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chenziee · 1 year

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Of Pumpkin Pies and Whipped Cream

Another of my @opdilfzine fics! You can find this one in the digital add-on :D You can still grab a digital copy of the zine, aftersales are open until the end of August! <3

[ Read on AO3 | Ko-Fi ]

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It wasn’t often that Dracule Mihawk’s transponder snail would ring but when it did… It was a sure sign of a headache coming.

He wasn’t sure why he should even bother answering when he knew there would only be pointless chatter to be heard but even so, he somehow always found his hand gripping the receiver anyway.

“What is it now, Red Hair?” he sighed instead of a proper greeting.

“Oh, come on, I don’t even get a hello?” the man on the other side of the connection whined.

“No.”

The snail gasped dramatically in response to the curt reply, making Mihawk roll his eyes. And to think this was one of the most powerful people in the world. Ridiculous.

“You’re so mean to me.” Red Hair let out a long-suffering sigh but Mihawk could just hear the shit eating grin that was playing on the man’s lips even without looking at his snail. “How do I even deal with you? I should get paid for still keeping you company.”

Mihawk knew he shouldn’t have picked up.

“I’m hanging up,” he said bluntly, already reaching over to place the receiver back on the snail.

Immediately, the transponder snail’s face twisted with panic, mirroring Red Hair’s expression as the man started fumbling for words. “Wait! I’m sorry! Don’t hang up, please!” he cried, his voice begging.

Despite himself, Mihawk felt the corners of his lips twitching upwards the tiniest bit. It was strange; the man was loud, annoying, and bothersome, interrupting Mihawk’s peaceful and quiet days with a disturbing regularity and yet, Mihawk could never bring himself to tell him to leave him alone.

If he were to be honest… he’d have to admit that he would even sometimes miss his loud laughter, his stupid grins, and his idiotic stories and even more idiotic ideas. Even the ones that led to Mihawk having to literally drag the man to the Red Force after he would drunkenly whine and cry about how he was so proud of Straw Hat Luffy for hours and forcing Mihawk to throw him at Beckmann. After all, any captain was the first mate’s problem.

Or that one time when Mihawk had to break into a Navy prison to get Shanks out of there after he got arrested for eating without paying—he still had no idea how the marines in that town hadn’t recognised the Emperor.

For some reason, he missed all of that sometimes.

He would never accept Shanks’ lack of appreciation for good wine though.

“What did you call for anyway?” Mihawk sighed finally, leaning back into his chair.

“Just missed your sweet and kind voice,” Red Hair replied cheekily. “How are the kids?”

Mihawk groaned. “Don’t talk about them as if they’re mine. They just ended up here.”

“But you let them stay!” Shanks argued and Mihawk could just imagine the man reaching over to poke his shoulder.

As if Mihawk had a choice in that matter. Coming home from the war just to find two brats squatting in his goddamned castle, uninvited, with no means of getting the hell off the island after apparently getting launched through the air half-way across the globe—how could he have just kicked them out?

Not to mention he had tried. He gave Roronoa a boat. He gave him directions. He even gave him some food.

All that effort, only for him to come right back after making a full circle around the dead forest.

He would really rather let the kid stay than have to lead him by the hand like a toddler all the way to the coast—or more likely, chaperone him all the way to the next island. He held no illusions about Roronoa’s ability to follow a log pose by now.

“So? How are they doing?” Red Hair prompted after a moment.

Finally, Mihawk let his head fall back, his eyes shutting momentarily as he took a deep breath. “They’re fine. Roronoa’s still got a ways to go but it’s funny watching him struggle. Perona’s at least helping with the fields if nothing else.”

“I still can’t believe the dreaded Hawk Eyes, the strongest swordsman, likes gardening,” Shanks said with a laugh. “You need to let me try eating some of your crops one of these days.”

Mihawk chose to ignore the wink the transponder snail gave him. “You can have one of the fifty pumpkin pies Perona made.”

There was a pause before the snail raised both its eyebrows, the scar across its left eye shifting. “Fifty,” Shanks repeated flatly.

“It was a rich crop.” Mihawk shrugged. “They’re actually decent.”

“Will you add whipped cream and feed them to me?” Shanks asked eagerly.

A beat passed.

“Gacha.”

—————

Mihawk wasn’t expecting to hear from Shanks again for weeks after hanging up on him. They didn’t talk often in the first place but, more than that, the Emperor of the Sea could be nothing short of a brat. It wouldn’t have been the first time for him to get all sulky, going so far as to refuse to even enter the same sea Mihawk was in. This would usually end with Beckmann or Roux unable to handle the whining any longer and just dialling Mihawk’s snail number themselves and forcing their captain to just talk to the reason he was upset.

So, when the man himself appeared on his doorstep late at night only a day later, bottle of wine in hand and a smirk on his lips, saying Mihawk was surprised would be an understatement.

“You said something about pumpkin pie and whipped cream?” he asked with a wink, tilting his head to the side as he gazed at Mihawk with a cheeky spark in his eyes.

Mihawk stared blankly at the man for a moment. What the hell was he saying? Or what was he even doing on Kuraigana Island—or even just in Paradise, for that matter?

“I said nothing about whipped cream,” he responded finally, voice perfectly flat.

“Might as well have.” Shanks just waved his hand dismissively before forcing his way through the door past Mihawk as if the castle belonged to him.

Mihawk didn’t even care anymore.

With a deep sigh, he closed the door and followed after the red haired menace. It was only mildly disturbing how well Shanks navigated the complicated hallways of the castle—the very same hallways that Roronoa still struggled with after a whole year of living there. Had he really visited this place enough times to flawlessly lead the way three floors up, all the way to the cosy little lounge next to Mihawk’s room, chattering away about stupid stuff the whole time?

Thinking back… maybe he had.

Although he certainly hadn’t come invited, not even once.

“Shoes off the couch,” Mihawk ordered as soon as Shanks threw himself on the expensive piece of furniture as if it were a bed.

“Says the guy who puts his feet on the table wherever he’s invited,” Shanks grumbled—but still took his shoes off.

Mihawk huffed, putting a bottle of West Blue sake on the coffee table in front of Shanks before pouring himself some of the wine Red Hair had brought, then settled into his own chair. “So? That one is mine and I will not tolerate your disgusting, dirty boots on it.”

“Hypocrite,” Shanks said, sticking his tongue out at Mihawk.

The man only rolled his eyes; there was no point in even gracing that with a response. So, instead, he simply swirled the wine in his glass, then took his first sip as he relaxed and leaned back in his chair. If nothing else, he had to admit that Red Hair knew his alcohol; it was good wine. The colour was a beautiful red like garnet, its bouquet had fruity undertones, like cherry and raspberry. It had a smooth, rich flavour, lingering on the tongue for a moment but not overpowering—perfectly balanced.

“Are you just going to ignore me?” Shanks whined when Mihawk didn’t say anything.

“Why are you here anyway, Red Hair?” Mihawk asked instead of answering.

There was a moment of silence, silence that made Mihawk crack one of his eyes open to look at the man lounging on his couch like he belonged there. Mihawk clicked his tongue at the thought—the very notion was ridiculous.

Instead of dwelling on it, Mihawk took in the expression Red Hair was making right then. He was looking back at Mihawk, a wide, seemingly goofy smile playing on his lips… yet his eyes were serious, as serious as they were whenever someone would threaten one of the Emperor’s friends. Mihawk wasn’t sure what it meant.

But then, Red Hair opened his mouth to finally reply, “I was summoned by the promise of being hand fed pumpkin pie by my darling Hawk Eyes.”

“Again, I said nothing about hand feeding you. Are you a toddler?” Mihawk sighed.

“Yes.” There wasn’t a single hint of hesitation in Red Hair’s voice and Mihawk had to bite his cheek to keep his lips from curling into a smile.

“Then go back to your ship, I’m not your nanny,” Mihawk replied, keeping his voice carefully measured.

At that, Shanks gasped dramatically… and Mihawk knew what he was going to say before he so much as opened his mouth to do so. “You’re so mean to me! Meanie!”

There it was.

“I’m going to cut off your other arm and leave you to bleed out.”

“Ouch,” Shanks said before he burst out laughing. “We were just coming from the East Blue so we were close anyway.”

Mihawk was quiet for a moment, simply regarding the man sprawled on his couch; he took in how relaxed he seemed, more relaxed than the world ever saw him. And yet, his gaze was heavy, the deep scar over his left eye standing out in the dim light the same way it did ten, twelve years ago when it was fresh; when Shanks was just a young man who was barely coming to power. When Mihawk barely knew him.

But now, he knew the Emperor. And he knew him well enough to know when he wasn’t telling the whole truth.

"Whatever, it's not like I care," Mihawk dismissed.

“You’re terrible,” Shanks whined. “You’re seriously going to force me to admit I missed my boyfriend? My strong and handsome and oh-so-caring boyfriend?” Boyfriend?

Biting back a snort, Mihawk raised an eyebrow. “I did not ask, much less force you to admit anything,” he deadpanned.

“You just won’t admit you missed me too, will you?” Shanks sighed.

“What a pointless question. If you already know the answer, why do you bother asking?” Mihawk asked in response.

“Let me dream, you ass,” Shanks grumbled, closing his eyes for a moment before a grin took over his face once more.

Mihawk watched impassively while Shanks put his feet on the ground and sat up slowly, giving Mihawk that annoying look of his; the look that balanced on the edge between deathly serious and playful, and that always preceded something getting broken—a plate at best, Shanks’ last existing arm at worst.

And when Shanks stood up, not taking his eyes off Mihawk only to bump into the coffee table… Mihawk could only hope nothing too expensive was going to fall victim to the Emperor and his stupid ideas. So, he simply raised an eyebrow while Shanks cursed quietly, shooting a quick glare at the offending piece of furniture before his eyes turned to his lover—or boyfriend, apparently—with new-found determination.

It took only a moment for Shanks to stand right in front of Mihawk’s chair, staring down at him while Mihawk blinked at him slowly, blankly, one leg thrown over the other as he took a deliberately slow sip of his wine. Waiting for Shanks to make a move, daring him to do anything he might regret.

Like pissing Mihawk off. Or—

Before Mihawk could even finish the thought, Shanks reached out with purpose, his fingers closing around the wine glass in Mihawk’s hand, pulling it away… and Mihawk let him.

He watched in mild amusement as Shanks brought it to his own lips, taking a sip—one large enough to be considered a gulp and if it was in any other situation, Mihawk would have been offended by the disrespect paid to such good wine. As it was however, he could only smile the smallest bit at the sight of Red Hair licking his lips appreciatively.

“I have to say, I picked a really good one. And I don’t even drink wine,” he said with a small laugh.

“It’s certainly better than the swill you brought last time. Couldn’t have even been called wine,” Mihawk noted. “More like someone dumped a bag of sugar into grape juice. If the people who created that insult of a drink even knew what grapes were.”

“Oh, shut up,” Shank hissed, his face twisting in fake annoyance.

And Mihawk… couldn’t stop the chuckle that bubbled out of his chest at the sight.

Immediately, Shanks’ expression brightened, a victorious spark in his eyes as if he had just won a hard life-and-death battle and Mihawk rolled his eyes. He seriously could be such a child. Why did he deal with him at all?

He supposed it was one of those things that would never make sense… and Mihawk wasn’t sure he even wanted it to make sense.

He didn’t fight it when Shanks’ knee forced its way onto Mihawk’s chair, wedging itself in between Mihaw’s thigh and the armrest; the man himself leaned forward, towering over Mihawk and caging him in place. It was funny, how natural feeling his warmth against him felt—were it anyone else, Mihawk’s skin would be crawling but with this man, this absolute menace on the world and Mihawk’s life… he didn’t mind it at all.

Instead, he welcomed it.

He welcomed the warmth. He welcomed the weight on his legs—he wasn’t even sure when he had uncrossed them to accommodate the man who had decided to crawl into his lap as if he were a cat. He even welcomed the way his hands automatically came to rest on the sides of Red Hair’s thighs, thumbs rubbing circles into the fabric of his pants.

And he welcomed the lips now hovering so close to his own.

Mihawk huffed in amusement; he could only imagine how the world would react to seeing the mighty Emperor of the Sea like this—sitting in his lap, basically begging for his touch, his lips. Too bad he was the only one who would ever see him this way.

It only took a split second for their lips to connect, the kiss hungry and desperate, as if they were trying to make up for the almost three months of separation in that single touch. They moved against each other with practised ease, Shanks’ lips stretching into a smile against Mihawk’s mouth. Despite himself… the gesture made Mihawk want to smile as well.

He let his hands wander, sliding up and down the man’s thighs before moving up, slipping underneath his loose and wrinkled dress shirt until he touched bare skin.

Shanks shivered under his touch, but seemingly determined not to lose, he let his tongue run slowly over Mihawk’s mouth, his teeth scraping lightly over his bottom lip—teasing, without deepening the kiss. Not pulling away even the slightest bit, Shanks started shuffling then, searching blindly with his hand behind himself—until something shattered.

And once Shanks’ hand came to rest against his cheek, the fingers stroking his skin gently before sliding into his hair… Mihawk was reminded of the wine glass that was—had been—in Shanks’ hand, now most likely lying broken into pieces with red wine spilling all over his expensive white fur carpet.

“You’re cleaning that up,” Mihawk said flatly against Shanks’ lips.

