji and inspecting the blade. "We can scope out the town, see where our target haunts."
Zoro hums, eyes fluttering closed again. He shifts once more to lie on his back, his side pressed to Kuina's. Thoughts of his pretty Skillful Blade has him curious if Baroque Works will send out someone else for him, and if that person would approach both he and Kuina this time.
It's a dumb thought, but a curious one all the same.
"Maybe after this we can head South," she continues, speaking her thoughts aloud. "At this point, I feel like we've cleaned the East up pretty good."
"As if," Zoro scoffs, a twitch to the corner of his lips. "There'll always be bastards with bounties."
"Yeah," Kuina agrees, "But maybe in the South, where there's more notoriety, there'll be bigger bounties."
Fair enough, Zoro thinks but he doesn't agree with her out loud. She'll get all cocky and shit.
At his silence Kuina snickers, "That settles that then!"
She starts to hum while she cleans Wado, the smell of the choji oil chasing after Zoro as he once more drifts off to sleep.
-
He has to find her.
He has to get out of here.
And then he'll set out to find her.
He'll kill anyone that gets in his way.
Fuck Morgan and his shitty spawn, Zoro thinks. He's tied to a post, dried blood on the side of his head from an injury that hides under his bandana. He's been here for days, he thinks, weeks maybe. He's not sure. The concept of time is something he's always been allergic to.
Not that it matters.
He's planning his escape.
He'll rip his arms off if he has to. He'll still have his mouth to wield a sword, even then. He'll find them, wherever Morgan's shitty kid has taken them. Then, he'll kill every single bastard in this Marine base. And after that, he'll go search for the bastards that kidnapped Kuina.
The sun beats down on him, his golden skin red from sunburns. Zoro's stomach grumbles and he can't remember what the last thing he ate was or when. Maybe it'd been the sashimi he and Kuina'd shared at that inn. Maybe they were eating things in that pub before shit happened.
"Hey!"
Zoro slowly blinks his eyes, refocusing on what's in front of him. Before, it was just the dirt ground expanding in front of him and the Marine base's gates. It was beige and tan and brown; muted colors that made Zoro's eyes hurt because the sunlight made it all glow.
Now, a boy stands in front of him, not much younger than him.
His eyes are wide and dark, his smile mischievous and calculative. The straw hat's pretty dumb, Zoro thinks.
"Go away," he mutters. He has no energy. And he's really hungry.
"I heard about you," the boy continues, as if Zoro hasn't just shooed him away. "But the stories I heard talked about twin demons. You're just one demon." He blinks his eyes, tilts his head. "I guess one will do."
"What are you talking about?" Zoro asks, then he adds, "Actually, I don't care. Leave, you're going to ruin everything."
"Wha'cha mean?" The boy tilts his head, smile turning into a frown. "Hey, what's that kid doing?"
Zoro lifts his head and follows the guy's line of sight. Fucking hell, he thinks as the little girl that unintentionally started all this climbs over the wall. There's a bundle of food in her hands and Zoro's stomach grumbles again.
"Go away," Zoro stresses. These two idiots are going to ruin all the work he's been doing.
That bastard Morgan said he'd let him off the hook if he stayed tied up for a month. If he sees these two out here with him, who knows what he'll decide to do with him while Zoro's not just tied up but missing his swords.
"Here," the little girl says with the happiest smile ever. The last time he saw her, she'd been crying and very afraid of Morgan's spawn and his threats. "I made these myself!"
"Don't care," Zoro groans, his eyes stinging when he shuts them. "Take them and go, before they see you and something happens to you."
"Who's gonna do what?" the guy asks, digging into his nose with his pinky finger. "Hey, ain't you s'posed to have swords or something?"
Zoro opens his mouth to say something. Maybe yell at them both. Maybe just respond normally. Maybe even ask the little girl what's in the bento.
But whatever he wants to say never comes out because Morgan's kid comes out screeching bloody murder.
-
Kuina is going to kill him when she finds out he's a pirate now.
