Chapter 1
Notes:
Hi, people! This is Sage of Hope speaking! I've had a busy year and still am busy with other personal things at home! But I am proud to announce the first part of the trilogy of Scaled Piece! Just a heads up, the first part is planned to be short than the other two parts of the trilogy!
Another thing I'd like to mention is that this first part takes place approximately one year before the actual events of One Piece! Before Luffy officially forms his pirate crew! So there's a bunch of context between Zoro and my OC the one year before! That said, enjoy!
Disclaimer: Sage of Hope doesn't own One Piece, only the OCs. One Piece is created by Eiichiro Oda and run by Toei Animation! Please support the official release!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Roronoa Zoro was not a man to be trifled with. He was one of the strongest swordsmen out in East Blue and he made his name by winning fights against every single person who ever tried to fight him as well as hunting down pirates with bounties to their names. His pride wouldn't let him admit defeat so easily and he would rather have a fair chance in a fight than not do anything at all.
During his travels, he started hunting down bounties because he still needed food to survive. Even on his quest to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, he needed money to survive. Hence why he started slaying wanted pirates not only for money but also to improve his skills. Plus, bounty hunters like him mostly tended to kill their targets with no consequences whatsoever.
Soon, Zoro started to despise pirates during his line of work as a bounty hunter. He'd come to see pirates as the most scummiest of people possible because from his experience, they were nothing more than greedy, entitled, cruel bastards who steal and kill people for their own selfish desires, whether they were innocent or not. Zoro didn't cared much about justice, but even he knew that each pirate kill was a small way for the world to be safer from scum like them.
As time passed, he started becoming known as Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro.
Zoro wasn't a man who cared much about fame, but being famous gave him more chances of fighting numerous tough opponents and gaining more experience, winning and growing stronger in the process. Fighting for more challenges and to become stronger made Roronoa Zoro become a swordsman known all over East Blue.
He was always ready for whatever challenges came his way and the strongest and more well-known he became, the more fearsome he seemed. Even a lowly thug wouldn't dare mess with Zoro, or else he would've already taken care of them already.
But despite this, Zoro never really felt like he truly belonged anywhere.
Even though he had all this strength and skills that helped keep people safe from pirates and had grown stronger, there was something missing in his life.
A sense of belonging.
And it wasn't just the type of belonging in just one random place. He wanted, no, NEEDED someone to rely on. Someone who would accept him for who he was. Who he is. Someone to trust. Someone to depend on. Someone..that he'd be willing to protect. He just had that sort of guardian protector aura around him, he suppose.
Though, he couldn't imagine anyone that could fit that description. It would be nice to have a companion by his side that he could trust and protect. But at the same time, it'd seem pretty pointless to follow a dangerous man whose constantly risking his own life for money and for more strength.
Plus, Zoro was a loner his entire life. Ever since his childhood rival, Kuina, died, there didn't seem anyone who could match his strength. Sure, there was the dojo students but he wasn't particularly close to any of them. There wasn't anyone that Zoro could acknowledge as a true friend. Anyone else respected and yet feared him for his ferocious reputation.
That was fine, though. Zoro was used to it, anyways.
So, it wasn't really surprising when he found himself getting lonely more often than before. There were times where he could feel his loneliness creeping into his heart as he found himself growing tired more frequently not just through endless battles with challengers and pirates but also the lack of a companion around.
At first, he thought it was nothing serious. He was used to be alone all the time anyway and he felt alright being alone throughout the rest of his life. The only difference was that he wasn't sure what he was feeling anymore since something about him had changed.
Now, he felt like the days were longer, colder, and less interesting. The challenges became less thrilling because the challengers were weak. It was more easier to earn money by killing the pirates because they were a lot weaker than Zoro anticipated. The more Zoro grew stronger, the more easier it was for him to take down enemies. While it was good to earn money for survival and becoming stronger, he knew deep down this was far from enough to challenge Mihawk, the current Greatest Swordsman in The World. And none of this dulled his wish for a companion.
That was when one day, his world, along with another's, changed forever.
It all started when Zoro took a request to hunt down a pirate for the bounty on his head. But it wasn't just one pirate he was dealing with, but his entire pirate crew, the Blood Fangs. Fortunately, while the pirate crew had many crew members, they were all talk and no bark.
In other words, they were weak.
With so many opponents surrounding him in no time, Zoro grew excited as he untied the bandanna on his arm and tied it around his head. Without a second thought, he rushed into battle with full confidence and vigor running through his blood. His strength was something to be amazed by all, Though, his battle-crazed grin and his stoic, merciless attitude in battle was something that caused all pirates to fear his name.
Battle-hungry he may be, Zoro knew his actual target was the captain of the Blood Fangs, Captain Sanguine. He needed to track down and locate the captain who was somewhere in the ship. Otherwise, he might lose his chance and the captain might run away. He's had cases in the past where his target usually escapes and leaves the rest of their pirate crew's fates to Zoro, the cowardly targets.
Like many of his other battles, Zoro was merciless to both the Blood Fangs and Captain Sanguine. Slashing and stabbing through every single one of them, the swordsman scouted out the remainder of the ship to make sure he killed every last one of the pirates. Although he made quick work of them, he still received cuts and injuries on his body, torn clothes and blood trickling down his face as evidence of his battle. While in the midst of searching and killing, he decided to roam the rest of the ship to scavenge for money and other useful supplies.
That was when he came across a jail cell deep underneath the deck, where inside, he found a lone girl.
Zoro had seen pirates slaughtering others and pillaging homes, but he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Inside the jail cell was a dirtied, thin-looking girl with chains all over her ankles, wrists, and collar. Her clothes were in torn rags and her face, dirty and bruised. She was fairly petite, but Zoro could tell that she was a young girl in her very late teens to early 20s. Her whitish hair was caked with blood and dirt and very messy. Her blue eyes, completely devoid of life, simply focused down on the ground as the young girl sat, hugging her knees to her chest.
But what truly disturbed Zoro the most was her body. There were many-no, countless scars, bruises, and burn marks all over her arms, legs, and, if Zoro had to guess, much more hidden behind her horrible rags of clothing.
Zoro didn't need to be a genius to guess that this girl was a slave.
This girl...it was clear that she was in a horrible, ragged state. Even though Zoro never met her, seeing someone chained up and suffering was hard to handle. It may have been months, maybe years since she could have been a slave and she had likely suffered more abuse than what she was showing right then.
An inexplicable rage filled Zoro's entire body when he found the girl in such a state. Finding her only solidified his hatred for such scummy pirates. How could they? Just how low were scum like pirates?! Zoro couldn't help but growl at the thought of such scum now committing to heinous crimes like slavery.
Hearing the growl uttered from Zoro's throat, the girl glanced up and saw an swordsman stained with bloody with such fury in his eyes. Her dull blue eyes lit up, but with fear behind them. Afraid as though she accidentally invoked Zoro's rage, the girl hid her face and was quivering like a leaf.
Zoro paused when he saw the fear in her eyes and understood perfectly well that she was probably terrified by his presence. She probably even assumed that he was one of the many pirate members that imprisoned her. Given how thuggish he appeared, combined with his injuries, the blood stains on his body, and the dark expression he had on, she could hardly be blamed for mistaking Zoro for a pirate. He crouched down to the girl's level, deciding to talk to her through the bars. Deeply concerned with her current condition, Zoro's expression converted to that of gentleness as he tried to soothe the frightened girl.
"Shh, shh...it's alright. I won't come any closer. Just stay there. It'll be okay, alright? I'm going to get you out of here."
Not waiting for an answer, Zoro stood up and left the jail cell area to try and find the keys. Eventually, he found them in the captain's quarters before returning back to the jail cell area. Using the keys, he unlocked her jail cell before entering.
Startled, the girl fell back and stared up at Zoro with fear in her eyes. Zoro knew that even though she seemed scared of him, it was more of the fact that she was scared of him because she thought he was associated with the pirates, which made Zoro's hatred for pirates much stronger. Perhaps because she didn't want to get in trouble, the girl kept silent the whole time, though was still trembling.
Though Zoro's fury towards the pirates hasn't subsided, he put aside those feelings in favor for the girl. His eyes softened with a smile plastered on his face. He used the rest of the keys to unlock the chained shackles around her wrists, ankles, and collar. The shackles fell to the ground with loud clanking sounds and large, visible, deepened red marks were seen where the chained shackles were previously.
The girl blinked, surprised that such a smile of kindness was directed towards her. She hasn't felt such kindness directed towards her at all. She was even more surprised when the man suddenly unlocked her shackles. Wouldn't he be in huge trouble for doing that? She was frightened at what the man planned to do to her. Was this all a trick? Was he planning on making her clean the decks or whatever chores were planned for her this time?
As though sensing her fear and hesitation, Zoro tried to assure her everything was going to be alright. "Hey, shh...it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, alright? Look at my hand. Can you see it?" he asked, putting his hand out so she could better see it. It was meant to act as a small distraction to calm her down.
The girl's gaze wandered back and forth between his hand and his face, then finally settled on his eyes again. Her expression slowly changed until she looked relaxed.
"Hey," continued Zoro. "Now that everything's settled, you mind telling me your name?"
The girl tilted her head at the question before shaking her head. She grabbed her throat with her hand and shook her head again. That left Zoro confused. Was the girl unable to talk for some reason? Did she have a sore throat or something? Either way, it didn't look like she could provide him with any answers.
But he could still help her.
Zoro stood up and offered his hand to her. "My name is Zoro. Roronoa Zoro. And I'm here to get you out of here. Please, just trust me on this."
He watched as the girl hesitatingly put her hand on his, rubbing it softly to try and offer her comfort. With a grunt, he pulled her up strongly and helped her steady on her feet. She looked quite young, but she appeared around his age, maybe even a bit younger? And while she was skinny, she was definitely shorter than him and had lots of marks, bruises, blisters and scars all over her hands, arms, and legs, which meant those bastards of pirates worked her to the bone.
After helping the girl stand up, he realized that she was probably going to see the dead bodies everywhere. Although Zoro wasn't very good at comforting people, even he knew that the girl would be even more frightened if she saw so much bloodshed and bodies. As such, he took off his bandanna and wrapped it around the girl's eyes to act as a blindfold and to avoid allowing her to see the corpses of the bastards who enslaved her. Of course, Zoro guided her the entire time, having one sword in hand and the other wrapped around the girl's shoulders.
Outside, Zoro had a small boat docked nearby when he went to invade and take on the Blood Fangs. Seeing the boat underneath where the ship was, he then carried her over his shoulder and heading to his boat.
After placing her down on the boat, Zoro unwrapped the bandanna before wrapping it back around his arm. "Stay here, alright? Get some sleep. Don't worry about me, I'll be right back."
Zoro watched as the girl nodded; her eyes droopy and her head nodding back and forth. She soon fell asleep and laid on her side, all curled up. After confirming that the girl did fall asleep, Zoro returned back to the deck where the corpses were and sliced off their heads, collecting them all in a large sack so they provided as proof of him eliminating not only their captain, but his crew as well. After scouring the entire ship, collecting heads and stuffing them in the large sack, Zoro did managed to find some money and a cloak. He threw the bloody sack of heads onto the boat he came onto, though did initially panic because he had forgotten that the girl he rescued was still asleep.
The bloody sack of heads did make quite an impact upon landing on the boat and splashed around, but the boat remained steady and the girl seemed undisturbed in her sleep. Relieved, Zoro climbed down and landed on his boat before turning to the girl with the cloak he collected. He wrapped the girl in the cloak like a blanket, pushing her hair out of her face and making sure she was sleeping in a comfortable position. He then sailed off to head towards the nearest island.
Zoro came prepared for a fight, but he certainly didn't come prepared to rescue a slave girl. She definitely was in dire need of help. She needed food, water, a doctor to look her over, and possibly a lot more. The girl must have suffered greatly before he came along and needed healing.
But even with all these factors, he knew he'd still help her. He just didn't know how much of an impact she would have on his life and for the future to come.
The girl had no name. No, that wasn't really true. She's been called many names: Slave, Slave Girl, Filth, and a lot of...profanity names she preferred not to think of.
The girl herself couldn't even remember a single thing in her life. She had little to no recollection of any memories from when she was a child or much past that. In fact, the girl didn't have a single, happy memory in her life. All she could remember was her time as a slave, being passed from master to master. Sometimes her master was a rich person, other times they were pirate captains.
Everyday was the same for the girl. Wake up early, cook, clean, do any and all chores, heal and mend any wounds, cook, receive her daily beatings for even the slightest bit of mistakes made, and then sleep late, only to repeat the process over and over again. The girl had to endure and suffer beatings, whippings, starvation, and other forms of abuse and punishment pretty much everyday and despite that, people would still say she was a pretty slave.
The girl was aware that she was a highly valued slave not just for her skills, but also for her appearance and rare healing abilities. When not dirtied, her silver snow-colored hair was quite a rarity that complemented her blue eyes. She was especially sought after for her healing powers that were acquainted with the element of water , which meant she could only heal so long as she had a source of water available.
Even so, none of her traits were enough to allow her to escape punishment and cruelty from her masters. She suffered heavily for years and she endured and did everything she could to stop the pain everyday, even if to stop the pain a little. The future that awaited her was certainly covered in darkness.
That is, until the swordsman came.
He was tall, intimidating, and very strong. Despite all of that, there was kindness behind his eyes as well. He was like...a light in the darkness she was trapped in. He promised to help her and he left, returning with the keys to free her and her shackles. Even though they just met, she felt warm and comfortable in his presence, like she could trust him.
For the first time ever, she felt safe.
When the girl first saw the swordsman, she thought he was just another one of the Blood Fang crew members that she's never seen before. But she was proven wrong when he freed her, treated her kindly, and helped her up. At first, she was curious as to why she was blindfolded, but the strong scent of blood filled her nostrils, and she knew that the swordsman killed not only the rest of the Blood Fangs, but her master, the previous captain, as well.
The girl wasn't new to blood. After all, she often had blood seeping from her wounds and clothes, healed bloody wounds, and even sometimes saw the fights that pirates participated in that involved loads of bloodshed. The amount of blood shed hardly bothered her at this point. She never felt hatred towards the people that enslaved her, but she didn't feel any empathy or remorse for them, either.
After a while, the girl felt herself being picked up before placed in a rocky area. The blindfold was removed and her first sight was the same swordsman who freed her, though she could visibly see his green hair that was hidden by his bandana before. He ordered her to get some sleep, telling her he would return.