“Don’t ruin the moment,” Shanks muttered, his breath caressing Mihawk’s cheek while his fingers curled in Mihawk’s hair to scratch his scalp gently, sending shivers of pleasure down the swordsman’s spine.

Gulping heavily to keep his voice level, Mihawk repeated, “You’re cleaning that up.”

“Fine. Tomorrow. But now shut up,” Red Hair hissed before he moved forward once more—only to bite Mihawk’s bottom lip in retaliation.

As if he had any right to retaliate after ruining the fucking carpet.

Mihawk was going to make sure it was either spotless by the time the menace left, or paid for in equal value with whatever means.

But right now, with said menace licking and sucking on his neck, he couldn’t say he cared. Right now, he only cared about those lips, the fingers tangled in his hair, and the soft skin of Shanks’ sides that seemed to be burning under Mihawk’s touch… and Shank's sweet, almost delicate moans as he pulled himself closer to grind against him.

Moans so quiet that Mihawk could barely make them out—meant for his ears only.

And he was going to make sure he got enough of all of them, enough of Shanks tonight to make up for all the time they had spent apart.

—————

Zoro’s morning started just like any other. He woke up at 7 AM, got dressed and brushed his teeth, then it was straight to his usual twenty minute run around the island. After getting back two hours later, it was time for a quick shower—he didn’t see the point when he knew he was just going get sweaty again later but Perona could get fucking unbearable otherwise. She’d end up complaining endlessly about his sweaty brow, and even being on the same island with someone so ‘smelly’ and ‘disgusting’. He would really rather take a pointless shower than deal with one minute of that so he begrudgingly made his way to the bathroom before he could finally head to the kitchen for breakfast.

He wasn’t surprised to find Perona already sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of pancakes and a steaming cup of tea in front of her, the stupid ugly bear of hers sitting securely on her lap. Hawk Eyes was exactly where Zoro had expected him—standing at the stove, making the pancakes that Perona was happily shoving into her mouth as if they were the best meal she had ever eaten.

Zoro had to wonder just what kind of food the woman used to eat while at Thriller Bark. Sure, Hawk Eyes was a decent cook but nowhere as good as Curly. Zoro wasn’t sure if that said more about Perona's culinary experiences or Curly… but Zoro would be damned if he so much as admitted he might have possibly maybe kind of missed the asshole’s cooking.

Whatever.

“Good morning.” Zoro yawned, grabbing a pancake off of Perona’s plate as he passed by.

“Hey! Get your own!” Perona yelled instead of returning the greeting.

Hawk Eyes sighed, flipping the fresh pancake he was making. “Grab your own plate or you’re not getting any, Roronoa.”

Shoving the rest of the stolen pancake into his mouth, Zoro rolled his eyes, passing by Hawk Eyes to get some water since he was still being unjustly forced to live without alcohol. Soon, he would earn his right to have a goddamned beer, though. He’s almost got it, he was going to turn his blades black for sure. Any day now.

“Any sake in that fridge?” came an unfamiliar voice from behind him.

Zoro frowned, turning his head to the side to look over his shoulder to look at the man standing behind him—his red hair and that scar looked vaguely familiar but Zoro couldn’t for the life of him place that face. He was tall, his uncovered chest sported powerful, well defined muscles, his very presence making it obvious he was strong, much stronger than Zoro despite his missing left arm… but it wasn’t like that had ever stopped him.

“You talk about alcohol in front of me one more time and I’m going to cut you,” Zoro growled, full of annoyance as he slammed the fridge door shut.

“Scary,” the man laughed loudly before side stepping Zoro to get to the fridge.

Zoro simply rolled his eyes, deciding it wasn’t worth it getting mad over not being taken seriously. It was too damn early for that. So, instead, he walked away, taking a plate of Hawk Eyes’ pancakes before dropping into his designated chair opposite of Perona.

“So where are all the pumpkin pies I was promised?” the stranger asked then.

“Pantry,” Hawk Eyes replied absentmindedly while he poured hot water into a mug.

Perona’s eyes widened. “Are you giving out my pies for free?!” she asked, scandalised.

“Thank god. I’ve had enough pumpkin to last me till the next life,” Zoro muttered.

“Excuse me?!” Perona hissed, turning to glare at him instead.

Zoro simply ignored her, turning his attention back to his pancakes; they were sweet and he hated sweet things… but it was still worlds better than having to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast for the third time that week.

“Would you rather I throw them out, Ghost Girl?” Hawk Eyes asked flatly, making Perona puff up… before she deflated, begrudgingly admitting the man had a point.

The red haired man laughed loudly again. “So domestic. What a sweet little family.”

“Shut the hell up, Red Hair.” Hawk Eyes shot back, obviously not amused by the remark.

“Sorry sorry,” the man apologised… yet his voice was still shaking with laughter when he walked off to drop into a chair next to Zoro at the table as if it were a normal Sunday.

It was only once Perona had to slap the man’s hand away from her plate that something seemed to click in her mind and she froze. She didn’t move at all for a long while, simply staring at the stranger who was trying to steal her breakfast exactly the same way Zoro had earlier… until her mouth fell open and she slammed her hands at the table as she shot up from her chair.

“Shanks?!” she screeched. “‘Red Hair’ Shanks?!”

The man blinked, obviously taken aback by the sudden development. “Uh yeah?” he tried uncertainly.

“Oh my god,” she said, her hands flying up to slap at her cheeks; maybe trying to get herself to wake up from a dream.

Zoro, on the other hand, tilted his head to the side as he looked at Perona, then the red haired man, then at Perona again. Shanks. Why did that sound familiar?

Wait.

“Shanks as in the Emperor?” he asked, voice full of disbelief even to his own ears.

At that, Shanks laughed. It was a full-blown, unrestrained laughter, one that reminded Zoro of his own captain. But Luffy wasn’t there; instead, one of the strongest, most powerful people in the world was sitting next to him, laughing so hard he could barely breathe while Zoro and Perona just sat there, staring at him like he was a mirage—or maybe a hallucination.

Maybe those stupid pumpkin pies had gone bad sooner than they had thought and now they were all suffering from food poisoning? That honestly seemed more plausible that an Emperor of the Sea sitting in their fucking kitchen.

“What is ‘Red Hair’ Shanks doing in our kitchen?! Why?! What’s going on?!” Perona rattled off, seemingly on the verge of hysterics.

“Stop screaming, Ghost Girl,” Hawk Eyes said with annoyance as he approached them. “This is my kitchen, be glad I didn’t kick you out. Here, your coffee,” he added, putting a steaming mug in front of the fucking Emperor of the Sea.

Or more like milk with a splash of coffee. Disgusting.

A soft smile spread on Shanks’ face at that. “Thanks, love,” he said, catching Mihawk’s wrist before he could walk away—

And Zoro and Perona could only watch with wide eyes as Shanks let go of Mihawk’s hand only to continue further up the man’s arm, moving gently over the thin fabric of his shirt until he touched bare skin. But Shanks didn’t stop there—he let his hand move higher still, his fingers sliding behind Mihawk’s neck and tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, closer… until their lips connected.

It was a chaste kiss, almost innocent—if not for the familiarity of it, and the unspoken intimacy that made even Zoro blush.

Zoro could swear it took a full hour before the two pulled away, Hawk Eyes clicking his tongue in annoyance even while the corner of his lips twitched upwards.

As he stared at the two of them, suddenly he started noticing more. There was a suspicious dark bruise on Hawk Eyes’ neck just below his ear. The angry red scratches on Shanks’ back that he had previously thought were barely healed scars now looked closer to claw marks. And was that an actual bite mark on the Emperor’s shoulder?

As if that wasn’t bad enough, his eyes then caught something white contrasting against Shanks’ red hair and he frowned, squinting slightly at the Emperor. Was that whipped cream behind his ear?

No.

Nope. Absolutely not.

Zoro decided he didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t want to know about it. Didn’t want to see it. If he closed his eyes, if he just didn’t look…

It simply wasn’t happening.

But then, Perona’s distressed voice echoed around the kitchen again. “What the hell is going on?” she asked. When Zoro glanced at her, she looked like she was about to stab the two old men with her tea spoon just to get out of this situation.

Zoro couldn’t blame her.

“You see,” Red Hair started, “when two people love each other very much—”

“AHHHHHH! Negative Hollow!!” Perona screamed before Shanks could get another word in.

Zoro would be lying if he said watching the mighty, powerful Emperor of the Sea slump onto the table lifelessly, mumbling something about shrimps and plankton wasn’t satisfying—if completely surreal—but he didn’t even have the mind to appreciate it. He had learnt more about Hawk Eyes than he ever wanted to in the last two minutes and he wondered if there was a way to erase his memory.

As he robotically stood and left the kitchen without a word, heading for another ten minute run which would hopefully last a few hours—long enough to clear his head—he nostalgically thought back to the time when the worst of his problems was Nami threatening to double the interest on his loan if he dared to sleep through another snow storm.

Just one more year, he thought.

Just one more year and he could go on to pretend that had never seen 'Red Hair' Shanks in his life, ever, and certainty hadn't seen him half-naked, with a lazy just-fucked grin on his face in their fucking kitchen.

He could only hope there would never be a repeat of this morning—for the sake of his own sanity and limited ability to erase things from his memory.

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mellyssageversee · 3 months

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Noble Hearts - Chapter 6

ZoSan Royal AU - AO3 Link

Summary: The threat of famine looms over the Kuraigana Kingdom as resources dwindle. Suspicion grips the royal Mihawk family when the prosperous Germa Kingdom offers aid by means of a transactional alliance. As tensions rise, the unforeseen connection between two princes may decide the fate of their kingdoms.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Pure, uncontrollable rage consumed Zoro as he trudged down the cold, echoing halls of Vinsmoke castle, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. The warm early morning light had just begun to illuminate the stone walls.

Zoro’s mind was tormented by the revelations Sanji had confided in him the day before. Not only had Sanji suffered the tragic loss of his mother to the Dracons, but he was punished for her death! As if a child had any control to stop it! And then, there was the revelation of Judge’s cruel punishment!

The thought of a seven-year-old Sanji locked in a dungeon to starve for his mother’s death was an injustice so profound it scorched Zoro from the inside out. It made him understand why the cook hated wasting food. Why he did all he could to satiate the hunger that plagued his own people…

Zoro didn’t know whether to be proud of Sanji for surviving such an ordeal or enraged that he had to endure such suffering. One thing was clear: Judge had no right to be king. His people suffered under his reign, and his abuse toward Sanji was unforgivable.

Judge was a monster.

Blinded by his rage, Zoro nearly missed that he was not alone. Down the hall, Perona stretched her arms high above her head, still easing out of her drowsiness to start the day. The morning light streaming through the high windows cast a soft glow on her, illuminating her in a warm, golden hue. As soon as she noticed him, Perona’s eyes brightened, and a mischievous expression crossed her face.

“Oh, you are in so much trouble!” She teased, her playful voice echoing in the vast hall. Perona let her feet rise off the ground, her long black dress billowing around her as she moved. It was the first time Zoro had seen her use her powers since they had arrived. She glided towards him with a glint in her eye. “Dad was looking for you everywhere! Hope your day of hooky with Sanji was worth-“

Perona stopped mid-air. Whatever expression was on Zoro’s face must have conveyed the seriousness of his mood. Her playful demeanor evaporated, and she immediately plopped her feet onto the ground, concern replacing her earlier mischief.

“What’s got you so worked up this early?” Perona questioned, placing her hands on her hips. The gesture showed her genuine curiosity, her playful demeanor shifted to one of concern.

Zoro’s throat felt tight with restrained anger, the thoughts of Sanji’s suffering still burning within him. He struggled to find words that wouldn’t betray what he had learned, especially out in the open where any passing servant or guard could hear.

After a moment, Zoro managed to utter a simple, “It’s nothing,” though his voice was strained and unconvincing.

Perona wasn’t convinced.

“That doesn’t look like ‘nothing’ to me.” She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. “What happened?”

Zoro noticed the way a couple of servants slowed as they walked past, heads subtly tilted as if trying to listen in. He clenched his jaw, the muscles in his neck tightening. The last thing he wanted was to discuss what he learned of Sanji’s painful past in these cursed halls, where the walls seemed to have ears.

“I need to talk to dad,” Zoro practically seethed at his sister.

Perona stepped back, her eyes widening slightly at the harshness of her brother’s low and dangerous voice.

“He should be in the throne room.” She replied irritably. “He was planning on meeting King Judge there this morning.”

The mention of Judge made Zoro’s blood boil even more. He grit his teeth down hard, his tongue curling as if the name left a bitter taste in his mouth. Without another word, Zoro brushed past Perona, his steps echoing down the hall as he set off in search of the throne room.

Perona hurried to keep up, her footsteps quickening before she hopped off the ground to float alongside her brother.

“Zoro, you’re kind of scaring me.” Perona frowned with a half-hearted glare. “You’re not planning to do something reckless, are you?”

Zoro didn’t answer, his mind already racing ahead. He needed to find a way to protect Sanji, to right the wrongs that had been done to him. And for that, he needed Mihawk’s guidance. He focused his intense gaze straight ahead, intent on getting to the throne room, intent on finding Mihawk.

Perona didn’t take too kindly to being ignored. Her cheeks puffed out in irritation, her concern morphing into anger.

“Hey! Quit shutting me out! I’m trying to help here, you jerk!” Perona grabbed onto Zoro’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

Zoro whipped his head around, eyes blazing with barely contained fury.

