See You Later, Alligator | Roronoa Zoro

three

Eiko, sitting there in the sand, her back to him, facing the ocean. Her hair moved with the breeze, catching the last light of the sun, like it was burning against the fading day.

Zoro froze. His breath hitched in his throat, and a weird, unfamiliar tension gripped him. He wasn’t used to this—this hesitation, this pull toward her.

Why did it matter that she was here? Why couldn’t he just turn around and leave her to whatever she was brooding over?

But his feet wouldn’t move.

It was like Mihawk all over again—the uncertainty, the doubt creeping up on him, messing with his head. He wanted to walk away. He needed to. But something about Eiko kept him rooted in place.

And that pissed him off.

Zoro’s eyes locked onto her red hair, the way it swayed with the wind, like it was part of the ocean breeze itself.

Her body didn’t move, like she was some statue planted in the sand, and that silence hit him harder than any shout ever could.

Why the hell was he even thinking about talking to her? There was no reason. Nothing logical that made sense in his head.

“Maybe talking to her will give me answers,” he thought, but even that felt weak. An excuse.

He wasn’t sure what he expected to get out of this.
He stood there, eyes fixed on her, stuck between moving forward and just turning around.

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself, pushing the confusion aside. Every step he took toward her was slow.

He didn’t want to seem too aggressive, but there was this sense about her demanded that he stay alert.

“Eiko Red,” he called, his voice cutting through the sound of waves but still firm, controlled.

Nothing. She didn’t even twitch. Still staring out at the ocean, like his voice didn’t mean a damn thing.

Zoro narrowed his eyes. Was she ignoring him? Did she even hear him? Could she even hear?

"Hey," he called again, a little louder this time, stepping closer.

And then, without a sound, she stood up. The suddenness of it had his hand twitching toward his swords, instincts ready to kick in.

But she didn’t turn. Didn’t move to fight. She just stood there, facing the horizon, like the world behind her didn’t even exist.

Zoro paused, his eyes tracing the shape of her back, the way her crimson hair caught the fading sunlight, making her look almost unreal.

Then she spoke, her voice low but sharp, slicing through the quiet like a blade. “I have no intention of harming any of you.”

There was a power in those words, and she didn’t even need to turn around for Zoro to feel it. The way she said it wasn’t a plea or an offer. It was a fact.

He gave a small nod, not because he trusted her, but out of respect for her straight-up way of talking. "Good to know," he said, voice steady, but his eyes stayed sharp.

"But let’s be real here—you’re the most wanted woman on the planet. That alone makes you a threat. Doesn’t matter how peaceful you sound."

Zoro wasn’t one to sugarcoat things. His words had that blunt edge, but there was a warning underneath it. If she tried anything, even a flicker of violence, he’d be ready.

Eiko nodded, her head barely moving, her tone as cool as ever. “I get that. But anyone who stands in my way, anyone who tries to stop me from leaving this world, will die. I don’t belong here.”