Zoro sees dead people
Title: Sixth Sense
Theme: Set #3 - Illusion
Claim: Zoro
Words: 2120
Rating: PG
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece.
Acknowledgments: Thanks again to zelda_addict for beta-ing!
Zoro stared perplexedly at the door in front of him, contemplating the giant number "2" painted on it. "I guess this could be a bathroom..." He opened the door and peered inside. Wrong again. This new ship was great and all, but Franky could have built it smaller, Zoro groused. Or with better signage.
He was about to turn and leave when his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he saw a very familiar ship - technically more a boat, he supposed - in the centre of the room. He crossed over to it, curiosity replacing irritation.
It was evidently still a work in progress, judging by the tools lying around, but it was already obvious what ship this boat was patterned after. Zoro laid a hand on the figurehead, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
He stiffened and his hand flew to the hilts of his swords as an otherworldly presence shimmered into existence behind him. Then he relaxed as he recognised the aura, and the half-smile became a full one. "Kuina." His mind did a double-take when he turned around, as he did whenever he saw her. She looked older, stronger, since the last time they'd talked, after Mihawk. He'd once asked how she kept on growing even though she was, well, dead. She'd scolded him for being so insensitive and had never really answered, but he figured it must be her desperation to keep up with him even in death.
Then he noticed the figure hiding behind her, clad in a yellow sou'wester, peering fearfully at him. "Who the hell are you?"
Kuina rolled her eyes. "Charming as ever, Zoro." Then she said, a little more gently, "There's no need to be afraid, Merry. You know Zoro." She gave the figure a push, and the ghost stepped out into the open, its features less distinct than Kuina's, with a broad mouth and wide-set eyes, two round saucers fixed on the swordsman.
Zoro gaped. "Merry?" He looked at the craft behind him, with its familiar sheep's head, and back at the glowing figure. "Going Merry, Merry?"
"Yes, it's me," Merry answered, his voice instantly recognisable from Enies Lobby, calling for them to return together to the sea of adventure, and from when the Strawhats had watched their beloved ship catch flame and sink to the ocean floor, whispering that it had been happy.
"You're the spirit of this boat?"
Merry shook his head. "No, it will have its own klabautermann, when it's finished. I'm just a ghost."
"Klabauter-what?"
"Just as you said, a klabautermann is the spirit of a ship. Sunny has one too."
"Really? Where?" Zoro glanced around, as if half-expecting a lion to pop out of nowhere.
"You can't see him. The only time a klabautermann shows itself to its crew is when its ship is doomed to destruction," Merry explained, his voice still a little hesitant.
"Oh." In that case Zoro certainly didn't want to see Sunny's klabautermann. "Did you come to talk to Usopp then?" Kuina had once said it cost a lot to make herself visible to Zoro, and whatever currency they used in the next world, it seemed unlikely that Merry would spend it on visiting just him.
At the mention of Usopp, Merry's brow furrowed, a hard look coming into his eyes. "No. I came to talk to you." Zoro's surprise at the angry tone in the child-like voice was compounded by the sight of Merry swinging his caulk hammer at Zoro's kneecaps - and it would have hurt like hell, too, if the hammer had actually belonged to this world.
"You can't do it like that, Merry," Kuina said, her voice authoritative and just a touch bemused, stepping forward towards Zoro, who eyed her somewhat suspiciously. "Watch carefully." She raised a leg and kneed Zoro in the groin. Zoro instinctively flinched away from the phantom attack, his foot catching on the box of tools, falling backwards, his head colliding with the wall.
"Kuina! That's dirty!" he protested, picking himself up awkwardly, rubbing the lump on his head, as his childhood rival grinned at him impishly. "Don't teach him that kind of thing!" The last thing he needed was random ghosts popping up and attacking his crotch without reason. Or with reason, for that matter. He looked at Merry, who was showing a full set of teeth as he giggled at the swordsman's predicament, reminding Zoro somehow of Luffy. Merry must've picked up some of Luffy's mannerisms, what with all the time Luffy had spent draped over the prow. "What was that for, anyway?" he demanded.
"For Usopp. He's depressed, you know. I can feel it. And it's all your fault!"
"How can he be depressed? He's back on the crew," Zoro objected.
"Everyone did something to welcome him back. Everyone went up to him and said something nice. Everyone except you."
"Why should I need to say something? It's over. He and Luffy fought, he lost, he left the crew, he apologised, Luffy accepted his apology, he's back on the crew." Simple. Straightforward. No discussion required.
