#...love you Zoro

[kozuki-hiyori]

The One About Roronoa Zoro

Okay, wow. So this was originally meant to be a post about ZoLaw, but it just kept getting longer and longer... so I decided to split it up into multiple parts. One for Zoro, one for Law, and one that will take about the two of them

(Because the reason it kept getting so long was that I started going on a rants about each character and what defines them, and it was really just getting out of hand) (And damn, this is LONG, I'm sorry, I was avoiding homework (this is your warning))

So let's first start with the Straw Hat's swordsman, someone lovingly referred to by most fans as the crew's First Mate (although it's not canon per say, it may as well be), Zoro!

First, I'd like to look at his background, because that (very obviously) informs the characters in One Piece to a great extent. Now Zoro's isn't the most fleshed out of the group. Honestly speaking, that is the case for most of the East Blue crew. The reason Luffy and Sanji actually have so much to their pasts is because we went back and fleshed them out more (see later introductions of Ace and Sabo, heck even Garp, and the fact that Sanji wasn't anything more than a kid shipwrecked on an island until WCI happened). Before these reveals, questions such as "How the hell did Sanji end up parentless on a transoceanic tourist boat?" or "Why the heck is Luffy just hanging around with pirates and seemingly no guardians??" were unanswered. The same sort of questions exist for Nami "Why did she end up abandoned and in Bellemere's care in the first place?" or Zoro (I will be bringing those up as we progress). Usopp is generally pretty fleshed out, actually, as in I can't personally think of any questions I have in specific about his background, maybe "When did his dad leave??"

On that point, with Usopp, I know generally Sanji is the poster child for character development in the Straw Hats what with his whole Germa background, but Usopp has an absolutely wonderful character arc (at least in my opinion, which, my blog, but also feel free to disagree, I'd love to here other's thoughts) and one that is still going!! Like his goal is one that literally requires his growth as a character. He can't be a great warrior of the sea if he doesn't believe in himself and-- I'm sorry, I'm getting carried away, I just really like Usopp, sorry.

Anyway, the point of all that was meant to be to demonstrate the fact that we don't know everything about these characters, and if we do, it's because it has been brought up again. And that doesn't even mean we know everything about them (Luffy's primary goal, for example). So that, and the fact that these aspects are still being developed in some cases!!

Anyway, back to Zoro!! And his backstory.

Here we reach the first thing that drive me absolutely up the wall: why in the ever-loving heck does he want to be the World's Greatest Swordsman?? He comes to Kuina with that goal, and their promise strengthens it, but, why, oh why, is that a goal of his in the first place??

(And sorry, another side note, but the differences between the representations of Zoro's backstory drive me up the goddamned wall, the vibe is completely different between the manga, anime, and live action. I originally had only read the manga, and was so, so confused why people would think that Kuina's father hated her and maybe killed her. Then I watched the anime and like, I get now it a lot more, but the fact that they are so variant is still insane to me)

Anyway, what do we know? Zoro's mom died from sickness; Zoro's father died at the hands of pirates. Presumably before he left for sea, and probably before joining the dojo and meeting Kuina.

(Even before Kuina, he wanted to become the World's Greatest Swordsman. And why is that? What is it that makes this man tick? It drives me insane! (Just, we can answer so many questions about so many motivations across so many characters, and the fact that I can be so completely lost when it comes to two of the main characters (Zoro and Luffy) drives me up the wall))

Right, so did he get his need to be strong from one of his parents or their deaths? Someone else he knew? Did he hear stories from Kozaburo or something and that inspired him? Or does he feel like he needs to protect himself? Like, he is obsessed with strength, and although his promise to Kuina strengthened (haha) that need, it just can't be the sole factor, because his need for strength is behind his entire character.

Now that's a fairly large claim, but, what drives Zoro as a character? What sticks out most about him?

Generally, it wouldn't seem like it's strength. Like yeah the weights he lifts are ridiculous and a recurring joke (semi-joke?) when it comes to him, but I'd bet it's not the thing that you'd think first about Zoro.

Another idea could be competition? Maybe? His goal is inherently competitive, and he'll stop at nothing to achieve it. And some people are just driven to be the best. That's it, and that's fair. That being said, he also doesn't need to be the strongest, just the strongest swordsman. He's fine with following Luffy, not leading.

Honestly, I'm one person basing all this off of my own thoughts (not the best sort of evidence for an experiment), but if you think of Zoro, I'm willing to bet that there's one specific character trait that comes to mind.

And that is his loyalty.

It is loyalty that drives most of his action (his loyalty to Kuina and their promise in large part driving him forward to complete his goal, and his loyalty to Luffy and the crew determining many of his other actions, ie. Thriller Bark, bowing to Mihawk), but what drives him outside of that? If we stripped away that goal, what would be left of him as a character??

Let's look at some patterns in the major point of his character in order to break this issue of loyalty.

