#but luffy knowing he has to get stronger not just to protect the others that dont fight as much. but also his wings.. his zoro ;-; | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

my-love-is-sunlight · 3 months

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Withered

Sanji x gardener!reader

Warnings: fluff with a little angst, mentions of sickness and fainting, fem reader

Word count: 1,526 words

Summary: In which you got sick because you worked so hard. From my gardener!reader series but can be read as a stand alone.

⋆ ˚ ꩜ ｡ ⋆୨୧˚

“SANJI IT’S NOT FAIR” Luffy screamed while throwing himself at the cook who was busy prepping vegetables “Luffy we already told you that because y/n is sick the garden is not in conditions for us to eat stuff from it” Nami said for like a millionth time that day.

You had fainted yesterday morning and have had a fever since, you were still very weak, because of this, your powers affected all the plants around the ship… and Sanji’s mood apparently, he had already gone trough half a box of cigarettes and it was just past noon.

“But you’re making something why can’t I have some?” The captain whined once more “This is all the vegetables I could salvage from the garden and its all going to y/n’s soup so she can get better sooner” he explained as patiently as he could. Since the garden was withering the food rations were now just half, and obviously the most affected form this was Luffy since he wasn’t having any snacks between dinners. “I’ve never seen her sick like this” sighed Nami a little worry in her eyes “Don’t worry! We have the best doctor in the world! He’ll take care of her!” Luffy exclaimed, he noticed how Sanji tensed at Namis comment, breath shaky “You know she’s strong, she’ll be fresh as a fruit in no time!” he said while patting Sanji’s back smiling brightly.

He took the vegetable soup steaming hot and walked to your room, opened the door ever so slowly so he wouldn’t make any noise and wake you up. He was greeted with Chopper sitting beside your bed with a cold towel in your forehead “How is she?” Sanji asked in a whisper “Better that yesterday but still has a little fever, she’ll be up in a day or two” Chopper explained with worry… there was something he wasn’t telling for sure “Is it just a fever?” Sanji positioned the soup in the nightstand beside you while looking at the doctor who had started to sweat “Oh yeah yeah just… just that no biggie he he” He answered quickly while looking away from the cook. Sanji tensed, eyes twitching “Chopper…” he went down to his eye level “It wouldn’t be really professional if you lied to me about a patient diagnosis would it?” the reindeer panicked “She made me promise! Confidentiality with my patients comes first!”

There it was… The blonde sighed and massaged his temples “If you don’t tell me I’ll probably go insane” there was a pause, the doctor was getting worried not only about you but now also about Sanji, he looked so disheveled, big bags under his eyes, hair all over the place, his smell of cigarettes stronger than other days and instead of having his neatly tuxedo on he had just thrown in a shirt, no tie, with a couple loosed buttons… he looked like he was going insane. “Fine, just because I know you care a lot” he started “She fainted because she had pushed her body too far. In our last fight with the marines she used her powers to protect us too long and didn’t rest properly” he paused to look at you “Her body is just asking for a break, I scolded her because this is not the first time she ends up sick because of this, and she asked me to keep it a secret”

Of course you did… you always overworked yourself and Sanji couldn’t do anything about its since he did that too, how ironic. He looked back at where you slept, you looked so peaceful for someone so sick, your hair covering the pillow like a spider web and your mouth parted a little. “I gave her medicine and the fever has gone down but she needs to rest!”

“Thank you Chopper I’ll take care of her now” the cook sat at the end of the bed as the reindeer left the room quietly

He admired you for a moment, worry shaking trough his body. You’ve been a straw hat for a long time now, and still felt like you owed everyone. “Sunlight” he spoke up. As he removed hairs from your face, you groaned and wiggled under the covers, scrunched your face as you opened your eyes trying to focus on the man before you “There you are” he said feeling a little better since he could look at your eyes once more.

“Sanji?” You yawned and stretched before you felt a stinging pain travel trough your muscles that made you groan “Take it easy dear” Sanji stood up and helped you sit on your bed “It’s ok I got it” slowly but surely you made yourself comfortable. “Made you this” Your eyes widened a smiled was painted on your face “Oh god I most be dreaming!” you let out a laugh that made Sanji feel lighter, softer. How could you still be bright as day while you’re sick? “Thank you! You didn’t had to tho” you tried to take the plate from his hands but he backed up “Slow down there sweetheart” he grinned playfully “Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I let a sick woman eat by herself?” Maybe you should get sick more often if it meant having this kind of treatment form the cook, your whole face turned all shades of red and you stiffened. But the day you decline Sanji’s food, is the day you’ve gone mad, so you leaned and took the spoonful.

You happily ate the whole plate between chatter laughs and shared stares “Sanji I really don’t know how you manage to outdo yourself every time!” You always made sure the cook knew how amazing his skills were, which always made him smile proud and puff out his chest feeling absolutely unstoppable “Thank you dear” you smiled and thanked him for the hundred time “Can you do me a favor Sanji? Before you leave?” The mentioned felt his legs babble at the way his name left your lips, whenever you asked him something, which was very rare because you’re not the type to ask for help for anyone, your voice always flowed in such a way, like a soft plead, that made Sanji’s breath and heartbeat stop “Anything dear!”

“Could you open the blinds for me?” without missing a beat he opened them so that the sun could pour in your room, you closed your eyes and sighed in satisfaction, taking in the rays of sun like a flower opening her petals Sanji thought, you looked angelic

“Can I now ask you something y/n” your eyes opened in fear, whenever the blonde cook called you by your name without nothing endearing attached to it he was about to say something really serious “Of course” all your attention was on him who sat now in the chair next to you so he could see you better and closer “Why are you overworking yourself?” a silence was followed, nervousness hanged in the air piercing both of your ears, you’ve talked about this with Sanji before but nothing ever this serious. You looked at him and notice his weary eyes, you sighed “I… don’t know” your eyes ran away from his face “I just want to be of use for everyone in the crew… did Chopper said something?” The cook nodded with a little guilt as you covered your face in your hands, embarrassed to be somehow a burden.

“You all make me so happy, so this is my way to pay you back” you offered a smile as Sanji sat there, wordless, it was like he was hearing his own thoughts, your hearts were so much alike that it stunted him sometimes, so, he said what he would like to hear himself “You’re not a tool or a maid, you’re a strawhat” he leaned in to take your hand in his “Luffy invited you to join this crew not only because of your powers or strength, but also because he believes in you and likes you… as so do I” you felt your eyes water a bit which made the blondes heart hurt “Your health and happiness is important to everyone in the crew”.

You sighed and hugged Sanji, tightly and with such eagerness and grateful you could always count on him to make you feel wanted and important, you were always strong and kind in front of everyone but he always managed to get your vulnerable side out “Thank you Sanji, I promise I won’t do that ever again” you whispered in his ear, Sanji felt like floating, your hug was so full of love that made his head spin, heart pounding hard and pink creeping trough his neck, you were so sweet “But I must ask you the same, please let me help you too” he stiffened, he sure wasn’t ready for that talk.

He cleared his throat before pulling out of your embrace which hurt him like hell and taking the plate “You don’t worry that pretty head of yours dear” he walked towards your door “I’ll keep an eye on you cook!”

Oh please, do~

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I sweat next one in the series would be a confession I had this idea and got carried away lol, as always you can request what you wanna read about these two and correct me if I made any mistakes English is not first language!

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beaulesbian · 1 month

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[egghead spoilers, up to chapter 1110]

Sanji's humanity & Zoro's strength

(or lack thereof) - a theory of possible conflict between Luffy's wings before the end of Egghead arc. Long post ahead. Like.. very long post.

So the new chapter had a very interesting new "banter" between Sanji and Zoro, but no, actually just Sanji, because there was no usual back and forth quips followed after.

Yes, this whole post started because of these few panels: (" ...!!")

After rereading the chapter more times I realized, Sanji's not even speaking to Zoro or knows that Zoro can hear him. He's talking about Zoro, and calling him a burden to the team.

Which is just baffling to me? (fair, maybe I'm looking too much into it and next chapter it would be explained in different way) but for now, I need to put this out there and make my own small (long) theory on this.

There's lot to be said about the word burden here, and I will get to it later in the post, but for now, let's start with Sanji and his eyebrow!

It wouldn't be a perfect story if Oda didn't tangle threads of each respective characters from multiple arcs before and brought them up together later on during one of the most difficult times when Strawhats and Luffy are facing off with so much danger (reminds me of Sabaody but in a very different way).

In this instance Sanji's past could be brought up again, something that started worrying him since his fight with Queen in Wano, and especially given that his left eyebrow has been changing its shape quite a lot during the run of the Egghead arc.

Here's just few panels throughout end of Wano up to current Egghead chapter, where Sanji' left eyebrow is in the focus on the pages:

Chapter 1029 was the first part where Sanji was thinking his body might be undergoing some changes he couldn't control -broken bones insantly healed, stronger and faster than ever before, due to him beforehand using the Germa suit which possibly triggered this sort of superhuman modification he wasn't really aware of until then. When he realized he couldn't remember certain memories, he panicked, thinking he might be changing into something similar like his brothers, a scientific weapon created by his father. The worry and panic was all the more present because he thought he hurt someone without his knowing, and that'd slowly take away his kindness and sense of humanity. (Too bad I hoped the changes his body might be undergoing would only be realization of his non-cis gender status, but maybe that's still on the table for sometime in the future.):

^In this second panel his face is on purpose shadowed, which was the last time he was shown in that chapter,

and only again was in chapter 1031 - where his eyebrow changed:

and it takes him to think about Luffy and what his purpose would be if something so important of him would change. He knows why Luffy went after him in WCI, he knows what values are important for Luffy and his crew, and of course he doesn't want to be reminded of his family and his brothers and act as they did. He chooses the humanity, the kindness that Luffy loves in him.

Even to the extent to call Zoro and make a deal with him - to kill Sanji if anything would go wrong with him. "If I'm not in my right mind, I want you to kill me." That much trust he has in Zoro to protect the crew and Luffy!

Of course Zoro wouldn't do anything reckless without a good reason, but part of their banter and understanding each other would be to promise something like that - echo of Thriller Bark and the range of how far Zoro would go to take on someone elses pain. It's a promise to win their separate fights, but also this was something that Sanji put out there for Zoro to take notice of. (I will come back to that later.):

(still the "bad eyebrow" - he had that the whole chapter 1031).

After his fight with Queen (where it was also cleared what his actions were and weren't), he was only shown two times until he woke up, and both times he had his eyebrow back on good side.

1036 & 1044 (hearing Luffy awaken his powers):

All the way up to Egghead he seemed to have his eyebrow drawn this way, and it started to change only during fights -

ch 1075, still good eyebrow, tho.. ehh this behavior.. whatever:

ch. 1078, protecting his crew from Seraphim, bad eyebrow:

in between chapters 1090 - 1105 (most of which were flashbacks and Sanji nor Strawhats were shown) he appeared with his typical eyebrow:

and it changed again in ch 1107 - when he was again protecting Bonney / fighting against Kizaru:

interesting was chapter 1108 where he's standing between Saturn and Vegapunk, and he's describing Saturn with "he's less and less human by the minute" while his own face was obscured, (I mean.. interesting choice of words and what character said it, huh?):

and the next page he still has the bad eyebrow:

in chapter 1109 it's back on his typical side, where it continues from previous chapter of Sanji carrying Vegapunk- so at some point it must have shifted back (and I'm curious if these changes would be noticable in the animation). At this part he's watching how Saturn is summoning the other Gorosei to Egghead:

Which leads me to the point from above with Zoro.

chapter 1110 and their interactions (for me) was just off. I like their usual banter and bickering, it's funny (if it's in the manga and contained to few panels to make sense, not so much in the anime, but i'm not going into that now), but the thing to call anyone of their crew a "burden" just doesn't fit right. (Especially after WCI... c'mon Sanji, and especially to someone like Zoro, who's always the first one to think about the crew.)

I would understand it if he laughed along with the words to elevate their seriousness, or said something like "Finish it up, Mosshead, we need to get moving." but no. He calls him a burden. And again as I mentioned, it pretty much could have been even Sanji not realizing Zoro can hear that.

These words (in my opinion) were chosen on purpose for multiple reasons:

First we have the Zoro vs Lucci fight that goes on for a while in the real world - in the One Piece world it might be just few minutes - plus we don't know how tough were the fights with the Seraphim which let others be injured.

When Lucci attacked, Zoro immediately thrown himself with him away from the rest of the crew. Zoro was possibly stalling with the fight for time to leave. I feel he could have finished that fight earlier but that wasn't the point. The point might have been to hold him back from his crew.

also this was possibly the only fight after King where Zoro could test the limits of his powers and haki, just like Luffy in the Udon prison in Wano was basically training, this (and the Seraphim fights we haven't seen) could be something similar for Zoro.

Some people think that just because of these characters getting new powers it means they already understand how to use them/how it works, but that's usually not the point of how stories go - there can be progress and there can be setbacks, growing up but also falling back down, which makes the stories more interesting.

The words that Lucci used against Zoro were basically the same thing that Sanji said to Zoro few chapters later:

Amongst them he pointed out the Strawhats inability to cut off one of their own out of their crew to save others - like Lucci left Kaku behind just chapters before this fight when he attacked Vegapunk and Stussy (and Sanji trapped Kaku in the bubble prison). It's a play on very different characters and how they think and act to show clearly how they different they are.

The words burden or dead-weight really stood out, already when Lucci said it in chapter 1107, and the fact that they were targetting Zoro - someone who always blames himself (in his mind, not usually out loud) for not being strong enough, and someone who always has protecting his crew at the first place, was interesting in the connection to Sanji repeating basically the same words in the latest chapter.

I will probably make a different separate post only focusing on Zoro and his fear of being weak, but for the purposes of this post, just to pick a few moments where it's important in the manga:

One of the first time I've noticed how much Zoro keeps berating himself with words like "not strong enough" "too lax" "still too soft" "if I'd been stronger/ faster/ better..."

was just after Little Garden arc, where he almost cut off his ankles just to keep fighting. Time after time the crew encounters strong enemies and Zoro gets a new understanding how far up is the limit that he has to reach to keep the crew safe, so he keeps training. ch. 129:

When Luffy went to fight Crocodile and Zoro was worried and kept training on the way to Alubarna, this banter between Sanji and Zoro felt typical between them - it's about the two way street, the back and forth (that's why that new chapter and insult from Sanji feels so foreign, there's no reply, not quip back - only silence and some sort of determination, which isn't good nor bad, just.. weird.) ch. 179:

and after the final fight of Alabasta, possibly one of the first times I really started paying attention to how much it gets to Zoro, this question of how strong he needs to be. (along with what possibly was one of the first introduction of his haki and how he began training the Observation haki, disguised as meditation in the terms of the early manga) ch. 213:

Thriller Bark was one of the biggest arcs in this sense of Zoro and his protectiveness towards the crew and Sanji knows that - he knows what happened there, he even wanted to sacrifice himself in stead of Zoro for Luffy (but this is beside the point here, and I talked about it in other post before).

Zoro took on himself Luffy's pain, and after that arc he still went right to train as soon as he could despite being still injured, ch. 490. "still too weak!"

which goes through to Sabaody arc.

