Mixing Rain with Sunshine

A One Piece Fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not and never will own One Piece (no matter how much I try).

Chapter 1

Where's Luffy?

Some days were just meant to be different. Where days were far from the norm and for strange things to happen. For the Straw Hats these days were the norm, and at this point they were so used to it that it became routine. So when one day was actually quite normal, it felt out of the ordinary.

A certain green-haired swordsman was the first to notice things were amiss.

When he actually managed to take a nap without someone running into him, getting kicked or being rudely awakened in some other manner by the usual suspects of Nami, Luffy or the ero-cook, he cracked one eye open to see what was going. Hoping that the ship hadn't crashed or been attacked by Marines, the swordsman took in the scene.

Robin could be seen reading on the deck from his vantage point against the mast and Nami wasn't far off, fussing over some old piece of parchment. The only other person on the lawn of the Thousand Sunny was Usopp tinkering with metal and whatnot like usual. He assumed the cook was in the kitchen, Franky in his workshop, Chopper in the infirmary and Brook making music somewhere.

But that still wouldn't explain where their rubbery captain was.

The swordsman grunted and shifted into a more comfortable position, his swords close and all accounted for. Luffy was probably causing mischief elsewhere and if that was all it was he would relish the peace and quiet while it lasted.

He shut his eye and within moments was sound asleep, snoring contently.

Little did he know that his captain was in more trouble than he could have guessed…

"Zoroooooo!" A voice sounded through the swordsman's dreams, he twitched slightly, but continued to snore. "Zoro!"

He frowned in his sleep, but ignored the persistent, yet oddly familiar voice.

"ZORO!"

The green-haired man jarred awake, his head snapping up to hit someone's chin. A sharp pain flashed in his mind, but faded just as quickly. Preparing a demonic glare, he glanced at the offender.

Their face swam in his sleep-blurred vision, before it returned to normal. Luffy's familiar visage and trademark straw hat stared curiously down at him.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing, Luffy?" Zoro growled.

His captain didn't respond and the swordsman's sixth sense tingled again. Something was definitely wrong. Luffy's smile that was as much of a permanent fixture as his beloved hat was missing.

The boy picked his nose and answered nonchalantly, "You missed lunch."

Sighing, Zoro got to his feet and peered at his captain.

"That it?"

"Yeah." Luffy was shifting from one foot to another.

"I don't believe you," the swordsman stated simply, picking up his swords and tucking them into his haramaki. "But if you won't tell me then fine."

Zoro turned his back on the boy and started to walk towards the dining room, intent on coaxing some extra food out of the stingy cook. Suddenly, a rubber hand stopped him.

"Wait, Zoro."

The swordsman looked back at Luffy, his eyes cast in shadow and raised an eyebrow.

"What now?"

Luffy looked up at him, an uncharacteristic frown on his features. His first mate suppressed a shiver of fear.

Slowly and with dead-seriousness he spoke, "I'm scared Zoro."

Silence descended on the pair and even Zoro's expressionless face couldn't conceal what he was feeling. When Luffy was dead serious you knew something was really off. The perpetually happy boy was hardly ever dead serious. His words were almost as shocking.

Zoro swallowed nervously. "Of what?"

He cocked his head thoughtfully. There's another thing he hardly does, be thoughtful, the swordsman observed dryly.

"That we won't make it," Luffy finally answered. "That we'll face someone to strong and we'll die or someone will pay the price." He paused. "Either way I wouldn't be able to become Pirate King." He shrugged.

More silence while Zoro tried to restrain the urge to strangle Luffy and demand why he was acting this way. He was swiftly losing the battle when a sudden notion struck him and his hands stopping itching to grab him by the neck.

Luffy was losing faith in his, their, abilities and feared he wouldn't become the Pirate King. Or lose some nakama along the way, rendering it impossible in his point of view. It was as if another person had been talking through Luffy. A less confident, more negative version of him, though the swordsman couldn't have imagined the rubber boy to have a negative side.

That must be it, Zoro decided. Luffy's just sick.