Trusting in his words, she laid down on the rocky area which she recognized as the swordsman's boat. Her body was physically exhausted and barely knew any rest during the long years she spent enslaved, which was why it didn't take long before she fell asleep and succumbed to the darkness.
The girl knew that the next time she awoke, her first sight would be her first light that saved her. She just didn't know how much of an impact he would have on her life and for the future to come.
Notes:
So this kickstarts everything! When I start this series, I hope I don't make Zoro OOC or at least too OOC! Remember, this takes place around 1 year before joining Luffy's crew, so I'm so excited for this!
Read and review!
Chapter 2: Prologue Part 2
Notes:
Wow! I'm so glad a bunch of you already like this! I'm even more excited than ever to post more chapters! I think I'm gonna enjoy the fluff between Zoro and my new OC a lot more than I anticipated! I CAN'T WAIT!
Disclaimer: Sage of Hope doesn't own One Piece series, only the OCs! One Piece is created by Eiichiro Oda and run by Toei Animation! Please support the official release!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
What woke the girl up from her dreamless sleep was the small waves crashing against the boat she was on, making it rock back and forth rather roughly. While she was still wounded from the injuries her previous slave master dealt to her, she did get a good sleep.
She yawned and looked around in a drowsy state, trying to remember where she was before waking up. Blinking her eyes, the girl's sight grew clearer and clearer once she started regaining consciousness. The first thing she saw was...a young green-haired man with a stoic expression that changed to a look of surprise and concern. Why did he look so familiar?
"I saved you. You're abroad my boat," said the green-haired man. "Er...in case you forgot my name, it's Zoro. Roronoa Zoro."
The girl looked confused for a few moments as she tried to think where she'd heard that name before, but eventually, recognition dawned on her features. She tried to smile at him, though it was more of a pained smile as the bruises on her cheeks still looked fresh. She winched in pain from the pain of her injuries. If left unchecked, her wounds could worsen or trigger some kind of infection.
Although Zoro had many questions for the girl, he saw the pain on the girl's expression and figured it must have come from her wounds. He wanted to wait until the girl was awake before he could bandage and dress up her own wounds properly since he didn't think it was...appropriate to touch her while she was asleep.
Now that she was awake, they could work together to clean up and properly bandage her wounds. So, he leaned forward and gently prodded her shoulder. The girl looked a bit startled and started shaking, cowering as though...as though she was afraid that he would harm her.
Zoro immediately backed off, holding up his hands to show no harm. He didn't mean to startle, or rather scare the girl. He only wanted to get her attention. "It's alright...It's alright. I promise you, I'm not going to harm you. I just wanted your attention because I need your help. I...I was wondering if you could remove your clothes for me. Ack! And I really don't have any hidden intentions! I-I can't bandage you without you taking off your clothes, and I couldn't really take off your clothes while you were sleeping, so...so could you help me?"
The girl's cheeks were a rosy pink color, but she understood the situation and nodded. She turned towards Zoro and began removing her ragged clothing.
"GAH! WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! TURN AROUND! TURN AROUND AND TAKE THEM OFF!"
Zoro's hasty and loud tone made the girl jump a bit but it also made her quickly turn around and remove her clothes as fast as she could. Zoro was about to look away when his eyes caught a glimpse of the truly horrific wounds on her back. He couldn't help but look back.
Whatever embarrassing feelings he had converted into feelings of horror, anger, and sorrow altogether for the poor girl.
If the bruises, scars, and other wounds on the girl's arms, legs, and neck were bad enough, then what was shielded behind her ragged clothing was much worse.
Vivid, red flesh stained her porcelain white skin much more in the torso area, especially on her back. Wild-looking, slash-like scars filled nearly the entirety of Luna's back, leaving barely even a hint of her porcelain white skin on the back area, painting a massive mess of pink and red scars, both old and new. Neck, arms, legs, especially the back...all covered in nasty scars, bruises, burnt marks, and other wounds.
Only her face remained clear of any wounds, aside from a few bruises that would heal, given time. But Zoro knew the type of pirates that imprisoned her. They tried avoiding her face because of her beauty, as though injuring the girl will only devalue her use as a slave. If Zoro thought pirates were cruel and disgusting, his views towards them only further went down the drain when he saw the true state the poor girl was in.
Gently, as though handling a fragile piece of glass, Zoro's fingers lightly touched one of the girl's scars on her back. As though feeling the warmth of his fingers, the girl flinched, beginning to tremble in fear. Hesitant to continue, yet wanting to comfort the girl, Zoro laid his hand on her shoulder, gently stroking it back and forth in a slow movement as not to startle her with any other unexpected movements.
"Shhh...It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. I would never harm a defenseless person like that. Would...would it be alright if I touched your back a bit?"
The girl turned her head to look at Zoro with an look of uncertainty. And yet, she agreed to Zoro's request and nodded before turning away.
Looking back at the girl's back, Zoro was as careful as possible when touching her scars. He thought that he pressed too hard, the scars might somehow reopen the wounds and leave even more of a bloody mess. Zoro was never really good when it came to gently handling things but now, he was being as careful as possible. He trailed his fingers down some of her scars, examining them before fury filled his face.
Some of the scars were old sword slash cuts.
As a fellow swordsman himself, Zoro had a sense of honor, a code that he followed through. Sure, the remaining scars on the girl may have been caused by something else, like a whip and such, which still doesn't help better her situation, but there was a sense of anger when he recognized that the girl suffered sword slashes, especially in the back. To him, a swordsman cutting someone on the back is considered dishonorable and shameful. And it's even moreso when the girl was couldn't even defend herself and suffered under the hands of whoever gave her such scars.
Perhaps the only fortunate thing is that the scars weren't inflicted too deeply but still enough to leave permanent marks. They've been treated with little to no medical treatment, so they were left alone as scars.
Seeing the girl like this made Zoro clench his fists angrily. He could see nothing but red as he thought nothing more than wanting to kill those cowardly pirates over again, at least for the girl's sake. But he took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he got angry right now. Besides, he already killed those pirates, so they'll never harm this poor girl ever again.
Zoro had a medical first-aid kit with him in cases of emergencies like this, though he hardly ever uses for himself since he's really bad at apply bandages to himself. A good nap and some sake usually is what fixes him up after some tough fights. But now, the girl needs the medical first-aid kit more than ever, more than him anyways.
Taking out a clean cloth, Zoro coated it with some fresh water from his own canteen before cleaning the girl's back, trying not to scrub really hard. Judging from the girl's pained reaction, Zoro then attempted to slow down and ease on his cleaning. When he finished, the cloth was coated in a mixture of pink and red, so he took out another clean cloth, drenched it with fresh water, and nudged her to take it.
"Here, could...could you clean your front? Where your wounds are?"
The girl nodded and took the wet cloth, proceeding to clean her front torso, arms, and legs while Zoro waited. When she finished, she handed the now-dirtied cloth back to Zoro. Zoro took it back and put it aside before reaching out and grabbing some medicinal cream from the first-aid kit. Zoro could never pronounce the long and complicated medicine names properly, but the medicinal cream had worked wonders on him whenever he got injured, but it was almost out. Still, using it on the girl was important.
Squeezing some of the cream out, Zoro rubbed it against her back until he was certain he got the wounds, scars, and bruises on her back and then handed the remainder of the medicinal cream to the girl so she could apply it on the front, assuring her that it was alright to use all of it and that she wouldn't get in trouble for it. It took a while, but the girl finished using all of the cream to apply onto herself.
For the finishing touches, it was time for Zoro to wrap bandages around her body. But, not wanting to touch certain parts of her, Zoro tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, so I'm going to bandage you up now, so could you help me? I-I can't do your front, so when I wrap around your back, could you handle the front?"
The girl understood what Zoro meant and nodded. With the girl's help, Zoro was able to successfully bandage the girl's torso, arms, and legs, making her resemble a mummy of sorts, leaving her face not bandaged. The girl already applied some of the cream onto the bruises on her face, so she assured Zoro that it was fine with a wave of her hand.
Zoro was no doctor, but this was the best medical aid he could provide for the girl until they reach a new island and get her to see a doctor. Speaking of doctors, Zoro realized that he needed to see one himself since he did get injured from his previous fight with the Blood Fangs. Well, the girl needed to see the doctor more than him, but who knows when the next time they reach the nearest island?
Watching as the girl, with her back still turned, putting on her bloodstained, ragged, and ripped clothing, Zoro knew that nothing could be done with such clothing and that she'll need new clothing as well. In fact, she'll need a lot of help once they arrive at a new island.
But Zoro himself felt as though he might not be the right person to fully help her get into a brand new life.
The girl turned around and faced Zoro. She bowed her head, presumably in gratitude for what he's done. A small smile formed on her bruised face and her body relaxed, feeling as though she could trust the green-haired stranger who went through all of the trouble to help her.
"Right...well, now that that's all settled, I hope you're doing alright," said Zoro. "So, who are you anyways? Can you tell me your name?"
The girl pointed to her throat and shook her head, clearly indicating that she can't speak for some reason. That left Zoro confused as he wondered what to do next. Come to think of it, he did have some pieces of paper with him that he barely used, just for quick notes and all.
He handed the girl the papers and a pen, asking her, "Can you at least write?"
The girl nodded and brought her knees close to her chest before beginning to write. In no time at all, she came up with a response. "I can't speak. I'm mute."
Suddenly, that made a lot more sense. Zoro had assumed something was wrong with her but the thought of her actually being mute didn't cross his mind. Well, she definitely needed the papers more than him. They seem to be the only way to communicate between the two of them.
"Okay, sorry. Can you tell me your name? Or, rather, can you write your name?"
The girl shook her head before realizing that Zoro might not understand what she meant. She scribbled down something and then flipped the paper over so he could read it.
"I'm sorry. I don't have a name. My previous Masters called me a bunch of names, though. Like Slave Girl, Slave, and a bunch of others that I don't really like talking about. You can call me Slave, though!"
Yeah, no, that wasn't going to cut it for Zoro. He was never going to call her by such a name. He shook his head at her, a disgusted and angry look that described just how horrified he was at calling her such a name. Still, he needed to call her something.
Placing a hand on his chin and rubbing it, Zoro tried to think of a name for the girl. He really wasn't the best when it came to naming people. He scratched his head, still trying to think of one when he noticed the girl had written something down for him.
"I'm sorry, I forgot your name, Master Green-Haired Swordsman, sir."
Zoro smirked a bit and chuckled a bit. Nobody's really called him by that before so what she said was a bit amusing. He looked at her and said, "It's fine. My name is Roronoa Zoro, but you can call me Zoro."
The girl seemed to have brightened up upon hearing his name and wrote something down. "Roronoa Zoro? I hope I spelled that right! It's nice to meet you, Master Zoro!"
Master? Zoro didn't know why she would call him that. "Y-Yeah, that's how my name is spelled. Good job. Um...Crap, I really don't know what to call you. I'm not calling you Slave or Slave Girl or whatever your previous master gave you. Gah...I dunno, lady!"
The girl perked up. "Lady? That sounds like a nice name!"
Zoro wasn't certain if calling her Lady was a good thing or not, but it would serve as a sort of...temporary name until he could figure something out. He would only call her Lady because she seemed happy about the name.
"Look, I...I don't know if naming you Lady is good, but it'll be a temporary name, alright? Until I can figure something out."
The girl nodded but it was clear that she was still happy being named Lady. The girl then remembered something before she scribbled something down on the papers. "Master Zoro? Where did my other Master and his pirate crewmates go?"
Zoro assumed that she was referring to the Blood Fangs and glanced back behind him where the huge bloody sack full of their heads remained. "...To somewhere where they're not coming back."
She realized what Zoro meant immediately. Dead. They were all dead. Come to think of it, Zoro does appear blood-stained, presumably from killing the previous crew she was with. She wasn't sad but neither was she happy they were gone. The best way to describe her feelings on the matter was...neutral. She held no hatred for them and yet, she wasn't happy that they died either.
"What does Master Zoro want me to do now?"
"What?"
Lady pointed to her message, repeating the same words again.
"Uh...well, first off, we should probably go find you a doctor. You need medical attention and rest. Lots and lots of rest. But I dunno where the nearest island is, so that might take a while. In the meantime, if it's alright with you, I'd like to ask some questions."
Lady nodded, agreeing to allow Zoro to ask her any question he desires of her. She didn't have anything to hold back and she would answer any question he asked of her, provided she knew the answer.
Zoro decided to start off his questions immediately. "Right, well, first off, you're a slave, right? Or rather, you used to. How did you end up with those pirates?"
Lady took a few minutes writing down on the papers that Zoro gave her, but when she finished, she handed them to Zoro, who read them over. "Well, my previous Master isn't really my first master. I don't know how long, maybe it's been years, but I've been exchanged from master to master who sold me. Either they sold me to another group or their group was killed and another group took me as their slave. They usually force me to go with them if I'm sold or they kill my previous masters."
A curious and surprised look formed on Lady's face before she wrote something else down. "Master Zoro won't treat me badly? But you're my new master. Aren't you supposed to be hitting me?"
Zoro was shocked and horrified that Lady would even suggest that, as though that was such a normal occurrence for her. "What? No, no! I'm not gonna hit you! And what do you mean by new master?"
"I mentioned before that sometimes, I get a new master whenever my old master is killed by another group. I thought you might be my new master because you killed my old master and his crew."
Zoro was going to put a stop to the whole Master-Slave situation right now. "Stop. First of all, I'm not into any of that slavery stuff. Second, I'm not your master. I'm not gonna treat you like your previous master., alright? I won't treat you like crap or hit you or anything. In fact, I can absolutely assure you that I will never treat you like those scum masters of yours has. What they did to you wasn't right at all. You're safe now. I can promise you that."
Admiration, and perhaps a spark of hope, filled Lady's eyes as she stared at Zoro. But, the light in her eyes faded away and she looked down with a dull, faded expression. It was as though she wanted to get her hopes up, but she didn't want to be let down either with her "new master."
Zoro could guess why she looked like that and rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe Lady was right in that she shouldn't get her hopes up. After all, he did plan on dropping her off the doctor's and being on his way after collecting his bounty reward. He didn't seem like he would want the babysitting duty of watching over the girl.
Zoro opened his mouth to ask more questions, but then closed it quickly and sighed. This whole thing was a mess. There were still plenty of mysteries about this girl but what he'd focus on was her recovery for the time being. He could ask her questions later. For now, though, he had other things to deal with.
Deciding to change the subject, Zoro turned to Lady. "So...do you want something to eat? Some food?"
