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Passages	By : KaraiSenju Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 5554 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I make no money from this... hoesntly if I did i could afford a better laptop.

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- 1-Passages
- 1
Two years. Two long years.

Zorro was never a patient man, but two years?

It was torture.

Even more so because it was his fault.

After all, if he hadn’t have hesitated… but the truth was, he would no longer be hesitating. That damned marine took advantage of his weakness, stole his sword- and his Captain.

As he sat at Mihawk’s feet, heading towards the rendezvous point from two years of long training, he remembered. He remembered how he had accompanied Luffy to what they thought was an uninhabited island to perform basic repairs on Sunny and search for fresh food, only to find it was a trap. The marines- and that damned Kuina look-alike- were waiting. For once, she wasn’t clumsy, and he took a direct hit in his surprise, after she used the Kuina-look to distract him. Luffy pushed him out of the way, getting captured by a sea prism net, and Wado Ichimonji was in there with him. He tried to free him, but she ran interference, and they were surrounded.

Regardless of his Captain’s orders, he never should have left Luffy to them. When they got the news he was going to be paraded around the Grand Line as an ‘example’… he wanted to go and save him right then. If it weren’t for Mihawk and Whitebeard showing up, he would have. Ace thought of a plan to save Luffy, but it required them leaving the grand line, and rescuing him in a gutsy move straight from the execution point at Loguetown. They had all been training for two years to rendezvous at Loguetown- even though he knew there was a possibility some of them might not come, he would. He was Luffy’s first mate, meant to be a blade for him to use even as much as his own swords were for him, and he had failed. He would not fail again.

His borrowed katana lay gleaming at his feet. It felt wrong not to be carrying Wado Ichimonji… but surprisingly the white blade was less of a worry than his Captain. Somehow… he knew they were together.

As the sun set, his eyes slowly closed, his thoughts and heart with the one he had left behind.

~

Luffy had endured a lot in two years. His body, though made of rubber, wasn’t immortal. Lack of food, torture, and knives, as well as the constant sea prism stone cage he was in and lack of basic hygiene made him alternatively feverish and yet, stronger. There was one part of Luffy they couldn’t touch, and that was his heart.

Tashigi was his main tormentor. She had gotten a promotion, along with Smoker, and the two were his primary guards. Smoker left him alone for the most part, in fact the man actually talked to him now and then. Tashigi however wanted one thing he would not give up.

It was seen as a strange move on Smoker’s part, that he allowed him to have it. The higher-ups weren’t pleased, and neither was Tashigi. But, as Smoker pointed out, it wasn’t like he could use it, he had no formal training, the cage was far too cramped for him to swing, and he was constantly drained by sea prism stone. Letting him keep it made him easier to transport, he didn’t fight as much.

So now, even around the sneers and catcalls from the Marines, he held on to Wado Ichimonji. The blade-unlike him- was crisp and clean and well taken care of. He made sure of that. What little water he was given, he’d use to wipe off dust and other debris that tried to tarnish the brilliantly white scabbard. And when Tashigi tried to take it, those were the only times he fought back.

Because he knew Zoro would be coming.

Right now the furious woman and the annoyed Smoker was in front him, she was going on about the dignity of a blade. Luffy couldn’t help but laugh. “Dignity? In that case, you need to change your weapon.”

Smoker gave him a dirty look, and he shrugged. It was the truth.

“I can wield it much more effectively-“

“You are nothing more than a trumped up little girl with delusions of grandeur.” Luffy sighed. Normally, he wasn’t that articulate. His crew would be surprised, he knew. But he was tired, too tired to keep the normal, happy fool mask. That was reserved for Zoro now. “What makes you think that you know the difference between right and wrong, or that there even is a difference?”

“You pirates are all the same-“

“I could say the same for you Marines. Tell me, Tashigi, do you know how I got my first bounty?”

Smoker perked up. That was one piece of the puzzle he couldn’t find. “Go on, Straw Hat.”

