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The heat beating down was relentless. Zoro knew that they’d prayed for Nika’s warmth to return years earlier but this was taking it too far. He grumbled as he wound around another boulder, hiking his sack higher. Nika may have asked for him and only him, but the priests below always managed to ignore that particular message. They had been delivering offerings to Nika every summer solstice for generations. Zoro begrudgingly understood. However, that didn’t make it any less a waste of his energy. Lugging gold and meat and assorted playthings up the rugged mountainside. He should have enlisted Sanji’s help.
Not that he would have agreed; he’d been terrified of Mount Corvo ever since his face to face encounter with Nika.
These days, it was hard to get either him or Nami out of their books. They were as intent as the other to find out as much as they could about Nika, Water Law, and whoever else might end up on their doorstep thanks to Nika’s proximity. They had been unprepared once and had no intention of doing it again. Their tales always went over Zoro’s head, though he did his best to feign interest.
Finally reaching the shrine, Zoro took a moment to lower his load and take a swig from his water skin. He then dumped the rest over his head without ceremony. There was more water within the shrine, although it was probably sacrilege to take it. Not that Nika had ever told him it was off limits or voiced complaints before.
Pushing open the heavy stone doors, Zoro suddenly tensed. Because he was not alone. There were figures already in the temple. Figures camped out inside of Nika’s shrine. His hand immediately reached for his wakizashi.
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.
Then the figures turned around and a shiver went down his spine. The first one he barely paid any mind to as it appeared to be little more than a reindeer but the second one…The second unfolded and loomed at near nine feet tall. Not only that, but it wasn’t human at all. Or perhaps it once had been but now all that remained was a skeleton, a crack running through its skull and fractures visible in other places. Zoro grit his teeth, tightening the grip on his sword. Was this Teach? The demon that had thrown Nika from the sky? Had he found Nika’s earthly sanctuary and come to seek revenge?
‘Nika,’ he prayed vehemently. ‘Get your damned arse down here this second.’
Yes, Nika detested being ordered around but Zoro thought this counting as a very exceptional circumstance. He growled when the skeleton stepped closer, no doubt held together by dark magic and given life unnaturally.
“Ah, excuse me,” it said, bowing its head in a manner that could pass for politeness. “I didn’t realise we would have visitors. We are simply waiting for our sun provider.”
That didn’t sound good. “If it’s Nika you’re after, you’ll have to-”
Crack!
The deafening boom rocked the temple’s very foundations, the reindeer shrieking and skittering to hide in a corner. The skeleton merely spread his arms wide in welcome. Zoro’s eyes narrowed. He then recoiled sharply as a face abruptly appeared millimetres away from his.
“Zoro!”
His name was practically sung and Zoro was powerless to stop his eyes from twitching despite the circumstances. “Oi Nika, pay attention! We’re not alone!”
Luffy craned his head backwards before slapping his hands together and re-emerging on the other side of the temple. He situated himself on top of the skeleton’s shoulders and shook him erratically.
“Brook! Long time no see.”
“You too, Sun Nika.”
“Stuffy,” Luffy pouted sourly, stretching an arm out in that impossible way of his and dragging the poor, terrified reindeer over. “Chopper! I’ve missed you!”
“Nika, it’s been terrible without you!” the reindeer wailed and Luffy just laughed, bells tolling somewhere overhead. He then dropped to the ground, seemingly trying to decide his next move. He ended up bounding to Zoro’s side, grabbing his hand and twirling round and round under it. “Does Zoro like my friends?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do I get a choice?”
“Nope!” Luffy replied cheerfully. “They’re my friends so you have to.” He stilled long enough for Zoro to extract his hand. “And they have to like Zoro! So there.”
Zoro didn’t think he particularly liked that and so, instead, nudged over his offerings. “From the village.”
Luffy frowned. “I told them to stop doing that.”
“And I told them as such. But they don’t always listen.”
Brook, as Luffy had called him, approached, rifling through the offerings. Zoro flicked a look Luffy’s way but he was seemingly unbothered, just bouncing from foot to foot as Brook sorted the offerings into piles. Once done, he ran a hand over the gold, Zoro’s mouth dropping open as it melted under his touch, seeping into cracks in the temper floor and draining away.
“Where do they get this?”
Zoro shrugged. “I think they dig it up from the western mountains. There’s a mine there.”
Luffy nodded near pensively, gaze turning west, looking as though he could see through the marble confines of his temple. The next second there was a ear splitting clap of thunder. Luffy turned to him with an easy grin. “There. No mine, no gold.”
Zoro paled, reaching out to grab Luffy by the vest only to be stalled when the reindeer was suddenly between them. It growled, pushing him away from the god and glaring darkly. Zoro was undeterred, twisting its antlers and sending it toppling over.
“There were people in there Nika! You didn’t have to go that far!”
Luffy was suddenly in his face, eyes burning as they met his. “Mortals, who wouldn’t listen to the words of a god. I gave them chances.”
Zoro wasn’t swayed. “You sound like Law.”