Zoro rolls his jaw, feeling the bits of dirt in his mouth from the sweet onigiri the little village girl had brought him. Morgan's kid -- what the hell is his name -- stomped all over them but after seeing her little brokenhearted expression coupled up with his hunger, Zoro asked Luffy to feed it to him anyway.
It was disgusting. But he'd never tell her or anyone that. At least he'd been fed.
Now, he and Luffy have beat down every dumb Marine in this base and are running off. Luffy'd secured his swords before the big fight in which Zoro disposed of all of the Marines spilling out of the base like a disease while Luffy fought Morgan himself.
"This is so cool!" Luffy's laughing now, holding onto his straw-hat as they run. They're joined by a pink-haired boy that's more scaredy-cat than anything else. "Koby, look! I got my first crewmate!"
Zoro skids to a stop before Koby can even open his mouth.
"I have someone to find," he stresses, pointing a finger at Luffy. "I will kill you if you get in my way. I don't know where she's being taken, but I have to get her back before it's too late."
Luffy blinks. "Whossit?"
"I-it's probably Shimotsuki Kuina," Koby warbles, "the other demon!"
Kuina'd love to hear the sound of that, Zoro thinks. He grits his teeth and starts to run again. She'd been taken at the same moment that Zoro defended the little village girl from Morgan's kid, so he hadn't been able to see it. But his gut tells him it's Baroque Works that's done it. They'd seen her distracted and had jumped at the chance.
Fuck, how could Zoro have been so stupid?
He needs to get to her before whoever's done this heads back to Baroque Works' base. Because then she'd be out of his reach; Zoro doesn't know where the hell their base would be.
"Eh?" Luffy asks as he keeps up with Zoro's pace without trouble. "If she's the other demon, she's fine! Right?" He tilts his head and Zoro wonders how he can do that while still running. "Can't she just save herself?"
"Of course she can!" Zoro yells at him, pulling out one of his swords to whack him with the saya.
Of course Kuina can save herself. But Zoro doesn't know what the circumstances are. Was she drugged? Did they hurt her? Tie her up in a way she can't free herself? With something that'd zap her of her strength? He doesn't know!
That's why despite knowing how capable she is, he has to get to her. Just in case.
They reach the wharf, where ships and boats of small and medium sizes are moored. Zoro's boots thud against the wooden docks as he heads for the dinghy he and Kuina stole to get here. He spares Koby a glance, thinking he'd heard Luffy mention something about this being his chance to enlist.
"Okay," Luffy says as he jumps into the dinghy after Zoro. "This is it!"
"Luffy!" Koby stands with his hands curled into fists. "Next time we see each other, we'll be enemies."
Luffy tilts his head, his smile easy. Zoro wonders if he ever stops smiling and what he'd look like when he's angry.
"Cool," Luffy says. "I'll look forward to it."
Hours later, they're sailing in some random location.
The sun is beginning to set, painting the horizon in shades of vermilion and gold. Zoro sits with his legs crossed, a frown on his face as he considers things.
"So what happened to the other demon?" Luffy asks from where he's sprawled by the bow of the dinghy. "Uh..."
"Kuina," Zoro states. "Her name's Kuina."
Luffy lifts his head enough to look at him. "M'kay. Yeah, what happened to Kuina?"
Zoro stares at him in silence for a long moment.
He's sworn himself to Luffy, to be his crewmate and set off to find the One Piece and make him King of the Pirates. It'd been in a moment where Zoro hadn't had much choice. But he's also a man of his word and knows that no matter what, this is where fate wants him to be.
And yet he doesn't want to tell Luffy about that stupid organization that's more of a thorn on his side.
"She was taken," is what he decides on. "I don't know by who. But I need to find her, in case she needs my help."
And Luffy doesn't ask for more details. Instead, he says, "Cool. You think she wants to join my crew? I'd originally planned for one swordsman only, but I can make an exception. It'll be so cool to be the captain of Demon Twins."