“There was a village… small… poor… grew tangerines. Arlong, a fishman pirate, set up base there. For eight long years he drove that island insane. Ridiculous taxes, ruling over it like he was a king.” Luffy said, smiling at the memory of Nami joining him. “One girl from there was an extremely talented child. She could draw sea maps better than anyone else. Arlong killed her mother, and threatened that if she didn’t do exactly as he said that he would kill her sister as well. A small child… a little girl, no more than ten… had to join a group of pirates in order to save a life. And on top of that, she was strung along by a false promise. ‘Pay me ten billion berries, and I’ll let you buy your precious village’. Everyone in the village waited helplessly. Finally, she made enough money.”

“Where do you fit in?!”

“I was one of the pirates she duped out of gold. Well, honestly I didn’t care about the treasure, I wanted the ship back. When we got there, we found out everything. Arlong would make her sit in a room for days, drawing sea charts until her fingers bled. And right when she was almost there, freedom just within reach- you showed up.”

Tashigi looked pleased. “Of course the Marines would help a town like that!”

“Help? No. You weren’t there to help. The marine ship was on the take. It offered hope, but instead of fighting Arlong, the marines were more interested in stealing all the money she had saved. It was so close, she had been within reach, and you Marines stole her dream from her.”

“Marines would never do that!” she shrieked.

“Wouldn’t they? It’s the human condition, isn’t it? A Marine ship… hostile waters… maybe the Captain got promoted too fast, wasn’t ready. But he was too damned weak to take on Arlong, so he made a deal with him. Regardless of his motivation, it is the direct actions of the Marines that nearly destroyed that town. And if I, a pirate, hadn’t defeated Arlong when I did, there wouldn’t have been a town. The result of that… of a good deed done by a pirate versus a marine on the take… was my first bounty.”

“Nemu.” Smoker sighed.

“Captain?”

“The marine. His name was Nemu. He’s been brought up on charges now, we thought it was suspicious and it turned out that he was taking money from several pirates and making false reports.” Smoker let out a huff from his cigar. “Tashigi… this is why I didn’t want you to be promoted. Not all marines are good, not all pirates… are bad.”

“Smoker!”

“There are two classifications of pirates… not that I’d tell a marine this normally.” Luffy said, nodding at smoker. “They’re called Morganeers, and Peace Mains.”

“I’ve heard those terms before.” Tashigi said with a frown. “Some of the prisoners at Impel Down… they classify themselves like that.”

“Morganeers are typical ‘pirates’ as you Marines see us. They only care about treasure and power, human lives mean nothing and they exist only in their own greed. Those are the ones that kill, torture, and cause havoc. Peace Mains are different. We only seek adventure, for us, experience and those we call comrade is the real treasure, more so than gold and gems.”

“But all pirates like treasure! All pirates steal!”

“Technically true… but Peace Mains only steal from Morganeers. It’s part of the code. Someone like you, who only sees what you consider right and wrong, wouldn’t understand. Is it better, in this case, not to steal, or is it better to take from a ship of murderers and rapists, and use the money to help rebuild an orphanage?”

Tashigi looked confused. “I can’t believe you. You mean to say some Pirates are actually do-gooders?”

“So easily you forget your own experiences.” Luffy smiled again. “Do you remember? Though you got the credit, it was I who took down Crocodile. I didn’t do it because of some bounty or because I wanted something from him; I did it because Vivi was someone I once called friend, and she needed help.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that the Great blades shouldn’t be in the hands of pirates, Morganeer or Peace Main! Those should be used as tools for justice-“

“On whose authority?”

“Excuse me?”

Luffy sighed. He hated explaining things; it was why he acted like a moron most of the time. Some things just shouldn’t have to be explained. “What arrogance makes you think that you know what’s right and wrong? You didn’t craft these swords. You don’t know what their makers intended. In his time wielding this blade, Zoro has done more for the name of justice than you ever will. Someone like you is like a yipping dog- all you care about is what you want, what you think, what you know as if a mere human has the right to that kind of attitude. People like you are those with good intentions who go way off the mark- now it’s swords, but if that should be accomplished? What next? Do only marines deserve devil fruit powers? Will you execute those who get one by accident? What about cannons, they too are weapons of war, just as lovingly crafted. Where will your ambition end? When a child has to beg a marine for water, and hope he’s not on the take?”

