An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: One Piece (Anime & Manga)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Sabo, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Roronoa Zoro & Sabo
Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Portgas D. Ace, Sabo (One Piece)
Additional Tags: Meet the Family, Established Relationship, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, still in the world of op though, Humor, or should i say, Attempt at Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Protective Portgas D. Ace, Protective Sabo (One Piece), Protective Roronoa Zoro, Jealous Monkey D. Luffy, just a little bit, A bit sappy
Summary:
Luffy's middle name should be B. for Blindside the way he's constantly taking Zoro off guard. Or maybe the D. stood for Devious, or Devil- any of them would fit, considering the Situations this man has put him through.
OR
Zoro meets Luffy's brothers. Was he expecting this? Technically. Was he prepared for this?
They’re comfortable around each other, they respect, admire, and even fight for each other’s dreams. If they were in such a relationship, they wouldn‘t selfishly hold each other back. Rather, they’d push each other onward until they became the best they could be. That’s why whenever I think of Zoro and Luffy, this quote comes to mind:
“You lift me, and I’ll lift you, and we’ll ascend together.”
– Quatrina Raberba on LiveJournal, 2007
pheww, this quarantine thing is going to be the end of me and my poor nerves. while locked up inside my room, i spent an unhealthy amount of time on ao3 and went through every single zolu fic in the end, and thought, why not gather up a rec list?? just a heads up, all of them are free of problematic themes and mature content.
starred ones are my personal favorites, and i'm adding to this list as i go,, so look out for updates!! you can also find a better formatted version of this list right here on google docs.
here are the gems i found on my holy quest:
I’m on a highway full of red lights by KaneNogami*
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 3.5K
Summary: Luffy is joy and bloody knuckles, stupid straw hat on in Summer—holes are starting to form more and more, but it's a sentimental kind of thing—the boy who lives everywhere and nowhere at once, home long abandoned, shadows having invaded it in the form of ghosts. He likes when Luffy tugs on his arm, chatting about eating together—and can you pay, I'm broke again Zoro—how the other always smells like sweat and whatever sauce he got on his shirt this time around. His band-aids are always ridiculous, straight from kid shows, covering broken nose or a gash on his cheek.
perhaps the first zolu fic i came across on ao3 and it still has a special place in my heart. modern setting, but i must say it probably has more accurate characterisation than most canon-divergence fics. the writing style is slightly poetic and throws you right into the story.
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Romance Dawn by marimoes
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1.7K
Summary: “Does Zoro feel that?” Luffy asks, voice a whisper, like if he speaks louder he’ll scare whatever it is off, “In your chest?”
Zoro’s gaze softens on him then, almost like he’s falling back to sleep and Luffy nearly pinches him to wake him, but stops when Zoro says, “Yeah, I do.”
&&.
first mate’s birthday by nakayuz*
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 3.6K
Summary: the straw hats weren’t normally all asleep at the same time. there was always someone awake- on watch or suffering another case of insomnia. but just a little too much to drink due to their first mate’s birthday, and said mate’s consistent memories of his past managed to make the impossible happen.
this one here doesn't focus on zolu specially but more of a flashlight to zoro’s mind in general. they’re a big chaotic family, everyone is drunk and zoro is looking after his nakama and his captain even on his birthday. makes you all mushy inside.
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last year i abstained by Augment*
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 4.4K
Summary: Luffy's beginning to suspect he's going to have to die like this, either hollow and miserable, or bloated with empty calories, every time Zoro laughs or fights, and Luffy cannot touch the way he wants to, cannot speak the words he needs to.
i’ve reread this one for ten times or something and i’d still would even after i memorize every single line. it has great characterisation and a clean writing style and the cherry on the top is the mess of a pining luffy. most of the zolu fics on ao3 are written from zoro’s point of view or heavily leaned on his thoughts, so it was surprising to see this.
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this year i devour by Augment
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 4.2K
Summary: Luffy turns, to see Zoro caught up in the sight of him, and grins. The sun haloes him perfectly, bright noon-day glare, and Zoro is temporarily blinded. When his vision clears, Luffy is still smiling, sharing the joy of his first ship with his first crewmate, and it feels like liquid sunlight's been injected into Zoro's veins, lighting his blood on fire and burning it up, burning him dry.
this gem is a much more recent one and the continuation of ‘last year i abstained’, the story told from zoro’s point of view this time. again, you will fall in love. head’s up for really mild mature content.
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The stillness of the night isn't great for horrible dreams by baduntilitsgood
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 2.3K
Summary: Luffy wakes up feeling cut raw.
your classic post nightmare hurt comfort fic. i really liked how tender their relationship was here and how zoro easily offered comfort when his captain needed it. the other characters' reactions were on spot too.
