Simply Marveling

we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)

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The fact that these two are canonically on each other's heels for the rest of their lives and can't seem to get enough of each other

● Katsuki's all like: Did you *actually* need a ride, nerd? And Izuku's all like: Not really. I just wanted to be by your side all night

● They both proceeded to stay attached to each other's hip the entire reunion and would have stayed together longer had Katsuki not have had important obligations the next day

I've been obsessed with fics in this part of the timeline and have been hoarding them in my bookmarks. Here's some of my faves listed in no particular order.

That Sweet Temptation (E) by @bakudekublogblog

Izuku rejected Katsuki's offer to become a sidekick, but now one of his students needs help only a pro-hero can provide. Cue Izuku & Katsuki thrown into close proximity while they solve the case.

The tension here is firing on all cylinders. This manages to be a fun ride, with lots of plot, and lots of heat. The sexual (and romantic) tension is off the charts, and resolves deliciously.

Multi-chapter

Never See You Cry (M) by magsworld

Do y'all remember that amazing comic by @polonium-snap where Deku sensei gets hit by a quirk that makes him forget the one person he loves the most? This isn't a one-to-one novelization. The stories diverge. And both are fucking worth the read!

Multi-chapter

Follow the Sparks, I'll Drive (T) by nikkiRA

Time for some angst with this perfect little 5+1 introspective on Katsuki's pining and Izuku's healing. I only rec HEA's though, so know that the payoff on the angst here is lovely.

One-shot

Target Acquired (M) by spiceycely

Even mechanical Black Whip is in love with Katsuki, lol! It forces them to finally really talk.

Fantastic little comedy!

One-shot

After & Onward (E) by Maxine

This one. This one right here. My goodness. This is for those who really like Deku sensei. It takes a chance to explain how Izuku could have arrived at his decision to teach and turn Katsuki's offer down without negative judgement.

It also challenges Katsuki to find his big boy words -- does he just want Izuku at his agency or does he want something more?

This is such a sweet story, and so understanding and soft (without mischaracterizing anyone). I love it a lot.

Multi-chapter

Apparitions of a Heartfelt Nature (E) by aashimar

Lol. Lmbo. The vestiges have somehow returned from the beyond to roast Izuku into some sense!

This is a fun time!

One-shot

For the Rest of Your Burnout Days (E) by aashimar & yuckbarracuda

I love when a plot heavy fic is able to seamlessly intertwine the plot with the introspection. Like there's propulsive action on the page that IS the introspection.

This is a mission fic where Izuku's got to sort himself out or fail those who are depending on him

Multi-chapter

Love of My Life (Don't Leave Me) (E)by shaggyherbals

Holy shit! I want 10 more versions of this! Katsuki's recently been rejected when a quirk accident lands him ten years in the future.

I shit you not, I re-read this fic everytime it pops up when I'm digging through someone's bookmarks!

Simp!Katsuki, sweetheart-older!Izuku

Inject it in my veins!

One-shot

Our Fourth Finger (E) by surveycorpsjean

Okay, this one doesn't deal with the angst of 431, but does imagine the future post-canon.

It's a double mission fic, Katsuki's on a mission to propose, but these villains of the week won't respect that he and Izuku are fucking retired!

Multi-chapter

Believe in Me (Because I Don't Believe In Anything) (E) by Fitrovia

This is tagged "crack treated seriously" and it IS, but it's also --- it's also so damn good. It strikes at the heart of something true in Katsuki's heartbreak and Izuku's uncertainty that had me genuinely in tears by the end. It's a real fucking ride that will have you laughing out loud.

FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES

to tell kuma what’s the point of my ambition if I can’t save my captain?

to setting aside his pride and begging on his hands and knees for mihawk to train him, who looks at him and says

bc even just months into knowing luffy something had become very clear……. he would not be reaching his dream without luffy by his side. not because he couldn’t, but because he didn’t want to

whether luffy is standing still or moving like no one is on his path, somehow zoro is always aware of his orbit and knows how not to crash into it

and then there are those moments where luffy is the one who purposefully makes their orbits collide and that's when zoro actually lets it happen

My entry point into One Piece was the live action, and that led me straight into the manga (I’m around chapter 600 right now). So yes, I’m aware there’s still a lot I haven’t seen—but even with that caveat, the core dynamic between Zoro and Luffy feels incredibly clear, consistent, and narratively intentional.

Zoro is not just “loyal.” That word undersells it. His entire identity as a character gets reoriented the moment he decides to follow Luffy. This is a man whose dream is absolute—becoming the greatest swordsman in the world—and yet he willingly subordinates that dream to Luffy’s. Not abandons it, but ties it to Luffy’s success. If Luffy cannot become Pirate King, then Zoro’s own ambition becomes meaningless. That is not normal crew loyalty; that is devotion structured around another person’s existence.

And the story reinforces this again and again:

– Mihawk explicitly questions Zoro’s resolve, and Zoro answers not by reaffirming his own dream, but by asserting Luffy’s worth.

– Thriller Bark is the most obvious example: Zoro taking Luffy’s pain and choosing silence about it. Not for glory, not for recognition, but because protecting Luffy’s path matters more than being seen.

– Post–time skip, Zoro’s entire demeanor sharpens around Luffy’s role. He becomes stricter, less tolerant of failure—not out of ego, but because Luffy has to succeed.

Zoro does not orbit Luffy casually. He calibrates himself around him.

And that’s why the fandom tendency to default Zoro into a dynamic with Sanji feels… strange to me.

Because Zoro and Sanji are built on rivalry, contrast, and comedic antagonism. Their interactions are loud, reactive, and symmetrical. They push against each other. That’s fun, but it’s fundamentally different from what Zoro has with Luffy, which is quiet, unilateral, and deeply rooted in choice.

Also—being honest—Sanji as a character is consistently framed around a very specific, exaggerated heterosexuality. It’s not subtle, and it’s not incidental. Interpreting him as someone who would plausibly be in a romantic dynamic with Zoro requires overlooking a significant part of his established characterization.

Meanwhile, Zoro’s emotional axis is already occupied.

If One Piece were ever to introduce romance among the crew (which it almost certainly won’t), the relationship that feels most structurally supported—on Zoro’s side, at least—is with Luffy. Not because of isolated “moments,” but because of how Zoro’s motivations, sacrifices, and sense of purpose are written.

It’s not about chemistry in the usual fandom sense. It’s about narrative gravity.

Zoro doesn’t just believe in Luffy.