Zoro's first instinct would have been to fight, but he forced the urge away and ducked into a small shop. The door chimed when he opened it, and he cursed. He was trying to hide from the Marines, damn it. He didn't want to draw any more attention to himself. Hell, he even went as far to colour his hair black to not stand out as much. He really did suck at being subtle.

A young girl came out from the back room at the sound. "Hello sir, how can I be of service?" She looked at him curiously.

"Eh…" Zoro glanced behind him, the Marines running past. "Just looking around."

She crossed her arms. "Is that true?" She raised an eyebrow and nodded outside. "There are an awful lot of Marines out there, and I just received a warning that there was a dangerous pirate in the area." Her tone was light and childish, and she tilted her head as she waited for him to answer.

Zoro groaned, "Look, I'm not here to do anything. I just want to get through without any trouble."

The girl looked over her shoulder, "Follow me. I don't know who you are, but if you are who those Marines are after, then it's safer back here."

Zoro looked at her like she was crazy. "I'm a dangerous man. Is that really wise?"

The girl shrugged, "If you're a pirate, then there's no issue. My dad was a pirate before he settled down. He can judge you."

Zoro shrugged, "Then sure." He looked back over his shoulder as another group of Marines ran by, shouting loud enough that he could hear through the walls. The girl laughed at his paranoia and gestured for him to follow.

She led him into the back room, which turned out to be a living room. A man with an impressive beard sat in a rocking chair with a book on his lap. He looked up when he heard the door open. "Oh, Lidia. Who's that?"

"He's hiding from the Marines," Lidia said. "Is that alright?"

"That depends." The man said, looking Zoro over. "What's your name, boy?"

"I can't tell you that, but I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just want to get to the harbor without getting caught." Zoro said.

"And I can trust the word of a pirate?" The man asked, looking down at his book. "To be honest though, you don't seem like very strong." He looked up again, "And you like to make yourself seem strong by carrying around three swords. Isn't that a style used by another pirate? Maybe they mistook you for him."

Zoro clenched his fists at being called weak, but he didn't object to it either. It had been a year since they built Luffy's grave, and to this day Zoro believed he could have saved his Captain if he had been stronger. "Think what you want."

"Oh I will," The man said. "But you can stay. If Lidia thinks you're alright, I'll trust her judgment."

Zoro nodded in thanks. "You used to be a pirate too?"

"Take a seat, boy." The man said. "My name is Dustin. If you're not going to tell me your name, what can I call you?"

"Whatever you want," Zoro said.

"Well, I'll call you Larry." Zoro twitched at his new name, and Lidia giggled. "Anyway, I was once a pirate, like my daughter told you." He glanced at her, and she had the decency to look sheepish. "Part of a crew called the Buggy Pirates, but I left. Couldn't stand the strange outfits they wore."

"You used to work under Buggy?" Zoro said, looking amused.

"Have you met him?" Dustin asked.

Zoro nodded, "He tried to kill my Captain once. No, twice. Three times if you count the war. Though I wasn't there for that, so I can't really be sure."

"Well, is your Captain alright?" Dustin noted the way the man stiffened when he asked the question.

"He never lost against Buggy, if that's what you mean." Zoro answered.

Dustin nodded at the answer, knowing he probably wasn't going to get much out of the man in front of him. He did look mildly familiar, but he couldn't place him. He seemed really jumpy, especially with the Marines outside. If the Marines were after him, then he must have a substantial bounty. He knew his previous captain had a bounty of 15 Million beri when he worked under him, but that wasn't really enough to set Marines after him. He also knew the price had gone up, especially when he participated in the War of the Best.

Dustin paused. Larry had just mentioned a war, hadn't he? His Captain had fought in that war?

"Larry," Dustin said, and he watched the young man twitch. "Who is your Captain?"

"That's private."

"I'm just curious," Dustin said. "Did he fight in the War of the Best?"

The man blinked, before lowering his gaze to the ground. "That's private."

Dustin didn't press anymore, because he got his answer. Yes. His Captain had fought. There weren't many pirate survivors. Mainly the remains of Whitebeard's crew and his allies. "Lidia, would you be a dear and make some tea? I have a feeling Larry here is going to be staying a while."

"Sure," The girl said, getting to her feet and leaving the room. She came back a while later with a tray in hand. Placing it on the table, she handed a cup to Zoro. "Here you go, Larry." She smiled in amusement when he growled, and handed her father a cup when he didn't say anything. "Hey, have you gone on any adventures?"