Chapter 510 until the end of that arc is just painful to go through again. Luffy was worried for Zoro and didn't know the scope of his injuries, while Sanji knew and was concerned in his own way too - that is another thing of how they care, sometimes wordlessly but there is that understanding of what to mention or not. ("Burden" still shouldn't be one of the words to use between them, not that far into the story.)

Now - fast forward to Punk Hazard where one of similar moments played out - Zoro telling Luffy not to goof around because they got in the New world and needed to take things seriously.

It was one of those small moments where Sanji was actually one of the few people shown with reaction to Zoro's words and his urgency, ch 678:

Sanji saying "He's so tough on himself" really puts into perspective how he sees Zoro - he knows what he's been through, and knows to what extremes he's willing to go to protect his crew.

He's definitely not someone who would carelessly call Zoro "a burden" even in the time and place and situation they found themselves on Egghead, if anything, he was supposed to be one of the first ones to know how serious is Zoro always about protecting the crew. (Even in the beginning of Egghead, Zoro stayed at first on the Sunny because "who will save them when they will need saving.")

There's few others scenes and parts where Zoro questions his worth and strength, especially in later Wano, calculating what needs to be done so they have strength to face off with Kaido, ch 980:

and later against King, ch 1033 "it was my strength that was lacking!" while unlocking his Conqueror's haki, still unknowingly:

The fact that it's been happening pretty much since the beginning of the story - how Zoro views himself as not strong enough, yet persisting in always getting stronger and protecting his crew - means so much for what character Zoro is and how much he values and loves his crew (just like all the other Strawhats in different ways), and also, as I've been catching up so quickly with the manga, there's been that hope for some call out of this behavior, to poke it where it hurts, to see what would happen if someone turns those words Zoro possibly feels in his mind against him out loud. And that's kind of what's been happening lately - and I'm curious what impact will this have on both Zoro personally and on the other Strawhats, depending who will be around for the conclusion.

Zoro is one of the few strawhats really thinking about the future, plans and what they need to still fight through, carefully calculating what his opponents might be doing, how strong they are and how much of a problem it would be to go through them.

And Sanji normally understands that, he knows how Zoro works and the other way around, that's why he still protected him when Zoro was injured, (if anything, in this moment Zoro could have been something like hinderance or annoyance to Sanji, yet he never said something like that), ch. 1015:

Even on Egghead, where there was temporary truce with Lucci and Kaku, Zoro pointed out how to recognize the Seraphim's weaknesses, and apologized for 'wasting their stamina' - again, calculating on his strength, ch. 1077:

Zoro isn't just fighting for the sake of a fight, he does have his dream and does know what's important to focus on (he himself always keeps the crew in focus when it's important!)

So it's difficult to have a conclusion about the whole Zoro vs Lucci fight without knowing what is Zoro thinking - hopefully in next chapter we will have more info on it (that is number 1111 - Zoro's birthday and bounty! so I hope it will be a big focus on Zoro again). But even beside that, it was obvious in such short time two people around him suddenly called him a burden to his team - something he takes very close to his heart and mind, something that will hopefully have some consequences for us to see and read, because as Oda is choosing words definitely carefully to have the right impact, two very similar words like "burden" don't seem like a coincidence.

To wrap this up - with Sanji telling this to Zoro felt different than their usuall banter, and as I said before - maybe because Sanji wasn't even speaking to Zoro. At the same time, on Wano Sanji gave Zoro a clue that somehting was happening with him, the fact that there was a panel with just Zoro's ear twitching and then being silent, thinking, and not replying to Sanji with anything that would hint to us about his state of mind, and it could mean he's also aware of some difference in Sanji's acting.

The way he says this reminds me of the what Sanji was thinking during his fight with Queen - "what would be more useful to Luffy, regular flesh-and-blood body? Or a cruel, cold emotionless warrior of science." Even for this small part of seeing him speak with Jimbei and hearing what Zoro was up to until then, he speaks without almost any emotions beside anger? Even with his eyebrow not indicating the change, precisely, it doesn't have to be connected in this way, except physical fights, but there could be something still changing within Sanji to make him act this way, a way that really isn't something we've seen before. I think if in next chapters he speaks to Nami, Robin or some other woman without his typical over-the-top pleasanteries, it could indicate how much of a problem this could be for the Strawhats.

So we have Sanji's need to stay human and kind, the pact created with Zoro to kill him if anything felt wrong; and we have Zoro - someone who's biggest purpose from the beginning was to protect the crew and Luffy, while many times we've seen him question his own strength, and now two people in the span of like 5 minutes in the One Piece time are calling him a burden.

It will be interesting to see if this is heading towards a clash or conflict between Luffy's wings while Luffy needs the support to fight / flee from the Gorosei.

To end this too long post, I feel it's very on point for One Piece not to have a sole focus on just one character going through it™ in one arc, but it's always a few crumbs here and few hints there. This sort of conflict would be perfect to deal with both of Zoro and Sanji's respective fears - because this is very much about fears in their minds, while at the same time if they can resolve this, it would only strengthen their crew once again.

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greyskyflowers · 8 months

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I want a really specific Luffy/Sanji/Zoro fic where it's focused on how Zoro is probably not able to be numbed or knocked out.

I want to do a post at some point about how Nami, Usopp and Zoro are the humans of the crew. The ones without devilfruits, no genetic stuff, and completely human.

You can absolutely argue that Zoro has whatever the fuck is going on with the demon stuff but until that's clearly discussed I'm going with the human thing.

Back to Luffy/Sanji/Zoro.

I'm really sold on the idea that Zoro burns through numbing and pain medications like it's nothing.

He can be knocked out or made completely numb but it requires a unreal amount of medication, enough that the amount is usually unavailable or risks overdosing him and making him very sick.

So, how many times has Chopper had to dig out shrapnel and bullets while Zoro was completely aware and felt everything?

Or stitched him up while Zoro held the skin together for him?

How many times has Chopper had to rebreak bones that had healed wrong if they were separated for a period of time and Zoro didn't set it right?

How about cauterizing wounds?

Concussions?

Blood loss?

What it he needed surgery because of a wound, and Chopper had to cut into him without being able to numb him at all?

Oooooof

I fully believe Chopper has had to do some of those. However, when Zoro is too out of it, or it hurts to much to not jerk away or fight back... I think Luffy and Sanji would have to hold him down. The only two with enough strength to get him still enough that Chopper can do what needs to be done without worry.

Robin could be added to that, I think. I like to think Zoro and her have a strong friendship and she's seen enough shit to know sometimes things have to be done even though it sucks.

What sounds does someone make in a situation like that? How much can the human body take?

If he was out of it enough, would he plead with Luffy to let him up? He would absolutely call for Luffy when everything hurts and I'll die on that hill.

It would be a blessing if he passed out but how long would he be passed out? Just long enough for everyone to breathe before he was awake again and struggling?

Is it worse when he's quiet? Awake but so exhausted he can't even try to jerk away?

The rest of the crew hearing everything but knowing better than to go try to help.

Having to act like they can't all hear anything and desperately hoping that Zoro passes out soon.

And Zoro is Zoro. No one really talks about it. They're all aware, of course, but Zoro never brings it up or complains.

He's actually really good at holding still, clenching his jaw and curling his lip back in a pained snarl. Every muscle in his body tense and his back in a rigid arch.

This isn't new to him. He's always burned through this stuff quick but it's definitely gotten worse as he's gotten older and stronger.

Luffy and Sanji only have to hold him down for the really bad ones. It's more of a precaution, a comfort of all of them.

They're the only ones to hold him because even blind with pain, Zoro knows them.

Even when his world narrows down to hurthurthurt, he won't fight them the way he would someone else. He trusts them to be strong enough that he can be a little weak if needed. Only a little.

Luffy being cautious and untrusting of anyone other than crew while Zoro recovers and gets his feet back under him.

Possessive and protective in the way all captains are. A extra edge to it because it's Zoro and Zoro is his in a way no one else quite is.

Sanji hovering, always something in his hands because his way of caring is food. The pain usually takes away Zoro's appetite but it's the best way Sanji knows to heal.

Luffy curled around Zoro when he naps on deck or when they go to sleep at night, trying to make sure nothing hurts and reassure them both that Zoro's okay.

Both of them running a critical eyes over Zoro because infection is a whole beast of its own. They want to make sure that if there's even a hint of one, they catch it as soon as possible.

Touching Zoro constantly because if they feel tense muscles they know he's hurting and if he's running a fever they can work on cooling it down.

🌊

The strawhat crew holds a grudge against a few people. Most of them obvious but always at the top is Garp, Blackbeard, Judge, and Mihawk.

Because they don't know exactly what went on while they were all separated for 2 years but they hold Mihawk accountable for Zoro's eye, even if he wasn't the one behind that particular scar.

They know Zoro felt all of it and they weren't there with him. And anyone who is responsible for that kind of pain to one of the crew goes right on the shit list.

#i just like monster trio and the tag on ao3 for them is so smol ☹️#one piece #zoro #sanji #luffy #zosan #zolu #zolusan #monster trio #tony tony chopper #strawhats #mugiwarapirates #straw hat pirates #mugiwara crew #setting sail with greyskyflowers

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bby-deerling · 4 months

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lingering remnants (zoro x reader)

some fluff :) part of my artist!reader continuity (takes place after death's touch) but can as always be read standalone!

wc: 947 masterlist

ft. artist!reader, law being sooo subtle (he's not), jealous zoro, soft zoro, strawhat interactions, fluff, established relationship

Zoro thought that any prickling feelings of jealousy under his skin had been discarded and forgotten about, but Law’s infatuation with you seemed so much more brazen under the scrutiny of daylight.

He follows close behind your every footstep, making hushed, snarky remarks that occasionally earn a snort from you as your paintbrush drags across primed wooden boards. Though he has surgical precision, his body haphazardly brushes against yours as the two of you walk towards the kitchen for lunch, making your eyes widen, cautiously bristling at the seemingly unintentional touch. Intent on monopolizing and consuming your time, Law runs you ragged by offering you caffeine in place of your daily afternoon nap. You see it—Zoro can tell by the flashes of worry that grace your features that the surgeon’s intentions are clear, but you grin and bear it, keeping a cheerful façade together despite cringing internally at the awkwardness of the situation.

It irritates Zoro, to his very core, that Law was so intent on having you, possessing you, when he had barely scratched the surface on knowing you. He was simply enamored with the playful, quiet remarks you’d make, and the interest you took in his hobbies that didn’t involve removing peoples’ organs; he enjoyed the interest in him and the easy conversation, as if you were no more than an accessory or prop to him. It was all so superficial.

Law hasn’t seen the way you grit your teeth as you work through more pain than your small frame is capable of handling during a particularly grueling training session, unable to do anything but let out a scream and push harder, or the way you bite your cheeks and growl when frustrated with a painting, when none of the brushstrokes and hues appear how you had envisioned them. The determination brimming in your eyes, not just to get stronger and protect your crew, but also to perfect your craft and reach your dream, was completely lost on the surgeon.

He wasn’t aware that you got an indescribable high from hanging between the jaws of danger; you often sit with Luffy after dinner, dangling off the head of the Sunny, book precariously held in your head as you read. You fall from your perch quite often, but are never deterred, and always caught by a pair of rubber arms before you reach the crashing waves, laughing as he reels you back up to your seat. Truthfully, the two of you were a pair of little monkeys, Zoro lays back and watches with a small smile as you constantly fling each other around the ship, often at the expense of a few bruises and scrapes; none of them mattered as long as you felt the wind whipping through your hair and the sensation of feet off the ground.

Law didn’t know how deeply you cared, taking care of each of your crewmates often at the expense of your own well-being. He’d never caught you comforting Nami with a warm embrace as she dealt with painful memories, rubbing Usopp’s back as he dealt with his insecurities, or drying dishes with the cook, listening to him ramble about fond memories of his mother, or missing the old man he missed so deeply and the restaurant that had for so long been his home.

He hasn’t seen the way you messily slurp your tea with Robin and Brook in the early afternoon, making quiet conversation while you narrow your eyes at the developing sketch on the page in front of you. And he’s never seen you buzzing, sloppy, intoxicated, and slumped over the table in the library, giggling maniacally to the point of tears. Law hasn’t had the privilege of seeing the light that illuminates both from your eyes and from your drunk laughter, bouncing erratically off the walls and into Robin’s ears as she gives you an amused, playful smile and ruffles your hair.

He’s been denied the sight of sunlight casting a golden glow on your hair as you shake him awake from a nap with a sleepy smile, a kiss to the forehead, and a dreamy sigh. The heat running across your flushed cheeks and the warmth of your loving gaze was a sight reserved for Zoro alone, so precious that the mere thought was enough to feed him during years spent apart. Light—emanating and dripping from your essence—shone from your very soul, and Zoro would give nearly anything to keep basking in it.

Law simply doesn’t know you like Zoro does, and he could never; to a man that lurks in darkness beneath the waves, the tickling of the sun’s rays on his forearms is foreign and strange. And though Zoro is willing to die at any time if necessary, you make him choose life.

“You okay?” you ask him, hopping up to sit precariously on the railing of the Sunny. Your stare is curious as it picks him apart lovingly, carefully studying and cherishing each piece before putting them back together.

“Just thinking about you.” he replies, his tone laced with a softness that rendered it nearly unrecognizable. It’s a tone reserved for special moments like these, when he’s thinking and feeling so much more than usual.

Warmth and raw emotion pouring from your expression causes blood to pool in his cheeks; your feelings are unabashed, and he’s grateful they’re always written all over your face. Gaining comfort and reassurance from one simple glance is something Zoro never thought he would crave, let alone become accustomed to.

“So was I.” you say, leaning in closer and pressing a soft kiss to his temple. As you look at him with a gentle smile, aglow and framed by the sunset, you’re radiant and lovestruck, and just for him.

#one piece x reader #zoro x reader #roronoa zoro x reader #zoro x you #roronoa zoro x you #one piece fluff #zoro fluff #one piece fanfiction #one piece scenario #i love him i love him so so much #zoro x y/n #roronoa zoro x y/n

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thissupposedcrime · 3 months

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Zolu in One Piece Video Games

I put 65+ hours into One Piece Odyssey, a game in which the Strawhats are robbed of their powers and must relive memories of key events/battles (Alabasta/Crocodile, Dressrosa/Doflamingo, etc.) to earn them back. Post timeskip/pre-WCI so no Jinbe on the crew.

Zolu are wild in it, so enjoy the highlights.

Their general nonsense:

When they reunite early in the game, Luffy/Zoro greet each other first/only despite the whole crew being there

Shared brain cell of agreeing that “Charging through a marine outpost sounds like fun”

Don't communicate with words in battle and somehow both know what to do in Alabasta when their memories 'change'

During a fight with Aokiji in Water 7, Luffy is frozen solid, and only Sanji and Zoro can bring him back to the Merry. Zoro flawlessly navigates through the entire city and even points out what directions they must go in, much to Sanji’s surprise.

AKA the only time Zoro knows directions is when Luffy needs him most

While Luffy is injured and a conflict with the marines starts, Zoro takes the lead because “my crew is frozen”

Towards the end of the level, Zoro has a unique reaction (no one else does individually) when Luffy can’t beat Lucci and is the only strawhat to realize the Lucci in their memories is stronger

Once Luffy wins, Zoro’s unique dialogue is, again, “Seriously, you almost scared me back there.”

