𖥻 ׁ ׅ alli! ׁ ׅ🎼

The cold blue sea harshly swept side by side, carrying The Thousand Sunny with the waves that helped take the Straw Hat Pirates to their next designated island. Although the ocean felt cold and lonely, the atmosphere of the ship certainly didn't feel that way at all.

On the ship's deck, the crew did what was in their usual routine. 

Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were fooling around playing games with each other. Zoro is taking his hourly nap, which he definitely needed. Robin, Brook, and Jinbe watch their crewmate's everyday stupidity as they drink tea and talk about their common interests. While Sanji is in the kitchen preparing lunch, Franky is working on an invention that came to him in a dream, and Nami is cleaning the various areas of the ship.

"Who in the hell ate all the fucking food?!" Nami furiously yelled at everyone on the deck, harshly slamming the kitchen door open that it could've bursted by the force. 

Usopp and Chopper freeze and stay put in their spots, not daring to move even the slightest if it meant saving themselves from Nami's anger. They both slowly shift their focus onto each other and nod in agreement, knowing that Luffy would be the only one to gobble up every last piece of food. Usopp and Chopper stand next to each other, standing tall and proud as they both hand-saluted Nami like she was a navy admiral.

"Miss Nami," Usopp and Chopper yelled in sync, "Luffy did it!"

The captain's jaw fell all the way to the floor. Shock was written all over his face. Was it out of nowhere? Yes. But was it expected? Also yes... After all, Luffy did steal both Usopp and Chopper's breakfast right in front of their faces, and he certainly did not feel an ounce of guilt or regret (since he'll do it again).

"Hey, you guys can't do that!" Luffy barked at them with fumes coming out of his ears. Before he could say anything else to Usopp and Chopper, he felt an uneasy presence behind him and went pale. 

He had completely forgotten that Nami was right behind him after his friends snitched on him.

"You really like pissing me off. Don't you, Luffy?" Nami questioned him with an eerie smile. He slowly turned his head to face Nami and her wrath. She looked calm. In fact, too calm...

While Nami began beating the hell out of Luffy for consuming all of the ship's food supply for two weeks, Usopp and Chopper had already started their fishing adventure to save themselves from Nami's angry beating. 

Chopper sat on the ship's white railing and kicked his legs, patiently waiting for a fish to pull on his rod. While Usopp rested his elbows on the railing, whistling his favorite tune that his mom used to sing to him.

Usopp's fishing rod was pulled slightly, but he didn't really pay much attention to it since what they needed was a big catch. It pulled again, except a bit more harshly. Usopp closed his eyes and sighed, no longer ignoring the small potential catch. He began reeling it in until the pulling became more forceful.

Usopp tightly held onto his fishing rod, which seemed to pull so hard that it was practically attempting to drag him into the ocean. Chopper abandoned his rod and stood behind Usopp, pulling his leg away to prevent him from falling, although it doesn't really do much to help.

"Luffy! Come help us, please!" Usopp loudly begged his captain in fear of going overboard. 

He looked behind his shoulder to see if Luffy had even heard him, but instead saw him lying on the deck, completely passed out from the beating he had taken from Nami. Usopp nervously yelled at the sight of his captain bruised up. Now he was absolutely petrified of unsuccessfully catching the ginormous fish he had managed to pull.

Usopp pulls as hard as he can, fighting the gigantic fish's strength. He decides that he'll give it one last push before letting it go, so he doesn't drown. His bravery was enough, and he's perfectly fine not dying.

"I got this..." he tells himself, just barely enough to whisper. 

Usopp gives the rod one final pull with all of his strength. He falls back on his butt, and thankfully, Chopper got away before nearly being squished to death. Usopp's big catch flies up in the air, covering the sun in Usopp's vision.

"I got it! I got it!" he enthusiastically yells at the sight of his beautiful catch. He crawls straight to it to show it off, but instead sees a disgustingly vile, torn brown boot that looks as if sharks were playing tug of war with it.

In confusion, Usopp picks up the ugly brown boot with his two fingers. And in disgust, he throws it back in the ocean. He desperately tries not to gag and even covers his mouth to prevent it, but immediately remembers where his hands have been. Instantly running to the bathroom to scrub off every layer of his skin.

"Hey, Nami," Robin says with binoculars covering her eyes. "I think I can see an island." Nami walks over to the archaeologist and squints her eyes to try to focus on the supposed island.

"Can I borrow that real quick?" She asks Robin, giving them to her in response. She places the binoculars on top of her eyes and focuses back on the island her crewmate had pointed out.

It looked a bit weird. The island attracted bad weather, but it doesn't seem to affect the ocean after two miles. It was covered in grey, cloudy fog that practically looked as if it was going to pour harshly.

"What the hell is going on over there?" Nami murmurs to herself. She gives the binoculars back to Robin and walks towards the ship's steering wheel. 

Jinbe was in charge of controlling the Thousand Sunny's smooth sailing. After what had happened on Totto Land with Big Mom, he was perfect for the role of taking charge of the ship's movement with the tricks up his sleeve.

"Hey Jinbe," Nami greets him as he warmly smiles in response. "Is there something the matter, Nami?" He asks her.

"Yeah, there is. You see that island over there?" She points in the direction that Robin had notified her about. Jinbe turns his head and squints his eyes, barely seeing the island due to the massive amount of fog.

"You mean that foggy island? Would you want us to head that way?" Jinbe asks her.

"Well, yeah, I guess. But I'm not entirely sure," Nami replies. "The fog looks as if it's been there for a while now. Like, around 40 minutes, so it should've been raining heavily or maybe some thunderstorms. But the fog...it's just there!"

Jinbe notices how stressed and confused Nami was feeling. He understands the pressure of being the navigator. After all, it's up to Nami to ensure the ship and crew's safety as well as the best route to avoid harsh weather.

"Is there any other island nearby where we can anchor?" Jinbe asks her. Nami shakes her head in disappointment, her face written with frustration and stress that it's starting to worry him. Jinbe carefully pats Nami's back and softly smiles at her.

"We'll head to the island. I can reassure you that if something terrible happens, we have the tools to escape flawlessly."

Nami blankly stares at Jinbe. She smiles as she closes her eyes and sighs. "Alright then. Let's head to the island."

Jinbe steers the helm to the left, harshly rotating the ship to make its way towards the island. As the ship approaches the destination, the weather becomes more intense. Making it harder for Jinbe to control the wheel.

Usopp leaves the bathroom feeling refreshed and brand new, heading to the ship's deck to get a better view of the island that had just been spotted. However, he notices a couple of boats heading in the opposite direction, leaving the island they were going towards. Usopp stares dead into the sea, getting a bit worried, but nervously shrugs it off, hoping that it was just some random people.

"I'm surprised Luffy is still knocked out. I was kinda expecting he would suddenly wake up once he heard the word island," Usopp tells his crewmates on deck.

"Let's not jinx it, Usopp," Nami warned him, not wanting to deal with their captain's childish stupidity anymore.

The ocean's rough waves swept The Sunny to the right, causing the Straw Hats to lose their balance and fall to the ground. Now, in less than 300 feet were marine ships, also heading in the opposite direction.

"Woah woah woah woah," Franky quickly heads his way to Jinbe. "What the heck are you doing, man? We need to get to the island without a fight!" he yells to make sure Jinbe hears him.

