The Blind Brawler [ Roronoa Zoro X OC]

Chapter 82: Finally

Zoro grasped the nape of my neck and crashed his lips onto mine so quickly I did not have a chance to react. Before I could attempt to return the kiss, he had already pulled away with a grave expression knitting his brows.

"Now get outta here!" My boyfriend shoved me forward, his voice carrying a commanding finality to it that left me no room to argue. I sensed him turn and place his hands on one of his swords as he took off running back towards the lightning raining down at the base of the beanstalk.

I clutched Chopper to my chest and shook my head, "Wait, Zoro!"

"Come on, Kaori!" Usopp hooked his arm around mine to guide us a safe distance away from the beanstalk. Every fibre of my being hated running like this, especially knowing that Zoro was heading straight into the middle of it.

Once Usopp finally came to a stop, Zoro was too far for me to sense with my normal, more precise mantra. I did not hesitate to open my eyes and follow his voice as he madly dashed towards the towering vine to cut it down. A hollow image of a lightning bolt struck his path directly, but I watched as he dodged the real bolt as it landed. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to remain calm, "Eneru must be too far away to properly aim at him. Otherwise, he would have corrected the path of the bolt when Zoro dodged. As long as Zoro can keep dodging, he can make it."

A second bolt crashed down, missing the swordsman by a few inches. Usopp whimpered, "O-okay, he's gonna be just fine. Zoro buddy, you're the only one who can do this! It's up to you!"

Zoro dodged a third bolt as he reached the beanstalk. He leapt up with a roar as he wielded the sword with the bloodthirsty hum, "Eneru, I am so sick of you!" I sensed him swipe the sword forward, but could not see with my mantra if he was successful in cutting the beanstalk.

Instead, I saw the hollow image of a large lightning bolt come down. This time, the swordsman would not be able to dodge it. I wanted to scream out a warning, but there was not enough time. My breath caught in my throat as the real lightning bolt struck my boyfriend and passed him into the island cloud beneath him.

I watched in dread as his voice flickered slightly and he began to fall. When I realised he had passed through the hole in the clouds and was plummeting to the ruins somewhere below us, I shrieked, "Zoro!"

"He did it!" Usopp cried out, sounding distraught, "He did it and got zapped! But he did it!"

Robin's voice was grave, "Oh no, the vine!"

"The vine's not falling! But he cut it!" Usopp wailed in disbelief, "What is that thing made out of? It looks like a plant, but it's solid as a rock!"

I closed my eyes to refocus my mantra before turning to my crewmates, "Usopp, Robin, take Chopper."

"Alright," Robin answered, taking the unconscious boy from my arms without question.

Usopp, however, grabbed my arm, "Wait, Kaori! What are you doing?!"

I gritted my teeth as I tried to pull out of his grasp, "I'm going down to find Zoro."

"But what about the beanstalk?" He pressed, "It still needs to be knocked down for Luffy and Nami."

My grimace turned into a furious scowl as I yanked my wrist free, "You figure something out!" Before he could try to stop me again, I sprinted towards the center of the island cloud where Zoro had fallen. With my eyes closed, I could not predict the lightning strikes. However, I knew to expect them, so I was prepared to dodge the instant one reached my mantra's radius.

I only had to dodge two attacks before I sensed the beanstalk ahead of me. A large chunk of one half of the vine was cleanly cut away. I leapt onto the lower half and began to slide down the twisting vine as fast as I could without falling.