"Men," Kuina said in a disgusted voice.
"WHAT?"
"Usopp still thinks you're mad at him. Especially since he heard about what you said about him having to apologise before coming back to the crew."
"Yeah, and he apologised, so everything's fine. I wouldn't have let him onto the ship otherwise." Zoro's eyes narrowed. "How do you two know all about this anyway? And how does Usopp know what I said?"
Kuina and Merry exchanged guilty looks, but from Kuina's expression, Zoro knew he wouldn't be getting any answers from them. Maybe using Wado Ichimonji to make his point back then had been a bad idea.
He sighed. "Is Usopp really that upset?"
Merry nodded vigorously.
Waste of time it might be, but a distracted sniper was an inaccurate sniper. "Fine. I'll talk to him," Zoro promised.
"Really?" Merry asked hopefully.
"Zoro knows how to keep a promise," Kuina said. She glanced at a contraption on her wrist, which looked rather similar to the Log Pose Nami kept strapped to hers. "We have to go, Merry, our time's almost up."
"Just one more thing, Kuina," Merry said pleadingly, before looking back at Zoro and asking, "Why didn't you cry?"
Zoro was confused. "Cry? Why would I wanna cry?"
"When I died," Merry clarified. "Everybody cried except you. Even Robin cried."
"What, the shit cook too?"
"Yeah, he cried too." Hmm. Shit cook was a bigger softie than he looked. "Did you...not care?"
"I just don't cry, that's all," Zoro said stiffly.
"Liar," Kuina declared, her voice tinged with amusement. "Don't believe him, Merry. He cried like anything when I died." Zoro shot her an unamused frown. It was good to know that she could actually make light of her own tragedy now, but he had personally never forgiven her for falling down the stairs that one night.
That only made Merry's head droop further. "So you really didn't feel sad to say goodbye? You don't miss me at all?" he said in a small voice.
Kuina was grinning as she watched the scene, her arms crossed as she watched Zoro fumble for words to comfort Merry without coming off too soppy. Finally he answered, "I didn't cry, because you died like a man. There's no need to shed tears when a man's died with honour. And..." Zoro hesitated a moment, before finally setting his dignity aside, praying that Kuina wouldn't laugh. "I do miss you, because you're one of our nakama."
Merry's whole body was shaking now, and Zoro wondered whether he'd said the wrong thing. He'd never been much good with words. But when Merry looked up Zoro could see the glad tears in his eyes and the trembling of his lower lip, now reminding him instead of Usopp. No wonder they'd gotten along so well.
"I miss you too, Zoro!" Merry launched himself at the horrified swordsman, who automatically stepped back and away from the embrace, only to collide with the boat and then have the wind knocked out of him by the klabautermann himself.
"What the hell?" Zoro asked, his voice muffled by Merry's suddenly very solid embrace.
Kuina looked just as surprised as he did. "I didn't think this boat contained enough of Merry's soul for that to happen." Zoro felt Wado slide out of his haramaki, and he recalled the first time he'd felt his katana - he still thought of it then as her katana - jump suddenly from his hands, months after Kuina's death. Then he felt the wetness spreading across his shirt and realised that Merry was still sobbing tears into his chest. "Oi, Merry. Enough, now," he said gruffly.
Merry got up, rubbing the tears from his eyes, a wide smile plastered on his face despite them. Zoro sat up too, only to come throat to blade with Wado Ichimonji, Kuina in a familiar stance behind it. "Dammit, woman, don't do that to me," he grumbled.
Kuina laughed and returned Wado to its sheath and held it out to Zoro. "Just remembering old times. Remember, Zoro...when you've beaten Mihawk, we have a date."
"Yeah, I remember. You'd better be training hard."
"Of course I am," she retorted, that familiar superior smirk on her face. "You'd better be mentally prepared for your 2002nd defeat."
"Yeah, right. I'm not gonna go easy on you," Zoro growled, competitive as ever, even against a ghost.
Kuina took another reluctant glance at the Pose. "Merry, we've really got to go. Say goodbye to Zoro."
"Okay!" Merry chirped. "Bye, Zoro! We'll come again! Don't torture Sunny with your weights like you tortured me! And remember to talk to Usopp!"
"Yeah, yeah. Get going, chibi," Zoro said, exchanging a last glance with Kuina as she and Merry faded into non-existence, leaving him feeling curiously bereft, almost as if he had just woken up from a dream. He tucked Wado Ichimonji into his haramaki once more, smiling a little when he realised Kuina had forgotten to complain about germs this time.
