Zoro and his Assassin

Unexpected Help

Zoro's POV

The little brat had hid herself behind the Merry. I could sense her, I walk down to confront her when I hear her talking to Luffy. At least she is violent to everyone I muse listening to her advising Luffy to jump in the sea.

Then I stop in my tracks, I've never heard Luffy be gentle. He only does that to people he thinks are truly hurting. I hear them talk about reason for coming aboard. A secret she shared with that idiot rubber. The hollow feeling comes back in my chest and I rub stupid circles on my chest absentmindedly. I wish I were the one with whom she shared her secrets. Instead she refuses to look at me even going as far as to run and hide. HIDE.

I hold myself still as she passes by, careful not to alert her to my presence. Bet she's heading to the kitchen to meet Sanji. She's strange—unlike the other girls, she actually enjoys it when Sanji fawns over her. She even goes out of her way to make his nose bleed by saying naughty things. NAUGHTY THINGS TO THAT IDIOT! AND WHAT ABOUT ME. SHE RUNS AWAY AS IF IM A DEMON FROM HELL OR GARBAGE I DONT KNOW FUCKKKK.

I huff. I know, I know—she means nothing by it. I only see humor, maybe even pity, in her eyes for that idiot. It's the only reason I haven't killed that creep... yet.

But with me, she doesn't show any humor. No, sir. With me, I get her anger and that delicious heat... and something else. Something I don't yet have a name for. But I'm worried it resembles either fear or disgust. I am lost in my dark thoughts when I hear him.

"Yo, Zoro." Luffy bumps into me. I thought that idiot had gone off to get food, but here he is. This was going to be meddlesome.

"What's her deal, Luffy? You introduced her as an assassin. She helps around the ship, and that's all good, but I know you're never going to order her to kill anyone. So why is she on the ship, and why is she part of the crew?"

"She saved my life. She didn't have to but she did. Stuff happened I asked her to join us and she agreed. Do not underestimate her Zoro, she is strong. We need her, I know it." He replies confidently.

"How did she save you?" I ask curiously.

"Ah, she decided she wouldn't kill me," he replies with a cheerful grin.

"Wait, what... wait, what?" I fold my arms across my chest and pin Luffy with a stern look. "Explain, Captain."

"It was a long story so I forgot. Now I'm hungry—MEATTTTTTTTT!"

"You think she could have killed you if she wanted to?" I ask quietly.

Luffy ponders for a second "At that time, when I didn't know her, probably. I don't know. But I'm glad I didn't have to find out," he replies unexpectedly.

"She fought me once, and she's pretty weak. I'd say she's a bit stronger than Nami, but barely," I say, unable to stop myself. My hand instinctively moves to my sword, uncomfortable with comparing our crewmates directly like this.

"Hmmm, brute force, yes. True, she's weak in that area. She is a tiny girl. But if she wanted to kill us all, I don't think many of us would survive, even with Haki." He says this with dead seriousness, then pulls the straw hat onto his head and starts walking away.

"It's not my story to tell, Zoro. But the story will come out. Give her time," he adds as a final parting remark.

Whatever, I grumble and follow Luffy to the kitchen.

I see her sitting at the kitchen table, smiling with her elbows propped up and her chin resting in her hands. An impish grin lights up her face, and her nose scrunches up like a button. Damn, she's cute as Fuck. I circle my heart with my hand again, trying to ease the phantom pain.

Sanji, the perv, is looking at her as if she's his one true goddess. His eyes are full of hearts, and he's one step away from a nosebleed. I'm tempted to kill him in his sleep tonight, that idiot.

I hear her speak, her voice pitched low to sound seductive. My stomach churns as I listen to her say, "Sanji-kun, you wear such big shoes. I've heard a fascinating rumor about shoe sizes. They say a man's shoe size can be a reference to... other, manly dimensions."

And, predictably, Sanji loses it. He gets a massive nosebleed that propels him straight to the kitchen ceiling. What a predictable asshole. I hope he just dies up there, the fucking bastard.

I see Chopper rushing in to check on him. "Oh noooo, not again, Anya! You have to stop doing that to poor Sanji!"

She's openly laughing at the poor sod—what an evil, vicious, beautiful, perfect girl. I shake my head. Damn it, I'm losing my mind. I'm Zoro; I don't need this. I need to train. Thinking about training calms me, so I head up to the crow's nest to forget about witches and pretty smiles.

I'm lost in my training, lifting heavier weights than usual in an attempt to purge her thoughts from my mind. But unbidden, I start wondering why she hates me so much. I've done nothing to her. And why does it bother me that she hates me? It never used to matter what someone thought of me. Self-consciously, I glance down at my boots. Pretty sure they're bigger than the stupid cook's. I slap my head, trying to force myself out of these distracting thoughts.

Once I finish my set, I take a deep, calming breath—and catch a whiff of lavender. Damn it, that's her scent. For some reason, she loves that girly fragrance, and now we're all subjected to its torture throughout the ship. She must have lit those infuriatingly purple candles again. She's supposed to be a cold-blooded assassin; shouldn't she have some standards?

I grumble to myself and climb down, knowing I won't get any more training done.

She's standing by the rails, looking out at the dark sea. With the moon high above and the waves crashing against the Sunny, her black hair whipping in the wind, she really looks like a witch or an enchantress. I know I'll never be able to put into words how heartbreakingly beautiful she appears in this moment.

"Can you see anything?" I ask instead.

Her back goes rigid at my question. Damn, why is she so defensive with me?

I walk over and stand behind her. "I, uh, I'm sorry if I've said or done something to make you hate me. I'm an idiot and don't always realize when I've hurt someone."

I could swear I felt her heat turn ice-cold at my words. "You're fine," she replies, her voice as cold as her demeanor.

"Then why won't you look at me anymore? You used to look at me all the time," I say, tossing my last bit of self-respect into the ocean.

She remains silent, not turning and her back still facing me.

Maybe it's the fumes from the candles or the witching hour, but I lose my grip on control and yank her arm, pulling her back against my chest. My head rests on her shoulder. "Anya, help me make it right," I pleaded one more time.

She kicks me in the balls, head-butts me, and runs. Honestly, I can't blame her after the cringy stuff I've said.

Eyes streaming and body throbbing, I watch her go. I shouldn't find her violence attractive, but here I am grinning like an idiot, wiping blood off my nose, and run the stupid circles on my chest.

"You've got it bad, huh, Marrimo? You're no better than me," Sanji says, stepping into view.