Her eyes were wide and her fists were clenched. “I would never… never…”

“When Crocodile took his oath, he too said he would never do what he did. I’m sure Nemu was the same. The fact is, you Marines… you’re all so puffed up on your grand importance that you forget what it’s like for those who aren’t Marines. The common people look up to you. Where you have presence… where you actually fight for that justice you talk about so lovingly… that’s fine. But what about those grand claims when you get someone like Ax-Hand Morgan, who only wanted to terrify people by his own brute power?”

“I suppose in your ideal world there wouldn’t even be marines!”

Luffy laughed. “You really don’t get it? I’m saying, Tashigi, that you need to look for corruption within as well as without. Before you go off on a high horse about Pirates not deserving good swords, you need to look long and hard about where that action might lead. I’m not saying that there doesn’t need to be Marines. I have several friends who are Marines, my Grandfather is a Marine. I’m saying that one person cannot decide the fate of something. You can only do what you can do. This ‘dignity’ you go on about, every single day… it’s been what… nearly two years I’d guess since we’ve just passed Reverse Mountain? Every day it’s the same line. You claim that a weapon like this needs to be wielded by dignity. But someone who would use the memory of a dead girl and mock the dreams of someone who never did a thing to her… that isn’t someone I can say has dignity.”

She railed at him, pulling his weak body up against the cage, making his skin ache like a thousand cannons were firing at the points where the stones made contact. She punched him, again and again, and he could do nothing but sit there.

“Enough, Tashigi.”

“But he-“

“You’ve just proved his point. Would a dignified Marine who believes wholly in justice beat a prisoner?”

She froze, just for a moment, and ran from the room, crying.

Smoker turned his back, and shook his head. “You’re a cruel man, straw hat. It will take her months to get over this.”

“She needed to hear it.”

“Oh? So this was for her sake?”

“Power corrupts, Captain Smoker. She’s rising in the ranks rapidly, but just because she’s strong and has ideals doesn’t mean she’ll make a good leader. People like her… they can fall easily if you let them. But she’s stubborn.” He coughed, holding the blade closer. “She’ll behave now out of spite, to prove me wrong.”

“I would have thought you hated her.”

“Hate her? No. I pity her, and people like her. One day, you won’t be able to protect her, Smoker. She’s got to understand that the world isn’t black and white.”

As the man left, Luffy held on to Wado Ichimonji again, feeling the smooth, familiar leather beneath his hand. He never let blood stain the white. This was Zoro’s treasure, and it connected them. In many ways, he felt closer to Zoro than anyone else on the crew, not just because he was the first mate, not only because he was the first to join… but because there was something between them. He didn’t know what, but he could tell Zoro’s moods and something more. It was unidentifiable.

The door opened again, and a shadowy figure stole through. The rough voice asked him, again, if he wanted to be free. And again, he shook his head. The man seemed frustrated. He had been coming in for weeks now, asking if he wanted to be let go. He had an idea who he was… he wasn’t stupid… but he would wait.

The man turned sharply, and Luffy smiled at his back. “He’ll come. I’ll wait.”

“If he doesn’t?”

“Then I would rather die.”

The man left and finally, he was alone. He concentrated on Wado Ichimonji… the feel of the pale leather… the sharp blade. He could almost feel like the blade was singing, longing for its master. Luffy reached out his will, joining his own thoughts with the blade. He let his will encompass it, and felt the keen sadness.

“Shh, Wado. He’ll be back for us soon.” He cooed. The blade… soul… was like a child, wanting for his owner to return. Luffy had learned a lot about the application of his will while in prison- it wasn’t like he could use his gum-gum powers. He supported the blade, which wept in sadness and cringed from Tashigi, protecting it and Zoro’s dream. Despite her brave words, Wado would never accept another wielder. He and the blade had formed a kind of bond over the two years they’d been together. They both believed that Zoro would come for them. In his mind, he could see him. They were standing on the lawn deck, watching the sun set from the Thousand Sunny in the distance. There was no one else around. Zoro was crying, his shame palpable. Luffy wanted to tell him that it was fine, they were fine, but he couldn’t… it would have to wait.

