"hello to you too, mr. fuck!"
⚓︎
"i can't find him!" i paced back and forth, frustration evident, while zoro and luffy looked at me like i was some sort of bug.
"(name)! you're back in the village!?" a familiar voice called out.
"hello to you too, mr. fuck!" i retorted sarcastically, my eyes scanning the crowd.
"it's buck..."
"why did nami send you back anyway, (name)?" luffy questioned as he looked up from his position, he was sprawled on the floor, his legs rest
ping against the wall in front of him.
"oh, that."
ten minutes ago -
nami and i had our heads poking out of a wall, observing multiple ships along the coast. i was positioned slightly above her, searching for usopp, while she was diligently scouting for the perfect ship for our crew.
however, finding that bedtime-story-telling liar usopp proved to be an elusive task.
"actually," i began, my voice full of enthusiasm as i recounted my memories, "i was the one who taught usopp how to use his slingshot. we both practiced relentlessly day and night to perfect our aim. usopp had a natural talent for learning new things, so teaching him the basics was a breeze. as for everything else, he pretty much self-taught himself! there was a bow and arrow lying around that he never used because he was afraid he'd hurt himself, so i took it upon myself to look after it. and as you can see, i'm holding it right now. back then, it was quite big for me, but it fits perfectly now—"
"(name), as captivating as your storytelling is, we're trying to keep a low profile," nami interjected, her tone filled with practicality.
at that moment, a passing villager pointed at me, apparently intending to make a comment.
"no," I firmly interjected, shutting down any further conversation.
"but i didn't even—" the villager protested.
"no," i repeated, putting an end to the discussion.
"fine, geez," the villager muttered in defeat.
"what was that all about?" nami inquired, curious about the brief exchange.
"nothing," i replied, hoping to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention.
(remember kids, 'nothing' always means something.)
"anyway, as i was saying—"
"get out."
"we're already out, what do you mean—"
nami promptly elbowed me in the stomach.
⚓︎
present time -
i shook my head, my hair swaying gently as I sighed. "she told me I was too distracting." i turned around and faced a massive bulletin board plastered with wanted posters.
(sorry people with no hair 🤞🤞)
a sense of déjà vu washed over me as i gazed at the familiar faces on the posters.
"you've got to be kidding me," zoro grumbled, his expression sour as he locked eyes with a poster featuring a rudolph-looking pirate.
"that clown was worth 15 million berries. we should've stuffed his head in a bag and brought it with us," he lamented.
luffy chuckled. "what marine would pay you that bounty anyway?"
i grinned and pointed at zoro. "you're kind of a wanted man yourself now."
zoro blinked, taken aback by the realization. "i didn't think of that."
"it's okay, zoro! we can always find more people to kill for berries next time!" i playfully patted zoro on the shoulder.
he responded with a deadpan, "no, thank you."
"bitch."
luffy got up from his position and swung his arms around the two of us, pulling us closer. "all the more reason to get to the grand line, fresh start!"
"right."
"right!"
same words, different tones. i'm pretty sure you know who said what.
suddenly, zoro turned his gaze toward me, his sharp eyes locking onto mine. our figures were still nestled under the arms of luffy's robust frame.
"(name)."
"yes?" i inquired, my curiosity piqued by his sudden interest.
zoro's question was delivered with a calm and composed demeanor, "is this usopp someone you're close with?"
i smiled, my response casual and relaxed, "of course, why do you ask?"
his answer was straightforward, "just curious."
a sense of warmth filled my voice as i replied, "he's my best friend."
luffy couldn't resist jumping into the conversation, his playful tone evident as he pouted, "we're not your best friends?"
a chuckle escaped me as i assured him, "you are! it's just—"
zoro interjected with another question, his inquiry breaking the flow, "how long have you known him for?"
i couldn't help but tease, my words tinged with amusement, "what is this, an interview? are you jealous, zoro?"
zoro's brows furrowed slightly, and a faint flush colored his ears, but he quickly masked any hint of embarrassment and pulled away from the small group hug.