"I know!" Jinbe yells back to also make sure Franky hears him. "I'm trying to steer the wheel, but despite my efforts, I cannot seem to control the helm under this severe weather!"

"Lemme try!" Franky yells to him. Jinbe steps aside to allow the shipwright to steer the wheel. 

Franky attempts to turn the wheel to the left, but also finds himself struggling to control the mass. He looks to the ocean to check on the enemy ship nearby, which they had unfortunately spotted their ship already.

"Hey, Straw Hats!" The ship's loudhailer roared. "What the hell are you guys doing!? Get the hell outta here!!"

The crew on deck looked at each other with confusion. 

What could be the possibilities of the Marines telling them to leave immediately? It was obvious that the weather itself was an obstacle, making it way too difficult to control any part of the ship. However, for their own enemy to warn them is a first.

"Don't listen to them, you guys!" Nami shouted to everyone on deck. "We need to keep going, so don't let those stupid Marines tell us what to do!" 

Franky and Jinbe understood what to do and began trying to find solutions on how to control the ship. Robin, Zoro, and Sanji started easing the sails to make it easier for their two crewmembers who will control the ship. Chopper used his karate point to drag Luffy to his infirmary, who was still unconscious. While Usopp took hold of Brook so he wouldn't fly away.

With the help of Franky and Jinbe, the ship was able to successfully fight against the raging waters and strong winds. After a few seconds, the harsh weather slowly died down as The Thousand Sunny made its way to the secluded island.

"Land ahoy!" Usopp eagerly shouts with all his might, pumping both of his fists up in the air. In that same moment, Luffy bursts his way out of the infirmary, carrying a smile on his face. 

"Land ahoy!!" he yells enthusiastically, also pumping his fists up in the air. Although he had stolen all of the ship's food, Luffy was already dangerously hungry and feeling ecstatic to try out the island's dishes. The Thousand Sunny slowly made its stop to dock behind a towering forest that could practically cover the ship's presence.

"Alright, Luffy," Nami walks up to him, already getting irritated by his voice. "We get that you're excited, but you're going to have to stay on the ship."

"What!? Why?!" he yells in complete disbelief at the words that came out of Nami's mouth.

"Because you literally ate all of the food supply that would have lasted us for two weeks!? Do I really need to give you an explanation?!" She yells back at him.

"What!? That's not fair at all!" Luffy yells again as he frantically runs around the deck. 

Keeping him away from an unknown island that he needs to explore is like an indoor cat wanting to go outside. Except Luffy would always go by his rules and do what he feels like.

"Alright now, let's settle down," Jinbe joins in on the conversation and grabs Luffy by the arms. "Luffy, it is only fair that you listen to Nami after your gluttonous decision. You being the captain means you must set a good example for your fellow crewmates."

"Okay, well, as the captain, I'm setting a good example by exploring the island and having some fun!" Luffy stretches his arm to the nearest tree and pulls himself, leaping into the air like a monkey. The crew watches him make his way into the heart of the town, already preparing themselves for the chaos that will be unleashed in just a few minutes.

"We barely even docked," Nami murmured as she massaged her temples and let out a fragile sigh.

Luffy swings his way into town, almost feeling nostalgic about the time he had spent playing with Ace and Sabo when they were little. However, reflecting on the past didn't quite help with Luffy's hunger pain. 

He pulls himself into the air and grabs the top of the pine tree to get a good view of the restaurants. Even though Luffy was at the highest point of the island, it was rather the smell of the restaurants that had caught his attention. He jumps off the tree and continues swinging towards the food court.

"This is so much fun!" He laughs as he swings, "I wish Zoro were here, he woulda loved this!"

The forest was slowly becoming less of a forest and more like a park. So, Luffy ends his swinging-to-the-food-court adventure and starts his running-to-the-food-court adventure. Once he was there, he couldn't decide where to go. So what was his plan? To go to every single one of them.

Luffy began making his way to the first shop he spotted, a bakery. Its sweet aroma immediately caught the attention of Luffy's nose. The sweetness of each carefully made cake and bread practically seduced him. He began floating and followed the scent like he was a Looney Tunes character.

"Hey, chefs!" Luffy enthusiastically yelled at the people behind the counter, who were all too busy to notice the impatient customer. Luffy waited a few seconds for a response, then rang the obnoxious loud bell on top of the counter. He waited a few seconds more and rang it again, except this time he didn't stop and kept hitting the top of the bell repeatedly.

An annoyed 7-foot man turned his back and slammed his hand on top of the bell, not only breaking the bell but also the counter, to stop Luffy from ringing it again.

"What do you want?" he calmly asked the customer with a hint of irritation in his tone. Luffy placed a hand under his chin and carefully looked at the menu that the bakery had to offer.

"I want this!" He pointed to a faded picture of a black forest pastry. "And this! Also this! Oh no wait, I want this one too! You know what...nevermind. I want everything!" The tall man stared at Luffy for a hot minute with no expression on his face. Luffy stared at the tall man after picking his options with the brightest grin known to man.

"So," Luffy said as he looked behind the man to catch a glimpse of the bakers while still having a huge smile on his face. "When am I getting my order?"

The tall man grabs Luffy by the back of the neckline of his shirt and stomps out the door. He slams the door open and furiously kicks Luffy's butt out of the store. The man wipes his hands off using his pants and spits on the ground before going back inside the bakery and continuing his work as usual.

Luffy gets back up from another beating he took, mumbling things about how he just wanted to eat and now he's starting to feel so ravenous. He looks around the floor and spots his most desired treasure. Shanks' straw hat. He smiles at the sight of it and attempts to grab it, but the wind picks it up first.

It begins flying in different directions, from the food court to the fashion district, and then to the small local shops near the neighborhood. Luffy frantically chases after the hat, fearing that it will fly further away until it's completely out of his sight. 

It didn't help at all that the local shops were way more popular than the shopping centre in the middle of the island. He bumped into multiple people, not even caring to apologize. All that mattered to him right now was his hat and retrieving it as soon as possible.

The wind that had picked up the straw hat slowly began dying. The hat was still flying, but not so high as before. Luffy uses his Devil Fruit to attempt to grab it, but it's of no use when the hat keeps dodging.

Slowly, the wind dies down, and the straw hat falls to the ground. Thankfully, there wasn't a crowd near the area where the hat fell. But to catch it is still a challenge.

Forcing your way out of the crowd, you noticed a straw hat and picked it up, staring at it for a bit until you looked up at a man with a scar under his left eye, who was yelling while sprinting towards you. Before you could even question if the hat could be his, he ran so fast to catch his hat that he collided with you.

"My hat!" Luffy said, immediately getting up. He grabs the hat from you, but notices the small yet noticeable blood stains on the edge of his hat. He looks at you, who he found strange yet interesting, covered in your own blood. 

Scratches, bruises, and more blood on your right arm where your sleeve was torn off. With your spare arm, you held the other arm that was severely hurt. Your face, on the other hand, didn't seem to show any signs of pain, as if there was nothing to worry about.

"Hey, why are you bleeding?" Luffy curiously asked. But before you could even answer him, a man in the crowd began yelling ferociously.

"Y/n!" He shouted in a fit of rage, "Where are you!?" 

The man pushed the civilians aside, looking in the crowd in hopes of finding the person he was looking for. He paused in his tracks and scanned his surroundings, ultimately finding the person he was looking for.

