Becoming One

The End

They all took turns staying up on deck and waiting for Zoro to return. But he hasn't. Already the sun is coming out and Sanji is starting on breakfast. 

"We have to leave soon." Nami tells Luffy who sat on the railing looking out into to the town. Luffy looks down disappointed but nods. He takes one last look at the town then turns around to get to the Sunny's head, his favorite spot so he can sit down. Franky and Nami steer the Sunny away from the dock where they set Sunny. They all take one look at the island as it fades away. Guess they will continue their journey without Zoro.

"Breakfast is ready!" Sanji yells from the galley door. Nami turns with Franky to head to eat, but Nami stops when Luffy doesn't come running ahead of them for food. 

"Luffy, Sanji said that breakfast is ready. Aren't you going to eat?" Nami gets closer to him.

"I'll eat later." Luffy says. Nami stares for a second then nods, it's just like when Usopp left them. But it must have hurt more now, Zoro was the first person Luffy got to join his crew. Zoro is important to him, like no other. 

"I'll tell Sanji to save you a plate." Nami says leaving Luffy alone. This isn't like the time Sanji left or her or Robin. Zoro actually chose to leave because he wanted, not for some hidden reason to keep them all safe and they all knew it, they were all there to see it. Zoro wasn't threatened or blackmailed, Zoro was given that choice and he chose to leave. Nami walks into the galley sitting down.

"Where's Luffy?" Chopper asks, plate already piled with food.

"Says he's going to eat later." Nami answers sitting in her seat. They all took a break to think about what they just heard. Luffy is going to eat later? Luffy eats whenever he's hungry which is all the time. His motto is 'when you're hungry you eat.' To see him not eating means it's serious. But they all understood, they don't all feel like doing what they normally do now that Zoro isn't with them. 

Breakfast was slow and silent that morning. Even after they finished they all continued to sit around drinking their juice or coffee, not feeling like doing anything. They had to think. Now that Zoro is gone what do they do? Should they try to replace him? Should they? Would Luffy want to? Maybe they should go back and convince Zoro to come with them? It might be too late for that, they wouldn't know how to get back.

They all sit up confused at the sound of the speaker turning on, they look around to see everyone there. "Pirate ship heading towards us." That sounded like Zoro. They look to each other for confirmation that they weren't imagining his voice. It's a little to early for that to happen. 

"Zoro!!" Luffy shouts. They hear something happen over the speaker.

"Luffy be careful!" Zoro shouts over the speaker, then the distinct sound of Zoro smacking Luffy's head. But Luffy just laughs his laugh. Not caring that Zoro had just smacked him with his own version of the fist of love.

Hearing that everyone abandon their drink and run to the deck just in time to Luffy landing on the grass smiling like an idiot. Zoro landing next to him. He wasn't wearing what he was yesterday but he's there. Zoro frown at Luffy who just happily stood close to Zoro. "Zoro!" Everyone shouts at him, he looks at them shocked, why are they yelling his name?

"What?" He asks in his normal grumpy tone.

The first one is Chopper, he runs to hug Zoro, then Usopp, Brook, and Franky. Robin use her devil fruit to pat his shoulder, Nami muttered about lowering his dept just a bit. Sanji stood there awkwardly as he light a new cigarette. The whole night he was going through the emotion. He needed to talk to Zoro.

"Why are you here?" Chopper asks, surely he would have left them.

"Did you not want me to come down from the crows nest?" Zoro asks, looking confused. 

"No, why didn't you go with Salomon?" Usopp asks. Those hugging him take a step back.

"You didn't seriously think I would leave?" Zoro wonder, looking at everyone only for them to turn their head away. "You did." Zoro answers for them. He lets out a sigh, "of course I declined. I made a promise to Luffy and you know I don't break promises." Zoro tells them, crossing his arms over his chest to prove a point. 

"Then where did you go?"

"I just spent the night with him. One last time. That's it."

"Why didn't you come to breakfast?"

"I had breakfast with Salomon." Zoro answers. 

Speaking of, "Sanji! I'm hungry!" Luffy shouts to Sanji. Sanji lets out his own sigh, covering up how happy he is that Zoro didn't leave with Salomon.

"Of course." Sanji says leading Luffy to the galley. Now happy that Zoro didn't leave they also go back to the galley to finish their drinks and do what they should. 

Robin stayed with Zoro. When everyone is inside she looks at the man to see his saddened expression. He must have wanted to go with him. "So what did he say? What did you say?"

"He talked about us being together happily. It was... enticing but I did promise Luffy first. And I have a bounty, if I stayed in one place it would be to easy. There would be no peace. It was nice while it lasted." Zoro answers.

"If you didn't make a promise to Luffy would you have gone?"

"Yes. But I'm also stuck to the cook so... it wouldn't have lasted long anyway." Zoro says sitting down on the foremast. 

"Did you have a fun goodbye?"

"Yeah, it will be a good memory." Zoro smiles at her. They walked and talked, played some games they found on the street, watched the stars for a while, sparred one last time and he walked Zoro back to the Sunny where he kissed Zoro's cheek. They hugged and said their last goodbye. It was a nice, and he would love to do it again. Zoro stood up when he spotted the pirate ship again. He forgot for a second. "Shit! You guys! Pirate ship!" he shouts, making everyone finish their drinks quickly and run to the deck to get ready for a fight soon. Maybe. Depends on how nice these pirates are. Not everyone wants to kill them.