Zoro looked up as he added sugar to his cup. "Yeah. My Captain liked adventure." He smiled and took a sip of his tea. "We would get into so much trouble because of him. And the fact he attracted trouble like honey attracts flies didn't really help either."

"Can you tell me about one of your adventures?"

Zoro looked down at the eager face. She seemed too serious for a child earlier, but now she was acting her age. He shook his head slightly, not being able to understand the mind of a child. "Sure." He racked his brain, trying to think of one that didn't relate him to the Strawhats. "Have you ever heard about the island in the sky?"

She shook her head, "There's an island in the sky?"

Zoro nodded. "That's right. You have to ride up a vertical shaft of water to get there. It's really dangerous, which is why our Captain decided he wanted to go. But this water, it leads to a sea made of clouds…"

Lidia seemed to enjoy the story very much, pausing to ask questions, wincing at the right moments, cringing in disgust when he talked about his Captain being eaten by a large anaconda, grinning in triumph when he described his Captain ringing the Golden Bell and bringing an end to a 400 year old war. Even Dustin was listening in, smiling as Zoro talked.

"Did you get any treasure?" Lidia asked finally.

Zoro nodded, "We did. There was a lot in the snake's stomach, so while it was sleeping, we snuck in and took it all."

Lidia clapped her hands together in excitement. And then she frowned, "How did you get down?"

"Conis gave us a giant octopus that would swell up with air like a balloon. We tied it to our ship and floated down."

"That sounds like quite the adventure, young man." Dustin said. "If you didn't look so proud, I don't think I would have believed you."

Zoro laughed, "I know. You would have had to be there to believe even half of it."

"That is quite true," He stopped, and stood. He walked to the window and pulled back the curtain. "Well, I think the Marines have given up," He said. "It looks safe. That story you told us took some time."

Zoro nodded and stood, picking up the swords and feeding them through the loop on his belly warmer. "Thank you for hiding me from the Marines."

Dustin nodded, "Thank you for entertaining us on an otherwise boring day. Where are you going to go next?"

"I don't know," Zoro said, shrugging. "Find an island where I can train."

"Do you plan to master the Three Sword Style?"

"I've already mastered it," Zoro said. "I just need to get stronger. If I was as strong back then as I was now… Maybe I could have saved him…"

"Saved who?" Lidia asked innocently.

Zoro looked sown and ruffled her hair a bit. "My Captain," He admitted. "He died, about two years ago."

Lidia's face fell, "You mean the Captain from your adventures is gone?"

"Yeah," Zoro said sadly. "He did it to save us, his crew. And to honour him, we're going to fulfill our dreams." He held out his left arm and pulled the sleeve back. "Do you see this?"

"That looks like it hurt." Lidia said, reaching out and tracing the X shaped scar with the tips of her fingers.

"It did, but our Captain went through more pain than this. It's a promise. It's to remind us that he gave us the opportunity to reach our dreams."

"He sounds like a noble man," Dustin said. Zoro smiled and nodded in agreement.

"He was dead certain he was going to help us, no matter what." Zoro closed his eye. "Those were his last words to us. And then…" Zoro trailed off. "And then he was gone. Out of our reach. There was nothing we could do to stop him."

Lidia had started crying, and Zoro wiped her tears away. "Hey, don't cry. He did it because he wanted to. He would be happy to see us all achieve our dreams."

She sniffed, "What's your dream?" She asked.

"To become the world's greatest swordsman." Zoro said, patting the white sheathed blade.

"What was his dream?" Dustin asked.

Zoro didn't need to ask who 'his' was. "It was to become King of the Pirates."

Dustin shook his head, "Well, that title was taken by Monkey D. Luffy. And you yourself have a long way to go before you become the greatest swordsman. You have to first beat Roronoa Zoro, and then Mihawk. I know Zoro is after that title as well."

"I'm going to beat Mihawk," The man said, a determined look in his eye. "I promised my Captain. I've never let him down before, and I'm not going to start now."

"I wish you luck," Dustin said, and Lidia started tearing up again.

"Be careful, okay?"

Zoro leaned down so he was at eye level with her, and reached into his pocket. Withdrawing a folded photo, he handed it over. "This is very important to me, alright? One day, I'll come back for it. Until then, I want you to keep it safe. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded, and Zoro left.

"What did he give you, Lidia?" Dustin asked, kneeling down beside his daughter.