“I don’t have time for this!” Zoro yanked his arm free from her grasp.

Perona’s concern only deepened. Her eyes searched his as if she would find the answer if she looked hard enough.

“Was it Sanji?” Perona pressed angrily, her mouth forming a deep frown. “Did he do something to you? Because if he did I swear I will put a curse on-“

“NO!” Zoro interrupted, grabbing Perona’s shoulders with a force that made her stiffen and her eyes widen in alarm.

Realizing his overreaction, Zoro quickly pulled back his hands as if they had been scorched. He didn’t mean to react so harshly. He knew Perona was trying to be helpful and supportive in her own way, but if he had to hear one more disparaging remark aimed at Sanji, he didn’t think his heart could take it. Zoro took a deep, calming breath and reminded himself that Sanji was currently safe, sleeping in after working so hard the previous day.

“He didn’t do anything wrong. But I’ve learned of a serious matter that needs to be discussed immediately.” Zoro said, his voice steadier but still tinged with urgency.

Perona crossed her arms over her chest, accepting his answer but still looking quite perplexed.

“Alright, let’s go. For once, you were actually heading in the right direction.” Perona turned on her heel to lead the way.

As they walked hurriedly in silence, the castle’s occupants scurried out of their path, their fearful expressions betraying their anxiety. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to thicken with every step, each passing servant or guard casting wary glances at the swordsman.

Perona eyed him from the corner of her eye, frowning in disapproval.

“You need to stay calm.” Perona stated irritably.

“I am!” Zoro seethed back, his voice a low growl.

“No, you’re not!” Perona scolded, her glare sharp. “And if the other king sees you coming in all hostile, it won’t look good for us.”

Another servant pressed himself against the wall as Zoro passed, his eyes wide with fear. Perona’s words hit harder than he wanted to admit. Zoro was usually great at controlling his emotions, but now he was having difficulty recognizing himself. Something primal was overtaking him, something he struggled to control.

Perona recognized this, and tried to ease her brother once more.

“Remember what Father taught us.” Perona spoke in a huff, but her gaze softened slightly. “It’s easy to be angry, but a true leader shows discipline when they can control their anger. They know to reveal their fury at the right time and for the right reason.”

Zoro clenched his fists tighter, his knuckles whitening. Her reminder was a bitter pill to swallow, but she was right. Storming into the throne room in a rage would solve nothing. The image of Sanji’s tormented face, however, flashed relentlessly in his mind, reigniting his anger. Zoro struggled to rein in the fury that threatened to spill over. He took a deep breath, trying to ground himself.

Perona gently placed her hand on Zoro’s shoulder. His gaze turned towards her, and he saw the genuine concern in her eyes, felt the sincerity in her touch.

For a moment, Zoro’s resolve wavered. Perona’s presence, though irksome at times, was a grounding force. He knew she had his back, even if her methods of showing it were less than gentle.

Zoro wondered if he would be able to hold himself together when he came face to face with Judge. Even as they walked through the familiar hall, the cold paintings of Judge that lined the walls seemed to close in around him, their oppressive weight a reminder of the king’s cruelty.

Taking another deep breath, Zoro straightened his shoulders and focused his intense gaze on the throne room doors ahead. The heavy doors yawned open for them. Inside were the two kings, sitting at a stone table, a parchment between them.

As soon as his eyes landed on Judge, all of Zoro’s anger pulsed through him once more. His throat felt thick with contained rage. He forced himself to look down at the floor, hoping neither his father nor Judge would catch his brewing demeanor.

“Perona, I see you’ve finally found Zoro,” Mihawk welcomed the two. Zoro could hear the slight scraping of the chair being pushed back as Mihawk rose from his seat, along with the rustling of paper like he was taking the parchment from the table. Mihawk’s steps grew louder as he approached them, and soon Mihawk’s pointed leather shoes were in Zoro’s line of sight. “We will speak about your absence later, but I thought you might want to see this. I just received word from home.”

A letter from home? Could something be wrong?

Zoro forced himself to breathe steadily, his eyes flicking up to meet his father’s. Mihawk’s presence was commanding, as always, but there was a hint of something in his eyes… concern, perhaps, or understanding. It was enough to anchor Zoro for the moment.

“What is it?” Zoro managed to ask, his voice strained but steady.

Mihawk held the parchment out towards Zoro, and over his father’s shoulder, Zoro saw Judge with a sour look upon his face. The large man was glaring at the parchment as if its contents deeply offended him.

Momentarily pushing his anger towards Judge aside, Zoro took the parchment. Curiosity mingled with apprehension as he wondered why someone from Kuraigana would send a letter if nothing was wrong.

“ Dearest King Mihawk,

Other than your gracious presence being sorely missed, rest assured that all is well here. I feel I must state this fact first in case you worry about why you may be receiving this letter.

No Dracon attacks have occurred during your absence. However, we received an unexpected surprise. I assume negotiations must be faring well due to the bountiful gift of rations our knights received from the Germa kingdom. Along with it, was a detailed letter from Prince Sanji, offering his words of wisdom on how to properly preserve food while keeping their nutritional value. His instructions will greatly benefit us.

Please thank the Royal Vinsmoke family on our behalf for their thoughtfulness and generosity.

Signed with the warmest of regards,

Shanks, Captain of the King’s Royal Guards

P.S. Luffy insists that you bring more delicious Germa jerky upon your return. ”

Zoro’s vision began to blur as angry tears formed in his eyes. Despite having his own citizens to feed, Sanji still took the time to consider Zoro’s kingdom, feeding his friends like he said he’d like to do. Sanji’s simple act of kindness, mixed with Zoro’s burning hatred towards Judge, was too much for his heart to handle. His body began to tremble, betraying his contained emotions.

“Zoro? What’s wrong?” Mihawk immediately placed a hand on his son’s shoulder when he saw him shaking.

Zoro blinked away his tears, then tore his eyes away from the letter.

“I need to speak with you and Perona. Privately .” He emphasized his words with urgency.

Mihawk’s eyes sharpened instantly, already showing that he was alert to whatever it was that was upsetting Zoro.

“Come along, we can step outside-“

The sound of Judge’s chair scraping harshly against the stone floor reached their ears.

“Why are you trying to hurry off? We were in the middle of a discussion, were we not?” Judge questioned Mihawk in a disapproving tone. His demeanor was so different from when they had first met him in this very room. There was no pretense of welcoming, no fake smile spread across his lips. Only a stern glower.

Mihawk stood straighter upon seeing Judge’s intimidating stance.

“You’ll have to excuse me,” Mihawk stated firmly, “I need to speak to my son about a private matter.”

Judge’s eyes narrowed, his lip twitching at being brushed aside dismissively by Mihawk in favor of Zoro.

“You‘ll have plenty of time to talk on your journey home.” Judge insisted. “Your time here is limited and we have put off our negotiations long enough.”

Zoro gritted his teeth at the comment. Judge was making it seem as though they were the ones at fault for prolonging the negotiations. His anger flared up again, hot and fierce.

“That’s only because you have been so intent on keeping Perona and me away.” Zoro glared up at Judge.

Mihawk’s grip on his shoulder tightened, a silent fatherly warning to behave.

Judge stood straighter, his eyes flashed in anger when he locked eyes with Zoro. Only now did Zoro realize this was the first time the man ever bothered meeting his gaze, when his methods were questioned.

“What was that?” Judge raised a brow, his voice lowering darkly.

“Zoro…” Mihawk’s voice lowered, a clear signal to tread carefully.

Zoro ignored it, gaze still locked onto the man he hated with every fiber of his being.

“Since the day we arrived, you have been finding ways to keep Perona and me occupied. It’s obvious that you don’t want us to be part of the negotiations, and I’m done with being pushed away!” Zoro declared to Judge. “We are going to start negotiations today! And you are going to let Perona and me be a part of it!”

Judge’s face contorted with barely contained fury, but there was also a hint of something else; perhaps a flicker of surprise at Zoro’s boldness.

“You think you can dictate terms to me, boy?” Judge’s voice was a low growl, each word dripping with contempt.

Mihawk attempted to intervene.

“King Judge, You’ll have to excuse us.” Mihawk said, his voice dangerously calm as he tried to steer Zoro away. “These matters concerning my family are urgent and cannot wait. We will resume our discussion shortly.”

Zoro refused to follow.

“No! He’s been lying to us this whole time! He doesn’t want to help! He doesn’t even care if his own people starve!” Zoro blurted out the statement, forgetting that he was meant to give this information to his family in private.

At this, Perona’s eyes widened with shock and realization. Mihawk remained stoic but his shoulders tensed, a subtle sign that his surprise mirrored Perona’s.

“How dare you…” Judge’s seething voice reached their ears, cold and dripping with hate.

Judge rose to his full height, menacing .

“How dare you make such an accusation.” Judge stepped closer to Zoro. Teeth bared. “I invite you into my home, let you eat from my table, and in return for my generosity, you insult me?!”

“You think it’s generous to flaunt your extravagant meals in our faces when our people may soon starve?” Zoro shot back with untethered fury. “The first day we arrived, Ichiji neglected to tell the guards of our prior agreement to keep our swords. Do you think it was a generous welcome to have your guards draw their weapons on us?! Not only that, but he, along with Niji and Yonji, openly look down on us and have turned their noses up at any kind offer of friendship Perona has extended towards them. Was that generous? Because that all seems to be intentionally influenced by your own prejudice against us.”

Judge’s breaths became heavy with restrained rage. He took a menacing step closer, ill intent burning within his eyes, but Zoro stood his ground. Even when Judge instinctively balled his hands into fists, as if nothing would please him more than to strike Zoro down, the swordsman never tore his gaze away. He was challenging Judge to reveal his true nature.

“You are out of line, you ungrateful little-”

“Enough!”

Mihawk’s voice cut through the tension like a sharp blade. He stepped protectively between Zoro and Judge, his golden eyes molten with anger, silently warning Judge to keep his distance.

The room fell into a charged silence, all eyes on Mihawk and Judge. It was as if the walls themselves leaned toward them, drawn by the intensity of their confrontation, like they were the center of gravity, their aura equivalent to that of a collapsing star.

Judge’s glare never wavered, but he seemed to hesitate, the raw power and authority in Mihawk’s stance forcing him to reconsider his next move.

Zoro’s heart pounded, his anger still simmering beneath the surface, but he felt a sense of vindication. He had spoken his truth, and he would stand by it.

Perona moved closer, hooking her arm around Zoro’s in support and casting a glare Judge’s way.

Mihawk, still a formidable barrier between his son and Judge, addressed the other King.

“My son’s concerns are valid.” Mihawk spoke with a voice as cold and unyielding as steel. “I have seen the blatant way you go about trying to avoid my children. Furthermore, you have shown no concern for our citizens. Every discussion we have is about how Kuraigana can improve Germa’s military might, but not once have you mentioned your intentions of bringing aid.”

Judge’s face reddened angrily, his eyes locked on Mihawk.

“What are you saying?” Judge questioned.

“We came here with the intention of forming an alliance based on mutual respect and shared goals,” Mihawk continued, his voice steady. “Having Perona and Zoro involved in these discussions is non-negotiable. Either you let them join, or we take our leave.”

Zoro’s eyes snapped towards Mihawk, panic settling in his chest. He didn’t mean for things to escalate to the point. They couldn’t leave before the negotiations even began! His thoughts were consumed with Sanji’s safety and the need to ensure that his friend would be protected. But Mihawk’s unwavering stance gave him a semblance of calm. He trusted his father’s judgment and strength.

Perona, gave Zoro’s arm a subtle squeeze, her presence a silent but powerful show of support.

Judge’s lip curled in disgust, he seemed to detest the strong bond between them. His nostrils flared as he took a step back, clearly weighing his options.

Finally, Judge’s shoulders sagged slightly, a begrudging acceptance in his eyes.

“Very well,” Judge spat out resentfully. “They may join the discussions. Guard!” he barked, turning his head towards the entrance of the room.

A guard promptly appeared, standing at attention. “Fetch my son, Ichiji. He will join us as well.”

“No.” Zoro spoke up once more, making Judge’s brow twitch in irritation. “Ichiji is rude and shows no respect towards us.”

“My brother is right.” Perona stepped in with her own steely resolve. She released Zoro’s arm to fully face Judge. “I think it would be more beneficial to have Reiju and Sanji join us instead. Both know your kingdom well and already have a clear indication of what we seek for our own.”

Judge laughed, a cold, dismissive sound.

“Ichiji is heir to the crown; it is more important for him to be here. Reiju’s duties do not align with what we will be negotiating, and Sanji…” Judge laughed again, shaking his head at the idea. The gesture boiled Zoro’s blood. “Sanji isn’t important enough to be included.”

Zoro took a step towards Judge, fists clenched, but Mihawk quickly grabbed his son’s shoulder to stop him.

“You may proceed with calling Ichiji,” Mihawk replied coolly to Judge before turning a stern gaze to Zoro once more. “I suggest we all take a moment to collect ourselves.”

Judge’s eyes narrowed, but he did not argue further. With a final, venomous glare at Zoro, he turned sharply on his heel and strode away, his cape billowing behind him like a storm cloud.

As Judge left them to approach his guards, the oppressive weight in the room seemed to lift slightly. Mihawk turned to Zoro, his eyes softening just a fraction.

“This is unlike you,” Mihawk lowered his voice. “I don’t know what you’ve seen to cause you to react this way, but you must compose yourself.”