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unspeakable love by gadgetronic
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 8.2K
Summary: There’s blood pouring out of his chest in a disgusting and unstoppable way. His breathing is ragged and stuttered and he just got slashed open with all of his guts and dreams spilling out by Dracule Mihawk, and Zoro doesn’t even have the decency to thank God he’s alive. He can only narrow in on one thought, the end of the laundry list – his captain and his crew. A straw hat.
He raises his sword.
--
A character study with a focus on Zoro that explores promises, sacrifices, beginnings, and devotion.
wrapped around meaningful lyrics, it’s exactly what it says on the tin, a character study, snippets of zoro’s memories and more. the fic jumpstarts right from the very first episode and till their reunion in sabaody and beautifully explains zoro’s devotion to his captain.
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and i will learn for you by blueacorn*
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 2.1K
Summary: Zoro will begin to realise that there are other ways to protect.
you know how much of a badass mf zoro is in canon? well, this fic focuses on his softer side, more precisely about him seeing himself as a person unable to deliver that tenderness and love in a relationship and luffy proving him wrong. this is probably one of my favorites in terms of zoro’s characterisation, just, chef kiss
here’s an extract from the fic itself and you’ll see what i mean,
“The soft touches he sees - hand cupping a cheek, tears being brushed away, a gentle bump of hip against hip - would never be his to give, or to take.
He’d made his peace with that.”
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Red and Green by TJ_Writes
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 2.4K
Summary: Before the Strawhat captain gets really close though, Zoro turns his gaze to lazily consider his approach and it takes less than two seconds for the other to go from bored to suddenly regarding him with suspicion.
It's rare but sometimes Luffy doesn't appreciate the fact that his first crewmate reads him that easily.
luffy brings zoro flowers!! and may i tell you that it’s cute, like really really cute with the way zoro reacts and luffy’s goofiness. i just love it.
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Bleed Like an Idiot by Augment
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 14k
Summary: Not that Luffy wouldn’t die for each and every one of his crew, and he knows, though he will make sure it never ever happens, that they would die for him. But to supersede Zoro’s dream like this, that makes Luffy feel so hideously guilty it locks up his lungs, and his jaw, and he can’t speak, touch Zoro, anything.
tw for torture and pretty dark stuff right here. zoro is forced to eat a devil fruit and luffy thinks that it was his orders that got his first mate nearly killed and they suck at communication. most of the time you’ll die from the unresolved tension between them but it’s so worth reading for it’s interesting plot and well-built dynamic between zoro and luffy, it was also inspired by this fic.
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Two Boys by LocalVodkaAunt
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1K
Summary: It makes him feel weird. Like the moment is fragile and precious, something to be tucked away and only taken out in the quietest of nights to be marveled at.
(or: two boys, one night, lots and lots of stars)
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some call it foolish (guess i'll call it art)
by youreanovelidea
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1.3K
Summary: “With Buggy. How did you know to use the cannon?” she clarifies.
“Luffy told me,” Zoro says, returning his attention to the sky.
Nami frowns and shakes her head. “What? No, he didn’t.”
“Yeah, he did. You just weren’t listening.”
(or, Nami sees but doesn't understand, Zoro tries to explain, and Luffy sleeps)
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there goes my heart beating (cause
you are the reason) by youreanovelidea
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 4.2K
Summary: Zoro breaks through a pile of broken wood and glares at them. “What are you guys doing?”
“What do you mean? We’re here to get Nami,” Luffy says, dusting himself off.
Sanji sits on a crate and tries to remember why he left the safety of the Baratie to follow a crazy kid in a straw hat.
(Or, Sanji questions his life decisions, Luffy takes a nap, and Zoro should probably sit down)
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turn off the lights (come and lay with me)
by youreanovelidea
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1.3K
Summary: He can feel Luffy’s breath against his throat—slow and steady—and he automatically wraps an arm around the other’s waist, hand curling over his hip.
“Go to sleep, Captain,” he says softly. “You need rest just as much as I do.”
(Or, Zoro would do anything for his captain and Luffy just wants his swordsman to be safe)
focuses on the fact that zoro is a self sacrificial idiot and luffy worries. you can also check out this author’s other zolu fics too since they have a series going on i wrote down and it’s beautiful!!
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ouroboros by pyknicGinger
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1K
Summary: Zoro is too many things at once, some stitched-together mess of a human being, but then again Luffy isn't much better.
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Climb This Mountain Inside by stiley
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 720
Summary: Luffy can't fall asleep, so he finds comfort in the one person he needs.