When going to Marineford memories, Zoro is the only one to comfort/check in with Luffy, asking if he’s alright/ready to do this. Luffy responds ‘yeah’ - and in that section, Zoro is the only person Luffy speaks to

Clicking on other crewmates just has them speaking, not Luffy responding to them

Similarly, post-Marineford, Zoro is the one to respond to Luffy’s “I’m glad everyone’s okay” with a ‘yeah’, because they don’t need to talk about it further.

In multiple situations, Luffy and Zoro are the only ones to realize an enemy is tracking them or ”not right” and will check with the other about it- “Did you notice?/Yup, they’re getting closer”

Since they’re usually placed together in cut scenes, Zoro is almost always the first crewmate ‘shown’ reacting to Luffy and often has minor, unique dialogue just for him

Zoro whines/demands to Luffy that he wants to fight in the coliseum in Dressrosa this time.

“I don’t want to, but if Luffy says so.”

At the game's ending, Zoro places himself in front of an injured Luffy to protect him (and had done that through the game)

“We’re more about the future than the past now, right Luffy?” “Right!” (their final lines are together).

Their unique ‘battle’/gameplay conversations are a riot:

They talk about killing specific monsters because they’re hungry

Zoro spots a swordsman and wants to fight them/Luffy cheers him on

Are very happy to keep fighting when the other ‘pushes’ an opponent into their area of battle (Nami is not!)

Zoro claims Luffy shouldn’t have to fight certain weak enemies and that he’s already about to beat them, even though Luffy complains he wants to fight too!

When they finish a battle, Zoro will sometimes reference the Baratie vow and that he’ll become a master swordsman, concludig with “Got a problem with that King of the Pirates?” as Luffy laughs and says "Nope!"

"You're in MY captain's way. Time to move it or lose it!"

Odyssey is focused on the whole crew and the island mystery they’re solving, but there was so much heart between everyone (Sanji saves Usopp, Robin affectionately calls Nami their reliable navigator). It was very obvious how much these two rely on each other and that Zoro isn’t just the swordsman but the first mate

#zolu #roanoa zoro #monkey d. luffy #luffy #one piece #one piece odyssey #let me know!#luzo #zoro #if anyone is interested in other crewmate interactions let me know #but god these two! THESE TWO!!!!

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salteytakesonmanga · 8 months

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And so begins Zoro’s obsession with “strength.”

This marks an interesting shift in his character. Before this his focus was on becoming stronger for the sake of his goal. The strength itself, enough to become the greatest swordsman, was the goal. Now, though, he’s thinking about everyone else. It’s not like the goal is different exactly, but now it encompasses a need to protect his crewmates.

Before when he talked about strength it was in relation to testing himself against other swordsmen like Mihawk and Hachi. Here he frames it as “cutting steel” or “destroying the candle,” but the reason he set those as the benchmark is because what he really wanted was to protect the others.

Just like this adventure gave Luffy a glimpse of just how huge the world is, it also showed Zoro just how much stronger he has to be if he wants to protect everyone. And as the story goes on, even as his strength increases, Zoro keeps seeing how much further yet he has to go, which feeds his obsession with becoming even stronger.

And wouldn’t you know it, dishonorable mention for getting this crucial line wrong. Though the word he uses can definitely mean “delayed,” here the meaning is more “bothered” or “inconvenienced.” He’s saying, “If I had been able to break that candle, nobody would have been held back.”

#one piece #op ch129 #saltey takes on one piece #zoro #roronoa zoro #Dishonorable Mention

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general-cyno · 5 months

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apparently it's the 15th anniversary of zoro's sacrifice in thriller bark (not sure if manga or anime though) so yknow. time for more zolu of course

one of the many things about zoro and luffy is that despite how their approach to certain situations might differ at times, they're still pretty similar at their core, sometimes to a comical degree (see: their definition of what a hero is back in fish man island arc). and this understanding of how the other works is what leads to moments like jaya,

this little one in water 7/enies lobby,

and follows consistently all the way to wano arc.

and I was thinking the other day about how their childhoods too kinda mirror or parallel each other's in a way that emphasizes (to me, at least) how special zoro's particular protectiveness toward luffy is, and why luffy relying on zoro that way is just as special.

the specifics of their childhood stories are different but both luffy and zoro have a turning point of sorts that's marked with the grief and loss of sabo and kuina, respectively, which leads them to say these:

(I cropped the panels, but luffy's also crying here)

it's important to note zoro and luffy had dreams/aspirations before this, to become the greatest swordsman and luffy's secret thing that we've yet to learn about (that ace, sabo and the crew now know). however, losing kuina and sabo is what prompts them to, on top of that, strive to become stronger for other people's sake. for zoro, it's his way to honor his friend and fulfill their shared dream. for luffy, it's to avoid losing the people he loves.

throughout the story, zoro and luffy end up expressing similar frustration and sentiments due to this. there's zoro innerly chiding himself for being too weak as he trains in the aftermath of arcs like little garden, alabasta and thriller bark, where the crew get stuck in situations in which zoro isn't able to help as he wishes he could (the wax cake, the sea prism stone cell, kuma). there's luffy swearing he won't lose a single member of his crew even if it kills him (the davy back fight) and reproaching himself for not being able to save any of the straw hats in sabaody, with the worst of it right after losing ace in marineford.

(and man do I have thoughts about bon turning into zoro, out of all the straw hats, back in impel down.)

anyway. as to why all of this is meaningful - when zoro agrees to join luffy, he mentions that his goal to become the greatest swordsman is all he has. yet as the straw hats go from journey to journey, and with a certain emphasis in luffy, you can see how zoro's view slowly shifts. he's now driving himself to become strong to protect them as well, to the point he's willing to set aside his ambition and offer his own head in exchange for luffy's, if it means he can ensure luffy's life and safety. that's huge. as mihawk inwardly points out, zoro has something, someone he values even more than his ambitions and pride. and it's through his adventures with luffy and the crew that he becomes closer to achieving that initial dream of his.

whenever people wonder why zoro's as loyal as he is to luffy, aside from all the reasons why luffy as a character has earned that loyalty through his actions, I also remember that one line koushiro said to zoro in a flashback: "the pinnacle of swordsmanship is the power to protect what one wishes to protect and cut what one wishes to cut. a blade that injures all that it touches isn't really a sword." while sure, it works in the context of later power ups like haki, imo it perfectly captures zoro's character growth too and what luffy's given him. the current zoro isn't lost or directionless with only one purpose in mind or to live for, bounty hunting as a means to survive. he has a home to return to, people to cherish, to protect and keep getting stronger for, people who nurture him in turn. kuina's death is something zoro couldn't have prevented, and losing people in accidents like those is something that could happen again, but still within the limits of what's preventable - zoro can protect his friends now.

as for luffy... zoro kinda steals the spotlight when it comes to grand gestures of loyalty/devotion and being the MC of the story means luffy fights for different people (both crew and non crew), carrying their wishes and hopes as if they were his own. he gets help and learns from others as well and all members of the crew are important for luffy to achieve his dream one way or the other, but the way he relies on zoro specifically is so subtly meaningful to me. we don't get as much insight on luffy's inner thoughts, still, we do have context.

for someone like luffy, who is at his innermost genuinely terrified of being alone and losing the people he loves, the fact that he trusts zoro to protect and keep everyone safe (even luffy himself) is so good. as shown above, luffy vowed to become strong in the first place to ensure he'd never go through loss like sabo's again and this vow is all the more renewed after ace's death. luffy has to be strong for everyone but... the fact that he can trust zoro to follow his lead even when others might not understand his reasons to do x or y, that he's so unwavering in his faith that zoro will protect the others when luffy can't, entrusting the people he cares about to zoro, whom luffy also cherishes - it's all pretty special. everyone in the crew has their strengths and zoro may not be the only fighter, but all of them, including sanji, fall under his protection whenever it's needed.

it's not only about raw strength though. zoro's also there to set luffy straight and remind him of what's important when the circumstances arise, like in water 7 or punk hazard. and even when they don't necessarily agree, like wrt vivi's situation after the reverie in marijoa, luffy knows when zoro's right and acquiesces (albeit grumbling a little) because, once again, he's also aware that zoro wouldn't just risk everyone's safety. luffy listens to him. and their reunion in wano too, luffy's sheer happiness at the sight of him again, is a very clear example of how much luffy adores zoro even beyond all that.

although luffy isn't aware of what happened in thriller bark (that we know of), zoro's actions are proof of why luffy trusts, has faith in, and relies on zoro as much as he does and why it's so important for luffy to have him by his side, considering how afraid he is of being unable to keep his loved ones safe. this is more on a speculative note, but I can imagine how comforting that must be for luffy - to not shoulder that on his own.

happy anniversary!

#zolu #tp #long post #yeah it's me. again #happy anniversary to zoro reinventing love and devotion for luffy y'all #I meant to add but I would've gone on a longer tangent if I had AJSJ #that yeah you could count whiskey peak as the one time luffy didn't trust zoro but eh it's like #1) I'm not sure how much of it was meant to be serious 2) their chemistry is so ridiculous they can't even fight properly #without falling into sync with one another and 3) luffy doesn't doubt zoro's intentions after that again #aaand you could argue this whole unwavering faith in zoro may have its drawbacks (sabaody) but #within the story it's not really something he holds against luffy but it is something that at least motivates him #to tell luffy to get his shit together. which is tasty imo #jay reads op

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beanghostprincess · 5 months

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there's just something so inherently poetic and romantic about zoro's devotion to luffy during all of wano that makes me go completely insane.

he sees luffy for the first time in like a week, which might not seem much but for them, who are used to feeling each other's presence all the time and did not have a good experience with being separated, it's torture to not be together. so of course they go all happy, kicking their feet and blushing when they reunite. then his captain is like "hey, this is tama. tama is our friend now" and zoro takes it extremely seriously and protects that random kid he has no connection to because luffy says so and, well, because she's just a kid and everything, but still i think zoro instantly accepting to adopt tama is really cute.

zoro acts like luffy's enabler during this arc, because his captain might do the most impulsive and reckless shit, and the dude will support him to death. even when he's just competing against kid and law to see who's stronger (or the dumbest), luffy is the most serious he's ever been here. of course, zoro has some moments of "okay, gotta stop this idiot" but it turns out zoro is fucking stupid too, and getting into a fight in the middle of a party while you look for your captain is just,,, so them.

and all of this is just silly moments that make you think "oh, okay, zoro is whipped, yes. we already knew that". but then he pulls the most romantic and poetic things we've ever witnessed in anime history and honestly, i fucking lose it every time he does things like this.

drake goes to them and asks if he can be on their side (btw dude could have just told luffy he knew koby somehow but okay) and zoro instantly goes 'protective first mate' mode and says "haha no the fuck you're not. disloyal people are the worst and you'll always be like that. once you betray someone there's no going back" which is something i love about zoro because, even if from his perspective drake was actually a member of kaido's crew and they're supposed to be the bad guys, zoro respects loyalty so fucking much that he doesn't care whose side are you on as long as you have your priorities and beliefs on the right place. i find that beautiful, especially knowing what comes next.

zoro is gifted a sword that theoretically could cut hell, to then being then perceived as the king of hell for the same reason, and then actually going to the battlefield and referring to it as hell itself because they're fighting to death against two emperors and saying "if you're sending our captain to hell, you'll have to take me with him" because he would quite literally go to hell for luffy. and then the guy goes and tells law "hey, this is going to hurt like a bitch and i might probably die. if that happens, you know, just take care of the rest because luffy trusts you too" and he goes and awakens his conqueror's haki without even meaning to and not even giving a single fuck when kaido tells him because his only ambition and will at the moment is protecting luffy and fighting for him. that, and also the countless times he saves luffy without hesitation during this fight, which are too much to remember but i swear every time he gets in between one of kaido's attacks and luffy, my heart does a backflip and i die. and also, the gentleness in which zoro treats luffy when he can't fight. the way he protects him when luffy puts all of his undying trust on zoro. they make me go wild.

the fact that luffy is constantly saying in this fight (and always, of course) that he's going to be the pirate king and showing it clearly with all of his parallelisms to roger, and then zoro pulling things that make him quite obviously the king of hell, just makes the whole "captain and first mate" thing seem so little for what they actually are. because we have 3 different couples of this kind in this story, and nobody compares to these two, because they're not just a captain and his first mate, they're literally kings. and i haven't watched more (i'm on episode 1030 if you're curious, uta time!) but i'm so excited to see how this develops. especially knowing the religious undertones behind whatever the fuck gear fifth is supposed to be (except for a lil cute and powerful af looney tune).

#anyway i love the way they love #and this is just ZORO's POV #imagine the way luffy acts too around him in wano #i could talk for hours about the amount of trust luffy has on zoro #they're gonna be the death of me #one piece #roronoa zoro #monkey d luffy #zolu #wano

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brainrotcharacters · 7 months

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HIII! could you please write a nami x f reader?

maybe just them being domestic? like the side of nami most don't get to see, r always has

they've been together for a couple of years now

things like cuddling (facing each other), night routines, etc

r is shorter than nami too, top of head just barely (if even) reaching her chin (this is needed info for any hugs🤭)

pls and thank you! :) <<<333

ship: Nami x fem!reader

summary: A day in the life aboard the Going Merry, as Nami's girlfriend from home.

a/n: requested by @fairy-geek-ackerman

tags: reader is shorter than Nami, established relationship, cuddling, events occur after one piece live action season 1, events occur in the span of a day, I now headcanon Nami as gift giving love language, reader is physical touch love language, we vibe with Sanji because Sanji vibes with us, Zoro cameo

"There you are." You yawn, ascending the stairs to the stern of the boat. Nami smiled at the sound of your voice, one hand idle on the helm as she examined her maps.

"I'm not going anywhere, you know." The early morning sunlight was soft against her features as she peered up at you. The wind blew stronger for a moment, and her free hand shot out to pin the map page on the nearby desk.

You lift one of your daggers― decorative, inlaid with polished stone, and heavy enough to act as paperweight. You place it on the upper left corner of the largest of the maps. "I know. Luffy would get you back."

Nami chuckled. After Luffy and the rest of Nami's boys had freed Coco Village from Arlong's crew, they learned about the girlfriend that Nami left at home. It didn't take much for them to convince their navigator (Nami wanted for you to come with them anyway) to invite you onboard.

"Oh, wow." She stepped back, watching you pluck up all sorts of things from your pockets to help pin the maps in place. Aside from the dagger, she also recognized a bracelet with a real citrine stone, and a glass vial of dried blue paint courtesy of Nojiko. "You never threw anything away, did you?"

"You said you liked giving me gifts," you lean back against the desk, protecting the rest of the maps from the wind. "So I'll keep every gift you give me."

Her eyes softened, a combination of fondness and understanding as she studied you. "You're very... you."

Your lips curl up in a small smile. "I love you too."

Nami reached out a hand, and you stepped into her arms, the top of your head barely reaching her chin. Her grip around your waist was more affectionate and confident than before. You lift your chin, nuzzling into her neck.

The scent of tangerines clung to Nami's skin. She must have checked on the garden earlier. You breathe in the scent of home, the scent of her, and your own arms wrap around her body a bit tighter.

After what felt like an eternity but was only actually a minute, an elegant male voice interrupted the peaceful creaking of the ship's hull. "Isn't that adorable? I've never seen you be so affectionate before."

