One Piece Oneshots (Whumptober 2021)

Day 19 - Just a Scratch (Zoro x Reader)

"Ah!" You yelped, feeling a cold hand grab your arm, and another one wrapping around your neck.

"Huh?" Zoro turned to you when he heard your distress, fighting off the enemy that limped towards him. The scene he saw playing caused him to become paler than a ghost, you were in the enemy's very grasp. "No!"

Zoro slashed the monsters that stood in the way of getting to you. Dashing towards you, trying to get to you before it could do anything. You wiped your baseball bat around and smack the undead being off of you, but it was too late, the damage was already done. Your neck had deep scratch marks, the black substance already infecting your wounds.

Zoro got to you, striking the rest of the zombies that surrounded you. "You alright?"

"Let's get out of here," you responded, grabbing his hand. He nodded and the two of you bolted away from the scene.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We should be safe here," Zoro told you, peaking through the boarded windows.

"Yeah... safe..." you muttered, rubbing the side of your neck with the infection.

"Hey, you didn't ask my question back there." Zoro turned his attention to you, worry now in his eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I... It's just a scratch..." You tried not to make a big deal out of the situation as you lower your hand, that was a mistake. When you relieved the open wound, Zoro saw that you had already begun bleeding black ooze from your neck.

"[Y/n]..." Zoro's voice became lost, his irises shrunk not wanting to accept that what he sees is real.

The swordsman staggered towards you, putting his hand on your shoulder as the other one slowly lifted up your chin. There it was, no denying it wasn't real, that you weren't infected, that you weren't going to lose your conscience. You sucked in a breath, trying not to cry, you needed to stay strong.

"First, Johnny... then Yosaku..."

You gazed at Zoro, hearing him find his words. He was staring at your wounds, shaking.

"I can't lose you too!" Zoro cried hugging you, tears running down his face.

You lost it, you were sobbing hard. You didn't want to die, you didn't want Zoro to be all alone. Your arms wrapped around him, holding on as if you'd die once you let go.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Zoro," you wept into his shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough."

"No, I wasn't there to protect you, don't blame yourself." Zoro pulled back looking into your eyes, not wanting to see you doubting your abilities.

"It's not your fault," you shook your head.

"It's not yours either," Zoro stated, he then pressed his forehead against your, cupping your cheeks.

You closed your eyes leaning into his touch, not wanting to miss one moment of it. You wanted to spread every last second of your deteriorating life in Zoro's arms.

"Please... please, don't go..."