Chapter Text
Everybody on the ship had their various roles, and no, he was not talking about their occupations or positions on the Sunny.
Sure, Nami was their navigator and treasurer, but she was also their crew’s mother-figure as well. (Although the evil, strict step-mother kind, but still.) Usopp was the younger brother, foolish and playful. Brook, their crazy grandfather who had jokes as stale as his age. Franky was that wacky, yet ‘cool’ uncle who did the wildest things. Sanji, despite everything he insulted the man for, was probably the eldest son, looking after those who needed it. The others, well, they were a bit harder to place. Robin was probably somewhere between aunt or elder sister. You didn’t get in her way or insult things that shouldn’t be insulted. (She was more terrifying than Nami.) Chopper, too, had a role somewhere between two: a mothering figure, strict like Nami, or a young child. He could easily be the babysitter or the baby of the group whenever he chose. Luffy, too was somewhere between everything, but a protective brother probably suited him best, even if foolish and disobedient to a tee.
And him? Well, he was the protector. Even though Luffy was, Luffy needed somebody to protect him. And with protecting Luffy came protecting his crew. Luffy may be strong but he was foolish. He was, well, an idiot. People found out though, if you took advantage of Luffy, there would be hell to pay, and that hell was him. He supposed that might make him the fatherly figure but… if Nami was the mother--- yeah, no thanks.
Still didn’t mean that if somebody hurt his nakama he wouldn’t make them suffer.
Which was why, Zoro thought, Trafalgar Law took such offense to him…
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He didn’t trust him. He didn’t trust his smirks or his cryptic, half answers. Sure, the guy saved their captain’s life, but the man was a pirate, and Luffy was gullible, and they weren’t most pirates.
Zoro knew most pirates, and most pirates stole, and used, and killed. Most pirates weren’t to be trusted. Law was hiding something. Law had ulterior motives despite what he said, Because most pirates wouldn’t let a debt like that remain unpaid.
It was only worse that Luffy believed the guy.
And nobody was going to hurt his crew – especially his captain.
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“Shishishi, you remind me of Zoro, Torao.”
Both of them flinched at that, not liking the comparison.
“You’re both so quiet and go off on your own… Do you get lost like Zoro does too?”
“Hey – Luffy – what was that?!”
Despite his protests – did that creep just scoff?
.xxx.
Luffy was right however – that surgeon of death was reclusive, probably even more than he was. But there was something off about it. Perhaps the other man was like this naturally but…
It felt intense.
Zoro couldn’t figure out why. Was it because he was just using them? Just like Nami tried to do? (And after Fishman Island, that memory was all too fresh in their minds…) Was it that Law simply didn’t like any of them? Or, perhaps was he distancing himself as Robin did until Water 7?
It was just an alliance to him after all, despite what Luffy thought on the matter. It only made sense that he would avoid any… connections or friendships. Once their goal was finished, their alliance would be too. They were both after the One Piece after all.
He was going to use them, and expected to be used in return, because that’s what most pirates did.
Unfortunately for Law (and them, as Zoro could only see this ending badly) he picked an alliance with the most untraditional and unpredictable pirate out there.
An alliance meant nakama, and nakama meant everything to their captain.
Zoro hated his position sometimes.
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Luffy may be an idiot, he may be oblivious and have a skull thicker than Impel Down’s walls, but he certainly wasn’t stupid – at least when it counted. When the tough got going, when things seemed impossible or even then the topics were heavy, their captain always knew what to do or what to say.
How to convince a bounty-hunter to become the very thing he hunted. Putting a stop to a pirate in hiding and saving a village and inspiring a coward. Not giving up and seeing a call for help before it was cried. Encouraging dreams, accepting a ‘monster’ and a ‘devil.’ Giving people a reason to live or a place to stay, a hope to the hopeless. Their captain was an idiot, but a reliable one who just knew how to help without trying.
Part of him wondered if Law needed fixing too, just by watching the two captains interact...
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“Zoro, do you think Torao hates me?”
The swordsman opened his eye at that. This was unusual. Normally their captain would whine elsewhere, and in front of the person he was whining about. And a bit more jokingly than this. He let his silence and attention speak for him.
“I mean, he keeps avoiding me and ignoring me and whenever he does talk it’s always about plan this or plan this!”
“That warlord avoids everybody Luffy.” Zoro said bluntly. “He doesn’t seem to enjoy socialising, you even pointed that out yourself.”
Why did Luffy seem to take this so personally?
“Neither do you and Robin, but at least you guys react! He doesn’t even do that! He just pretends I don’t even exist! We’re nakama right? Did I do something wrong? Maybe he’s hungry? He doesn’t eat a lot during meals. Yeah! That must be it! Sanjiiiii~!”
Zoro sighed, shaking his head as he watched their captain run off to find that damned cook. Well, that was strange… But, Luffy had returned to his usual self so maybe he just needed to rant a little. Besides, Law did seem to have a… higher tolerance to Luffy’s antics than everybody else. He didn’t wear down as quick as most people, and perhaps it frustrated their captain. But Luffy wasn’t one to back down… and with that settled, Zoro closed his eye, intent on getting that nap…
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Like him and Robin huh? While Zoro didn’t like being compared to that creepy surgeon then and definitely not now, Robin was a new one. Well. In a sense. And if Luffy of all people noticed it… there were similarities to them.
They were both creepy as hell, for one, and they both were people he opposed to becoming their nakama. Also, they both were too quiet for comfort. Although Robin had gotten better after the showdown with CP 9 and ------
Zoro paused at that, remembering that empty look in her eyes. The one that gave up at life and happiness, despite what seemed promised to her onboard their ship.
Zoro thought, that maybe it was just Law’s distancing himself was the comparison, but every now and then… he’d see that look. The one that had given up. That lack of desire to live.
But there was also that intensity. That… rage. That one thing that had to be done first.
And that was perhaps the reason of Zoro’s opposition towards this ‘Surgeon of Death.’ Because that fury and that… emptiness did not breed well. It made one reckless, unpredictable, and even desperate. A man willing to do anything for that one goal, that way to qualm the anger, that vengeance?
Could somebody really be more dangerous than Luffy?
And they were in an alliance with it! Great, just great. For probably the millionth time, Zoro regrets accepting Luffy’s help. (Not that he had much choice in the matter…)