Chapter 28: Arrival of the Straw Hats (II)
Zoro POV:
The day was winding down, the sun dipping low behind the trees. Zoro hoisted a massive dinosaur over his shoulder, grinning as he imagined Sanji's reaction. Curly Brows can't top this. He'd caught his prey hours ago and should've been back at the Going Merry by now.
But, well... He got lost.
In front of him now was a huge white mountain. Well, mountains lead somewhere, right? Zoro thought, eyeing the landscape with a complete lack of direction. He turned around, only to find himself surrounded by dense jungle. Wait, when did I walk into this forest?
"Wow, you really are bad with directions," a voice piped up from right behind him. Zoro nearly jumped out of his skin, instinctively reaching for his swords.
'How did I not sense him?!' he thought, tense and ready for a fight.
"Oh, sorry about that," the stranger continued, unfazed by Zoro's hand hovering over his hilt. "Been living out here so long I just sort of mask my presence without realizing it."
The man stepped forward, revealing himself—a swordsman with piercing green eyes and scars mapping his muscular torso. But one of the scars stood out among all the others. A deep scar right above where his heart should be.
Zoro scowled, "Who are you, and what do you want?"
The man smirked, seemingly amused by Zoro's suspicion. "Nothing, really. Just handling some business out here and happened to see you wandering around in circles." His eyes drifted to the huge dinosaur slung over Zoro's shoulder. "Nice catch, though there's not much meat on those."
Zoro huffed, "Still taking it back with me."
The stranger shrugged, "Suit yourself. I know where your crew's set up if you want to get back to them before nightfall."
Zoro narrowed his eyes. Trusting this random guy felt like a bad idea, but he couldn't sense any hostility, and he did want a nap. "Fine," he muttered, "but try anything funny, and I'll cut you down where you stand."
The man's smile widened; his expression almost too cheerful. "Oh, sure thing. By the way, nice swords. Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu, right? You must have quite the skill to tame that curse. And that one, 'Yubarashi'—a fine blade, too."
Zoro blinked in surprise. "How do you know the names of all of them?"
"Ah," he said with a slight bow, "I'm Zephyr—a swordsman like you. Though my sword, Korogane, is only of the same grade as your Yubarashi. Still, a skillful blade." He looked at Zoro with a curious glint in his eye. "But why three swords?"
"Three Sword Style," Zoro replied flatly. "What of it?"
Zephyr's grin widened with genuine curiosity. "Interesting. Mind if I take a look at Wado Ichimonji?"
Zoro scowled. "How do I know you won't just run off with it?"
Zephyr chuckled, waving a hand toward the dense jungle around them.
"Where am I going to run off to? We're literally in the middle of a deserted island."
Zoro thought about it for a second, then begrudgingly handed over the sword.
As soon as Zephyr's hands touched Wado Ichimonji, his entire demeanor changed. His eyes lit up with a childlike wonder, like a kid who'd just been handed a new toy.
Zoro blinked in surprise at the transformation. What the hell? This guy's like Luffy when he finds food.
Zephyr ran his hands reverently over the hilt, eyes wide with fascination.
"Hey, what are you? A pirate?"
"You could say that. And you must be one too, judging by the Jolly Roger on your ship."
"Yes, I'm Roronoa Zoro," he replied. He eyed Zephyr warily, then added, "You seem to know a lot about swords. I heard a bit about them back in Loguetown, but it all went over my head. Care to fill me in?"
Zephyr brightened at the invitation. "Oh, sure! So, swords are categorized by the materials, craftsmanship…" The two fell into an easy discussion, talking about swords and styles as they made their way back, never prying too deeply into each other's lives. It was rare to find a fellow swordsman who wasn't interested in trying to kill him.
By the time they finally reached their destination, the sky was a deep blue-black. Next to the towering white mountain, a large clearing had been set up, where a huge campfire illuminated the figures of the crew and two giants.
Zoro had already seen the giants dueling before, so their presence didn't surprise him. But seeing Zoro emerge from the forest, Luffy's eyes lit up like fireworks.
"Hey, Zoro!" He yelled, "You brought meat!"
Zoro tried to suppress a smirk, and Zephyr raised an eyebrow, glancing at the dinosaur slung over his shoulder. "Your captain seems…enthusiastic."
"Yeah, he's always excited when food's involved," Zoro deadpanned.
Zephyr chuckled, giving the campfire a curious look. "Well, at least now you won't get lost on the way to dinner."
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