Lady, not wanting to trouble Zoro any further, shook her head, but her stomach said otherwise. The moment the magic word, "food," came into mind, her stomach growled loud enough for the two of them to hear.
Lady's face redden as she hugged her stomach, as though trying to tell it to stop. She didn't remember the last time she ate. Was it a few days ago? Maybe even longer? One of her usual punishments was not to eat any food, that she didn't deserve it.
Sighing, Zoro fished his hand into his bag and took out some loaves of bread. "Here. It's not gourmet, but it's all I've got."
Although Lady was hungry, she tried to hand the bread back to Zoro. She shook her head frantically, trying to tell him that the food was all his and that Lady herself didn't need food despite her growling stomach.
Annoyed, Zoro took one of the loaves and shoved it into her mouth to eat it. Then, Lady's eyes sparkled and her expression lit up upon tasting the bread. She ate the bread quickly and soon gobbled down the second bread. She smiled at Zoro with bread crumbs scattered on her cheeks and lips, silently thanking him for the food. Zoro gave a small smile back, happy for the unspoken words of gratitude.
Lady still had some loaves of bread left; her stomach growling that her hunger was satisfied at all. Despite her hunger, Lady refused to eat anymore and tried giving the remaining bread back to Zoro.
Zoro shook his head and placed his hands over her own, whom still held the bread loaves. "No, you have them. You're more hungry than me."
Lady put down the bread and wrote something on the papers. "But what will you eat, Master? I can't have all of the bread to myself."
"It's fine. I prefer drinking some nice sake rather than eating." Having said that, Zoro took out a bottle of sake from his bag and gulped some of the contents. "Pah! Kinda wish that last ship had some sake."
Lady recalled that her previous crew, the Blood Fangs, were complaining about being so long out on sea that they ran out of alcohol. Of course, those weren't very pleasant memories because they sometimes beat her up because they needed something to vent their frustrations at.
Lady decided to hold onto the bread instead of eating them straight away just in case Zoro was hungry. She heard that people can survive without food so long as they had water, which is one of the reasons why Lady has survived thus far. That, and she sometimes received scraps of leftovers from the food that her previous masters threw at her or at least rotten food. Sure, they weren't much and were rather hazardous, but it was still food regardless.
Watching Zoro drink, Lady now realized that Zoro himself had injuries of his own, as evident of the bandages that he probably wrapped around himself and his blood-stained clothes, though whether they were his own blood or the blood of his foes, Lady couldn't tell. Being the kind-hearted soul she is, Lady desired to help Zoro and wrote something down.
"Master Zoro? May I heal your wounds?"
"Hah? What do you mean? I'm alright. Hurts a bit to move around, but I'll be alright with some sleep and some sake."
But Lady wouldn't have any of that. Crawling up to Zoro, Lady tilted her head a few times to check which areas on his body were injured. It seemed covered up by Zoro's clothing and bandages, so a full-body scan was in order. Zoro didn't seem willing to remove his clothing or bandages for her, since he claimed to be alright, which left Lady the next best thing to do.
Once she was close enough, Lady turned her head towards the sea water and raised a hand. To Zoro's shock, a portion of the water rose up, hovering above Lady's hand before she looked back at Zoro. Getting closer, Lady then applied the portion of the water she collected from the sea onto Zoro's torso, bypassing and drenching his shirt in order to gain access to his wounds. Closing her eyes and breathing in and out, Lady concentrated on her water powers onto Zoro, a silvery-blue glow appearing as a result as well as her hands glowing blue.
Lady grimaced in pain as strange tattoo markings suddenly appeared on her torso and arms. Still, she continued using her powers on Zoro, who was still puzzled as to what was happening. Then, Zoro felt the pain from his wounds fading away and his torso and arms getting wet from the water Lady had applied onto his body. This continued until Zoro felt no more pain from his body and he could move more freely, though he was a bit wet.
"What the...? I don't feel anymore pain!" said Zoro, who could now freely move his body with not even a speck of pain anywhere on his body. "Hey, what did you...?"
Zoro's question trailed off when he saw that the girl was breathing heavily; her expression wrecked with pain. The tattoo markings on her body had slowly began to vanish and the girl seemed to be feeling better once the tattoo markings were gone.
Scribbling down on the papers, Lady asked, "Are you okay now, Master Zoro?"
"Yeah, I feel fine now, but what did you do?"
"Well, I have the power to heal, Master Zoro. I can heal any wounds but I need water to heal wounds. People do tend to get wet in the areas I heal them with, though."
'Healing power, huh? That's a rare ability. I guess that's one reason why so many bastards want to use her,' Zoro thought. 'But...is she alright? She seemed to be in pain earlier.'
"Hey, why were you in pain just now? Does using your power hurt you or something? And what's with those weird markings that up and disappeared?"
"Well, that always happens whenever I heal someone, or an animal. I feel the other person's pain until they're fully healed. I think it's a curse or a side effect whenever I use my healing powers."
Zoro rubbed his chin curiously. "Hmm. What about your markings?"
"They usually appears in the spots where it hurts. Like, if your arm was hurt and I was healing you, the markings would appear on my arm and hurt me as well. If you had a cut on your hand, the markings would appear on my hand. Wounds that the other person has don't really appear on my body, though."
Zoro would like to think this was more of a curse than a side effect because the markings do indicate some form of a curse in a sense. Come to think of it... "Wait a minute, I just thought of something! If you could heal somebody, why couldn't you heal your own wounds?"
Lady shook her head. "Unfortunately, I can't do that. My healing powers won't work on myself. I can heal others, just not myself."
Damn, that was one idea off the charts. "Well, thanks for healing me, I guess. You didn't have to, but thanks. I did suffer some injuries during my last battle. But, I don't need anymore healing, alright?"
Lady nodded, rubbing her arms where the markings used to be. Seeing this, Zoro made a mental note not to ask her to heal anymore, or just as much as frequent if her previous masters have been forcing her to heal them all this time.
Lady felt a little nervous, unsure whether to fully trust Zoro or not. On one hand, she did truly wanted to trust someone, and she felt a lot safer around Zoro. He did save her from the Blood Fangs, freed her, bandaged her wounds, fed her, and has been nice to her ever since she woke up. She couldn't really explain it, but she just trusted Zoro and believed that he won't hurt her.
The two continued sailing for a few days and got to know each other a little more. Zoro was still worried about her health and Lady felt grateful about the fact he cared. She was still scared of her new situation, but she also felt safe with Zoro around, and that somehow calmed her fear a little. At least, enough to stop her from trembling every time she was scared. Zoro seemed to be a pretty chill but serious man. He was a very laidback person and was nice despite his rough exterior. It almost made her forget that he was a bounty hunter, or rather, a swordsman.
During the days sailing together, not once has Zoro mistreated her, but instead always treated her as gently as he could. He had many questions though, like what has she been through? How badly had her previous masters abused her? Did she have other scars and wounds he hadn't seen? How old was she? Was she okay right now? Where was she from? What was she planning to do after he took her to a doctor? All these questions ran through Zoro's mind.
To start with, Lady actually didn't know how old she was or where she came from. Either years of slavery had made her forget or she suffered some form of amnesia. Aside from the recent wounds she obtained, her scars, burn marks, and other past wounds from long time ago didn't seem to hurt anymore.
When Lady wrote everything that her former masters did to her, what they made her do, and much more that was far too descriptive and graphic to be lies, Zoro's vision had turned red from anger. If possible, he would have torn those masters apart limb by limb for all the horrible things they've done to this girl. Even though he just met the girl a few days ago, nobody deserved to suffer and experience what the girl had gone through.
Their conversations were limited through the papers that Zoro provided until he ran out. The food that originally belonged to Zoro was used sparingly since they didn't know how long they would be at sea for. During their time together, they would have short conversations, fish for more food, or even take naps.
Eventually, though, they would arrive at an island, where supposedly, their short-term relationship would come to an end...or would it?
Notes:
Hiya, guys! Let me clarify a couple of things from this chapter!
So, one of my most favorite romantic couple troupes are Opposites Attract! Big, gruff, scary guy with soft, gentle, kind girl always has me fangirling like crazy! Hence Zoro x OC here!~
One of the main inspirations behind this fanfic also came from a video game visual novel that not many know as "Teaching Feeling," in which the main character takes care of a mistreated girl who used to be a slave, kinda like the plot of this story in a sense.
"Lady" is not going to be my OC's name or real name for that matter. It's only going to be a temporary name because I already chosen a name for her which will show up in later chapters. I just have a feeling that Zoro is just really bad at naming people.
Yes, Lady's water healing powers are inspired by Waterbending from Avatar: The Last Airbender. I plan on making Lady a bit of a healer but Lady actually had a lot of other powers, so just a heads up! And, to balance out the amount of powers she has, I put limits on them to make things fair as well, like Lady feeling pain from the wounds she's healing. The markings are inspired by Akame by Akame Ga Kill.
Oh, and by the way, Lady is mute, so all of her speeches are going to be said, or rather written, as demonstrated in this chapter.
I believe that's it for now! Read and review!
Chapter 3: Prologue Part 3
Notes:
Hey, guys! I half-expected some of the comments to start complaining about Lady, but so far, nothing's happened like that. And, before you guys say anything, Lady will not be replacing Chopper as the ship's doctor. Her role as one of the future Strawhat crewmates will be something entirely different!
Also, like I said, Lady will have different powers, so her water powers are just one of her powers. They will be exposed later on, but not all of them in this story, but they do provide some significance and importance later on! Just a heads-up, that's all!
Disclaimer: Sage of Hope doesn't own One Piece, only the OCs! One Piece is created by Eiichiro Oda and run by Toei Animation! Please support the official release!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Well? How is it, Doc?"
"Well, she definitely needs a lot of rest. You did good patching up her wounds the best you could. In fact, it was a good thing you brought her over here when you did."
"...Tell me, how bad was it? And no need to sugarcoat things or any of that crap, I can take it."
"Right...Well, she's clearly malnourished and she's got an awful lot of scars that even my medicine can't heal. She's got some bruising that'll heal in no time and she does have a few broken bones. Luckily, she should be okay if she overexert herself. I believe the area to heal faster first would be her face since not too much damage was there. I've already had a nurse take her to one of the shower rooms here. Don't be alarmed when she returns her all bandaged up, though. It's all part of the healing procedure."
Zoro nodded, letting out a big sigh. Things had been pretty hectic ever since they finally landed on an island which, fortunately, had a hospital in town. Zoro didn't immediately go to the hospital, though. He knew medical bills were expensive, so he needed money. Heaving the heavy, bloody bag full of heads over his head, Zoro received the full, large sum of bounty money from killing his target and his target's pirate crew.
Having done that, Zoro set off to find a doctor for Lady and asked for directions for the nearest clinic. The town they were in only had one hospital, which was the tallest building in town. Even with such simple directions, it took a while for Zoro to finally locate the hospital but by then, Lady was physically drained from moving around a lot, especially since she was still injured. She was still recovering from her wounds, after all.
From there, everything was a bit of a blur. Lady was rushed in to be checked on due to the severity of her wounds. With the bounty money Zoro received, he intended to use the money to help pay for Lady's medical fees. So, he waited for an incredibly long time for any news on Lady's recovery.
Zoro looked at the doctor and asked, "What about her voice? Her throat?"
"Well, her inner vocal cords are definitely damaged beyond repair. Almost as though they've been torn and ripped apart, so there's no chance of her ever getting her voice. Strangely enough, she doesn't have any wounds outside on her throat that indicates any scars or wounds, but I suspect this must have happened a very long time ago, so the wound marks aren't really there anymore. She's essentially mute."
Zoro nodded. "I see. Is there anything else you can do for her?"
The doctor shook his head. "All we can do is let her rest. We can't really do anything about her mute issue and a lot of her scars are too far deep and old to be treated. But it's likely she can't feel anymore pain from her scars."
A nurse walked up to them and nodded to the doctor. "Doctor, the patient is tucked in bed and is fast asleep."
Zoro glanced up. "Hey, can I see her real quick?"
"Well...she needs to recover and visiting hours are over, but...I suppose I can allow you to see her, for only a few minutes, of course," said the doctor, escorting Zoro to Lady's assigned room.
Upon arriving, Zoro spotted a sleeping Lady covered by the bedsheets in her own bed. He walked over and kneeled next to her bedside. Before, when they arrived at the hospital, she looked so exhausted, she was ready to collapse and fall asleep. Right now, even after the medical treatments, Lady's face looked pale and tired. Zoro reached out and brushed some hair away from her face gently, noting how peaceful she looked.
Examining her now, Zoro noted that she might be in her late teens or young adult age, like around her early 20s. With her long, silver-snow colored hair, smooth and soft-looking skin, and her bright, sea/sky blue eyes, no wonder people wanted her as a slave. Her beauty could attract even the scum of the seas.
His hand lingered near the side of her cheek, touching a spot on her neck where he found a faint mark from a whip lash. His fingertips grazed across the place lightly, lingering just under her chin. His hand formed into a fist from recalling the pain and suffering Lady must have suffered that ended up with her in her current state.
With everything that's happened thus far, Zoro found himself exhausted and needing a drink. Maybe hitting up the bar and then getting a room at the inn for the night might do him some good. He could check up on Lady tomorrow.
When Zoro left the hospital room, the doctor made sure he left before reaching out for his Den Den Mushi. "It's me. I've got some pretty valuable merchandise here, and she's quite the beauty..."
That night...
Zoro found himself gulping down another cup of booze at the town's local bar. He just couldn't stop thinking about his current situation and about Lady. Of course, the proper and correct course of action would be to leave Lady here, where she would be safe and sound.
But...at the same time, there was a part of Zoro that thought, what if she stayed with him?
Zoro knew immediately that a bunch of problems would arise from such a suggestion. First of all, Zoro was always a loner and having someone accompany him, especially one who can't even fight or defend herself, would be a liability. Second, Zoro always was at his best when fighting alone even against large numbers, and if Lady stuck with him, he would have to look after her, and Zoro wasn't really the protector type. Third, he's a bounty hunter so that means he has to frequently hunt down bounties for money which meant Lady would always be in danger so long as she was with him. Finally, she was recently freed from being a slave, so she deserves a good, happier life. She would be much more safer away from him, living a more peaceful life than traveling with him.
If she stayed in this town, then she would be safe. She's already escaped the life of slavery, so she could restart and have a new and happier life in this town. Maybe Zoro could take her to the marines in the marine base in town and have them help her get acquainted in her new life. If the marines knew her situation, they wouldn't hesitate to help her out, get her a place to stay and a job where she could support herself. She could finally gain control of her own life.
