Chapter Text
“You almost got close to me today, I will pretend to be impressed.”
Zoro glared at Mihawk, knowing damn well not a one of his blades had been near him. Zoro wasn’t yet healed so Mihawk was taking it easy on him, only five hours of training a day, and then he had to endure Perona wrapping him in the bandages; he honestly thought she thought she was helping. It terrified him a bit. But he knelt there in front of his teacher, waited to be dismissed. But Mihawk was standing there watching him.
He breathed in, and paused. “You aren’t scent blocking anymore.” He realized that it had been steadily growing the whole session, but he had been so focused on just trying to land a blow he hadn’t noticed.
“You don’t seem to block at all, and Perona is a beta and doesn’t have to. I figured why bother with the courtesy in my own home, if no one else was.”
“I’m the only else,” Zoro pointed out. “Not like we’re full up on people.”
“We? You and Perona are here at my largess, and generosity and neither of you is properly appreciative of that. Hmm, we will have to see to that. There will be a discussion after dinner. Dismissed, Rorona Zoro.”
Zoro stood, and started to limp away.
“Oh and Zoro? What I discuss at in that talk? You will have the night to make your decision. I will be curious what it is.”
Great, Mihawk was back in his cryptic mode, that was annoying. Zoro went into the mansion and made his way upstairs, one of Perona’s ghosts directing him. He tried to go down the hall towards his own rooms, but it kept getting in his face, so he finally let it lead him to Perona. Who yelled at him as she did every day. But she also was rubbing something onto his bruises that helped, and the mummification that was her bandaging didn’t, but it almost felt like Chopper’s fussing, so he endured it. “Mihawk is mad.”
“He’s always mad at you, you aren’t a very good swordsman, and need so much training.” Zoro tugged one of her ponytails and she hit him with her stupid little medical kit that was more a purse than anything else.
“He isn’t wearing blockers any more.”
“You don’t wear blockers, why should he?”
“World government requires it.”
“Yeah, but guess he is figuring maybe he won’t have to deal with them for a while?” She sat next to him and slumped a bit. “What’s he smell like?”
“I dunno. Like Mihawk, just more? Blockers still fading.” He lay back on the chaise because he felt like shit. “He also said we aren’t properly thankful for his generosity and we’ll be having a conversation about it after dinner.”
“Not cute.”
“Nope,” Zoro agreed. “Think if we have to, we could take him together?”
“Moria pretended he wasn’t scared of Hawk-Eyes, but he was,” Perona bit her lip. “All the warlords are terrified of each other even if they won’t say it. Because they know everyone sitting at that table are strong enough to defeat them. Needless to say because the world government is stupid, they are all alphas.”
Zoro had to laugh at that. “Yeah. I don’t think Mihawk is scared of them. I think they mostly bore him.”
“Maybe. Which one are you scared of most?” Perona leaned forward. “For me? It is Boa Hancock. She turns people to stone!”
“You’d be a cute statue?” Perona’s hit didn’t hurt in the least. “Your ghosts could take her.”
“What about you? Kuma? I know you feel a lot for Mihawk, but fear isn’t in there, and you defeated Moria.”
“Blackbeard,” Zoro said after a moment. “Because he is the reason Ace is dead, and Luffy will stop at nothing to destroy him, and that might destroy us all.”
“Do you love Luffy? Would you die for him, leave your dream unfulfilled?”
“I’m an omega, not a fucking romance sob story,” he growled and stomped away. He cursed the ghost waiting in the hall, but also he just wanted his room, and he followed it to his space. He collapsed on the bed and slept until the dinner bell rang through the mansion. He hated that bell. But he was hungry and went down to the dining hall. He sighed as there were four forks and two different glasses. But maybe that meant he’d get some of that wine that Mihawk was always drinking, and had refused him.
He sat and was surprised when Mihawk poured him a glass. “I am being generous now.” Zoro heard the implied because he wouldn’t be later. A different wine was poured for Perona and he could smell how sweet it was even across the table. They ate in silence, as they usually did. But this was a heavier silence, and Zoro felt like a storm was brewing inside, a sensation he knew thanks to Nami. Perona must be feeling it too, because she was hunched in on herself. Zoro breathed in, and there was a scent on the air that wasn’t sea king and vegetables they were eating. He tried to be subtle, because he knew that was Mihawk’s natural scent, and sniffing was rude.