Zoro took a shaky breath, trying to cool the fiery hatred coursing through his veins. He eyed Judge warily as the man waved one of the guards off to collect Ichiji, the other guard seeming to receive urgent, hushed instructions that Zoro couldn’t make out.

“You don’t know what he’s done,” Zoro whispered to his father. “He’s evil and goes against everything we stand for.”

Mihawk eyed Judge suspiciously before turning his attention back to Zoro. He beckoned Zoro and Perona to follow him.

“Come. I believe you, but we should speak about this privately.” Mihawk led Zoro and Perona out of the throne room, away from prying eyes and ears, to a place where they could speak freely and plan their next move.

As they left, Perona looked back at Judge. Seeing that he was still distracted, she leaned in close to her father and brother.

“What exactly did you find out?” Perona questioned Zoro in an impatient whisper.

Zoro’s mind flickered back to Sanji and the conversation they had on their way back to the castle.

"Come with me to Kuraigana," Zoro pleaded desperately. His hands, which were intertwined with Sanji’s, tightened their grip, trying to convey his earnestness through the contact. His intense gaze never left Sanji’s.

Sanji had pulled the wagon to the side of the road so they could have a more serious discussion regarding the cook’s safety. The sun had nearly set, casting long shadows across the grassy fields, and the distant sound of waves lapping against the shore reached their ears.

Sanji hesitated, worry etched on his face.

"Zoro, I can’t," Sanji looked away, his eyes focusing on the horizon where the last rays of sunlight kissed the ocean. The reluctance in his posture was clear. "Zeff needs me. My people need me. If I’m gone, who will take care of them? Judge would let them starve."

Zoro’s heart ached at the reply. He should have known that the kind-hearted prince would put others above his own safety. Sanji’s selflessness was both beautiful and terrifying to the swordsman. He knew Sanji’s loyalty ran deep, but he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving him behind in such a dire situation. He tightened his grip on Sanji’s hands, as if by holding him closer, he could shield him from all the pain and responsibility he bore.

Zoro’s mind raced to find a better solution, one that could save Sanji from his abusive home and help the Germa people. His thoughts turned to one person who may be able to help…

"Then let me share what I’ve learned today with my father." Zoro insisted, his voice growing more determined to keep Sanji safe.

"What?!" Sanji reeled back as if the swordsman had struck him, tearing his hands free of Zoro’s grasp as he recoiled. His breathing quickened at the suggestion of involving another into something he kept secret for so long.

Zoro fought the urge to reach for Sanji once more. He held his palms out in a gesture to show Sanji had nothing to fear.

"Listen." Zoro spoke softly, hoping to ease Sanji’s growing concern. "Mihawk wouldn’t want to hear about your people suffering. We can negotiate on their behalf at the meeting. We can make Judge help not just Kuraigana, but this village too."

The suggestion seemed to do little to calm the other. With wide eyes, Sanji shook his head.

“It’s not that simple. Judge won’t change. And I can’t risk you getting others involved. Judge will make things worse for everyone if he knows I’ve been defying him.” Sanji replied, rejecting the idea.

Zoro felt hot anger rise within him at the idea of Judge causing more harm.

"I won’t let that happen," Zoro said firmly, his eyes blazing with conviction. "We will stonewall him on anything he wants from us if he tries to interfere."

Although the worry in Sanji's eyes remained, it was overpowered by a protective anger that flared at Zoro’s persistence.

"And if the negotiations fall through, then what?” Sanji asked heatedly, “You leave, and my people are left to deal with the consequences? I won’t allow it!"

"Neither will I!" Zoro shot back, his own frustration mounting. “My main concern is for the safety of everyone involved, but I can’t help unless we involve the rest of my family.”

"Has the moss on your head seeped into your brain?!” Sanji angrily insulted Zoro, but behind the anger, Zoro saw the fear and uncertainty that mirrored his own. “How the hell do you plan on making sure Judge doesn’t retaliate?!"

“How the hell do you expect this to keep going without your family noticing?” Zoro countered, his voice coming out sharper than he intended. “We’ve been gone for hours. You haven’t slept in over a day, and it shows. Don’t they ask questions?”

Sanji averted his gaze once more, huffing irritably.

“Reiju usually covers for me, but Judge and my brothers don’t care if I look tired, and they really don’t care to know where I go so long as I’m out of their way.” Sanji replied bitterly.

Zoro felt a small relief knowing that Reiju was helping Sanji in some way, but the situation was far from ideal.

“Still, there are a lot of other risks involved with how you’re going about this. One of the villagers could let it slip to the wrong person about what you’re doing here. Or people in the castle could start questioning why so much food suddenly goes missing.”

Sanji’s jaw clenched, his teeth gritting in frustration. Zoro could see his words were hitting close to home, pointing out the flaws and risks of Sanji’s current strategy.

Zoro made himself take a deep calming breath and willed his shoulders to relax. He eyed Sanji’s hand that held onto the bench with a white-knuckled grip. Zoro gently reached for it, the gesture easing the tension in the cook’s hand and loosening the vice grip. He waited until Sanji’s gaze, full of worry, met his once more.

“You don’t have to do this alone anymore,” Zoro urged, his voice softening as he lifted Sanji’s hand, holding it reverently against his own chest. He wondered if Sanji could feel the beating of his heart, pulsing with a promise of unwavering support. He needed Sanji to see that there was a way out. “Let us help you and your people.”

Sanji glanced away with a pained expression. Zoro could see the struggle within him. The cook’s shoulders tensed as if under great strain, as if the weight of his responsibilities pressed heavily on him, and the idea of accepting help was both a relief and a source of fear.

“It’s not that simple.” Sanji repeated his earlier statement. The struggle to maintain control, to protect those he cared about, was etched deeply into his eyes. “I’ve been handling this most of my life. I can’t just hand over my problems and hope for the best.”

Zoro tightened his grip slightly.

“You’re not handing over your problems.” Zoro reassured him. “We’re offering to stand beside you, to fight with you. Trust us. Trust me .”

Sanji’s gaze held Zoro’s, the conflict still evident but now mingled with a glimmer of hope. The walls he had built around himself were beginning to crack, and for the first time, he considered the possibility of sharing his burdens.

With a heavy sigh, Sanji finally relented, his resolve crumbling. “…Alright,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I trust you.”

Zoro felt a wave of relief. He pulled Sanji into another embrace. For a moment, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in the growing twilight.

Only one of the two guards returned with Ichiji.

The eldest Vinsmoke Prince strolled in with an air of casual arrogance, taking a seat next to his father at the stone table. His posture was relaxed, almost lounging, with a disinterested look etched upon his face.

The room felt dominated by the suffocating silence between all the royals present. It was as if the very air was thick with simmering tensions. Zoro felt hesitant to breathe too deeply, like it would be too loud to draw in the same air of the enemy before him.

It was a silence one could drown in.

Mihawk sat across from Judge, his expression serene yet watchful. The anger he had shown earlier when Zoro revealed the true nature of Judge now buried beneath a mask of calm detachment. His eyes, however, were sharp, reflecting a readiness to respond to any threat.

Perona sat to Mihawk’s left, straight-backed and alert. Her hands nervously fidgeted with the letter from home in her lap. She glanced occasionally at Zoro, worried he might have another outburst.

Zoro sat to Mihawk’s right, his gaze locked into Judge. Every muscle in his body was taut, ready to spring into action. He could feel the animosity radiating from Ichiji, the same disdain that Judge held for him and Perona.

Judge ignored Zoro, choosing to set his full attention to Mihawk. He was the first to break the silence.

“Now that we are all here, let us proceed.” Judge began. When no one spoke up, he continued, “Mihawk, as you know, the Germa Kingdom prioritizes its military strength. Our armies are what have protected us from Dracon attacks for all these years. To ensure the safety of both our Kingdoms, we insist on joining our armies. I have no doubt that your knights would flourish under our supervision. In exchange, we are prepared to offer the necessary food and supplies to Kuraigana like you requested.”

“That’s not the only thing we will be requesting.” Zoro butted in.

Judge’s brow twitched in irritation.

Ichiji smirked, his gaze sliding lazily over to Zoro.

“We are offering you resources so your people don’t starve to death. Doesn’t it seem a bit greedy to want more?” Ichiji drawled, his tone dripping with condescension.

Zoro’s jaw clenched. Although he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off of Ichiji’s face, Zoro kept himself composed, feeling Mihawk’s calming presence beside him. He knew that any outburst now would only undermine their position. Instead, he forced himself to focus, to channel his anger into a steely resolve.

Zoro let his gaze turn to meet Mihawk’s beside him. His father gave him a supportive nod to continue as they rehearsed.

“Yesterday, I took the liberty of traveling through the Germa Kingdom.” Zoro continued. “I find it a bit odd that Germa boasts over its economy, but you have an entire village of people struggling to make ends meet. They are forced to choose between the most basic needs like paying for medical care or food.”

Ichiji’s smirk faltered slightly. Beside him, Judge breathed a heavy sigh of annoyance.

“I must admit, this is news to me.” Judge feigned ignorance.

“Aren’t you King?” Mihawk questioned disapprovingly. “Isn’t it your duty to know what is happening in your own domain?”

Judge’s eyes flicked back to Mihawk, his expression hardening.

“We, just like every other Kingdom, have struggled in our efforts to keep the Dracons at bay.” Judge replied. “It is only natural that some things slip through the cracks.”

Judge’s excuses to brush off the matter only further infuriated Zoro.

“This is an entire village. Something like this doesn’t go unnoticed.” Zoro shot back in frustration. “Just because they can’t afford to pay more towards your bloated military budget doesn’t mean they should suffer.”

Judge’s eyes narrowed, his gaze drifting to Zoro with a cold intensity.

“Where did you get the idea that we are intentionally letting them suffer for our military?” Judge questioned suspiciously.

Zoro froze. He promised Sanji he wouldn’t reveal too much. He couldn’t put Sanji in a position where he could face issues with Judge.

“The people there told me they couldn’t afford your taxes.” Zoro quickly came up with a probable lie.

Judge continued to scrutinize Zoro, his eyes bore into him with a crazed calculating gaze.

“You can’t believe everything you’re told.” Ichiji cut in, with a disdainful sneer. “Misinformation is always spreading among the commoners. It would’ve been wiser for you to come straight to us for answers.”

“Zoro isn’t the type to be so easily fooled.” Perona snipped with a disapproving frown, earning her scathing look of hate from Ichiji.

“Putting these outlandish accusations aside, I must admit that I am curious. What exactly are you asking of us?” Judge aimed his question at Mihawk.

“For an alliance to benefit both of our Kingdoms, we must ensure the wellbeing of all involved. That includes your own people.” Mihawk answered calmly. Judge let out an offended scoff. He opened his mouth to interrupt and defend himself, but Mihawk’s piercing look silenced him. “For this to be effective, we need someone experienced in managing resources and ensuring their proper distribution for the Germa and Kuriagana Kingdoms. We believe that Prince Sanji has shown remarkable skill in this regard.”

Judge’s expression darkened.

“Sanji’s duties are already critical to our operations. He is needed here, not in Kuraigana.” Judge firmly stated.

Zoro bit his tongue to prevent a bitter laugh from escaping. Earlier that day, Judge had mockingly stated that Sanji wasn’t important enough to be involved, now, when it no longer suited his narrative, Judge claimed the exact opposite.

“With all due respect,” Mihawk said, “Sanji’s expertise could make a significant difference in ensuring the success of this alliance. His knowledge and skills are being underutilized here.”

Ichiji scoffed, not even bothering to lift his gaze in Mihawk’s direction. Instead, he chose to focus his attention on picking at a hangnail.

“I think you’re overestimating his abilities.” Ichiji said with a hint of amusement. “Sanji’s place is in Germa. He’s not capable of handling such responsibilities on his own.”

Perona leaned forward, placing the letter from home onto the table before Ichiji, forcing him to turn his focus on the parchment.

“This letter is evidence of Prince Sanji’s capability and his willingness to help others.” Perona insisted firmly. “By allowing him to assist Kuraigana and Germa, we strengthen the bond between our kingdoms.”

Judge’s expression hardened, his lips pressing into a thin line.

“Sanji is already spoken for. He cannot be a pawn in these negotiations.” Judge stated, the finality of his tone leaving no room for argument.

Zoro felt his anger flare again, this time with much more intensity.

Spoken for?!

What did that mean?!

“He is not a pawn.” Zoro snapped. ”He’s a prince with his own will and abilities. If you truly cared about your kingdom’s strength, you’d recognize the value in allowing him to contribute where he can make the most impact.”

“You’re overstepping again.”Judge glared, his voice dangerously low. “I will not sit here and let you question the decisions I make on how I manage my Kingdom and sons.”

Zoro let out a shaky exhale from his nose. His hands longed to curl around the hilt of his swords, and he could almost taste Wado’s white hilt upon his tongue. Luckily, Mihawk’s voice pulled him back to the matter at hand.

“Your son’s potential is being stifled here.” Mihawk urged. “We are offering a chance for him to grow.”

Judge’s glare shifted from Zoro to Mihawk. The resistance in his eyes was clear.

“There are more private matters that I am not at liberty to discuss yet. But I assure you that Sanji is indeed bound to Germa by his duties.” Judge insisted. Zoro tried to interrupt and point out the lie, knowing from Sanji that he was never given any duties, but Judge continued, “Before the week is through, you will see exactly what Sanji’s duties are and why he cannot shy away from them.”