She unfolded the photo, and Dustin gasped. It was a picture of the Strawhat crew. Where would a rookie swordsman get something like this? This thing alone was worth millions of beri. He looked up, but the man had vanished from the street. Something in the picture caught his eye. The white katana. A white katana was very unusual, and very rare. The one he was carrying looked identical to the one Roronoa Zoro was carrying in the picture.

"Hey Lidia," Dustin said. "Did you notice anything strange about that man just now?"

She looked up, "He had green eyebrows." She said.

Dustin looked back down at the picture. It clicked. The man that had just left their home was the Pirate King's first mate. But, he had claimed his Captain was dead. If that was true, then that would mean Strawhat was dead. "How about we put this in a picture frame. Okay?"

Zoro left the island, stowing away on a merchant ship and departing on the next island. This island was inhabited, but there was a chain of islands nearby, made of rock and accessible by boat. He walked down to the beach and looked around, spotting a small fishing house and several boats along an unstable looking dock.

"Hey. Is there anyone here?" Zoro asked, pushing the door and peeking inside. "I want a ride to one of those islands."

"There's nothing out there," A thick voice said, and Zoro opened the door all the way. The light from outside shone into the room, revealing an aged old man sitting in a rocking chair.

"I know," Zoro said. "That's why I want to go there."

He shook his head, "You young ones are strange these days. It's going to cost you to use the boat. How long are you thinking of staying over there?"

"Until I complete my training," Zoro said. "I'm also going to have to come back for food and stuff."

"Then it would probably be more profitable to buy the boat." The old man sighed. "The one at the end of the dock is in really bad shape, but it's 2000 beri."

Zoro handed him the money, thanking him, and left the larger island. When he arrived at the rocky outcropping, he dragged his boat up the rocks and took a look around. It was about half the size of the main one, and a few scraggly trees stood in the middle of it. The rest was rock, varying in colour and size. A few patches of dirt could be seen, but apart from that the island was treacherous outcroppings. Zoro thought it was perfect.

The next three years were spent either on that island, honing his skills, or on the main island, getting supplies and writing. He had remembered the address of the young girl he gave the picture to, and by writing to her he was able to remove the guilt he felt.

It started when he was walking down the street and he saw a vendor selling log books. He had picked one up, thinking he could keep track of his training. But he ended up writing about other things, like his other adventures and his time as a Strawhat Pirate while in the Grand Line, and his life as a bounty hunter before that. The more he wrote, the more he came to terms over what happened. Luffy was dead, but he wasn't. And he was going to make the most out of his life.

He tore the pages from his book and mailed them to Lidia. He got an answer back a few months later from her, telling him that she was glad he was doing okay. Another month had passed when he got another letter. This one was from Dustin, telling him that she had been happy when she read about his other adventures, and that she had gotten sick.

Zoro put a hold on his training to write back, recounting his time in the New World. He ended the letter with him promising to beat Mihawk and claim the title of World's Greatest Swordsman.

Dustin replied, telling him that she had passed on, but he had read her his letter while she was in bed. He told Zoro that she wants him to achieve his dream. He had sent the picture in the letter, saying that he should have it back to remind himself of his friends.

Zoro cried for the fourth time in his life. Once over Kuina, once when he declared his loyalty to Luffy at the Baratie, once over Luffy's death, and the fourth time over a girl he barely knew.

The next day he returned to the main island and gave the boat back to the old man. He boarded a merchant vessel, and in exchange for letting him travel with them he helped them load and unload merchandise. He kept an eye on the newspapers, for any news concerning Mihawk. He found an article once, giving people the news that he had left the Warlords and was wanted again.

The merchant sailors would always make fun of him for paying such close attention. "What, do you know him?" Vincent asked him one day, leaning over the table and peering over the top of the newspaper. "You're obsessed with that Ex-Warlord. Do you have connections with the Navy and are mad that he defected?"

Zoro grunted.

"Come on, Larry! You're so secretive!"

Zoro grunted again, and closed the paper. "I'm looking for him."

"Why would you do something stupid like that?" Vincent asked. "That's a death wish."

Zoro shrugged, "I have my reasons."

"So is that why you're working with us? To track him?"

"That's one reason," Zoro said.

"So what's the other?"

"I don't have a ship of my own. Franky took it. If I had another way to travel around, I would take it."

Vincent shook his head, "You're very strange, Larry."

Zoro grunted again.