"You..." the man pointed to you, the person he had been looking for, as he gritted his teeth. Luffy looked around for a few seconds and stared at the dangerously furious man.

"Me?" he asked the man, pointing to himself in genuine confusion. 

He doesn't bother acknowledging Luffy's question and immediately goes back to sprinting to his enemy. Luffy glances at you, attempting to run away using the shadowed alley that was near, but you weren't very good at it, considering the injuries you had. 

Luffy looks back at the tall and heavy man, who is slowly starting to get closer, giving him chills. But it wasn't because he seemed scary or dangerous, but because he was lowkey kind of ugly. Without hesitation, Luffy runs into the shadowed alley to catch up to you. 

Luckily for him, you weren't able to get too far and managed to catch up. He grabs your arm, placing it behind his neck, and uses his right hand to hold your waist to help out with your balance. For a brief second, you pause in your tracks to stare at Luffy, completely baffled by his actions.

"What are you doing?" you asked him, slightly annoyed by the interference and sudden touch.

"I'm helping you," he simply replied, making eye contact with you. He didn't even seem to notice the harsh tone in your voice.

"Thanks, but I can help myself," you snapped, getting a little bit more frustrated with how little time you had now.

"You're injured," Luffy stated, maintaining eye contact. His stern voice made it clear that he was serious about helping you; even if you demanded that he let you go, he wouldn't budge either way. 

Luffy picked up where you both left off and began walking together to reach somewhere safe to hide.

"I have the best doctor in the world on my crew," Luffy proudly says with a smile on his face, breaking the silence between the two of you.

"Even though he's a weird talking reindeer, he can fix you right up, and you'll be healed super fast. Oh, yeah! That also reminds me that I have the most amazing cook on my crew too!"

The sparkle in Luffy's eyes only seemed to get brighter the more he talked about his friends. Although he rambled on about every crewmember on his ship, you didn't care to listen to what he had to say. Instead, you found yourself fascinated with the way Luffy's face lit up when he spoke so highly of his crewmates.

"Hey, wait," you interrupted him. Slowly making a complete stop in your guys' tracks. "Where are you even taking me?" you questioned him.

"To my ship, duh," he answered. "It's funny, you looked smart, but you clearly don't know anything, Y/n. Geez!" Luffy poked at you as he laughed.

"Okay, wait, hold on a second," you tensed up. "First of all, I am smart, and I don't need to prove anything to you. Second of all, how the hell do you even know my name?!"

"Well, that weird-looking dude seemed like he wanted to kill you. So, I figured your name was Y/n since he wouldn't stop saying it." Luffy grinned, still not breaking eye contact. He slowly began walking again so you both could get The Thousand Sunny before you were both discovered.

"Can I know yours?" you murmured to him, breaking eye contact to look down at your feet that felt so unbelievably heavy.

"I'm Luffy," he said. "And I'm gonna be king of the pirates!"

Your eyes instantly snapped when you heard the familiar name. Glancing carefully at him so he wouldn't notice, you felt that same twisting feeling in your stomach that always managed to make you feel nauseous.

"Monkey D. Luffy?" you cautiously whispered to yourself. 

You had to be careful with your actions and words to make sure he didn't find out your plans. But how could he question you when he's willingly helping you? It was more strange that it was confusing.

Because of how badly injured you were, the two of you were only able to walk a mile away from the scene of the crime. And to add on to the list of misfortunes, the tall man was able to find both of you before escaping.

"Found you," he smirked before lunging at you guys. Without a second thought, you quickly pushed Luffy out of the way so he wouldn't be the one injured. 

Usually, Luffy would be able to stop the attack before it could happen, but in his defence, he had genuinely forgotten who the man was because of how unpleasant he looked to him.

Saving Luffy from being attacked meant risking your life and your job. However, it didn't matter because he hadn't figured out what you worked as, but the man who was going to attack you did.

The tall man grabbed hold of your neck, choking you with his left hand behind your neck and his right in front of your neck. He pushed his weight onto his arms so you wouldn't be able to struggle. But what the man had not registered was that you carried a power that he didn't have.

A devil fruit.

With the power of the tele-tele fruit, you were granted the power of telekinesis. A power you had been forced to master since becoming a part of the organization you worked for, which must stay secret no matter what. 

However, because you let yourself slip up just once, the brother of the man you had been assigned to kill has found out your secret and is out for vengeance for what you did.

"I'll kill you for what you did to my little brother!" the man choked between sobs. "Why couldn't you have shown him mercy?! He had only messed up once! Just once!" 

The man's muscles begin to soften when thinking back to his brother. Although he was still choking you, he let himself vent his frustration, knowing that he would be able to avenge his brother. 

What he had not noticed, though, was a large chunk of a torn roof that came flying towards him. It brutally hit his head, knocking him unconscious.

Right away, you sat up and sharply gasped for air. Firmly, yet shakily, you held your chest while trying to regain your composure. Although the air burned as you tried to catch your breath, you had to force yourself to get up and silence the man before he woke up.

Embarassingly enough, Luffy had finally realized why the man, who lunged at you, looked so familiar. He watched and listened to the scene unfold in front of him, trying to remember who the man was and didn't think twice about worrying for you.

He was not one bit concerned for your safety because he knew you could fight and end it without his help. However, now that he's taking a good look at you, he's noticing things that he should have noticed when trying to walk to the ship. 

Your movements and balance were unbelievably slow, yet despite that, you forced yourself to fight. Now, he can clearly see that your injuries are starting to catch up to you.

You push yourself to get up and kill the unconscious man. Attempting to walk towards him, but only able to drag your feet while limping. Furthermore, your balance was completely off, which made you look clumsy and drunk. It was now clear to Luffy that you were in no position to endure any more physical strain, especially fighting. 

He steps into the scene without hesitation. His usual carefree demeanor is nowhere to be seen as he approaches you to stop you from pushing yourself any further.

"You're hurt," Luffy states solicitously. He doesn't bother saying anything else or even pointing out the obvious. 

You gazed at him, expecting him to express his disappointment with how quickly you had gotten so weak. But he didn't. Instead, Luffy bends down, lifting your thighs and carrying you on his shoulder.

You want to fight back. You desperately wanted to argue with him to put you down. But deep down, you know that your body has reached beyond its limit, and you can no longer move without that sharp pain hitting you from every angle.

"You don't have to do this," You say to Luffy, expecting him to say something. Anything. But he simply ignores you without a care in the world.

"You're wasting your time," you say to him again after a few seconds of silence from him. But still, Luffy doesn't say anything and ignores you, continuing to walk to his ship. 

You realize that you probably won't get an answer from him, already getting annoyed with him again.

"You never listen, do you?" you mumble to yourself. But despite being so close to Luffy, he heard what you said. However, he's still silent even after what he heard.

"Once I'm healed, I'll leave. You won't have to deal with me anymore," you tell him, giving up on your weak protests. Luffy shrugs in response.

"Kay," he casually says. "You can leave if you want."

For a moment, you both stay quiet as Luffy continues walking as he enters the forest. It wasn't any trouble for him to get back to where the ship had docked, since a majority of the civilians on the island had evacuated because of your fight and a rumor that had spread all across the island.

