Chapter Text
I'm nobody special. I don't have Haki. I don't have a Devil Fruit. I don't even have any fighting skills! I'm just an ordinary girl, curled up on the ground, trying not to die as the world around me goes to hell in a handbasket.
Hi! You're probably wondering how I got here. Let's go back to when this all started: about a month ago. I'm minding my own business, sitting on the subway, chewing my bubblegum, playin' with my yo-yo… Oh wait, that's a different story.
I'm sitting on the subway when suddenly, everything goes dark. I figure the power probably went out or something, so I wait patiently in my seat. After about five minutes, I realize that it's quiet, far too quiet for crowded public transportation. Then, I hear a tap, tap, tap of dripping water from somewhere off to my left.
Making a super smart spur of the moment decision, I go investigate the sound. My shoes slosh through ankle-deep water after only a few steps. The dripping sound has turned into a roaring gush, and the water level is rising. I still can't see anything.
Based on my spatial memory, there should be a door to my immediate right. I place my hands out in front of me and wade forward through the thigh-high water. I keep walking, but my hands make no contact. The water is up to my waist now. I walk faster. Still nothing. The water is up to my chest.
My foot catches on something, and I trip, plunging into the depths. I flail around, disoriented and panicking. I can't find the surface! My lungs are burning. I need air! I see light! I claw my way up through the water, and my fingers break the surface, followed quickly by my head. I desperately gasp for air before a wave crashes over me, dragging me down again.
I fight back to the surface, drawing in another lungful of sweet, sweet oxygen. I catch a glimpse of a small boat nearby. “Help!” I yell, and immediately get dragged under again. I kick with all my might to stay afloat, but I can feel my strength waning.
Just as I'm about to give up, a strong hand clamps firmly around my wrist, and drags me onto a hard surface. Laying on my side, I gasp and splutter, chest heaving and muscles spent. I groan weakly. My eyes are stinging, but I force them open in order to view my savior. I blink up at the blurry green haired man sitting beside me. It looks kind of like… I squint. That can't be right. “Z-Zoro?!”
I try to sit up, but the man pushes me back down. “You shouldn't move. You have a nasty gash on your forehead.” He pulls out a roll of bandages.
When did I get that? I raise a hand to my forehead, and I wince as I make contact with the wound. My fingers are stained with red when I pull my hand away. “That's probably not good,” I say dazedly.
“No, it's not,” he says, handing me a belt. I stare at it, confused, and he sighs. “Put it in your mouth. This is going to hurt.” Oh. I hastily place it between my teeth and brace myself as best I can. My forehead burns like a metal slide in summer as he presses a damp cloth to it, and I let out a muffled scream. My entire body trembles as a needle repeatedly pierces my skin, pulling and tugging at my scalp. I lose track of time, dissociating from the pain. When he finishes wrapping my head, he sets a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back to the present. “Are you alright?”
I pry my sore jaw apart, and wipe my eyes. “I-I'll live.”
He grins and raises an eyebrow. “You're tough. You didn't pass out,” he remarks.
I bark out a laugh and prop myself up against the wall of the boat. “So, where are we heading?”
He shrugs, and points into the sky. “I'm sailing towards that cloud. We should reach land at some point.”
I chuckle. “You're definitely Zoro.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You seem familiar with me, but I'm pretty sure I've never met you before.”
“Oh! Right! My name's…” I frown. “My name's…why don't I know my name?” When I try to recall anything about myself, I come up empty-handed. I stare at Zoro with wide eyes. “I don't remember who I am.”
His brow furrows. “But you know who I am?”
I nod, and speak the words supplied by my brain. “Roronoa Zoro, Demon Pirate Hunter, wants to become the world's greatest swordsman.”
Zoro's gaze sharpens. “How do you know that?”
“I don't know!” I yell, frustrated. “I just do!”
I hug my knees to my chest and rest my chin on them. “I don't know,” I mumble. We sail in silence for a while. I feel so empty. I finally speak. “If I can't remember my name, I suppose I'll need a new one.”
Zoro studies me intently for a moment. “Kirei,” he says.
“Kirei? I like it. Does it mean something?” I ask him. He doesn't respond. I shrug. “Alright. I guess my name's Kirei now.” It'll take some getting used to, but it's as good as any. “Thank you, by the way, for rescuing me and stitching me up. You saved my life.”
“Eh. Don't make a big deal about it,” he says, waving a hand dismissively. He leans back and appears to fall asleep.
I stare at his relaxed face. It's weird. I know more about him than I do about myself. Where did I come from? Do I have a family? Friends? How did I end up in the middle of the sea? I'm giving myself a headache, so I turn my attention to the water. Looking across the waves, I spot a speck on the horizon.
Excitement grips my chest. “I think I see an island!” I exclaim.
“Told you we'd come across land,” Zoro murmurs. “How far off is it?”
“It's only a speck, so probably still a bit?” I shrug.
“M'kay.”
I roll my eyes and adjust the sail, so that the boat is heading towards the speck. Zoro probably would've left it to chance. I watch the landmass grow larger and larger. A large blue and white building takes up a large portion of the port city. My brain supplies a name. “Shells Town.”
Zoro stirs at my words. “Do you know this place?”
I frown. “It looks familiar, but more like I saw a picture of it once.”
“Well, there's a marine base,” he says, pointing to the large building. “Maybe someone there can help you find your way back home.”
“No!” I blurt out in panic. “I don't trust the marines!”
“Why?”
“I don't know. It’s just a deep-seated feeling inside of me. Just like how I feel completely safe around you.” I jump onto a dock and start tying the boat to a post. Halfway through the knot, I pause.
“What's wrong?”
“I know how to tie knots, but I don't remember learning how to tie knots.” I slowly finish securing the line, confusion etched into my features.
“It's probably muscle memory then,” Zoro comments. “Maybe you used to work on a ship.”
“Would it be alright if I travel with you for a little longer?” I ask anxiously.
He shrugs. “Sure. But I don't have a lot of beri.”
“I don't care. We can figure something out. I'd just rather be with you than on my own.”
He gives me a weird look, nods, and we head into town together.