Zoro licks his lower lip in thought. He doesn't know what Kuina's views on pirates are --- it's never really mattered. Sure, the bounties they collected were mostly of pirates but that was all business. It'd never been because they were pirates.
"You'll have to ask her yourself," he drawls, leaning back in his seat and deciding he could go for a nap. His sunburns hurt as the cool breeze kisses the hot skin.
"Listen," he starts as something comes to mind. "I threatened you earlier. I meant it, considering the circumstances. But I won't make it a habit to do it once we find Kuina. I swore I'd be your crewmate and you my captain. I'll treat you as such from here on out."
Luffy's response is a lighthearted laugh.
-
They meet Nami and Usopp during dire situations.
The former, when Luffy's idiotic self got himself caught by Buggy the Clown. A bounty that Zoro had once told Kuina wasn't worth it. And considering how dirty the stupid clown fought, he'd been right.
The latter they'd met not long after, in Syrup Village where pirates had been playing the long game, in disguise as butlers and cooks and maids.
Zoro's head still throbs a bit after that fiasco, but at least Kaya and the rest of the village were better off now. He thinks they're weird pirates, considering how Luffy took it to heart to save Syrup Village at Usopp's watery request.
Zoro's no hero, but he'll do as Luffy says no matter what. With reason, he amends. He's started to notice that his new captain is a bit of an impulsive freak.
Whatever, at least they have an actual ship now.
It's been weeks now since he and Kuina were forcefully split. While he's here with his new crew, he keeps his ears open and his mind alert to pick up on any sort of clues. He's always been a vigilant man, but now he amps it up, watching every weird looking fool that wanders in and out of bars and pubs or stick close to the shadows.
Now, he and Nami and Usopp walk into the sea-restaurant that Luffy and some Marines attacked during their cannonball fight.
"He'll probably be stuck in there forever," Usopp laments. "He has no money to pay for the repairs."
Nami hums as she leads them inside, copper eyes curious as she looks at the filled up dining area. She pauses when her eyes land on the blond waiter manhandling the very man that landed Luffy in his current predicament.
Zoro follows her line of sight, feeling something hum just under his skin at the sight. He stares at the dip of thin fingers against the Marine captain's throat as the blond waiter holds him aloft. The sheer power one requires to do that, Zoro thinks.
Damn, he wants to fight that guy.
"M-maybe we should come back later," Usopp suggests, hunching his shoulders. "They look busy. I'm allergic to business, you see. Yep. We should--"
"Shut up," Nami hisses, sparing him a glare over her shoulder. "Just play it cool. It has nothing to do with us."
Zoro's ears ring as he follows her to an empty table, gray eyes glued on the argument. The waiter kicks the Marine captain and looks like he'd do more damage if he weren't held back by a burly cook.
He's always been good at picking up on someone's strength. That guy seems to have a helluva lot of it. And something about him pisses him off and entices him all at once. He really wants to punch him.
The waiter's eyes land on their table. His eyes are the same color as the sea when the sun begins to rise: shades of blue with golden bits. It pisses Zoro off even more.
"Hello," he greets, all smiles when his attention is captured by Nami. "My name is Sanji, welcome to this shitty restaurant. How may I help you?"
Nami sighs in fake dejection. "Dunno. Everything is so expensive."
"For you, everything is free," Sanji quickly says, his eyes turning into hearts. "You're more beautiful than the sea, than any goddess that's ever existed!"
Zoro rolls his eyes.
"Got something to say, Mosshead?" Sanji asks and for a moment Zoro doesn't realize it's him he's speaking to.
And then when he does, his lip curls into a sneer. "What---"
"He has nothing to say!" Usopp interjects, laughing nervously. "He never has anything to say! He doesn't say much. Like, ever. Ha... ha?" Usopp's sweating. "Now this menu---"
"Only the lady dines for free," Sanji ruthlessly interrupts. He flicks his hair out of his face but it simply falls back into place. His smile is thin as he looks at Usopp. "Full price for the both of you. Especially you." He says the last part to Zoro.
