Zoro x Reader

Before It All Started

(About 5 years ago from Season One)

"Make sure that floor is sparkling, ya hear? I want to be able to see my handsome face in the wood Y/n!" I felt a foot kick me in the back, pushing my onto the deck that I was already scrubbing. "Yes Captain..." 

My long hair fell into my face as I polished the wooden floorboards. "Damn him! How dare he treat me like this!" 

I bit my lip, remembering his threat; if I tried anything, then he would kill me like he did my parents and everyone else in the village. A sword through the chest if my memory was correct. I went back to washing the floors when I heard catcalls from the crewmen. 

Gritting my teeth, I scrubbed harder, frustrated that I couldn't do anything about them. "C'mon guys! I'm 13... Disgusting pedophiles!" Searing rage built up in my chest, my heart pounding with an urge that I had never felt before. 

"These people, I want them dead. I want to kill them..."

My breathing became slightly labored; how could I think such horrible things?! I turned to look at them again, sleazy grins and sins painted all over their faces. "These are people who have terrorized others... Would the world really miss them? Wouldn't it be good for me to kill them? I don't want any other people to ever be in this situation... They deserve to die, right?"

"Hey! Girl! Get back to work!" One of them growled at me, noticing that I had stopped moving and was simply staring at my sponge. He tried to grab my shoulder, but I ripped my body away, glaring at him. "Don't touch me you filthy bastard."

My voice was lethally quiet, a dangerous tone that caused them to falter for a moment. And then they realized what I had said. Anger contorted their already ugly faces and they whipped out their swords. "You're gonna pay for that you little bitch!"

Fear began cry out within me, but I ignored it; I was tired of being scared, of running. It's time I started living for me.

I grabbed the bucket of soapy water and flung it over the pirates. They grimaced, rubbing their eyes in more annoyance than pain. And that's when I noticed a very important point; I had no weapons.

The soggy crewmen began closing in on me, smirking, the ends of their swords glinting. I held up my hands in a futile attempt to defend myself, knowing that it was all over.

Or at least, I thought it was. 

I heard them cry out, followed by the sound of bodies falling. I opened my eyes slowly to see a boy around my age carrying two swords of his own, a third hanging by his side. He had deeply tanned skin and a surprising amount of muscle for someone of his age.

We locked eyes, his menacing brown orbs softening when he met mine. "Are you okay?" He stuck out a large hand, my heart pounding from shock. I meekly nodded, taking his hand. He pulled me from off the ground, guiding me through the corpses. 

"W-W-Who are you?" I barely choked out the words, my voice shaky. 

"Zoro. You?"

"Y/n." Reality snapped back into place and the fear that I had managed to banish came back tenfold. "You have to leave! Right now! The captain will find you and you'll be in huge trouble! Come on, I'll get you a dingy and some supplies!"  I tugged at Zoro's arm, desperately trying to get him below deck.

"Don't worry Y/n, the captain won't find me." Zoro stubbornly refused to move. "What do you mean?!" I frantically turned back to see his face completely calm.

"He can't find me if I've already killed him."

My blood ran cold at his words. Zoro seemed like this was a normal occurrence; if anything he looked slightly pleased with himself. My hand dropped, tears dripping down my cheeks. "I'm free..."

I jumped toward Zoro, wrapping my arms around him tightly. "Thank you! You saved me!" He tensed when our bodies made contact, awkwardly patting my head. "Uhh... Yeah. No problem."

The two of us sailed to a nearby island on the ship, going our separate ways. Little did that swordsman know that he had gained an admirer for life. Little did he know what that small weak girl would grow into...