When the merchant ship was attacked by pirates, Zoro paid it no mind. Until said pirates declared themselves to be the Strawhat Pirates. Zoro opened his eye and stood from his place on deck. "What was that?"

A tall man wearing an old straw hat looked over distastefully. "I said, we're the Strawhat Pirates. If you don't want to die, you're going to hand over everything you've got."

"Is that so?" Zoro said, looking over the people there. All in all, they did a better job at imitating them than Demalo Black, he had to admit.

"Larry!" Vincent hissed. "Don't piss them off!"

"Your friend is right, Larry," The fake Luffy said. Zoro clenched his firsts as the sight. It had been five years, and even the sight of an imitation brought back that day. "Now be good and hand over your valuables."

Zoro snorted, "You know, I really hate people like you. You play off big names and only have to look intimidating to get what you want. What would you do if the real Strawhat crew showed up?"

The fake Zoro stepped up, drawing one of his swords. Zoro noted the poor quality of the blade and shook his head. "We are the real Strawhats," The fake Zoro said, walking forward slowly. "Now, if you want to live, I suggest you back off."

Zoro laughed, "I don't think you've ever killed before. Now, you guys are starting to piss me off."

The sailors cowering behind Zoro looked around nervously, hoping that the pirates wouldn't kill them all for one man's insults. Vincent backed away, looking worried for someone he almost considered a friend. Bernard, the Captain of the ship, put a hand on his shoulder. "Please don't hurt him. Everything we're carrying on this ship is in the storage rooms below deck."

"I don't know," The fake Luffy said. "I don't like being insulted. If you want to live, bow at my feet." He looked at Zoro with a smirk.

"I'm not going to bow to someone lesser than me." Zoro spat.

The fake Strawhats laughed, "Kill him, Captain!" A fake Franky shouted.

The fake Luffy pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants and pointed it at the swordsman. "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you know who I am?"

"No," Zoro said simply. "I don't know who you are."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm King of the Pirates."

"No you're not." Zoro said. He glared at the fake Luffy. "You never actually intended to meet any of the real crew. You think you can use his name to get whatever you want?"

"I can get whatever I want because I am the King of the Pirates! I've been to and from Raftel! Now I can do whatever the hell I want!"

"You're missing one key detail in that though," Zoro said darkly. He drew his sword. Since he was trying to stay off the radar, he only carried one with him and kept the rest with his stuff in his hammock. "Like I just said, you never intended to meet one of the real crewmembers."

"And who here claims to be a Strawhat?" The fake Luffy demanded. "You?"

Zoro shifted his grip on the Wado Ichimonji, pointing it at the fake Luffy. "Yes."

More laughter, this time from both sides. "Stop it, Larry," Bernard ordered. "I don't want you getting yourself killed."

"I don't care about that." Zoro said.

"You don't care if you die?"

"I won't die. At least not until I keep my promise to my Captain."

He attacked the fake crew, beating them singlehandedly. The merchant sailors watched in fascination as the pirates turned tail and ran, scared of the black haired man with a sword. He left the fake Zoro for last, slamming the sheath into his stomach and sending the pirate tumbling to the ground, curled up in the fetal position. He let out a frightened yell when the blade dug into the wood beside his head.

"Please don't hurt me!" The fake Zoro begged. "Please!"

Zoro knelt down beside him, grabbing the front of his shirt and dragged him up so they were eye level. "You want my mercy?" Zoro asked darkly, drawing another yelp from the man. "Why should I give you that? You and your buddies there did something really stupid."

"I'm sorry!"

"I doubt you heard of the last group that posed as us. They didn't make it very far." Zoro continued. Vincent frowned. Us? "And then there's an even bigger issue, with the fact the crew split up. I guess you wouldn't have heard about that though. We kept it hush hush."

"You… What are you talking about?" The fake Zoro whimpered.

"My name is Roronoa Zoro." He smiled, a hysterical edge to it. "And Luffy's dead. I don't appreciate people ruining his memory!" Zoro stood sharply, dragging the crying man up with him. He tossed him over the edge of the ship, and he landed hard on the deck of his own. "I suggest you stop pretending. Because if I hear you're still pretending to be us, I won't be as forgiving next time!" He grabbed his katana and tore it out of the wood, sheathing it and storming away. No one stopped him.

He left the next day, apologizing to Bernard for keeping his identity a secret and took a long boat to the nearest island.

