Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Luffy grinned from ear to ear. The two year reunion was amazing! Everyone looked and felt stronger than before! He greeted everyone just like two years ago, everyone was just the same. Everyone except one. There was something different about him. Luffy knew he was trying to act normal but the captain saw through every inch of it. Seeing this, Luffy planned to drag him out and ask what the problem was. He wanted to, but he couldn't bring his foot out. The answer was evident, and his heart was tortuously sinking like quicksand.

Luffy, despite that, he managed to pull the swordsman out of the group and to a place they could be alone. The perfect place was one of Luffy's favorites, the aquarium. However, he didn't expect the drastic change even in the ship. Over the two years, all of the creatures Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper had caught passed away from either the lack of attention or hunger. What was left was an empty, desolate underwater grave with a blanket of algae floating or sticking against the glass.

"Ah-ah," Luffy sweat dropped. The mood hung lower upon looking at the tank, "Uh, do you want to change-"

"It's okay." Zoro replied. After Luffy nodded in acknowledgment, he hastily turned his attention to the lonely aquatic scenery.

Luffy let out a breath. Zoro was cooler than ever before. It was hard for him to look at the swordsman longer than ten seconds before turning red in the face. His heart always beat for him but he didn't approach him, not then. He wanted to prove he was stronger and when he did, he was going to ask him. It took him more than two years but he had finally gained confidence that he was indeed strong. Strong that he could protect his nakama. Strong that he could overcome everyone. Anyone, even-

"Luffy." Zoro's voice broke Luffy's trance and caused his cheeks to redden. God, his voice was beautiful. That was then he realized there was a slight tremor in the swordsman's tone. He turned and wasn't expecting to see Zoro standing right next to him. Zoro, too, was facing the aquarium. Luffy was able to see Zoro's visible eye and saw that the eye was rimmed with tears.

"Z-Zoro...?"

Zoro ran his hand over his forehead and tear made a thin trail down his cheek. When the swordsman bit his lip, more tears began to fall. Luffy wanted to turn away or cover his ears. The next words that fell out of Zoro's mouth hurt him more than daggers.

"Is Ace never coming back?"

Oh Ace.

I envy you, I really do.

Even after two years, he still loved you.

He never forgot about you.

How could I make someone forget the person they truly loved?

Luffy couldn't bring up any words to say. Why wasn't he stronger then? Before he could achieve his inner goal, Ace had beaten him to it. After Luffy introduced him on the ship, the fire user caught Zoro's attention. Within weeks, whenever Ace came to visit, the swordsman went up to kiss him and then he took the fire user down the gallery where no one was able to see what they were going to do. There were countless of times when Luffy swallowed his tears whenever he heard Zoro's moan through the walls of the room.

He was weak, that was why Ace died. He wasn't able to fulfill his promise to protect his nakama, his promise to make everyone happy.

Luffy lowered his head down, and watched his tears fall near his sandals, "I'm sorry Zoro..."

He couldn't ask him now. He had to wait until the sadness and the acceptance of Ace's death was gone, but when would that be? Another two years or maybe more? Even so, Luffy was going to be patient.

When the day when Zoro's eye were not glazed over by distant memories and was able to see, then Luffy was going to ask.

The End