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Scattered (three ways to make a heart ache) by
Leoporidae_Lagomorpha*
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 4.5K
Summary: The swordsman's love is a wayward one. You lose, you gain and you lose again.
(Sabaody tore you down, Kuraigana trapped you in and Marineford broke him.)
&&.
Not The Same by LupusAmator*
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1.6K
Summary: Luffy takes a bath with Zoro for the first time since the two year separation, and finally has the chance to inspect his first mate's body for any changes, some more unpleasant and unwelcome than others.
not your typical steamy sharing a bath fic, just talking and gentle touches. they’re so soft that i want to cry.
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Stand By Me by thricepiercedpirate
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 600
Summary: Even the strongest captains sometimes need a comforting hand.
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a Losing game by Ceia*
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 4K
Summary: Surely it couldn't hurt to at least give Zoro a try.
a bed sharing fic and pre-relationship, or can be viewed as platonic. this one is a good one though. zoro is awkward as hell but means well, luffy just wants to get warm (and possibly a hug).
&&.
Forged By Fire by demonsLOver
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1K
Summary: Zoro was being forged. In and out the fire by reckless hands. Grinded into a new shape, hot and cold, steel became unique. And the clay pattern is gone, he was marked. He was reborn.
He didn't believe in God, but he believed his all in one man. He'll count that as the blessing itself.
&&.
Your words keep me awake and sing me to sleep
by Mellifluous Nebulous (Gastrodon)*
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 2K
Summary: He always makes sure to remind Zoro of how he feels, so why is Zoro getting doubts over some stupid dream?
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Little Pink Flowers by StrawhatsAndDelibirds
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1.1K
this one doesn't have a summary so let me help, luffy braids flowers into zoro’s hair, what more can you want?
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Those Who Sink, Swim by whimsical_ramblings*
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 2.4K
Summary: Let it never be said that something as trivial as a broken arm could stop Zoro from saving his captain from drowning.
this one is nakamaship focused but awesome nonetheless. like, you’re on the brink of collapsing from blood loss and a broken arm? nah, jumping after your drowning captain should be fine.
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fall asleep to the sound of your heartbeat
by Mellifluous Nebulous (Gastrodon)
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 1.2K
Summary: Despite his loud personality, Luffy appreciated the quiet moments the most.
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Precipice of a Change by xpiester333x
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 6.5K
Summary: Zoro stood there. He was on the precipice of something. One wrong move would send him over the edge into an unknown. He needed to step back, but his feet were locked and frozen on spot.
a modern au!! zoro is a bartender and luffy is luffy with a spot on personality, zora falls facedown for the boy, i mean, who wouldn’t? it has a clever way of fitting luffy into our modern world and i really like the author’s style.
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Milky Way by Ceia
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 7.2K
Summary: Several nights of stargazing, spread over several adventures, bring the first mate and his captain closer and closer together.
&&.
When Daylight Comes by
MelodramaticCoffeeAddict*
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 2.5K
Summary: Most days, it's business as usual. Wake up, train, chase Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper around for disturbing him (because those smiles amid laughs make the whole day better), argue with the cook, occasionally explore an island, pretend not to see Robin and Franky flirting, go to bed. Then do it all once again. Most days he's done. Smiles and laughs. Grumbles and snark. Most days, Zoro feels fine.
But some days, some days he wonders if they really like him.
Or
Zoro has some doubts and some pretty great nakama.
tw for graphic descriptions of depression. unlike what people think of luffy he actually is aware of a lot of things and understand zoro’s struggles better than anyone. the crew worries, it ends on a sweet note and leaves you warm and bittersweet.
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zephyr by nevermordo
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 5.5K
Summary: “I think I could beat you with one hand and blindfolded,” Zoro adds which makes Luffy laugh again. It doesn’t really take that much to make Luffy laugh but Zoro likes when he’s the cause of it anyway. He likes the way Luffy throws his head all the way back, the way his whole face crinkles up, the way that he laughs like he’s not afraid of anything. It’s probably weird, noticing these things about Luffy. Which doesn’t mean that Zoro doesn’t do it — notice.
In which Luffy kisses Zoro twice, and Zoro still fails to take a hint.
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dormant by kurgaya*
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 10K
Summary: Cannonballs begin to obliterate the hull. Zoro smells smoke, tastes fire in the back of his throat. The odd sensation releases him and he gasps, heaving it, and untangles himself from the robe. Sunny is burning. The ship lurches as Franky seizes the helm, and Zoro scrambles to catch his katana with two tiny, almost skeletal hands.
“What the fuck,” he breathes, his voice panicked and high - too high, a child-like high.