His plain and simple was met with some downfalls however that he realized as he stared at his captain, standing still as if waiting when it had never occurred to him to try it before.

"Why the hell would you even think that?" he asked quietly.

The boy shrugged again. "You asked me what was wrong and I told you. That's all."

And before Zoro could utter a single sound of protest Luffy walked away. Walking instead of bounding like he usually did.

Leaving the swordsman in complete and absolute shock with the strange feeling that he'd been dismissed.

Later that night at dinner Zoro was left still pondering how to fix the broken captain. Though he sure wasn't acting like it, he noticed, moderately impressed as Luffy was up to usual antics. Inhaling his own monstrous portion of food, mostly meat, and going after everyone else's during which Sanji kicked him in the face whenever he targeted his precious Nami-san and Robin-chan's meals.

"That's it, you damn bastard!" Sanji shouted. "If you even dare to go after their food once more I'm kicking your ass out of here!"

The rest of the crew stopped what they were doing to stare at the enraged cook, but resumed their actions when he gave them a smoldering glare.

Usopp and Franky went back to discussing their newest project, a triple cannon that spit fire and acid and could be modified to each of their abilities and Chopper continued to laugh as Brook told him skull jokes. Though, honestly, Zoro knew, they weren't that funny.

But Sanji was still boiling and Luffy couldn't seem to understand that.

"Uhhh, Sanji! I'm hungryyyy!"

"You just ate twice your body weight in the food I worked so hard to make and don't think I'm going to let you get away with-"

Robin interceded politely on Luffy's behalf, after she was done giggling softly.

"It's okay, Cook-san. Our captain can have the rest of mine."

The cook's eyes immediately burst into hearts. "Are you sure, Robin-chwan?"

She nodded and Luffy grabbed her plate and emptied its contents into his mouth in record time.

"Wunk u Bowin, fwer da west!" he cheered with mouthful full of food.

Zoro watched as Robin smiled, Sanji's anger having been appeased as he went to check on Nami.

You sly woman, he thought, but he couldn't help being impressed at how she handled the lovesick cook.

The swordsman settled back in his chair and waited for the rest of the night to play out, letting his gaze take in all the little details and paying particular attention to the voracious rubber boy. Taking a swig of sake, he appraised Sanji as he noodled around the table, tending to the girls with his usual onslaught of swooning.

If there was one person on this ship he could talk to about Luffy's problem it would be the cook, as much as he hated to admit it. Mainly, because he would be able to handle the news and because being the only one privy to the truth might be fine and dandy for someone sneaky like the witch, but Zoro found the burden just annoying.

Satisfied with his plan, he smirked and listened to the buzz of conversation as his nakama chattered happily. Chopper, who sat on his right, seemed particularly excited about a new herb he'd found on the last island and the swordsman was glad the little reindeer wouldn't have to know about their captain.

As dinner was winding down and Zoro had gone through more sake than usual, much to Sanji's chagrin, Robin and Nami excused themselves to go to bed. Luffy chose that moment, with Sanji distracted bidding them a good night, to pounce on the dozing swordsman.

"Oi, Zoro!"

The green-haired man put down his mug of booze reluctantly. "What, Luffy?"

His eyes were bright and to anyone else they would have seemed as happy as always, but Zoro could detect a faint sadness. The boy may be able to fool the rest of the crew, but even if he hadn't told Zoro, he would have figured it out sooner rather than later.

"Can I have the rest of your food?"

Typical Luffy answer, it was almost like he was trying to prove a point to his first mate. Don't worry about me, I'm fine or it was just a temporary thing. Zoro groaned and handed his barely eaten meal over.

It disappeared instantly and Luffy hopped away, leaving the dining room with a jaunty wave and a "thanks Zoro." When the door shut, leaving just the swordsman and the cook, he could feel the withering look Sanji sent his way on a daily basis. This one communicating, "no one wastes food in my kitchen."

Zoro ignored him and went back to drinking. Soon, he would launch the horrible truth right into the curly cook's face.

They stayed in the kitchen together in relative silence. The only sounds the swish of alcohol being swallowed and the clatter of dishes being washed and stacked. But having them both be in a small space for an extended period of time wouldn't end without having some blood spilled and the tension continued to rise.

