The beginning. This one deals with a sickly!Luffy.
It's a ZOROLU.

Over the Rainbow

"Sorry. I can't go out today."

"Why can't I go with you? Is it because I'm sick?"

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm okay! I'm alive! I'm not sick!"

"Shanks... your arm...!!"

"I'll become a pirate! I'll also find the grand treasure One Piece! And I'll become the King of Pirates!!"

"I...! I'll become...! Cough! Cough! Hack!"

Zoro made a face at the restlessly sleeping boy. Luffy was an incredibly noisy sleeper, always talking and laughing and moving around in bed even when he was so sick he could hardly move when he was awake.

Draping the heavy blanket that Luffy accidentally kicked off back onto the boy, Zoro sighed and shifted his three katana so they rested more comfortably on his hip.

Two weeks has passed by since the time Zoro was saved by Luffy, two weeks since Zoro first stepped into the Marine's hands, all for the sake of his savior and dream.

It was not so bad, honestly. He got a free meal, a free ride, and a free ticket straight to "Hawk Eyes", but Zoro, even if he didn't realize it himself, was a man of freedom.

So even with all the benefits he received out of staying with the Marines, the real reason he didn't ditch whenever they docked at a harbor...

... was Luffy.

Luffy, whose dreams and heart were spread farther than East Blue itself, had an incurable illness that constantly left him a shivering, vomiting, feverish mess. On his good days, when he had enough energy to venture outside for a walk, he was required to have someone with him at all times in case he got another attack.

He began traveling with his grandfather Vice-Admiral Garp at the age of seven, the age where his sickness became unbearable. Garp, having a soft spot for his young grandson, forced Luffy to tag along with him in order to keep both eyes on the boy in case something bad happened. The older Marine thought that his presence might help Luffy recover and feel at ease; Garp also revealed that he focused better on his job when he didn't have to constantly worry about how Luffy was doing. This was beneficial to both parties: it kept Garp's mind from straying to his ill grandson, and it kept Luffy in the safety of many armed and (rather caring) Marine soldiers.

However, that Luffy, weak and sickly, had more guts and pride than any other healthy man Zoro ever had the pleasure of meeting. He also had more spirit; Zoro saw it the moment he was rescued by him.

Two weeks ago, Zoro was being baked in the sun, arms and hands bound behind his back like a stuck pig; it was a heavy blow to his pride as a swordsman, but trying to escape after he accepted the conditions himself would have been dishonorable.

So for a month, going without food and a cupful of water a day, Zoro stayed in that position, waiting for the terms of the agreement to end.

Luffy appeared before him three days before the month ended, looking fragile with his unruly dark hair against white skin and large, soulful black eyes. He wheeled forward slowly in his wheelchair, coming towards Zoro who ignored everything else and stared at the boy.

"Are you Roronoa Zoro?"

Zoro was startled; Luffy's voice, when he first heard it, was much smoother and stronger than he imagined it to be. "Who's asking?" he asked instead, pretending he didn't see the wave of annoyed surprise that ran through the group of marines behind the boy.

Luffy hummed to himself, rubbing at his eyes tiredly, "I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm going to be Pirate King."

And that was that. Zoro stared and the line of Marines all stifled a groan.

The boy was wearing a large coat on his shoulders that clearly said "MARINE" on them, and yet he sleepily declared that he wanted to become the Pirate King? Zoro was struck speechless.

Then Luffy made a weird face, as if in pain, and doubled over, wrapping his arms around his stomach and—

"Bleegh..."

Zoro stilled and everyone else felt their jaws hit the ground (one old man was laughing himself to tears). Luffy came back up, wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand, gave Zoro a shit-eating grin and said, "Sorry. Guess I can take responsibility for it and give you some new shoes."

And with those few words said, Zoro found himself being untied by the same Marines that roped him onto the beam and trailing after Luffy with heavy steps.

"I made a deal with Morgan," Luffy said in a soft voice, loud enough for Zoro to hear him clearly, but not enough for the other soldiers that followed behind them. "You still have three days left in your agreement with him, don't you? You'll serve those three days as my assistant... then you can go."

Zoro didn't know what to say; there wasn't anything he could say, so he simply nodded in a daze and followed.

Zoro's three days with Luffy turned into four, then five, then ten, and before Zoro realized, two weeks had passed by in what seemed like a flash. By now, he was familiar with most of Luffy's strange quirks and habits (such as his short attention span, hardiness against cold, weakness to heat, etc.), and found himself drawn to the boy's conviction and inner-strength.

As well as his kindness.

During his two weeks on the ship, Zoro met a small boy named Koby who was usually hovering nervously around Luffy's room, but he never stepped inside. His behavior was suspicious, and whenever Luffy turned around, as if sensing Koby's presence, the boy hid from view and dashed away like his pants were on fire.

