#kinnemon

A/N: - I tried to use British English for consistence sake since I used it for "Shades of Memories" too, but if there is something I missed or typos/errors in general please let me know; - I based the descriptions of Wano on my own experience of Japan (I travelled there around two years ago) since it clearly seems inspired to it, and in particular I described the houses in this story like the ones you can see in Shirakawa and nearby villages; - I had been wanting to write something about Ace and the Wano Country since that part during the Marineford arc when it's mentioned that he learnt to weave straws there, but I developed a theory of him being the one making the straw hats that we see becoming popular in the OP world only recently (I really like the idea of Ace's presence lingering throughout the whole second part of the manga, and not only through the Mera Mera no Mi now eaten by Sabo); - the theory mentioned above is intertwined with another one involving Roci, and that would allow for both Rocinante and Ace to still be alive thanks to the former awakening his Devil's Fruit and gaining the power to slow down or even stop time (I used this theory for other fanfics too, but especially in "Waves"); - another theory included here is Rocinante working as a double agent for Dragon, and practically being his spy in the CP-0 (this has become my most favourite OP headcanon of mine at this point); - finally, I've a theory/headcanon about Zoro being from Wano albeit he can barely remember it (I wonder if his father was a samurai too and if had connections with Dragon, who could have taken Zoro to the East Blue since he seems familiar with Zoro's sensei); - my theories/headcanons aside, the story is based on more or less canon facts and thus we have Zoro arriving in Wano in order to meet the rebel samurai. The Man Who Wove Straw Hats ZORO LAZILY FOLLLOWED Kin’emon further into the woods, pretty much unaffected by the spectacle of the cherry blossoms. He had gotten lost at least a couple of times before getting there, even if he negated it, and the sun would be setting soon. When they finally reached their destination—a small village hidden in the mountains—he stopped on his track to observe the farmhouses in front of him: they weren’t much large, but their thatched roofs really were steep and thick.   Zoro wondered how long it took to make roofs like those. The straws looked like they had been weaved, but he was an expert at cutting things and not the other way around so he couldn’t tell for sure. “The people living here developed this technique over many generations so that their abodes would withstand the heavy winter snow,” Kin’emon explained, noticing the direction of Zoro’s gaze. The latter remained silent in his contemplation, but nodded to let the samurai know that he had heard him.   Zoro felt weird. He was pretty sure that he had seen roofs like those before, but there weren’t houses like those anywhere else—not on the islands he had visited so far at least. In the end, he shrugged those confused memories away and followed Kin’emon into one of the tall houses.   Once inside, Zoro’s only opened eye adapted to the dim light in just a fraction of a second, and his gaze was immediately drawn to a figure sitting cross-legged on the tatami mats covering the floor. Then, Zoro’s eye widened as that familiar-looking man rose to his feet upon seeing Kin’emon. After a brief bow, the man began talking with him about the leader of the rebel samurai they were supposed to meet there, so he didn’t notice Zoro standing still on the doorway while staring at him with a gaping mouth.   Soon though, Zoro’s eyes half-closed into a distrustful look as it rested upon the man’s hands: they kept moving even as he was talking, skilfully weaving a straw hat just like his captain’s, minus the red fabric stripe. There was a bunch of strips on the tatami though, in front of a pile of completed hats. Something was fishy, and Zoro was determined to understand what was going on. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but in his crew there was a living skeleton after all, so… He unsheathed Shusui with a fluid motion, gaining an alarmed look from Kin’emon since that katana had once belonged to the greatest hero of the Wano Country, and then walked over the straw-weaving man.   “You better tell me who you are and why you’re making hats that look just like Monkey D. Luffy’s one,” Zoro growled while pointing the sword at him.   At that, the man finally noticed his presence, and after a moment of surprise he smiled apologetically. “Fine, fine… I’ll explain!” he said hurriedly as the smile widened on his freckled face. “I’m Ace. Don’t you remember me?” He hadn’t drop the hat he was making, albeit he had stopped weaving it.   “Portgas D. Ace died two years ago.” Zoro’s voice was deadly serious.   “I suppose you’re right… In fact I go by ‘Gol D. Ace’ now,” chuckled the man. “Anyway, I’m really glad my little brother has such a scrupulous first mate.”   “...”   “I’ll explain everything, I promise!” The man added when he saw that Zoro still didn’t believe him. “But it’s going to take a bit…”   “I have all the time in the world,” Zoro replied, and then asked Kin’emon if he could bring sake.   “Sure, Zoro-dono! I will provide it immediately!” The samurai was now looking at the man in front of them with an astonished expression, too. This was the first time he had heard his name: he was supposed to be just his leader’s servant… Kin’emon had no idea that he could be that Ace! He was curious about his story too, so he hurried to find some sake as Zoro had requested. The swordsman was right after all: they really had time, since the man they were searching for would only be back the following day.   While the samurai ran into another room of that strange house, Zoro sheathed his katana and put himself at ease on the tatami floor, still glaring at the man in front of him suspiciously.   “What happened to your left eye?” asked the other, sitting down as well and resuming weaving the straws.   “Your story first, Ace-wannabe.”   “Oh, right… Well, it all started when a certain revolutionary—no, a Cipher Pol member… He’s both actually! It’s complicated.”   “Just tell me everything from the start.”   “Well, this man was sent to Marineford by Monkey D. Dragon: he’s the revolutionary leader and Luffy’s dad, I think you have heard of him by now.”   “I have. Then, what did actually happen at Marineford?”   “‘Red-Haired’ Shanks showed there too. And later, they told me something about me being a ‘symbol’ and that I had to hide…” The man looked clearly embarrassed, but Zoro didn’t miss the sadness glistening in his eyes. That was the proof that he really was who he claimed to be.   Zoro was going to ask him more questions, but before he could do that the other suddenly fell asleep; his hands kept moving though, finally completing the hat he had been working on.   What the heck?!   “Oh, I’m sorry,” Ace chuckled, his eyes opening again as suddenly as they had closed.   The same narcolepsy problem as Luffy’s… Sure, Ace wasn’t his biological brother, but Zoro was sure that they had both gotten that “habit” by their grandson, Monkey D. Garp. The swordsman had no idea how Ace could have survived back then, but he knew one thing: they had just found a new, precious ally against Kaido, the usurper of the Wano Country and one of the people Luffy needed to defeat in order to become the Pirate King.