~

Luffy was herded onto the execution platform, still holding Wado. Smoker said he could have it for the execution- provided it was bound. Thin ropes of sea prism stone held the blade to the scabbard and would prevent anyone with a devil fruit power from drawing it. It was also bound tied to his waist the same way. He knelt on the platform, soothing the blade’s tearful cries. The Admirals looked up at him. “Any last words, pirate?”

Luffy shook his head. Last words? He wasn’t going to die here. He smiled at them, though. Then, he heard Wado sing joyously. He had sensed his brothers. Luffy smiled again. “Last words? How about this. If you’re going to capture pirates… why don’t you try capturing the ones that are out there killing and plundering, instead of the ones trying to stop it?”

A small snick was heard, and everyone looked down. A timer set into a large marble was ticking down, and as it reached zero, the ball exploded, a red haze blurring vision. People cried out as the gas stung their eyes, and Luffy felt himself being picked up and carried. He recognized the horns and smiled.

“Chopper…”

“Luffy!”

~

Luffy woke up in a soft bed, his strength slowly seeping back into him. Wado was still at his side, humming happily, and from the feel of the walls around him, he was in Franky’s sub. His wounds had been bandaged, and he could stand, so he did so, picking up Wado as he went to the door. He hadn’t actually been able to walk in a while, so it was slow going.

As he opened the door and looked out at the observation deck with the rest of the crew, he smiled. Nami and Robin had tears in their eyes, Brook was sobbing, Chopper was a mess of tears, and Franky set the autopilot and wiped tears from his eyes. Sanji was babbling about making him the best meat ever. Usopp was rolling with grateful tears. Zoro looked at him with shadowed eyes, and he smiled lightly. “Mind if I borrow Zoro for a few, guys?”

Everyone was happy to have him back, though Chopper warned him to be careful till he got back his strength. He took the swordsman back, and made him sit down across from him on the infirmary bed. It didn’t last long though. Zoro let out a strangled sound and fell to his knees. “Captain… please… forgive me. I failed you…”

“Zoro…” Luffy said, smiling softly. He placed his hand on the man’s soft, green hair, and resisted the urge to embrace him. It wasn’t time yet. “There’s nothing to forgive. Even if I had been angry, it was never at you, but at that marine who abused her appearance to manipulate you.”

“I shouldn’t have been manipulated… I swore an oath-“

“Oaths are words, Zoro.” Luffy sighed. “What I want from my crew is not oaths, not words they say out of gratitude, I want their hearts. This is a voyage of friends and loved ones, each of us close. I knew you had a past when I decided on you for my first mate. I don’t feel any anger in that showing up- it’s part of who you are.”

There were silent tears flowing from his face, though Zoro would never sob. “Sencho…”

“I felt everything, you know. As I protected Wado, I began to feel him, to understand him.” He cast his eyes on the side, thrumming happily. The sword had been nervous that his owner wouldn’t be forgiven. “And through him, you. Through the connection you shared, I could sometimes escape my prison mentally, and see you.”

Zoro froze. “Sometimes… I felt as if I were being watched…”

“That was me.”

“But… I couldn’t…” Shame showed again on his face, and Luffy shook his head.

“Your mind was elsewhere. And there was no need for words. I could see in your actions… swallowing your own pride, letting Mihawk have his way despite your own ambitions that you honestly cared, and that means more to me than any oath. Oaths can be broken, but a bond forged by two souls is permanent.”

Zoro trembled, and Luffy slid off the bed to kneel with him, finally wrapping his arms around his swordsman. “Sencho… thank you…”

“Zoro. You are more than just my friend or my first mate. You are, to me, what Wado is to you- more than a weapon. And I swear to you this… I will never put you in the position to disgust yourself like that again. When the time comes and you stand before Mihawk, the memories you see before you won’t be of him doing those vile things to you, they’ll be of us… our adventures… our pride… and when you defeat him and become the strongest, we will all share in the victory.”

“And especially you, Sencho.” Zoro smiled. “My Captain…”
- 1
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Passages