Second Wind

39

Zoro took a long swig of his sake and motioned for the bartender to pour him some more. Luffy sat beside him, his drink untouched. One thing Zoro had noticed about Luffy was that he never drank alcohol unless he was happy or wanted to celebrate something. He didn't drink for the sake of forgetting his problems, or even getting drunk (which, with his body's metabolism and general disregard for realistic human biology, he could barely do anyway). In this way he was the polar opposite of the average binge drinker. To Luffy, alcohol was in equal parts a symbol of the pirate life, a medium for his friendly rivalry with his first mate, and a fun way to let go during a party. But never was it an escape from his troubles.

So when Luffy left his drink untouched, it was hard for Zoro not to miss that he wasn't in the best of moods. The unsettled feelings rolling off him in waves, which were not missed by the swordsman's passive observation, also made it abundantly clear. He sighed before turning to his captain.

"There's no point dwelling on it you know. Until we meet up with Robin, we won't even know if he's been here, much less where he's going." Luffy nodded, but he was still disheartened.

"I'm just worried. I know things won't turn out like last time - we won't let them - but the fact that the bastard is still out there doesn't help anything."

Zoro stared at him curiously. "What would you have done if he was here? Provoked him?"

Luffy shrugged. "There would be no need. You know what position he's after. If we were both on the island, he would have aimed for me the first opportunity he got." He clenched his fist. "But there goes that plan."

Zoro thought for a moment. "Still, there aren't that many bounty heads which would guarantee him that position in these seas, and unless Ace confronts him, which he told us he wouldn't yet, I doubt he'll be able to make his move at this point. I don't know why he's not here, but most likely, you're still his prime target."

Luffy thought about the logic for a moment. He agreed with it, but he still couldn't shake the unfounded apprehension in his gut. He sighed and resolved to stop worrying so much. It wasn't really his style.

"But even if it doesn't go as planned," Zoro continued, "We'll prevent the worst of it. If it somehow escalates to that point, we'll follow him to Marineford if we have to." He looked at Luffy meaningfully. "All of us."

Luffy couldn't help but smile. He picked up his glass. "In the meantime, let's make sure it doesn't," he said before chugging. He was admittedly in a much better mood after that reassurance. Even if the scars on his body had disappeared once he had come to the past, the scars on his mind would always linger to an extent. He didn't want to storm Marineford again, and he didn't think he would have to, but if it absolutely came down to it, he would, and the thought that he wouldn't be alone was welcoming.

Luffy and Zoro heard the sound of the bar doors opening behind them, accompanied by the feeling of a stronger than average aura walking in. That alone usually wouldn't make them bat an eye. It was the fact that they instantly recognized the presence that caught them off guard. They shared a glance, both asking each other the same question. Was she here last time?

Luffy fought the urge to turn around in his seat and instead waited as she walked up to the counter and sat down on the stool next to him.

"Bartender! I'll have a glass of wine over here," the familiar voice spoke. Luffy snuck a glance at her, and was assaulted by memories that almost made him recoil in guilt as he met her inquisitive eyes.

Luffy sat in front of Ace's grave for the first time. He had never gotten a chance to pay him a proper visit, and the fact that he was finally getting that chance when the encounter with his late brother's betrayer was likely days away was fitting in the most twisted of ways.