Judge’s answer had an almost threatening undertone to it. Ichiji even sat straighter at his father’s comment. A knowing smile stretching across his face.

Something in Zoro snapped. He instinctively grasped Wado, the urge to leap across the table consuming him. But Mihawk was ready in an instant, placing a restraining hand on Zoro’s shoulder.

Before things could escalate further, the meeting was interrupted by the return of the second guard. The man rushed to Judges, whispering something urgent into the King’s ear.

An eerie calmness washed over Judge’s face, much like how the sea calmed before a harsh storm. The King’s eyes flitted to Zoro once more.

Zoro didn’t know why, but that look caused an uneasy chill to run up his spine.

Finally, Judge rose from his seat, his decision clear.

“We will reconvene at a later time. Until then, no agreement will be made.” With a curt nod to Ichiji, Judge turned and strode from the room. Ichiji flashed a smug smirk Zoro’s way before following his father, leaving the negotiations at a stalemate.

“This isn’t over.” Zoro said quietly to his father, his eyes still on the door where Judge had exited. “We will find another way.”

Mihawk let out a heavy sigh. Zoro turned his attention fully to his father, seeing that Mihawk looked drained from the meeting. They remained silent until the other guards left, leaving just the three family members alone.

“Zoro,” Mihawk began hesitantly, “we won’t be proceeding with negotiations.”

Zoro’s veins ran cold. “What?”

Mihawk didn’t meet his son’s eye right away. It was as if he was weighing his words carefully, trying to think of the best way to explain himself, but was falling short. After a long pause, Mihawk turned his sad gaze towards Zoro.

“The situation is more complex than I anticipated. Judge’s insistence on Sanji’s duties implies that there is something deeper at play. We have to think of what is best for our people.” Mihawk stated. “You heard Judge. He wants full control of our armies. I do not trust him to have that much power over our Knights.”

Zoro shook his head in disbelief. Mihawk was never one to back down and surrender. He was supposed to know how to solve this.

“We can think of something. We can work out the details of the terms-”

“I understand your frustration, but I would never let Shanks be put in a position where he would have to take orders from that man.” Mihawk replied firmly. “Think of Luffy. Of Nami, Usopp, and of your other friends. Would you want them dictated under Germa rule?”

No. Of course Zoro didn’t want his friends to take orders from Judge. But he knew that if they met Sanji, they wouldn’t want to give up and leave him in an abusive home.

“We can take Sanji with us.” Zoro replied, feeling almost childish with his demands, knowing that Sanji already stated that he would not willingly go.

“We do not know what political repercussions we would face for taking Sanji with us. What if Judge declares war? We are already doing everything we can to keep the Dracons at bay. We cannot fight those beasts and the Germa army.” Mihawk replied. “We are lucky enough that there have been no Dracon attacks in our absence, but I doubt that will last.”

Zoro knew his father was right, but he didn’t want to concede. He promised Sanji he wouldn’t leave him behind with the consequences. He looked over to his sister, hoping she had an idea on how to help.

“Perona?”

Perona’s expression was pained.

“Zoro, I want to help Sanji and the Germa citizens, really I do, but we must put our people first.” Perona replied sadly.

Zoro felt utterly helpless. The rest of his family seemed to think all avenues were hopeless, but he refused to give in. There had to be a way to solve this.

“Give me the remainder of the week.” Zoro begged his father, his voice raw with desperation. “Please. If we don’t have a solution by then, I will follow whatever decision you make.”

Mihawk looked at him with sorrowful eyes. He studied Zoro for a long moment, as if trying to gauge the depth of his determination. Perhaps he saw the fire in Zoro’s eyes, the same unwavering resolve that Mihawk himself possessed. Finally, he sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as if warding off a headache, then nodded.

“Alright,” Mihawk relented, the answer giving Zoro a flicker of hope. “We stay until our planned departure. But I must insist that you have better control over your emotions. You hurt any chances of helping Sanji when you react hastily.”

Zoro nodded, swallowing the frustration bubbling within him.

Mihawk rose from his seat, his presence commanding even in moments of quiet reflection.

“I must go do my own digging. Judge holds his cards very close to his chest, and I can’t help but feel that there is more he is hiding. You both stay out of trouble and let me know if anything else comes to your attention.”

As Mihawk turned to leave the room, Perona inched closer to Zoro, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

“We’ll figure something out.” she whispered.

Zoro nodded, thankful for her support, yet it did not erase the guilt gnawing at him. He had asked Sanji to trust him. How could he face him after failing so miserably?

As they exited the throne room, Zoro tried to clear his mind from the cloud of doubt that plagued him. Outside, they found Reiju pacing back and forth, her expression etched with worry. The moment her eyes landed on them, she rushed to Zoro rather than Perona.

“Where’s Sanji?” Reiju demanded with a panicked look.

Zoro felt his stomach drop.

“Isn’t he in his room?”

Reiju shook her head, her lip quivering as if she were holding in tears.

“What did you do? What did you tell my father?”

Zoro froze, unsure of how to respond. His silence only seemed to agitate Reiju further.

“I’m not stupid. I know where he took you yesterday.” Reiju snapped desperately. “Now tell me how much you told my father!”

Perona stepped in.

“Reiju, we were just trying to help-” Perona began, but Reiju’s scathing glare cut her off.

“We don’t need any of you meddling in our business!” Reiju snapped, her eyes wild with fear and anger. “Don’t you know how much worse my father can make things for Sanji?!”

Zoro clenched his jaw, but worry hung in his chest, turning his breath shallow.

“When did you last see him?” Zoro asked firmly, trying to bury his anxiety.

“I haven’t seen him since you left with him from the Banquet!” Reiju snapped at Zoro.

Zoro winced at her anger, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach. It was his own fault that Sanji was missing.

Reiju’s shoulders slumped slightly, the fire in her eyes dimming as she saw the genuine regret in Zoro’s. With a heavy sigh, Reiju continued, “One of the servants told me she saw a guard escort Sanji from his room. That is all I know.”

“Do you know where they could have taken him?” Zoro pressed, he was tense as he leaned forward, prepared to run in any direction Reiju pointed out.

Reiju shook her head.

“As a habit, I search for Sanji in the dungeons when I know he has upset father, but he wasn’t there.” Reiju answered.

Zoro felt his stomach churn at the answer. Without wasting another moment, Zoro set off to find Sanji.

The Keep. It felt so odd to be escorted here. Judge had always been insistent on never letting any of his children come here. Not even Ichiji. So Sanji felt completely out of place waiting for Judge.

Sanji wasn’t surprised that he was taken by a guard and told to wait until Judge arrived, he was expecting some sort of repercussions once Zoro and his family brought up the village, but he was shocked that the guards took Sanji here of all places.

—————————————————————

The Keep was dark, devoid of any light due to the lack of windows. The room he was kept in resembled an office, though its ambiance was more dungeon-like than professional. The walls were lined with books, a curious sight since Sanji had never seen Judge pick up a book, let alone read one. Intrigued, Sanji moved forward to get a better look, but one of the guards extended an arm to stop him.

Sanji clicked his tongue in distaste. If he wanted to, he could easily overpower these guards. But he knew he was already in trouble. It was best to save his energy for whatever else Judge had in store for him. Plus, he had seen enough.

The shelves were lined with spellbooks that most likely belonged to Duchess Lin Lin. She and some of her children were quite talented in the magical arts, but Sanji couldn’t fathom how such books could be of any use to Judge. Of all the resources she supplied, spellbooks had to be the oddest.

Sanji turned with a huff, walking away from the guard with an air of nonchalance, but inside, he felt as if every one of his nerves were shot.

The door creaked open, and Sanji’s pulse quickened. Judge stepped into the room, his presence as imposing as ever. The guards snapped to attention, but Judge ignored them. His eyes scanned the room, landing on Sanji with a cold, calculating gaze.

Although he felt a tremor in his spine, Sanji stood upright and met Judge’s gaze, refusing to let his fear show.

“Do you know why you’re here?” Judge asked finally, his voice as cold as his gaze.

Sanji remained silent. He knew it was a loaded question. Any answer Sanji gave was sure to be met with swift retaliation.

Judge paced around Sanji, circling him much like a predator does to its prey before striking.

“People from the Kuraigana Kingdom sent a letter extending their thanks for the rations we provided them.” Judge glared down at Sanji, his footsteps heavy as he continued to circle, stopping when he was towering over Sanji’s left side. “But I never gave permission for any rations to be sent.”

Sanji could feel the wild pulse of adrenaline thrumming through his body. It took all his willpower to remain in a firm stance. He stared off ahead, focusing on the bookshelf to calm his nerves.

“We were planning on offering them aid anyways.” Sanji replied smoothly, keeping his gaze locked ahead. “I thought the gesture would keep us in their good graces.”

“You aren’t allowed to make such decisions.” Judge spat, leaning in close until Sanji could feel the heat of his breath burning against his neck.

Sanji clenched his fists, awaiting the inevitable punishment Judge would inflict upon him.

Nothing happened.

“I’ll deal with your insubordination after the Mihawks leave. I can’t let you be seen damaged now that they all seem so fond of you.” Judge’s voice came out in a low, threatening rumble.

Sanji’s tongue curled behind his teeth. He longed to speak his mind. The words practically burned his throat as he fought to keep them there. All the while, Judge continued to berate him.

“Once again, you have proven that you are incapable of the most simplest of tasks. Thanks to your meddling, negotiations are at a stalemate.” Judge’s lips curled into a sneer. “The Kuraigana boy was very insistent on having you play an integral part of our negotiations.”

Sanji already knew this. He had expected this from his conversation with Zoro, but Judge’s constant pauses were maddening.

“And?” Sanji pressed Judge to continue.

Judge stood to his full height.

“Obviously, the answer is no. You have other duties required of you.”

Sanji couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at that.

“So you lied to them?” Sanji asked.

Judge’s gaze bore down on him.

“It was not a lie. I have plans for you that weren’t intended to be put into action until much later, but with negotiations going as badly as they are, I will have to move things a lot faster.”

Sanji felt puzzled. Judge had plans for him?

“And what plans would that be?”

“You’ll see soon enough. And if you want to continue serving our scraps to Zeff and those villagers then I expect you to comply.” Judge’s comment made Sanji stiffen, the blood draining from his face. Zoro promised not to tell Judge he supplied food to the villagers! Judge smiled genuinely at Sanji’s distress, and even let out a scathing laugh. “One of the guards filled me in on your side project. The remaining food from the banquet is unaccounted for and one of our wagons was missing during your absence yesterday. It wasn’t difficult to discover what you’ve been up to.“

Sanji’s heart sank. Now Judge knew. However, one of his statements gave Sanji pause.

“You will still let me help them?” Sanji questioned carefully.

Judge nodded.

“So long as you stay in line.” Judge confirmed.

Sanji felt skeptical. Judge’s concessions always came with strings attached, and he knew this would be no different. The promise felt like a noose tightening around his neck, ready to snap shut if he misstepped even slightly.

“And if I refuse?” Sanji asked, the defiance in his voice barely masking the fear underneath.

Judge’s eyes narrowed, and his smile vanished. The King flexed his fingers, each one letting out a sickening crack. The sound echoed ominously in the dark room.

“Zeff is already missing a leg. It’s only a matter of time before he loses that head of his.”

Sanji felt his blood run cold at the implication of Judge’s threat. The room seemed to close in around him, the oppressive darkness pressing down on him from all sides. He could see Zeff’s gruff, kind face in his mind. The old man, who was more of a father to him than Judge ever could be, was the one who taught Sanji everything he knew about cooking and honor. The thought of Zeff’s life being in danger because of him was unbearable.

Sanji clenched his fists tighter, his nails digging into his palms until blood was drawn. He wanted to lash out, to fight back, but he knew that would only make things worse.

“Fine… I’ll do as you ask.”

—————————————————————

Thank you for reading this chapter! As a bit of a heads up, only part of the next chapter will be posted on my Tumblr as there will be some mature content warnings involved. But! The full chapter will be available on my AO3 once it is finished.

(Next Chapter)

#zosan fic rec #zosan fic #zosan au #sanzo fic #sanzo

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fanaticsnail · 8 months

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SNAIL! I love chapter 4!!!!!

(Incoming: extremely long ask with memes included)

I'm really excited about the lore that is developing, the rhyme was really creative (was it in an original version of the story or did you come up with it yourself?) And all this information about the Sapsorrow Queen has me aching to hear more! She seemed at first to be set up as an antagonistic force, purely due to her claiming Mihawks soul should Governess not marry him, but I feel like you've shrouded her in enough mystery that she didn't come off as antagonistic in intentions. And with all this new lore I'm getting kinda Corpse Bride vibes? Might be me projecting though.

Governess calling Perona and Zoro "my-... -our wards" AAAASSA

Her recognizing Mihawks eye colour but not making the connection followed by her immediate next observation being that his eyes are soft and somber - something she hasn't noticed (as much) in Mihawk's eyes. And him then using those eyes that are now displaying vulnerability and emotion he wouldn't normally let himself display to "searched your face, darting from focusing on each of your eyes and looking over your parted lips before rising back to your intense irises." The POETRY!

"You may ask anything of me, but you will leave my bride out of the equation."