"But I'm still helping you until then," Luffy says, interrupting the silence between them. Although he doesn't hear anything from your mouth, you softly smile in response. Finally letting your body get some rest and slowly let yourself fall asleep.

Ace has never once doubted your strength. He knows that you're capable of handling and defending yourself against an enemy. But of course, that doesn't mean he doesn't worry about you.

He offers to handle the bigger enemies and hopes you say yes. Mainly to show off his strength to flatter you, but also because he'd rather you not get your beautiful hands dirty.

However, today was different. The Moby Dick docked on an island they hadn't discovered. Unbeknownst to them, it was marked as enemy territory.

"C'mon, Ace," you pleaded as you hung onto your boyfriend's arms. "Let me join you guys, please! It's not fair that I have to be the only one with Pops while you guys have some fun."

"No, babe. You need to keep him company while we pick up a few things," he softly pushed you away, waving goodbye to you as he joined the rest of the crew.

Although he meant well, it really wasn't fair that everyone but you was allowed to be on the island. He just didn't want to risk you getting hurt. But in reality, there was nothing to do on the ship when it was just you and a sleeping Pops.

Consequently, you disobeyed Ace's orders and left the Moby Dick.

You weren't going to let someone hold you back from adventure whilst they were exploring it themselves. Just as long as you get back to the ship before everyone else does, then everything should be fine.

The island was buzzing with adventure as its citizens crowded the stores in the heart of town. Civilians gathered around sailors, telling countless stories of their bold journeys. Pirates blended in crowds, careful not to grab attention and only what they needed for their voyage.

It didn't take long for you to spot Ace, who was already chowing down on multiple meals. Despite wanting to "lay low," Ace proudly wore Pop's Jolly Roger on his back. He was a walking fight waiting to happen, and he knew but never cared or felt ashamed of it. You knew that there would be some moron wanting to prove his strength by fighting Whitebeard's second division commander. So, you had to explore the island before disaster struck.

You walked closer, wanting to get a better view of your boyfriend, stopping in your tracks when you noticed who sat next to him.

A girl sat next to him, who gazed at him as if they were married. As any other person would, you felt a pang of jealousy, especially since he didn't mind her presence.

One of the things you absolutely loved about Ace was how kind he is. That and how he could go on and on about his little brother, Luffy.

Seeing him easily connect with people wasn't out of the ordinary; it was more so that he didn't understand social cues that bothered you instead.

"Ey," a man spoke to you, "y'gonna order or what?"

Your eyes narrowed at the man, glaring at him for interrupting your eavesdropping. He simply rolled his eyes at you and walked away to find another person to take an order from.

You turn your eyes back at them, staring intently and studying every gesture and word that came from Ace.

You were only a couple of feet behind your boyfriend and the strange woman, hiding behind a menu to cover yourself from spying on them.

Ace was eating and talking at the same time, food stuffed in his mouth as he rambled on about his little brother and how amazing he is. The woman, who sat next to him, sipped on her drink and listened to him as she smiled and nodded, hoping he would catch the look she was giving him.

The sight made you fume with anger. They laughed together, talked as if they could go on for days, and sat comfortably in silence. All the things he had done with you too.

Insecurity was quick to find you, already wondering if Ace would be the type of person to cheat or break up with you over someone else he had fallen in love with.

You got out of your seat, having had enough of the sight you witnessed. Would it have been better if you had listened to what Ace had told you? You weren't too sure whether or not you had seen him hang out with this woman; the pain of insecurity had already hit you.

Before you could reach the exit, you bumped into a tall, intimidating man. You carefully looked up and saw him holding your poster to his face.

"Seven-hundred-million berries," he said. His calm, low-pitched voice brought chills down your spine. A lump formed in your throat, already thinking about how you weren't prepared to fight an enemy and forgot to bring your weapon.

His oversized, hard fist slammed into the left side of your body, punching you straight into multiple walls a mile away. The people in the bar caught attention to this and immediately ran away, not wanting to get involved with danger.

Your body trembled as you struggled to get back up, ultimately failing to fight back when the enemy grabbed hold of your neck.

"I'm gonna have fun destroying you before I get my reward," he spat at your face, smirking at how easy it was to catch someone with such a large bounty.

Embarrassingly enough, your eyes drifted to Ace, who was behind him, warning your enemy to let you go.

Before you could listen any further to what else he had to say, your blurry eyes slowly closed, drifting away, ultimately passing out.

─ ⊹ ⊱ ⊰ ⊹ ─

By overhearing what your crewmates had talked about in front of you while faking your sleep, you learned that you had passed out and been slipping in and out of consciousness for a week straight.

Although the last thing you could remember was getting beaten up, you still recalled Ace "flirting" with that ugly woman.

Even after your body was able to immediately recover thanks to Marco, it still carried the pain of the jealousy and insecurity you had felt. Would it be wrong to try to get back at him for what he did, despite saving you after not listening to him?

Maybe...maybe not...

Your body wobbled its way out of the infirmary, catching the attention of Marco, who was going to stop by and check up on you.

"Woah, hey," he ran to you, holding you close so you wouldn't fall. "Did you just wake up? You shouldn't be walking out of the infirmary, wouldn't want you gettin' hurt again."

"Umm," you croaked, deciding if you should really do this. "Where am I?"

"We're on the ship looking for land. We still need supplies after what happened at the last island," he replied as he brought you back inside to lay you on the bed.

"Ace was pretty worried about you, y'know. I told him it was a bad idea to leave her alone with no one but Pops, she was eventually gonna get bored, I told him." You looked at him, completely "confused" by the information he had given you.

"Who's Ace?" You asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Marco looked at you as if you had two heads. The concussion was merely a minor injury, so for Marco to determine that you would earn memory loss didn't cross his mind in the slightest.

"Uh,” Marco paused for a second.

“Excuse me," he whispered before getting up abruptly and running out of the infirmary. The door was left wide open, so you tried your hardest to conceal your laughter. Giggling to yourself as you covered your mouth in amusement.

Marco ran to the dining hall, slamming the door open, not caring that it could've broken. Everyone in the hall turned their heads to Marco, noticing how he was out of breath and his chest was rising harshly.

"She lost her memory," he huffed in between his words.

The dining hall was silent for a brief moment until Ace stood up. They all knew who exactly Marco was talking about. Ace didn't say anything, but his face sure did tell you everything he was feeling when he heard those words.

He dashed out of his seat, hoping to get to the infirmary in an instant, but Marco stopped him from exiting.

Marco shook his head at him, "You can't see her."

"Why not?! She's my girlfriend, and I'm worried for her!" He yelled, hastily trying to push Marco's arms away so he could leave.

"If you see her right now, you're going to overwhelm her!" He replied, struggling to control his worry.

"She knew me before she joined us," Ace shot at him. "Just let me see my girlfriend."

Marco sighed in defeat, remembering now that Ace won't back down either way.

"Fine," he replies. "But if she doesn't remember you, don't be surprised when we tell you, ‘I told you so.’"

Ace scoffed at him, already feeling confident that you would be the only one to remember him. After all, he was the reason you went out to explore the seas.

─ ⊹ ⊱ 2 years prior ⊰ ⊹ ─

The sun slowly began to set, creating an orange hue in the sky. The ocean shimmered as it reflected the light from the sun. This island was buzzing with romance. It carried beautiful views, amazing food, and charming music that could be heard from every corner of the streets.