"Are you really Roronoa Zoro?" Vincent asked, as he helped Zoro load his bag into the small boat.

"Yes," Zoro nodded, taking two more swords from his bag and placing them at his hip.

"And… Is Strawhat Luffy really dead?"

Zoro's gaze darkened, and Vincent flinched. "Yes."

"I'm sorry." Vincent said.

Zoro looked up, "Why are you apologizing? It's not like it was your fault. The guy who did it is dead too."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Vincent corrected. "I had no idea he was dead. I mean, no one's seen them in five years, but… My son, Len, was convinced he was going to join them one day. He's going to be heartbroken."

"Hmm," Was all Zoro said. A few minutes before he left, he drew out the picture he had originally given Lidia. "Give this to him. Luffy's not here, but the rest of us are. Tell him that if he wants to earn Luffy's respect, he'll follow his dreams and never give up on them."

Vincent took the photo. "Thank you. So, I guess you're going to go find Mihawk then? Now that I know who you really are, it makes more sense."

Zoro jumped up into the small boat and began lowering it. "That's right."

Nine months later, Zoro did find Mihawk. He was sailing on his own personalized boat when Zoro spotted him. He caught the former Warlord's attention by slashing at the boat and cutting his sails. Mihawk was forced to head towards shore, and Zoro followed.

The battle lasted several days, each swordsman having improved greatly over time. In the end, Zoro got in a lucky shot, piercing the man through his chest and pinning him to the sand. Mihawk coughed up blood, and his breaths were gurgling. His lung was bleeding out, Zoro realized. The former Pirate Hunter pulled his blade from Mihawk's chest, and blood poured from the wound.

"S-so. You got me." Mihawk laughed, taking in a shuddering breath. "Wha-what do y-you plan to do now?"

Zoro sat down hard. Now that he had won, his strength left him and he felt exhausted. "Visit an old friend."

Mihawk winced, pressing a hand to his chest. "What a-about yo-your Captain."

Zoro looked over at Mihawk, who seemed genuinely curious. "Give him my regards." Zoro said, and Mihawk's eyes widened slightly in realization.

"Ha," Mihawk laughed, the sound forcing its way out. "I will, Roronoa."

"Thank you."

Those were the last words Mihawk heard. Darkness and silence overcame him.

Zoro sat next to the body for a while, and then reached over and pulled the cross necklace from Mihawk's neck. It was the first blade he had ever challenged Zoro with, back at the Baratie. He slipped it over his own neck, tucking the cross into the folds of his shirt.

He tried to stand next, and he managed to get a small distance down the beach, using his katanas to hold himself up before he collapsed. He lay there for a while, his eye closed and his ears hearing nothing but the muted sounds of the jungle. He didn't care if he died anymore. He had fulfilled his promise. He ran a hand over the scar on his left arm. Then a new sound could be heard. Voices. Loud and piercing, they caused him to wince.

Then he felt hands. One hand in particular was soft and warm, pressing itself against his neck. A woman's voice cut through his haze. "He's alive!" And then the world faded.

He woke up in darkness. His chest felt constricted. He couldn't move his fingers very well either. Turning his head slightly he could make out cell bars. Had he been caught? Those voices he heard must have been Marines. He closed his eye. That didn't matter anymore.

An unknown amount of time had passed when Zoro was brought out of his doze. The door to the cell creaked, and he forced his head up to see who was intruding. Kuina. No, it was Tashigi. Zoro laughed and let his head fall back.

"So you're awake." Tashigi said.

"So it seems," Zoro replied.

There was a clatter as the Marine set something on the ground, and then she walked out of the cell, locking the door behind her. Zoro struggled to sit up, realizing he was covered in bandages. He let out a clipped laugh and tugged at the ones covering his fingers. "So they want me alive."

"You shouldn't pick at those." Tashigi said, and Zoro whipped his head towards the voice.

"I thought you left."

"I have orders to keep an eye on you, make sure you don't do anything suspicious." Tashigi said. "You're the Pirate King's first mate, after all."

Zoro snorted, and eyed the tray Tashigi had given him. Thin broth, a piece of bread, and water. His stomach growled. "I haven't used that title in… almost six years."

"I had heard rumors that the Strawhats had split up." Tashigi said. She leaned back in her chair. "Is that true?"

"No." Zoro said without hesitation. "We may not be together, but we still consider ourselves a crew. It's just, everything went downhill when Luffy died."

"Luffy's dead?" Tashigi said, her eyes widening. "When did that happen?"