First, let's look at those tied in some aspect to his dream, or more accurately the risk of it. Those are: fighting Mihawk, Thriller Bark, bowing to Mihawk. All of these are instances in which his loyalty to Luffy and dedication to not breaking a promise has caused him to act in ways that go directly against the completion of his dream. So his dream can't be the only driving for being the strongest (if speaking in terms of parameters, we can say that it is dominated by something else). Looking at these, are they tied to strength? Yes, in a sense, these are moments in which Zoro wasn't strong enough. And these are major character moments for him. They had insane impact on him. And they all have to do with him being confronted with the fact, full on and unavoidably, that he isn't strong enough.

We also have instances of him being much more serious than the others, such as: Whiskey Peak, not immediately trusting Robin, the "stop goofing around" on Punk Hazard, how hard he is on himself after every fight. For as goofy as Zoro is, he is exceedingly cautious. If there's a danger, he is wary of it and is prepared/will prepare to ensure he can fight it. He is careful of the strangeness of Whiskey Peak and Robin. And he is aware of the treat of the world, takes it seriously, and acknowledges that he needs to be strong enough to overcome it. If he struggled, he pushes himself even harder, even if he's still recovering.

And finally, another huge part of Zoro's character is his reaction to perceived betrayal (perceived as in what he identifies as a betrayal): Nami, Usopp, Robin, Sanji. The second he feels betrayed, he will but someone out and move on. "Zoro's so loyal!!" Okay, yeah, but what's this?? For most Straw Hats, they are loyal to the end, and it would seem like Zoro is too (Thriller Bark, again), but this is completely antithetical to that. So why?

It's about Zoro and the intersection between his loyalty, his trust, and his strength. Whoever he is loyal to must have absolute trust in him. Literally any time someone on the Straw Hat's leaves. Zoro completely shuts down when they do. He acts as though he doesn't care. Because, to him, they didn't trust him enough to rely on him, and Zoro needs people to rely on him. It's just how he works. He needs to be able to protect people and needs those people to know that he can protect them. And this is all driven by strength. If they don't trust him, if they don't think he can help, that says something about how strong they think he is. It's an insult to his strength that they don't think to ask him for help, implying that he is not enough. (It also protects himself emotionally to move on a fast a possible.) He needs transparency, requires it, because anything else implies he can't be trusted.

The issue of strength runs rampant through this character. He has this unavoidable need to protect himself. And although he will do his best to protect those he cares about, to is not an unending grace. It's as though all he does is work to defend himself from any sort of emotion hurt or rejection. (It's as though he is waiting to be thrown away. Like the parallel I could draw with Usopp... I won't, not now...)

At the same time though, if he doesn't succeed, then he reasons he wasn't strong enough and that's the end of it.

God! Just why??!? What?!! What is going on with him?? I'd really like to know.

(And god, fuck, I want to talk about the death pact now and what that implies, but this is so long already,,, I'm just... I'll dissect that later or something)

Damn, I've talked forever and I feel as though all I've done is determine that this man is a strength obsessed gremlin with issues. I may need to come back to this later, but for now, this is all I'll say...

[penn-dragon]

Zoro giving Sanji a confession he knows he won't understand: Haha that'll show him.. loser

I was thinking about the "the moon is beautiful" thing being a Wano thing Zoro learned growing up in Shimotsuki

[koobiie]

A lone swordsman stands in the chamber. He seems... quite lost.

[o0kawaii0o]

no mercy 😭

[quinns-art-box]

their sillycute energy and endless support of each other has utterly captivated me

[wtfforged]

so. @pvhkouta's been making me watch inuyasha. she came up with this au(?)and i couldnt stop thinking about it

[chosisbox]

The god of love and the god of war?? 🤨

I was about to draw zosan for a warmup and THEN this tweet came across my TL and altered by brain chemistry like they are so venus (aphrodite) and mars (ares) coded I-

[seancefemme]

yeah well you want to fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid

[thekaiserroll]

Hug

It's nearly impossible to have a quiet and peaceful day with the crew, like the strawhats. Nami is mostly used to the noise on Going Merry but one day she gets fed up with Zoro and Sanji arguing. Not only are they extremely loud, but they've also already broken way too many things during their fights.

She decides that If they want to act like brats, then she's going to treat them as such. So she makes them apologize and hug each other in silence for an hour. None of them are happy about this punishment, but Nami threatened to raise Zoro's debt, and Sanji couldn't say no to her. It could be worse.

It's awkward enough for them to not incite any fight for a long time and Nami is quite proud of herself. She knows it won't last forever but at least now she knows how to handle them. It inevitably happens again. And again. And again.

Much to her surprise, those fights became more and more frequent. And what's even weirder is that she could see the way both Zoro and Sanji occasionally glanced at her to make sure she was nearby. It's almost as if they wanted someone to make them hug each other. As if they needed an excuse.... these idiots.

Soon, they don't even need Nami's help. When they aren't busy training, cooking or fighting, they cuddle together. Sometimes Luffy or Chopper would join them, but most of the crew knew it was their time.

After two years spent separately, they became extremely clingy. It's no surprise when they start sleeping in the same bed. What is surprising is that despite them behaving like a lovey-dovey couple, those oblivious idiots are STILL unaware of each other's feelings.

[taya-ki]

Just thin king about one piece yaoi real hard...