Zoro once caught Koby before he could successfully escape and scared the truth out of him (even though all he did was ask).

"Lu-Luffy-san saved my life," Koby stammered, pale faced and trapped on both sides by Zoro's towering frame.

The swordsman gave the boy a wry sneer, "He does that a lot, huh? Taking people from posts and stuff?" he replied back easily. Zoro meant it in a joking way for the most part, but Koby reared up like a cornered cat, ready to fight back, and shouted, "Luffy-san is the most sincere person I have ever met!!"

Zoro leaned back quickly the moment Koby's thundering voice rang in his ear; he certainly wasn't expecting an outburst from the boy who seemed to have the personality of a mouse.

"I've always wanted a chance to become a marine! Luffy-san made that dream come true for me...! If... if I had never met him... I..." Koby trembled and worried his lips. The boy fell silent for a few moments, trying to regain his composure and sniffed discreetly. Zoro looked away, feeling like a bully.

"I... I don't know if Luffy-san told you," Koby said, voice still shaky, and he looked Zoro straight in the eye, challenging him, "but you were going to be executed."

"What?! Executed? I was going to be let free after a mon—"

"That guy never planned on letting you go in the first place! You were going to be killed! So Luffy-san stepped in and basically said he'd rather die than see that happened to anyone, much less you!"

Zoro stared. He was trying to fit this into his mind, but the disbelief and astonishment he felt was overwhelming everything else. It was only after he realized just how much he owed Luffy, that he began to feel an iron heaviness drop down to the pit of his stomach; he felt sick and unbalanced, like his carpet of "Zoro's Reality" was ripped out from under him without warning.

And without another word or thought, Zoro raced down the hall to Luffy's room, ignoring Koby's outcry, and wrenched the finely crafted door open and off its hinges with a resounding bang! Luffy, as if he was expecting this, looked up at Zoro, who was breathing hard and shaking, with a serene face, "What's up?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Luffy stayed silent, but his brows furrowed an inch in confusion. Zoro stepped into the room, approaching Luffy with quick steps and a dark expression, "Why didn't you tell me the truth of what happened? I was going to be killed?"

"Oh," Luffy muttered, eyes brightening in realization. "Yeah. That stupid son said he was going to hold a public execution after the month was over. You would have died."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"You never asked."

Of course. Zoro bit down a growl of frustration and slapped his hand to his forehead in exasperation. This was the most infuriating part of Luffy's personality: simple yet complicated.

After seeing that Zoro was not at all mollified by Luffy's nonchalant explanation, the dark-haired boy sighed and wheeled over to the other's side, grabbing his wrist with a pale, cold hand, "Forget about it. You're alive. That's all that matters."

Zoro wanted to argue. It was all his pent up bitterness and resentment at being bound onto a pole for a month, and he just wanted to bite back and rip Luffy's half-lidded eyes out. But he couldn't, not when Luffy held his wrist with such a weak, chilly grip and looked so small in his wheelchair.

How could he even think of raising a fist against his life savior anyway?

Zoro knelt, lowering himself to Luffy's head-level, "Yeah," he breathed, gently cupping Luffy's hand, dainty and white, in his own, rough and dark, "you're right, but one thing's changed for me, Luffy." His grip on Luffy's hand tightened, and he leaned in closer to the boy's unmoving legs, feeling the heat from his body mingle with his own. "For as long as I am able to, I will surely repay this debt."

Luffy laughed, his entire aura shining with his bright grin, "Shishishi, then promise you'll be a pirate with me."

"Pirate or marine, whatever is fine."

"Shishishi," Luffy reached forward and gently flicked Zoro's earrings with a finger, "make sure you're also strong enough to be my back-up, Zo-ro."

"What?! Back-up? I'll be the world's greatest swordsman, and you call me back-up?" Zoro cried out incredulously, but he couldn't stifle his grin as Luffy's breathy laughter filled the room.

"Well, I'm going to be the King of Pirates."

Zoro smiled softly. Luffy was sick and weak; there was no way he would ever make it out to sea by himself, but...

"Zoro, let's go out for a bit. I heard Bogart was having katana lessons, maybe you can join?"

"Mm," Zoro hummed and went behind Luffy, gripping the handles of his wheelchair, "Maybe."

"... oh, and you're paying for my door. Jerk."

Zoro laughed despite himself. It was these two weeks with Luffy that he realized he was at his happiest, and not once did he doubt Luffy's dream.

-end "Over the Rainbow"-

Thanks so much Vicious-Loner for beta-reading this thing. Eternal gratefullness, right here.