Zoro opens his mouth again but Nami digs the heel of her sandal into his boot hard enough for him to feel in his toes. He snaps his mouth shut and turns to glare at her.
Before things can escalate, Luffy appears behind the kitchen doors. His white apron is dirty and wet and his eyes are wide as he scans the heavy crowd. And then his smile appears when he sees them.
He ignores every person that tries to grab his attention as he makes his way to their table, waving enthusiastically.
"Hey!" He laughs. "Sanji! You met my crew!"
Luffy smacks a hand to Sanji's back. "Hey, guys. Meet our cook!"
"I am not your cook," Sanji sneers, expression scandalized.
"Thank god," Zoro mutters but not low enough to go unheard.
Sanji steps closer to him. "Say that again?"
Zoro turns to look at him. Really look at him. When their eyes lock, his heart and brain do something weird in which the former starts to beat too fast and too loud and the latter seems to go completely blank of any single thought. The waiter-cook's eyes are really pretty. And the freckles across his cheekbones are distracting.
Wait, what the hell is he thinking?
Sanji's expression seems to give off that he's having thoughts of his own, his hooded eyes growing wide for a fraction of a moment before he scoffs and looks away.
"I'll bring out some food," he mutters as he begins to walk away. "Scraps for the likes of you two. A special plate for the lovely lady."
Once he's gone, Usopp gasps for air. He's really dramatic, Zoro thinks with a roll of his eyes.
"Maybe Sanji knows a thing or two about the whereabouts of your friend," Nami offers, a glint in her eyes as she looks at Zoro. She rests her chin on her open palm. "Since this restaurant sees so many people, I mean."
"Sanji's so cool," Luffy offers. "I want him to be my cook. His food is so good."
"Don't you have work to be doing?" Zoro asks, an eyebrow raised. He doesn't want to hear anything about that cook. He doesn't like how he makes him feel. It's weird and foreign.
-
Against his will and his better judgement, Zoro approaches the cook.
He's outside, having a cigarette break. His body is leaner than Zoro's but he can see the wiry muscles under his button-up shirt. He's ditched his jacket, and he's rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. The way he holds the cigarette is a bit distracting.
Zoro thinks he needs a drink.
"Oi," he calls as he approaches. "Curly-brows."
Sanji is instantly incensed. He turns to him with a fire in his blue eyes, thin lips parted to exhale smoke. "Excuse me?"
"Yanno..." Zoro lifts a hand up to draw a curl in the air. The cook's eyebrows end in a curl. It's weird and hilarious and cute.
"I will kick your ass," Sanji growls, looking away from him as quickly as he'd looked towards him. "What do you want, anyway?"
Zoro comes to stand a few feet away from him, arms crossed in front of his chest. It's beginning to grow a bit chilly. It'd mid afternoon and the sky is a clear blue. Around them, the waves sing and roar and people walk away from the restaurant and towards it. Alone, in a couple, in a group. Zoro eyes them with minor interest as he tries to find his words.
"You haven't seen a swordsman come by, have you?" he finally asks. He lifts his hand to just below his ears, lowering them a bit closer to his shoulders as he paints a mental image of Kuina. "Dark hair up to here? Blue eyes? White sword?"
Sanji lifts a curly eyebrow, plucking his cigarette out his mouth and exhaling through his nose. "No? I don't think so. I mean, your description's pretty vague."
"She's tall," Zoro continues to offer. "Probably up to here?" He waves a hand near his chin. Then considers, lifting the hand near his nose. "Maybe here, actually."
The cook snorts. "You're terrible at this, Mosshead. But no. I don't think I have. If she's a lady, I would have remembered."
Whatever the hell that means, Zoro thinks grouchily.
"Fuck," he breathes out, running his hand through his messy green hair.
Sanji eyes him some more, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "Why?"
But before Zoro can answer, Dracule Mihawk appears.
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