[A Film Z canon-divergence au in which Ain's Devil Fruit hits Zoro instead of Robin. Please note: aether above details Zoro's backstory. You don't have to read that first, but it may help]
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snowdrops by kurgaya
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 8.9K
Summary: Zoro isn’t some damsel in need of a guard; he’s just a little moody and he’s missing half of his leg, but otherwise he'll be fine.
[A canon-divergence au whereby Zoro cuts one of his legs off at Little Garden. The crew worry. Chopper is small. Doctor Kureha has questionable bedside manners. Zoro's an idiot and he knows it].
&&.
around the sun by kurgaya*
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 4.7K
Summary: Luffy wore Roger’s hat like a warning, like a jolly roger woven from golden thread and straw. Now they are without it, and its absence warns of a power that its presence could never suggest.
They miss it. But Luffy knows it was never theirs to miss.
[Post-canon. A peaceful return to Foosha Village].
this?? is just perfect?? the plot is exactly what it says on the tin and will make you shed happy tears. i’m in love with every single fic kurgaya posts.
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underwater caves; saltwater room by starspecters
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 500
Summary: zoro reflects.
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Chosen right by t_dreams*
Rating: Not Rated
Word Count: 4K
Summary: At first glance, it looked like this guy was certifiably insane (which, yes, that makes sense). What the swordsman had just done was the closest thing to giving his life and putting his soul into the straw hat’s hands. He was trusting him to never interfere with his dream, to always support it alongside his. It was a promise, an oath. And Sanji understood the importance of promises, and he thought that those two definitely did too.
the whole story is told from sanji's point of view, isn't that a reason enough to read it?
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smushy by litrlu
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1.6K
Summary: “Zoro..?”
There’s a sleepy pause before he gets a response. A quiet, groggy “Mn?”
“I love you.”
It was a natural reflex, like breathing.
Inhale, exhale.
He loves Zoro, he says it.
It was easy to say, so easy sometimes he didn’t even realize when he did. He’d said it a million times, over and over again. To others, to Usopp and Nami and Sanji, to Ace, to everyone. Zoro’s were just for Zoro, though.
Zoro freezes, an odd, strangled sound escaping him.
Luffy glances up to look at him and Zoro snaps his head away, seeming to find absolutely Jack Diddly Nothing over on their other side very, very interesting.
He inches curiously closer. A difficult task, when Zoro is leaning away just as quickly as he can chase him.
Sure, it’s a little dim, maybe it was a trick of the light but Zoro’s face looks… red?
a perfect piece if you’re looking for soft zoro. unlike how he is portrayed most of the time, this zoro is a frustrated mess here and luffy knows how to push his buttons.
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First Mate, Soulmate by kkuroshii
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 2.6K
Summary: They make short work of the marines, falling into sync as easily as if they were comrades who had been together for years, meeting back up after some time apart. Fighting with Luffy comes as easy as breathing to Zoro, and he can’t help but wonder what accomplishing his dream with this boy would be like
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The Captain by marimoes
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1.1K
Summary: “It’s simple.” So says the captain.
His hands set into his sides like immovable objects, certainty held within his clenched fists, and Zoro is led to believe it. There is a light in this man’s eyes. A glimmer of something he hasn’t seen in such a long time; a dream.
A real one.
Nothing like wanting all of the world’s riches, to have power, or lust for things made by man. No—what the man in front of him wants can not be held by any mortal in their hands. He desires something much more.
He desires freedom.
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move forward, forge ahead
by marimoes & shishiswordsman
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 2.7K
Summary: He doesn’t know what happened, just like he doesn’t know what Zoro did. He doesn’t need to know, either. But he knows that before he passed out, his knuckles had been bloody, the skin burst open from punching and punching and punching, and now —
Luffy looks at Zoro’s hands, or what little of them he can see through the layers of gauze, and he thinks he understands. Not in a way he could put into words or explain, but in a way he can feel in his heart, the weight of the knowledge settling into his bones, into the space between his ears.
He doesn’t need to know.
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Fate and death are made in pairs
by demonsLOver
Rating: Not Rated
Word Count: 2K
Summary: "It's not because of his power or skill. He makes enemies and allies fight for his side. Among all the men of the sea, he has the most frightening ability." Mihawk stated to his pupil.
As Roronoa stood on shaky legs, "I know."
At the young swordsman's stubbornness, Mihawk drew Yoru. Taking in the surprised expression, Mihawk will match his words to his strikes to get through what he means.
"No. You do not."
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To the End by marimoes*
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 1.3K
Summary: Time has made it’s mark on the Strawhats, just as they have made their mark on the world. With Luffy as the new Pirate King, everything should be settled, but there is still one thing that Zoro can’t figure out.
