𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮 (Zoro x Reader)

Chapter 6 - An Adventure Begins

The storm raged on, and you and Zoro found peace and warmth. The sound of raindrops on the leaves of the tree above, combined with the sound of the angry waves crashing on the beach close by, created a soothing lullaby that began to lull both of you into a peaceful slumber.

As you closed your eyes, his comforting presence and the shared warmth under the petal eased the lingering tension from the earlier incident. The vulnerability of sharing your past with Zoro had brought you closer, creating a bond that went beyond mere friendship. Zoro, understanding the pain you had endured, silently promised to protect and support you as he saw the tiny peaceful face that was on his shoulder as you were close to falling asleep.

The storm began to subside, and the thunder gradually became distant rumbles. The serene atmosphere within the petal cocoon contrasted with the stormy weather outside. Zoro continued to pat your head gently, a gesture of reassurance and comfort.

"Zoro..." you whispered, breaking the peaceful silence.

"Yeah?" he replied, his voice low and soothing.

"I'm glad we're friends. Thank you for being here for me."

Zoro chuckled softly, "Well, you're a pain and annoying, but you're my friend, and that's what friends do."

"... I know I'm being selfish for saying this, but can we go on an adventure one day? To see the beautiful wonders the world has to offer, go to the Grand Line someday maybe... I've always been curious about what's out there... To see the majestic creatures many people call monsters and the different new places scattered all around the world..."

Zoro knew exactly what you meant by that, you loved drawing. He had caught you once after his training, you were scribbling on an enormous leaf from one of your roses and he couldn't believe his eyes, it was the most realistic it could be with the tools you had available, he could clearly see himself swinging his bamboo swords on it as you had drawn him during his sword practice. He saw it clearly through your eyes when you said you wanted to see the so-called "majestic creatures" and the "different new places", what you really wanted was to draw them with the most detail possible, and he knew you loved to do it.

"If that's what you want, dummy..."

"Please, I really want t-... wait... Really?!"

You weren't expecting him to agree so easily, you already had at least a million excuses and arguments in your favor to convince him, but it looks like you don't need them anymore.

You both shared a quiet laugh as the storm continued raging in front of you and even though you were still afraid of the thunder, you felt at peace at that moment.

As the night progressed, the rain lessened, and the winds calmed. The soft pitter-patter of raindrops became a gentle melody, guiding you both into a peaceful sleep. The petal gave you both a cozy feeling, shielding you from the tiny raindrops that were left after the storm.

You never would have thought that on that distant island, far, far away from the home you grew up in, you would find such a caring and loyal friend you'd treasure forever.

In the morning, you and Zoro woke up to the calming rays of sunlight filtering through the now clear sky. The forest around you glistened with raindrops, and the air was filled with the earthy scent of wet soil. The aftermath of the storm had transformed the landscape, leaving behind a fresh and invigorating atmosphere, like always.

You and Zoro woke up almost at the same time as you both exchanged sleepy faces, stretching afterwards to help wake up faster, though you were still tired from yesterday's event, you made an effort to wake up.

"Zorooo... I wanna see you train but I can't wake up..." You said between yawns as you whined because your body wasn't letting you wake up completely, much less letting you stand up.

"Just stay there then, you don't have to watch me every day, you know?" Zoro said with a quiet chuckle as he watched you fail miserably at trying to wake up.

"But I don't wanna be here... by... myself..." You said before falling asleep again.

Zoro looked at you for a minute before deciding he shouldn't leave you alone after your best efforts to wake up just to watch him train, he sat down next to you again, leaning on the tree 'I'll stay by your side just for today, dummy. It wouldn't hurt to sleep a bit more too' He said to himself before falling asleep again by your side.

You smiled in your sleep, almost as if you knew what he was thinking of, even though he didn't say it out loud.

The days you spent together quickly bled into weeks, which bled into months, quickly turning into years, as Zoro was already of age to leave the island and the dojo behind. He didn't tell anyone about you, not even his sensei because he knew you didn't like the idea of "dojo" and he didn't want people to find out about you too.

After gathering all his stuff (which wasn't much), he met you close to the shore of the island

After quite some time... 

Obviously, he got lost...

What would you expect?

On the shore was a tiny ship inviting you both to board it as it was carefully built (unlike another boat that shall not be mentioned...), it wasn't as big as a ship, but it fit you and Zoro with a bunch of space left, so it was comfortable.

You both had grown quite a lot, as you were 16 and Zoro 17. He wasn't that small little boy you had met, not to mention he had some muscles too. And for you, your hair grew even more, barely reaching past your hip, not to mention you also managed to train your Devil Fruit abilities a bit more in the past 5 years as Zoro had said that it might come in handy if you perfected your abilities and created some attacks with it.

You were both ready to go as you both looked at the island one more time before Zoro finally pushed the little ship away from shore. You quickly hid inside the tiny room the boat had as Zoro's friends and sensei went to wave goodbye to him, he quickly waved back as he made the boat sail away as quickly as possible so you could come out of the crowed chamber filled to the brim with some old boxes, the boat was a hand-me-down from his sensei, a parting gift as you could call it, so he can start his adventure with the right foot.

"You can come out now, the island isn't visible anymore"

"O-ok... let me just-" You said as you tried getting unstuck from the middle of the heavy boxes.

Zoro was fast to lend you a hand and quickly pulled you out of the cramped space like you weighed nothing, but it's not like you were expecting it to be difficult for him.

"Thanks..." You thanked him for his kind act

"No problem, now, where are we going?"