Yes...No matter how much Zoro's heart ached for companionship, this was for the best for Lady.
With his sharp ears, Zoro couldn't help but overhear a rather...interesting conversation coming from some men nearby. "Heh, so this time, that doctor really snagged a pretty girl this time?"
"Yeah, normally, that doc only snags elderly people so close to death and takes out their organs before stitching them back up and returning them to their families."
"Ain't there supposed to be some sort of program for that? Organ donations?"
"Yeah, but barely anyone does it. Hence the illegal black market shit going on in this town. Well, that's just one of the products. This time, that doctor's bringing in a patient he treated today. No organ donation but he mentioned that the girl's cute enough to be sold for hefty bucks! Just needs our help sneaking in the merchandise, especially that girl!"
"Awesome! Think he'll let us check out that girl? Did the doc say what she looked like?"
"Beautiful silver, whitish hair and blue eyes that could be compared to the sky or the seas! He even mentioned that the girl had scars but that he'll give her clothing to cover her up as to not diminish the price! Heh, I can't wait to see this cutie myself!"
Anger had started to fuel Zoro once he caught wind of the start of their conversation. That anger only increased further when he learned that it was Lady they were talking about. Silver hair? Blue eyes? Scars? A recent patient today? All of those matched Lady to a T! It was horrifying enough that a doctor, someone who was meant to cure people and save them, would resort to illegal organ donations and other black market stuff, but to go so far as to sell Lady off when she just received medical treatment and a glimpse of freedom?
Absolutely unforgivable.
Zoro wanted to march up to the men and throttle and beat them up until they gave him the information he needed. But that wouldn't do any good. Zoro needed to be smart about this and there was a good chance that the men wouldn't tell him the information he wanted, or worst, they could give him false information which would lead him into a trap. So instead, the best way would be to wait for the men to finish their drinks and then follow after them.
Stealth wasn't exactly Zoro's forte, but for Lady's sake, he was willing to try.
Lady was terrified.
Everything had been alright as soon as she woke up in the hospital bed. She was given another medical treatment, a shower, fresh and clean hospital clothes, and food. Though, after eating the food, she did feel incredibly sleepy. When she woke up all groggy and still out of it, she found herself trapped in a cage.
Panicking, she gripped onto the bars and glanced around. She appeared to be in a warehouse of sorts and surrounding her were pods filled with a strange liquid and people. Mostly elderly people but there were also children inside as well. The pods were all connected to all kinds of wiring and machinery that Lady couldn't even begin to understand.
The doors to the warehouse opened and standing in front of them were the doctor that treated Lady earlier along with some...rough-looking men who looked to be thugs.
At first, Lady thought that the doctor was somehow here to help her, when the doctor suddenly issued an order to chain her up. Joy had quickly changed to confusion and fear as the thugs quickly surrounded her cage, unlocked it, and dragged her out forcibly, chaining her arms and legs so she couldn't make a break for it. Lady looked over to the doctor in hopes that he would help her, but he only stared at her with a cold look, like she was nothing.
"Don't damage the merchandise! I'm going to need her intact for the next black market auction happening later!" ordered the doctor.
One of the thugs holding Lady close said, "Damn, calling her merchandise? That's a bit cold, even for you, doc."
"Hmph. So? Merchandise is merchandise. That's all there is to it."
"I thought you specialize in organs and shit like that, not slavery," spoke up one of the thugs, looking at Lady. "This one's quite the cutie, though! You sure we can't have fun with her even a little bit?"
"I said not to damage her!" snapped the doctor. "And besides, it's none of your concern. I saw an attractive piece of meat that I know that many in the upcoming auction are just begging to get their hands on when they take on look at her. Now hurry up! I have to give her some more sleeping pills! The ones I snuck in her food were weak, but this new batch should be more effective."
From what Lady could intercept, it seemed that the doctor drugged her food with some sleeping pills, After she was asleep, she was taken from the hospital and imprisoned in a cage, meant to be sold off as a slave once more. It meant more than just being a slave again, or never seeing her savior again.
It meant returning to that life.
Face stricken with terror, Lady dissolved into panicked tears. She didn't want to become a slave again! She didn't want to go back to that life! She didn't want to die.
With terror filling every ounce of her body, Lady struggled and squirmed the best she could and if she wasn't mute, she would have sobbed and screamed out loud. But her body was still weak, injured, and low on energy, so the thugs held her firmly and didn't even need to assert their full strength from keeping her from escaping.
"Heh, where do you think you're going, sweet cheeks?" one of the thugs grinned, gripping her wrist so hard, he could have bruised it.
"Yeah, settle down, will ya? You're coming with us-"
Suddenly, one of the men guarding outside of the warehouse flew through the air and crashed towards the ground, having been thrown backwards into the hard surface of the floor with a deep gash wound on his chest. He only managed to raise one hand before closing his eyes shut and finally succumbing to his wounds.
Looking up, the doctor and the thugs in the warehouse saw a young swordsman wearing a darkened bandana wrapped around his head, swords dripping with blood as he surveyed his surroundings. He had a murderous and menacing aura that spelled that nobody should piss him off.
Roronoa Zoro, a famous bounty hunter and not someone one should screw around with.
After the men suspected of possibly kidnapping Lady left the bar, Zoro followed behind them with as much stealth as he could. It eventually led him towards the docks with a bunch of warehouses around, where tough-looking thugs gathered around, likely for guard and warehouse duties for their illegal activities. And, knowing Lady was somewhere around the area and that these thugs were pretty much on the same level as pirates, Zoro didn't hesitate to attack.
Zoro's sudden assault eventually led him to the correct warehouse where Lady was held. He instantly recognized Lady and relief filled his eyes before his eyes sharpened in seriousness. Seeing the position Lady was in, Zoro's grip on his swords tightened and he gritted his teeth so hard, they might break.
One of the thugs grabbed hold of Lady's arms roughly and attempted to pull her away from the fighting before anything drastic happened. Zoro instantly reacted, however, rushing forward and swinging it at the man's throat, slicing clean through. The thug released Lady in shock before falling to the floor lifelessly as blood spilled out from his throat. Having gotten in close between Lady and her captors, Zoro whirled around with his swords, slashing at the thugs close by and leaving puddles of blood in his trail.
Tears of relief pooled down Lady's cheeks as she had never been so happy to see Zoro again. She thought that she would never see him again once she was forced back into a life of slavery.
Glancing around the room, even though Zoro had no idea what was happening, the green-haired swordsman could tell that there was some sort of illegal stuff happening with the people in the pods. Lady was safely behind him though he wasn't sure of the extent of whatever pain the scumbag thugs had inflicted onto her. He was certain, however, that she was chained up and close to being taken away towards somewhere against her will. That sort of certainty angered Zoro and he focused his anger towards one other person inside the warehouse.
The doctor.
Zoro's glare turned dark upon catching sight of the scared doctor who was responsible for Lady's kidnapping. He was supposed to be a man of medicine, a professional that was supposed to be capable of helping and treating people like Lady! But here he was, using the people's trust for his own greed and nasty desires.
Just as Zoro took a step towards the doctor, more thugs stormed the warehouse, entering inside with various weapons in their hands. They wore expressions that clearly spelled out their overconfidence and cockiness in the situation. Little did they know that Zoro was used to fighting groups that clearly outnumbered him, but never outmatched him.
Once the thugs arrived, Zoro shoved Lady behind him to protect her and pointed one of his blades at the thugs menacingly. "Leave us alone now or else. You won't like what happens to you," he warned as he stared down at the men; his tone laced with venom.
One of the thugs chuckled sinisterly, brandishing a large sword heaved over his shoulder. "Look buddy, you better put down those swords before we teach you a lesson. We'll do whatever it takes to get what we want. Besides, you're outnumbered! But, we might be willing to spare you...if you hand over that cutie first."
Lady, sensing their ominous intentions towards her, felt scared and uncomfortable and gripped the back of Zoro's shirt, shaking in fear. Looking up, Lady could see Zoro's gaze on her, but even with his gaze darkened by his bandanna, she could sense the softness directed only towards her,
Removing the sword in his mouth, Zoro murmured to Lady, "Stay behind me. I'll take care of them."
Lady nervously nodded and took a few steps back as to avoid getting in Zoro's way. Having said his piece, Zoro returned his third sword back into his mouth and narrowed his eyes, focusing on the battle ahead.
Technically, Zoro didn't necessarily need to go through all the trouble of rescuing Lady again. He did his duty of helping her after dropping her off at the hospital, but after learning about her possible fate, he just couldn't let it go. If anything, there were a few types of people that really sets him off.
One type was the type of people that undid any of the deeds he's went through a lot of trouble to accomplish. Another type were people who preyed on defenseless people because it makes them feel big. And the thugs that Zoro were about to face fit those types perfectly.
Some of the thugs charged at Zoro, believing that their numbers would overwhelm them, but they were quickly taken down before they could do much as blink. One of the thugs foolishly tried to make a grab at Lady. Zoro's sword slashed viciously downward, cutting deep into the man's arm, causing a gush of crimson blood to flow across the pavement. He screamed loudly in pain and surprise, dropping his weapon and clutching at his bleeding wound before Zoro finished him off. Another attacker leapt forward, aiming to slash at Zoro. Zoro swiftly moved out of the way of the attack and retaliated with a slash, cutting down the man.
There were many thugs, and yet they couldn't land a hit on Zoro. Meanwhile, Zoro slashed and sliced through every single last thug in his way while swiftly dodging and parrying their attacks. No matter their superior numbers, none of them were a match for Roronoa Zoro in terms of sword and skill in combat.
Thus, in the aftermath of the one-sided battle, Zoro had wiped out an entirely large group of thugs, leaving no survivors and a small field of corpses to litter the warehouse grounds.
The doctor, the mastermind responsible for so many crimes including kidnapping Lady, was sweating buckets at the reality of his situation. Everything was supposed to go smoothly! The plan was to kidnap and sell the silver-haired girl as a slave as well as harvest the organs of all of the victims hidden inside of the warehouse! He hadn't expected a skilled swordsman to suddenly barge in and ruin everything!
Then, Zoro, having snuck around and was looming behind the doctor menacingly, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, ignoring the doctor's cries of distress as his feet hovered above the ground. Zoro was a terrifying sight to behold, with his bandana darkening his already menacing expression and the blood of his enemies splattered all over his clothes and body from his massacre of a killing spree.
The doctor whimpered, eyes widen, as he tried his damnest to break free, squirming around and clawing on Zoro's arm. He started sputtering out apologies, begging for mercy in such a way that Zoro thought a pig was squealing to him. Disgusted, Zoro released him, making the doctor fall down with a loud thud. But before the doctor could scramble to run away, Zoro had cut him down with one slash of his sword, killing him instantly.
What followed was silence. The only two people left inside the warehouse were just Zoro and the girl he rescued, Lady.
Lady felt as though time had stopped. Zoro had killed so many men in front of her, but not once had she felt fear. Oh, she felt fear at the thought of being forced back into slavery, but she never feared Zoro even when he killed in front of her.
Being a slave to many masters, Lady had bore witness to many murders whether it was through betrayal or through battle, though she stayed out of such things because she was a slave, not a fighter. She never feared for her own life because she knew nobody had any reason to try and claim her life.
Zoro looked at her, his expression unreadable through the shadows of the bandanna he wore around his head. After sheathing his blades, he scratched the back of his neck as he approached her. Was her nervous? Did he think that Lady was afraid of him because she was witness to his bloodshed onslaught?
"Hey, Lady," Zoro spoke softly. Lady rubbed her arms and looked up at him, wondering what he wanted. "...Sorry if I scared you. If possible, I wouldn't have wanted you to see all of...this." He gestured with one of his sword hands the entire scenery of bloodshed and corpses laying about and internally kicked himself when he noticed how Lady flinched upon seeing the scenery. Maybe that was a bit insensitive and stupid of him to say something like that.
He stared at Lady before taking a few more steps closer, approaching her gently and carefully like one would approach a small and defenseless creature. Satisfied that she didn't flinch or move away from him, Zoro sheathed his blades back to their scabbards and reached out a hand to pat her head softly.
The wide-eyed innocence and curiosity in Lady's eyes as she looked up at him only made Zoro want to protect her more.
"It's alright, you're safe now," assured Zoro, his calloused and rough hands gently stroking her soft, silky hair over and over. He soon stopped and rubbed the back of his head, looking away as though shameful of something. "...I'm sorry. It was my fault that you ended up in this situation. I mean, I know you urgently needed a doctor, but still, I wasn't expecting anything like this. And, again, I'm sorry that you had to see me killing all of these men. But, they needed to die. If they were the type of people to condone stuff that involves the black market, kidnappings, and worst, then they deserved their fate."
Lady hated the sight of killing, but in her life as a former slave, she had bore witness to many killings before. Seeing Zoro killing the men didn't faze nor scare her, but it did make her feel a bit uncomfortable. Still, if it weren't for Zoro's arrival, she would have been forced back into a slave and have led a horrible life.
The reminder clicked something inside of Lady, making her tear up and sob profusely. Even if no sounds uttered from her mouth, it was clear that she was crying.
Zoro panicked internally, unsure on how to deal with this new situation. When it came to fighting, he could deal with stuff like that, but emotional things were out of his control. But he knew that Lady had been in a terrible situation and that she needed some comfort and emotional support right now.
Glancing around, as though to make sure nobody was around, Zoro grabbed Lady and tugged her against his chest, giving her a firm hug. Lady's eyes widen in shock, but she relaxed against his body, feeling warm and protected even when the blood of his enemies got onto her clothes as well. After a while, Zoro pulled away and took off his bandana off his head, wiping away the rest of the tears on her face. He was a bit rough when doing so, but his intentions were sweet enough that anyone would ignore the rough handling.
That was when Zoro knew he had to do something about all of this.
A few days later...
The entire island was filled with activity soon after a rather...anonymous tip was reported to the marine base. A large investigation started immediately in the warehouses and it didn't take long to connect criminal activity in the town's only hospital as well, which caused fear and some chaos within the town, making part of the marines' duty to calm the civilians as well.
Apparently, the doctor's criminal activities were quite a shock to the entire community within the town, especially since he was connected to an unknown, secret black market that was hidden and soon discovered by the marines later that day. It wasn't uncommon for some patients to wind up dead in the town's hospital due to old age or sickness, but it was a horrible shock to the entire town to learn that the corpses of their loved ones were deprived of vital organs, organs that were sold in the black market. It was an utter disrespect to the dead to pillage the corpses of their organs for money and then sewing them up as though nothing happened.