Then the door opened, and Zoro looked around to see their new shipwright enter. "Oh, it's you, Zoro-bro!" He pushed up his sunglasses with one finger and glanced around. "I thought I heard voices in here."
"Really?" Zoro asked noncommittally.
"I guess it was just my imagination," Franky shrugged. "Oh, I see you've found the Mini Merry II!"
"Yeah. You did a good job with it," Zoro acknowledged. "You really managed to...capture the spirit of the ship."
"Ow! It was no problem! I was feeling particularly inspired this week!" Franky flashed his standard pose, and Zoro rolled his eyes. He was gradually getting used to the cyborg's antics. Franky clapped a hand on the swordsman's shoulder and said confidentially, "By the way, Zoro-bro, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention Mini Merry to the others until it's finished. It's gonna be a surprise, you see."
"Sure," Zoro agreed readily. "I can keep a secret."
"Yeah, I bet you can," Franky said, giving a sideways glance at the taciturn swordsman. "Anyway, what were you doing down here? Looking for the bathroom again? If you are, we don't actually have one on this level."
"I was looking for Usopp, actually," Zoro prevaricated, with as much dignity as he could muster.
A huge grin broke out on Franky's face. "Oh, you're gonna talk to him at last? Well, you got pretty close this time. Usopp-bro's workshop is right over there." He jerked an enormous thumb towards the stern.
"Thanks, Franky."
Zoro crossed over to the door marked "Usopp's Main Factory" and knocked.
"My hands are full, so come on in!" Usopp shouted. "Oh! Er...Z-z-zoro! Did you want s-s-something?" Zoro was startled to see the fear in Usopp's eyes. Merry was right, he should have said something earlier.
"Yeah. We need to talk."
Franky quietly shut the door on the pair as Zoro sat down by Usopp, one hand on the younger man's shoulder, Usopp's eyes growing as wide as Merry's at the gesture. On the other side of the door, Franky bawled manly tears at the wonders of nakamaship.
---
Not the sort of fic I usually write (other than the obligatory fluffiness) but that's kinda the point of 30 Pieces, isn't it?
Theme: Set #3 - Illusion
Claim: Zoro
Words: 2120
Rating: PG
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece.
Acknowledgments: Thanks again to zelda_addict for beta-ing!
Zoro stared perplexedly at the door in front of him, contemplating the giant number "2" painted on it. "I guess this could be a bathroom..." He opened the door and peered inside. Wrong again. This new ship was great and all, but Franky could have built it smaller, Zoro groused. Or with better signage.
He was about to turn and leave when his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he saw a very familiar ship - technically more a boat, he supposed - in the centre of the room. He crossed over to it, curiosity replacing irritation.
It was evidently still a work in progress, judging by the tools lying around, but it was already obvious what ship this boat was patterned after. Zoro laid a hand on the figurehead, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
He stiffened and his hand flew to the hilts of his swords as an otherworldly presence shimmered into existence behind him. Then he relaxed as he recognised the aura, and the half-smile became a full one. "Kuina." His mind did a double-take when he turned around, as he did whenever he saw her. She looked older, stronger, since the last time they'd talked, after Mihawk. He'd once asked how she kept on growing even though she was, well, dead. She'd scolded him for being so insensitive and had never really answered, but he figured it must be her desperation to keep up with him even in death.
Then he noticed the figure hiding behind her, clad in a yellow sou'wester, peering fearfully at him. "Who the hell are you?"
Kuina rolled her eyes. "Charming as ever, Zoro." Then she said, a little more gently, "There's no need to be afraid, Merry. You know Zoro." She gave the figure a push, and the ghost stepped out into the open, its features less distinct than Kuina's, with a broad mouth and wide-set eyes, two round saucers fixed on the swordsman.
Zoro gaped. "Merry?" He looked at the craft behind him, with its familiar sheep's head, and back at the glowing figure. "Going Merry, Merry?"
"Yes, it's me," Merry answered, his voice instantly recognisable from Enies Lobby, calling for them to return together to the sea of adventure, and from when the Strawhats had watched their beloved ship catch flame and sink to the ocean floor, whispering that it had been happy.
"You're the spirit of this boat?"
Merry shook his head. "No, it will have its own klabautermann, when it's finished. I'm just a ghost."
