The Greatest (Zoro x Tashigi)

Chapter 25: To rest

Okay! Some changes! When I started writing this fic back in January, I was around Skypia/Water 7 level understanding of the series. Thus I stubbornly ignored the fact that Zoro only has one eye now and had no clue that Jinbei was even a cool dude bro that existed. SO. Now That I'm at the start of the Wano arc, time for some updates.

I will now (grudgingly but respectfully) acknowledge Zoro only has one eye.

Jinbei is part of the crew (woooo!!!!! we love us an amazing beautiful whale shark man! yaaas son of the seeea!).

I'm keeping Enma (even though I'm still not sure what the story is around the sword so like... You'll keep reading about him using Kitetsu for most things till I get there Xb)

I don't think these changes have any noticeable affects on the story to this point (half the eye contact and lets just say Jinbei was taking a lot of naps), so I look forward to trying to stay true to canon:) I think that's it... comment if you can think of any other drastic canon things I've been skipping out on:) you know. Other than giving ma peeps more existential crises in one night than most characters in One Piece have had for their entire existence.

Day 1, Evening

Straw Hat Log Book POV, written by Nami:

March 16

The mission was a success on all sides!! A few mishaps on Zoro and Tashigi's end but Zoro says Tashigi got what she wanted so I'm deeming it a success. To start at the beginning though... After Zoro and Tashigi left the Sunny at 6pm, we sailed to the side of Rieno directly opposite the village and harbor. Franky and Usopp's ship camoflouge worked perfectly. We climbed the cliffs and made it through the jungle to the base of the mountain that had the gold mint on top. Chopper's insect repellent was amazing! No one got a single bite! Well, except Zoro got stung on his mission but that's because he stepped on a wasp nest and probably killed their queen, so he had it coming.

Once we reached the mountain base, at around 10 pm, Team Gold (Franky, Luffy, Robin, Usopp, Sanji, and myself) started planting silent explosives. At midnight, we blew a gaping hole in the mountain base but no one was the wiser! We all went in and as I hypothesized, there was a tunnel leading through the core of the mountain and then bending to go under the ground back to the main base. Franky built a door for our hole so no passing guards would notice, and after a little sneaking we found their gold stores.

We took as much as we could, and after one close call (Luffy really wanted to draw a mustache on a guard sleeping on duty) made it back to the forest. At precisely 1:06 we started the second stage of the plan, a bombarding distraction! Robin got all the gold down to the ship while the rest of us picked a fight with the base for around 30 minutes until we also dove off the cliffs back to the Sunny. Thank God Robin has her spider net.

We made it to the rendezvous we agreed on with Tashigi and then just waited. She said they would get there around 1:45 if things went to plan, but her and Zoro didn't jump over the cliff until 2:30 am. With not so much as a warning at that! God forbid they use the transponder snails they both had to tell us they were WOUNDED AND HALF DEAD. I'll make Zoro write their account on what happened after he wakes up.

We sailed away from Rieno and only 5 Navy War Ships followed. Even with the extra gold weight we outran them without touching out Cola stores. Chopper bandaged Zoro and Tashigi, but after a few hours he admitted that he didn't have the right tools to help Tashigi. The only idea anyone could think of was to call Law. Robin traced the call and found out he was actually right under our ship at the time! After a bit of convincing, he agreed to help. He's such a stubborn ass. Anyways that was right around sunrise, and he finished surgery by noon.