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with this heart of mine that's guilty; (not remorseful)
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 10.4K
Summary: It had been two weeks, four days, and twenty-something odd hours since Zoro died.
(Luffy is given the opportunity to bring Zoro back. He will stop at nothing to make sure it happens.)
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what I wouldn't do by Asuia_of_the_deep**
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 96K
Summary: for you.
Monkey D. Ace was born to a mother who would be King and a father with ghosts in his eyes.
(In which fate is, and will always be, that which is inescapable, inevitable.
Immortal.)
oh boy, don’t i have some stuff to say about this. don’t let the trope fool you or think lowly of this fic, even though luffy is a woman in this she is still as scary and powerful as ever and her family never treats their king differently. i started reading this masterpiece at somewhere near 2AM and the last thing i remember was questioning my existence at 5AM long after the fic was finished. seriously, the plot touches on sensitive spots as the author builds zoro’s backstory from scratch and it is written as if you’re actually reading oda’s work with how much care is shown in world-building here. also you will fall in love with their kid, there’s no other way.
every single detail is well-planned and has its twists and turns never disappoints. considering multi-chapter fics are rare among this fandom, the word count is perfect to finish at one sit but still satisfies you with its length. the crew being a big family? zoro and luffy being awesome parents? awesome plot and fluff and angst and everything in one fic? yes.
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Same Song, Different Verse by
The_Furthest_City_Light*
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 158K
Summary: "That's the thing about nakama. It means you never have to say goodbye or be alone."
In which Monkey D. Lucy, future Pirate King, and Roronoa Zoro, future World's Greatest Swordsman, are dumb and everyone else is long-suffering. Also, there's this crazy adventure and all that.
Or:
Things with them are always do or die, and love is just the same.
it turns out there’s a lot of female luffy fics out there and they’re pretty epic since multi-chapter fics are seriously rare. it tooks about five hours to finish this one, and another five to finish its sequel.
i can assure you it won’t be boring, but you will certainly suffer from how obvious dorks they are just like the rest of the crew does. just like the fic above, this one is full of small details and careful planning, and i found myself often reading every single note written at the end of chapters.
with spot on characterization, the plot covers the timeline from the very beginning to fishman island, and doesn’t skip a single arc in the progress, showing a blooming but unspoken relationship. for the most part, it’s heavily focused on zoro and luffy but as it nears to an end you can find more plot-focused chapters too.
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New Seas Ahead by
The_Furthest_City_Light*
Rating: Teen & Up
Word Count: 117K
Summary: Sequel to Same Song, Different Verse:
“GODDAMMIT THIS IS JUST LIKE ZORO AND HIS FEET. YOU CAN’T FIGHT IF YOU’VE JUST HACKED OFF AN APPENDAGE YOU MORONS.”—Nami, lamenting all the decisions she has ever made.
Monkey D. Lucy and Roronoa Zoro are still only halfway to their dreams, but at least they have each other. The New World is hard and dangerous, but like all great things, it's wonderful too. They're the Pirate King and the World's Greatest Swordsman, after all. The rest of the world just hasn't quite caught on yet.
In which things are still very much do or die, and love is exactly the same.
i already spoke of my love for the first part of this series, but it’s sequel is maybe even better + now featuring law who practically gets adopted by the straw hats.
jump-starting right from fishman island to the end of zou, the sequel is much more plot-based and if possible even more detailed than the first, with entirely new fight scenes which feel like oda’s own writing. lucy is a goddamn badass and so is zoro, and they make a hell of a team. it’s still an ongoing work and was last updated on april 2019 but i refuse to give up hope on an update, and i don’t think it will bother anyone’s reading since where it stopped isn’t in the middle of an important scene.
new seas ahead is a beautiful canon-divergence fic in my opinion and perfect to read during these quarantine days where free time seems like all we’ve got.
under this cut you will find
fics from fanfiction.net:
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Enough for Me by drakyma
Rating: Fiction T
Word Count: 1.2K
Summary: "I never left you," he stated, sitting up straighter, one callused hand coming up to rest on a smaller shoulder—a shoulder that wasn't as bony as it used to be, "I've always been right here, trying to keep up."
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In the Blink of an Eye by InsaneMelon
Rating: Fiction T
Word Count: 3K
Summary: "...in the blink of an eye, you might reinvent yourself... the person you were yesterday might not be the person you are tomorrow."
Jodie Picoult
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Final Betrayal by AstroKender
Rating: Fiction K
Word Count: 114K
Summary: Finding One Piece, the Straw Hats leave the Grand Line and return to the East Blue. But history seems determined to repeat itself, and for the second time in twenty five years Loguetown finds itself hosting the trial of Pirate King.