Sanji was smiling up at you both from the foot of the stairs, bearing a tray in one hand. Two steaming cups sat on the tray. "Good morning to you two lovely ladies. Made you your coffee, as requested. For Nami, two milks, one sugar; for Y/n, two milks, two sugar."

He reached halfway up the stairs before you happily accepted the tray from him. "Much appreciated, Sanji. Thank you."

"Of course," he tilted his head in a graceful nod. "Breakfast will be ready in an hour. I suggest you get there ten minutes before Luffy does."

Nami returned to the helm, smiling as she reached for her cup of coffee. "We'll be there. How'd you know what coffee I liked?"

Sanji motioned towards you, and you offered your girlfriend a sheepish, shameless smile. Nami smiled over the lip of her cup, rolling her eyes.

Even with your nose buried in the novel you were reading, you can feel Zoro's attention on you and Nami.

Both of you were sitting on the stairs at the ship's bow, Nami seated behind you so she could braid your hair close to your head. Her legs are braced on either side of your body, and from the way you felt them stiffen, you could tell she had a thin tolerance for Zoro's glancing. "What?"

He didn't need to be addressed, but still reacted. "Nothing."

You sucked on the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from laughing. You can feel Nami's frustration make her fingers heavier. Three... Two... One... "Since when do you know how to braid?"

You couldn't help but snicker, patting Nami's knee at your side. She understood your cue, and let you explain. "My dad taught us. Nojiko and Nami often visited the house when we were kids."

Zoro studied you for a moment, then turned his attention back towards the island several miles away. "All right."

Luffy wanted to dock here because he said he smelled something delicious, which Sanji interpreted as a personal challenge. Usopp had joined them out of whimsy. Luffy asked the three of you to stay aboard and protect the ship, but you heard Nami mutter how he just didn't want her and Zoro to keep him in line. "Think they're okay?" Zoro asked.

The tallest building on the island suddenly exploded.

Zoro looked surprised for all of two seconds before he groaned, rubbing his face in frustration. Nami's fingers froze in the middle of another braid in your hair. "Seriously...?"

You offer her a hair tie, giggling. "Just tie it where you stopped, and let's go."

That evening, when everyone had settled in to sleep, you and Nami laid together in bed. Your arms were snugly wrapped around her bare back, skin flush against your own. You returned to your natural position, lifting your chin to nuzzle her neck as she slowly untangles the braids in your hair.

Along with the creaking of the Merry and the sound of the ocean waves, Nami's breathing was incredibly soothing to hear. "So. You survived another day with these idiots. What now?"

You let out a quiet chuckle as you fell further into sleep. "You won't get rid of me so easily, Nami."

Her chest rose and fell as she sighed. "Good."

"Mhhm." you snuggled closer against her, and Nami tangled her legs around yours.

When you were able to find a comfortable position, you started kissing the skin of her collarbones softly. Nami smiled, smoothing out your hair. "Good night, Y/n. Love you."

"I love you, Nami." You murmur into her skin.

#one piece live action #one piece #opla nami #opla nami x reader #one piece live action nami #opla x reader #one piece live action x reader #nami x reader #nami x fem!reader #nami x f reader #opla nami x fem!reader #one piece live action nami x fem reader #you have to know that the best part of your request was the height difference #my touch deprived ass connected cuddling to height difference

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goddessofroyalty · 3 months

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Fandom: One Piece

I wanted to play around with Luffy’s relationship with ZoSan in omegaverse and kept coming back to this idea of him being really invested in them bonding because it means people know they are taken and nobody could take either of them away. This is basically that.

Pairings: Zoro/Sanji, (you can also definitively read Zoro/Sanji/Luffy into this but Luffy's relationship to them can also be read platonically)

Tags: omegaverse

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Their captain apparently has an uncanny ability to know the exact moment they formalized their mate bond.

Maybe it’s a result of that sense of smell of his that is far sharper than any beta’s should be. Or perhaps it’s just part of the seemingly unconscious awareness he has of when exactly his crew need him. But they have only just settled in the afterglow of proper mated sex, pressed against each other with a dull ache of a fresh bite on their necks and the warmth of heat still under Sanji’s skin when knuckles knock against the door in a hurried song.

“Are you guys done? Let me in!” Luffy calls from the other side.

Zoro shares a look with Sanji. It’s pointless trying to deter him they both know.

Sanji roots around to reach for where he left his cigarettes by the makeshift nest as Zoro gets up to let their captain in. Slipping on pants on his way like modesty is something they might care about now.

Luffy practically launches himself over to Sanji once the door is open. Wrapping stretchy limbs all around him as he twists Sanji’s head to the side to give him a better a better look at the fresh bite on the gland on Sanji’s neck. One they hadn’t even known they were planning to do until they were in the moment and the weight of everything suddenly hit them and made them finally realize they had been dragging it out for no good reason.

“Oh, wow,” Luffy says, prodding against the tender flesh. “You can see each of Zoro’s teeth.”

Zoro grunts at it, pacing along the borders of the room moving stuff around. If asked he’d likely claim he’s looking for something to drink but from where Sanji’s sitting it looks more like an alpha marking the border of their mate’s nest.

Sanji should probably be annoyed at the implication that he needs to be protected, or worse, guarded over like some stolen treasure.

He’s not because it’s not. They trust in each other’s strengths but watch each other’s backs.

Luffy demands Sanji’s attention back onto him by nuzzling against Sanji’s neck as if he’s trying to rub his beta scent over that of an alpha’s fresh mating. If anyone could it would be Luffy.

Zoro watches it with more patience than could expect of an alpha as someone else paws over their mate. Especially when said mate is still in the middle of a heat and the bite is so fresh. Even if the person in question is his pack head. Zoro’s trust and loyalty in his captain stronger than instinct.

“Everyone will know you’re Zoro’s now,” Luffy chatters happily as he continues to examine the bite like it’s more interesting than just teeth and flesh. “They can’t take you from us now.”

Sanji swallows his guilt at the words. Tries not to think of how comforted what is a rather possessive declaration from their captain makes him.

“How will they know they can’t take Zoro though?” Luffy asks. Twisting his head to look over at where Zoro is pacing.

“He has a bite too,” Sanji assures their captain. There was no way he was going to let this be a one-way claim.

“Really!? Let me see!” Luffy stretches out an arm to tug Zoro over to sit next to them on the nest. Untangling himself from Sanji only so much so he can press and twist Zoro to better see the bit on his neck as well.

Zoro glares weakly at them both for it. But he lets Luffy do as he pleases.

“Oh! Zoro’s bite is deeper than Sanji’s!” Luffy says with a laugh.

“What!?” Sanji says the same time as his new mate.

Luffy grabs hold of Sanji’s head to twist it so he can see his neck and bite better. Eyes darting between the two bites.

“Yeah. It’s definitively deeper. Sanji really didn’t want anyone taking Zoro,” Luffy confirms with a laugh.

Sanji hadn’t thought he had bitten down any harder than Zoro had him. He had only been returning what he had been given.”

“Hey captain,” Zoro says, his gaze locked on Sanji, eyes darkening by the moment. “Can you leave us for a bit?”

“Huh?” Luffy asks, his nostrils suddenly flaring. “Oh, you need to bite him some more now?”

“Something like that,” Zoro agrees. And Snaji is very glad he’s still wrapped up in the nest, because he doesn’t want Luffy knowing how much of an effect that tone in Zoro’s voice has on him.

“Right,” Luffy says with a nod. Detangling where he has his limbs wrapped around the two of them so he can leave.

“Have fun,” he says before slipping out of the room but Sanji isn’t really paying attention to him anymore. Much more focused on how Zoro is climbing on top of him, alpha-scent thick in the air.

“Don’t want anyone else taking me?” Zoro asks, all teeth.

“Shut up,” Sanji says, pulling him closer for a kiss.

#One Piece #ZoSan #ZoSanlu #roronoa zoro #zoro x sanji #vinsmoke sanji #monkey d. luffy #blackleg sanji #Omegaverse #One Piece omegaverse #black leg sanji #I accidently a ficlet

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l0n3ly-gh0st205 · 1 year

Text

One piece boys having to watch you die

I'm in a sad mood, so here's some angst!

Comments are greatly appreciated! If the spacing is weird it’s cause I pasted this from my notes app

Luffy

It was supposed to be easy, just a tiny rumble with the marines, so why did you have to jump out in front of the sea stone net?

Why did you have to get captured while the rest of the crew ran, not realizing you weren't with them?

Why did you have to get executed?

Luffy would go on a rampage; he was confident in himself, sure he could get you back, determination and anger simmering just under his skin. He’d already lost one person to the marines, and he refused to lose another. The entire crew had stormed the execution platform, but the marines were ready. They didn't spare time, gloating and goading out the pirates as they did with ace.

No, your death was quick; you could barely scream out for your lover as the blades impaled your form.

Luffy thought that your death was too quiet, unfitting for his partner.

He wouldn't think you would be dead, though. No, he would fly onto the platform, holding your broken figure, trying to wake you up, trying to get you home to the thousand sunny. Trying to deny the fact that you were gone.

For a short amount of time, he’d be inconsolable, thinking he should of been faster, stronger, but unlike Ace’s death he had his crew, his family with him this time

They’d all help him grieve, they’d make sure each and everyone single person was okay before starting for there next adventure, because you know luffy wouldn’t stop, he has a goal, and now he’s determined to complete that goal, if not with you by his side, then in your memory.

Zoro

Unlike his captain, your death wouldn't be at the hands of marines if Zoro was your lover. No, Zoro wouldn't have even realized you were killed; he was too caught up in his captain's adventures to think that someone would try and use you to get to him. To break the unbreakable king of hell.

He wouldn't know of your death till the killer was face to face with him, taunting him in a battle about how weak, how useless the swordsman was, that he couldn't even protect what was most dear to him.

Guiltily, Zoro’s first thought would even be about you. He would think of Luffy, of his crew, thinking that he couldn't protect them before coming to you. His sweet S/O, his lover who he thought was hidden away from the prying eyes of the marines and enemies. Oh, how wrong he was. He was quick to find your body after defeating the killer. He blamed himself, blamed himself for being too weak, for not being able to protect you, for even getting you involved with him in the first place; after all, if you never loved him, perhaps you would still be alive.

He’d be extremely distant from the others as a result, Luffy is one of the only people that can actually talk to him if he wanted to. He’s confident in luffy, even in Sanji so he knows he doesn’t have to worry. Both him and Luffy have goals, so they’d continue to strive towards it no matter what.

Sanji

If you died, Sanji would be the most emotionally destroyed cause he almost relies on his ability to protect you and care for you, it gives him a reason to live, and it’s his primary motivation when you are together, compared to you all blue is nothing.

I imagine your death was quiet, not from a battle or someone’s rage. Your end came naturally through illness. Something that not even chopper could control or save you from. You knew you were dying while he didn’t, and it was your choice to force chopper not to tell anyone. You knew how destroyed he would be, and you selfishly couldn’t bare to see it. So you decided to leave him letters and told him to read them when you weren’t around anymore.

At first, he laughed you off, assuming you meant if you ever went on a solo mission, not fathoming the thought that his time with you was limited. As you watched him smile and laugh with his crew, you couldn’t help but feel as though you’d made the right decision; seeing him, so content made you come to terms with your limited time. When you did finally pass, Sanji was inconsolable. He blames himself for not being able to see it in time, he blamed you for not telling him, and he blamed god for burdening you with such an illness when he finally read your letters, detailing your time from knowing your diagnosis to days before you passed his emotions were even worse.

Nami had to take over the cooking while Zoro offered silent support to his friend. But Luffy was probably the most comforting voice through it all, having lost his brother in a similar sudden way, I could imagine Sanji trying to push luffy away, even threatening to leave the sunny till Luffy plopped his hat on Sanji’s head and pulled him into a tight hug, and tells him how you wouldn’t want him to be sad, that you wrote those letters to him to make sure he wasn’t painful, and Sanji would break. His road to recovery was a lot longer than the others.

Ace

If you were to love Ace, you would have to come to terms with most likely dying by his hand. Ace’s flames weren't soothing like Marco’s. They didn't heal. As much as he liked to think he had control over his power, he could still be overcome by emotion. He could still lash out and destroy anything he saw fit. That's why you loved him, of course, and that's why he was white beards, second commander.

I could imagine it being after thatch's death, trying to comfort Ace as he blamed himself for not seeing the signs of betrayal. His power seeped out his rage, his flames taking a mind of their own. Anger and grief burned around him. He could feel you trying, your hands running down his arm, calming him enough to hear your sobs and screams coming from his flames.

It's only when macro forcefully kicks ace away from you that he starts coming to his senses, seeing your burned body, sobbing while begging him to come back to you, seeing how Marco's flames weren't enough to heal you, feeling the other commanders having to hold him down so he couldn't hurt anyone else, it destroyed him.

When he finally calmed down enough to control his flames, he begged to see you, to make sure you were okay, to make sure he didn’t kill you. But Marco was working, tirelessly to save your life, nurses coming in and out while ace begged just to get a glance of you. I can imagine when he’s finally told of your passing, he knows it’s his fault, he knows that he killed you, and he knows that no matter what your blood will always be on his hands. Although unlike with thatch, pops knew that your death was a mistake, and he knew that you would come back to haunt him if he blamed ace.

Of course, just because pops or the crew wasn’t holding him responsible didn’t mean he didn’t think he was, he’d search for teach with new vigor, wanting to turn both of them into the marines. So that both of them could atone for the same sin.

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luffyvace · 3 months

Text

Luffy x male reader hcs ☆

Cuz yeaaaaa I never see this?? I’m sure there’s some male luffy simps out there somewhere !!

come get your food I know you exist!! <3

Now luffy’s not gentle with anyone

but if your a guy he assumes you can handle yourself, weak or not

Why? Because your a man! And men have to do what a man has to do

Luffy has mentioned multiple times to protect nami

because she’s a young girl! (Not a grown woman—she’s eight-TEEN)

robin is strong and has a devil fruit so she’s different!

nami has average feats besides some decent durability

but yeah so he’s not gentle at all

you may get treated like zoro and usopp

you two probably seem more like best friends than a couple

luffy drags you EVERYWHERE on your adventures!

like literally you don’t remember a time where you two are separated

which leads me to believe one of his love languages are quality time

playing together, fishing together, fighting side by side, exploring together

did you notice how many times I said together??

yes!! Because your never apart!!!

so, what’s the other love language??

why physical touch of course!

luffy has no concept of personal space

as we know

so he’s always slingshotting onto you, hopping on you back (even if your smaller), dragging you around, whatever!

he does this subconsciously of course

The crew gets this as well but with as touchy as he is with you, you can tell you two are the couple of the group

don’t bother with dates unless you want to have a eating competition

that’s a date he’ll gladly take on without RUINING

In fact he wins!

every time-

no matter what type of competition it is luffy will never hold back

not even to make you feel better 🤷‍♀️

if you’re just as hyper as him you two are the chaotic duo

nami is always scolding and punching you both

not that you learn your lesson or anything

you guys are always doing stupid stuff like challenges and pranks

and bothering your fellow straw hats when you get bored

🤪

With a more rational boyfriend

luffy doesn’t calm down at all

nor does he listen to you any better than nami

he drags you around on his silly adventures whether you want to or not

in fact that may be how you joined in the first place!