"Klabauter-what?"
"Just as you said, a klabautermann is the spirit of a ship. Sunny has one too."
"Really? Where?" Zoro glanced around, as if half-expecting a lion to pop out of nowhere.
"You can't see him. The only time a klabautermann shows itself to its crew is when its ship is doomed to destruction," Merry explained, his voice still a little hesitant.
"Oh." In that case Zoro certainly didn't want to see Sunny's klabautermann. "Did you come to talk to Usopp then?" Kuina had once said it cost a lot to make herself visible to Zoro, and whatever currency they used in the next world, it seemed unlikely that Merry would spend it on visiting just him.
At the mention of Usopp, Merry's brow furrowed, a hard look coming into his eyes. "No. I came to talk to you." Zoro's surprise at the angry tone in the child-like voice was compounded by the sight of Merry swinging his caulk hammer at Zoro's kneecaps - and it would have hurt like hell, too, if the hammer had actually belonged to this world.
"You can't do it like that, Merry," Kuina said, her voice authoritative and just a touch bemused, stepping forward towards Zoro, who eyed her somewhat suspiciously. "Watch carefully." She raised a leg and kneed Zoro in the groin. Zoro instinctively flinched away from the phantom attack, his foot catching on the box of tools, falling backwards, his head colliding with the wall.
"Kuina! That's dirty!" he protested, picking himself up awkwardly, rubbing the lump on his head, as his childhood rival grinned at him impishly. "Don't teach him that kind of thing!" The last thing he needed was random ghosts popping up and attacking his crotch without reason. Or with reason, for that matter. He looked at Merry, who was showing a full set of teeth as he giggled at the swordsman's predicament, reminding Zoro somehow of Luffy. Merry must've picked up some of Luffy's mannerisms, what with all the time Luffy had spent draped over the prow. "What was that for, anyway?" he demanded.
"For Usopp. He's depressed, you know. I can feel it. And it's all your fault!"
"How can he be depressed? He's back on the crew," Zoro objected.
"Everyone did something to welcome him back. Everyone went up to him and said something nice. Everyone except you."
"Why should I need to say something? It's over. He and Luffy fought, he lost, he left the crew, he apologised, Luffy accepted his apology, he's back on the crew." Simple. Straightforward. No discussion required.
"Men," Kuina said in a disgusted voice.
"WHAT?"
"Usopp still thinks you're mad at him. Especially since he heard about what you said about him having to apologise before coming back to the crew."
"Yeah, and he apologised, so everything's fine. I wouldn't have let him onto the ship otherwise." Zoro's eyes narrowed. "How do you two know all about this anyway? And how does Usopp know what I said?"
Kuina and Merry exchanged guilty looks, but from Kuina's expression, Zoro knew he wouldn't be getting any answers from them. Maybe using Wado Ichimonji to make his point back then had been a bad idea.
He sighed. "Is Usopp really that upset?"
Merry nodded vigorously.
Waste of time it might be, but a distracted sniper was an inaccurate sniper. "Fine. I'll talk to him," Zoro promised.
"Really?" Merry asked hopefully.
"Zoro knows how to keep a promise," Kuina said. She glanced at a contraption on her wrist, which looked rather similar to the Log Pose Nami kept strapped to hers. "We have to go, Merry, our time's almost up."
"Just one more thing, Kuina," Merry said pleadingly, before looking back at Zoro and asking, "Why didn't you cry?"
Zoro was confused. "Cry? Why would I wanna cry?"
"When I died," Merry clarified. "Everybody cried except you. Even Robin cried."
"What, the shit cook too?"
"Yeah, he cried too." Hmm. Shit cook was a bigger softie than he looked. "Did you...not care?"
"I just don't cry, that's all," Zoro said stiffly.
"Liar," Kuina declared, her voice tinged with amusement. "Don't believe him, Merry. He cried like anything when I died." Zoro shot her an unamused frown. It was good to know that she could actually make light of her own tragedy now, but he had personally never forgiven her for falling down the stairs that one night.
That only made Merry's head droop further. "So you really didn't feel sad to say goodbye? You don't miss me at all?" he said in a small voice.
Kuina was grinning as she watched the scene, her arms crossed as she watched Zoro fumble for words to comfort Merry without coming off too soppy. Finally he answered, "I didn't cry, because you died like a man. There's no need to shed tears when a man's died with honour. And..." Zoro hesitated a moment, before finally setting his dignity aside, praying that Kuina wouldn't laugh. "I do miss you, because you're one of our nakama."
