𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽| 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 2

The pirate hunter strolled down the dusty road, passing by dilapidated shops with faded signs swinging above the doorways. Scratching his head in thought, Zoro whipped his head left and right, a frown on his features as his eyes narrowed. Beads of sweat ran down his flushed face from the sun's glare. He was certain he followed Johnny to catch up with Yosaku until he lost him in a crowd. He began to walk down the path and ended up somewhere else. He tried going back again, but the results were the same. Now, his trail ended up at square one.

"The hell?" He rubbed his head; he thought, "How did I end up here."

One moment, the three men were together; the next, he isolated like a wolf that separated from his pack. Zoro released a groan from his lips at the predicament while he pinched the bridge of his nose. He never understood how they easily separated when they followed him like lost puppies. He sucked his teeth at his companions for getting lost amid the crowd so easily.

Ah well, they would meet up someway and somehow.

Taking in his surroundings, Zoro's frown deepened as he had no recollection of this area. Due to the scorching sun, a repugnant aroma filled his nostrils from mouldy food. He twisted his head for his attention to land on a run-down shop. Brown hair in low pigtails, the little girl's head rested in her hand on the counter. Eyes slightly droopy, ready to fall asleep into a slumber, spotted the green-haired swordsman. Immediately, her eyes lit up at his presence, and a grin spread.

"Hey, mister!" She waved at him, "Want some food?"

Zoro remained in the same spot, watching the little girl from afar. Slowly, he approached her until a wooden countertop separated the two.

"Wait, here," she ordered him, scurrying off to the back. Moments later, the little girl returned with her a small ball of rice balls. A roar from his stomach escaped at the sight of it alone; his vision fixed on the meal.

Looking better at her appearance, dirt covered the girl's cheeks, and her feet were almost the same colour as the earth beneath them. Her clothes were torn and worn, seeming a bit small for her. As keen eyes gazed at her, the corner of her lips rose nervously.

"Um..." she began, her voice an octave higher, "50 berries, please." She directed her view to her shoes, creating small circles with them in the dirt. Zoro's eyes were shadowed under his green bandana.

For what felt like moments, Zoro's hand dived into his pockets; the jiggles indicated that he had spare change. He pulled out the money requested, which the little girl had no problem snatching away with a bright grin.

"Ayame!" A small voice yelled out from a distance.

Too immersed in the meal, Zoro's teeth sunk into the rice ball, chewing the soft, salty texture. He hummed as he swallowed the content, not realizing he had finished it in one shot. A rumble escaped his stomach; he groaned, knowing a single riceball wouldn't be enough to calm the noise. He dug in his pocket again, hoping to find spare change for more balls to devour.

"Aisha!" An older woman chased after her, "Don't run ahead of me."

Aisha collided with Ayame, wrapping her little arms around the girl. Though Ayame towered Aisha's small stature, Ayame embraced her spinning her in circles and earning giggles from the little girl, "Hi, Aisha!" Ayame grinned at her little friend.

Aisha returned her grin that slowly disappeared as her big brown eyes landed on the man behind her. She hid behind her friend at the way the sun's glare shadowed the man's eyes under his bandana. Inspecting him from behind Ayame, the man kept digging into his pockets. Three gold earrings dangled under the light of the sun. Tan skin like cinnamon; every part of him was decorated in green except the shirt he wore. Three swords strapped to his waist on his right side, he gripped them while his hands searched his pockets.