The thunk of a glass being put down a little too forcefully made Zoro glance up from his mug. "What is it now, curly cook? Did that dish insult your mother?"

Sanji spun around and lit a cigarette, his one visible eye downcast. When his gaze connected with Zoro's, the swordsman would have given the glare a perfect 10, but he didn't flinch.

"I'd ask you the same, stupid marimo," Sanji sneered and puffed out some smoke. "You've been staring at me for the past half hour and it's really creeping me out."

"I didn't know you were so paranoid, ero-cook."

"I did know that you were a pile of shit."

There was an abrupt crash and tinkling as Zoro stood up and crushed the mug of sake in his iron grip. The pieces nicked his skin, but he ignored the superficial cuts and snarled at the cook.

"You really want to do this?" he demanded. "Because I have much more important things to do with my time than fight a lost cause like you."

However, Sanji didn't reply as he stared, dumbfounded at the suddenly irate swordsman. His wide eye went to the shattered cup and the spilled alcohol. Since when had the shitty swordsman ever wasted perfectly good alcohol? Hell, he wouldn't even refuse to drink the bad kind.

He wasn't even surprised that Zoro had broken the dishware. After all, the man was a brute and his strength was nothing to laugh about. Yet, it was the context that unbalanced him enough to hesitate with a snappy retort. Zoro may have his angry moments, in fact he was grumpy constantly, but he didn't just snap like that… even if it was Sanji baiting him.

Bringing his smoldering cigarette to his lips, Sanji regarded the tense swordsman calmly. His hand was at his hip, a thumb ready to slide a sword out of his sheath. Yet, they'd both realized this wouldn't be a fight like they usually had.

Today wasn't their day.

"So," the cook started. "Why are you still in here breaking my cutlery?"

An eyebrow rose suspiciously. Zoro had expected a string of insults by now, especially since he destroyed the cup, but he had stayed for a reason so he sighed heavily and sat down again.

"Luffy's giving up."

The swordsman took out Wado Ichimonji and stared at the shining blade as if it would take away his troubles. The symbol of his promise to Kuina never failed to revitalize him. He wished his captain could be lifted from his gloom as easily.

Meanwhile, Sanji was still processing Zoro's words and he had to bite down on his cigarette to keep it from falling out of his mouth in shock. There was the one thing he'd never expected to hear, especially from the shitty swordsman of all people. Or maybe him, considering he was the unofficial first mate.

Finally he got his vocal cords to work.

"Since when has Luffy, Luffy, ever even considered giving up?" the cook spit out angrily, disbelief plain in his voice.

Zoro paused in staring at his sword to give him a duh look.

"He's depressed."

"No really?" Sanji retorted sarcastically. "I'm asking why!"

This time the swordsman rolled his eyes.

"Because he's afraid or something. I don't know!" The swordsman sounded exasperated, though Sanji could tell he was more frustrated than anything. "It's irrational if you ask me…" Zoro muttered almost to himself.

"Such a big word, I'm impressed." Sanji replied automatically. He regretted it almost immediately, but the green-haired man wasn't listening anyways.

Then the cook realized what was missing in this new revelation.

"By the way… how do you know about this? He seemed perfectly normal at dinner."

Zoro took out a piece of cloth and started to polish the white hilted sword, though Sanji couldn't see a speck of dust along its length.

"He told me."

Sanji tapped his foot impatiently. "And?"

"And… he's good at acting."

The foot stopped tapping. Was the rubbery captain even capable of that? Well, if it was for his nakama it might be possible, a very, very slight possibility.

Abruptly, Zoro leaned across the table to pin Sanji with an almost unreadable expression, except for the determination burning in his green eyes.

All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy, Sanji nearly smiled.

"Look," Zoro spoke quickly and softly, lowering his voice to a whisper. "All I know is that we have to snap Luffy out of it before he does something reckless."

The cook gave him a dubious glance and the swordsman snorted.

"Fine. More reckless, but the point is we can't let the rest of the crew know about this either."