“Manners, Zoro,” Mihawk ordered and his voice was deeper, and Zoro did something he had never once done for any alpha other than Luffy (not that Luffy had ever noticed) - he tilted his head, bared his neck in submission.
“Oh,” Persona gasped.
“Quiet,” Mihawk ordered to her, and though the alpha voice wouldn’t have as much impact on Perona, the order was sharp enough that she quieted. “You know better than to comment on an omega showing proper behaviour. It is rude.”
If any other alpha had spoken of him like that, he’d kill them dead, but he couldn’t even lay a finger on Mihawk. Zoro put his fork down, it was probably the wrong fork anyways. “You wanted to discuss something.”
“Indeed. In the library for this conversation I think.” Mihawk stood. “Deal with the dishes and meet me there. Both of you.”
Zoro would have complained, but a look from Mihawk suggested that would be a bad idea. He and Perona did the dishes without their usual bickering. “I can at least hold him back enough so that you can escape,” he whispered.
“You are still covered in bandages. I’ll negative hollow him, give you time to get away.” She glared at him. “You have people to go back to. I have nothing, not even any stuffed animals.” She sniffled and clearly refused to let any tears fall. “We should go. The longer we wait, the worse it will be.”
Zoro nodded and they walked to the library. When they got there, it looked surprisingly cozy. A fire going, the moon rising outside the window. Two chairs were by the fire and one lush pillow. Made sense, Perona liked flopping about. But even as she dove for it, Mihawk held up a hand. “The other chair is for you, Perona, the pillow is for Zoro.”
“Huh?” They both said at the same time.
“Omegas kneel,” Mihawk said.
“I kneel for no man,” Zoro snarled.
“Now I bet if your captain asked, you would,” Mihawk was down to his shirtsleeves, and drinking a glass of red wine.
“He is my captain, that is different.” Luffy was barely aware he was an alpha, let alone follow any traditions or rules of the designation.
“Zoro, kneel,” Mihawk put a great deal of alpha voice into it and Zoro wanted to collapse, to please the alpha, but he held firm, locked his knees. Shouted, hit his thigh, anything to not collapse. Perona had her knees up and was hugging them. “I am impressed.” Mihawk smiled, and now Zoro was scared of him. “Do you think that is the strongest my voice can get? I will give you a chance to maintain your dignity, because if I fully release it on you, Roronoa Zoro, you will piss yourself like a puppy knowing it did wrong and humbling himself. Neither of us wants that for you.” Mihawk gestured to the pillow and Zoro let out a breath. It was like kneeling to your sensai, nothing more. Zoro moved slowly and knelt on the pillow. It was soft under his knees, dead in between the two chairs. Not at Mihawk’s feet. That was something. He placed his hands on his thighs, waited for whatever humiliation was next.
There would be others out there to train him. He’d be gone in the morning. He could endure what he had to tonight.
“Good, very good,” Mihawk praised and Zoro would not preen under that praise, even though he was a bit tempted to. “Now our discussion. Do you know why you are a weak swordsman, Zoro?”
“I am not weak.”
“A poor choice of words, you are significantly better than most.” Zoro felt like he had just downed a bottle of sake, hearing that from Mihawk. “Do you know why the path you have been walking will not be one that lets you defeat me?”
“My -” Mihawk held up a hand, clearly wanting Zoro to think about it. “I’m not strong enough,” he said after a time. “I took all of Luffy’s pain, and I still wasn’t strong enough.”
“You think all your strength comes from your sword, your training, your muscles. That you neglect a whole aspect of yourself in your devotion to that path. And if you continue on that way, you will never defeat me.”
“I need to learn haki.”
“You do, but that is not what I mean. You know that Shanks is an omega?”
“Luffy never said.”
That got a laugh from Mihawk and Zoro knew he and Perona were both staring at the man in shock. “As if that pup, when he was fully a pup, would have even noticed something like that. But the point is, that Shanks is one of the greatest pirates sailing the seas right now, and is an omega. Do you think he is who he is because he ignores, denies, neglects that aspect of himself, or because he has fully embraced it?”
“That is a leading question,” Zoro shifted on the pillow a bit. “Clearly you think it is the embraced.”
“I know it is, I know the man decently well after all,” Mihawk smirked a bit, and Zoro made a face. “Yes, in that sense. Interesting that I fuck your Luffy’s mentor. He looks quite pretty when he begs for my knot.”