(you remind me of law—platonically)

Luffy always laughs and says “come on m/n it’ll be fun!” Whenever you express you don’t wanna do something

yeah he’s not a great listener

but he is good at picking up on feelings!

so if your genuinely sad he can tell straight away you aren’t your normal self, even if your the world’s best actor

m/n being more sentimental/emotional actually kinda goes hand in hand with luffy since he can pick up on those if nothing else

although you’ll be going through a roller coaster of said emotions-

at least he listens to your demands a little more

Unlike zoro for example as to where he doesn’t get to finish his sentences 🤦‍♀️😬

if luffy ever gifts you something it’ll either be so perfectly accurate (you probably think someone helped him but he did it by himself and didn’t think much of it)

or 😬😬😟

“gee..thanks luffy..”

”no problem m/n!” 😊👍

LOL

if your weak luffy won’t train with you-

you either train with zoro or get stronger with time

it’s not that he doesn’t want to

it just doesn’t cross his mind

he spent 10 years training, he thinks he’s pretty good

All he needs now is experience and adventure!

but if you ask him? Sure!

(im warning you this is training and he doesn’t hold back, especially since your a guy)

idk why luffy thinks guys can handle everything??

like dang you could be a lil gentle..?

anyway yeah

if your strong? Great!

now you can fight along side him :)

random

luffy tells you about everything and anything

Even stuff you don’t wanna know..

”OIII M/N COME LOOK A FISH POOPED IN THE OCEAN!! USOPP WASN’T LYING!”

what??

YUP I’m ending it there 😜

Hopefully my male readers enjoyed this!~ more op content coming soon💗

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cosmicmagicgirl · 1 year

Text

Do you trust me? - Comfort/Hurt/Fluff - Luffy x F/Reader.

@littleblueeyedmoon request: Hi! I saw that your request are open, and i thought I’d give it a try. Could i request some comfort/hurt ending with fluff with an insecure reader about her value with Luffy?

First he found her on that island, and obviously protected her from the Cidre Guild's attacks. It wouldn't be enough to just fall in during Empress Hancock's bath, Luffy also had to be oblivious to all the woman's advances. Not that you could get too mad at him, his laid back and innocent personality is what won you over in the first place.

Loving Luffy is not hard, in fact, it is the easiest thing. It's like breathing, you just do it. He was the sun itself, which is slightly ironic since his ship is the Thousand Sunny, but it's the truth, Luffy was easy to love and warmed the heart of anyone who was in his presence. However, being in the presence of someone like that makes you question your own worth, not that this is your captain's fault, but it is because he was an amazing human being in every sense of the word, it is true when we say that everyone is capable of loving Luffy to some level. That included all kinds of people, especially women.

This intensified after the two years you were apart, you trained hard, but not being by Luffy's side when he lost Ace made you feel terrible, you didn't want to imagine the extent of his pain...

And it only got worse when you learned that during this whole process the famous Empress Boa Hancock was present, and had a crush on your captain. You wish you could have been there, hugged Luffy and dried all the tears that might have run down your face during the nightmares of every night, but you weren't. You just buried it in your chest and moved on knowing that Luffy wouldn't take any of it from you, it seemed such a petty thing to feel jealous of the Empress at that point, and it was his order even that you all get stronger and get back together again two years later.

Would you be something after that time? Not that you had labeled your relationship, but before it was obvious to everyone in the crew that you were together. Was it a normal relationship? Definitely not, because nothing with Luffy could be normal. However, you knew he was with you and you were happy, but now what?

When you met again you decided to keep deep down that little insecurity that had settled in your mind during the period when you were apart.

But it has been a bit hard for you...

Luffy was never one to flirt with anyone, so that was never something you would worry about. The problem is that he was too oblivious and too kind for his own good....

You wanted to have been happy that Luffy had found the invitation to the Pirate Festival, but the interaction with Hancock looped through your mind, so nothing the crew talked about made you feel excited. However, you knew how to fake it well, you were always good at hiding your feelings, you just didn't know how far you could mask your insecurities.

So when Luffy smiled and announced "Let's set sail, our destination is Delta Island" you put your best smile on your face and agreed.

Well, the Festival couldn't have been worse for you, I mean, you even tried to have fun with the girls and Chopper while shopping, but your mind was away. However, nothing is bad enough that it can't get worse, that's what you thought when you were thrown to the other side of Delta Island by Douglas Bullet when you tried to protect Usopp and the treasure that would be Luffy's. You fell straight into the sea, and blacked out.

You woke up with Nami calling you and putting pressure on your chest.

- Thank God you're awake! - she sighed with relief. - What a fright you gave me!

You got up quickly and let all the water out of your lungs.

- I'm sorry - you forced a smile. - Is everyone all right?

Nami smiled and handed you a towel.

- Yes, I mean... Luffy is still fighting that thing - she pointed to the other side of the island.

You got to your feet with some difficulty and tried to hand the towel back to Nami.

- I should get back? - you said.

- Look! It's Shichibukai Empress Boa Hancock! - you heard Bartolomeo shout.

Nami and you looked in her direction from a considerable distance.

- Listen up! No matter what I do, the whole world will be at my feet. Do you know why? - said the woman. - Because I'm too beautiful!

Nami rolled her eyes.

A Navy captain shouted some order, but received a nervous response from the Empress.

- Shut up! - she shouted. - Where is Luffy?

Your body tensed, and you gripped the towel in your hands tighter when you saw Hancock heading toward where Luffy was supposed to be fighting.

Nami looked back at you and grabbed your hand.

- Hey... are you okay? - she asked worriedly.

When your friend touched your hand you automatically made a mental note to hide your reactions better, so you blinked at her and gave her a big smile.

- Yes, thank you for saving me, Nami - you shook her hand back. - I'll help with the Navy ships.

She frowned.

- I thought you were going back to help Luffy.

You forced a laugh from your lips.

- I'd only be in the way, the Captain doesn't need my help. - you tried to soften your voice as much as possible. - I'm going now.

- Hey, wait! - Nami shouted, but to no avail.

You were already gone.

It was no surprise to you when they said that Luffy had destroyed the Eternal Pose for Laugh Tale, it was just his style to do that. Everyone went back to the ship, Usopp was still sleeping because of his injuries, but in the end everyone was safe and sound.

It was quite an adventure.

And just when you thought you could finally calm your mind since the events with Boa Hancock and the Cidre's Guild, you couldn't be more wrong. The Empress decided to sail her ship side by side with Sunny for a few days, that meant she would be by Luffy's side the whole time and her dear captain wouldn't do anything about it, of course he wouldn't, why would he? Were you really something? Did you compare in beauty and strength to the great Shichibukai? God, you were sure you didn't.

Having to see all the moments when she declared herself and showed her affection for your boyfriend, while he just smiled and continued to play with Usopp only dug an even deeper hole in your chest.

It was here that you realized that your mask was about to come off, and it would be awful to have someone ask about it, you felt like such an idiot for letting your feelings get the worst of you. But gosh, it was so painful to think that you would never be enough for him, it would be easier to just feel an emptiness inside - like you felt before you met Luffy.

Looking at your pictures together in your little notebook reminded you of when you first met the straw hat. Meeting Luffy was like spending years in the desert searching for water and finding an oasis, it was like receiving a warm, cozy lap after spending years in a snowstorm alone, and most of all it was hope. Thinking about losing Luffy to someone who would probably be much better than you only made the shame of yourself increase - you were pathetic.

So you did what you thought would be best, you isolated yourself. As long as the Empress remained, you would avoid leaving the room and take any task that would get you away from everyone. Your insecurities took over your mind, and the last thing you needed was for any of your companions to feel sorry for you or just try to comfort you. You loved them, but you couldn't handle it now?

That's what you thought at least.

You walked up to the crow's nest and spotted the one you were looking for - Zoro was sleeping as usual. You kicked his feet gently to wake him up.

He opened one of his eyes.

- I was awake, you know.

You rolled your eyes and laughed.

- I just wanted to make sure - you said as you crossed your arms. - You can go to sleep, I'll pick up your shift.

Zoro raised one eyebrow.

- Again? - he said, getting up.

- Yes - you answered bluntly. - Don't you want to go to sleep?

This time the green-haired man crossed his arms.

- You've been taking all night shifts for three days now, and I ask you, don't you want to go to sleep?

You sat down with your back to him and stared at the Empress ship through the window.

- No, I'm fine - you stretched and picked up the new book Robin had given you as a present at the Festival.

Zoro stared at you, and scratched the back of his neck.

- You want to talk-

You interrupted him.

- Good night, Zoro - and began to read the book.

The swordsman sighed and walked away, leaving you in the company of silence and your newest book.

-Y/n! - called Luffy, smiling. - Come here!

You smiled and went toward Sunny's head, Luffy's favorite spot.

He stretched out his arms and wrapped them around your waist, and pulled you up.

- Luffy! - you exclaimed. - Careful, we might fall!

He laughed with a toothy grin.

- Shishishi - he hugged you tight. - I'll never let you fall, y/n! Don't you trust me?

You were surprised at his words, but then you smiled at him with all the affection your heart could muster.

- Of course I trust you, Captain. - you took his hand in yours. - The future King of Pirates would never let me fall!

And he smiled even wider as you watched the sunset.

You could already see the sun rising over the horizon, so you knew that Sanji would be waking up to prepare breakfast. Knowing this you dispelled the memories that hit you, went downstairs and straight to the kitchen to have your coffee before everyone else, and then stay in your room for the rest of the day.

As soon as you entered the kitchen Sanji welcomed you with a gentle smile.

- I see you've picked up the watch again - he said, handing you a cup of tea. - May I ask how long you will be doing this, sweetie?

You smiled at your friend thanking him for the tea.

- How long will I be taking shifts? - you played dumb.

Sanji went back to the stove and had his back to you.

- He can be pretty stupid most of the time - you smiled. - But he's not stupid, you know...

You picked up one of the muffins he had put on the table.

- Thanks for breakfast, Sanji - you finished drinking your tea and eating, and got up to put them in the sink since Sanji would never allow you to wash them.

And so you made your way to the girls' room.

Nami had probably already got up to take her shower, so she was not in the room, but Robin was.

- Picked up the watch again I suppose? - she said in her soft voice.

You put your things on the table, got into bed and covered yourself up.

- I wanted to read that book, so this is the best time - you replied. Robin agreed.

- Luffy asked about you all day yesterday - she reported. - But I told him you were asleep, because you spent the night on watch.

Your body froze.

- Right... - you curled up even closer under the covers. - Thank you, Robin.

Robin walked over to the table and picked up the book you were reading, you had read fewer pages than usual, she concluded by marking it.

- Perhaps you would like to know that the Empress will be leaving with her ship soon? - she stared at you, but you didn't move. - Perhaps tomorrow.

You sat up in bed.

- God, this is so ridiculous. - you rubbed your face. - It's so obvious to all of you, isn't it?

- Well, isolating yourself might not have been very subtle. - Nami's voice came, she had just entered the room.

- Maybe I'm just tired of being subtle - you muttered.

- It's about time, finally then! - she exploded.

Robin laughed.

You threw yourself back on the bed.

- You have to tell him. - Nami said.

You snorted.

- That's pretty obvious, Nami, thanks - you said ironically. - It hadn't even crossed my mind.

- Apparently it didn't even cross your mind since you're avoiding him like a plague! - she said nervously. - Consequently driving us all away together.

You sighed.

- I know, I'm sorry...

- Just get rid of whatever's bothering you - Nami ordered. - You always keep everything to yourself, if you don't want to talk to Luffy about it yet, at least talk to us. We're your friends.

Robin agreed.

- I feel so stupid about this. - you admitted. - I hate feeling this way, it's frustrating - you started to feel your eyes sting. - I just don't feel that I'm worthless to Luffy, not as someone special...

- Like a girlfriend - Nami concluded.

You agreed.

And it was a good few minutes of you pouring out your insecurities about how you felt compared to the famous Empress, and it didn't help that Luffy didn't seem to show any romantic feelings about you. Nami and Robin were kind enough to wipe away your tears and hug you to stifle the sobs that insisted on coming from your lips.

They stayed there until you fell asleep.

Nami looked at Robin and sighed in annoyance as they both left the room.

- How long do you think she has been feeling like this? I mean, it's a long time if it's been on her mind since our separation.

Robin paused for a moment to think.

- If it came up because of the Empress, then yes, it is since our separation. I'm not surprised she's like this - they approached the kitchen. - It's a long time feeding these insecurities.

- It's understandable that she doesn't want to see them - said Nami.

- Who doesn't want to see who? - a voice behind them asked.

Nami and Robin were startled.

- Luffy!

The boy let out a laugh.

- So, what were you two talking about? - he turned his head to the side in confusion, his typical confused expression.

Nami stammered.

- I was talking about a new book I bought at the Festival - Robin answered. - It's a novel.

Luffy stared at them for a moment and then agreed indifferently.

- SANJI!!! FOOD!!! - shouted the captain.

Everyone was already in the kitchen, ready to attack the food Sanji had prepared.

However, as soon as Luffy went to take the cookies to his mouth, he stopped for a moment staring at all his companions as if looking for something.

- Where is y/n? - he asked confused.

Everyone was silent.

Luffy blinked a few times in confusion, then Sanji spoke.

- Our dear y/n-swan has already had breakfast - he brought the cigarette to his lips. - She was watching last night.

Again silence reigned in the room.

- Again? - asked the captain. - Wasn't it Zoro's turn?

Everyone was surprised.

- She asked to take my place - said the swordsman, taking another piece of cake.

Luffy frowned and his face became serious.

- Is she having trouble sleeping? - asked Chopper. - She needs rest....

The poor reindeer seemed to be the only one besides her captain who didn't know what was going on.

- Y/n-san asked me yesterday to take my next shift - said Brook. - And my shift is tonight...

Luffy got up without even touching his food and went towards the kitchen door.

- Luffy! Wait! - called Nami. - She's tired, we let her sleep. Talk to her later, okay?

Luffy didn't stop and left.

Nami sighed tiredly, and Robin smiled.

- I hope they work things out - Usopp said with his mouth full. - No one can contain Luffy like y/n, he's been hard to keep up with these days.

- But with the Empress here, suuuper not cool! - Frank was sincere. - Poor y/n... our captain is very oblivious.

- Yo-ho-ho-ho - laughed Brook. - The Empress Boa Hancock didn't leave him alone for a second.

- That idiot! - Sanji whined with envy.

Luffy was determined to find you and find out why you were avoiding him, he could be very distracted at times, but it had been a while since he felt that you were becoming more and more distant from him. He was a straightforward guy with simple conclusions, so he just waited for you to talk to him about whatever was bothering you.

The thing is, you didn't do that, you just smiled back at him as you normally did, and that made him think that you were better. But he realized that he was a fool to think that, of course you were faking it, now what he wanted to know was why you did it. Did you no longer trust him? Did you not like him anymore?

Luffy was not an insecure boy, in fact, he was quite confident. That changed a little when he thought he had lost his crew and after Ace died. But he managed to turn it around and focus on coming back stronger to fulfill his dream and protect his crew - and protect you.

