Justice and Piracy (a Zoro love story)

Justice and Piracy (a Zoro love story) : Introduction

"Introductions."

The rapid tide beat rhythmically against the ocean breakers, too fast to be calming but it served to mark times passing in soft even strokes. l stretched out in the low uncomfortable cot and felt myself shiver as my bare feet brushed against the cold iron frame. Was it morning already? On this isle it was hard to tell. A deep rumble echoed against the bare stone walls and a flash of lightning followed a second later, filling the cell with a bright sudden light that lingered long after what seemed natural. How long had I been asleep? I often found only nightmares when I lay to rest, the thunderous storm sounding too much like cannon-fire to let me forget my bittersweet upbrigning.

"Oi, who's there?" a loud brash voice asked through the darkness, it was demanding.

I wasn't aware I had cellmates, this pulled at my stomach as a fresh wave of fear filled my veins, I could taste it on my tongue and I squinted into the dark, alarmed. There, pressed close, but not touching the bars was the face of a young man, he was in the cell opposite, a narrow hall seperating the us. His dark eyes were steady and a mop of messy black hair framed his somewhat serious expression. Mornings light began invading, a weak eerie glow sparkled off the damp floor between us.

His toothy grin welcomed me, "I found you."

It was a cheery, lighthearted voice that felt awkward and out of place in this dark dreary jail cell. Those words might have scared me in another life but I breathed away my fright and pressed close so that he might see me clearly as I spoke. Thunder shook the room around us.

"Umino (of the sea) Yuki (snow)," my voice echoed, it sounded soft and broken, as if I'd been crying the night before. I had not. I felt the heat in my face as colour blemished the pallid cream of my cheeks and I brushed aside the feeling with the cold palms of my hands.

"Who are you?" My words carried some strength of my conviction.

He laughed a bold chuckle, his grin reaching too far for comfort but before he announced himself, fell upon the cell bars and crumpled toward the ground like a stone in water, like a hammer in the ocean. A high-pitched wobble of noise left him and he slumped, sliding toward his feet in a pile of cloth and limbs. My mouth fell open in silent disbelief and I waited for him to pull himself together, my expression a mash of humour and shock. The bars he had regretfully grasped were seastone and they weakened all with the Devils fruit abilities, including myself.

"Are you? Okay?" The words left me before I could stop myself, I didn't usually care for others.

He dragged himself backwards almost toppling over before his strength returned, his knees gave out suddenly and a gust of breath knocked from his lungs in a great heave.

"Not again~!" he wailed, sitting cross-legged on the damp cell floor.

A huff of a laugh left me in brief happiness, the feeling might have knocked me off my own feet had I not already made the decision to join him seated upon the ground. I brushed dirt from the black denim of my jeans which clung tightly to my short but shapely legs. My hair was a short-cut of ebony waves that contrasted sharply upon my pale skin complexion, my cold stoney grey eyes focused toward the boy before me.

"Yuki, huh?" He finally replied, his wide smile returning a second later, "Where is this exactly? Yuki?"

I pulled at the collar of my jacket around my face to block the chill and tilted my head in confusion as I answered him.

"This is a Marine-Base island, it's climate is perpetually stormy so sailing around it is neigh imposible. If you're down here, then you must be a pirate. This base is mainly used for training purposes, how did you get past the storm?" I asked.

He scratched his head for a moment or two, swaying the upper half of his body side to side in apparent deep thought, his lips pressed into a fine line and his arms folded across his chest. I waited patiently, curious to how he came to such a place. Lightning filled the room and I felt a sharp electrical charge in the air, I could hear the march of soldiers from the floor above us scramble and I wondered which part of the base had been struck today. Had the lightning rods caught the discharge?

"I fell into the ocean, I remember the water moving really fast and then I washed up on shore over here, there were so many Marines!" He spoke, "My crew will come get me, just you wait and see."

With this he laid back against the floor, his demeanour that of a bored child. I did not believe him, though his actions showed he had no doubts for his words. I fought back the urge to speak more with him, but I could not resist the temptation, his certainty was mislead. What crew would come back for a man overboard? One who most likely drowned to the islands stormy waters?

"The sea is treacherous, the waters are hard to sail inland." My voice was harsher than intended, I felt the bitter sting in them, was I, jealous?

"Eh? Then how do the Marines leave?" He turned his head toward me to ask.

"They don't, not often, I'm kept down here 'till they do" I scoffed, I took a knee and stood upright, brushing myself down, the motion stirred the air and I hearded the light clinking of links as the chain of my seastone cuffs rattled together, he noticed too and I quickly continued, "I'm a helmsman, a good one."

A devilish smile lit his face as he sat upright and the mornings light glistened like a halo as it poured dimly from the barred wall behind him, the way he looked at me shook me to my core but I wouldn't let it show. He was strong, I could feel it, like standing against a tidal wave, merciless beneath the surf, he threatened to sweep me away.

"Then join me!" He grinned.