Perona squeaked and hid a bit. “Why do I have to be here for this conversation? This isn’t my thing. I’m a beta. All the posturing alphas and omegas do is so not cute.”
“Yes, but I am going to present an offer to Zoro, and your help would be a part of that, and I will not involve you without your permission and agreement.” Mihawk was watching him, and Zoro didn’t know what was in his eyes. It was different than training, different from dinner. A difference, that he could not read. “Zoro, how do you feel about being an omega?”
Zoro knew to take his time, think about his answer. Eventually he just shrugged. “At the dojo, I was the only omega, presented late enough, he had already lost Kuina, that while before he wouldn’t have trained an omega, he still trained me. I could always find company for my heats before I was with Luffy. Not as easy since then. At sea longer, had Chopper give me meds, took me to two heats a year instead of seasonal. Trade off is they are worse. And been alone.”
“There are several alphas in your crew.”
“They are crew, family. I could never ask them.”
“But you wanted to.” Zoro had to shrug. “If I let you have a bottle of wine, will you be honest?” Mihawk reached to his side, “Or perhaps this very fine whisky?”
“Not your style to offer bribes.”
“Good omegas deserve to be showered in gifts. Do you want to be a good omega?” Zoro could hear Perona’s indrawn breath at that. Sure that Zoro would be insulted.
“Sure, I do. Who doesn’t?”
“A person who rejects their biology, or is neutral to it. But you aren’t. If the world let you, you’d be very proud of being an omega.” Mihawk leaned forward, and passed him the bottle. Zoro took a hefty couple of swallows. “And that is what you deny - not that you are an omega, but that if you could be, you’d be happy and proud of being am omega. But you think you can’t have that.”
Zoro didn’t answer just drank more. But it seemed that Mihawk was willing to wait him out, and Perona was watching them intently. “Can’t be the world’s best swordsman, and be an omega.”
“Why not?” Mihawk challenged. “Are you so weak that you think it diminishes you? It is a strength that you should train just like any other.”
“What to be a hole to be used and say thank you for the abuse after?” Zoro sneered. Mihawk raised a brow and Zoro quieted. Admitted, “I never actually had an experience like that. You hear stories, especially on the sea. But Johnny took care of me for a couple of heats and it was good. The heat house in Whiskey Peak, was nice. I used to like my heats. But -”
“But,” Mihawk nodded. “This is what I am going to propose. You have neglected your training as an omega. And in your two years here, we will rectify that. During the day you will train your haki, your sword skills, and in the evenings, your day off of training in the week, we will focus on your training of more personal skills.”
Zoro looked at him. “I don’t understand what that means.”
“You will embrace what you have neglected while you have been a Strawhat. I will not provide any medication to change your natural heat schedule. You will frequently be naked and kneeling. You will practice obeying, manners, projecting scent.”
Zoro was watching him. “And?”
“Yes, I will touch you, use alpha voice on you. Fuck you. You are out of alignment with yourself Zoro, and it diminishes what you can learn. Perona, since it seems I am stuck with you as well, are you fine with that? You’ll play a part, teaching Zoro certain crafts, getting him to actually bathe, take care of his skin, and whatnot.”
Oh no. Sure enough, Perona’s eyes widened, “Zoro gets to be my personal dress up doll?”
“He does. But only so long as you do not cry in my presence again. It is such an annoying noise.”
“Do I get to fuck Zoro too?”
“How about you ask me that?” Zoro snapped. “I am not a thing.”
“No, right now, you are not much at all. The question is do you want to be.” Mihawk drank more. “Whether the two of you have relations is entirely between the two of you.”
“What if I say no?”
“Nothing,” Mihawk replied. “I will take you on my boat to the next island and you continue the path you were on before and when we meet again, I suppose we will find out how it suited you.”
“How long do I have to decide?”
“I am in a good mood tonight, so I do believe that dinner tomorrow, if you come to the dining room, shirtless and kneel on the pillow that will be next to my chair, let me hand feed you, then you have agreed. If you sit in your chair, you refuse and we sail the next day.”
“Am I allowed to say certain things are not allowed?” Zoro swallowed, the ocean of saliva in his mouth. “I just - there are a few things, even before I started ignoring that part of myself that I just don’t want or like.”
“Everyone has limits.”
“I don’t like being spanked,” Perona offered. “Men always want to spank me, because I’m a brat and need to be taught my place. But it is boring!”