As such, many marines were stationed in front of the hospital to keep a large, angry mob from storming inside and demanding answers. If the doctor was still alive today, he would have been dragged outside and killed several times over for his crimes towards their deceased loved ones. What was even more unfortunate was that the bodies inside the pods discovered in the warehouses were already deceased, so there was no chance of them reuniting with their loved ones, further angering the mob.
It truly was a sad day, but time would pass on and the marines would see to it that justice was served to each and every single one of the victims' families.
Meanwhile, Lady and Zoro were inside of a restaurant and eating their own meal together. In fact, with everything that's happened so far, they were seemingly the only customers inside, thus all alone to eat and chat to their heart's content. Well, Zoro could chat to Lady, whereas her only form of communication was a new notebook that Zoro bought for her.
After Lady's kidnapping and rescue, Zoro took her with him instead of handing her over to the marines so they could care for her. After trusting in a doctor, who was supposed to care for Lady instead of kidnapping her, Zoro didn't exactly trust in the marines.
Sure, his relationship with the marines was on business levels, mostly neutral. He always bought in the bounties and he always got paid, that how it always was. But, despite the marines helping civilians and arresting pirates, he knew that there was a lot of corruption within the marines. Hell, he even came across a couple of them during his job as a bounty hunter, which only made him dislike them.
Zoro could have left her with the marines or just left her alone in the warehouse after rescuing her. She could have just wandered off and someone far more capable of helping her would have come around. But Zoro didn't feel at ease leaving her alone to fend for herself. Even if Zoro handed over Lady to the marines so that they could care for her, there might be a chance that some corrupted marine might take advantage of her naivety, so he wasn't going to take that chance.
Instead, Zoro took care of Lady, spending a few nights at the inn and allowing her to sleep in his bed while he slept in a chair so she could recover faster and better. A chair or a bed made no difference to Zoro anyways, especially since he always sleeps with his swords nearby in case of any danger. But traveling around, Zoro's learned to make use of anything that could make a good decent napping spot, whether it be a chair or against a tree or anything that most people would think of as uncomfortable.
During the past few days, Zoro still took care of Lady's needs, buying her a few new clothes and even her current new notebook so she could write down whatever she wanted as her form of communication. During the time he spent with her, he noted several things that brought to his attention.
Lady was curious about a lot of things. She liked modest-looking clothing compared to lots of other women he's seen wearing revealing clothing. She liked the color blue. Zoro had a feeling that even if she wasn't mute, she would still be a quiet and shy girl.
And finally, he noticed that...she trusted him the most, which was a given, considering that he not only saved her twice, but never once treated her like a slave.
Even with him, Lady hadn't really let down all of her walls. He saw the way she hid behind him whenever someone approached them, whether it was just bypassing them or something else. After all she's suffered through, it wouldn't be easy for her to trust anyone so easily.
And it certainly wasn't easy for Zoro to find a solution where she could be safe somewhere and happy at the same time. After some time thinking things over, he finally came to a decision.
"Lady, I want to ask you something," spoke up Zoro, causing Lady to pause from eating. "I...Look, would you-you should be safer and-gah, I dunno how to deal with any of this emotional shit..."
Confused and concerned, Lady wrote down her concerns towards Zoro with her notebook. "Master Zoro, is something wrong? Did I do something wrong to upset you?"
"No, no, you did nothing wrong. It's just..." Zoro took a deep breath and exhaled, looking straight at Lady seriously. "Look, I was wondering, do you want to travel with me?"
Lady nearly dropped her notebook in shock at the proposal. She honestly hadn't expected such a question directed towards her. But, the thought of traveling with her savior...didn't sound so bad. He was kind to her. He saved her. He gave her food, clothes, and even a new notebook. And Lady felt as though she never repaid him for his kindness.
Zoro continued. "Look, I...I don't think it's a bad idea, having a traveling companion and all. But, I also feel like you'll be safer here. I mean, there's the marines and other hospital people who'll take care of you if I explain your situation them-"
Lady immediately shook her head, eyes filled with fear. She actually didn't want to remain in this town any longer than she had to. In fact, she was a bit terrified after all that's happened. The doctor, the kidnapping, the illegal organ donations, the secret black markets, all in this town? It didn't really seem like an ideal place to live in after what she's experienced.
"Right, sorry. Stupid idea. Well, I mean, another idea is that you travel with me for a little bit, at least until we reach a safer place where the people will definitely take care of you. You won't...you won't have to be a slave anymore. If I take you to a safer place, you'll get a chance at a better life. But, that means you'll have to put up with me for a bit, alright?"
Lady was a bit confused. "I'm a bit confused. You make it sound like traveling with you is a bad thing. But I don't think you're a bad thing!"
Zoro could feel his cheeks fluster a bit from the compliment before he shook his head. "No, it's just-Look, I'm a bounty hunter. And I'm trying to aim for my dream, which is to be the World's Greatest Swordsman. Got that? That means that my life will always be in danger no matter what.I'll always seek out the toughest opponents and challenge them, even if it means my life is at stake. Plus, since I'm a bounty hunter, I'll always hunt down pirates for money which could mean your life could be in danger because you'll be associated with me."
"But, I'm not a fighter. I don't know how to fight and I'm not as strong as you."
"It doesn't matter if you're a fighter or not. Actually, it's precisely because you're not a fighter that I'm reluctant to take you with me. That's why, if you don't want to stay in this town, I can take you with me until I find you a safe and good home to live in."
Lady pondered on that for a little bit. She wasn't new to being exposed to danger, though. And in all honesty, she wanted to remain by Zoro's side, even if it meant that he did find her a good home where people could take her in.
Lady wrote down her thoughts. "Master Zoro, no matter what happens, I want to stay with you! Even if we did come across a kind home, I want to stay with you no matter what! I don't care that you'll face danger! I'll face danger with you!"
"...Don't be so trusting. I told you that your life will be in danger if you stay with me, remember? Besides, I'm a man who makes a living by killing people."
Lady smiled, writing down her next message. "That's okay. Even if Master Zoro is a killer, Maser Zoro is my hero, after all."
Zoro paused, staring at her message far longer than he needed to. He sighed and hid his red face with his palm, looking away. 'Damn, why did she have to go and say something like that? I'm no hero. Far from it, but...' he thought. 'Fuck it, fine. I'll just take her with me for a bit and we'll see how that goes. I...I don't want to be alone all the time, either.'
Zoro looked back at Lady. "Alright, fine. I-I'll allow you to come...for a while, but what about you? You coming or what?"
The enthusiastic and bright-eyed look that Lady displayed on her face was more than enough to confirm her answer. She even clapped her hands and silently cheered that she was going to be traveling with her savior.
Perhaps this was truly fated to be. Two lost souls in desperate need for something. One wished for companionship and perhaps someone to protect, while the other wished to be protected by someone trustworthy. These two were united by their need for companionship and purpose, so they needed each other more than they thought.
As Lady was about to return to eating, she felt her cheeks being pulled apart as Zoro leaned in close. "Alright, but listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once. I. Am. Not. A. Hero. Far from it, really."
Even with the stinging pain of her cheeks being pulled, Lady shook her head, still firm that Zoro was like a hero to her. That persistence only rewarded her with more pain and her cheeks further being pulled apart until Zoro ceased and sat back on his chair, leaving Lady to softly rub her aching cheeks.
"Seriously though, I don't like being called a hero. A hero will share his sake with all of the other people. But I want all of the sake! Therefore, I'm not a hero, and I don't wanna be!"
Lady's expression was so perplexed by the odd logic of Zoro's definition of a hero that...that she had no words to say to that. Her definition of a hero was someone who always saves people, was selfless, kind, and so forth. What Zoro was saying was...was far from the definition of a hero!
Zoro didn't care if she got it or not, just that she had to understand that he wasn't a hero. He pushed his plate of food towards her and said, "Now that that's settled, eat. ...Come on, don't give me that look, I'm fine. I prefer drinking over eating anyways, now come on."
Having finished her plate, Lady took Zoro's place as he requested and started eating. Despite all of the strange events that's happened recently, Lady was just happy that there was a new turn for her life. Maybe things will get better from here on?
Notes:
Hey, guys! Before you guys say anything, Lady will not be replacing Chopper as the ship's doctor. Her role as one of the future Strawhat crewmates will be something entirely different!
Also, like I said, Lady will have different powers, so her water powers are just one of her powers. They will be exposed later on, but not all of them in this story, but they do provide some significance and importance later on! Just a heads-up, that's all! I'm not gonna go overboard and do something like she has all of the elements as her powers! That would be too OP! And all of her powers do have side-effects, so keep that in mind!
And yes, her official name won't be Lady, she will have an official name change soon!
Like I mentioned before, she'll have more powers than just water and healing powers! I'm not going to do something crazy like she has all of the elemental powers like the Avatar or anything! Nope, she'll have other powers with side effects.
Read and review!
Chapter 4: Bright Blue Flower
Notes:
Wow! I didn't expect a ton of positivity from last chapter! I'm so glad more people are invested and interested in this fanfic! It makes me more happy and excited to write more about this! Anyways, let's continue!
Disclaimer: Sage of Hope doesn't own One Piece, only the OCs! One Piece is created by Eiichiro Oda and run by Toei Animation! Please support the official release!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It's been a few days and the two of them had traveled quite far from where they were.
At first, he didn't know how to help but he did his best. Zoro made sure she had eaten and slept right during the past few days. He prevented her from doing any chores for the time being, like cooking. Zoro wasn't an amazing cook, but he could at least conjure up some basic meals, like herbs. He tended to her like he already knew what to do, drawn to her fragile but kind self.
It was as though he was meant to protect her.
Even though the young girl was now familiar with Zoro, it didn't seem that she completely trust Zoro. Oh, he saved her before, but on an emotional level, it wasn't enough. Even with him, she hadn't quite let down her walls. He didn't blame her, it wouldn't be easy for someone like her to trust anyone so easily, not after what she's been through. But she did answer any questions he had for her through the notebook since she's mute. That was one thing that the sicko doctor that kidnapped her didn't lie about.
It's only been a few days and Zoro felt exhausted from how much had happened so far. He still had no idea what to do with her. Of course, the plan was always getting her to a safe village or town or whatever place will accept her and treat her far more than he ever could. But, during these few days, he did feel comfort with her company around him. Zoro wasn't one to trust people fully, but he felt comfortable with Lady around.
Lady...right, he still hasn't given her a name yet. For now, he's content with calling her "Lady," though he doesn't mind giving her a different name if he needed to. He's pretty certain she would prefer something else. Something that sounds more meaningful.
Speaking of names, Zoro had pretty much allowed the young girl to call him, "Master Zoro," though it was clear that he disliked that nickname. It didn't feel right, like he was replacing her master with himself, though he would never, EVER, harm Lady in such an abusive manner. At the same time, though, every time Lady referred to him as "Master Zoro," she had that sort of puppy dog-like admiration that Zoro just couldn't ignore. Gratitude, fondness, and admiration were detailed behind those innocent eyes, as if Zoro was the only person she could ever call as "Master" simply because he was kind and took care of her.
Basically, he just gave up and allowed Lady to call him whatever she wanted.
Still, he had to do something about her name. Simply calling her "Lady" didn't sit right with him. He only called her that because he couldn't think of any other name to call her by. Perhaps it was time for him to give her a proper name instead of something as lazy as "Lady."
Which was why Zoro was borrowing Lady's notebook, trying to brainstorm ideas while he and Lady were seated inside a restaurant, waiting for their meals to arrive.
Lady had easily lended her notebook to Zoro, who asked to borrow it for a while. After ordering their meals, Zoro took the time to think about good names for Lady. The first name he wrote down, he quickly realized what name he wrote down and crossed it out. He...couldn't really name Lady by her name. Instead, he wrote down what he thought were good names.
Wakizashi
Tanto
Odachi
Kodachi
Tsurugi
Tachi
Koushirou
...These were terrible names to name Lady. All he wrote down were several sword types that he knew, along with his master's name. None of those seemed right to call her by and he was certain that any one of those names would suit a boy better than a girl.
Before Zoro could try thinking or writing down anymore names, their meals had arrived. Zoro handed Lady back her notebook and popped open the alcohol bottle he ordered earlier for his drink. He shot a glance over at Lady, making sure she was eating her meal, which she happily was.
Very few knew this fact about Zoro, but he was a very observant person. As such, one of the things he's observed about Lady was her favored types of food. Lady wasn't a picky eater and could eat pretty much anything, especially vegetables which she seemed to enjoy. As a matter of fact, he noticed that Lady especially enjoyed food relating to fish, so whenever Zoro fished, Lady's eyes would light up and sparkle with joy. It didn't matter even if it was some small fish, if it was fish, then Lady would happily eat it. Her reactions were always like if a kid tasted candy for the first time.
Though, for some reason, Lady disliked meat.
In the beginning, when they started traveling together, Lady often shoved most of her share of the food onto Zoro's palate, though Zoro would just refuse and hand Lady back her portion of food. As a matter of fact, Zoro would give her a far bigger portion of food than his, given that Lady needed more food in her body than him. Though Lady would always eat what she was offered, she always had a hard time with meat. She tried not to show it, but Zoro could tell that she was always displeased with meat though she always cooked it since Zoro always hunted the food.
But that seemed to be the only food that Lady disliked. Everything else, she could devour without any problems. Zoro didn't mind that and as a matter of fact, his favorite kind of food involved fish as well.
The whole point is, perhaps with his observation skills, he could finally give Lady a fitting name. A name that's, at the very least, way better than any of the other crappy names he wrote down. And especially a name that he didn't want to call her by, like the first name that he wrote down but crossed off.
Kuina.
Later, that night...
"Master Zoro? What's a Kuina?"
Zoro, who was chowing down on cooked meat on a stick, nearly choked and had to cough out before regaining his composure. He stared at Lady in disbelief, wondering how exactly she knew who Kuina was despite never bringing her up even once!
Lady, who had also been eating some cooked meat on a stick with a bitter, grimacing expression, looked worried when Zoro started coughing. She grabbed her canteen of water and frantically handed it over to him, urging him to drink from it.
Zoro held up a hand and shook his head, coughing a few more times before grabbing his own canteen, filled with alcohol instead of water, and taking a couple of sips. After a while, Zoro managed to calm himself before looking up at Lady.
"Where...where did you hear that name?"
Lady looked surprised, as though not expecting that what she thought was a confusing word was actually a name. To answer his question, she flipped through a few pages of her notebook until she reached the page she was looking for and showed it to Zoro. It took one glance at the page for him to realize why she asked such a question.
