When Swords Clash (A One Piece Fanfic: Roronoa Zoro)

CHAPTER 2

A Wandering (Lost) Ronin

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Zoro was lost.

Which, frankly, wasn't really that surprising, but it was surprising to him.

He'd been wandering around the capital for a few days now, only managing to scrape off using the meager allowance Kinemon had lent him some time ago. Usopp was nowhere to be found, and Zoro's allowance was dwindling—a dilemma. This was one of those problems he could not solve with a swish of his swords, and for Zoro, slicing his problems had always been his go-to solution for literally almost everything.

He totaled his remaining allowance and made an estimation that this would most likely last him for one more day, and after that, he was going to have to survive on his own.

He considered working part-time in one of the shops in the main district, but quickly dismissed the idea because he decided to leave it all to luck—he's always been pretty lucky thus far, and he was betting on the off chance of running into someone familiar.

Weird, he thought, stopping in his tracks as he scrutinized the traditional house on the side of the dusty street. He had a hand on his chin, brows pulled together in a frown.

I'm sure I passed this house a few minutes ago.. this place is confusing.

(It was definitely not confusing. He was in fact, just too prideful to admit that he was lost), the narrator said.

Shrugging, Zoro decided to stop by at a tonkatsu restaurant. The place was built in traditional structure, with customers occupying a few tables and the smell of fried tonkatsu wafting the ambiance. Casual conversations flitted back and forth between tables. After placing an order, Zoro waited by his table with a served bottle of sake in his hands.

He raised the bottle to his lips and began to chug it down with vigor—it's been a while since he had a taste of some good booze.

"Ah—Zoro?!"

Zoro paused and lowered the bottle, a hand wiping the side of his chin as he turned to the source of the voice.

The voice belonged to a woman with short brown hair tied into a low ponytail; she was wearing a black kimono with a jolly roger stitched in yellow threading at the front, and over that was a white haori with a pattern of Sakura petals.

He was a lucky man after all.

"Sora," he acknowledged in greeting with a curt nod. "So you're here. What are you doing in the Flower Capital?"

The woman named Sora was still surprised at his unexpected presence, but nonetheless recovered. She shook her head and pulled the chair opposite him, seating herself. She yelled out her order to the shop owner, before redirecting her attention back towards Zoro.

"Flower capital my ass. This is Kuri," she hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Zoro was about to take another gulp of his sake when he paused. Kuri?

Kuri was one of the main regions in Wano, located in the southern part. It was a good distance from the Flower capital.

"You know what, never mind," Sora said, dismissively waving her hand with a defeated sigh. "I bet you got lost or something. Why do I even bother to ask.."

"I'm not lost, this country just has a confusing geography."

"Whatever you say, swordsman."

Zoro clenched his jaw in restrained annoyance. But he could not quip back because a shop waiter had arrived bringing Sora's drink—she'd also ordered a bottle of sake, and placed it on the table in front of them.