However, at this very moment a small spark of insecurity arose in your mind, could it be that you had grown tired of him? I mean, he knows that he is an energetic and difficult person to keep up with, but you always seemed to enjoy his antics. Why then would you show that you were okay, if in fact you were not.

He felt a little betrayed, as if everyone knew what you had - except him.

As he crossed the deck to head toward his rooms, a voice called out to him.

- Luffy! My darling! - Boa Hancock and her passionate eyes came toward him. - Good morning! How are you?

Luffy ignored it and went on his way - he had too much on his mind to listen to the Empress at the moment.

Boa Hancock froze, she seemed to have been deeply hurt.

- Luffy? - she called out in confusion.

As he turned the knob to go to the bedroom hallway one of Hancock's sisters shouted.

- IT'S THE MARINE!!!

And a thud hit Sunny - they were firing cannonballs.

Everyone came out of the kitchen and took their posts.

Luffy was annoyed, he would have to talk to you later.

It was two Marine ships, the Marines cornered them and soldiers stormed Sunny's deck. The Empress' ship was dealing with one and the Straw Hats with the other.

You woke up when the ship rocked and you rolled out of bed.

- Oh, shit! - you rubbed your lower back in pain. - What the hell was that?

That's when you heard Nami scream.

- Fucking Marines!

You ran out without even putting on your shoes, and when you opened the door to the hallway you found chaos on the deck. You joined Nami's side, knocking out one of the sailors who was trying to attack her from behind.

- Looks like you woke up just in time - she said, smiling.

Another thud hit the ship, and you almost lost your balance.

- We need to get out of the crossfire, Nami - you said.

She agreed.

- Frank! - she shouted.

One of the Marines aimed at you from a distance and fired, and you managed to dodge it just in time to knock him off the ship.

You looked directly at the bullet now lodged in Sunny's wood and thought it strange. You reached up and took the bullet by the fingers and were startled.

Kairoseki

You turned quickly and ran to warn Nami, but she had already changed position, everyone was scattered and with the cannon noises it was impossible for anyone to hear you.

That's when you heard Luffy's scream, he was about to take down a dozen sailors, but he didn't see when the navy captain had a gun pointed at his back.

Time seemed to have stopped, your throat knotted and your heart seemed to have stopped for those seconds. You didn't think for a second, your body moved on its own and your legs ached from the force you exerted on them, but you had to - you had to get to him in time.

When the sound of the gunshot reverberated, you screamed.

- Luffy! - throwing yourself on him.

- Y/N! - he smiled, thinking that you were happy to see him, but his smile disappeared seconds after he realized what had happened. - What did you-

Zoro watched as Luffy braked as he looked at one of his hands, he immediately set about knocking down the man who had tried to shoot his captain.

Luffy saw red, her blood now trickling down his hands as he tried to cover the wound on her back.

- CHOPPER!!! - he shouted. - FAST!!!

Luffy's chest filled with a fear he hadn't experienced in two years. He was terrified, you weren't opening your eyes and your breathing seemed weaker and weaker.

It was all over as quickly as it started, the Marines beat a retreat and the Straw Hat crew ran to see what had happened. Chopper picked up your unconscious body and ran towards the infirmary - everyone was left waiting for what would happen next.

- Why would she do that? - whispered Usopp. - After all Luffy is bullet-proof...

Everyone was silent.

No one dared to speak to their captain at that moment, not even the Empress, he seemed as angry as he was desolate. It had been almost an hour since Chopper came in with you, and no news had arrived.

Until the door to the infirmary opened and a gloomy reindeer came out.

- She's out of danger now... - everyone's breath seemed to have caught, as everyone let out a sigh of relief. - But there is no prediction for when she will wake up...

- Was it that bad? - asked Robin.

Chopper's voice came out apprehensive.

- The bullet passed close to the heart, if it was only a few centimeters to the side... - he swallowed dryly. - I couldn't save her...

Everyone choked.

- Another thing - Chopper stretched out his paws and handed a piece of cloth to Usopp - It's made of Kairoseki...

The relatively thick bullet was there stained with his blood.

Luffy stood up and stroked the reindeer's head.

- Thank you, Chopper... - he went towards the infirmary. - But I need to see her now.

Chopper agreed.

You didn't know how much time had passed, the last thing you remembered was your captain's panicked face and his voice calling you from afar, he seemed so far away - how tragic.

You felt your whole body burn for a few moments, and everything seemed to hurt. You opened your eyes and saw the clear ceiling that appeared to be the one in Chopper's ward, you tried to sit up, but the pain stopped you. So you just turned your head to survey the place.

Your breathing stopped when you saw Luffy's body sitting on the other side of the floor against the wall, he appeared to be asleep. You smiled with relief, he was okay after all.

Your sigh of relief was louder than intended, as Luffy's head rose from his sleep - he seemed surprised to see you awake.

- You're awake! - he smiled. - I'll go get Chopper.

A few days passed, and Luffy never left your side. Apparently the Empress had been on her way from the time you crawled into the infirmary until you woke up. You had slept for two days.

You were doing better, although Chopper insisted that you remain under observation. So, to distract yourself you began to read the book that Robin had given you, and Luffy listening intently - he insisted that you read it to him too.

- In exchange for your help, he said, I offer you something very valuable - you read aloud. - My freedom? asked the man. - You paused to watch the reaction of the young man next to you, he was involved in the story. - Freedom can be taken away from us, as you well know. I offer you my knowledge.

Luffy wrinkled his forehead and made a pout with his lips that you found adorable.

- They shouldn't have their freedom taken away - he complained.

You laughed.

- Well, I guess you're right. - You closed the book.

Luffy stared at you for a moment.

- I'm sorry - he whispered.

You looked confused.

- For what?

- For letting you get hurt - his voice came out so low you couldn't tell it was Luffy speaking. - I thought...

You touched his hand gently and your thumb made affectionate circles in his palm.

- Hey... - you warned him. - There's no reason for you to apologize, you know. I'd do it again to protect you. - A loving smile appeared on your lips. - After all, I love you...

This made Luffy's heart leap and he smiled.

- Do you love me...? - asked Luffy as if he had discovered something incredible. - Really?

You laughed at his reaction.

- Of course I do, you silly... - you put your hands on his face and stroked his cheeks. - Why so surprised?

Luffy leaned into the touch of your hands.

- You were avoiding me... - he said. - I thought you didn't like me anymore.

His hand stopped and you widened your eyes, surprised this time.

Your heart ached, he looked so desolate when he spoke. After all that had happened you had forgotten your insecurities, they had been replaced by the physical pain and worry that Luffy was hurt.

But now, all that came back again, the anguish you felt. You knew you should have talked to him about it, now he was the one who thought you didn't feel the same way. God, what a mess.

- Everyone seemed to know what was wrong but me. - he said in frustration. - I was going to talk to you that morning, but the Marines came, and - His voice broke. - And I almost lost you…

- Luffy, I...

- Don't you trust me anymore? - his eyes looked pleading, and it hurt your heart to see him so distressed. - You didn't look happy...

- Of course I do! - you answered immediately. - Of course I trust you, Luffy. I just... - you sighed. - This is so embarrassing...

Luffy looked confused.

- Then why didn't you talk to me? - he asked.

- Because I was afraid... - you replied, but before he could think it was his you answered. - Afraid that I was right.

- Right? - he turned his head in confusion, he was annoyingly cute.

- Luffy... - your voice came out fearful. - Are you my boyfriend?

He made a confused face and then shook his shoulders.

- “Boyfriend" is a stupid word, I'm not your boyfriend - he said. Your heart seemed to break, and then he continued. - What we are can't be labeled with words like that, even friends don't come close.

Your heart raced with anxiety.

- We are much, much more than that! - Luffy exclaimed. - You are going to be my pirate queen after all.

He smiled. Oh yes, he smiled, and may God have mercy on you, ‘cause that man was your sun. Your eyes filled with tears and you began to cry instantly.

Luffy became desperate.

-Oi! why are you crying? - he tried to wipe the tears from his face. - Did I say something stupid?

You laughed.

- No, it's nothing like that.

Luffy snorted.

- Don't scare me like that, y/n! - he crossed his arms as if in a tantrum.

- Sorry, Luffy... - you laughed as you dried your tears. - It's just, I thought you didn't want me anymore.

Luffy changed his posture.

- Why would you think that? - he said seriously.

- I thought you liked Empress Boa Hancock... - you admitted embarrassed. - I felt so weak and ugly compared to her. She's so beautiful and you always paid attention to her, and...

Luffy was silent.

- I wasn't there for you when you lost Ace - you cried again. - I wasn't strong enough on Delta Island and you didn't seem to be attracted to me anymore. I thought I wasn't enough, I never would be, you are amazing..., but she.... She is, and...

- Stop - Luffy's voice sounded more serious than usual, his gaze was fixed on you. - I think you're amazing, y/n! You wouldn't be my person, my future pirate queen, if I didn't! I would never change my mind about that, well only if you didn't want to be... - he rambled.

You were silent, your heart beating so fast.

- I love you! - Luffy shouted. - And you're strong as hell! And well... - he scratched the back of his neck. - I think you're so beautiful, and your smile... I love to see you smile.

Your eyes widened, Luffy had never complimented you like that, you were embarrassed, your cheeks were probably red.

- I chose you, I don't want anyone else, and I decide that I will love you! Always! - he said determinedly.

Tears again streamed down your face, but this time they were tears of joy. You smiled and agreed with your beloved captain.

After Chopper gave you your pain medicine, you lay down to sleep, but not before asking Luffy to join you. Now here you were, with your head resting against the chest of the man who owned your heart. You lifted your head to look at his face, and then your eyes met, and he kissed your forehead and smiled kindly.

You snuggled back into his arms and in a clearly harmonious, almost predestined harmony, your hearts beat as one, you closed your eyes and laughed to yourself - we are all fools in love. Whatever your insecurities were, they vanished like dust in the air. In that moment in Luffy's arms, all you felt was how loved you were.

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grapefives · 1 year

Text

TEAR DUCTS | HC

zoro and luffy (seperately) with a (fem)lover that is half dead (and has their mask fall off)

background; y/n (an ex princess from an off-grid island) was hurt badly in a war between her kingdom and another, to the point she was left like a chewed up corpse. self sacrificing was all she could do to end said war, but in order to remain alive and travel, she used an acient magic spell to seem “normal”. after a recent battle, she forgets to use haki to bounce off as much damage as possible, causing the spell to lag.

past grievance + insecurities + fluff + descriptive gore + cursing

as soon as he sees you take the blow from the enemy, he spares you at most a glance

he knows you can handle it, you’re strong.

plus, he saw sanji back you up

but what surprised him was that you ran away

“Y/N!?” he asks, dodging his enemy’s attacks casually but worried and confused as to why you ran away

he battles his enemy when the other gets angry and goes full out. (still didn’t last that long but he put up a decent fight)

when everyone starts walking back to the ship, he sees chopper running as well.

“y/n is hurt!?” chopper screams, worried.

“is that why she ran?” luffy questions while catching up to his crew.

“i saw her bleeding,” sanji sobs, “i should have done better-“ he pauses, and then kicks luffy, “YOU should have done better!”

and luffy frowns, wondering just how serious it is.

as everyone files inside the ship, he wonders about what exactly made you run, you’re stronger than this

he sits down on a barrel, waiting for chopper to appear again, with either you trailing behind or some news

nami huffs, “you should go see what’s up, not sit around!”

luffy stares at her, “she’s fine, chopper’s got her-!”

“luffy! y/n doesn’t want to open the door to the operation room!” chopper sobs, “and i smell blood! plus!” he hugs luffy’s leg, “she keeps cursing to herself!”

“why don’t you bust the door down?!” luffy asks

“just go!” nami yells, and luffy bolts towards the room.

he knocks, testing to see if you’d open to him, which you do.

but what he sees doesn’t really… resemble you..

or.. the you he knows?

“y/n?” he feels worry bubble up, “what’s… a-aren’t you in pain!?” he goes to turn around to call chopper but you pull him in and close the door.

“l-luffy,” you heave, “listen-“ you stumble over your words, “i-“ you stare at him, seeing his eyes widen with horror at your real physique.

“i’m a zombie.”

his eyes snap towards you. “what!?”

you bite your inner cheek, “okay, not really a zombie but also yes?” you blush at his stare, “i just said it for you to understand more,” you look at him pleadingly, “i promise i was going to tell you sooner! i don’t really like how i look, especially now after a battle-“

“how’d it happen?”

you stared at him, eyes glassy. “i… i went through a war several years ago… most of these… spots where only bone is showing is due to how my body was rotting before the spell finally worked.”

“spell?” he furrows his brows. when it comes to you and anything you say, he takes it seriously.

“yes, a spell that makes me look more presentable. more… human.” you say softly, “i died before the spell activated, my kingdom slowly forgot about me and by the time i came back to life, i was just a walking corpse-“

“like brook!” he says, surprised and amused.

you nod, “like brook,” you smile a bit, realizing you had someone with a similar experience. “armament haki helps protect the spell, any harsh attacks makes it lag for quite a while-“

“so this is you?” luffy asks, “and..s they’re not from our battle?”

you shake your head, “no, no these are from my past.”

“why’d you hide?” he asks, “you look cool.”

you blink, “ah-“

“i’m just glad you weren’t hurt right now, but… do they hurt?” he asks, prodding at the ripped flesh gently.

you smile, feeling light. “no, they… they’re kind of numb. all the part intact are what feel the most pain.”

“like?”

“like my heart, my back… mmm, as you see my neck is sliced half way, so everything above it, like blows to my face i feel-“

“oh, so,” he grins, pulling you close, “you’d feel a kiss?”

you blink, more focused on how easy it is for him to touch you in this state. “y-yes-“ and he cuts you off with a gentle kiss

as you melt, you can’t hell but remember there’s still so much more for him to know. as well as the fact your crewmates will also learn the truth.

but knowing luffy, the man that holds your heart, is not seeing you like some sort of monster, you only smile and feel like you could face anything and everything.

past grievance + insecurities + fluff (?) + descriptive gore

when your body slams into his, mid battle, he grunts.

“you okay?” he asks, trying his best to worry over you while fighting off some lame bladed loser (that’s somehow putting up a decent fight)

“n-no,” you groan in agony, you’d think because he’s human he’d feel a little fleshy but really it felt like you were thrown into a wall.

your nails scrape some dirt and you grip some grass, fighting back vocal pain. his eye darts down to it, and to his horror, your hand looked at chewed up, almost shredded to the mere bone.

“HOLY SHIT, ARE YOU OKAY!?” he asks, sending the enemy flying far away before crouching down to help you.

“huh? yeah, i’ll just walk it off-“ you freeze when you see his face.

fear and confusion. a look you knew well.

fear and dread seeped into your bone, you jolted to your feet and tried to make a run for the ship, hoping you could hide and later on gaslight him once the spell stopped lagging

but he grabs your arm- thankfully the one that is mostly flesh, and pulls you back.

“y/n.” he says sternly, but you can hear the fear and confusion in his voice. “we need chopper,” he states, ready to drag you towards the doctor, not caring about who he’s fighting.

“NO!” you dig your heels into the ground, strong enough to put up a fight. “PLEASE! YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO SEE ME LIKE THIS!”

“THAT FUCKER HURT YOU TO THE POINT YOU’RE-“ he turns to you, noticing more past injuries of yours that the lagging spell is revealing. “how are you alive!?”