What Lady had referred to was the same page where Zoro wrote down a bunch of random names, including Kuina's name whom he crossed off. Well, it seemed that he only crossed it off once, and it was still enough for Lady to read what he crossed off.
"Oh...right. Er...that name's nothing. Don't worry about it," said Zoro. "Let's just keep eating, yeah?"
Lady nodded obediently, putting down her notebook and resumed eating, even if she disliked meat. Well, Zoro did hunt down an animal for tonight's dinner, so the least she did was cook the food. Even though meat always didn't taste right with her, even if she cooked it correctly, she would still eat it as not to waste food.
The two of them were camping out at night in the middle of a forest, having spent the day at another island not for bounty hunting this time, but to give Zoro a day or two to train his own swordsmanship skills. Even though Zoro made a living hunting down bounties, he does occasionally stop at some islands to spend some time training and honing his skills.
While they continued eating, it did feel...slightly awkward after Lady brought up Kuina. They don't really talk much during eating because Zoro's not a talkactive person and Lady would constantly have to put down her food just to write down what she wanted to say, just like she did earlier.
Feeling that Zoro owned Lady an explanation about the names, Zoro sighed and looked up to her. "Hey...So, remember when I had to borrow your notebook earlier today during lunch? That page of names you came across was the one page I wrote down. Aren't you kinda curious what I wrote down?"
Lady did ponder for a moment before nodding honestly. Zoro did seem uncomfortable talking about the name, "Kuina," so she wouldn't push that topic if Zoro didn't want to talk about it.
Zoro explained, "The reason why I wrote down those names was because I...I wanted to make up a new name for you."
Lady was surprised before writing down, "I thought my new name was Lady?"
Zoro shook his head. "No, that was just something I made up on the spot on a whim. It's not...I don't really think it's a suitable name for you. Sorry for giving you such a crappy name."
"But I don't mind the name Lady. Still, if you want to rename me, I don't mind."
Zoro shook his head once again and told her, "No, no. This should be something you should want. Don't change your name just because I thought you deserve a better name. You should choose to change your name if you want to."
Lady did think about whether she did want a new name or not. Even Lady knew that her current name was rather unusual but she didn't really think that much about it. Lady thought her name felt a little special, since Zoro was the one who named her. But, Zoro didn't seem to like her name too much because it was something he thought on the spot and didn't put too much consideration in it. Of course, Zoro could just accept her name as "Lady" if she chose to keep it, but perhaps a new name wouldn't be too bad. Besides, it would help put Zoro at ease as well.
Lady turned to Zoro and nodded, giving her confirmation of having a new name. Zoro seemed to have lighten up a bit, as though happy with Lady's decision, or at no longer shameful and that both could properly think of a new name together.
"Right...so, uh...I'm really bad with names, like really bad. Those names I wrote down earlier? They were the only ones I could think of. Actually, most of those aren't even names, at least one of them are. Er, well, two of those I wrote down are names, but I crossed one off, and-"
Zoro, realizing he was rambling off, sighed and scratched his head. "Sorry, I'm being an idiot. Sorry, I'm trying to help you pick out a name, and here I am, babbling my mouth off. I'm really such an idiot..."
Lady quickly shook her head and wrote something down. "That's not true! Master Zoro isn't an idiot! Master Zoro is kind, trying to help me pick out a name!"
Though a bit embarrassed, Zoro did appreciate Lady's attempts of cheering him up. "Thanks. Hey, would it be alright if we figured out your new name tomorrow? I think we'll get a clearer head if we get some rest."
Lady nodded, having no objective to that. Both of them finished their meals, cleaned up their area a bit, and soon drifted off to sleep.
The next day...
Zoro was bypassing tree branches, stepping over bushes and rocks, and walking around to get out of the forest he and Lady were still in. He and Lady had camped inside the forest for the night beforehand, but now they were trying to find a way out of the forest. Zoro's intention was to find an open space so that he could meditate and train properly. Of course, he could always just train inside of the forest but many objects, like trees, bushes, and other environmental things were too close together and would obstruct his movements, so an open area sounded better.
Of course, there was the matter of Zoro constantly getting lost.
For the rest of the morning, Zoro kept getting sidetracked and wandering around random parts of the forest, unable to reach his destination of a single open area. This only frustrates Zoro as he scrambles to figure out where exactly he was and how to leave the forest.
Lady only followed behind, unaware of Zoro's tendency to randomly get lost. She obliviously followed Zoro's lead and trusts that he'll reach wherever his destination was.
Soon, as soon as they passed through a series of tries, their view exploded from a bright light to vibrant colors belonging to a field of flowers. But it wasn't just any ordionary field of flowers, but a sea field full of vibrant, blue flowers sprawled all around. Thick with the sweet scent of flowers, the air wafted such a sweet scent while the breeze brushed the petals and thin stems of the blue flowers in waves. A large, lone apple tree stood in the middle of a hill, surrounded by the flowers. The sight reminded Zoro of the great seas that they traveled through; the color just as vivid and mesmerizing as the actual seas.
Even the sight almost overwhelmed Lady, staring at the beautiful flowers as her mouth opened slightly in awe of the view before her. Her hands curled into fists gently against her chest and over her heart, unable to breath properly as though even a single breath would disturb the beautiful view before her very eyes.
Zoro looked at her and chuckled a bit. "You love flowers, don't you?" He asked with amusement clear in his voice. The young girl's reaction only confirmed it. As Lady continued staring at the flowers, Zoro gently nudged her slightly forward, as if silently urging her that it was alright to go ahead and explore around to her heart's content.
With an excited nod, Lady understood Zoro's silent message and smiled brightly before proceeding to run across the flower field. Running around happily, blue flower petals were scattering to the wind with each movement she made. She was even plucking flowers off the field and throwing them up in the air, watching the wind cast the flowers away into the horizon. Though unable to vocalize her laughter, Lady's pure adoration and innocent facial expressions showed how much she loved this.
Upon heading towards the apple tree, Zoro couldn't stop staring at Lady as she was laughing, running around, and playing with the flowers like a child. Her playful happiness softened Zoro's heart, reminding him that there were still some good things in this world worth fighting for.
Sitting down underneath the apple tree, Zoro laid against it to rest and keep an eye on Lady simultaneously. A strong wind rustled by, knocking down an apple that landed on Zoro's stomach before he took it and started munching on it.
As Zoro watched Lady playing and running around, he was reminded of the fact that Lady seemed so small and weak. And yet, she was innocent and, in the eyes of many, very incredibly beautiful. This made Zoro wonder if she would ever feel safe, traveling alongside him. Would someone come along and snatch her away from him, or would she remain alone if Zoro were to fall in battle one day, afraid of all sorts of things. It made Zoro's heart clench at the possibility that she could potentially end up being separated from him, whether through death, kidnapping, or through separate ways like staying at a new home that Lady would feel most comfortable with while Zoro travels alone once more.
But, even if that were to happen, even if the upcoming challenges and tasks in their journey would prove rather difficult, Zoro decided that he would still help her out and keep her safe. Especially now that he's grown attached to her. No matter how many times he's tried to tell himself otherwise, he just couldn't stop thinking or worrying about her.
He wanted to spend time with her, to protect and take care of her, to keep her safe, even if it was very difficult. Lady was still just a defenseless, frail girl; so sweet, so fragile, so gentle. How could anyone even be able to survive the horrible lifestyle that the girl had suffered through in who knows how many years?
Zoro didn't know why he was thinking of such things. Even after weeks of traveling with her, he barely knew this girl nor even her real name, if she ever had one. He's never had a responsibility like caring for someone before, and he certainly didn't realize that caring about someone would prove so challenging. And yet, he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that if he doesn't take care of her, he would be plunged with guilt; a unremovable stain in his pride as a swordsmen.
She...she deserves to experience the happiness and beauty of life that he felt he could never truly grant her.
Before Zoro could continue to contemplate all these thoughts, Lady rushed up to him, kneeling down and showing him some blue flowers that she picked up earlier in the vast flower field. As a matter of fact, there was a circular object mixed with a bunch of twigs, blue flowers, and grass alogether in one stuck mess before Lady presented the object over to Zoro, placing it on his lap before writing down something that confirmed the identity of the item she created.
"Master Zoro, I made a flower crown for you! I don't really know how to properly make one, but I did my best! I hope you like it!"
It was impossible to miss the red blush spread across his cheeks upon receiving such a heartfelt gift. Before she could place it on his head, Zoro pushed it backwards away from him.
"Yeah, no. I'm not putting flowers on my head unless I have to," he stated firmly, shaking his head. Though when he properly looked at her, he stiffened immediately, making a really big mistake.
Lady's head laid downcast, hair bangs overshadowing her eyes, and a sadden look replacing her once previously joyful and playful expression. She looked like a kicked puppy who was just rejected for wanting to help someone.
From just the sight of her, Zoro felt as though his conscious was being stabbed repeatedly for upsetting her. And all because he rejected such a sweet gift from a girl who didn't do anything wrong.
Zoro knew what to do to fix this mess. Even if it was embarrassing, he still knew he had to make it up to Lady. With a defeated sigh, Zoro took the flower crown from her hands gently and placed it on top of his head. Zoro thought that he must have looked ridiculous, but...
But seeing Lady's expression brighten up was all the more worth it.
An idea popped into Zoro's head. Her name, "Lady," was out of the question for an official, regular name, and he knew that he couldn't keep calling her that forever. He glanced around the field of blue flowers and upon seeing the beautiful scenery before him, he came up with a name. The perfect name that described Lady with her bright blue eyes, her sweet personality, and the innocence that Lady portrayed that could warm even his own heart, like flowers.
"Ruka."
The young girl turned to Zoro, confusion on her face. "Master Zoro? Did you say something?"
Zoro turned to the young girl and told her, "I...I think I figured out what your new name should be. Your official name. I don't want you calling yourself 'Lady' anymore, and it isn't exactly a proper good name. So, I figured you might like your name to be 'Ruka.' It means bright blue flower. What do you think?"
Shock was written all over her face before a smile slowly formed on her face and her eyes sparkled with joy. Like the blue flowers spread across the fields and radiating under the sunlight, the happiness spread across her face was the brightest he's ever seen.
She wrote down the new name that Zoro decided for her, as though asking if it was spelled right. "Ruka."
Zoro nodded, ruffling her hair with his hand. "That's right. Ruka. You like it?"
"Ruka" let out a silent giggle, loving the sound of her new name. She hopped around a few times, clapping her hands and loving the sound of her name from Zoro's lips as though it was music to her ears. She then turned towards Zoro again, looking expectantly at him, and smiled softly.
There was no need for Ruka to even write down what she wanted to say, for Zoro could tell that she wanted to tell him, "Thank you."
However, Zoro froze in shock when Ruka unexpectedly gave him a hug, holding him tightly. Though eventually, he hugged the young girl back in return. He could feel the warmth emanating from her body through her embrace. He closed his eyes and gently stroked his rough, calloused fingers onto her silky, silver hair gently, as though delicately handling a flower without destroying it. He breathed in her scent, smelling faintly of the flowers that she surrounded herself with earlier.
Just for this one moment of peace, even if it was short, Zoro let himself be envisioned into an unknown future; a better future where he would protect the beautiful young girl with the same intensity and determination where he wouldn't hesitate to kill every single monster that he comes across that would dare harm Ruka. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, feeling that she would be safer with him than she was by herself.
Eventually, the two pulled away and decided to enjoy this day of rest. Zoro normally wouldn't skip a day of training in his entire life, but just this once, he decided to lay back and rest in this peaceful blue flower field and allow Ruka to play around in the flower field for this one day of rest. The environment felt so serene and peaceful, but the sight of Ruka's overjoyed happiness as she played around and collected the flowers calmed and warmed Zoro's heart.
When Ruka returned to Zoro to show him a bouquet of several different kinds of blue flowers she gathered together, Zoro swiped one from the collection. He placed one onto her ear, commenting, "You look better with this on you."
Ruka's bright smile lit up Zoro's heart when he said that, so she tried to make him happier by placing some more flowers onto her ears and even parts of her hair. Some would say that she looked ridiculous and messy with the flowers in a random arrangement in her ears and hair, but Zoro would say that she looked beautiful this way, especially with her smile being the main part of her beauty.
The first flower Zoro plucked from Ruka's collection of flowers happened to be a flower called a nemophila. Nemophila, also known as "Baby Blue Eyes," symbolizes tender sensitivity, innocence, trust, and even purity, describing Ruka perfectly.
The symbolism of the flower representing Ruka may be key to guiding Zoro's journey to not only assisting in accomplishing his dream, but perhaps discovering what more he wants in life. Both Zoro and Ruka would learn and grow together as they continue traveling together, guided by trust and assisting each other.
Notes:
So far, this chapter is absolutely my favorite! I was just waiting for this part to come, with the whole flower field, Zoro renaming Lady into Ruka, the cute flower crown scene, etc! It made me want to shriek in joy every time I reread this!
So a couple of fun facts here! The blue flower field here is inspired by Japan's actual blue flower field in Hitachi Seaside Park! I already wanted Zoro and Ruka to explore a flower field but I didn't know there was an actual field like I envisioned in Japan until I did some research, so good I guess!
I debated whether to name Ruka by "Nemo" or "Phila" for short from the flower Nemophila, but I felt like Ruka's name was better. But her favorite flower is definitely going to be Nemophila, or at least any blue flowers, since blue is her favorite color.
Ruka isn't actually a vegetarian, just a pescatarian, which is basically a vegetarian that also eats fish. She just doesn't like the taste of meat and part of why she's a pescatarian actually holds a secret later on in the story.
If any of you were wondering, yes, the first name Zoro wrote down for suggestions of what Lady's new name would be was "Kuina." He initially was thinking of giving her Kuina's name but forfeited because he didn't want to be reminded of his past with Kuina, but I think it was both sad but sweet of him to consider Kuina's name.
Yeah, it was hilarious that Zoro could only think of sword names because he's only interested in swords and wouldn't know a lot about girl names, lol!
Anyways, read and review!
Chapter 5: Sticky Situation
Notes:
Hello, guys! Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy trying to brainstorm ideas for this story and updating my other stories! You could say that this story is a sort of a prologue, a Part 1 to the One Piece series I'm planning for Ruka and Zoro: Scaled Piece. Why that's called that, you'll find out much later. That said, even now, I'm brainstorming ideas but you'll all see.