KEEP MY WIFE'S NAME-

Governess hiking up her socks:

I just know Mihawk was fighting for his LIFE

Do the staff know Mihawk is the farm-hand? Because all I can think is either way;

The staff, watching the distinguished Governess walk beside a dog on two legs / The staff, watching their feared and revered boss covered head-to-toe in mud and twigs: what the fuck.... What the fuck...

The fact that the ghosts know makes me think that one of them spotted him eating shit in the mud puddle the first time and then Perona, having been informed of it, woke up in the dead of night to watch him willingly roll around in mud the second time.

"-Do not dare to do yourself the disservice of calling yourself low,"

KEEP MY WIFE'S- oh shit that is my wife

Mihawk allowing his guard to slip and laughing heartily??? Governess giggling???? And remarking that she hasn't experienced something like this since childhood??? Slipping her regal exterior??? My heart is pounding

He stooped down to you, the brims of your hats touching as he cooed down in a mocking tone, “I did this, this morning.” - oh my lawd. This whole section. Sir. Please. One of us will have to restrain ourselves (pun not intended)

"She cannot marry her father, of course she cannot." <-- I'm not sure if it's an exact quote from the narrator but I feel like you're referencing the story teller version. And when Governess divulges her wanting to marry Mihawk for reasons beyond the superficial (fate, or his riches) and Mihawk in turn divulges a love for an "unknown" woman, it seems really similar to the Storyteller scene. I really like it!! IDK if I mentioned before but I like how the roles of Straggletag and the prince were reversed

"I am proud to call you my friend", "I'm here by your side, I will not drop you," <- Mr President. A second quote has hit the reader.

(also I can't remember if I asked before but can I be on the tag list?)

SNAIILLLLL YOU'RE HERE!!!! YOURE BACK!!! Oh how I missed you!!

To answer your questions! The poetry and the rhymes are all my own. The original story has no real mysticism nor mystery surrounding the concept, SO I decided to add my own to shake things up 💃.

The Corpse Bride is one of my favourite Tim Burton films of all time. Considering Oda based the layout of Kuraigana on the art from The Nightmare Before Christmas, I couldn't not incorporate the elements into the plot. That wouldn't be fair.

I did need to have a small: "Hmmm... His eyes are quite similar," moment for her to get some semblance of familiarity from him - but I didn't want the mystery to be revealed just yet.

I HOWLED THE BIGGEST CACKLE AT THE GIF USE!!! PROBABLY WOKE THE NEIGHBOURS (ITS MIDNIGHT).

The "keep my wife's name" just ruined me.

The sock hiking was not a deliberate flirtation on her behalf, but absolutely Mihawk was feeling some feelings.

To spoil the spoiler, that is not really a spoiler - the staff are 💯 aware that Mihawk is the Farm-Hand. He was not always covered from head to toe in sludge and grime, opting to just have his straw hat and shielded mask over his beard in the happenstance that he might get dirty.

Upon that one time he did topple headfirst into the mud, meeting the governess on that day, he simply said: "welp, I guess this is my life now" and has to cover himself in that disguise to keep up the illusion. The staff don't know how to deal with the new look, but they're wise enough to not say anything about it.

The ghosts likely woke up Perona that first night being like: "Honey, you seeing this shit??" And Perona is just there like ⚫👄⚫

I needed to have them slip their guards a little in this chapter - they need to get to know each other a little before their engagement party (which I'm nearly there with. Couple more days, I think).

I have to reference the source material of the storyteller episode. It wouldn't feel the same without hearing John Hurt in my head, I think. I love the way he yells it.

I did do a role reversal for stragletag (Farm-Hand) and the prince (Lost-Lady) specifically to keep things a little interesting for me, and to keep the twists and turns coming for you guys! Can't just tell it how it is, where would be the fun in that? 😏

"I'm here by your side, I will not drop you," he is such a flirt and I don't think he's even aware of it.

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE NOT ON THE TAG LIST. OF COURSE I WILL ADD YOU!!! MY SNAIL!! THE SEXC KIND!!

Thank you for your asks, I always adore hearing from you!!

#one piece #opla #x reader #opla fic #one piece live action #mihawk #mihawk x reader #mihawk fairytale au #sapsorrow fic #the storyteller au #dracule mihawk #favourite snail #thank you for your ask #i am glad youre enjoying the fic #love you snail

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henrioo · 7 months

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First things first I can prove also that iam guy too. and prove you that iam not a fem reader blog. (Pls don't wanna get blocked 😭😭) mercy mercy..!!

Second I swear on my life i don't hate i love him too iam too but iam also fan of shanks too pls but I meet a lot if annoying kid thats why I was talking about it. I just love both red head okey??😭😭

Question of today ⭐: whats the best thing about your nationality or that your proud of?

Hmm iam from 🇲🇫🇧🇷 so.....😚😚🤭😳😚😚🙉🙉🙈🙈🙈

Another question of today⭐: whats a thing I the one piece fandom that you feel needs to change?? I feel people need to stop complaining about the smallst things ever... like that new color spread made by oda with tashigi, nami ,robin,reuji, uta. I saw people on twitter complaining about how perona wasnt there like be greatful insted of complaining...bro😭😭💀💀

🌮 taco anon ~

OOOOOH YOU MAKE PART OF THE BOYS GANG YIPPPPPEEEEEEE

Dw babe, I was scared because since I block all fem blogs that interact with my stories I blocked without wanting those anons

But if your block has male info then you are totally safe I won't block you don't worry hahaha I always check before blocking

I think it is the songs probably, I like a lot of the art of Brazil, like we have some artist fucking amazing I swear

But the songs, the music that Brazil makes are unique, there's nothing that compares with

I really love brazilian music and it's perfect no matter if its song about the 90's or a song release this year, all are really good

And Funk too, I love the Brazilian funk, besides I don't like many of them because we have some shitty ones, there some that are AMAZING

ALSO YOU ARE FROM WHERE????? HUH???? TALK MORE NOW!

Hahahahah don't worry baby I was joking with you, kid is really dumb it's totally fine to hate him but tbh I don't like most fans of chars (any chars any anime) they just suck

Bro the entire fandom of one piece should change for me, 90% of them are terrible and Jesus some are even criminal

But I think they don't enjoy one piece as it should, this is what I would like to change

One piece is a story, we are learning about a world, about a forgotten story that no one knows anymore, they are showing us a secret and mystery story that was lost in the time

And all that people care about is fight and power, is about Zoro winning idk how, is about Luffy losing to idk, is about Haki, is about power scale and blah blah

Like, I know the fights are cool, I know it is cool to discover with char are strong that each char

But some people are really forgetting the fucking story!

Now in egg head all I see of Brazilian fans at least is they talking about Zoro and Sanji power and Luffy winning and losing and they all complaining why don't have more fights why they are avoiding fights and stuff

ITS BECAUSE ITS NOT ONLY FIGHTS, IN THE ARC THEY ALREADY EXPLAIN WHY THEY DON'T WANT TO FIGHT BUT LOOKS THEY AREN'T READING AND JUST SEEING THE IMAGES???

Seriously, for any one piece fan, enjoy the story, connect the dots, see the time line, see how the years pass through this world, because the story is the true treasure in this manga

#henri talk

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asymmetryestablished · 2 years

Text

~Fic Introduction Post~ #5

today I'd like to introduce you all to my true OTP: bitchy platonic roommates Mihawk & Perona. this means I have not one, but three fics to talk about today, so buckle your seatbelts.

first: Some Sort of Poisonous Cupcake.

this is one of the fanfics I wrote in a fit of temporary insanity (read: hyperfixation). I had basically zero feelings about Mihawk & Perona, and then suddenly I had All Of The Feelings about Mihawk & Perona and needed to write them down with a level of urgency that should by all rights have been completely unwarranted. and then I surfaced nearly 3,000 words later and remembered I had a road trip to be preparing for. anyways

the fic is 2.8k words long, and rated M for the bit where Mihawk talks about Shanks' dick briefly (bc yeah, background Shanks/Mihawk). the focus is all on Mihawk & Perona's dynamic in this modern AU where they're just bitchy housemates. that's it. that's the fic.

I genuinely adore this fic, and not just because it slightly introduced me to my new OTP. I love the narrative voice, I love the way I worked in information about their dynamic & personalities, I love so many lines & bits of phrasing. I'm so goddamn proud of this fic. but it's a rarepair, and a platonic ship, and it's rated M, so it's not the kind of thing people tend to go looking for.

I have had to persuade people to give it a read. any time I succeed, they come out raving about it. that's about the best sales pitch I can offer, unless the promise of impending sequels intrigues you.

second: An Eye for an Eye (Kuraigana, One Year In).

this is the fic I was working on when I got interrupted by Cupcake (see above). the story itself is about how Zolo lost his eye during the timeskip, but the whiff of Mihawk&Perona dynamic I was including caught my attention and refused to let it go.

this one is only 580 words long, including the deleted scene I added later, and rated T for non-graphic depictions of eye injury & surgery. if you're intrigued by my Mihawk&Perona obsession but are mysteriously intimidated by anything longer than precisely 2500 words, you can try this first, or the next fic on my list:

A Particularly Sweet Red.

this is 540 words of pure G-rated Mihawk&Perona feels, framed as a Mihawk character study (lite). it takes place in current canon (as of chapter 1000-whatever of the manga) so if you're not up to date, you might be a little confused, but hey — it's short. there's not much there to be confused by. just a lot of using sangria as a metaphor for Mihawk & Perona's friendship, tbh.

if any of these fics intrigue you even a little, please give them a read! Mihawk & Perona's dynamic brings me so much joy, and I just want to spread the love and my ride-or-die platonic m/f pairing agenda as far as I possibly can.

#platonic MiRona my beloved #fanfic talk #signal boost #nsd’s fanfic introduction posts #quoth nsd #mihopero #queerplatonic #dracule mihawk #perona #one piece #one piece fanfiction #roronoa zoro #ghost princess perona #one piece mihawk #one piece perona #qpr stuff #fanfic

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lale-txt · 2 years

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💋 asking OP chars for help with your nails & makeup

a/n: another talk with @eustasssimp about nail polish and the angry tulip and i couldn't stop thinking about how others would help you with this very important task, so here we are （￣ε￣ʃƪ） ns.fw under the read more! minors i'm spraying you with a water spray bottle, dni!

maybe you’ve hurt your hand because you’re a little clumsy. maybe you just can’t draw two symmetrical winged liners, no matter how hard you try. maybe you just want to be a little spoiled. so you call out the name of your partner, knowing they’ll always come whenever you’re in need…

those who come running, thinking you’ve hurt yourself because why else would your voice sound that troubled

❀ Franky, Killer, Ace, Yamato, Roger, Shanks, Bartolomeo, Thatch, Kin’emon, Rosinante

those who yell a pissed “WHAT, BABE” from the other end of the ship and then come stomping when you don’t reply

❀ Kid, Smoker, Buggy, Izou, Paulie, Gaban, Perona, Ulti

those who are irritated why you’re calling out their name when they are literally right next to you and watched you struggling for the past hour or so

❀ Marco, Rayleigh, Hina, Sengoku, Oden, X Drake, Benn, Page One

those who can’t paint nails for shit. they’re spilling the color everywhere except where it should go, dropping the tiny bottle because they’re hands are too massive or just crushing it between their fingertips from sheer strength, but you gotta believe that they’re really trying their best

❀ Kaido, Whitebeard, Katakuri, Garp, Sasaki, Kin’emon

those who will channel their inner nail artist. they’re giving you the full program, making this a three hour long session, threatening to stab you with the nail file when you dare to move or complain, you’re in this together now

❀ Kid, Buggy, Boa, Cavendish, Mihawk, Perona, Ulti

those who are SO proud when they manage to draw a sharp line on your eyelid and then have a full blown breakdown when trying to do a symmetric one on the other

❀ Ace, Sanji, Shanks, Paulie, X Drake, Page One

those who grab you by the chin, tilting your head as they need it, drawing the winged liner with a precision within a minute you can’t help but wonder why you ever bothered trying to do it yourself

❀ Izou, Law, Killer, Usopp, Denjiro, Bartolomeo, Hina, Boa, Oden, Mihawk, Perona

those who use a triangle ruler to get the winged eyeliner right (and it still doesn’t work)

❀ Katakuri, Shanks, Marco, Luffy, Sasaki

those who use a knife to nail the winged eyeliner right (“what, like it’s hard?”)

