INNATE INSTINCTS [zoro x male!reader]

V. STAYING ALIVE

"Zoro, is (Y/N) alright?" Luffy asked from the cage, trying to stretch his rubber neck through the bars to get a look at him.

"He's clearly not alright! Just look at him!" Nami gestured to the blood dripping down his front.

Before they could talk anymore about their friend's condition, a dog approached.

Luffy got excited and tried to provoke it.

It worked, and the dog began to gnaw on his rubbery face.

"Well, you guys saved my life. I'll return the favor." Nami stated. She tossed the key to Luffy's cage on the ground. "I don't want to owe you anything."

As Luffy excitedly reached for the key, the dog got their first and snatched it between its jaws.

"Uh, nice doggie? Give it back!" Luffy pleaded.

"Shit." Zoro groaned. 

"That dog-!" Nami cried.

"..............."

"Leave. It."

(Y/N) had woken up, and was now sitting upright on top of Luffy's cage, a hand clutching his stomach wound. All three of his eyes were open and giving a stern glare to the dog.

The dog defiantly growled.

(Y/N) let out his own snarl, his eyes slightly narrowing to slits.

Surrendering, the dog curled its' tail under itself and slowly dropped the key back onto the pavement. Luffy quickly snatched the key and set himself free.

"Wow, (Y/N), how did you do that?" he gushed.

"Long story. Let's just say I'm higher up on the food chain."

(Y/N) always had strange experiences with animals- other animals, I suppose. It was most definitely because he was a dragon- one of the most supreme forces in nature. Even in his human form, most animals were wary of him or turned immediately defensive upon seeing him.

"What the hell did you do to Chouchou?!" A new voice yelled.

A man with gray hair clad in leather armor stalked toward the group. Upon noticing (Y/N), he paled.

"You need medical attention, son!" the guy grabbed (Y/N) by the bicep and began dragging him to the building he just came out of.

"What the-?! Who the hell are you?" Zoro asked, jumping to his feet.

"We'll talk after this boy is bandaged and resting!" the man said. (Y/N) rolled his eyes and let the dragging continue.

As (Y/N) was now sleeping peacefully while bandaged, the man returned to the pavilion and explained who he was. He was the mayor of this quaint town, and he even explained the story of the dog, Chouchou.  

Growling and speaking rung in (Y/N)'s ears, causing him to wake up. He bolted outside, wanting to see what the commotion was.

"I am Beast Tamer Mohji, of the Buggy Pirates!" a man wearing a fur suit proudly boasted. An abnormally large lion was sitting next to him with a hungry look in its eyes.

"There is no beast that I cannot make succumb to my will!" He walked over to Chouchou, "Shake!" He commanded.

Chouchou bit his hand. 

"Now, boy" he referred to Luffy, "Where is Roronoa Zoro?"

Nami looked around. He was just here?

-

Meanwhile, Zoro stood in an alleyway facing a dead end. "Where the hell did those idiots go?!"

-

"I don't know!" Luffy responded stubbornly.

"Tch! Then you're useless! Get him, Richie!" the lion pawed at Luffy and sent the poor rubber boy flying. Richie turned and started eyeing the pet store Chouchou was guarding so diligently.

"Hm, we have to find Roronoa, but I suppose we have time for a snack. It's all yours, Rich!" 

The lion bolted towards the pet store but froze.

Chouchou was standing in front of the door, barking and growling. The lion's ears folded down and it began to slightly back away.

"Richie! It's a dog! What the hell is-" Mohji took a better look at the door to the pet shop. Behind the dog stood a man with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. His shirt was off, revealing bloody bandages wrapped tightly around his stomach. 

"Get. Lost." the man commanded.

"Haha, you fool, my Richie only listens to me-" the beast tamer was interrupted by the woosh! of his lion sprinting away.

"Sorry, you're not laying a finger on this shop." (Y/N) smiled. Chouchou turned around and looked at the man with nothing but admiration and gratitude. The big-bad dragon had a heart after all. Nami was giving a similar look as Chouchou to (Y/N) as well.

"How did you...?" Mohji trailed off. He stared at (Y/N) for a few, long seconds.

"You're a beast..." he muttered. (Y/N) quirked an eyebrow at the man. "You're no human, are you?"

The boy smiled, showing extra sharp canines.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now, if you value your life, I want you to scurry along back to your captain and don't come near this dog or his shop ever. again." Mohji whimpered and scurried away, no doubt going to go search for his scaredy-cat of a lion.

"You...protected this dog's shop?" Nami asked. (Y/N) wiped the serious persona off his face and gave an ecstatic grin.

"We all have something we have to protect, Nams!"

"Nams...?" the girl sweatdropped at the nickname. Just then, Luffy returned to the pavilion.

"I'm back! Huh-? Where'd he go? I was looking forward to a fight!" he whined.

"I took care of it" (Y/N) informed his captain.

"(Y/N)! You're up!" He took his crewmate into a bone-crushing hug.

"Ow-! Luf, my wound!" Nami took notice of (Y/N)'s use of nicknames.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm just glad to see you're alright!" the captain grinned.

The three set off together, towards Buggy's base.

I want that map. Nami thought.

I promised to kick his ass. He stabbed (Y/N)! Luffy remarked to himself.

He's annoying as fuck. Came from the remaining member of the trio.

--

As the three got closer to the Buggy Pirate's base, they saw Zoro and the mayor arguing. 

"Found him," Nami muttered. (Y/N) laughed. 

"This is my town, this is my fight! Let me handle this!" The mayor yelled at the swordsman.

Zoro wouldn't budge though. "Buggy picked a bone with us, and he's gotta pay. It's our fight. Besides, you'd be killed!"

"Don't you-" the mayor's argument got cut short as Luffy bashed him in the back of his head.

"Luffy! You didn't have to punch the guy!" Nami scolded. He shrugged.

"Faster than arguing, I guess." (Y/N) sweatdropped. 

Luffy cracked his knuckles. 

"Let's get this show started."

--