“I don’t mind a bit, but yeah it gets pretty boring, especially the crap guys say when they do it.”
“Ugh the worst right?” Perona slid to the ground and sat next to him. It was sort of nice. “You nasty bitch.”
“Bratty omega, needs to be reminded who’s in charge.”
“After this, you’ll use your mouth what it was meant for,” she sighed and rolled her eyes. “Boring!”
“I am so glad we could all share this bonding moment.”
“Shut up, Hawk Eye, give us this,” Zoro grunted, and Perona giggled. “When they bite where they have been spanking, thinking it is sexy?”
“Ha! They always want you to say you are naughty and need them to make you behave.”
“Yeah,” Zoro shook his head. “Think Mihawk over there says any of that crap?” Perona leaned around him.
“No, he’ll be very I am alpha it is my duty to watch and protect the omega. Bet his dick is huge though!”
“It is,” Mihawk replied, completely deadpan. “It has been known to split naughty omegas in half. After I spank them and bite where I spanked.” All said without inflection, and how much Zoro laughed hurt his aching ribs, but he also swore that he saw Mihawk smile a bit.
“No collaring me. Ever for any reason,” Zoro said. That got a ready nod. “I don’t like being called stupid, treated like an object.” Another nod. “No whips or hits on my back.”
“I know,” and Mihawk almost sounded kind.
“If you piss on me, I will stab you.”
“That feeling is mutual.”
“I say onigiri, whatever it is stops.”
Perona raised her hand, “Do I get a fancy word too? Because mine is…Penguin!”
“Very well. Mine is riverbed. I am trusting both of you. I will not check in or ask if you are fine. You are intelligent and grown up enough, for the most part, to know to use your word when you have to. Otherwise I will just do what is to be done.” Mihawk stood and moved over to Zoro and tilted his head up. “You have been hurting yourself, which weakens your swordsmanship. Strength is not just in the blade but in ourselves. I will see you at training tomorrow. Good eve to you both.”
Mihawk left them, and Zoro sat there in front of the fire. “What are you going to do? Is he right?”
“Yeah, he is,” Zoro sighed. “It’s been a long time. It wasn’t that I was asked to hide on the Merry or the Sunny. Luffy never asked that, because he wouldn’t even think of it, and the crew that had actual brains never asked anything of me for that. I just thought, they have to be expecting me to be the type of omega who is all I bend for no alpha, I am a swordsman not biology. So I just ignored it all, focused on training even more.”
“What sort of omega do you want to be?”
“I have no idea.”
“What are you going to do tomorrow?”
“I have no idea.”
“Yes you do,” Perona said and left without another word, but one ghost lingered so he would find his way to his room.
He went and lay down. Stared at his ceiling for hours, pressed fingers to his scent gland. He didn’t block his scent, but he also never encouraged it to be free, the skin there was dry, much drier than it should be, so he massaged the area until there was a bit of his natural oil was wetting his fingers. He breathed it in. Mihawk had smelled like an old forest, when rain stopped a brush fire.
Zoro breathed in his own scent, the scent when a young branch just about to bloom is snapped off, meant to be given to someone. It was a restless sleep but not as bad as he feared. The training during the day was just as brutal as ever, and Mihawk didn’t comment on Zoro’s scent being stronger, he just kicked Zoro’s ass like always. Today he didn’t go to Perona for his bruises, and was relieved when she didn’t hunt him down. He had a bath, brushed his hair, polished his earrings. He took off most of the bandages, they were useless anyways. He left his swords in the room.
Zoro walked slowly to the dining hall. He went in and saw that Mihawk dressed in an elegant suit, and Perona was in a dress. Where had she even gotten a dress? It took a moment to realize it was the bedspread from one of the rooms, transformed. But she had sewn his flesh, sheets were probably easier, or fought less anyways. There was a setting at the chair he had been using and a different pillow from the library next to Mihawk’s chair.
It looks as fluffy though.
Zoro gave them a bow and moved past his chair, and eased down onto the pillow. He kept his head high, but leaned a bit, when Mihawk stroked his hair.
“What a lovely omega, I am proud of you for taking this step. Let your training begin.” A piece of meat on a fork was held to his lips and Zoro leaned forward, ate it. And a tension he had grown used to, so used to that he had forgotten it was even there, left his body, made him weak. He tilted and Mihawk’s hand guided him. He rested his head on Mihawk’s thigh, and let himself be petted.