❀ Kid, Law, Zoro (uses one of his swords), Sabo, Thatch, Mihawk, Shakky

those who fall over in love with you again from the way your eyes meet, an intense gaze that’s sending thousands of butterflies in their stomach, their heart jumping in their chest

❀ Rosinante, Usopp, Thatch, Roger, Perona, Ulti

those who help you apply lipstick by painting their own lips and taking your face in their hands, kissing you until you dig your nails in their chest, gasping for air as they admire their stunning painting

❀ Rosinante, Kid, Killer, Denjiro, Black Maria, Yamato, Iceburg, Shakky

those who pick the nail polish by which color would look the best when you’re hands are wrapped around their cock (and the lipstick color too)

❀ Crocodile, Rayleigh, Shanks, Yamato (matches it to your favorite strap on), Sasaki, Benn, Mihawk, Kin’emon

those who help taking off your weak attempts of makeup by ruining your pretty face with spit and cum, praising you for how stunning you look with that smeared look

❀ Thatch, Kid, Doflamingo, King, Lucci, Garp, Who’s Who, Kaido

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sugxrslushy · 2 years

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➪ a/n: idea kinda came out of nowhere? I can't paint my nails for shit so I always ask someone else to help me and I thought this was a cute idea. it was one of the prompts on my last event that I never got to finish so might as well knock out some characters right here with the prompt

➪ details: SFW//Kid, Perona, & Sanji x gn!reader//w.c: 1k

Eustass Kid

Kid’s own nails always seemed to be done perfectly, staying untouched and perfect even through his wreckless nature while you could barely paint a nail without turning your whole finger the same color (much less keep them from getting scraped and flaking the paint off)

You’d brought it up casually, treading lightly as you asked what nail polish he used. He grumbled out an answer, not very interested till you brought up him possibly helping you with your own conundrum. Upon his interest being drawn in you showed your own (very bad) attempt at painting your nails

“Yeah you did a shit job at painting your nails.” Almost as if that’s why I’m asking for help

He’s surprisingly easy to motivate into painting your nails, with the promise of alcohol later he pulls you aside with a bottle of nail polish to begin. He’s got two colors to pick from (red or black) so pick your poison

Kid is surprisingly efficient at it, much more than you expected as he paints your first two nails with little to no effort. He smears the paint a bit, nowhere near perfect, but better than what you would end up with. He holds your hand splayed atop his own and you can’t help but notice how much smaller yours is in comparison to his

“Yours get all scuffed because you don’t use that gel shit on top.” He swipes the last little smudge from the corner of your finger with his own, gently holding your hand closer to his face and blowing on the still wet polish to dry it, making you laugh from the ticklish feeling. You swear his cheeks turn red at the sound

Whenever Kid needs to repolish his he’ll ask if you do too, letting you spend time with him as you both fix your nails to your liking. Even when you get a hang of how to paint your own Kid turns a blind eye because “it’s easier than watching you struggle”

He might buy a few more colors, insisting they’re just for you but you’ve seen that pretty purple he bought for you gleaming on his own nails

Perona

Perona had gone through all five stages of grief all at once when she first laid eyes on your poor attempt at painting your nails. She acted like it was the worst thing ever, leaving you smiling sheepishly as she insisted on fixing them for you so she wouldn’t have to look at them

Look, she didn’t mean to come off as rude, she was thrilled at the chance to hold your hand as she paints your nails but she doesn’t have the slightest idea of how to flirt properly

Perona has too many colors to choose from, almost intimidating when she drags you off to her room and dumps out her whole stash of polishes. Once she’d learned about Mihawk’s soft spot for her she took full advantage of it, and the evidence was laid out in front of you in plenty of shiny bottles of even shinier colors

To the ghost princess there’s no such thing as half assing things, especially when it comes to beauty. She’ll go the full ten yards and give you a complete manicure, but it tends to feel like she’d finding whatever excuse to hold your hand more as she holds yours tight to file your nails

From the start she’s made up her mind on what color she should paint your nails, and she’s hard to sway from her previous choice. Although she’s never been wrong, it always compliments you beautifully and she’ll let you pick out a design as a trade

“Stop moving.” The princess mumbles, a hollow hanging dangerously close as she paints on a detail with careful precision. Her tongue pokes out of the corner of her mouth and eyebrows are creased in complete concentration as she works, blooming into the biggest smile as she excitedly announces she’s done

She’s just as ecstatic as you are once it’s finished, proud of her own work and even more proud that you’re so excited to show everyone. She swears her heart speeds up whenever you happily tell someone that Perona was the one who did such an amazing job with your nails

Sanji

Sanji brought it up first, you had been helping him in the kitchen when he offhandedly mentioned you should be careful baking when your nail polish was chipping off so easily. You hadn't even noticed it and immediately was upset, all your hard work down the drain so fast

He offered to help as long as you were more careful about it chipping. You hadn’t expected Sanji to be the one who knew how to paint nails, but he’d learned a fair share of things other than just cooking and fighting on Kamabakka but he’d never admit that

You pick out a bottle from your collection, handing it off to Sanji who was standing idly behind you. “Pretty, you have a good eye.” He says with a smile, cupping your hand in his and running the pad of his thumb over your nails, the rest of your old nail polish had been removed

Despite nail polish and the remover being flammable, Sanji still sits with a cigarette in his mouth, chewing on the end of it while he works in concentration. He makes some playful remarks here and there during it, lightening the air and slipping in some advice about how to more efficiently paint your nails

He does everything to your liking, asking and altering as he continues on. He’s incredibly precise, his hand never shaking or faltering when he paints on a perfect line of the polish. It’s a wonder to you how he works so well, but it’s easy to explain it with his experience in the kitchen

“So tell me,” he begins and brushes away the faint speck of paint along the very edge of your nail, frowning slightly at the stain now on his own hand then brushing it off. “What about this color is you favorite, other than the fact it looks cute on you” He says with a grin, storing away the bits of info you give him for future reference

Once finished, he kisses the backs of both your hands before heading off to continue whatever work he has to do for the day. He especially loves how cute you both look with your fingers interlaced, maybe you can even convince him into letting you paint his nails a complementary color

tag list: @cjm-cookiethief @sanjithesimp @acesmarigold @smallhybridart @kirakirakill @doublebird @chososrightpigtails @eustasssimp @foodismylife @portgaes @thegrandlinesimp @lawscorazon @nil-vinsmoke @rosiinante

#one piece #one piece headcanons #one piece x reader #one piece fic #eustass captain kid #eustass kid #kid x reader #kid x y/n #kid x you #ghost princess perona #perona x reader #perona x you #fluff #black leg sanji #sanji x reader #sanji x y/n #sanji x you

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1982brucespringsteen · 3 years

Text

yeaah i'll talk about the one piece modern au i'll never write why not

luffy lives with ace and sabo in a squat. he's an anarchoprimitivist but only because he likes the back to monke memes. ace is a tankie and sabo is a trotskyist and this house is a fucking nightmare. they don't work regularly mostly because ace and sabo are members of two different leftist organizations that are this close to being labeled terrorist by the government, luffy is a yoga instructor.

zoro rents a room in mihawk's big ass dracula themed gothic mansion. at first mihawk had a goth only policy and that's why perona lives there too but he soon realized having a giant chandelier in every room was skyrocketting the electric bill and lowered the bar. enter zoro, a pro kendo athlete gym rat who insists on using public transport even though he gets lost every. single. time. he doesn't have a proper ideology but he believes that people should be allowed to get away with murder just once.

nami is an ancap #girlboss lesbian influencer. she lives in her own apartment that she pays for by regularly scamming men into buying her feet pics or bath water or whatever. she was raised by a butch ex marine in an off-grid homestead where they grew tangerines. she's best friends with usopp because they're the same brand of friend who would definetely try to get you into a pyramid scam, but in different fonts. she only values people over money if the people in question are her friends. she has a rotating cast of girlfriends but the only one who managed to get real close to her was vivi and now they're not on speaking terms even though nami's mom still asks about her.

usopp owns a grow shop and sells weed to everyone but charges rich people extra for wealth redistribution. he paints, does pottery, is a competitive slingshot champion, writes poetry, costumizes clothes and practices permaculture. a couple of years ago he had to leave his hometown because he got involved with a white girl and her racist uncle went hysteric. they still text.

sanji's family owns a big pharma company and have ties with neon*zi organizations. he was abused from early age, ran away as a teen and started working for zeff, who knew he wasn't actually 16 but employed him anyways to keep him from being homeless. he became an amazing chef but his female coworkers found it impossible to work with him. zeff took him to therapy before it could get out of hands, but instead of accepting he was gay and moving on sanji did mental gymnastics and became super patronizing towards women. he owns several gastrorestaurants and a drag bar where he occasionally secretly performs.

chopper is a child prodigy studying medicine at 15 years old. he mostly hangs out around adults and he thinks that makes him very mature but since those adults are like. luffy and co. it doesn't really count. robin is his legal guardian and they live together with franky in a nice apartment on top of franky's mechanic shop. he hero-worships zoro but does nothing when usopp pulls pranks on him because he's a teenager and teenagers are like that.

robin was reverse indiana jones: she stole shit from museums and private collections and returned them to their original location. was wanted by the interpol for some time but now she lives peacefully under a fake identity as an archaeology uni professor. she and franky met at a brook concert when robin was trying to distract some cops and franky was super cool with some random hot chick suddenly kissing him to blend in. they kind of clicked and went back together to robin's hotel room and had the best sex of their lives and didn't saw each other for years. now they co parent chopper and she's her friends' emergency contact number.

franky is a rockabilly mechanic with customized prosthetics and immaculate dad vibes. after their spectacular one night stand robin lived rent free on his mind for YEARS until they reunited and now they're married. proud men get pegged activist. was on a gang as a teen and loves to bring it up as much as he can. he's in a dad rock band with brook and they're terrible even though brook is a professional musician.

brook was a soul superstar like 30 years ago but now he's barely remembered and he resents it. he met the group when he started buying weed from usopp and now he's in zoro's kendo class and has just joined jinbe's ocean protection association and whale saving club. he's recording a comeback album with franky's help but it's going terrible.

jinbe is everyone's grandpa even though he's younger than brook, but at least brook knows how to use emojis and pretends to understand memes. runs the multidisciplinary gym where luffy works and zoro and brook train. he's a dignified old man who teaches karate to little kids and always dresses in traditional clothes but he's also a surfer, met luffy in prison, was a mob boss AND an environmentalist extremist and once attempted assassination on a conservative politician.

vivi is the heir of a monarchy, studied political science and is doing her masters on international relations. she cultivates this nice rich girl persona but was involved in the scandal of the century a couple of years ago when someone leaked pics of insta famous libertarian influencer catburglarnami snorting coke off her ass in the vip room of some club. they haven't seen each other since then but nami still vaguetweets about her and vivi campaings for market regulation just to spite her. she still talks to luffy tho.

#one piece #one piece modern au #dont ask me to elaborate because i will #mine #sorry for the toxic namivivi i just think its really funny how they havent talked for years and still live rent free on each others minds #this is also zolu but they suffer a lot because they cant fuck at luffy's (ace and sabo can and will castrate zoro) or at zoro's +#+ (perona can and will play animecore screamo post pop punk music or whatever at top volume as soon as she hears zoro lock his door)#and also one-sided usosan because i think its really funny #like. usopp is this really hot soulful artsy rasta and his type is just. blond white people from conservative families #and also like. usopp sweetie. sanji is so deep in the closet its not even funny. u can do so much better than that #and usopp is like no i like that one <3 #and of course frobin as my emotional support mom and dad #i think its amazing how in a couple composed by a rockabilly amputee blue haired bike mechanic pegging lover dad and a (apparently) soft +#looking cardigan wearing pun loving academic responsible mom #the most dangerous (and fun) person is the second one #franky: yeah i was in a gang as a teen i was hard as shit and dangerous #robin who is still wanted by the interpol: thats nice dear #long post

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cozage · 6 months

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The Moss that Grew in Gloom

Chapter 7: Day One

Start From Beginning | Next Chapter | Masterlist | Read on AO3

Word Count: 3.5k Characters: female reader x Zoro --

When you awoke, Zoro was on the mat in the corner, his back leaned against the wall. He was snoring softly, and you found yourself smiling at him and his disposition. He seemed so comfortable in his own skin; you had to admire that about him.

You shook the thoughts from your head and walked into your bathroom to prepare for the day. You weren’t supposed to be praising him. Cold as ice, just like your father. It was only three days. Once your father was back, Roronoa would fall back into line. It was better to call him Roronoa. It was less personal; it didn’t allow for any doors to be opened. It was better.

After having a few moments in the bathroom to center yourself, you felt prepared to take on the day.

That feeling immediately vanished when you opened the door and found Zoro beginning to wake from his sleep. You considered trying to silently dart out the door, but his eyes squinted open and those stormy eyes found yours instantly.

Cold as ice, just as your father. What would he say in this situation?

You stood a little taller and cleared your throat. “I suppose you didn’t even bother to try and return to your bedroom last night?”

Your words didn’t affect him at all. He simply let out a half smile. “I wanted to be here when you woke up so I could tell you.” His hand turned a dark metallic color. “Almost a full hour last night. I didn’t want to wake you. Figured you could use the rest.”

You bit back a smile. You were proud of him and his progress. But your father rarely let his emotions show, and you would only survive these next two days if you kept the distance he did.

You gave a sharp nod. “Very well. We can continue with the next steps after breakfast.”

The surprise in his face made your chest ache. But he quickly recovered, and so did you. You walked out of the room to head down to the dining room, not looking back to see if Zoro was following you.

As you got closer to the main level, the smell of bread, eggs, and bacon floated up the stairwell, making your stomach rumble.

“Can’t believe you’re hungry after last night,” Zoro joked as he quickly caught up to you. “I’m still stuffed.”

“I recommend you try to eat something,” you said cooly. “We will be out for a while today.”

“So you’re going to help me push haki into blades?”

You scowled, mimicking your father when you had asked him that same question years ago. “Not quite.”

You could feel Zoro’s irritation rise behind you. “I thought you said-”

“You will be practicing, but not with something so dangerous or precious as blades.”

You could feel his glare on you, but you didn’t look at him. You let the smell of food be your only guide.

The dining table was set lavishly, but only for three. Your father must’ve told Perona of his departure before he had left.

“Perona!” you gasped. “This is exquisite!”

She beamed at your words. “I figured we might as well go all out since that old meanie isn’t here right now!”

