Ikigai (A Naruto One Piece Crossover)

3

Zoro stares at the blue sky and watched the clouds fly by to the direction the wind took them. His body, more importantly his chest, burns. Beaten and cut by the world's strongest swordsman and then thrown by the idiot captain he chose to follow.

Damn! His life sure sucks but he has no regrets. He chose an amazing captain and he trusts the guy with his life.

Luffy has a great eye for people. He was chosen, after all. So, if he wants Nami to be his navigator, he'll bring her back without question. Well, he can now leave the job to Luffy. He's sure he can handle it.

He's certain, without any doubt, he'll beat that Arlong and take back Nami.

However, he would greatly appreciate it if Luffy would stop grabbing him like he's done and throw him out like that. He is injured for goodness' sake! Despite having a strong physique, he's still human.

So he laid there, unmoving, not caring about the seawater hitting his feet. The bandage around his wound is now soaked with his blood. Fighting against those Fishmen opened it up. Bad as it already is, he's loosing a lot of blood, his dizziness proof of it.

His ear picked up footsteps among the sound of crashing waves. It wasn't the usual clack or thump when you're walking on land. It was more like a splash, the sound created when you step on a puddle.

"Hn." A shadow casts over him. A person stands before him, blocking the rays of the sun.

"Oi!" He narrows his eyes. With the sun directly behind the person, he can't see their face.

Assuming it was an enemy, he gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to pull it out and cut the person down. To his surprise, the person is human, not a Fishman- a member of Arlong's group to be exact.

The person knelt by his side. He was finally able to get a proper look at them.

Long black hair tied in a loose ponytail took him by surprise. Due to the rabbit porcelain mask on the person's face, he isn't able to comprehend the person's gender. Their attire also doesn't help: black clothing, a grey flak jacket, metal arm guards and gloves.

"Oi! Don't touch me!" Zoro yells when they brushed his shirt aside. The stranger proceeded to touch his chest, making him blush with both anger and embarrassment. "What are you doing?"

The person reached to one of the pockets of their jacket, a green round pill shoved in his mouth after, shutting him up.

"Pain reliever. Eat it." A muffled voice, due to their mask, stopped him from spitting out the pill.

Zoro narrows his eyes at the person, mentally debating whether he should swallow the pill or not. For all he knows, it might be a poison disguised as medicine.

A roll of bandage suddenly materialized at the stranger's hand. The bloodied bandages around his chest was unraveled, his wounds exposed to the salty air. Skillful hands treated his wounds, and clean bandages were wrapped across his chest.

Zoro stared at the person in question, the good Samaritan who just treated him when they only just met. Begrudgingly, he bit the pill in his mouth, the bitter taste spreading and assaulting his tastebuds. He almost puked it all out but forced the disgusting thing down his throat, cringing slightly at the bitterness. He'll accept this person's kindness. He has no strength to argue anyway.

He thought they were done but the stranger puts a small pressure on his chest, their hand over the fabric. He stares at them inquisitively, curious of what they're about to do next.

The hand emitted a green light. Heat seeped through the fabric wrapped around him and into his skin. He lets out a groan, feeling a pinch on his wounds.