Zoro didn't answer right away. He picked up the tray and rested it on his lap, eating instead. "Is Smoker still after him?"

"Yes."

"He never made it to Raftel," Zoro said. "He himself never set foot on the island. We found the One Piece in his place."

Tashigi stared at him. "He's been dead all this time?"

Zoro nodded, grimacing. "It was Blackbeard. We were ambushed. We had just stopped to let the log pose reset, and he suddenly shows up and captures the entire ship in darkness. Luffy wasn't with us, he was off exploring, like he usually does whenever we reach a new island."

"We haven't heard from Blackbeard in years, either," Tashigi said softly.

"Well, I don't know what the fight was like. The only part we saw was Luffy and Blackbeard standing at the top of the cliff. Luffy pushed him over the edge, but Blackbeard took him down with him."

Tashigi bit her lip at Zoro's tone. It was full of regret, and sadness. She never knew a pirate could care so much. She had seen them in Alabasta, but they were helping a princess. And royals were usually very rich. And again on Punk Hazard, but they were working with Trafalgar Law. She never understood why they were helping those children. Or why he helped her.

"None of us could do anything." Zoro continued, clenching his fists. "We were still trapped in his darkness. When we were freed, it was too late. Both of them had sunk too far. We… lost our Captain that day."

Tashigi had to keep herself from crying, trying to imagine what she would do if Smoker was killed like that. "You and him were close?"

"Yeah. He saved me." Zoro said. "He saved me from a corrupt Marine in East Blue. I was his first crewmember."

Tashigi fell silent, and then they both heard Smoker's voice shouting above. Tashigi jumped up, dashing up the stairs and leaving Zoro alone.

The same thing happened every morning and evening when Tashigi brought food. He would eat, and she would ask questions.

"Remember when you insulted me in Loguetown?" She asked, several days later.

Zoro looked up, shaking his head.

"You told me to put my face away. Why?"

"Oh yeah," He said, thinking back and remembering. "I wasn't insulting you."

"It sounded pretty insulting to my ears," Tashigi snapped.

"Sorry. It's just that you look like an old friend of mine. She died when we were both still kids. I… She… You look identical to her, and I have a hard time fighting someone who's dead."

"So that's why…"

"If anything, take it as a compliment," Zoro said. "She was a really good swordswoman, and I could never beat her."

"Hmmm."

"We're almost at Impel Down," Tashigi said, a couple weeks later. "We'll be arriving in two days. I shouldn't be telling you this, but they're going to offer you a position of Warlord in exchange for you keeping your life."

"And why the hell would I take that?" Zoro spluttered, shocked at the news.

"Because you're the one who took down Mihawk," Tashigi said. "There are only 6 Warlords currently, and they were having a hard time tracking down Mihawk when he left. Since you're the one who took him down, it's only natural they would want another one just as strong."

Zoro peered at her through the bars. She looked angry. "Don't you agree with this?"

"Well, I know that you're going to decline the position." She muttered. "A swordsman's pride."

"And what's wrong with me not taking it?"

"They'll kill you then!" Tashigi shouted. "Don't you care for your life?"

"I don't care if I die anymore," Zoro said simply. "I've kept my promise to both Kuina and Luffy. There's no reason for me to keep on living."

Tashigi didn't seem to like that answer, as she reached through the bars and grabbed the front of Zoro's shirt. She dragged him closer, their foreheads almost touching. "You should care about your life!" She shouted at him. Her fists tightened. "You shouldn't throw it away just like that!"

"And why do you care so much?" Zoro shouted back.

She stared at him for a couple of seconds, and then kissed him. Zoro made a startled noise in the back of his throat, but Tashigi didn't relinquish her grip. After a moment, Zoro gave up and kissed her back, his hand snaking through the bars and resting on her back. She pulled away and didn't meet his eyes. "That's why."

She left, but paused at the door. "Don't go to sleep tonight."

Zoro was about to ask why, but she was gone.

He didn't sleep that night, like Tashigi had ordered. His lips were still tingling from the kiss. It was well past midnight when the door creaked open, and Tashigi stepped through. She wasn't wearing her Marine uniform, and she was carrying three swords. His swords.

"What the hell are you doing?" He hissed at her, as she started unlocking the cell. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Yes," She said determinedly, opening the door and handing Zoro his weapons. "I'm doing what I think is right. We're getting out of here."