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Devil On The Dance Floor
by Tatsumaki-sama
Rating: Fiction K+
Word Count: 1.2K
Summary: Normally, one might not attribute the word "dance" to Roronoa Zoro. Luffy begs to differ.
&&.
and that is the end of this list ( for now ) !! it took me about three weeks to go through every single zolu fic on ao3 and another week to put together and format this list, and every single one of them is very dear to me! thanks to all the authors for creating such masterpieces for this fandom.
A few months ago I writed a one-shot under the same name for the first day of the zoluweek but it never satisfied me (or what i wanted to express trough it) so today at last I could bring it to be what I wanted.
Summary: Human kindness is his weakness. The love for the brother that he loved (more than anything) his sentence of an eternity of solitude and the joyous laugh of the swordsman the ache on his heart.
References: Ulysses is the hero of the odyssey and he passed through the island of the sirens in the book XII. The song is the same one that the sirens sang for him. Antemoesa is the name that virgilio, the poet, gived to the island of sirens.
Warnings: OOC, Ace dies even when i’m who is writing this.
Words: 2902
(If there’s any mispelling, i’m very sorry I get so nervous when i write in english )
(story under the cut)
You can also read it here [AO3] and here [FF]
Prologue
“I’ll do whatever you ask” the boy said in a broken tone, tears streaming down his face while he hold close the dead body of the brother he loved dearly “Take my life instead of his”
“Are you serious about your offer?” The supreme ruler of the gods, Zeus, asked with interest “even if I sentence you of a eternity in hell? is the life of this boy worthy to risk that much?”
“He’s worth more than Hell” the boy answered without a trace of doubt “I said it before, I’ll do whatever you ask… just bring Ace back, let him have a normal, happy life”
“You’re a brave kid, let’s make a deal” Zeus said looking to the boy, the 17 years old teenager who faced a war who costed too much “I will bring your brother back to earth and he will have a happy life without any memories of you”
“I understand” the boy said, bowing his head in utterly gratitude “Thank you very much”
“You don’t want to know the consequences for you?” Zeus asked and the boy denied moving his head
“I don’t need to know,” the teenager said, his lips touching the cold cheek in a kiss “If he lives is okay for me any punishment you put me trought”
The presiding deity of the universe laughed in a sardonic way, his eyes never leaving the black ones of the kid.
“Let’s see if that strong will of yours stay after you know what punishment I have in store for you”
. . .
“Humans are strange creatures, everything in this world is deadly for them and even knowing this they risk their lives doing things beyond their power” Zeus said in a tired sigh “They don’t know their own limits and sometimes they need a reminder of how little they are” The god touched the cheek of his new creation and it trembled “and that's where your existence is necessary”
“You are no longer a fragile human, the best of the qualities of earth and sea are part of you now” The god said “You can walk in the land and bleed red blood if you’re hurt like any other human being; but you can breath under the water and swim with the ease of a fish. This island is now your domain in the middle of the sea where you will lure sailors to their early grave with your beautiful voice”
“Is a beautiful place” the boy answered, looking to the flowery meadows around him and taking seat in the rocks from where the vast sea extend
“Remember, Luffy” Zeus said, this time with fatality in his voice “In the end I couldn’t bring myself to tear you apart of that gentle heart of yours and that’s your weakness…don’t let humans aproach to you, it only will make you suffer”
“I understand” Luffy said, looking beetwen his hands, the one under the water have is fingers webbed and his other hand, the one that is resting in the ground is normal “Thank you for giving my brother another chance in life, he deserves to be happy”
“I will keep my promise” The supreme ruler of the gods swear “Keep yours, until the whole world ends”
[-]
He doesn’t keep a count of how many time has transpired nor how many humans he had seduced with his voice but Luffy’s hair is so long that it drags in the ground when he walks.
He sings about nothing and everything. With promises of treasures, of a city of gold and emeralds, of inmortality, of power and glory, of world knowledge, of food or of eternal love, anything the sailors truly desires in their hearts.
So he sings and sings, until nothing is left, until the sailors lost their minds or their ships capsize and they drown like rats.
(and he sings and sings and sings…)
[0]
“Come here,” he sang,”renowned Ulysses, honour to the Achaean name, and listen to my voice. No one ever sailed past me without staying to hear the enchanting sweetness of my song- and he who listens will go on his way not only charmed, but wiser, for I know all the ills that the gods laid upon the Argives and Trojans before Troy, and can tell you everything that is going to happen over the whole world.”
Luffy looked to the man, bound to the cross piece halfway up the mast and praying to be set free. His comrades rowing away from antemoesa, in a desesperate attempt to found their way back to home. Luffy laughs, because is amusing the human stubborness behind his actions and how this one is the first human in hundreds years in listen his voice without dying.