“I-“ your heart is beating in your ears, no one else is around, the two of you had strayed too far as the fight had began.

it was just you and him.

“zoro-“ your voice cracks, unsure how to even start. “this-“ would he still love you? still be affectionate? “this is me.”

“no, you need cho-“

“zoro!” you yell weakly, nerves eating too much of you. “this- this is the real me! i-“ you barely see him through your tears, “i’m a walking corpse! i used a spell to make me look normal! to make me look human!” you lower your head. “i know i look horrible! you- you don’t have to keep-“

you stop talking when zoro lets go of you. for a moment, you feel a pang in your heart.

negativity flooded your mind.

but then he sits down on the grass and closes his eye, almost like he’s meditating.

“sit.” and you sit.

“zoro-“

“why would i care what you look like?” he asks, opening his eye to loom at you. “not in a bad way,” he corrects himself. “your looks are like a plus to me,” he says, “i love that you’re strong. that you stand your ground. you’re levelheaded and so much more. whatever you went through to get those injuries, i’m betting it was pretty badass of you.”

you state, in full shock. “i-it was…?”

he smiles, “want to tell me what’s up?”

you take a deep breath. “um…” you wipe your tears away, “i… i belonged to a kingdom. it was at war, a few years back. my injuries weren’t as bad as they seem now,” you raise your hand to your neck, “i sliced my neck and took my own life to put an end to the war.”

“hm?”

“both kingdoms wanted me. as a puppet. just for face. but if neither could have me, there was no point to anything. so… i ended it… but before it, i casted an ancient spell, so that i could come back to life. it was supposed to happen quickly but it took a while, my body was starting to decompose and the injuries i had taken were the first to do so..”

“like a zombie.”

you smile, “yeah, somewhat.”

“then how come you’re like this right now?”

you look away, still uncomfortable. “i forgot to use my armament haki, to take less damage. any strong and harsh impacts cause the spell to lag.” you mess with a piece of flesh sticking out of your palm.

“hey,” he calls for your attention, you give it to him.

“hm?”

“c’mere,” he extends and arm.

you shake your head, “zoro, i’m all skin and bones! literally! brook would have so much joke material with me!”

but he gives you a look.

and you realize he doesn’t care what you look like. how different you’d feel.

“y/n,” he says softly, “you’re still y/n.”

you scoot in, heart racing. “zoro…” you say, still hesitant.

he grabs you anyway, pulling you close to his body. “tell me.”

“tell you?” you question, tense and with a desire to push him away.

“everything.” he says, “everything i don’t know about you.”

“there’s not much…”

“y/n… you’re still y/n.”

and you don’t understand why you burst into tears.

all you know is that zoro… is zoro. and zoro still loves you.

#luffy x reader #zoro x reader #zoro x female reader #luffy x female reader #one piece x y/n #one piece headcanons #one piece x reader #one piece imagine #luffy x y/n #zoro x y/n #luffy headcanons #zoro headcanons #tw

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general-cyno · 5 months

Text

since I've rambled quite a bit on zoro's side of things in some of my zolu posts, I wanted to give luffy a try too! though perhaps overall subtler than zoro's grand gestures throughout the manga, there's no doubt to me that luffy cares for him just as much and his relationship with zoro is one of the most important he has (without intending to downplay others btw), both as individuals and crew, so let's goooo.

(warning: it's going to be long. sorry. also spoilers for the manga, as usual.)

albeit luffy and zoro's journey as a crew starts in the marine base where they met, I've mentioned here before that their childhood experiences, the way they sort of parallel each other's, also play a big role in their personalities and understanding of one another later on. the specifics are different, sure, but both were acquainted with struggle since they were young. zoro had already lost his parents by the time he was 8 and dragon left a baby luffy in garp's care, which... involved some questionable (dangerous) caretaking choices in order to make luffy "stronger". eventually, zoro would become a student in the isshin dojo, interact with koushiro and kozaburo, and start his rivalry/friendship with kuina just like luffy would later meet folks like makino, shanks and his crew whom he'd be inspired by, then dadan, ace and sabo, who'd become his family.

although we don't know yet what luffy's particular dream is, it's one he's had since young and that he mentioned to his brothers. similarly, as a kid, zoro wanted to become the world's greatest swordsman too, which he told kuina about and promised to strive for along with her. still, it's not until they lose sabo and kuina respectively that their dreams are accompanied by the necessity to become stronger for other people's sake. this is a specific sort of grief they share and are motivated by. and in luffy's case, his vow to become stronger is so he can prevent the further loss of those he loves.

(I'll get back to this, because it's important!)

fastforward to years later and we have a luffy that's started his journey to become the pirate king and achieve his dream. the insane thing about zoro's recruitment is that it only took hearing about the guy's name and fearsome reputation to have luffy pester koby about meeting him. I've also mentioned here that "fate" seems to be a recurring theme in OP especially in the latest arcs, and especially where luffy and zoro are concerned, seeing as they not only have a bunch of parallels with each other but also with important figures/characters in OP, some of who share or have shared a close relationship among themselves as well - namely, roger and rayleigh.

heck, luffy and zoro's lives are so intertwined you can even see lil zoro training during the ASL flashback chapters, when dragon mentions the dojo providing the revolutionaries with some food (ch 589). it's kinda incredible tbh. even so, when it comes to zoro... he was first and foremost a choice. regardless of how fate has come into play in the story, it was luffy's decision to actively seek him out and rope him into joining his crew, one he made after realizing zoro wasn't just a good guy but that he also had a cool, crazy dream and a determination to make it come true that was similar to luffy's own.

back then, luffy was already punching others (helmeppo) and getting angry on zoro's behalf, taking bullets for him and leaving himself wide open for zoro to protect during their confrontation with morgan. this is pretty much the beginning of his unwavering trust in zoro's strength and his willingness to step in when luffy needs someone to watch over him in turn. this is what their relationship is based on within? hours? of meeting and it's the foundation of the straw hat crew.

he's praising zoro before he's actually taken morgan down and luffy doesn't even look back to check. the amount of trust luffy's placing on zoro off the bat is bonkers and it's literally just the start.

from shells town onwards - well, in spite of how luffy's considered an anchor by shanks in the first chapters of OP because of his inability to swim, I believe the anchor metaphor is actually kinda perfect to describe zoro and his relationship with luffy, more so from luffy's side, even if he doesn't necessarily say this stuff on the pages.

I may be going on a slightly poetic tangent but it works imo. anchor symbolism is pretty popular and you can find all sorts of articles about it online. I read a few out of curiosity and y'know, the anchor as a nautical symbol has supposedly been regarded as one rooted in feelings such as those of stability and safety. you can probably tell where I'm going with this.

in terms of stability, think of OP's arcs and how many of them zoro's been in alongside luffy. they don't always fight side by side strictly speaking, but zoro is a constant - he's usually there to fight the second strongest threat and sometimes protect or lead the others when luffy's otherwise occupied, or he handles things while luffy gets there/recuperates enough to battle again. for the most part, zoro's also there in a bunch of the crewmate-rescuing arcs and he's even the one to directly liberate brook's shadow in thriller bark. there's only two major instances in which luffy and zoro (+ the crew) get separated for a considerable amount of time, one of them unwillingly and the other by choice: sabaody and zou/whole cake island. ig you could count baratie/arlong park too, but I don't think as much time passed in between one and the other compared to zou/WCI and the reunion in wano.

something that really got me even though it was tinted by a comedic feel, is the fact that bon-chan turned into zoro out of all straw hats back at impel down when luffy was trying to rescue ace and how happy he was at the prospect of having zoro there to aid him. no matter how the adaptation differs from the manga, I couldn't help but think of opla luffy's I need you speech too. would he have been as happy to see any other members of the crew? likely so! still, zoro's definitely someone luffy particularly looks forward to having by his side when things get tough.

irl, anchors are generally used to secure a vessel and prevent it from drifting. sounds a little familiar, I'd say.

it's not as though zoro's the only character in OP who's "guided" luffy but there are moments when he does ground his captain in a manner other characters can't at the time, and my favorite part of it is how seriously luffy takes zoro's words/advice whenever it happens. water 7 and enies lobby are perhaps the best examples of this, as it comes up in the context of luffy's fight with usopp and robin's supposed betrayal.

this is a really, really good moment imo. once luffy slows down to consider what zoro's saying, you can see he understands the importance of it. plus, luffy knows zoro's not someone who'd just leave a friend behind (he's fought to bring some of them back at this point, with luffy and the rest of the crew) and if anything, his "so the fact that he left our crew means nothing to you?!" outburst proves he's as upset as all of them about usopp's choice.

that said, you can tell how much luffy values and respect zoro's imput simply by the way he cries his soul out when usopp finally apologizes and asks to come back. luffy wears his heart on his sleeve and adores his friends, doesn't want to lose them ever, so reining all those feelings in to stay true to his position as the captain that zoro has placed his faith and loyalty in? amazing. and consider it from another angle: if he had ignored zoro, luffy would've lost him too. he certainly doesn't want that either or this would've gone differently.

this kinda thing happens also post timeskip, with zoro reminding luffy to get his shit together at punk hazard, bringing up the fact that they can't just ignore the threat kaido poses in zou to have the entire crew going after sanji, or when they're facing kaido and big mom in wano. zoro's someone luffy counts on to keep him steady and afloat, and this part of their relationship is something that was portrayed (again) nicely in the live action. in ep 6, it's zoro who manages to reassure luffy of his position as the captain and that he's done nothing wrong, that their crew isn't falling apart, because if luffy needs him then zoro vows to stand by his side til the very end. (they're insane).

in addition, their core similarities, understanding of each other and luffy's (almost unbelievable) faith/trust in zoro is what allows him to depend on zoro, specifically, when it comes to things like saving smoker in alabasta, not fighting back against bellamy's crew on jaya, or just mentioning the spilled oshiruko as explanation enough for zoro to get why luffy's angry during the onigashima raid, to name a few of examples off the top of my head.

as for the safety aspect of the anchor symbolism... that one speaks for itself I think. I feel like I must mention once more that zoro's not the only character or even the only straw hat to help or protect luffy, but he's fairly insistent and consistent in this aspect compared to others. compiling all the moments in which zoro's stepped in to protect luffy, worried about his well-being or signaled the rest when luffy's truly in danger/has reached his limits would probably break this site's image upload limit lol.

that said, luffy's the same back at zoro just in a bit of a less common manner or in a different way rather - mostly because of his belief in zoro's strength and the lengths he'd go to keep people safe, which includes allies and more so their friends. one could argue depositing that kind of faith in zoro can have its drawbacks (sabaody) or isn't completely fair (like when he goes all, "with you here, how could this happen?!" in skypiea) BUT. my opinion is that trusting zoro any less than that would likely hurt his pride more. so when luffy says stuff like this,

it's not about having unrealistic expectations wrt zoro but more about fully trusting in the man who tearfully swore to him that he'd become the greatest swordsman and never lose again. the one who trusts luffy just as much in turn, called him captain and pirate king first. luffy's seen zoro pull through some impossible situations, so it'd be more unfair to doubt him this way if you ask me.

this is also why I mentioned luffy's childhood vow. if you ever wonder "how important is zoro to luffy?" compare this,

to this:

luffy's past is revealed hundreds of chapters after skypiea. yet in hindsight, it adds so many layers to his relationship with zoro. for someone like luffy, who promised to become strong so that the people he loves wouldn't have to leave him, who would even die as long as it means he won't lose a member of his crew, the fact that he can relax this much when he gets separated from his friends because zoro's with them is... a lot, man. when you remember luffy's lost people close to him or had them leave him (for very understandable reasons, often out of everyone's control), zoro being one of the most stable presences in his life since they met - someone who will help him fight to get their friends back or stay behind to watch over them when they can't all go together, that for zoro to leave he'd have to be pried by force from his side unless they both agree to it for the sake of their journey and crewmates, is likely to be a very comforting fact to luffy. luffy, who's afraid of/hates being alone more than getting hurt.

he doesn't voice it out but allowing zoro to protect him and the people they both care for is giant sign of love and unbeatable trust, where luffy's concerned. although he doesn't know about it, zoro's sacrifice in thriller bark demonstrated why luffy does this without hesitation too. however, it's worth noting that luffy does worry for zoro's own safety whenever he's there to actually witness him being in danger and he knows zoro well enough to tell when said danger is real. it happens during the mihawk duel, when kizaru almost kills zoro in sabaody then as kuma sends him away, for example. he gets angry, desperate and teary in all of these instances. luffy cares so much about him.

lastly yet just as relevant... is that luffy likes zoro, beyond metaphors and all zoro might represent/stand for in the crew. luffy thinks he's cool, that he'll certainly achieve his dream, enjoys teasing and bullying him harmlessly, offered to share his food with him to convince zoro into accompanying them in thriller bark, tried to give an injured zoro an entire barrel of alcohol because luffy knows he loves booze and thought it'd make him feel better, and is generally someone luffy's happy to be with.

I bring up the wano hug a lot but honestly it doesn't get clearer than this. I've seen people try to downplay this moment but hey, context. people that luffy's hugged this way include 1) sabo, the brother luffy believed had been dead for years, 2) hancock who helped him try and rescue ace and 3) jimbei who's helped luffy during some of the most dire moments he's gone through, like impel down, marineford and WCI. for luffy to straight up hug zoro with just as much happiness, eagerness and enthusiasm in a relatively danger-free situation... he likes zoro, there's no better way to put it.

it's not that they can't butt heads sometimes either, but never seriously enough to damage their relationship. as a more recent example, luffy's shown he can put his stubbornness and recklessness aside when zoro's right even if he doesn't like it (ch 1060, about vivi's current situation). and as long as he's there, luffy won't let people interfere in zoro's fights, much less when it involves zoro's dream - like when he held johnny and yosaku back from stepping into zoro's duel with mihawk, even though luffy himself was worried about zoro.

so yeah, zoro might get to be crazier about luffy more often and explicitly but imo, it's an entirely reciprocal thing.

if you got this far, thanks so much for reading!

#zolu #tp #long post #like. real long #I love these two so much!!!!#and i don't think their relationship is as one sided as some seem to believe it is. luffy's just as crazy abt zoro #regardless of how you prefer to view the nature of their relationship #this is for layne also🙏🏼hope it's a worthwhile read!#jay reads op

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beanghostprincess · 5 months

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i would care if you talked about luffy's issues please talk please tell me all your takes, genuinely (< anon who enjoys your takes)

I am so thankful you asked me this because Luffy is genuinely one of my favorite characters of all time, especially when it comes to shonen protagonists. I'm always saying I don't like shonens (says the one that watches a lot of shonens) but that's mainly because the main characters never feel... Well-written enough for me to like them. But, well, One Piece is different. With all characters, really. It's one of the first shonens I watch that I genuinely love and enjoy because of the characters (shout out to Mob Psycho 100 being one of my favorite animes of all time too because of that same reason).

