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Fate is a relentless force of nature. The inevitable, cascading effect of a thousand choices made in a constant march of time, the culmination of experiences twisting in and around themselves, merging as a source will join with brooks and streams to form a great and powerful current rushing onward to the sea.

Not to say that fate is set in stone— Even as the growing river carves itself deeper and deeper into its banks, it might be stopped— though a stopped river will eventually overflow— or it might even be diverted. A nudge here, a nudge there, a diversion, a dam, sending fate not quite along its original path, but almost next to it. The manner in which the river meets the sea will always stay the same— but nonetheless it is, and is not the same river.

Once upon a time, at the start of our story, a boy declares that he will be the King of the Pirates. This is indisputable; Fate is in motion and will not be stopped. But perhaps, way up the line, something else joined and mingled with the great river heading unchangingly to the sea, and left the course of fate— altered. Something else joined the fray, a new force, a new challenge, a new thread in the tapestry of the sea, the Blues, the world. Something small and otherwise unseen to the majority, but to those who touch upon this new source and discover—

Fast Forward.

Rorona Zoro is about to die.

A few extra twists and turns and fate passes where it was meant to, but a few inches to the left, and the pirate hunter has been tied up in the parade ground a bit longer that he was originally meant to. There had been (unknown to him) a delay in his execution as a pampered son decides to gloat a little longer (and a cold father continues not to care) and as a result Roronoa Zoro is considerably weaker. Spirit and will power only goes so far, even in this world— starvation and dehydration will topple even the strongest of men.

(If Zoro had, last week, been struck with a sense of expectancy, maybe a bit of missed opportunity, he's already forgotten it.)

Things don't look so good for a man who'd bargained a whole month of punishment in exchange for the death of a dog and the life of a little girl.

Then, things come to a head— everything comes roaring in all at once. First there's a weird guy in a straw hat babbling something about pirates (Zoro can't keep up, half in and out of consciousness as he is these days) and it's really annoying until he leaves suddenly somewhere. But then there's another kid with pink hair, panicking and stuttering as he arrives to untie Zoro of all things, despite his protests. He just needs to make it to the end of the month, that's all, but that isn't good enough for the pink-haired kid, tripping over himself in his haste and badly fumbling the knots because that's too far and not at all the case anymore—

Helmeppo means to execute him. Today.

That wasn't in the deal. That wasn't how things were supposed to go, he thinks with dawning horror, this isn't fair at all as pink-haired kid gets shot and doesn't die, at least, but he's still stuck to the cross and his swords are gone and Roronoa Zoro's pride has been trampled on to pieces as marines fill the courtyard armed with muskets, aimed and primed to fire (something's been going on up on top the base or something) and Captain Morgan is pissed.

Roronoa Zoro is about to die.

The guns are raised.

His life flashes in front of his eyes. A promise made in pain and grief, a promise that won't be fulfilled

"Marines!" screams Morgan, spittle flying from his steel jaw—

He's exhausted. He's half-starved and unable to move. There's no strength in his trembling limbs and he's trapped with nowhere to go and a bleeding kid on the ground who's about to get shot too and he can't raise a finger to help him—

"Take aim—"

"No," he rasps, and lifts his head in the face of certain death, "Not like this—"

"Ready!"

"Not when I haven't kept my promise— I-I can't die here!"

"FIRE!"

"I refuse to die here!"

The world goes green and everything is… confusing after that.

The straw hat guy… appears in front of him the moment the bullets fire and the bullets aren't a problem anymore. Suddenly his swords are back in his hands and that's good, but there's a gap on how they get there exactly, something the straw hat guy also mentioned maybe…? It doesn't matter. He has his swords. His limbs a free and they are also… humming. He feels better than he has in his whole life, and the only thing locked in his sights is the crowd of dumbstruck marines and a startled axe-hand Morgan, and with the straw hat pirate at his side, only one thought remains in his mind as his blades rise and fall in perfect harmony—

Keep my promise with my dying will.

Zoro passes out for a bit after the whole thing, which makes sense, but the straw hat pirate – Luffy, that's his name, laughs at him for being stupid and it's a bit grating, though then there's the shine in the guy's eye as they wolf down food provided by grateful townsfolk. He can barely sit still in his seat, clearly holding back something as he vibrates in excitement, Zoro held directly in his sights. It's annoying. It's— weird, since Zoro's also been on edge ever since the botched failure of an execution, and Luffy hadn't been nearly as excited before. Now, though…

"Okay, spit it out," Zoro finally caves, irritated and wanting to get it all over with, "If it's about the pirate thing— I don't know, okay? I was half out of it for the whole thing and I barely remember what I said to you, so if you'd just—"

"That's not it!" Luffy half-shouts. Kolby gasps; this is meaningful somehow. Straw hat had been talking an awful lot about pirates in the beginning, so it's something he's serious about, but this— is about something else? As Luffy grins from ear to ear, a smile so bright it's almost infectious, Zoro finds himself subconsciously relaxing under the strength of it. Not the first time. Something about Luffy the whole time just seems so… it's hard to put into words…

"Zoro!" Luffy shouts, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, "Please—be my Lightning Guardian!"

And the river of fate rushes ever onward.

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I just wanted to write a nice OP x KHR crossover but somehow I ended up with mangled river philosophy

In other news– Ah shit, here we go again