Up to now, Sanji had agreed with the swordsman's plan, but that was unacceptable. His ladies had the right to know.

"Wait a minute," he protested. "Nami-san and Robin-chan can keep a secret."

Zoro shook his marimo head. "No. It would break them, all of them."

Sanji gritted his teeth. He hated when the marimo was right, but he wasn't giving up yet.

"You don't know that," he pointed out."

But Zoro had thought this out too and he could tell he'd spent a considerable amount of time on it. No wonder he was so quiet during dinner…

The swordsman slid Wado Ichimonji into its sheath with a shink.

"Chopper would freak," he began. "Franky would ask questions. Brook would compensate. Usopp is negative enough already without having a depressed captain to add to the mix. Nami would think hitting him would fix him like usual. Even Robin would be disheartened." He finished with a sigh. "Point being their faith in Luffy would weaken, even if this was temporary."

His smoke burned to the nub, Sanji pulled out another.

"You really thought this through," he remarked, grudgingly impressed at Zoro's logic. He really was protective of his nakama, and not just Luffy.

Zoro acknowledged the kind of compliment with a smirk. "Well, I had a lot of time on my hands."

"Right."

Sanji started to pace, inhaling smoke simultaneously in the hopes it would calm his astounded mind and help him come up with a solution to the Luffy problem.

Time ticked by, as Zoro and Sanji continued to think, neither incredibly concerned with the fact they were working together outside of a serious battle rather than fighting with each other.

Neither had managed to come up with something, drawing an absolute break, when Usopp suddenly slammed the door and rushed in.

His eyes were wide with something akin to fear and Sanji stopped pacing and Zoro stood up with his hand already hovering at the hilts of his swords.

"What's wrong, long nose?" Sanji stepped forward.

But Usopp was trying to process the scene before him, and voicing his thoughts aloud.

"What are you two doing alone in here? Are you actually not trying to kill each other?"

Sanji promptly kicked him below the ribs and the breath whooshed out of his lungs.

"Geez," he mumbled. "It was awfully quiet in here."

Zoro's voice jarred Usopp out of his pain. "He asked what was wrong."

The dark glare the swordsman directed at the sniper was enough to make him quail in fear.

"I-I was j-just w-wondering i-if y-you k-knew w-where L-Luffy w-was," Usopp stammered.

"What do you mean?" the cook lowered his leg and frowned. "Where's Luffy?"

"I don't know. I asked everyone so far and they didn't know either."

"What?" Zoro and Sanji shouted at the exact same instead and Usopp sweat dropped.

They exchanged meaningful looks and now the sniper was really confused.

"Um, are you guys okay? It's Luffy. I'm sure he's fine."

But, the other two men were already done with their silent conversation and were striding towards the door, when someone else burst in.

It was Nami and her fiery orange hair whipped in a wind outside.

For once, Zoro noted, the love-cook didn't go all "mellorine" on the woman and was sincerely grateful. If he had, he would've lost it and dropped him.

Nami's face was pale and her brown eyes wider than Usopp's, which said a lot. Which meant there had to be a danger that was present besides Luffy being MIA.

The men, including the sniper didn't need to ask as Nami turned a shade paler and opened her mouth to speak shakily.

"You need to see this."

Chills ran up all their spines and Usopp's knees knocked together in fear.

Whatever it was couldn't be good.

Author's Note: So, originally this was supposed to be a one-shot but it got a lot longer and took many unexpected turns. Expect a three-shot at the most. Right now, the title for the story doesn't really make sense, but trust me, it will eventually.

Oh, how I love it when Zoro's all protective and serious! I know he's often more enjoyable as a comic relief character, but the story itself became much more serious and made this side of him shine. I think it's rather amusing that he uses big words in his monologue and stuff. ^^ Very un-Zoro like, as Sanji comments.

By the way, I hope I portrayed Sanji correctly and fairly as well. I'm really more of a Zoro fan, but I like Sanji as well. Please tell me if you think one of them or any character is deviating from their personality, I would really appreciate it. 3

Reviews are appreciated and I hope you enjoyed it. I can't wait to post the next installment.