That's why you had resided here on this island. For six years, you've been moving island to island to try to find something interesting that could happen in your life. Whether it be romance, adventure, sorcery, mystery, or even danger, you just needed something that wouldn't bore you to death.

It hadn't been long since you moved to this new island. Four months to be exact. Yet, you had already gotten tired of this new life you had been excited to live.

You'd walk out of your house every day, which was located in the middle of the bustling city, hoping that maybe one thing would be of interest to you. Days slowly went by. Turning into weeks, and then months.

You wanted to move again, but not only would it be expensive, it would also be a very reckless decision to make. You've moved about seven times already, using all of the money your parents had saved for you to go to college. You had no interest in studying anyway, so what was the point?

Usually, you would spend your days walking around the city, observing people, attempting to greet people, but ultimately backing down because you didn't really know how to make friends.

Until one destined day, you bumped into a strange cowboy who was chasing after a bounty poster. Although he had apologized, it irritated you that he messed up your hair, which you had spent so much time on.

He offered to pay you back with dinner and introduced himself as Ace, the captain of the Spades Pirates.

For a pirate, he was kind, rambled on about his little brother, and even ate as he talked, getting food on your face and using your clothes as napkins. Obviously, this annoyed you to the core. Never in your life have you met someone so rude yet so sincere. It was definitely odd.

But you liked it.

Ace didn't mind it at all when you flashed him a piercing look. Instead, he would scratch the back of his neck and apologize, only to continue what had irritated you, unaware that he was doing it again.

He loved that, despite falling asleep multiple times and doing things he shouldn't have, you still listened to him. Even asking him questions about his little brother, which he was more than glad to answer.

When Ace walked you to your home, you told him that this was the most exciting thing you've ever done since you first moved. You embarrassingly admitted that you've moved from island to island, hoping to find something that could make your life less miserable and maybe figure out what to do for the rest of it as well.

Without a second thought, he asks you to join him.

"What? Why would I join a stupid pirate crew, especially since I could die at any moment!" You blurted at him. Both of you stopped at your house, lingering for just a moment because you felt like something about him drew you in.

"Weren't you looking for adventure?" He asked, scratching his neck as he recalled what you had told him earlier, making him confused by your own words.

"I mean, yeah, I want something exciting to happen. But I'm only eighteen! I still have a lot left to do in my life before I die!!" You yelled at him for not recognizing the obvious reasons as to why you couldn't join a pirate crew. That, and you being an ordinary citizen.

Your reaction earns a hearty laugh from Ace, holding his stomach in pain from how hard he was laughing.

"C'mon, Y/n," he said as he giggled. "Don't be a chicken. I know you'll have fun with us."

"I dunno," you said as you stared at your feet. "I don't have powers like you or Luffy, and I don't train either."

"I'll train you," Ace blurted faster than he expected, covering his mouth as it had betrayed him. "Ah— but only if you're okay with that."

You could tell that he was starting to get nervous after giving you a personal solution impulsively. It didn't bother you in the slightest though. It was cute.

The day ended with you thanking Ace for the meal and wishing him a good night, already reminiscing about the day you just had.

When morning came, it didn't take long for you to be woken up by a certain cowboy, who was throwing tiny rocks at your window to grab your attention.

Ace shares that he plans on staying on the island for a few days just to convince you to join him. It was stupid, but definitely not surprising. Especially since he decided he would be crashing at your place, not even bothering to get your input.

Strangely enough, you ended up caving in and joining him only because he had finished every bit of your groceries, and you didn't have enough that could even last you a day.

─ ⊹ ⊱ ⊰ ⊹ ─

"Not to brag, but she's totally gonna remember me," Ace boasted as he walked to the infirmary, hands behind his neck, walking as if he had won an award. The crew followed behind him, snickering, waiting for the moment when you prove him wrong.

Because of how loud the crew was, being able to hear them all the way from the dining hall, it gave you time to practice your poker face before meeting your boyfriend face-to-face.

When Ace walked in, his cocky attitude instantly died down after seeing you again. He didn't care if his family was behind him, teasing him for being a lovesick fool. He was glad to see you alive and well for once, even if you remembered him or not.

He took off his hat and kneeled next to the bed you sat on, watching him slowly and carefully approach you, scared to intimidate you.

"Y/n?" He whispered to you. The crew carefully watched behind the door, crowding and even squishing each other to watch. Some people had even started placing bets on whether you would remember your boyfriend or not.

"It's me, your boyfriend, Ace?" he said as he fidgeted with his hat as he waited for your answer. The suspense was practically killing everyone on the ship, waiting for just a single word that would come out of your mouth.

"Boyfriend? You? Who the hell even are you?" Your face scrunched at the label.

For a moment, no one said anything. The only thing you could hear was seagulls squawking and waves crashing into each other. But it sure didn't take that long before everyone bursted into laughter, even going as far as to point at Ace while laughing at his face. You could hear people repeat your words and multiple ‘Marco told you so.’"

But none of that seemed to faze Ace. Instead, he slowly got up from his knees and walked out of the infirmary with his hat tipped over his face, not bothering to say anything at all, as he had just been proven wrong. You were able to get a few laughs out thanks to Marco, who kicked everyone out since there was no reason to be in the room anymore.

You did it. You had successfully gotten your revenge. Yet, your body still carried the pain of the jealousy and insecurity you had felt multiple times now. It was weird. You thought that maybe this would give you a little bit of relief from the frustration. Instead, the pain had only grown because you didn't even fix the problem.

You really just dug yourself deeper into a hole despite knowing it was wrong.

Yet, you still did it.

Being able to socialize with the crew now that you were allowed to go out only after two days since waking up did kind of help out with the pain, you had to admit that. But the pain still lingered. You tried not to dwell on it, but every time you walked up to Ace, he avoided you. Not even bothering to acknowledge that you were both on the ship. And when you tried speaking to him, he would give you a blank stare while not saying anything.

It took you three days until you finally had enough, asking other people for him, but you would constantly end up in trial and error. You haven't even moved a step from where you started.

Consequently, you had had enough. It's been far too long for you to live without being able to speak to your boyfriend, let alone look at you the way he used to. You didn't want to admit it, but you had to confront him and come clean about your actions. Because if you didn't soon, you would lose him.

It didn't take long for you to find Ace. He leaned on the railing, watching the sun slowly set as its light reflected on the waters below. You carefully walked up to him, scared that he would tell you to go away. His eyes were more droopy than they usually were, and his eye bags seemed to have gotten worse. Embarassingly enough, you realized now that you haven't seen him smile since waking up from your concussion.

"Hey, Ace? Right?" You acted clueless, trying to keep the act up. Ace didn't turn around or even acknowledge you. He kept his eyes on the view instead, earning a sigh from you.

"So uh, is it true that you're my boyfriend?" You asked him, hoping it would at least make him glance at you. "Everyone keeps telling me about us, and now I'm starting to think you weren't joking. Or maybe it's just a prank, y'know, since I'm not really aware—"

"Yeah, it was a prank," he cut you off, keeping his eyes on the view. His answer made you wince. You definitely didn't expect it.

"What?" you whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

"We never dated. We were just messing with you, sorry," he casually replied without even glancing at you.