Zoro stood still, watching her move around the cell. "Why?"

"Because the Marines don't have a sense of justice anymore," Tashigi said. "They think they're helping people, but that's not the case. They're trying to make themselves look good. Saving people and upholding justice isn't the case anymore."

"So why are you helping me?" Zoro asked. "And this afternoon…"

"I went back over the files of your time in Alabasta," Tashigi said. "And others. In all honesty, you were doing more good than the Marines were. In Water 7, you guys took Nico Robin back from a Marine who wanted to use her ability to read poneoglyphs and take over. The World Government put that man in charge."

"We did that because Robin's our friend," Zoro said.

"Well, you saved a lot of lives doing that." Tashigi said. "You also exposed an underground movement, created by those same Marines. You did more good than they would ever have. Come on."

She dragged him up onto the deck and over to a waiting longboat. Zoro went along with it, silently relieved that he wasn't going to die. The boat was lowered silently, and they both climbed aboard. No one noticed as they left the Marine ship behind and turned around. "They'll realize we're gone in the morning," Zoro said.

"I know," Tashigi said.

"We should head to the nearest island and stay there for a while. Once they're off our trail, we should be safe to head out again."

Tashigi nodded and grabbed one of the oars, Zoro following her actions. They paddled in silence, saving their breath. That, and Zoro still felt incredibly awkward sitting beside Tashigi. He had never kissed a girl before, despite being 27 years old. He had focused more on his training, bounty hunting, and piracy than getting a girlfriend.

They reached an island the next morning, a rather large island situated on the edge of the Calm Belt. The townspeople were friendly, renting them a room. They must have mistaken the two of them for a couple, because there was only one bed.

"We shouldn't draw any suspicion, so we'll just have to share the bed." Tashigi said.

Zoro sat down and placed his swords against the nightstand. "So what do you plan to do after this?" Zoro asked. "I mean, you're going to be the prime suspect, and if what you were saying about the Navy wanting to keep their pride, they're not going to want you running around on the loose."

"I know." Tashigi said. "But I can't stand them anymore. There's no justice, and I'd rather be an honest outlaw than a deceitful Marine." She sat down next to him. "Did you know that Smoker looks up to Luffy? Ever since you saved him from drowning, when you could have just left him to die. Smoker respects him now, because of that."

"What did Smoker say about Luffy's death?"

"I didn't tell him," Tashigi admitted. She twisted her hands together, resting them on her lap. "He would have been torn. I mean, we have been after you guys for the past six years, right? It would just be easier to allow him to keep looking for you guys."

Zoro nodded. "And, why did you kiss me?"

Tashigi turned red, and she looked down at her feet. "Because I… When we first met, I was inspired by your loyalty to Luffy, even if you were pirates. And all the times you've helped people." She turned an even darker shade of red. "And I think it's cute when you get lost easily."

Zoro coughed at that comment. Tashigi looked up at him, and Zoro smiled. A genuine one this time. She smiled back, before tackling him to the bed and kissing him again.

They stayed on the island for a year, renting out a house after two weeks in the hotel. For the purpose of hiding, Zoro kept his hair black and they told everyone that they were married. They made friends, and lived a satisfying life. When they decided to leave, Zoro insisted they headed back to East Blue. "I need to visit some old friends."

Like Zoro had done, the two worked on a merchant ship and slowly made their way back to Reverse Mountain. They bid farewell to their ride and entered the sea. They went to Frost Moon Village first, and Tashigi was surprised to learn that this was the village where Zoro grew up.

"Sensei Koshiro?" Zoro said, as they walked up to the dojo. He knocked on the door when he got no answer.

A couple of minute later it opened, revealing an older man. He seemed really surprised to see the man. "Zoro? Is that you?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen you," Zoro said, clasping his outstretched hand.

"I've heard a lot from the news," Koshiro said, after he had invited them inside for tea. "You've made quite the name for yourself. I'm proud."

"Thanks," Zoro said, smiling.

"I see you still have Kuina's sword," Koshiro said, nodding at the white blade.

"That sword belonged to her?" Tashigi asked Zoro. "You never told me."

"I guess that fact never came up," Zoro said.

Koshiro looked between them, "Yes. That sword belonged to my daughter. I let Zoro have it when he pledged to become the greatest swordsman. It was her dream too. I understand you now have that title, Zoro."

He nodded.

He visited her grave next, sitting down in front of it. Tashigi stood a distance away, watching him talk to his childhood friend.