Disclaimer: Sage of Hope doesn't own any One Piece series, only the OCs!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Days have turned into weeks ever since Zoro took in Ruka, the slave girl whom he had personally named since she didn't have properly have one. It was...strange. Strange to have some form of new change in his life, where he was a lone wolf, constantly seeking out battles to grow stronger and to fulfill his dream of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman. Strange to have a new companion at his beck and call. Strange to...have someone to take care of, and to also care for him in return.
It was...a nice kind of strange.
In all honesty, it took Zoro some to get used to Ruka's presence now in his life. It wasn't that he disliked her, but rather, he needed time to get used to not being alone. Still, he found much comfort in her company. He enjoyed conversing with her even if she had to write it all down due to being mute. Every single bit of detail about Ruka, he made sure to remember everything.
And little by little, both started placing their trust into each other.
The longer the two of them stayed together, the more closer they became and it became more sense that they stuck together as a packaged deal. Both had their own roles that had them working together, even if they were somewhat stereotypical.
Zoro could protect Ruka, keep and make her feel safe, as well as provide for both him and herself. He was both a hunter and a fighter, able to juggle the duties of bounty hunting and food hunting to receive essential needs like food and money for the two of them. When it came to cooking and cleaning, however, Zoro's skills were nearly nonexistent, only doing the bare minimum.
Years as a slave had honed Ruka's skills as a cook, cleaner, and healer. Whatever food Zoro had hunted down, Ruka would cook to make more delicious and nutritious meals. Whatever clothes or supplies were dirtied, Ruka would clean up, though Zoro always had a close eye on Ruka whenever she had permission to clean his swords not out of distrust, but to ensure she wouldn't get hurt. Whatever injuries he sported, Ruka would always either heal him with her powers or bandage him up. And Ruka would take care of any supply shopping.
Ruka herself wasn't very good in a fight, or rather, she had very little experience in it. She relied on Zoro in that part, always staying a good distance from all of the fighting or hiding. At times, she had no choice but to defend herself or run away until Zoro dealt with the enemies, but she never tried to stand in Zoro's way of fighting. All she could do was mend his wounds the best she could whenever the fighting was over.
As they continued traveling together, Ruka realized that she hated seeing Zoro in pain. To see him covered in cuts or any other wounds every time he returned from a battle, the slight winches he tried to hide whenever she tried healing him, it always pained her. She knew his wounds were minor, compared to wounds he's inflicted onto his enemies and bounties. Still, that didn't make her worry even less.
It was the same for Zoro. He knew he was capable of protecting himself when it came to battle, so it became a whole different challenge when he was fighting not only for himself, but also to keep Ruka out of harm's way. He knew he was strong, strong enough to make a name for himself as a formidable bounty hunter and only improving himself with each victory he claimed. He thought that with his currently increasing strength, he could easily protect Ruka and fight enemies at once.
He never imagined how much challenging it was.
It wasn't that Ruka was a burden or got in his way in battles. If anything, she did try to stay out of battles or was forced to defend herself with her own water powers, despite the backlash effects they caused her. But multitasking was proving more difficult for Zoro the more stronger the enemies were or especially how outnumbered he tended to be. If he was by himself, he could easily make a slaughterhouse, but fighting and protecting simultaneously was proving harder and harder, especially with how his reputation was growing with the "suspicious rumor" of Ruka being his new companion, which many enemies would see as his one and only weakness.
Zoro could have left Ruka with the marines every time he turned in his bounties, or even in a more peaceful town where he was certain someone far more capable could take care of her. That way, she wouldn't be exposed to danger the more she traveled with him. After all, in this cruel and unfair world, there had to be at least one kind person who was willing to take in someone as vulnerable and fragile as Ruka.
Hell, he could have tricked her into staying at some random town or abandoned her without leaving a notice. And yet, he didn't. He simply took her with him.
Although he pitied her for her slavery situation, pity wasn't the reason why he allowed her to accompany him. He saw how scared she tended to be, always hiding behind him whenever someone approached them. How she clung to either his arm or his clothes and was trembling so much, he would have assumed that she was cold instead of frightened. With everything she's been through, with who knows how long she's been a slave for, it was natural that she wouldn't be able to trust anyone.
Anyone but Zoro, that is.
Being with Ruka felt like...a refreshing new comforting feeling for Zoro. Sure, she couldn't fight, but what mattered more was her company, her silent kindness, her desire to help out in any way she could. Perhaps it was because she wanted to repay Zoro for everything she's done, but either way, it felt...nice. Nice to have someone by his side, someone that was always waiting for him after he finished taking down a bounty or any other task.
Soon, they arrived at a town, wanting to gather more supplies for a supposedly long journey ahead. Ruka had a keen eye for gathering the necessary supplies while being mindful of their savings. Zoro himself attempted to give Ruka her own personal savings through an allowance of sorts, but Ruka always handed any money she found right to Zoro. Zoro was grateful to Ruka when it came to handling money for supplies, but did felt a bit tad guilty since that did mean he wasn't always reliable with money, which was unsurprisingly, given that he usually spends his money on drinking in bars.
Glancing around the outdoor open marketplace, Zoro noticed that it wasn't just food being sold. Other places such as women accessories, jewelry, and clothing were being sold out on the open as well. Zoro thought that maybe he should gift Ruka something as a reward for helping him as they traveled together, but...
He had no idea what exactly Ruka liked.
Zoro himself was observant, so he made sure to remember every single last detail about Ruka when she started traveling with him. He knew she loved flowers, especially the blue kinds. He knew that Ruka's favorite meals always involved fish. He knew she enjoyed rainy days, whereas most others hated them. He knew that she would always willingly heal him at the expense of her feeling the pain of his wounds.
But other than that, he knew nothing more about her.
Granted, he could just gift her a random gift and Ruka would like it, simply because it was a gift from her savior, but he wanted more than that. Zoro wasn't a picky guy, but he was particularly picky about getting a really good gift that would wow her, make her eyes sparkle with joy just like every time she ate fish.
And no, gifting her fish wouldn't really be a first-choice gift. That would just be taking the easy route out.
Making sure that he was close by Ruka so that she wouldn't wander off and get lost, Zoro pretended to be looking around elsewhere while his eyes were focused on the feminine products before him. Jewelry, accessories, makeup...a lot of good choices but far too expensive with their savings. Why did gifts for women always have to be expensive?
Zoro cleared his throat before tapping Ruka's shoulder, gaining her attention. "You know, Ruka, if you want, we can look around here, too. See if there's...anything you like."
Yeah, that seemed like a good idea for Zoro. He could observe her and gauge her reactions, see what sort of products she loves. If it was too expensive, he could always suggest staying for a few days, sneak out to grab some bounties, and use the money to get whatever expensive stuff she wanted.
Constantly glancing between Ruka and other products, Zoro examined her reactions, and although Ruka did regard the feminine items with wonder, there was a lack of desire or interest in having any of them. Even more so when she discovered just how crazy expensive they were.
After some time passed, it was clear that Ruka didn't seem interested in even sneaking a second glance at the products meant for women only. She and Zoro just bought whatever necessary food and other supplies needed for their journey before leaving the marketplace. Or at least, they were close to exiting the marketplace area when something else did catch Ruka's eye.
Zoro paused, stopping in his tracks when he saw Ruka wandering off towards another vendor. He followed behind her and saw that she was excitedly looking at different toy products meant for children. Dolls, blocks, toy ships, all sorts of toys one would expect a child would want. But there seemed to be one particular type of item that Ruka really was intrigued with.
Stickers.
Being curious, Ruka grabbed some of the sticker notepads and flipped through some of them, amazed by their small but cute designs. For example, one was filled with teddy bear stickers, another with animal stickers, and another with food stickers. But the one she seemed to like the most was the sticker notepad filled with flower stickers.
'...Okay, I can work with this,' thought Zoro, fishing out some Beris to pay. Perhaps because Ruka had spent who knows how long as a slave, her curiosity was like that of a child's, so like a child, she would enjoy stuff like simple toys instead of more mature women stuff like makeup and jewelry. At least for now.
"Here," Zoro said, paying for the flower sticker notepad that Ruka wanted. "This should be enough for the stickers, right?"
The toy vendor owner nodded. "Of course! That'll be enough. Is there anything else you want while you're here?"
Realizing that Zoro must have paid the stickers for her, Ruka smiled brightly. clinging the sticker notepad to her chest like hugging it. Thinking that she was already happy enough for now, Zoro said, "No, we're alright."
"Alright, then! Have a good day, you two!"
Later, in the inn room...
"Master Zoro! Thank you so much for these! I will cherish them forever!"
Zoro nodded. "It's no big deal. Just figured that I should get you something. You did work hard as always ever since we started traveling together."
"Master Zoro! Should I also buy you something for all the hard work you did too?"
If anything, Zoro's wish would have some high-quality booze or any kind of alcohol, but high-quality stuff like that would be pretty expensive, sometimes even more expensive than women's jewelry or clothing. Way too much for Ruka to handle, which is why if he told her what he wanted, she would have struggled hard, harder than ever before, just to get him what he wanted, and he would never want her to hurt herself trying to obtain what he wanted.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Just enjoy your stickers, okay?"
A puzzled look formed on Ruka's face. "Sticks? These are not sticks, I don't think? Am I not holding mini paintings?"
Zoro paused, looking over at Ruka. "Wait, do you seriously not know what stickers are?"
More confusion on Ruka's face as she never even heard the term confirmed Zoro's question.
With a sigh, Zoro gently took the sticker notepad from Ruka and peeled one of them off, sticking it to his finger. The astonished look on Ruka's face as she watched was like watching something entirely new from her perspective.
"Look, this is a sticker, okay? They're...well, they're like little pieces of paper that you can easily peel and then stick to another thing. People often use them for decorating or uh...sticking stuff with. They're kinda like accessories. They're also used for fun, so I guess they're like toys, in a way? Anyways, you just peel them like this and just stick them. Here."
Zoro used the sticker he just peeled off and stuck it onto Ruka's nose. He took her to the nearest mirror, where they could both see their reflections. It also allowed Ruka to see herself, specifically where the sticker landed on her face. Ruka silently panicked, wondering what to do with the sticker now that it was "stuck" to her face.
"Relax. Look, stickers are easily to peel off, too."
Demonstrating that face, Zoro easily peeled the flower sticker off Ruka's nose, assuring her that she was going to be fine. Not wanting to keep the sticker on his finger any longer, he then stuck the sticker against her cheek, rubbing his thumb against it. He could feel the smooth and soft skin as he did so, feeling a sense of relaxing with his normally callous fingers stroking her soft skin.
Realizing what he was doing, Zoro pulled his hand back, clearing his throat. "R-Right. Here." Zoro handed the flower sticker notepad back to Ruka. "Anyways, you normally use the stickers on your most favorite things. It's fun and easy to do."
Curious, Ruka wrote down, "Anything? Any favorite things? Any favorite things I like?"
"Yeah. Anything. Books, paper, even yourself-h-hey!"
Easily mastering the art of peeling stickers off the notepad, Ruka then proceeded to start placing stickers on things like her notebook all over Zoro. Stammering and squirming around, Zoro only succeeded in stopping Ruka from her sticker onslaughter by grasping her palms with his. By then, parts of his face were smacked with stickers, along with parts of the rest of his body randomly.
Taking a glance at his own mirror reflection, Zoro turned red-faced when he saw the embarrassing state he was in. God, if he had been out bounty hunting when this happened, his fearsome reputation would have taken a deep dive.
Frowning, he peeled the rest of the stickers off him with ease. Even though Zoro didn't care about his reputation that much, it still wouldn't paint him as a fierce and scary bounty hunter if he was discovered with cute stickers scattered all over his body.
After he took down the rest of the stickers and tossed them in a nearby trash bin, he felt like his heart was being stabbed by guilt when he saw the hurt puppy dog look on Ruka's face. She must have thought that he didn't like them enough to just simply throw them away.
"Hey, hey, it's alright," Zoro told Ruka gently. "Ruka, it's not as thought I hate them. It's just...I don't want stickers placed on me. Besides, you would have a better use for them than on someone like me."
Ruka shook her head and wrote down, "But you said to put the stickers on anything I like! Any favorite things! And you're my most favorite thing!"
If Zoro's face could burst into a combustion, it would have done so immediately after hearing those heartfelt words. Face redden, Zoro turned away, placing a palm over his face as though to hide his embarrassment.
"I-I don't...I'm not...You shouldn't..." With a sigh, Zoro reluctantly gave up his attempts of trying to correct her. "...Thanks."
The beaming smile formed on Ruka's face only further embarrassed Zoro...and yet made him happy too.
Notes:
This chapter is a bit short, but I also wanted to emphasize the slow-growing relationship between Zoro and Ruka. There'll be more moments like this in the future chapters as well, but I just wanted something sweet, cute, and fluffy here! I hope you enjoy!
Read and review!
Chapter 6: One for One
Notes:
Hi!~ It's been such a long time since I last updated this, mainly due to busy lifestyles, being focused on other fanfics like my Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics, and also because my brain has been running very low on ideas for this story.
By the way, I decided to change the name of this fanfiction! I initially called this Scaled Piece: Drought Seed as a sort of symbolism title. Like, I can't quite explain right now what the "Scaled Piece" is without spoiling a bit, but Drought Seed was meant to symbolize Ruka's growth. She's like a delicate flower, like from Seed, to Sprout, then Flower. "Drought" being a drainage of water and thus relating to Ruka's water powers, but evolving with each part of the stories.
So, initially, my plan for the One Piece series involving Ruka was to split up into three large parts. Part 1 being the Scaled Piece: Drought Seed, and the other two parts still having Scaled Piece, but the secondary part being something like an evolution of the water and seed. Like, the seed would grow into a sprout (Part 2) and then a flower (Part 3).
But I realized that not many people are attracted to this story because of the title, hence why I decided to change things up. So, the new official title of this fanfic is Fabled Draco: Silent Salvation. Still trying to come up with new titles for the other two parts, but I hope this goes well!
Disclaimer: Sage of Hope doesn't own any One Piece series, only the OCs!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"What do you mean that's the cheapest you could offer? That's way too expensive! Gimme some slack!"
Ruka, who was close to dozing off while sitting down on a bench and waiting for Zoro, suddenly shot out of her seat upon hearing his yells. She glanced around and decided to take a quick peek inside the open blacksmith workshop.
Zoro was arguing with a blacksmith, supposedly on the price of repairing his two chipped blades. Ruka and Zoro had just gotten back from another round of bounty hunting, with Ruka carrying the supplies and providing medical support whereas Zoro handled all of the dirty work as usual.