The pain you felt, the hole you dug, it all went deeper and deeper. Whatever it was you expected didn't matter. In fact, nothing mattered to you anymore. A huge lump formed in your throat, already threatening you to cry and yell at your boyfriend, if he even was anymore, for being such an asshole. Was this your punishment for lying? For eavesdropping? For not following a simple request? Whatever it was, you just wanted it to stop. For it all to end.

"Okay, I can't do this," you abruptly said. "I don't wanna do this, please. I'm sorry, Ace."

You tried to choke back your tears from falling, but it was inevitable. The lump in your throat made it difficult for you to fight back from your strong emotions.

"I never lost my memory. I lied about that. I was just mad at you for talking to that stupid woman at the bar. It just pissed me off seeing her look at you the way I look at you, and the fact that you didn't care or even notice it made me so frustrated."

You look down at your feet, fidgeting with the denim of your pants. You could feel your tears rolling down your cheeks, watching them splash on the wooden floorboard below you.

"I knew doing this was bad, but I didn't care because I wanted to get back at you for what you did," you choke out, "But now that I'm seeing you avoid me, it's making me realize how selfish I was. I'm sorry, Ace, for being such a stupid, insecure, selfish girlfri—"

Ace interrupted the last part of your apology with the tightest hug he's ever given you. You weren't even able to hug him back, but you were fine with it. You leaned into his neck instead, smelling the scent of his hair that oddly smelled like both cinnamon and smoke. For a moment, you both stayed like that in silence. Listening to the sound of the gentle waves slapping the ship.

"Don't ever do that again," he says, pulling away from you as he holds your shoulders.

"If you ever have a problem, you need to tell me no matter what," he stares deeply into your eyes. "I don't want you to feel insecure and needing to get revenge over something stupid we can fix easily."

His hand holds your cheek, caressing it before pulling you in to close the gap to kiss you. His lips were slightly chapped, but you didn't care. You leaned into his touch to deepen the kiss, holding the back of his head and his neck while he held your cheek and your waist.

Although it had only been almost a week since you missed your boyfriend's love, Ace was not so fortunate, having to miss you for almost two weeks now. This kiss was more than enough to bring him back to life.

"So uh," you broke the kiss, already giggling as you gazed at your boyfriend's beautiful face. "What are we gonna tell the others?"

From what you remember, it hadn't felt that long since you and Zoro got together.

You've traveled with the crew since bumping into them at Loguetown, needing a new life and an escape from your boring life. It sure as hell didn't take long for you to develop feelings for Zoro. He was serious, focused, and absolutely strong. But under those muscles, he's loyal, dedicated, and adorably shy.

After departing with Vivi and leaving Alabasta, you two began to grow closer. But after the events of Enies Lobby, you couldn't bear the thought of losing Zoro and never getting the chance of telling him how you felt.

When you confessed to him about your feelings for him, it completely surprised you when he revealed his feelings to you too. As a result, you guys grew much closer and made it official after reuniting in Sabaody.

However, you never really understood him when he didn't want you to act as his girlfriend in front of the crew. I guess it could be because he's not used to affection and didn't want to be flustered, you thought. Or maybe it's because he wants to focus on training, you told yourself. But despite the constant questioning of his specific boundary, you respected it and pushed the doubt aside.

For a couple of weeks, you didn't mind it at all. In fact, the thrill you get from trying not to get caught really spiced the relationship. You liked giving him quick kisses and even brushing his hand as you walked past him in the hallways. Sometimes you and Zoro would even stay behind on the ship, having the sloppiest, messiest make-out session known to man, as the crew explored an uncharted island. And every once in a while, you guys would be having sex at the lookout tower while everyone else was fast asleep.

You desperately tried your hardest to conceal your moans as your boyfriend pounded his cock deep into your pussy, bullying your cervix. Even though the lookout tower was far from the men's and women's quarters, you still felt paranoid about getting caught like this. But the way Zoro thrusted his every inch in you made it extremely difficult not to.

"C'mon, baby," he grinned as he gripped your ass. "Lemme hear that pretty voice."

The sounds of wet skin slapping against each other filled the room. Zoro loved it. He knew your body so well and how you were so close to reaching your climax. It wouldn't take long for both of you to become a hot, moaning mess.

His dick curved into that perfect spot, with each hard thrust making your eyes roll to the back of your head. At this point, you had given up your weak protests and gave in to the sweet, overwhelming pleasure. Your back arched at the feeling of his balls hitting your clit, making your legs quiver from how long you've been in doggy form.

"Oh fuuuuck.." you moaned as you shuddered, slow breaths that escaped your mouth. "S'good, Zoro. S'close too."

"I know, pretty girl. Need ya to cum for me," he grunted, already starting to feel his climax coming in as well. You hummed in response, not able to get words out at this point. You were completely cock-drunk and hazed from the pleasure.

"OH MY GODDD WHAT THE FUUCK?!" Nami screeched in horror at the sight of you getting dicked down by Zoro. You both snapped out of it and attempted to cover yourselves up. But with your clothes being on the other side of the room, your attempts were of no use.

Although you both had been caught, you were grateful to see that it was only Nami who witnessed such a vulnerable and intimate moment.

"Everyone is wondering what the hell that noise could be, and because everyone is such a pussy, I had to be the one to check out what that sound was!" It was obvious that Nami was beyond pissed. Her face held so many emotions at once that it felt better to get caught by the whole crew instead.

"I came here, expecting to see some stupid animal. What the hell do I see?!" Nami paused to look at both of your faces, huffing out air from the intense emotions hitting her all at once. "You guys fucking!!"

You've never seen Nami this angry before. She's never even reacted this way when Luffy had spent all of their money on a feast. You wanted to say something so badly. But you couldn't even form any words to come out of your mouth. It was already bad enough that you had to hide your relationship from your crewmates. Hell, your friends.

"Look, woman," Zoro responded as he got up to get his clothes, not caring in the slightest that his dick was out. "You came here because you wanted to find out what the noise was. Now you know, so you can leave."

"Leave? Leave?!" Nami yelled in both utter confusion and frustration. "You expect me to leave after seeing this?!"

Nami turns to you, "Y/n, when was this?!" She points to Zoro and then back to you. Because you were still in shock, words still couldn't find their way out of your mouth.

"Why do you care? It doesn't matter," Zoro responded for you. He looked at Nami with no expression and then at you with the same look.

Doesn't matter? Doesn't matter?? What could he possibly mean by your relationship not mattering to him? All the thoughts you had pushed aside came rushing to you in an instant. It didn't matter to you that you were on the floor, naked, and had just been caught. The only thing that was on your mind was how stupid you were.

All the hiding you did for him. The secret kisses, making out when no one was looking, brushing his hand when you both walked past each other, and the countless sleepless nights you both had just so you could have sex. All of that was behind your crew's backs.

You've always felt ashamed that you had to do this in secret. It didn't matter to you if your boyfriend kissed you in front of everyone, and you never understood why Zoro didn't want that. In fact, you've always wanted that ever since you got into a relationship with him. Maybe even a simple 'I love you' at least.

The sound of Nami yelling at Zoro for being a dishonest, secretive friend was drowned out by the overthinking. How could you have been so stupid, especially for a man?

Although you and Zoro were really close, Nami obviously cleared him. Not only were you the other girl in the ship she could rely on when you joined, but both of you had so many things in common that your guys' conversations never seemed to go dry.

