#no exactly

i can see him sprawled out on the deck with his tail swishing back and forth lazily, napping in the best sunbeams without giving a shit that he’s blocking the whole walkway, you know. cat stuff.

he would probably get disgruntled when the crew comes and lies down on/over/beside him but he’d just yawn and shake out his ruff and tolerate it because. they’re his crew. they’re nakama. anyone else would get their hands bitten off as soon as they got within biting distance, but he’ll tolerate these few.

(he wouldn’t admit that he enjoys them pressing into his sides and pushing their fingers into his thick fur when their hands get cold because he puts out heat like a bloody furnace.)

and sanji would be the ONLY one he lets near his underbelly; everybody else only gets to touch the top of his coat but sanji comes along and he bares his fangs in a baseless threat because the cook has already formed a habit of falling asleep with his face shoved into zoro’s soft white fur, or half-squashed beneath him, and zoro acts all indifferent but hey. there’s a reason only sanji gets to get that close to him.

AND PLEASE the way zoro naps with his hands behind his head?? if someone called for him he would crack an eye open just barely before ignoring them and/or turning away and going back to sleep. THAT IS PEAK FELINE BEHAVIOUR. THE WHOLE BITCHY PETTY LAZILY POSSESSIVE TRIES-TO-ACT-COOL-BUT-IS-ACTUALLY-VERY-MUCH-A-LAME-DORK-WHO-CARES-A-LOT IS SO ZORO (especially opla zoro)

and he gets so worked up so quickly over specific things, both in good and bad ways. sanji picks a fight and he is down to kick butt and on his feet in 2.5 seconds flat. luffy tells him about a new idea/plan/shenanigan that will most certainly get them into trouble (that nami will have to haul their asses out of) and he’s there swords out bandana on like “yeah i’m ready where we going” LIKE A CAT WITH A LASER POINTER. HE SNAPS TO ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY AND FOLLOWS IT WITH SINGLE-MINDED INTENSITY.

not to mention yes he’s soft for his nakama but he’s also still so dangerous. just because he tucks his swords and claws and fangs away for them does not mean that he does not have them. if anybody even thought of being as familiar with him as the strawhats they’d lose a few vital organs; he loves his crew, so he keeps them close. simple as that. it’s a privilege that he doesn’t afford anyone else.

mm and now this is stirring up ideas of a shifter au. big green tiger zoro yes but what would the rest of them be?? luffy’d be a monkey, probably… i feel like usopp gives off goose energy for some reason 😭 but sanji?? nami?? I DON’T KNOW YALL TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK