Book One: Treasure of the Heart (Zoro X OC)

Chapter Seventy One ~ A Giant Snake

~Third~

The Strawhats and wolves were all partied out, except Nicole and Zoro, the swordsman approached Nicole after everyone had gone to sleep and just as he was going to cheer her up Usopp approached him asking the swordsman to guard him cause he had to take a leak "No" Zoro said "Oh come on Zoro be a pal"Usopp said.

"Forget it i'm not going with you if you're scared just hold it til morning and quit whining you big baby"Zoro said "I would if i could believe me"Usopp said "Just go take a leak by yourself"Zoro said "That's cold Zoro that's really cold, how about -"Usopp was cut off "Don't even finish that sentence"Nicole said, Usopp whimpered as he walked off.

Zoro turned to Nicole after that "So what got you thinking about this whole role thing in the first place?"he asked sitting next to her as Nicole was poking the dying fire with a stick "I just had a moment to think"Nicole said "So you thought you don't add anything to the crew?"Zoro asked "Yup"Nicole simply said.

Zoro put his arm around Nicole pulling her into him, Nicole blushed her head laying right over his heart, she could hear his heartbeat, it was racing just slightly "You know none of that stuff matters right?"he asked "Doesn't it though? I don't add anything"Nicole said "You add plenty" Zoro said "Name one thing"she said "You add extra hands, you add knowledge about the Grand Line, you add a weapons expert, most importantly though you add a reason for me to stay"Zoro said.

Nicole giggled a bit shifting a bit to make herself more comfortable "That's funny, cause you add a reason to why i stay"she said, Zoro chuckled a bit "We've driven each other in a corner"he said, Nicole nodded in agreement leaning against him as she started to grow tired "Hey Nicole?"Zoro asked, she hummed in response "Why do you lean on me when we sleep?"he asked "You're comfy"she simply said, he chuckled a bit leaning back on a tree as both of them fell asleep.

~skip~

"I wasn't dreaming someone was here last night!"Usopp yelled, the sun was rising through the clouds as the Strawhats woke up that morning and headed back to the Merry, which to their surprise was repaired "I knew it, see guys i told you i wasn't insane"Usopp said "I don't believe it the mast is fixed, now that's service"Nami said.

"You can say that again can you imagine what a chore it was just to stand something this heavy upright?"Robin asked "Well i hate to say it but they did a lousy job"Sanji said "Yeah these repairs are haphazard at best"Nicole said "Well whoever did it sure is nice"Luffy said "There was somebody here i knew i saw him"Usopp said.

"But who'd risk crossing a river full of sky sharks and fix our ship for us? I mean as far as we can tell the only people here in upper yard are us and our enemies"Zoro said "Hey did you notice they took all the flying gear off the ship?"Luffy asked "Yeah i've been thinking about it and it's really got me wondering, it just doesn't make any sense to me how can this phantom repair man know what the Merry's supposed to look like? How did he know she didn't always have wings or a comb or a tail?"Usopp wondered outloud.

"What you see Usopp who was it?"Chopper asked "I still say he was partying too hard and was having a nightmare"Zoro said "Well it really doesn't matter, there's lots of work to do or did you forget?"Nami asked "But Nami aren't you even a little bit curious?"Chopper asked "About what?"Nami asked "About who fixed the Going Merry for us what else?"Chopper asked "Who cares but if they wrecked it that'd be another thing but it's fixed what you wanna track them down and thank them?"Nami asked.

"Well no but i"Chopper trailed off "It could have been the spirit of the ship"Nicole shrugged "What do you mean?"Usopp asked turning to her "It's something i once heard, there's a tale that a ship that's well loved have their own spirits usually a little girl in a raincoat carrying a hammer, but who's to say it's real or not"Nicole said "So you're saying it was Merry herself?"Usopp asked looking over to the sheep figure head "Well maybe, who knows"Nicole shrugged.