Seeing Nami react this way was justifiable. You could even say that her reaction was extremely underwhelming because of how close you both are; you're practically sisters. You knew hiding your relationship was wrong. There was no reason to even hide it anyway. Yet, despite you knowing it was wrong, you let it happen. Consequently, you face the result of being sneaky.

"Really?! What the hell?? I don't even know what to say anymore..." Nami spoke to you in a softer tone. You looked up at her, knowing her face would show how disappointed she was. You looked away from her to find your clothes until the realization hit you.

Zoro had left in the midst of your ruminating. He was done with Nami's pestering and couldn't care less about arguing with her since his point wouldn't get across either way. He'll just have to deal with this whole situation tomorrow morning anyway.

That bitch.

You tried your hardest not to cry in front of Nami, especially since you were still naked. Gosh, you really did try, but you couldn't. Not when you realized that your own boyfriend didn't care about leaving you in such a vulnerable state. Not when you realized you hid your relationship from your friends because your boyfriend didn't want them to know. Not when you realized you probably just lost your best friend's trust because of a man, and you knew this could have happened.

And it did happen.

Your face scrunched up, still desperately trying to hold back your tears as your eyes began to water. It only took a few tears for you to start sobbing and attempt to apologize. But because of how awful you felt, it barely came out as a whisper.

Nami watched the scene unfold and immediately began to worry. The one thing you'll always be grateful for is how she's willing to hear you out. As friends would, arguments were bound to happen between you. And even when things got heated, she would always stay to listen to you and communicate.

"Hey," she whispered as she sat next to you, tucking a hair strand behind your ear. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No— I don't... I don't know anymore," you choked out, wiping your face. "I'm sorry, I just— I lied to you, an- and I was supposed to tell you everything, but I lied, and I kept this secret, and I'm sorry, and you're my best friend, and I love you—"

"Hey, hey, hey, it's fine. It's fine, really," Nami reassured you, hugging you tightly. You broke down instantly, burying your face against her neck as she held you closely while rubbing your bare back.

"You know, even though I'm really mad at you for hiding something like this, you're still my friend. And I love you," she whispered to you, holding you close as the rest of the world faded away.

Somehow, this made you feel even worse. You knew what you did was wrong. And although you knew Nami was a very forgiving person, you expected her to hold a grudge and reject your apology. Yet, she was on the floor, hugging you at your most vulnerable state, both physically and mentally, as you sobbed on her neck. She didn't even care if you got snot and tears on her hair.

It didn't take long for you to compose yourself and explain the whole story to Nami as you got dressed. It felt weird that just a few minutes ago, you were having a meltdown and were unable to find the words to speak. But now, you're getting ready to leave the lookout tower and head to the women's quarters, all while talking shit about your boyfriend.

It was amusing, to say the least. Despite how awkward and terrible it must have been to catch two of your friends fucking each other, it was also now a moment you both will look back on and laugh at how ridiculous it was.

"Okay, but seriously, you need to talk to Zoro about this," Nami whispered to you, trying hard not to wake Robin up. You pursed your lips together and nodded. This whole situation wasn't entirely your fault either, and you needed your boyfriend to acknowledge his mistakes.

"I still don't understand why the hell he would want to hide our relationship though. Like, I mean, it's just us on this ship?! It wouldn't make much of a difference," you whispered back to Nami.

It had only been an hour since you had gotten back from the lookout tower. The events that had unfolded drained you, as you drifted to a deep sleep.

─ ⊹ ⊱ ⊰ ⊹ ─

The plan was simple. You woke up at five in the morning to find Zoro, who was already warming up on the deck. A simple conversation about your relationship and last night's event would be enough to get your boyfriend to understand. You walk up to him, already mentally preparing yourself.

"Zoro, we need to talk," you told him.

"If it's about what happened last night, then I don't care," he answered, not bothering to look at you as he continued his warm-ups.

His words stung as you recalled what he had said yesterday as well. It was practically the same thing. Only this time, he's speaking directly to you.

"If you don't care, then why the hell did you make our relationship private? You do know that we kept everything hidden behind our friend's back when they probably wouldn't give less than a shit about us dating," your voice raised louder than expected.

"Look, woman, I said I don't care, and that's it," Zoro emphasized the last word, already frustrated to have to start the day with an argument.

"Why do you think this doesn't matter in the slightest?!" You said, raising your arms in the air. The lump in your throat began to form, fighting back tears. "Nami catching us fucking doesn't even matter! That's not important right now! I just wanna know why the fuck you wanted our relationship to be a secret!"

"So you think this is all my fault?!" Zoro said, turning to you as he cut you off. "You also had the decision whether or not to hide our relationship. You chose to hide it."

"What?!" You yelled in utter disbelief. "What?! I respected your fucking boundaries?! I'm sorry for being a decent human fucking being!"

"When did I ever say that was my boundary?! You're being overdramatic over something that doesn't even matter!" His voice cracked when he raised his voice at you, trying his hardest not to lose his temper.

"Oh, so now I'm being overdramatic, and you're saying our relationship doesn't matter, you fucking asshole," you rolled your eyes at him, still fighting back tears so he wouldn't use them against you.

"See?! Now you're just twisting my fucking words! You see what I mean?! This wouldn't have happened in the first place if you had told me you never liked it from the start. You're only telling me this now because you have to face the consequences."

You paused for a brief moment, replaying the last sentence just to make sure you had heard that correctly. You wanted to speak to Zoro because this was wrong, and he needed to realize that hiding your guys' relationship was never right from the start. Yet, he flipped the script and placed the blame on you.

"You know what?" You said, keeping your voice deathly calm. "I'm not gonna have this conversation with you, Zoro."

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but wasn't able to get the words out of his mouth. He knows you gave up, so there was no point in arguing.

"It's obvious to me now that you never cared about this relationship. You just needed someone to fuck every now and then."

"You know that's not true," Zoro spoke up, keeping his voice stern.

"So why didn't you say anything?" You choked out, giving up on fighting back your tears, and let them fall.

Zoro had always been pretty bad at relationships, not really caring in the slightest when it came to dating, until he met you. Being with you, someone who was completely out of his league, was more than just a gift.

It was a blessing.

He tried his hardest to understand what you wanted, taking advice from both Nami and Robin without making it obvious he was in a relationship. Arguments were also prone to happen, obviously. But it was mostly just bickering that you both could get over in a few minutes.

Seeing you cry was rare. You never liked to be vulnerable and fought your hardest, which is what he loved most about you.

When he saw tears fall from your cheeks, he understood now that the argument wasn't about whose side was going to win. It also wasn't about hiding behind the crew's back, but about being honest.

It was obvious that Zoro was never good at expressing his feelings, let alone showing his love for you. He wasn't like Sanji, declaring his love for you and showering you with kisses. He was more of an 'acts of service' type of man and showed his love for you by doing small deeds.

"I can't do this anymore, not with you," the last words barely came out as a whisper as you looked away from him, breaking the deep eye contact.

Zoro wanted to say something. He desperately wanted to speak up and say something that could get you to stay. But he couldn't. He was afraid of saying the wrong thing that could make things worse after already making you cry.

You walked away and headed towards Chopper's infirmary to lock yourself away from everyone and let yourself sob until you were unable to shed any more tears. You didn't bother answering anyone either. Not when Nami asked if you were okay. Not when Sanji told you that breakfast was served. And not when Chopper asked if he could come in and set up his tools.

