Once Upon a Prison Cell//Roronoa Zoro [COMPLETED]

Chapter 8

Zoro found her sleeping again. Sprawled out on the floor, back against the wall.

On coming closer, he heard her mumbling in her sleep.

Out of all the gibberish, he caught her saying something intelligible- a name.

"..Rayleigh.."

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"...and then a bolt of lightning struck him right where he was and pfft- his face. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA... It was the stupidest thing I'd seen in my years of knowing him," Rayleigh continued to laugh heartily while a star struck 8 year old Y/N sat at his knee, drinking in all his tales from the sea.

"Tell me about that time you went to that Mermaid Island!!" She stood up and threw herself on his back, arms wrapping around his neck while Rayleigh stood up and feigned throwing her off of him.

Childlike giggles erupted out of the both of them while he continued to swing her around.

A distant shout interrupted their bliss.

"Y/N chan! It's time to go! Your parents will leave without you."

It was her grandmother calling out to her.

"Your Uncle is here too!" She continued, hoping to lure the kid out with her fondness of her Uncle.

Rayleigh gently put her down and she looked up to him with a mix of excitement and sorrow.
"I'll be staying with my Uncle this summer," she explained. "So I won't be here like every other summer. My parents will be travelling like always. I'll miss your stories," she whispered towards the end.

Rayleigh ruffled her head.

"Go have an exciting summer with your Uncle, kid. If you behave good enough, he might even take you to see the sea," he grinned. "I'll still be here when you come to stay with your Grandma in the winter, so don't be sad."

Wrapping her tiny arms around his neck, she gave him a quick embrace and rushed off, now a little more excited about her summer, turning back once to wave at the man and give him her biggest grin.

"BYE BYE! SEE YOU IN WINTER, UNCLE RAYLEIGH!!"

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".. Rayleigh.."

Huh?

Isn't that-

"L/N! Stand up! What are you doing there on the floor?!" The prison warden who had come by for a mini inspection barked. The assistant warden shook his head by the warden's side. How many times had he even warned her about the Warden's surprise inspections?

Zoro pushed his questions aside and continued to watch the scene unfold while he enjoyed the last few minutes of his break.

The said marine abruptly woke up and stood up in one go and bowed her head in apology.

"I am sorry, Prison Warden. I did not mean to doze off."

"Don't let it happen again. You don't know what these scum could try," he gave a uninterested glance towards the prisoners. Satisfied, he walked away, the assistant warden following behind, giving the girl a sympathetic nod as he passed by her.

Zoro watched as she ran her hands down her pants, trying to smooth them out. She then did the same to her hair, while still remaining in her half-dazed state.

He couldn't help it.

"Pfft-"

She turned to him swiftly. Did he just laugh? At her?

Zoro turned away just as quickly and silently thanked the gods when he heard the bell ring.

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