[ichigoginchan]

liking swordsmen is a family thing omg

[luffydotcom]

love and affection

synopsis: sharing an affectionate moment with them feat: luffy, zoro, sanji warnings: none! notes: based on these headcanons i made of where these characters are most physically affectionate, made them into short fics for u guys :) enjoy

luffy

luffy stares at the unconscious marines on the ground surrounding him, letting out an exasperated sigh. he said he wouldn't get caught up exploring the island, yet here he was having to finish off another fight. the security on this island is so tight, it's like this whole day he's been on his feet dealing with way too many marines for his liking.

he doesn't wanna waste time when all he can think about is being with you.

thankfully, the ship isn't too far, and he knows his way back unlike a certain mosshead.

when he climbs back onto the ship, you're the first thing his eye catches. you're leaning against the railing off the sunny, your chin resting on your hand with your back turned to him. before you even register that luffy's there, you feel a rubbery pair of arms taking hold of you from behind, and the next thing you're tangled in them.

"LUFFY! you scared the hell out of me!" you laugh, feeling his arms around you as they tighten you into a soft hug.

"my bad!" he giggles, holding you closer. "i just really wanted a hug right now, i'm pretty tired. you don't know what i've been dealing with all day!"

"let's lie down inside, you can tell me all about it," you tell him as he wraps his arms all around you and you can't help but laugh more at how attached he's being to you. it feels like you're covered in vines, but you don't mind at all.

zoro

you've been looking for zoro everywhere, only to find him resting against the railing of the ship, eyes shut and arms folded. as you step close and bend down to get a closer look at his face, you're surprised to see that he isn't reacting at all.

is he really asleep? you wonder, waving your hand in front of his face, but still no reaction.

hesitantly, you quietly set yourself beside him, careful not to accidentally wake him. glancing at him, you can't believe how peaceful he looks. he isn't much of a talker anyway, but somehow he seems so quiet and ease when he's sleeping. it feels so different to the zoro you see in battle.

feeling a bit brave, you slowly begin to lean so that your shoulder touches his. you breathe out a little sigh of relief when he stays asleep. you should seriously get up and go, but something seriously makes you not want to leave his side. you decide staying there for a while wouldn't hurt.

but before you know it, you find yourself drifting off too.

zoro opens an eye to see you peacefully sleeping beside him and snickers to himself. really thought i was sleeping all along, huh?

it's a risk, but he doesn't want you to be uncomfortable there or for your neck to hurt. very carefully, he shifts you so that your head is laying on his lap, afraid to make even the slightest noise in case he wakes you.

thankfully, it all works out. you're comfortably laying on his lap now. now it's his turn to watch you resting, smiling to himself at how close you finally are to him, not wanting to lose the moment just yet.

sanji

sanji puts the last of the dishes away, turning around to see that the kitchen is finally clean - well at least until luffy comes back demanding another snack.

he tries not to strain his hands, especially with all the cooking he does every day. but today they slightly ache from all the things he's been doing: cleaning, cutting, chopping, frying... just to name a few.

the kitchen door opens as you enter, and sanji's eyes light up automatically. "y/n! i missed you."

"i just saw you at supper," you laugh, coming closer to him. you cock an eyebrow, noticing that despite his excitement to see you, he seems a bit preoccupied with looking at his hands now. "what's wrong?"

"oh, it's nothing," sanji waves his hands. "i was just..."

before he can continue, his breath catches in his throat as you suddenly take hold of both his hands mid-air. "y/n, what are you-"

you study his hands, noting how soft and delicate they are despite everything they're put under every day, and how they fit perfectly in yours. you hold them close, bringing them to rest on your chest right where your heart is.

sanji is completely speechless at your action now, afraid to even breathe wrong. his heart is beating so fast he's sure you can feel it in the pulse of his wrists.

"you shouldn't work them too hard," your hands tighten his more, but gently, before you kiss his knuckles softly. "i don't want you to ruin your hands when they're just so perfect."

you look up from sanji's now shaky hands and stifle a laugh to see him completely unable to look you in the eye. he looks away to avoid your gaze, blushing like crazy. he clears his throat. "i... um..."

"my bad, my bad," you let go and cover your mouth to avoid laughing at how flustered he's become in such short time.

© luffydotcom

[snazzynewton]

soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo guys i might like this fic a little guys

i had a day off work and got possessed by the zosan demons and 12 hours later this was on my desktop

incredible fic by @summerofspock

designs and au by @vidrith

I HOPE I DID THE SCENE JUSTICE this is my second ever comic so if the flow is a little weird i apologize, thank you summer and vid for blessing us with peak fiction

[camembri]

you wanted zoro to be on whole cake island to fulfil your weird desire to see zoro punish sanji. I wanted zoro on whole cake island because I think he's stupid enough to right place wrong time the plan and accidentally marry Sanji in full view of the whole wedding party in what becomes the most elaborately constructed comedy of errors ever written. we are NOT the same.

[zzoro-yaa]

i wanna speak in code.

[vikary401]

dumb and dumber

you may be surprised but i still draw sometimes teehee

(i wish i had more energy for tumblr asks im so sorery)