Boy With a Scar

Chapter 6: The Purpose of the Dagger

Zoro flashed a predatory smirk. So this is what his captain would look like.

Now that all the adrenaline had boiled from his system, Zoro was suddenly assaulted by the full force of exhaustion. He staggered, but managed to plunge his katana into the ground and lean on it. "Ahhh, I'm so hungry..."

Luffy laughed softly while picking up the other two swords. "Come on, Zoro, I had them prepare some food and a bath for you."

The swordsman blinked at him. "Really?" He narrowed his eyes. "What would you have done if I'd actually refused your invitation?"

"Nothing," Luffy answered honestly. He stepped alongside Zoro and motioned him to lean on him. "I helped you escape, didn't I?"

Zoro sheathed his katana, strapped all three of them to his waist, and leaned on Luffy with a tired sigh. He was way too exhausted to walk on his own. And going by the boy's satisfied grin, he was more than happy to help.

"Why did you use my sword to cut the ropes anyway?" asked Zoro, as they left the execution yard and started slowly walking through the streets. "You have a dagger."

He felt Luffy tense slightly under his arm. That was strange. He observed his new captain with a curious sideways glance.

The boy had a contemplative expression, until he sighed and closed his eyes. "This dagger has only one purpose, and it's not to cut ropes. Sorry, Zoro."

Before the swordsman could ask anything else, they spotted Coby and Rika waiting patiently for them outside the restaurant, waving.

xxx

Luffy was right to insist about taking a bath first, because Zoro felt alive for the first time in two weeks. The owner of the restaurant, Rika's mother Ririka, even provided him with a set of clean clothes. For saving her daughter, she said.

The swordsman was grinning contently as he climbed down the stairs to the ground floor. His captain was laughing merrily, while Coby stared at him horrified.

"And that's why we are going there!" Luffy cheered, fist-pumping the air.

"Going where?" inquired Zoro. He glanced over the completely empty restaurant. There was only him, Luffy, the pink-haired kid, Rika, and her mother.

"To the Grand Line, of course!"

"Stop joking, Luffy-san! You can't go to the Grand Line with just the two of you!"

"I can't become the Pirate King, and Zoro can't become the world's greatest swordsman, if we stay in the East Blue, Coby." Luffy deadpanned.

Zoro joined them at the table and just shrugged. "Sounds like a plan." He accepted a big plate of food from Rika who beamed at them.

"Big brothers are so strong and brave!" she chirped.

"Shishishishi!"

The pinkette heaved a sigh of defeat. There was no way these two demons would ever listen to him.

"By the way," muttered Zoro, between bites, "why is it so empty here?"

Coby cringed, and Luffy frowned. The swordsman raised an eyebrow at that.

"Luffy-san kicked everyone out," Ririka told him, a nervous smile on her face.

"They were annoying," the Luffy's frown deepened. "Bursting in here and shouting 'hero, hero'. I'm a pirate, not a hero! Besides, I wanted to eat in peace." He smirked at his nakama, "I bet Zoro agrees with me."

The green-haired pirate just nodded. Now that he'd started to eat, there was no time for him to speak, but he was truly glad that there were no spectators watching over his shoulder.