Merry's whole body was shaking now, and Zoro wondered whether he'd said the wrong thing. He'd never been much good with words. But when Merry looked up Zoro could see the glad tears in his eyes and the trembling of his lower lip, now reminding him instead of Usopp. No wonder they'd gotten along so well.
"I miss you too, Zoro!" Merry launched himself at the horrified swordsman, who automatically stepped back and away from the embrace, only to collide with the boat and then have the wind knocked out of him by the klabautermann himself.
"What the hell?" Zoro asked, his voice muffled by Merry's suddenly very solid embrace.
Kuina looked just as surprised as he did. "I didn't think this boat contained enough of Merry's soul for that to happen." Zoro felt Wado slide out of his haramaki, and he recalled the first time he'd felt his katana - he still thought of it then as her katana - jump suddenly from his hands, months after Kuina's death. Then he felt the wetness spreading across his shirt and realised that Merry was still sobbing tears into his chest. "Oi, Merry. Enough, now," he said gruffly.
Merry got up, rubbing the tears from his eyes, a wide smile plastered on his face despite them. Zoro sat up too, only to come throat to blade with Wado Ichimonji, Kuina in a familiar stance behind it. "Dammit, woman, don't do that to me," he grumbled.
Kuina laughed and returned Wado to its sheath and held it out to Zoro. "Just remembering old times. Remember, Zoro...when you've beaten Mihawk, we have a date."
"Yeah, I remember. You'd better be training hard."
"Of course I am," she retorted, that familiar superior smirk on her face. "You'd better be mentally prepared for your 2002nd defeat."
"Yeah, right. I'm not gonna go easy on you," Zoro growled, competitive as ever, even against a ghost.
Kuina took another reluctant glance at the Pose. "Merry, we've really got to go. Say goodbye to Zoro."
"Okay!" Merry chirped. "Bye, Zoro! We'll come again! Don't torture Sunny with your weights like you tortured me! And remember to talk to Usopp!"
"Yeah, yeah. Get going, chibi," Zoro said, exchanging a last glance with Kuina as she and Merry faded into non-existence, leaving him feeling curiously bereft, almost as if he had just woken up from a dream. He tucked Wado Ichimonji into his haramaki once more, smiling a little when he realised Kuina had forgotten to complain about germs this time.
Then the door opened, and Zoro looked around to see their new shipwright enter. "Oh, it's you, Zoro-bro!" He pushed up his sunglasses with one finger and glanced around. "I thought I heard voices in here."
"Really?" Zoro asked noncommittally.
"I guess it was just my imagination," Franky shrugged. "Oh, I see you've found the Mini Merry II!"
"Yeah. You did a good job with it," Zoro acknowledged. "You really managed to...capture the spirit of the ship."
"Ow! It was no problem! I was feeling particularly inspired this week!" Franky flashed his standard pose, and Zoro rolled his eyes. He was gradually getting used to the cyborg's antics. Franky clapped a hand on the swordsman's shoulder and said confidentially, "By the way, Zoro-bro, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention Mini Merry to the others until it's finished. It's gonna be a surprise, you see."
"Sure," Zoro agreed readily. "I can keep a secret."
"Yeah, I bet you can," Franky said, giving a sideways glance at the taciturn swordsman. "Anyway, what were you doing down here? Looking for the bathroom again? If you are, we don't actually have one on this level."
"I was looking for Usopp, actually," Zoro prevaricated, with as much dignity as he could muster.
A huge grin broke out on Franky's face. "Oh, you're gonna talk to him at last? Well, you got pretty close this time. Usopp-bro's workshop is right over there." He jerked an enormous thumb towards the stern.
"Thanks, Franky."
Zoro crossed over to the door marked "Usopp's Main Factory" and knocked.
"My hands are full, so come on in!" Usopp shouted. "Oh! Er...Z-z-zoro! Did you want s-s-something?" Zoro was startled to see the fear in Usopp's eyes. Merry was right, he should have said something earlier.
"Yeah. We need to talk."
Franky quietly shut the door on the pair as Zoro sat down by Usopp, one hand on the younger man's shoulder, Usopp's eyes growing as wide as Merry's at the gesture. On the other side of the door, Franky bawled manly tears at the wonders of nakamaship.
---
Not the sort of fic I usually write (other than the obligatory fluffiness) but that's kinda the point of 30 Pieces, isn't it?