Anxiety | ZoLu 𔘓𓂃 ִֶָ

5

Zoro's expressionless appearance transitioned into a woebegone visage in response to a hand gripping onto his arm.

The Swordsman immediately perceived an uncontrollable vibration connected from his arm, to the hand that was desperately holding it.

A stubborn bundle of sheets that surrounded the debilitated body had come apart, revealing to him a brunette male who was internally crying out for help.

Zoro's heart sunk at the sight of his Captain: The state he found him in made Luffy look undeniably unrecognizable.

The clear white inner part of his eyes was completely reddened, and he could barely breathe out of his clogged nose.

He claimed that his chest was tight to a maximum capacity, and that no matter what he did, he couldn't find relief for this dreadful feeling.

The pain was persistent, and gradually worsened as the days went on.

In addition, he stated that it tormented him the most at night, and that the reason he remained silent about what he was going through, was because he was confident that his body would go back to normal if he "ignored everything".

But instead, Luffy ended up with a disappointing outcome.

"That explains why you've been acting strange lately." Zoro's face softened as he sat down beside his Captain's bed.

He gently removed the covers that Luffy had buried himself underneath, and wrapped his arms around him.

"I.... I can't.." Luffy's lip began to quiver while he trembled in the Swordsman's embrace.

"Take your time, Captain. I'm here now." With very few words, Zoro was able to help Luffy pull himself back together.

Still, the jittering in his heart continued, never once letting him rest.

"I don't know... I don't know... I... I don't!"

"Don't know what?"

Zoro listened to every word Luffy could form with his mouth, but his voice was becoming less and less audible when he tried to explain why he was feeling so strange.

"What's this?" Zoro asked when being handed a blank piece of paper that was folded into a tiny square by the young man.

Looking away from his Captain for a moment, the Swordsman began to unfold the mysterious envelope, little by little.

Within each fold he would undo, more details began to show up, leading Zoro to realize that the plain paper wasn't as "plain" as he thought it was.

When he finally opened it up, the face of a familiar looking man was revealed to him, along with a trail of letters that appeared to be describing the legacy that the man left behind.

"Portgas D. Ace, former Captain of the Spade Pirates and Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, LIVES ON!

At the sight of the notorious man's execution, his story was broadcast among thousands to millions of people.

So much, that it was headlined by many newspaper articles, worldwide.

Villains allied with other well-known Pirates, and some lesser known ones, sailing throughout the seas, each with one goal: Reek havoc among the Marines, and to rescue the young man from the podium he was chained to.

However, in a turn of events, the odds ended up in the Marine's favor, when a, now infamous, Marine Fleet Admiral: Akainu Sakazuki, put an end to the war and killed the young man, taking away his life in a gruesome manner that left the entire world silent.

Because of this, the man's agonizing last moments in the arms of his younger brother went viral all around the world.

Along with the death of Edward Newgate, Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates and a man who his crewmates considered a true father, Ace was buried beside him.

Two separate coffins and tombstones, both connected to the unbreakable bond that the duo once had with each other.

Fire Fist Ace will forever live on in the lives of many people, including those who only heard of his story during or after the execution.

His presence is still said to be felt by the Whitebeard Pirates, even after they disbanded.

Truly a heartfelt story, and an unforgettable young man.

The following week-"

Zoro slowly placed the newspaper down onto the bed beside Luffy, taking in all that he had just read.

His first instinct was to stare up at his Captain who was now more pale and grayish than before, after he heard the older man read the article out loud.

Reading it out loud was never his intention, but rather a mistake that the Swordsman made as he grew too immersed in the words that were written about Ace, to realize that he was reciting everything to Luffy, instead.

"Luffy... Sorry, I was so caught up in everything that-" Luffy shook his head, leaving the Swordsman silent and confused.

"I myself never got to finish reading the rest." He confessed through a sob that forced its way out through his lips, once he began to speak.

Zoro gently placed his arm around the young man's shoulder in a reassuring manner, but even the weight of his arm was rather unpleasant for Luffy to bear with at the moment.

He kept himself composed and allowed the dreadful emotion to linger within his body while looking up at his Swordsman.

"I'm a lot better now." His statement made Zoro's ears stand up.

"Better? Are you sure?"

He asked while the boy proceeded to wipe his tears away, nodding with a smile that he was able to maintain behind his broken spirit.

"Want me to stay with you until you fall asleep again? I could stick around for a while."

Though he was prepared to take on Zoro's offer in a heartbeat, given the desperation he felt inside of him, the Captain decided against his own thoughts, knowing that he also needed some time alone.

"N... No, I'm good!" He giggled, ever so slightly.

His laughter was so natural and unfiltered that his First Mate didn't realize the layers of angst Luffy was pushing to the most hidden parts of his mind.

"Alright. If you need anything or if you can't sleep, you can take a trip to my room. I'll be there for you, Captain."

Zoro waved at the young man, stepping out of his bedroom while calling it a night.

Luffy kept his smile intact even after the Swordsman was gone.

"My face is starting to hurt."

He told himself as a shadow was cast upon the rest of his face, leaving only his contagious smile to show.

The boy's body went limp against his warm bed as he flung his bedsheets over himself, wondering if the temperature in his room had dropped the moment Zoro left...

Or the moment he held onto the newspaper again, staring directly at the image of Ace's happy face.

"My face is starting to hurt... And so is my heart."

Placing the picture close to his chest, the Captain's calm composure was disrupted by a violent tremble throughout his body, and an ache so painful, he was almost convinced that his heart was physically shattering from the inside.

His agonizing state of mind sent him off to a troublesome sleep that lasted the boy all night long, until the following morning.

"I thought I would be normal by tomorrow, but my body still feels weird. What's wrong with me... Why am I so shaky all the time now?"

~~~