[1]
After several hundred years life in Antemoesa became boring. Is no wonder, after all it is a small island forgotten by the gods in the middle of the wide sea and whose exact location is only found in ancient texts in an already extinct language. He’s older than time but not as much as the creation, product of the boredom of the god who sought to mortify the humans who had the audacity to sail the seas belonging to Poseidon.
He can walk on land and breath under the water; If he’s hurt, his wounds bleed but his own tears are able to heal him. He can bring wisdom and knowledge to the humans but also can destroy them with his voice only. Luffy is no longer mortal, but a scourge of immortality, terrible, painful, wild and invincible but also doomed to spend the remaining time on earth in the flowery meadows of antemoesa waiting for new humans who seduce through his singing.
That’s the price Zeus demanded to pay to save the life of his older brother, whose freckled face that plague his dreams and his warm voice reminds him his own name in those days that he thinks that solitude is gonna make him lost his mind.
The conditions were simple and fair enough, seduce with his singing the sailors but never aproach to them because according to Zeus, human kindness is his weakness and it will end to be painful for a being like him.
(Because Luffy is not a human nor a fish. He can walk on land and breath under the water)
Not that it matters too much by now, hundreds of years have passed since the last time Luffy saw a human and sincerely, he doubts to see one in the coming hundreds of years he has remaining.
[2]
At first, when he saw the deplorable ship floating in his direction, he thought it was just another unfortunate ship that had crashed against the rocks or an old ship whose crew died in the midst of the treacherous sea and paid it no mind. The ship docked a few meter away from him and to his utter surprise he heard the sound of groans coming from the ship.
Without even thinking twice, Luffy got on his feet and held the human in his arms to laid him down on the sand, the man has a brutal wound that comes from the right side of his waist to his left shoulder, from where the blood seems to have ceased to sprout but would end up becoming infected if it is not taken care of.
Luffy knelt beside the human, buries his nails in his arms until small drops of blood begin to slide down his arms and tears make his vision cloud, he leans over the human and let his tears fall on the chest of the man whose wounds begin to heal leaving behind a huge scar.
“The first human who passes here after hundreds of years and is half dead," Luffy says in a sigh, looking at the human whose once laborious breathing has returned to normal. "You can’t seduce a half-dead man”
(Zeus advice rings loud in his mind but the now peaceful expression in the face of the human and the soft sounds of his earrings moving with the wind distracts him)
…
When the human wakes up three days later after his arrival he seems surprised to be alive and Luffy doesn't blame him after seeing the serious wound in the man’s chest. When Luffy dark eyes, black as night meet the intense silver eyes sharp as a sword, that an epiphany hits him like lightning, leaving him breathless.
Luffy sees the bright future that awaits this man who was born to obtain greatness and a title that positions him above all the others swordsman in the world.
But not yet – He still so weak, so fragile…
That if Luffy were to press a little he would collapse completely along with all that awaits for him in future.
(‘The man they know like Hawk-eyes found defeat by your hand,
the black sword that give you that scar and teared apart your pride,
Is not strong enough in the face of the three swords you carry on your right hip,
your name reachs to the heavens for a talented little girl who died too soon.’)
“You helped me?” the man ask, touching the scar on his chest with a wince
“Yes, but I don’t really did that much” Luffy responds, as if it were a matter of everyday that a creature like him saves stupid sailors from die of an infection
“My name is Roronoa Zoro” the human says, bowing his head lightly in a gesture of respect and gratittude “Thank you for helping me”
“How did you get that wound?” Luffy asks, curious to know how this man, Zoro, arrived in such a state to his domains
"Fighting for my dream," Zoro answers immediately, with a confident smile and a gleam in his eyes that the merman can identify, having already seen it in a human before.
(Another stubborn idiot, like Ulysses, maybe even worse because Luffy can’t bring himself to sing the destiny of this man)
“You must be hungry” Luffy says, with his thumb point the forest behind him “You can find fruits to eat if you walk a little around there”
The human nods, placing a hand on the scar that crosses his abdomen to rise and walk lazily in the opposite direction that the merman points
“It's to the other side, stultus!” Luffy shouts at Zoro, who looks embarrassed while now he walks to the right direction ‘I found a very troublesome human’ – Luffy sighs, defeated.
…
“Hey, Luffy, aren’t you a little too young to live alone in this island?” Zoro ask, hours later with the sun hide behind the clouds “did your boat dock here too?”
“I have more years than you'd know how to count or you could get to have” Luffy answered, taking an apple to bring it to his lips “This island belongs to me, was created by Zeus himself just for me”
Zoro laughs and shakes his head, believing it to be a joke on the part of the black-haired man, Luffy doesn’t bother to insist and simply shrugs.
