The Blind Brawler [ Roronoa Zoro X OC]

Chapter 108: Rest and Preparation

Zoro

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The hours passed by agonisingly slowly as we all waited around the deck for news about Luffy and Robin. They had both been thawed out quickly after Aokiji had frozen them, but neither of them had woken up. We put them both in the women's quarters so they could each lie in a bed and be easily monitored. Kaori insisted she still sensed their voices, but Chopper was worried about their state of stasis.

Nami and Usopp kept pacing across different parts of the ship. Sanji attempted to help Nami, but because his leg was still injured, he could not use his usual methods of making sweet drinks or savoury treats to comfort or distract her.

I sat against the railing by the stairs. Kaori was right beside me, her knees tucked up to her chest as she leaned against my side. My arm was wrapped around her shoulders, holding her in an attempt to reassure her.

I looked down at her and noticed she was idly toying with her earring. A slight frown tugged at my lips as I kept my voice at a whisper so as not to disturb the rest of the crew, "Hey, are your piercings bugging you?"

She hummed in confusion before mumbling back, "Oh, no. I think they've more or less healed."

I grunted softly in acknowledgement, "The salt water from earlier isn't irritating them, is it? We can go clean them if you want."

It was less an offer to treat her ears and more me just looking for some kind of distraction from the tense situation. The blind woman shook her head. We both fell silent after that.

The melancholy of the deck was finally broken when the door to the storage room slammed open. My grip on Kaori tightened as Chopper wailed in relief, "Both... of their hearts... are beating!" Everyone else leapt up and cheered while I let out a sigh of relief and smiled. Sanji and Usopp rushed to the door, but the young doctor shifted into his heavy point and blocked them, "I don't want them disturbed, understand?"

The cook turned up the charm as he tried to persuade the reindeer to let him pass, "Hey, Dr. Chopper! How about I make them some food?"

Chopper immediately caved, turning little again as he squirmed in joy, "Calling me 'Dr.' won't make me feel happy or anything, you stupid jerk!" He stopped wiggling his arms and bashfully kicked one of his hooves back and forth, "But I suppose some warm drinks would be nice for when they wake up. I'll carry them into the lounge later."

Sanji turned and bolted up the stairs, "Aye-aye, sir!"

With the tension in the air finally gone, I turned to Nami. Her shoulders had sagged in relief, like the fear of losing Luffy and Robin had been a physical weight on her back. I called out to her, "Hey, Nami, should we set sail?"

"No, not yet," She answered calmly, "Not while the Captain's out of commission. The Log Pose has our new heading, but let's rest here for the day."

Hearing that, Usopp slumped against the wall and slid to the ground before just lying on his side. My brow raised at him in surprise, "What's wrong, Usopp? You look beat."

The long-nosed man was staring off into space as he answered, "Are there gonna be more guys like him? Coming after us everywhere we go?" My frown deepened at his question, reluctant to answer. My silence was enough, though. He started to whimper, "This is crazy. I don't know how much more of it I can take."

"Get some sleep, idiot. You're just exhausted, okay?" I said, but there was no real bite to my tone.

Kaori stepped closer to me, her voice soft, "I think we could all use some rest," She reached out for my hand, and I took it. She managed a small smile, "In an actual bed or hammock. Not just the floor of the deck."