Luffy is a very complex character and I think that's why he gets mischaracterized most of the time when it comes to the fandom. Some people make him too dumb. Others make him too childish. Others make him way darker and more depressed than he truly is. And I'd say that's weird, having in mind how much the show talks about Luffy and is focused on Luffy's POV, but I kind of understand because people aren't used to characters that are both optimistic and realistic at the same time. Most of the time people consider an optimistic character to be completely idealistic (a good example here is Uta. She is idealistic because she's been sheltered for so long and thinks something as complex as the corruption in the world can be solved with a few songs and love) and refuse to acknowledge the fact that somebody with hopes and dreams can also understand (first-hand, even) the suffering within the world. People like extremes. They like to make both Law and Zoro extremely edgy. They like to babify Sanji and Koby. They forget about Nami's character depth to make her only "the mean lesbian" of the group (that term makes me so fucking furious you don't even know). Etc. Etc. Etc. The thing is: Luffy has layers. His personality varies. He's optimistic. He's realistic. He's stupid. He's emotionally intelligent. He's impulsive. He cares about the safety of the people around him. He's careless. He feels guilt. He's confident. He's so damn insecure. He's playful. He's the most serious character too. Etc. Etc. Etc.

What I want to say with all of this is that Luffy, despite being always perceived as this childish, dumb, and careless character within the fandom, has so much depth and trauma he deals with every fucking day. I once saw somebody saying Luffy is "not smart enough to understand the feeling of sadness" and I started laughing because what the fuck does that even mean. And... Is that person watching the same thing as me? Because the guy has suffered the injustice of the world so many times and so many losses that I can't even count them.

Basically: People portray Luffy as if he hadn't gone through any type of trauma when OP has shown countless times that he has been through a lot. A fucking lot. Perhaps it's the fact that he's the one hiding it all the time in the show, always replacing sadness with the need to be stronger so he doesn't feel like that ever again (aka protecting everyone so he doesn't lose anybody again. And not even in a selfish way to not be alone, although we could say that he does feel like that to some extent. But because his loved ones do not deserve to disappear or die in those ways and he feels guilty whenever it happens because every time, he says it's because he wasn't strong enough to protect them) and that's why most people don't realize how much pain he has gone through. But that's not a very valid argument because we have a lot of arcs that prove it otherwise (Sabaody, Marineford, Film Red, Wano...). So, yeah, I guess people just don't know how to read.

Starting through chronological order, I want to talk about his abandonment issues and savior complex that always seem to go hand in hand.

Luffy doesn't like to be alone. He's a very empathetic and extroverted person. He doesn't like to be bored, always loving the company of somebody else. But, sadly, he has always been kind of alone? People come and go for him all the time, and you can't tell me that doesn't affect him psychologically. He's 7 when he meets Uta and Shanks and the kid has never been more excited! That's when his dream of being a pirate begins and it's the first time he has a friend. A real friend, not just random animals he manages to find or older people that sometimes take care of him. Luffy gets bored easily, so of course, Shanks and Uta, being something new, make his life brighter. With dreams and new experiences and hope for a newer, better life outside his village. And then Uta and Shanks have to go, of course, and he stays all alone again. From what we've seen, the only thing Luffy did when they weren't around was just... Waiting for them to come back to him. That's it. Luffy's joy basically comes from being with people, and especially when he's fixated on somebody in particular, he doesn't let them go. Then they come back... But Uta is not with them anymore. That's Luffy's first heartbreak, in my opinion. It's when he decides that he has to be stronger. He loved Uta so damn much. She meant the world to him. And suddenly she isn't there, giving him no time to say goodbye, and... He only has Shanks. But Shanks refuses to tell him the truth about what happened with her. So here you go! It's the first time Luffy loses somebody this dear to him and the first time Shanks betrays him enough for him to get angry at his hero. He ends up accepting it, of course, but not because he has moved on, but because both Uta and Shanks told him to be stronger. More mature. And he forces himself to grow up faster because he wants something. He wants to know where his friend is, and if Shanks refuses to tell him because he's just a kid, then he'll just have to grow up and become stronger. To become a pirate and to keep the promise he made with Uta. The movies aren't canon so I just keep thinking about Luffy wondering where Uta is, and it breaks my heart every time.

Then Ace and Sabo appear in his life and... They are literally everything to him. I like Garp. He did what he could do. Kind of. But he leaves Luffy on his own with Ace under the care of some bandits (Dadan we love you, queen). So he can't really blame Luffy for the way he turned out to be, honestly. The thing is: Ace and Sabo are, again, something new to Luffy. They are not just friends. They are his brothers, now. We don't talk enough about Luffy's maturity and respect for other people's dreams even when he's just a kid. Luffy literally was kidnapped and beaten up and he didn't dare to say a word about Ace and Sabo's treasure because he respected their dream. He's loyal and understands other people's feelings and hopes perfectly. His empathy and emotional intelligence are just perfect. Then, well, you all know the story, but these two become the most important thing in Luffy's life, not only because they are his brothers, but because they are the representation of their dreams and future. And then it crashes into a million fucking pieces because of Celestial Dragons and classism and rich people quite literally saying "We are burning down the poor because they don't deserve to live! Woohoo!". And it's Luffy's first time realizing that the world is unfair and fucked up and that there are people that believe to be superior to others, a thing that Luffy fights against all the time.

So, Luffy learns that the world is extremely fucked up at a very young age. He has first-hand contact with the abuse rich people inflict on others, in every way. He suffers from the torture that is fighting for your life in the world of pirating and thieves when he's not even a pirate yet. He's just a kid. What the fuck. And then he loses Sabo. His older brother literally is killed by a celestial dragon and he can't do anything about it. He can only cry, of course, he's just a kid. What is he going to do? So he decides to become stronger. Because he feels weak in the hands of what is the injustice of the world. He feels trapped by that injustice, in my opinion, and wanting to be stronger is just the path to freedom. Because freedom means being able to save the people he cares about.

And here's the thing: Luffy's need to become stronger always comes from the guilt he feels after losing somebody, blaming himself even though he literally could have done nothing at the time to save Uta or Sabo. He has a severe savior complex, not to feel better about himself (although you could say that it would certainly fix his fear of being weak) but to not lose anybody else. For some reason he always feels responsible for the faith of the people he loves, he's constantly putting others first and sacrificing himself and then feeling guilty and weak when he can't save them when it wasn't even in his hands to save them in the first place.

Kid Luffy goes through a ton of stuff in his early years and the fear of being alone... Of losing somebody he cares about... It haunts him. He sees Shanks and piracy as the meaning of freedom and strength. It's just that simple for him: If he becomes a pirate, he'll be strong. If he's strong, he'll be free. If he's free, he'll never lose anybody again.

And yet, even if he's confident he'll manage to do this... He's still a kid. He's still a little brother. Ace's little brother. He depends on Ace, too, because that's the one person he has left. Ace promises him he won't die because he's just as confident, and says this as if Luffy was stupid for thinking something could happen to him. Not to get too into Ace's character right now, but the fact that he's constantly wondering if he should be alive to then realize Luffy needs him to stay alive... Is so damn beautiful.

And then he literally dies in front of Luffy. Protecting Luffy. And Oh, boy if that doesn't kill him... But that comes after Sabaody! After losing literally all of his crew! God, stop hurting this guy already for fuck's sake-

Long story short, Luffy manages to get a family. Not a crew. A family. He's not alone anymore, and he proves constantly that he won't let any of them go or die on him the way it happened with Uta and Sabo.

Water 7 is... Rough for Luffy, to say the least. Because it's the first time he sees everything he has built crumbling down. Robin is taken by the Marines. Usopp wants to leave the crew because he doesn't feel like he fits in, even though Luffy knows he is perfect for the family (Usopp just can't believe him because, you know, insecurities suck). And he has to learn how to be a captain. A true captain. He has to make the harsh decision of fighting his best friend and letting him go (his worst fucking fear) at the age of 17 because he's the captain. He has to be mature. And strong. And he definitely doesn't feel like those now. Not when Robin is also on her way to be executed.

Usopp is leaving. Robin might die. And it's just like Uta and Sabo all over again.

So, basically, Luffy grows up too fast. He grows up too fast, with the fear of abandonment and being weak, and the weight of being the captain of a whole crew resting on his shoulders. Besides, he fights against the world government for Robin because he refuses to let her die thinking she doesn't deserve/want to live, and it reminds me a lot of Ace's story. Ace doesn't think he deserves to live but then stays because he realizes that Luffy loves him and needs him. Robin, thanks to Luffy, realizes that she wants to live and that she has a new family to fight for.

Nobody dies and Usopp comes back this time, so everything ends up turning out fine after all! Yay!

Then Sabaody happens and I swear my guy can't have a fucking break.

Who has suffered more, Jesus Christ or Monkey D. Luffy from Sabaody to Marineford? I think we already know the answer.

He loses all of his crew. All at once. His worst fucking fear. They vanish right in front of his eyes and he can't do anything. He feels weak. He's shattered. Completely broken. But he's optimistic, still, because he believes in his crew and he knows they'll find a way to be together again! They've ben through a lot together, and they can find each other in a few days in Sabaody again. It's fine. But he has to delay it, of course, because his other biggest fucking fear is happening right now: Ace might die. His older brother might die.

So if you mix the trauma that caused him to have abandonment issues and a savior complex with the fact that Ace is the only sibling he has left and he is completely alone because his crew isn't by his side anymore... You get the most heartbreaking arc of the show! Awesome.

He does everything he can to save Ace. Ace complains about it, begging him to stay away from danger. And he refuses because he's his brother. He has to fight for him. And he does. And Ace dies anyway. Ace dies protecting him, too, and the hope that was left within him dies completely at that moment. Everything is shattered. His whole world is crumbling down. And I think that Luffy dies too at that moment.

For Luffy, losing Ace is not like losing a limb. Losing Ace is losing his everything. Ace meant the world to him. He was the representation of their dreams and hopes and past and future. He was the only person who knew Sabo like the back of his hand, too. And now Luffy is the only one carrying their souls. All alone.

That's probably Luffy's rock bottom. He doesn't think he deserves to be a pirate (or alive, either, but I don't want to get too deep into his suicidal thoughts I definitely think are a real thing because then this becomes too dark. But yeah. I think he does think about that too). He doesn't think he's strong enough. And he's completely broken.

There's this line from Fleabag that I absolutely adore: "I don't know what to do with it." / "With what?" / "With all the love I have for her. I don't know where to put it now."

Because Ace is gone. He's completely gone. And all the love Luffy has for him turns into grief and he doesn't know what to do anymore if Ace's soul isn't in the world to look after him. He doesn't know what to do if all the love and feelings he has for his brother go to waste. And it's his fault. Because he wasn't strong enough to protect him. Because he wasn't able to protect himself, Ace having to sacrifice himself for him. (And we know he feels guilty about this because he tells Sabo the second they meet again. He apologizes for not protecting Ace. He feels guilty about what happened still. And Sabo is just glad Luffy is okay because he knows his brothers too well to know already what happened).

Then our beloved Jinbe comes along (I love you. Please adopt me) and, following that quote of Fleabag: "I'll take it. No, I'm serious. It sounds lovely. I'll have it. You have to give it to me." / "Okay." / "It's got to go somewhere."

Jinbe reminds Luffy that he still has his crew. That he still has people who need him alive. People that love him and care for him. That he can't be weak if he has helped so many people already. That they're willing to take both the love and pain Ace makes him feel. And it's such a great character development for Luffy... It makes me go insane. He remembers his crew one by one and realizes that he's not alone anymore. That he has to be stronger for them and for Ace. And for Uta. And Sabo. Jinbe is there with him when the others couldn't, and it has nothing to do with Luffy's issues but I just want to mention how much I love Jinbe for this.

But he still feels the need to be stronger and the fear of losing his crew and the people he loves still haunts him. He tells the straw hats to meet after 2 years (that's a long fucking time. Like. Longer than the time they've spent together. Imagine the loyalty, damn). And it's... It's so beautifully written. The 3D2Y scene is one of my favorites because it shows the loyalty and love they have for each other, and how Luffy is willing to become stronger for the people he loves and the ones he has lost along the way. I literally have the tattoo. I am obsessed with the whole concept.

As I said, Luffy's abandonment issues and the fact that he wants to become stronger to never lose anybody again (Savior complex much?) still remain even after his character development. Because that's not something you get rid of. That's just how he is. And I think that, as long as he is with the straw hats, it won't be a problem.

Also I wanted to mention his reunion with Sabo! The guilt he feels for losing Ace? The way he clings onto his older brother as if they were going to take Sabo away from him? They're extremely codependent and I am here for it, honestly. Sabo would die for Luffy and Luffy would kill him if he did that. Also, I don't know where the fuck Sabo is now because I'm only watching Wano but I swear to God if something happens to him I will murder somebody with my bare hands. :)

Oh! And then it comes my favorite arc of all the show: Whole Cake Island (to the surprise of literally no one!). Luffy, in the beginning, is extremely optimistic when it comes to rescuing Sanji. He's simple like that. "If he doesn't want to get married, we rescue him. If he wants to get married, he just brings his wife with us!". And if Sanji didn't want to come back to them (truly not wanting to) he would accept it. But Sanji wants to. Luffy knows Sanji wants to go back to the Sunny with them. He knows Sanji isn't being true to himself. And God, he's desperate. Because Sanji is stubborn and his self-sacrificing and deprecating thoughts are even stronger than Luffy's, and he won't give up until Luffy lets him go. But Luffy doesn't want to fight him, he just wants his cook back. Because he knows that, no matter how much harm he does to him, Sanji is only doing it to himself (one of my favorite quotes from OP). So, Luffy goes again through the desperation of not losing a crewmate, but losing one of his wings. Without Sanji, Luffy can't become the king of the pirates. He's willing to die from starvation for him. Are you- Are you all aware that he almost fucking dies from starvation? I don't think we talk about that enough because what the actual fuck. There's this thing they tell Luffy (I don't remember exactly when or the exact phrasing) about him wanting Sanji back out of selfishness and not because of Sanji's well-being and... I partially agree? Don't get me wrong, Luffy does everything here for Sanji because he knows Sanji is suffering and lying to himself. But Luffy is selfish, too. Luffy doesn't want Sanji to go away because he loves him. That's his cook. He doesn't want to lose anybody else, even less knowing that they're going to be unhappy. That's kind of for me the confirmation of Luffy's abandonment issues. Like- He does everything for his crew, of course, but he's so scared of losing them. Then Sanji comes back to them, of course, and they have their own Pride and Prejudice moment. Not even Jane Austen can write shit like this.

I kind of want to talk about Wano but I haven't finished it yet (I'm like, on episode 1056) but I would like to mention how beautiful it is for Luffy to carry Ace's soul and promises like that. And also the responsibility he carries during the whole arc to save Wano? That's so- It's so fucked up. He's such a good leader and captain and everything I said in this post and all the things he does in Wano show that he will become the king of the pirates. I love him so damn much. I can't even write it down properly.

Anyway, summarizing everything: Luffy has a lot of abandonment issues and a savior complex that becomes unhealthy to the point of sacrificing himself and always carrying the burdens of everyone else. Because he fears he might lose his loved ones if he isn't strong enough. So. You know. It would be great if people stopped saying he's just childish and fun and that he doesn't have any character depth because he's probably the most complex shonen protagonist I've ever seen! He has suffered so damn much it hurts! Live Laugh Love Luffy! <3

#......... i love him a lot #he makes me go insane #please i swear i am okay mentally he just makes me ill #i truly thought this was gonna be longer ngl #one piece #monkey d. luffy

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