"jealous? why would i be jealous?"
"oh, i don't know," I continued in a playful tone, nudging him with my elbow. "maybe you're worried i'll like him more than you."
"you're delusional."
but even as he said that, his eyes held a hint of something, something i couldn't quite decipher, and i couldn't help but wonder if there was more to his curiosity about usopp than he let on.
i quipped with a smirk and added a dramatic flair, my voice laced with confidence as i said, "says 'the greatest swordsman in the world,'" my hands forming exaggerated quotation signs for emphasis.
zoro's retort was swift and equally self-assured, "at least i'm better than you."
i couldn't help but interject, my tone playful as i teased zoro, "who lied to you?"
amused by our banter, luffy chimed in, attempting to play peacemaker, "c'mon, guys, stop fighting—"
"there you are!" nami jogged her way towards us.
"hey, nami! did you get us a ship?" luffy's voice was filled with enthusiasm, eager to set sail on a new adventure.
nami nodded, her gaze shifting between luffy and the rest of us. "i'm working on it. did you push the sloop out to the sea like i told you to?" her question was directed at luffy.
luffy grinned with pride. "yeah, no marines are gonna be following us here. we're in the clear."
nami's eyes scanned our surroundings, taking in the lush, unfamiliar scenery. "well, we're not going to be here very long."
i couldn't hide my frustration any longer, my voice tinged with urgency. "what? we can't leave yet! i still need to find usopp. he's not at home!" the thought of coming back after all these years only to discover that usopp was nowhere to be found was eating at me.
zoro muttered under his breath, "he's not worth the time." his dismissive words hung in the air, a stark contrast to my concern for usopp's whereabouts.
"he is. to me, at least."
zoro's gaze bore into me, his jaw clenched in silence.
nami broke the tension, redirecting our focus. "well, (name), it turns out syrup village is known for their shipbuilding. there should be plenty of options there. maybe your friend is among the shipbuilders?"
i nodded, appreciative of nami's suggestion. "let's not waste any time, then."
luffy, as always, was eager to get going. he skipped energetically in the wrong direction, prompting nami to chase after him.
"ugh! luffy—"
as nami and luffy disappeared from view, zoro and i were left standing together in the bustling village. the silence between us lingered for a moment before i decided to break it.
"you know," i began, "i didn't mean to sound so defensive about usopp. it's just that he's a dear friend, and i haven't seen him in years."
zoro's expression softened slightly, though his typical stoic demeanor remained. "i get it," he replied, his voice calm. "friends are important."
"yeah," i said with a small smile. "do you have any friends like that?"
he hesitated for a moment, as if contemplating his response. "i did, when i was a kid." he finally replied, his tone guarded. "though she isn't here anymore."
i paused, realizing that i had touched on a sensitive subject. "we can't change the past; it's gone," i offered, trying my best to provide some comfort. "but we can still make our future. you have us now, zoro. even with our bickering, i'm rooting for you to become the world's greatest swordsman." i smiled and started to walk away, then turned around, my hand grasping my bow on the side.
"you coming?"
zoro blinked, his guard softening a bit.
their smile was pleasing to look at.
"yeah," he replied, his voice softening. "you go ahead."
i nodded and walked off to join nami and luffy, not hearing zoro's next words.
"thank you," he muttered under his breath.
zoro let out a sigh and turned his gaze toward the bulletin board once again. he snatched the clown poster, thinking it might come in handy.
"stupid clown."
as he peeled the poster off, something caught his eye underneath it—a familiar face, a familiar name.
WANTED
"DEAD OR ALIVE"
"(NAME) (SURNAME)"
฿ 28,000,000
⚓︎
zoro narrowed his eyes,
'huh?'
since it's a (reader) x character i can't just put a random ass person in the bounty poster so i decided on keeping arrows 😭 you can change it as you like!