“You’ve certainly outdone yourself,” you complimented. “Did you pick those flowers from the gardens?”

“Sure did!”

There was a stark contrast between the pink flowers she had gathered and the black flowers, but you didn’t comment on it.

The food was well prepared, too. If you hadn’t known better, you would have assumed your father had made it.

“Mihawk has been teaching me how to cook,” Perona noted as you all continued to eat. “I never liked being in the kitchen, but Mihawk said-”

“If you can’t cook, you can’t live,” you finished with her, smiling to yourself.

Perona wasn’t so bad in small increments. She was kind and she cared about those around her, even if she didn’t always have the best way of showing it.

“It’s a good skill to have,” Zoro agreed. You could tell he was trying to find some way to be included in the conversation.

“One you should learn,” you retorted. “You can use your armament haki while doing the dishes as training. Perona, feel free to make the water as hot as you need to. I’m releasing Roronoa to your care for the morning.” You shot him a quick look, trying to look as disapproving as your father. “I expect an edible meal for lunch.”

Zoro’s eye twitched. “You said you would-”

“This is part of your training,” you said, cutting him off. “Do it, or you will get no further help from me.”

You left the dining table then, walking briskly and confidently up the stairwell. You needed some time away from him, time to clear your head. It was the only way you’d make it through these next few days.

You settled in your all-too-familiar chair and picked up a book. A sense of normality would help make you feel more like yourself and be able to guard against the whims of Roronoa Zoro.

It was almost lunchtime before a knock came at your door. You started for a moment, thinking your father may have come home early, but that wasn’t the secret knock he had created. Your eyes flicked back down to your book, trying your best to ignore it.

The person knocked again.

“Come in,” you said, letting out a loud sigh.

Zoro opened the door, his eyes instantly finding yours. It was so easy to melt under his gaze, but you stiffened instead.

You raised an eyebrow in question, as if you were being inconvenienced.

“I’m done helping Perona,” he said. “Little witch had the water temperature at scalding levels, by the way. Thanks for that.”

Your eyes returned to the book. They had to, or else they would linger on him for too long. “Did you use haki to shield yourself like I asked you to?”

He nodded, trying to hide a scowl. “And helped Perona to prepare lunch. It’s ready now.”

“I’ll be down in a moment.” Your eyes stayed on the page, but you could see him lingering in the doorway. “Go without me.”

He hesitated as though he was going to say something, but then decided against it and shut the door without another word.

You descended the stairs a few minutes later after finishing the chapter of your book to find Perona sitting alone at the table.

“Finally! I’ve been waiting here forever! What took you all so long? I sent Zoro up like ten minutes ago!”

Your brow furrowed as you looked around the room, finding it empty. “I sent Zoro back down here ten minutes ago.” Roronoa, you corrected yourself silently. You were supposed to refer to him at Roronoa.

Perona huffed in frustration. “He’s always getting himself lost in this castle. Why can’t he ever find his way!”

You shrugged. “He’ll join us when he figures it out.”

You had to be cold. It was necessary for survival. But still, a part of you softened in realizing that he had found his way to your room with ease, if Perona’s timeline was correct. Perhaps that is why he was so hesitant to leave.

He had known how to get to you. Your heart involuntarily skipped a beat. Perhaps you should go looking for him and help him find his way back to lunch. But that’s not what your father would do, so you remained at your seat and began to eat lunch.

“How was his help this morning?” You asked Perona, trying to remain indifferent.

“He was more hurt than help in the kitchen!” She groaned, covering her face with her hands at the memory. “I started making more dirty dishes than I needed to just to keep him away from the food.”

You smiled at that. Zoro didn’t seem like the kind who would be any help with cooking. Perhaps you could assign him kitchen duty again, this time focusing on cutting vegetables uniformly. That would certainly keep both of them out of your hair and at each other’s throats for the rest of the day.

As if your thoughts summoned him, Zoro raced down the stairs, huffing and out of breath.

He gave you a glare. “How big is this damn castle?!”

You shrugged, suppressing a smile. “Big enough for you to get lost in. Though I believe that could be done with a two-bedroom cottage.”

Zoro’s eye twitched, but Perona let out a howl of laughter, and that made the cheap shot worth it.

“Eat.” You motioned to his seat. “We have work to do after lunch.”

“Don’t want to put me on kitchen duty again?” He grumbled, but he did as he was told.

“Would you like to be put on kitchen duty, Roronoa?”

He looked over at you, shocked with the formality you had given him, and studied your face for a long time. You almost looked away, but you kept your gaze fixed on him, waiting for a response.

“Please no!’ Perona cried. “I swear it’s more of a punishment for me than it is for him!”

You ignored her, watching Zoro intensely, waiting for a response.

“Whatever training you want me to do, I’ll do it,” he finally said, breaking eye contact and digging into his lunch.

“Then we will train in the courtyard after lunch to give Perona some reprieve.” You gave the bubble-gum haired girl a wink, and she let out a huge sigh of relief.

Zoro shot you a look of confusion, pausing mid bite. “I thought we would train at-”

“The courtyard.” You finished for him, adding a sense of finality that you knew he would not challenge. You couldn’t leave the grounds anyway. It wasn’t safe with your father gone.

After a rather quiet lunch, you sent Zoro to the courtyard to start warming up while you retreated to the training room. You picked up a few stuffed animals and retreated out of the room. He was never going to do this. You could see him starting a fight the moment you walked out the door. He didn’t understand that there was a process. But you would stand your ground, just as your father had with you.

You took a deep breath and walked into the courtyard. Zoro had already managed to work up a sweat and lose his shirt. He didn’t bother to stop what he was doing, but his eyes glanced over to you.

And then down to the teddy bears you were holding.

“Are you planning on making those things into scary monsters that I have to fight?”

You resisted the urge to banter back. “They are for training.”

“Scary.” He finished up his final set or workouts and sheathed his swords. “Can I only cut them if I have haki infused into my blades?”

You set the bears down on the cobblestone patio. “I want you to infuse them with haki.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is this some kind of joke to you?”

You flexed your jaw, trying to swallow back any emotion. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

His eyes flashed with hurt, but just for a moment. “Why do I have to do this?”

You stared at him for a moment, as if the answer were obvious. Your father did that to people a lot, and it seemed to be effective in making them second guess themselves. “Blades are easily breakable. Bears are not. If you infuse too much or too little, the bear will not break into a million pieces. But by all means, Roronoa, if you think you can go straight to swords, I will not stop you.”

You turned and began to walk away. He reached for you, and you quickly dodged away from him, turning back with fire in your eyes.

But he had fire in his eyes as well. “It’s Zoro. I told you to call me Zoro.”

Your lips pressed into a thin line. “You are my pupil, and you will be addressed as such. Blurred lines don’t help anyone.”

He scoffed. “You can’t be serious. What has gotten into you?”

“Nothing has gotten into me,” you hissed back. “You came here to train. So train.”

“You said you would help!”

“I am.” You turned away. “You won’t leave this island with broken blades now. You’re welcome.”

You walked back into the castle without another word. You had hoped that maybe he would have stopped you, but he stood there stunned into silence.

You retreated into your room and sat back down in your chair. Distractions. You needed distractions. You pulled out your book, trying to ignore the fact that you had a clear line of sight to Zoro’s training, should you choose to look out your window. You were curious if he had taken the teddy bear advice, or if he had thrown your directive completely out and was trying his own method. You were too scared to look down and see.

You tried to read your book for an hour before you gave up. The words were swimming across the pages, your mind easily wandering out the door and down the hall to the courtyard. You should go check on him, see if there was any progress.

You probably had been too cruel to him. And while you had good reason, he had no idea why you were responding so coldly to him. Zoro hadn’t learned much at all when your father had given him instructions and left him alone. No, he flourished under your steady guidance and ability to recognize small victories. There were ways to be a good teacher and still keep yourself emotionally distant…wasn’t there?

You put your book down and walked down the stairs, glancing out the door to the courtyard before you took a step out.

It wasn’t pretty. One of the bears had been torn apart. You weren’t sure if his haki had done that, or his frustration. Stuffing laid strewn about the area as if you had gotten an early snow.

But Zoro was still there, trying his best to infuse the stuffed animal. He was failing miserably. But he was trying.

You silently opened the door and stepped outside. “Would you like some pointers now?”

“Depends.” He didn’t seem shocked to hear you. It was as if he knew you were coming. “Are you going to be an asshole about it?”

“Are you going to accept my help?” You shock back, instantly irritated.

One eye cracked open. You could tell he was fighting between an appropriate response and what he wanted to say.

“I will,” he said through gritted teeth. Appropriate response it was.

You sat down across from him. “Show me what you’ve been doing. And we’ll go from there.”

He bit back a response and closed his eyes, trying to focus. He was able to instantly shroud his hand in armament haki, but he gritted his teeth as he tried to force his haki into the bear. He was acting as if it were something to be conquered, rather than an extension of himself.

You supposed it would be hard to have him act that a teddy bear was an extension of himself without knowing that beforehand.

“I see,” you whispered. “You can stop now.”

He opened his eyes, looking at you with caution. You couldn’t blame him for being wary.

“Did the stuffing massacre happen from an attempt at haki or were you just frustrated?”

His lips quirked up at your joke. You started to grin back, but stopped yourself. This had to be professional.

“The haki tore his head off,” he said. “I did the rest. It was the closest I got to a success.”

It wasn’t very close at all, but you didn’t comment on that.

He looked at you skeptically. “Can this actually be done, or did I do something to piss you off?”

You took the bear from his hands and pushed haki into it. The brown fur instantly became metallic black, and you looked at him expectantly.

“Got it,” he grumbled. “What am I doing wrong?”

“We’ll do that tomorrow.” You knew what you had to do to help him, and you weren’t prepared for that yet.

“You said-”

“I need time,” you admitted, showing a shred of vulnerability. “I don’t have the reserves to help you today. Let me build it up and we can work tomorrow. Together.”

His hard face softened at your words, as if he could sense a small piece of your wall being peeled away. “How should we train now?”

“Relax,” you said. “Prepare mentally and build your reserves. With any luck, we’ll last until lunch time.”

His brow furrowed. “What exactly are you planning?”

You gave him a small smile. “A training exercise on the act of extending your haki. That’s all.”

“You say it so devilish, I’m almost nervous.”

You let out a laugh. “You should be.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Your face was neutral, but you knew he could see the mischief dancing in your eyes. “Only if you want it to be, Roronoa.”

It was too easy to fall into this with him. The easy jokes and quick banter was practically second nature with him, even though you had only known each other a few weeks. But the spark went out of his eyes at your last word. His name.

“Call me Zoro.”

“It’s easier if I don’t.” Ice flooded through your veins. You had gotten too casual again.

“Everyone calls me Zoro,” he argued.

You picked up the stuffed toys that were still intact instead of responding. “Tell Perona I’ll take dinner in my room tonight.”

“What? We eat together.” You could hear the frustration in his voice.

“I need to concentrate tonight. Unless you want one of us to end up like your stuffed friend over there.” It was partially the truth. You did need to concentrate and build up resistance to the possibility of an influx of haki. But you could do that anywhere. It was an excuse to be alone.

“Fine.” He let you walk away again, but this time you were relieved.

As you hid in your room, you could hear Zoro and Perona fighting downstairs, but you refused to go investigate. It wasn’t until hours later that there came a knock on your door. Zoro.

“Dinner.” He opened the door and brought in a tray of food.

“Leave it on the table.” You kept your eyes closed, still focusing on building up energy.

“Figured we could eat together,” Zoro said.

Your eyes snapped open and you glared at him, irritated that he broke your concentration. “I need to be alone.”

“No you don’t.” He had that smug look on his face, as if he was capable of seeing right through you. “You can eat with me for twenty minutes.”

You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath in and resettling. “Go away, Roronoa.”

“You watched me struggle,” he mused. You could hear the creak of your bed, and you bristled at the thought of him being near your things. “I feel like I should get the option to sit and watch you.”

“Get out,” you growled. “You’re distracting me.”

He let out a chuckle. “Now you know what it’s like.”

“Roronoa-”

“Come eat with me, then I’ll leave.”

You didn’t move.

Neither did he.

You tried to focus; tried to build your energy. But it was distracting having him in here. You could feel his presence, normally so serious and stoic, almost amused now as he watched you.

“Do you mind?” You snapped, finally opening an eye.

“I think what’s distracting you is hunger, actually. Let’s eat.”

“Please, Roronoa,” you whispered. “Please leave.”

You locked eyes with him. A battle of the wills. But you were begging, not challenging. If you had dinner with him alone again…who knew where that would end up. You could see from the corner of your eye he had brought wine too. You definitely couldn’t sit with him and have dinner and wine in your room.

“You really want me to go?” His voice was soft, and you felt a pull in your core.

You nodded, knowing your voice would betray you. You wanted nothing more than to be close to him. Which is exactly why you had to stay far away.

He could see the pleading in your eyes, and he relented. He got up from your bed with a sigh and grabbed one of the trays-his tray.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Early.”

You nodded, though you knew he didn’t see you respond. He was already closing the door. You grabbed the food and nibbled at it, not having an appetite. He had left the wine, but you resisted opening it. You needed a clear head.

Only when you crawled into bed did you notice it. A red rose, lying on your nightstand. Perona only picked flowers of the pink and black variety. Zoro must have set it down before he left.

Surely all pupils brought flowers to their teachers, didn’t they?

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