Two Weeks in Paradise

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters associated with it.

"Talking"

Thoughts

Day 14

It was currently early morning as Tashigi and Zoro sat together on a bench at a park as they were just simply enjoying the quiet calm of the dawn. As they sat together, they talked about whatever came up in the conversation as they continued from there.

"So you really beat a hundred bounty hunters in one go?" asked Tashigi.

"More like fought a hundred. I beat only about twenty to thirty of them before the rest of them decided to run away" answered Zoro in a somewhat bored tone.

"But I still can't believe some of the outrageous things you and your crew has done. It almost sounds like an incredible adventure story when you hear about it. First the east blue, then a travel around the grand line, an entire city in the skies, a direct fight with the world government, a haunted island of ghosts and zombies, and now this" as she gave a solemn expression. "You all certainly have lived a rather interesting life haven't you?"

"Yeah . . . . I guess" as the green swordsman gave a small smirk too at how nostalgic it all was. "My crew and I have been on many adventures together . . . . and with more still coming".

Tashigi then felt a sudden chill as she gave a broad smile. "The chance to see so many amazing things in the world, the ability to go on an endless adventure of a lifetime, it all just sounds so romantic when you hear it" to which she gave a light laugh. "Perhaps I should have made a different career choice in life".

"If my captain met you he might probably try to recruit you. But you wouldn't cut it on my ship".

"Huh? Why not?" she then asked sounding slightly offended.

"My captain makes a lot of reckless decisions and is always making us jump into one crazy situation after another. Plus if our stupid cook and navigator didn't manage his eating habits we would have gone broke and starving in no time".

Tashigi's eyebrow arched at this. "Then why do you follow straw hat Luffy if he causes your crew this much grief?"

Zoro looked up as he thought about it, but then let out a little smirk. "I'm not really sure . . . . But there's something about that guy that just makes you want to follow him no matter how crazy it is. But in the end" as he thought to all his crewmates, "I'm pretty sure none of us had any regrets from the many amazing things we've seen and experienced when we followed Luffy".

Tashigi gave a soft smile to this. "Such admiration, perhaps straw hat Luffy isn't as bad as most people make him out to be . . . ." She then looked out again to the distance. "So you're going to leave soon?"

"Yeah" Zoro responded back stoically. "My crew is going to be here soon and it will be at that time we leave to our next destination. We spent two years apart by our captains orders to which I'm certain we all spent it well trying to get stronger. We know what will be waiting for us in the new world and we want to be ready for it".

"I see . . . ." The marine swordswoman then looked up as she was now deep in thought about something. But then standing up, she stood in front of Zoro as she gripped her Shigure strongly in front of her. "Then before you leave I would like to request one duel with you!"

"What?" as his eyes went wide as he then looked to her as if she were crazy, "are you still trying to arrest me?"

Tashigi immediately shook her head to this as she gripped her sword tighter. "The world is a lot bigger then what I could possibly have ever imagined. I know there are going to be a lot of strong opponents out there that I will have to face someday. But right now . . . . " as she looked down. "My desire now is to get stronger and I want to keep getting stronger. I want to be strong enough so I can equally stand next to you for all time!"

Zoro was wide eye to this and so was anyone else who happened to chance upon this declaration. To those who didn't know the two sword users, what Tashigi said could have easily been mistaken as a love confession. But soon gathering his wits back the green swordsman smirked as he too stood up. "Alright, follow me then" to which Tashigi followed. Then after some walking the pair arrived to the most isolated place they could to which the pair were able to fight to their hearts content.

As the pair faced each other, the morning sun slowly started to dawn over them. Tashigi then started to draw her Shigure as Zoro took out his Shusui as the morning light shimmered off their swords. As they faced off against each other, the two sword users' concentration was as sharp as their blades. All their senses were concentrated to the point that they could see, hear, and feel everything that was going on around them. However what caught their attention was the sound of the morning dew dripping from the leafs as they were awakening to the new day. Drop by drop, the sound of dropping water was apparent to them. Just as the last droplet of water hung at the very edge of the leaf, the moment it fell was when the battle commenced.

The two sword users both dashed in as they exchanged a few swings with each other. But soon the momentum went to Zoro as he started to push Tashigi back as the marine swordswoman was now on the defensive as she was being pushed back.

Tashigi blocked each attack as them came. "He's still taking me too lightly. I'll make him think otherwise!" to which with a quick kick of her feet she was gone only to reappear as multiple afterimages began to appear surrounding Zoro from all sides.

"Her soru has definitely gotten better. I can barely sense which one is her" as Zoro looked around attempting to find her. But sensing an incoming swing, he blocked it. The green swordsman was surprised as how much Tashigi had improved within a few days. Just at the few swings of her sword, he had to say he could barely detect her attacks. The marine swordswoman was moving so fast that each of her afterimages could have very well have been her. "But let's see how long that lasts" as he drew Kitetsu. Now having two swords in hand he was easily fending off the attacks as he began his own counter at feeling even the slightest moment of Tashigi's presence.

But then a moment later, Tashigi's afterimages disappeared leaving just herself as the she sideways on the ground grinding against it as she came to a stop in front of Zoro. Taking a breath to calm herself, she let out a small smirk. "Using two swords now huh? I guess I made you get a little serious now. But let's see if I can get you to fight me with everything you have" to which she started to take a different stance. Then kicking off the ground again, she was gone.

