Future Wings (A ZoSan One Piece Fanfiction)

Chapter One: Impromptu Fatherhood

떨리는 순간 꿈들을 쟁취해, uh (hey)

느낄 수 있다면 손을 뻗어 힘껏

Translation:

"At the moment of trembling, get the dreams (Hey)

If you can feel it, reach out as far as you can (Woo)"

- Mingi, in Ateez's "Dancing With Butterfly Wings"

**********

As the translucent ceiling panels rained and shattered around him, Roronoa Zoro removed Wado Ichimoji from his mouth and allowed himself to breathe.

"Fifteen minutes until self-destruction," echoed the intercom, as an identical message glowed in neon signs around the laboratory. The building continued to quake around him, and more debris fell. The wall where he and his opponent had pummeled through was the least stable, the cracks and fissures multiplying like abstract branches that would eventually lead to its crumbling.

Sheathing his last sword, Zoro assessed the situation.

First off, physical injuries. The sleeves of his new coat were shredded, with some of Lucci's scratches reaching his skin. It appeared that Dr. Vegapunk's patented clothes were highly durable. However, a more prominent gash was on his left side, which was bleeding. Fabric could only shield so much from devil-fruit and haki-based attacks.

This was nothing. Minor wounds were a minimal price in exchange for this victory to the man who almost took Robin from them—the man whom only Luffy could defeat. Yet here, after a semi-intense battle, he had claimed his victory from Rob Lucci. The Leopard devil-fruit user definitely had become stronger, but he was nothing compared to his last foes on Wano.

"It would be great to take the No. 2 of an Emperor," Lucci had said at the beginning of the battle.

The CP0 agent lay unconscious, fully de-transformed from his awakened leopard form. Several gashes crisscrossed the man's body, and blood pooled near his left ear. The swordsman heard rushed footsteps and turned to the source of the noise. The two stared at each other, and Zoro reached for his swords, in case he would transform into the colossal giraffe. He heard the other man utter a curse, shaking his head.

Although he was panting, Kaku wasted no time gently picking up his partner. Zoro watched him, allowing the other agent to retrieve him. Although there was a chance that Kaku would still retaliate, everyone's priorities were on evacuating the island first.

Zoro saw the conflicting emotions that were obvious on Kaku's face. Looking back, Kaku seemed surprised at Lucci's assassination attempt, only to stab Stussy, who blocked the attack, instead. No doubt that he had been kept in the dark about their mission. If they weren't enemies, Zoro might have felt pity for the man.

"This isn't over, Strawhat Pirates," he said. With that threat left hanging in the air, two retreated, hurrying towards the exit.

Next, location.

Zoro and Lucci's duel had been led away from the main heat of the battle, where Luffy had hopefully finished fighting Kizaru. A giant "B" was plastered on the wall, right over the exit where the two just left. Earlier, they were in Building A, so it had to be the building next door, right?

All he had to do now was navigate out of this blasted place. He just had to follow the signs on doorways that said "EXIT". If he was still stuck indoors (not lost), he would just cut a pathway straight through, and he'd make it outside eventually. The place was going to blow anyway.

Taking a different route than the CP0 agents, in case he ran into more annoying opponents, he went in the opposite direction. It's not like he wouldn't be able to take more people, but he needed to get back to the others as soon as possible.