But the last fight had left his swords badly chipped and close to shattering to pieces. Hence why they were currently in the new town's blacksmithery to fix Zoro's swords. However, the blacksmith was proving to be quite difficult with the prices, given their current savings.
"Hey, repairing these swords to pure perfection isn't exactly simple, either!" argued back the blacksmith. "It takes time, effort, and even the materials are hard to get! Either you pay me to get these repaired, or you can simply get some new swords! Though the swords will be far more expensive than the repair fee!"
"Gh-!" Zoro gritted his teeth and let out a sigh of defeat. No way he could conjure up the money right at this moment, even with all of the money he has with him from bounty hunting. He's going to have to find some other way to get some money. "Fine, fine...I can't give you the money right now, but can you give me some time?"
The old man relaxed and nodded in understanding. "Yes, yes, that's fine. Come back anytime, but so long as you have the money. I'll have the materials up and ready then. And if you're looking for more money to make, I would recommend looking at the job board around the town square. You'll find tons of job requests up for grabs there."
"Alright, I guess that's as good a start as anyway," sighed Zoro, leaving the blacksmith workshop. "Ruka, let's get going."
Ruka nodded and hurried after him. From what she understood, completing the job requests assigned at the job board would guarantee some reward, like more Beris. If they did a good job, then they would be able to cash in enough Beris for Zoro's swords to be repaired!
And of course, it took them 3 hours to reach the town square.
Ruka had been following Zoro's lead the entire time and although she kept tugging on his arm to direct him to the correct location, especially with all of the signs pointing to where the town square was and the other shops and whatnot, it STILL took them that long.
"Man, why did it take that long for us to reach the town square? Guess this town must have been a lot bigger than I thought," muttered Zoro as he glanced up at the large job board packed with job requests.
Ruka sweat dropped, thinking, 'Master Zoro...But you were the one who-Um...Probably best to forget about it. Let's take a look at the board.'
From what Ruka could tell, a lot of these requests involving jobs such as cleanup duties, babysitting, repairs, etc. Not quite Zoro's style of job taking, for he would prefer things like slicing things apart and bounty hunting.
Finally, Zoro's eye caught sight of a monster hunting request, which he snagged off the job board and read through. A smirk formed on his face as he was fully confident that he could accomplish this request with ease.
"1,500 for each boar monster slain in wild forests...causing havoc to the fields...yadda yadda yadda...Alright, then. Guess I'm taking this quest."
Ruka eyed the other requests and glanced over to Zoro. Could she really be of much help to him out on the field? Sure, she could cook for him and heal his wounds, but other than that, she couldn't even fight. But, with the other requests posted on the board, she might be of better use for Zoro here in town. Plus, she wouldn't necessarily be a burden for Zoro to constantly look after while he was hunting for boars.
"Oi, Ruka! Are you coming or not?"
Ruka looked up and saw Zoro standing a bit far from her. Apparently, he had been walking off and didn't notice that Ruka didn't follow him until now. She looked at him and shook her head before writing down something on her notebook.
"I'm sorry, Master Zoro. But I don't think I should come with you this time."
That surprised Zoro, for he knew Ruka tended to follow after him like a lost puppy. For her to act this way, there must be a reason.
"Huh? What's the problem?"
"If you like, I can still come with you, Master Zoro. However, I believe I can help you earn more money by taking on some of the jobs on the job board. Plus, you won't have to protect me the entire time you're hunting boars."
Zoro had to admit, Ruka made some good points. Some of the jobs here like sewing and cleaning suited Ruka far more than he could. He was...decent when it came to cleaning but Ruka's cleaning skills were far superior than his. And she did have a point that he wouldn't have to constantly worry about her if she was with him in the midst of the hunting.
He glanced down at the only sword he's got perfectly intact. Wado Ichimonji. The other two swords he's got were already damaged and chipped to the point where just a few more uses for them and they'd break entirely. Therefore, he can still his his Three Sword Style, but if it comes down to it, he'll have to use his One Sword Style techniques to finish the job.
Well, this was fine. He's been meaning to improve his One Sword Style techniques anyway.
"Ruka, are you sure you can stay by yourself for a day?" asked Zoro cautiously.
Admittedly, Ruka was nervous and a bit hesitant. If they were to separate, then they wouldn't be able to see each other even for a little while. Despite that though, Ruka really wanted to help Zoro, so she nodded earnestly, even though Zoro could clearly see the hesitation on her face.
"...Here." Zoro decided to give some of his money over to Ruka, in case she needed it. He and her kept their own separate portions of their savings, despite Ruka, at one point, trying to give all of her savings to him.
Ruka seemed a little unease upon receiving Zoro's portion, but an idea popped into her head. She held up a finger for Zoro, signaling him to wait for her before running off. She then returned with a large bento box and a bottle of sake before handing them over to Zoro.
"Oh, thanks-Wait a minute, did you use the money I just gave you to buy these?'
Ruka nodded, making Zoro groan.
"No, that's not why I gave you-Ugh, never mind. Thanks." Before he turned to leave, Zoro looked at her and said, "Ruka, just...just stay in town, alright? Don't follow me to the forest, okay?"
Ruka nodded.
"No going into dark alleyways, alright?"
Another nod.
"And if you get lost, let's just meet in front of the job board, alright?"
Yet another nod.
After Zoro left, but not before glancing back behind his shoulder several times to make sure Ruka stayed rooted there, Ruka was left standing all alone in the town square. She turned back to the job board, trying to decide which one to choose first.
Initially, she thought to do just one job and wait for Zoro, but while he was gone, she might as well try as many as she could. That way, she'll earn more money for Zoro! Hopefully, Zoro wouldn't take too long on his job request.
One week later...
"God...damnit...! Why...the hell...is this town so...damn...big?!"
Zoro was panting to himself, having FINALLY reached the town square after so long. What was originally meant to be a day out in the wilderness turned into a few more days of hunting. In the midst of hunting down as many boar monsters as he could, Zoro had realized that he had left Ruka alone for far too long and had rushed to reach the town square as fast as he could, even if it meant carrying the heavy large sack of bloody boar monsters on his shoulders.
Finally, he reached the town square and finally managed to catch his breath after running for so long. He glanced around in search for Ruka but found no trace of her. Aside from a few villagers, there was nobody else in the town square.
Glancing up at the job board, Zoro noticed something amiss. Sure, there were still a lot of job requests, but it seems that a bunch had been taken down, likely having been completed. Which means...
Suddenly, Zoro felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned around, finding Ruka standing before him. Relief washed over him, glad to see that she was safe and standing before him.
However, a thorough observation showed that Ruka was anything but alright. Her eyes were bloodshot red with bags, her complexion pale and full of fatigue, and her standing staggering and close to collapsing.
Despite all that, Ruka smiled up to Zoro as she lifted up a sack of Beris in her arms and stepped forward, trying to hand the sack to him.
Realizing that she meant to give the sack to him, Zoro stepped back. Instead, he placed his hands firmly on her shoulders and shook his head. "No, Ruka, look at you! You're so tired and pale-! Gh-! You need some rest right now!"
Seeing Ruka unresponsive only made Zoro's heart clench with worry. He dropped everything he had and rushed her over to the town's inn, immediately slamming some coins onto the front counter and demanding a room. Seeing Ruka's exhausted state, the clerk hurriedly escorted Zoro and Ruka to a free room and rushed off.
Zoro pulled up a chair and sat besides the bed after tucking Ruka in. As soon as her head fit the soft pillow, Ruka had instantly drifted off to sleep. Seeing Ruka getting some rest finally had Zoro relax. But questions emerged inside his mind like wild.
How did she come to that state? How long was that? Did someone hurt her?
A knock on the door interrupted Zoro's thought of questioning. Standing up, Zoro then headed towards the door and find a female worker holding up a tray of soft, hot food with some medicine to the side.
"Here, I thought the young miss might need these," she said. "Poor girl, working herself so hard like that..."
"Oh, thanks." After taking the tray away from the female worker, he asked, "By any chance, do you know how she got like that? You mentioned something about her working so hard?"
"Oh, it's hard not to forget a really beautiful girl like her around town! For the past week, she's been going around town after snatching job after job from the job request board we've got in the town square! She's even come here a couple of times to help with the cooking and cleaning too! I don't think I've even seen her stop or even take a small break to rest one bit! She seems so focused on getting as much Beris as possible, though..."
With that information, it then clicked in Zoro's head what Ruka had been doing this whole time. She was trying to complete as many job requests as possible to earn more money. For him. To earn enough money to repair his swords. Even at the expense of her health.
Guilt crawled up Zoro's body as he took in everything that he learned. He knew that Ruka was so deeply indebted to him, grateful even, because he saved her from a continuous life of slavery. She would do anything for him, which also included this week of doing requests just to earn enough money for him to repair his swords. But he never saved her to make her grateful towards him. He just did what anyone would do to help someone in need.
Now that it's come down to this, the best thing he could do is try to stay by her side and help her rest.
When Ruka later woke up, she was still quite groggy and tired, but her dizziness had gone away. She sat up on the bed she was lying on, wondering how exactly she found herself in such a state. She turned her head and saw Zoro asleep while sitting down on a chair with his arms crossed, having watched over her for who knows how long.
Concerned for Zoro, Ruka stood up and gently grabbed his arm, intending to drag him over to her bed to let him sleep properly. However, when she started to drag him, a hand whipped out and grasped her slim wrist, startling her into stopping what she was doing.
Yawning, Zoro then opened his eyes and saw Ruka had woken up; her wrist firmly grasped in his palm. "Oh, you're finally awake." He released his grip on her and stood up, grasping her shoulders as he took a better look at her. "Hmm...No, you definitely need more rest Go back to the bed and I'll reheat your food. After that, take some medicine and go to sleep."
Ruka, who was initially surprised when Zoro had grabbed her wrist, snapped out of it and shook her head. She tugged on his arm, pointed to him, and then back to the bed, urging requesting him to sleep on her bed instead of him.
An angry tick mark formed on Zoro's head as he flicked his finger at Ruka's forehead, making her cry out silently in pain. She rubbed the sore spot and looked at Zoro who wasn't going to take no for an answer.
As a matter of fact, after he dragged her to the bed, he went to reheat the food that had gone cold and had Ruka eat it all, making sure to keep a close eye on her so she would eat every single last bite. Then, he had her drank some medicine and watched her gulp down a whole cup of water to wash down the medicine. In just a few short minutes, the sleepy effectiveness of the medicine plus her current tired state had her practically knocked out in no time.
Zoro sighed, feeling relieved that Ruka hadn't put up more of a fight than he imagined. Then again, Ruka was always pretty docile and obedient towards him and even her feeble attempts of disobeying were easy to bypass. His eyes soften upon seeing her current state as he cursed to himself for allowing this to happen.
What was originally meant to last a day, maybe even a little bit more than a day, turned into a week. Ruka must have been patiently waiting for him, taking on requests to raise money. For HIM. For his swords to get properly repaired.
And although the boar monsters he's killed and dropped off at some security center to serve as proof of his request completion earned him a hefty amount of Beris, Ruka's contribution also helped reached the amount he needed to repair his swords, plus there was extra Beris to spare for future savings out on the roar again.
Earlier, while Ruka was deeply asleep, he had headed out and delivered the necessary amount of Beris to repair his swords, being promised that they would be fixed within a few days, which should be enough time for Ruka to make a full recovery. Plus, while he was out, he chatted with several locals and learned so much of what Ruka had been up to.
Apparently, she's been completing a bunch of tasks and doing so nonstop, even going through the nighttime. Cleaning, gardening, babysitting, cooking, carrying and delivering supplies from one household to another, all sorts of tasks that Zoro knows full well that Ruka was far more qualified for, given that she's way better at household chores than him. Knowing Ruka, she might have started the moment Zoro left and didn't bother stopping to rest or even eat the entire time until he got back, which is something he'll have to scold her for later.
Ruka's actions only caused Zoro to not just be grateful for Ruka for doing all this for him, but also ashamed of himself. The damn forest was so large and finding even one boar monster was a challenge in itself, never mind the fact that he had to rely on One Sword Style techniques the entire time. If he had been stronger, faster even, then Ruka wouldn't have fallen in such a state.
When she recovers, he's going to make it up to her. For everything she's done for him.
A few days later...
"Here you go! Good as new! These two swords were definitely big pieces of work!" sighed the blacksmith, handing Zoro over his newly forged swords.
"Thanks," said Zoro, sheathing his blades back to their scabbards. "Ruka, let's go."
Ruka followed after Zoro, as obedient as ever, around town. Whenever one of the townspeople saw them, they would say things like, "Good day!" or "Thank you for helping me with that task before!" normally over to Ruka, who waved back or bowed her head back in respect.
'It seems that Ruka's really made a good impression on the townsfolk here. That's...good,' Zoro thought, smiling faintly as he watched Ruka greeting some kids with a happy smile and waves from both hands.
He took Ruka to some stores, hoping there was something inside that she liked that he would buy for her. None of them were to her appeal, much to Zoro's dismay. Jewelry, clothes, no girly things appealed quite to her. Heck, there was a toy store but even the sticker selection portion didn't interest Ruka!
Ruka then spotted an ice cream shop and paused for a moment. Noticing this, Zoro finally got a grasp that she wanted some ice cream and asked, "Ruka, did you want some ice cream?"
The shy little nod from Ruka was affirmed Zoro's question.
A few minutes later, a happy Ruka was chowing down on her ice cream while walking behind Zoro. Zoro still felt like he should do some more for Ruka just as she's done much for him. But at the very least, he could be a bit satisfied with this. He did learn a bit more about her this way anyway.
Plus, keeping her around made him feel...happy, at least.
Notes:
Hey, guys! So this is just a short chapter, maybe a little longer than the rest but it focuses snippets of Zoro and Ruka's cute relationship together and all that! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Read and review!
PhantomGoat13 on Chapter 3 Sat 22 Apr 2023 08:32AM UTC
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inilagem on Chapter 3 Mon 24 Apr 2023 09:46AM UTC
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TellMyselfSecrets on Chapter 3 Mon 29 May 2023 03:53AM UTC
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minwithadahon on Chapter 4 Sat 14 Oct 2023 07:08AM UTC
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Lilitue on Chapter 4 Fri 03 Nov 2023 05:13AM UTC
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Sherubii on Chapter 5 Thu 04 Apr 2024 02:52AM UTC
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Kiko (Guest) on Chapter 5 Wed 28 Aug 2024 02:11PM UTC
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Sherubii on Chapter 6 Mon 28 Jul 2025 11:30AM UTC
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