True Desire: A One Piece Fanfiction

Chapter 11: Reina's Bakery!

Zoro: 'Yeah! While we were in town.'

Chopper: (anxiously) 'These transformations are taking a toll on him.'

Chopper: (growing big) 'Let me help you put him to bed. We should let him rest till its lunchtime.'

Zoro: (without looking towards Chopper) 'No need. He's hardly heavier than the squirt. I'll do it alone.'

Zoro walked away carrying Sanji.

The swordsman entered the empty men's quarters, the cook on his back. The swordsman slowly and carefully took the cook in his arms princess style. Quietly he walked to the cook's bed. He saw sunlight falling on the bed from the window. Zoro then went to his own bed in a corner of the room where no light was falling.

Very tenderly and with the utmost care the swordsman laid down the man in his arms onto the bed. As though he felt that the slightest impact might shatter him like glass. The swordsman sat down beside the bed and watched the occupant for a long time in a trance. He finally raised his right hand and softly brushed the bangs falling over the sleeping cook's eye. He then inched his face closer to his nakama's. He stalled when he felt the cook's breath brush against his face. He raised his index finger and softly touched the centre of the spiral eyebrow of his sleeping nakama. Then very softly and very slowly he traced his finger along the spiral from inside out.

Zoro finally gave a soft pat on the sleeping man's head and got up to leave. He closed the door very softly behind him lest the cook woke up.

The swordsman's footsteps finally receded into silence in the corridor outside the men's quarters. Inside the quarters only one corner bed was occupied. The occupant raised his right hand and brought it to rest over his eyes. He gave a sigh. The man's cheeks burnt red.

Sanji: (muttering under his breath) 'Aho kenshin!'

(Author: This guy woke up from the impact of Zoro landing on the deck)

On the deck at this point of time:

Nami: 'Where are you going now Zoro?'

Zoro: 'I have some unfinished business. I'll be back soon.'

Brook: 'Will you be able to find your way back without Sanji san to guide you?'

Zoro: (embarrassed and angry) 'I can find my way! Beside the squirt's been sleeping most of the time! I was the one who got us back properly!' (Author: A very big lie)

Brook: 'Understood. I was just joking. Yo-ho-ho-ho!'

The swordsman jumped off the ship and walked away.

In the town:

A strange stroke of luck had the swordsman of the straw hat crew end up lost in an alley behind the shops of the town. He had been wandering about in the area for a long time without a clue as to how to find the young woman from the morning.

Preparations for the festival were almost complete and stalls had popped up everywhere. People had already started coming to the stalls which had just opened. All this only confused the green haired man even more. He was getting in people's way and thus getting cussed at a lot.

Somehow he reached the street behind the shops and bumped into a woman making her fall down and drop the boxes she was carrying. Zoro stretched his hand to help the girl up but immediately realized that it was the girl he was looking for.

The girl hadn't seen Zoro's face yet. She raised her head to look at the man in front of her. When she saw the swordsman's face her face lost all colour and she began sweating profusely.