Nami had already figured out what had happened when she noticed you wouldn't be coming into the kitchen to eat breakfast with everyone else. It bothered her how Zoro acted the entire time he ate. He remained quiet, didn't even look up from his plate, and chugged his cup of sake to forget.

"So, Zoro," Nami spoke up from across the table. "What happened with you and your girlfriend?"

Any conversation and play-fighting that was happening was immediately put on hold. The crew paused for a brief moment to see if they had heard Nami right.

"Zoro has a girlfriend?!" Luffy stood up on the table as he yelled. "Hey Zoro, why didn't you tell us?! Where is she?! Is she hiding?!" He got down from the table to look under.

"Zoro?! Girlfriend?!" Sanji spat out.

"It's quite amusing to see Zoro get a girlfriend before Sanji," Brook said as he drank his tea. Robin, who sat beside him, hummed in agreement as she smirked.

"Well?" Nami asked again, her voice becoming more stern as she waited for an answer. Zoro kept his eye on his plate, staring so harshly at it that you would think he was trying to move it with his mind.

"Zoro," Nami called out to him. The crew remained silent, already knowing that if anyone but Zoro spoke up, they would be met with her fist. "If you won't say anything, I'll tell them."

He clenched his fist that held the bottle of sake, his knuckles becoming completely white. To be put on the spot about something like this humiliated him to death.

"How can you sit there and not say anything?!" Nami yelled. "She locked herself in Chopper's infirmary. Do you not understand how big of an insensitive idiot you are?!"

By this time, the crew had already figured out who Nami was referring to. Yet, they chose to be silent since they knew better than to get in the way of Nami's scolding.

"I can't believe it took you this long to understand your mistakes," Nami excused herself from the table and left, not wanting to deal with her idiotic crewmate again.

Everyone else also excused themselves, explaining how they had forgotten something and needed to leave immediately.

Zoro didn't even bother to look up from his plate ever since he sat down. He had no interest in speaking to anybody when his words hurt the person he loved most.

"We all know you'd be pretty bad at having a girlfriend," Robin spoke up. She was the only one who had stayed to finish her cup of tea.

"Wow, thanks," Zoro sarcastically answered as he scoffed at her comment.

"But," she said, "we also know that you'd never back down from a fight."

"Meaning?" Zoro asked as he shifted his eyes from his plate to Robin, recognizing that she was giving him simple words of advice.

"Meaning that you would never give up on her," Robin placed down her cup, finally finishing her last sip of tea. Zoro watches her walk away to the exit as he reflects on the argument, thinking about what you had argued about wanting.

"We all know you didn't mean any harm," Robin said, holding the door. "I think maybe this time, she needs to hear you say 'I love you' instead."

The minute Robin walked out of the kitchen, Zoro turned around behind him, staring intensely at the door that led to Chopper's infirmary. You were right there, behind that door. And all he had to do was knock on it and apologize. So why was it so difficult? It was easier said than done, considering that he's never been in an argument like this before.

Zoro stood in front of the door, realizing you had probably already heard what Nami yelled at him for. He took a deep breath and carefully knocked on the door.

"Y/n?" He said, hoping to get a response from you. It was quiet on the other end, which he had expected. Zoro glanced at the door handle, wanting to come inside and face you himself to show how truly sorry he was. But he knew you needed your space and shouldn't be violating your privacy just to prove something.

"I'm not really sure if you heard what that damn woman yelled at me for," he paused for a second, trying to find the words before speaking. "But, she was right. I am an idiot. An insensitive, selfish idiot."

Zoro rested his head on the door, trying to imagine what you were doing on the other side. He swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking up again.

"I'm sorry, Y/n," he said. "I know that I wasn't a good boyfriend, and I shouldn't have said those things to you, as well as make you hide our relationship."

Zoro's lip curved into a soft smile, "I guess I was just embarrassed that you would date a guy like me. Especially since that stupid cook would've been on my ass for every little thing I did for you. I also don't want him being all extra for you just so that he could piss me off."

For once, he was glad he was able to say what he wanted. Zoro felt as if he had his heart in his mouth when thinking about what he had to say to you. Not because he had to set his pride and ego aside, but because he really didn't want to hurt you again. One time was already too much.

Zoro's breath ragged when he heard the doorknob turning. You slowly opened the door to reveal yourself to him. It had only been five hours since you spent in that room crying all alone. Yet, you looked as if you had spent days in there, begging to be let out. Your eyes were droopy and red from all the crying. Your cheeks were cold and slightly wet, while your lips were chapped.

The thought of your boyfriend looking at you in your most vulnerable state didn't cross your mind. The only thing you could think about was him. Did he really mean what he said? Or was this just his way of attempting to get you out of the infirmary?

"Do you really mean that?" You quietly asked him, as your voice croaked.

"Obviously," he said, holding your cold cheek and caressing it with his thumb. You leaned into his touch and gazed into his eyes.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. You didn't need to either way. Just locking eyes, deep into each other, was enough.

Zoro closed the space between you two and brought you closer to him, hugging you tightly that he was practically squeezing you. You didn't mind it though. Instead, you held his neck, hugging him back and letting the warm embrace tighten.

"I love you," he whispered to you.

"I love you too, mosshead," you replied, not bothering to hide your giggling.

"Huh?!" Zoro broke the hug, holding on to your shoulders instead. "What did you just call me?"

"Whaat, you don't like my new favorite nickname?" You teased.

"No?! Why the hell would you even call me that!" He barked. Zoro admired you, who was a complete laughing mess. Consequently, he smirked at the idea he had in mind for you.

He turned you around, dug inside your pants, and harshly pulled on your panties. Before you could even yell out his name in disbelief, he was already running out the door, laughing at himself for what he had just done.

When Zoro came out of the kitchen, slamming the door open, the crew looked at him in bewilderment. He ran down the stairs while laughing, which they didn't expect to see after the scolding Nami had given him. They didn't understand why he would be laughing until you came out as well, smiling ear to ear.

You chased after your boyfriend, and to your luck, he had tripped over poor Chopper.

"No, no, no, wait, wait, wait!" He yelled as he looked behind his shoulder, seeing your smile widen. You jumped to sit on top of him, dug into his pants, and pulled his boxers hard enough that you placed the waistband on top of his eyes.

Luffy's eyes widened, "Are we playing a game?! I wanna play too!" He yelled, turning over to Usopp, who was fishing. Luffy dug into Usopp's pants, earning a yelp from him, and pulled on his boxers, also placing the waistband over his eyes.

It was certainly weird that just a few moments ago, you felt like the world had betrayed you. Not wanting to leave the room you had locked yourself in, wanting to rot and never do anything ever again. And now, you were running around the deck with your crew, giving each other wedgies. Life undoubtedly knows how to make you feel so deeply and reflect on different moments in your life. Yet, that's what you loved most about it.

When it came to your boyfriend, he would never break a promise. Ever since he had apologized, he really did try to focus deeply on the problem instead of rushing to defend himself. As for showing you off? He did just that.

Whenever you saw him on the deck, whether it was him training or sleeping, he needed you to shower him in kisses. He wouldn't even be bothered by it. In fact, he would start flexing the amount of love you had given him, and showing off to Sanji about how his beautiful girlfriend was caressing him with love.