“Wait, Zoro, is cute?”
“Hush, don’t tease, Perona, or the fabric I have ordered for you will not be delivered.”
Zoro smiled at the way her jaw clacked as she shut her mouth. The fork was there and he opened his mouth, ate what was offered.
*
Zoro let Perona hover, and check him over. “Well, you aren’t a complete mess.” She sounded annoyed and Zoro realized she had gotten used to taking care of him, that even though she was kinda scary and shit at taking care of her weird creatures on Thriller Bark, she still was used to fussing over something, and Zoro was all she had. She stood there with her stupid medical bag and was looking over his shoulder. “Glad you learned to duck.”
“I uh, strained my wrist a bit when a humandrill tossed me across the training area.” He offered up his hand. “Dislocated my thumb.” He had popped it right back in place, it was fine, but she needed this.
“Ha! Knew you couldn’t have actually gotten good.” But she was immediately rubbing something soothing on his skin. “We’ll bandage it after your bath.”
Zoro sighed, “I had a bath two days ago.”
“Yes, and many people believe in bathing everyday,” she tugged at his hair a bit and he pretended he didn’t like it. Since the agreement had been in place she had grown a lot handsy with him, and maybe there was some truth about omegas being more content with regular skin contact. He had been sleeping better at night, anyways. It made him realize how much that Luffy touched him, and perhaps he had sometimes been antagonizing shit cook, because being kicked at least was touch. Another tug to his hair and he was almost purring. “Mihawk and I agreed, getting you up to three showers or baths a week, was as far as we’d feel comfortable pushing you right now. Did you ever think maybe you aren’t an omega, but a cat in human form? It would explain a lot about you.”
“Fuck off, ghost,” he growled, because he had heard that before and hated it then too. Five of her ghosts ran through him and he collapsed to the floor.
“Children, play nice, or no dessert at dinner.”
“Yes, Mihawk,” they both said sweetly, well Perona sweetly and Zoro gloomily, and he disappeared down the hall.
“You got us in trouble.”
“I am a slug, princess,” Zoro agreed.
“Come on, slug your way to the bathroom. Shower or bath?”
“Bath,” he whined, “I am unworthy of standing.” He started off crawling but the ghosts wore off when they were at the door of the bathroom. Zoro kicked her, just a bit, not that she felt it through those boots. But she followed him in, and he was confused. “Perona, I do know how to take a bath.” This was the first time she had come along and he was a bit confused. “I will actually bathe, you don’t have to watch to report to Mihawk.”
“If you knew how to properly bathe, you would be much cuter than you are,” she said and he decided to just ignore her and he did really want a bath over a shower, so he turned the taps. He stripped down, because tight quarters on ships meant everyone saw everything at some point. He leaned to get into the tub when Perona squealed. “What now, Princess?”
“You are filthy and just going to get in there?”
He straightened and turned, not caring that she glanced down at his dick. He pointed at the water and then himself. “I am dirty, that will make me clean. Like how you and Hawk Eyes insist?”
“Yes, but if you just get in, then you’ll be sitting in all that sweat and dirt.”
“I plan to be in there for five minutes at most.”
“You are so stupid!” She even stomped her foot. “You are an adult, supposedly and don’t know how to do this? Do you actually want to be sitting in water that has your stinky ball sweat in it?”
He would not admit that maybe she was making sense. “Fine, then I’ll just shower! Then I’m not sitting in ball sweat.”
“Why do you think there is always a bucket and a bench near a bath tub?”
“To wash your clothes?” Or depending how dubious the space was the bucket was there to piss in.
“I despair for humanity that one day you might be declared the best of it.” Zoro watched her start to take off her clothes, and sure nudity on a ship was one thing, but this was something else. He quickly turned around. “Oh what? When you go into heat we’re likely to fuck, so seeing my really cute breasts or cunt right now is hardly a big deal, and I’m not getting my cute clothes wet.”
Zoro turned and watched her bend over grab the bucket and she filled it with water from the bath. She brought it over to the bench. “See there is a grate right here in the stone floor.” She went to a shelf and fine Zoro watched her ass. It was a good ass. She came back with what looked like coral and some soap. She dropped the coral in the bucket and held the soap. “This is soap, it makes you clean.”
“Yes, and I could be doing that in the bath.” He turned the water off and was tempted to just get in while it was still hot. “By the time we do whatever you are doing, the water will be cooler, I like it hot.”
