𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 • Roronoa Zoro

chapter two

SIX YEARS AGO

Since the death of Kuina, Miura and her parents had moved away to a different island, Solitude Island. It's name wasn't deceptive, living on the island really did feel like living in solitude. It was far from any other island, with barely any people in it. It's population had he be five hundred maximum.

Despite the timing, the family's move had nothing to do with Kuina dying, and everything to do with Miura's maternal grandfather falling ill. They knew he was going to die, and they wanted to be with him in his final moments. Miura's parents promised her that they'd go back to their original home after her grandfather's funeral, but they never did.

Now thirteen, she still remembered the last conversation her and Zoro had.

"Please, Zoro," Miura said, "You have to keep up your end of the promise you made to Kuina."

"Of course I will," he said, "I promised her, and now I'm promising you. I'm gonna become the greatest swordsman the world has ever seen."

"I don't doubt that." Miura reached into her pocket and pulled out a black bandana, one that she often tied around her head whilst fighting. "You always made fun of me for wearing this during fights, said there was no point."

"I mean, there wasn't. But, hey, it was all in good fun."

"You should keep it. Something to remember me by."

"Are you sure? It's yours."

"Oh, come on. It's just a black bandana, I can get another one if I want. Just keep it."

"Alright. I'll never lose this."

"I trust that you won't."

Miura was awoken abruptly from her sleep by the sounds of loud yelling from outside her window. She rubbed her eyes, turning on the lamp on her bedside table and adjusting to the new light.

"Mom? Dad?" She called out. Nothing. She shrugged, figuring they were asleep. She stood up and looked out her window, her eyes widening at the sight. Pirates. She couldn't quite tell who it was in the darkness, but it was undeniably a pirate crew. Their clothes, their swords, their guns. Everything about them screamed danger.

Miura grabbed her swords from her wall. One was a double sided sword, not a makeshift one like what she'd hurt herself with, but a real one. She was good with it. Her other sword was just one with a normal blade. Her parents couldn't afford two double sided ones.

She searched all around the house first, realising that her parents weren't home.

"No, no, no," she angrily whispered. Her parents couldn't have been fighting, they weren't those type of people. Her parents must've been taken.

Without a moment more of hesitation, Miura ran outside. Instantly met with a pirate, she spun around her double sided sword, slicing his head off. She stared down at the now limp and headless body. She'd never done that before. However, before she could truly process it, she heard her mother yelling behind her.

"Aoi! Go back inside!"

Miura turned around to see both of her parents with pirates arms wrapped around their shoulders, being dragged towards their ship. She tried to make out their jolly roger, or some sort of distinguishable feature about the pirates, but she couldn't pick anything out through the darkness and dog.

Miura's parents weren't the only ones being taken by the pirates. They'd grabbed tones. Doors had been kicked down, family members were yelling, everything was chaos. It didn't seem like the pirates had stolen anything else. No money, no jewels. Just people.

Miura ran to her parents. She was stopped along the way by pirates, but the adrenaline pumping through her caused her to fight them all off, killing some in the process.

"For your first time fighting, you're pretty good!" She heard a voice say from quite far away, likely at the pirate ship.

"How do you know it's my first time?" Miura called back, although she didn't know who she was talking to.

"You look young. Thirteen, maybe fourteen at a stretch. No kid your age, living on an island like this, has ever fought, yet you've got insane skills. You should consider joining my crew."

"I'll never join scum like you!"

"Suit yourself. Hurry and get these prisoners on deck, boys, we have places to be."

"No! Mom, dad!"

But Miura couldn't fight anymore. Her arms were hurting, and one of the pirates had cut her leg pretty bad. She fell down to her knees, watching the pirates run past her, laughing maniacally. How could they take pain and turn it into pleasure so easily?

After the pirate ship left, everyone stayed still in shock, just like Miura. People had just had their children, their parents, their lovers taken away, and there was nothing they could do about it. That's what most people thought, anyway.

After what felt like hours of everyone stood, watching the ocean in shock, Miura shakily got on her feet.

"I'll get them back," she said.

It took months. Miura worked tons of different jobs not only to support her thirteen year old self, but to save up for something.

A boat.