"I had hoped he and my daughter would marry one day," Koshiro said, walking up and standing beside Tashigi. "They were very close. Are you two together?"

"Well, yes. But we're not married."

"He cares about you a lot." Koshiro said. "I can see it when he looks at you."

Tashigi blushed. "That means a lot."

"I merely state the truth," Koshiro said. "And I wish the two of you luck in the future. It will be hard raising a family when both of you are wanted."

Tashigi frowned at that, but forced it from her mind as Zoro stood and walked over to them. "I'm ready to go. There's one more place I want to visit in this sea."

Koshiro saw them off, telling Zoro to keep up his training and telling Tashigi to keep him in line.

The nest island they came to was in the Goa Kingdom. They arrived in Windmill Village, and Zoro was greeted by a dark haired woman. "Zoro! I'm surprised to see you here."

"Hi Makino. I've come to see him."

Makino nodded, reaching out and grabbing the collar of a young boy who ran past. He looked to be her son. "Now Ace," She chided. "Why aren't you cleaning your room? I don't think you can clean that much of a mess in fifteen minutes."

Tashigi laughed as the boy pouted. "But Mom! Theo is going fishing, and his dad said I could come too!"

Makino shook her head, "Well, your room had better be your first priority when you get back, do you understand?"

Ace smiled and nodded, running off again.

"He's cute," Tashigi commented.

"Thank you," Makino smiled. "Are you Zoro's girlfriend?"

Tashigi nodded, as she followed Makino and Zoro into a nearby bar. She walked behind the counter while the couple took a seat on the bar stools. "I'm glad that you stopped by. I'm sure he would be happy to hear you've achieved your dream." She placed plates in front of them, telling them to eat as much as they wanted. "Anything's free for a friend."

Tashigi felt self-conscious eating the food, as she had never met the woman before in her life. But Zoro seemed to know her, and she looked happy seeing him. Was she an ex? When she whispered the question to Zoro, he burst out laughing and choked on his food. Makino didn't even bat an eyelash when he recovered and kept laughing.

"I suppose you don't know where we are. This is the island where Luffy grew up. I'm here to visit his grave. Makino practically raised Luffy and his brothers when they were kids."

That startled Tashigi, but she now understood why they were there. The next day, Zoro rose early and started his long treck into the mountains. When he returned, his eyes were red, and he was missing the necklace he took from Mihawk and the Wado Ichimonji. Tashigi didn't questions his actions, knowing how loyal he was to his Captain.

Makino and the mayor saw them off.

Tashigi had been thinking of Koshiro's words for a while, his comment about the difficulty of raising a family. They stopped at Reverse Mountain, the old man there letting them stay.

"Hey, Zoro," Tashigi said.

He looked up, "Yeah?"

"What… what do you think about starting a family?"

Zoro was silent, and Tashigi closed her eyes. A minute later, she felt his arms around her. "Do you want to start a family?"

"Yes. But, we're both wanted criminals. Even if we did have a kid, there's nowhere on land or at sea that we'll be safe." She pressed her forehead into his chest. Zoro rubbed her back soothingly, and then she felt him stiffen slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Nowhere on land and sea," He said. "What about the sky?"

"The sky?" Tashigi repeated, skepticism in her voice.

"Yeah. The sky. I've been to Sky Island. The people there owe us big time, and we're always welcome there. And there are no pirates or Marines up there either. We can live freely, without having to worry about being hunted down."

"Do you think it's possible?"

"Definitely," Zoro smiled.

Tashigi agreed to hear him out, and they left for Jaya the next day. When they arrived, Zoro first got lost, but they eventually found Montblanc Cricket, who had returned from another adventure and decided to stay and help pirates travel to the sky. He told them to wait for the next crew who wanted to try heading up there, and one arrived a few months later. The Little Island Pirates welcomed them aboard, and Zoro explained what Nami did to get them in the air.

Tashigi's first view of the sea in the sky was breathtaking, and she was outside almost the entire time. Zoro smiled at her enthusiasm. When they docked at the beach, bypassing the toll because of what Zoro and his friends did for the country, Conis greeted him. She and Tashigi quickly became friends.

The elders, especially Gan Fall, were sad to hear of Luffy's fate, and they engraved his name on the Golden Bell.

The Little Island Pirates left after their log pose reset, leaving Zoro and Tashigi the only blue sea dwellers in the sky.

They named their first child Kuina, and their second Lidia.