“This is a minute, your water will still be hot, dumbass.” She pulled the coral out of the buck and rubbed the soap on it. “This is a loofah, you rub your body with it after you’ve put soap on. Then it will get all the dirt and grime and sweat off.” She rubbed it on her arm to show him. “Now be a good boy and try it.”
“I hate you,” he growled. Ghosts started to circle her, most of them grinning at him, but one wasn’t eager to hurt him and just waved. “Hi Johnny.”
“You named one of my negatives Johnny?” She screeched. “That is so not a cute name.”
“He likes it.” Zoro ran the loofah over his skin. “It is rough.”
“It is exfoliating. Dead skin go bye bye.” She waved a hand. “Faster you scrub, sooner you are in that hot water.”
Zoro rolled his eyes, but he scrubbed and the loofah stung on bruises but he was fairly certain that he had himself fairly clean. “Now what?”
“Stand over the grate and dump the water over your head.” He thought it was stupid when he had a hot bath right fucking there, but he did it. “Good!” She praised and it didn’t hit quite the same as when Mihawk or Luffy praised him, but it still felt good. “Now you can get in the bath.”
“This was so stupid, what’s the point of the bath now?”
“To ease your sore muscles, to enjoy?” She went to the shelf and pulled a bottle off. She went and bent over, and yeah he stared at the sway of her breasts, he wasn’t obsessed with women like shit cook who’d have already passed out, but he knew she was pretty. “Here, a bit of scented oil. The scent is soothing, the oil will help your skin be soft. Go on, get in.”
Zoro sat in the tub, and she had grabbed a towel was rolling it. “What now?” He wanted five minutes of quiet. She just pushed him back and the towel was there between his neck and the edge of the tub. Oh, that actually felt great. He closed his eyes and heard the shower go on. He found himself humming Brook’s song as the heat seeped into his skin and muscles relaxed him. Fuck, is this why people actually like baths? He realized that Perona was humming along under her shower. “You like the song too?”
“I’m a pirate, aren’t I?”
“Yeah,” he whistled a bit, and she sang. “This isn’t awful.” He stared out the window, and saw the gloomy skies. “Why did Kuma send you here?”
“He asked my dream vacation spot and I told him. Then I was here.”
“He didn’t ask me anything. I was just sent here. But what confuses me, is that he sent me to a place that if it didn’t kill me, would make me stronger, better. Why?”
“Who knows what the warlords think.”
“You would know what Moria thinks.” The water turned off and she was approaching. Her hair was darker when it was wet, out of its ponytails, covering her breasts, framing her cunt. She got into the bath on the other side, hugged her knees. He could kick her out, but this tub could hold three. He thought he should at least cover his dick, since she was covered, but also he was comfortable and not giving up the towel under his neck. He vaguely put a hand over himself.
“Moria wasn’t like Luffy. He wasn’t a captain that considered you an equal. We were all under him, and to worship him. I did. I do, but that doesn’t mean I understand what he thought.” Her chin was on her knees. “He sometimes suggested that his experimentation would one day reach me too. Doesn’t matter now, he is likely dead.”
Zoro didn’t say anything to that, because he was sometimes scared that Luffy was dead, or would die before they could all be together again. He rubbed a toe along her calf in comfort, but it seemed she was ticklish and squealed. In retaliation she yanked some of his leg hair out and fuck that was an all new level of pain. They both settled until the water slid from hot to warm. When they got out of the water, Zoro grabbed a towel and found himself gently, carefully drying Perona off, ignoring his own body.
Neither of them said anything as he served. He wrapped her in a dry towel and sat her on the bench. He combed her hair that he had toweled dry. He separated it and put it in two low hanging plaits. “If you leave these in, while your hair dries, it will be curly when dry. That could look cute.”
“Thanks,” she said. She stood up and ran her nose along his cheek and he breathed in her freshly clean almost neutral scent. Then she was hurrying away, flushed at nuzzling him.
Zoro smiled and wrapped a towel around his waist. He had mostly dried while standing there. The Johnny negative was waiting for him in the hallway. He laughed, “come on, show me the way.” The ghost hovered, almost rested on his shoulder, like how Chopper often sat. It made him homesick for the Sunny, but not quite as much as it would have a week ago. He wanted to be home desperately, but here was not the nightmare he had assumed it would be.