A Quiet Crush

CHAPTER 4

The Grand Line offered little time for peace. The very next day, the crew found themselves entangled in yet another dangerous mission on a newly discovered island. This time, it wasn’t wild beasts but hostile bounty hunters lying in wait. 

The crew split up to handle different threats, as they often did. Zoro and Robin ended up together, cutting through the dense jungle toward a rumored ancient ruin that could hold clues to a Poneglyph. 

“Stay close,” Zoro muttered, glancing back at Robin. 

“I always do,” she replied with a small smile, her arms crossed as she prepared to summon her powers. 

It wasn’t long before the ambush came. The bounty hunters appeared from all directions, armed with traps, nets, and weapons designed to take down even the most dangerous pirates. 

“Looks like they’ve done their homework,” Robin remarked calmly, as a group of hunters charged toward them. 

Zoro grinned, unsheathing his swords. “Let’s give them a lesson they won’t forget.” 

The fight was fierce but short. Zoro’s swords cut through the attackers with his usual precision, while Robin used her Hana Hana no Mi to disarm and immobilize foes with startling efficiency. At one point, a stray attacker aimed a shot at Robin’s blind spot, but Zoro intercepted it without hesitation, his blade flashing as he blocked the blow. 

“Pay attention,” he scolded, panting slightly. 

Robin chuckled, a glint of amusement in her eyes even as she disarmed another attacker. “I was paying attention—to you. You’re quite impressive when you’re focused.” 

Zoro felt his ears heat up but said nothing, focusing instead on finishing the fight. 

When the last hunter was defeated, the jungle fell silent. Zoro wiped his brow, glancing at Robin, who was already calmly dusting herself off. 

“You okay?” he asked, his voice gruff but concerned. 

“Perfectly fine, thanks to you,” she replied, her tone light. She stepped closer, her dark eyes meeting his. “Though, I think you may have taken a hit.” 

Zoro looked down and noticed a shallow cut on his arm. He hadn’t even felt it in the heat of battle. 

“It’s nothing,” he said, brushing it off. 

Robin shook her head, stepping even closer. “Let me see.” 

Before Zoro could protest, she gently took his arm, examining the wound. Her touch was cool and careful, and Zoro felt his heart thud louder than it had during the fight. 

“This will need bandaging,” she said, her tone firm but kind. “Sit.” 

Zoro hesitated, but the look in her eyes left no room for argument. He sat down on a nearby rock as Robin retrieved a small first-aid kit from her bag. 

“You don’t have to do this,” he muttered, watching as she carefully cleaned the wound. 

“I want to,” she replied simply, her fingers brushing against his skin as she worked. 

The silence between them felt charged, the usual noise of the jungle fading into the background. Zoro’s mind raced. He wanted to say something, anything, to acknowledge the growing connection between them. 

“Robin,” he began, his voice unusually soft. 

She glanced up, her eyes meeting his. “Yes?” 

He swallowed hard, the words on the tip of his tongue. But before he could say them, a loud crash echoed from deeper in the jungle. 

“That must be the others,” Robin said, standing and packing up the kit. She smiled at him, her expression unreadable. “Shall we?” 

Zoro nodded, his jaw tight. Once again, the moment slipped away. 

But as they walked side by side toward the sound, Robin glanced at him, her smile softer this time. “Thank you, Zoro. For always looking out for me.” 

His heart leapt at her words, and though he didn’t reply, he knew he’d wait as long as it took to find the right moment to tell her how he felt.