Zoro was wide eye to this. "Where did she go?" as he looked back and forth for her, just using his eyes and ears he couldn't pinpoint her exact location. "Impressive, to think her soru would evolve so quickly to become a technique like this". Apparently Tashigi was now going so fast now she could have very much disappeared. But using his instincts, he knew where she was attacking from but only in last minute instances. "This might get tricky".

Tashigi was seeing a whole new world with this technique. However this move was hard to maintain due to the high energy cost it needed in order to maintain it. But as she was running, she couldn't quite describe how amazing she felt at the moment. Pushing herself to the very limit against the very opponent she had always wanted to defeat. Then taking another swing at Zoro only for him to block, a small smirk couldn't help but appear. "Thank you Zoro . . . . Without you I wouldn't have been able to get this strong. So let me honor this battle by giving it everything I got!"

The green swordsman winced at how intense things were getting. The rate of Tashigi's attack had just jumped as he had to move more frantically just to keep up and not get cut. At the way things were going he would never hit her due to how fast she was going. This then left him with two options which were to either wait till she tires or to flush her out with one of his attacks. "But she wanted a honorable battle and that's what I will give her". So popping Wado Ichimoji into his mouth he prepared his stance to use the technique he wanted. "Santoryu . . . ." postioning his swords behind him, "tatsukamaki!" as a hurricane of sharp wind surrounded him cutting everything in a ten feet radius to himself.

At seeing the sharp wind coming at her, Tashigi was forced the kick the ground coming to a sudden halt as she jumped back. Stopping herself from the sudden momentum, she was sprawled out as she came to a halt. "So you're finally taking this battle seriously now huh?"

"I'm just giving you the battle you sought after".

"Good" as she smirked. "I've never felt so complete before in such a battle" as she then maneuvered her sword in front of her. "Win or lose Zoro . . . . Thank you for having this duel with me".

Zoro gave a slight smirk to this. "Come then, let's finish this" as he got into a stance.

"Let's" as Tashigi corrected her stance.

Then in a split moment both sword users kicked off the ground disappearing instantly for a moment to which in the space between them many flashes of light and clanging sounds were heard as they reappeared on opposite sides to each other. Then turning back against each other they exchanged a few more shots as the force of their blades colliding pulsated strong enough to be felt by the things around them. But after a few more minutes of this, the battle was over.

Shigure went flying into the air as it soon came back down stabbing the ground as Tashigi knelt down defeated next to it as Zoro had his sword aimed at her. But slowly he pulled back sheathing his sword as he offered his hand to her. "You did good Tashigi. I definitely had to fight seriously just to face you".

Tashigi took his hand as she stood up. "But it still isn't enough. I'll keep trying and I'll keep getting stronger till someday I defeat you". But now looking at him, she gave a light laugh as she smiled at him. "But then that would make me the world's strongest sword master to which you'll have to take that title from me then".

Zoro gave a slight scoff to this. "If that happens then I'll have to come after you until I take that title back".

The marine swordswoman gave a fond smile to this to which she closed her eyes in thought before reopening them. "Can you . . . ." as she started to turn a bit red while looking away, "can you close your eyes for a second?"

"Why?" as one of Zoro's eyebrow arched. "You're not going to try and cheap shot me are you?"

"No nothing like that, so just close your eyes for a moment".

"Fine whatever" as he closed his eyes.

Slowly Tashigi removed her glasses as she got onto her tippy toes to get face to face with him. But then after an initial hesitation it happened.

"What?" as Zoro felt like something just shot up his spine, opening his eye the marine swordswoman was apparently giving him a kiss as she soon retreated back now giving a light laugh.

"I might not have been able to claim a victory from you, but I was at least able to claim a kiss" she softly smiled.

"Ehh . . . " as the green swordsman was still dumbfounded from what had just happened.

"But I guess we should part ways now" said Tashigi as she turned about seemingly ready to leave. "I do have a ship to return too after all seeing as I'm the captain".

"Captain?" Zoro then questioned as he got his wits back.

"Hey, you're not the only one who has made any changes in the last two years". She then turned back giving him a wink. "Captain of the G-5 unit, I'll definitely be seeing you again in the new world. So you better prepare yourself Roanoa Zoro because that's when I'll defeat you".

Zoro gave a slight smirk to this. "Then I'll see you then" and with that they parted ways. Although they were enemies they still respected each other as fellow practitioners of the sword. "So till the new world then" as he turned to leave as well. "Hmm, I feel like going fishing now".

~ Deep Ocean (descending towards fishmen island) ~

As Zoro rested in the crow's nest of the Sunny, he continued to hold his smile as he recalled how he spent his two weeks on the island. "So much to see and so much to do to which there is no telling how our journey will unfold". But thinking back to Tashigi, "but I do know that our paths will cross again soon in the near future".

With that ending thought, Zoro went back down to the deck below meeting up with his fellow crewmates as the new chapter of journey was now going to begin.

The End

Author's notes: That's it for this story. Now if there is going to be something more, that I don't know as I haven't really thought that far into it. But if someone wants to throw out an idea to which I like, I might continue on with something or make a new story altogether.

So thank you everyone for reading.