That made Luffy’s mouth snap shut. He quickly looked away, bells turning to weak chines. Brook went to lay a hand on his shoulder but Luffy brushed it off. He then sighed, approaching the temple’s walls, fingers running over the carvings that had been made there. He stopped by a blank stone.
“Brook, come carve this one.”
The skeleton hastened to do as asked, kneeling beside the stone. “What should I carve?”
“The sun, being scolded by its lesser. The moon.”
Brook nodded, quickly getting to work. Chopper looked between Luffy and Zoro before taking a tentative step forward. “Nika…”
Luffy shook his head. “I’m not from the Seagull Line. I’m a Monkey, through and through. We bring justice, light, warmth.” His hands balled into fists. “I need to remember that. Remember Ace, Sabo, and those who serve me.”
Zoro was suitably confused, only more so when Luffy came to stand in front of him. He then took a step, forehead pressing against Zoro’s sternum. “Forgive me?”
He admitted he stumbled a tad, forcing Luffy back. “Nika, you can’t ask such a thing of me. You’re a god. I have no power over you.”
Luffy frowned up at him, stomping a foot and whirling smoke around them. “But I want Zoro’s forgiveness!”
“Fine; then you have it. Whatever good it’ll do.”
Luffy was suitably appeased, zipping back to Brook’s side and praising the skeleton as he worked. Zoro was drawn away from watching them by a slight scuffing noise to his side. When he glanced down, it was to see the reindeer standing there. It was eyeing him up nervously and Zoro finally sheathed his sword, which seemed to help immensely. He jerked a thumb in Nika’s direction, the animal following the action closely.
“He called you Chopper. That right?”
The reindeer gave a short nod. “Tony Tony Chopper. Luffy granted me the power to be god of the forests.”
Zoro raised his eyebrows. “What did you do to earn that?”
“I was treated unfairly by another god.” Zoro’s expression swapped to a frown. Chopper offered what he thought was a smile. “I was human once. But then a heavenly demon came to torment my village. I was turned into what you see now. Sabo reigned down minutes later, Luffy and Ace by his side. I was found.” Chopper shook himself, clearly shaking the memories away. “They could not restore me to what I was but Luffy granted me speech once more and deified me. It was a kind gesture.”
He supposed it was. “And the demon?”
“God,” Chopper corrected. “Just not an overtly nice one. He continues his chaos to this day.”
“Oi Nika!” Zoro called. “Thought you gods could kill each other. Why’s this heavenly demon one still around?”
Luffy’s face blackened, scowl deep. “I’ve tried. Ace and I almost had him. But now, with Ace gone…”
“Then get Sabo.”
“It’s not as simple as all that,” Brook cut in, finishing his carving and moving away. “Although, I must admit that I would be happy to see his downfall as well. I too have suffered at his hands, only to be rescued by Sun Nika.”
“It’s just Luffy,” said god grumbled before taking Brook’s hand in his. “And I was still too late. Now you’re trapped in this form.”
Brook cheerfully stepped out of his grip. “True, but all the better to make music with! Why, the rattling of my very bones are their own music, the wind between my eye sockets, its own precious song. I have been given a second chance at life Sun Nika, and I can’t bear to waste it thinking of what could have been!”
Luffy brightened there, a flood of warmth filling the room. He clapped his hands excitedly before latching onto Zoro, swinging himself onto his back and pressing a kiss to his cheek, something Zoro protested at. Not because it was unwelcome but because there were others watching, damn it.
“So Zoro,” he said thoughtfully. “What do you think? Team up with me and Sabo to take down a god?”
“Nika, that’s insane! I know I have no right to refuse you but that would be suicide. A mortal against gods? You know we stand no chance.”
He then paused as he was subjected to three pairs of staring eyes - though perhaps Brook did not count so much. Luffy went as far as to slip to the ground, coming to his front and grasping his face in his hands. Zoro huffed.
“What?”
“Zoro,” Luffy said firmly, so unlike his usual boisterous self that Zoro stiffened. “You’re no mortal. From the second you became my mouthpiece, you ascended.”
He choked.
“You’re not deified, not yet, but you could be. You weren’t aware of your powers?”
“I…”
Luffy waved a hand, darkening the room. He then placed Zoro’s wakizashi in his hand. “Feel me in your veins. I’m there.”
It shouldn’t have made sense but somehow it did. Zoro did as asked, pulling on the heat he’d felt when Luffy’s powers had surged through him and just liked that, the atmosphere of the room seemed to change. His eyes, for one, instantly became adjusted to the darkness. His veins burnt white, his hair glowed to match, and, most of all, the sword in his hand was swiftly engulfed in a burning white flame.
“Nika, what is this?”
“You’re my lesser,” he said simply. “The moon to complete the sky. The God Hunter. Lunarian. As I say.”
“As you say,” Chopper and Brook parroted.
Zoro laughed in disbelief, Luffy waving away the darkness and Zoro dropping his power from the sword. “You could have told me.”
Luffy flashed him a grin, plopping his straw hat on his head and setting off claxons above. “Ah, I could have.”
He then bounded up to tiptoes to kiss him mischievously and they both knew what that meant. He could have; but he never would have. But Zoro knew now and that meant what exactly?
He wished he knew.
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