INNATE INSTINCTS [zoro x male!reader]

I. LIGHT MY FIRE

Soft snores could be heard from a small dinghy floating haphazardly in the vast ocean. In it, a young man was sleeping with his arms crossed behind his head. 

[INTRODUCING:  OUR PROTAGONIST, (L/N) (Y/N)]

The 18-year-old boy was knocked out despite the rocking of the currents against his tiny vessel. Our hero has grown considerably since we've seen him last.

For starters, he wasn't an aggressive baby dragon anymore.

Now, he resided in the form of your run-of-the-mill human, except with the third eye sitting tightly shut on his forehead. 

No, he does not have a third eyebrow, if that's what you were thinking about asking. 

His nose wrinkled as if smelling something unpleasant.

(Y/N) peaked a single eye open and jolted upright as he saw an intimidatingly large ship getting closer and closer. The ship bared the MARINE insignia proudly on its sails.

"YOU THERE!" someone from the ship shouted, "Surrender peacefully, or we will have to use force!" 

(Y/N) paled. How do they know who I am? He thought. There's no way they could see my eye from here or even recognize my face-

"The hell did I do?!" He responded, hoping they'd believe they made a mistake.

"You're a pirate!" A new voice shouted from the ship.

"You're mistaken, I'm not (Y-" He paused, "Wait, what?"

The two ships, one massive, the other barely large enough to fit two people, were nearly touching at this point. (Y/N) could see marines leaning over the railings of their ship, talking to him. They all had guns strapped to their waists and swords hanging from their backs.

"As I said," the first marine continued, "surrender peacefully, and we won't harm you."

"But I'm not a pirate!" (Y/N) was telling the truth this time.

"As if we'd believe you! Your Jolly Roger is painted on the side of that shi- can I even call that a ship?" 

Ignoring the marine's insult to his small boat, (Y/N) leaned over the side, only to discover that a Jolly Roger was, in fact, painted on the side. It wasn't anything remarkable, (Y/N) didn't recognize it at all.

Two marines threw a rope over the ship's side and began to climb down towards (Y/N).

"I'm not a pirate, I swear! I stole this boat!"

The Marines started at (Y/N).

(Y/N) stared at the Marines.

"That...didn't help my case, did it?"

The boy scrambled and grabbed the oars on his boat before the two approaching marines could board. He paddled as hard as he could- which gave him decent speed, as he's much stronger than your average human. Because he's not a human.

"AFTER HIM!" a new voice commanded from the larger ship.

"I got this, sir!"

"He's dead meat!"

Ignoring the chants of his hunters, (Y/N) kept paddling. In what direction? Who the hell knows.

A searing, burning pain exploded in his right shoulder. He let out a painful wail, one so loud that several marines covered their ears. One could compare the boy's cry to that of a dragon's roar. 

A barbed harpoon was sticking out through his pec, blood already dripping swiftly down his body. He glanced behind him and saw a line connecting the harpoon- and by extension, him- to the Marine ship that he was running (paddling?) from.

Taking a deep breath in to try and manage the pain, a waft of a particular plant entered (Y/N)'s nose. It's drugged, he thought. 

"BULLSEYE!"

"We got 'em, sir!"

"Lousy pirate!"

Continued chanting and comments were the last things (Y/N) heard as his eyes got heavy, and he passed out, falling backward into the boat. 

--

"Get out of here, runt!" An ambiguous voice yelled, "Promise me-! Promise me you'll never let these assholes get their hands on you again!"

"W-What about you?" A young voice, a child's voice, answered.

"I'll be fine. They'll have no idea it was me. Now GO!"

--

(Y/N) woke up with a start. His shoulder burned, the wound stretching as his arms were pulled with his weight. He was tied to a wooden cross, his wrists bound to each end. His harpoon wound- (Y/N) wished it was a bullet wound, that would look cooler- was haphazardly wrapped in cloth bandages, which started to become loose and bloody.

He sensed another presence extremely close to him. Smells male- like steel, sweat, and booze. A little bit of moss, too. Not in a bad way, though. He remarked. I think steel is my new favorite smell-

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." said presence spoke from behind him. (Y/N) craned his neck around, ignoring the screams of his shoulder, to see a green-haired man bound behind him.

[INTRODUCING: PIRATE HUNTER, RORONOA ZORO]

"Awe, you think I'm a beauty?" (Y/N) jokingly gushed, trying to make light of the situation. 

"Shut up," the man grumbled, no doubt rolling his eyes. (Y/N) let out a painful laugh as moving his chest caused even more unbearable pain.

"Jokes aside, where are we? How did I get here?"

"Marine base. Forgot the name of the island. You were dragged in here unconscious by a few marines. Pretty nasty wound. They do that to 'ya?"

"Yup. Harpoon. It was drugged, too! I'm assuming you're 'arrested' then as well?"

"Astute observation." He mocked.

"Smart guy, got it. I'm (Y/N), by the way."

"Name's Zoro."

"Like Roronoa Zoro?"

"That's the one." (Y/N)'s third eye twitched at this man's dry conversation.

"I heard some people talking about being scared of you getting them. I stole their boat- god dammit! I should've known they were pirates! Why else would they be scared of a bounty hunter?!"

Unbeknownst to (Y/N), Zoro gave an incredulous look- intended for (Y/N) but it went to the empty space in the courtyard as they were facing away from each other. The hell is he talking about? 

"I miss the peace and quiet," Zoro grumbled.

"Want to play twenty questions?"

"Shut. Up."

--