[3]
With the passing of the days they are installed at a comfortable pace of coexistence, where Zoro would offer to go find things to eat and return to Luffy on the rocks where the dark-haired man sit for hours watching the sea while huming softly. Zoro usually remains silent, taking a nap or trying to annoy the merman to kill boredom.
“Why are you on this island, Luffy?" Zoro ask, Luffy doesn’t know how many times this absurd man will keep asking the same question “doesn’t it get kinda lonely?”
“I’m on this island to sing” Luffy replies, without taking his eyes off the sea as he tilts his head slightly as if trying to found another way to answer but decided against it “That’s all.”
"You're a strange child" Zoro replies, looking at him out of the corner of his eye for a reaction that soon arrives
“I told you, I'm older than you could imagine!” Luffy answers annoyed, no longer looking at the sea but the man next to him “You’re a diaper brat compared to me!”
“I don’t know” Zoro says, putting a hand on his chin as if he was seriously thinking about something “I would say that you are definitely a child and a very short one”
“Don’t make me hurt you, brat!” shouts Luffy, taking Zoro’s cheeks between his fingers and pulling it in a painful way “don’t get so cocky, I could kick your ass across to other side of this island”
Zoro laughs hard, putting a hand on his chest where his scar still hurts and without trying to remove Luffy’s hand of his cheek.
…
There are times when Zoro joins him and makes him company while watching the sea, the eyes of the human acquire a nostalgic glow as he watches the distant horizon, and it's in time like these where Luffy remembers that the dream and goals of Zoro are not in a place as boring as Antemoesa, but on the open sea fighting against powerful enemies that help him develop his skills until he becomes the best.
Every time Luffy is about to open his mouth to say something the human will simply watch him and start to annoy him about his height or age.
[4]
One night, meanwhile Luffy is trying to calm the fast beating of his heart after that damned nightmare who seems never leave him alone (a battlefield where they tried to achieve freedom, the sound of the cannons, the terrified screams of people dying, the fire consuming everything in his path and the cold body of the person he loved the most in this world). Zoro wakes up, sits beside him and begins to talk like he hadn’t doing before.
The human tells him how left his home searching to acomplish his dream, how he lost his way back; in a way that he couldn’t no longer get back and his only option would always be moving forward. Zoro speaks of the places he has seen, the things he has eaten, of a drink called sake that is the most delicious of the nectars and about some kind hearted humans and others not so much. He talks about a rival with empty cold-eyes and sword handled as it were a extension of the body of his rival, about an humiliating defeat because of his arrogance and his newfound determination to become even stronger when he leaves this island.
Zoro talks about a future together, for both of them, out in the vast sea searching to make their names reach heaven together, because they can go anywhere… the sea is freedom when you want it to be.
(He remember now, the painful but so warm gentle nature of humans)
Luffy can't leave, not because he doesn't wanna but because he made a promise so many (how many?) years ago, with a god for the sake of the brother who raised and protected him (who must be dead by now, but who cares, Ace was happy, he lived happy, that's all that matters.) yet he’s still holding that promise, until the whole world ends, until he dies and he welcomes the final end, singing.
Luffy makes a decision that night while he looked at the peaceful face of the swordsman.
. . .
When the sun comes out the next day and the swordsman wakes up, Zoro seems confused to see his boat in good condition.
“You have to go now” Luffy says, taking Zoro's face in his hands, his thumb touch soflty the strong jaw “Just follow right in direction of the sun for a few days and you’ll find dry land, your dream is far away from this place... you say you want your name reaches so high to be heard in heaven, then make the name of Roronoa Zoro be heard on this island too when you become the best swordsman in the world”
“What about you?” Zoro ask “You’re asking me to leave you here, alone? After everything I say to you yesterday?”
“I made a decision hundreds of years ago, which I don’t regret, and if I left this island, I would be breaking my promise” Luffy explains, the human has a frown in his face and is ready to argue when the merman interrupts him again “You know the valor of a promise and after all I have been hundreds of years alone… please don’t pity me”
Zoro seems to think what to say before a smug smile forms on his lips “When I become the best swordsman in the world I will come back and stay with you, so we will both fulfill the promises we have made”
Zoro says, wrapping Luffy in a unexpected hug that last too little for Luffy’s taste (how many years had passed since the last time he felt the touch, the warm of another body against his?) the swordsman turns his back on him and begins to move away towards the ship on the shore, climb on it and begin to row away, without looking back even once while with every movement of the waves that move the ship, Luffy's heart sinks a little more because he knows that it is not a promise that Zoro can fulfill.
