Sharp and Sharper. Roronoa Zoro x (fem OG) reader // One Piece fanfiction

is this friendship to you?

"Nami, wait!" I run after her. At first, she ignores me and continues walking off, along the dock. "Come on, Nami. Let's talk about what happened. He didn't mean it!" She stops abruptly, however, not turning around. "Oh yeah? Then why isn't he the one running after me? Why is it always you trying to be friends with everyone? Do you even think of me as a friend?" I can hear her voice breaking a little. I feel so terrible for her. I reach her and put my hand on her shoulder. I won't let myself be put down by her mean words. That's how she is when she's upset.
She slowly turns to me, I see the tears. "You know I really am your friend and you really are mine. One of my best at that." She looks down at my sentimental talk. "Zoro is stubborn. He has been dreaming about this very duel since I can remember. Thinking about it for that long, it was obvious he wouldn't back down once the chance arose. He might not make it. And I know you only tried to save him. Unfortunately, we have to live with his decision. It's a tough thing to do but we would never get in the way of your dreams either." "I just don't get how all of us can let him do that. I know there's nothing we can do, but it sucks." "You are so right. I wish he didn't have to do it but I know he would never forgive me for not letting him. I mean, you saw how he acted out on your attempts." "Can I be honest?" "Sure, go ahead." "I thought, because of how close you guys are, that you would be the one able to talk some sense into him. But you didn't. Then I thought, because we are friends and friends support each other, I'll show the two of you how bad of an idea it is. You would talk him out of it and everything would be the ordinary way." I exhale deeply. "Yeah. You see since we are friends, all of us, and, as you have already said, friends support each other, we support Zoro in his decision. If it would have been a stupid last-minute decision, we all would have been on your side. But it's his dream. It's why we all decided to join Luffy. To follow our dreams." Now she is the one exhaling deeply. "Look, I know you are happy to have found some friends in us finally. And so is Zoro. He didn't have many friends back then. I saw how happy you two were making friends with each other. That's why I know both of you are hurting.-" "If you think we became friends, why would he say I have no friends? Isn't it that you speak the harsh truth once you're mad? And drunk on top of that!" She asks me with a sense of madness but also hurt. "No. That's not exactly true. Surely you say mean stuff and you might mean it in the moment, but ultimately you regret saying it. He was just hurt that you wouldn't support him. Your way of helping was screaming at him and that's just not how Zoro operates. He felt hurt and said some stuff he didn't mean. Of course, you are still friends. We are still friends. This is going to be over soon." "Yeah, you're right..." She said it with this weird attitude. It's like she knows it'll be over but kind of in an unhappy but deceitful way. Before I can ask her about it, she gets up and leaves. I sit down on the dock, dipping my feet in the water.

Eventually, I got up and went back to the Merry. I pass by the room Usopp is in, barfing up the 'candy' he's been drinking all night. I head to the kitchen to bring him some water. Zoro is still in here, meditating at the table. Eyes closed. I fill up a glass with water. But once it's filled, I barely manage to turn off the faucet. I just stand there, at the sink, staring at the glass in my hand. I should say something. I can't just say nothing and leave. I wouldn't want to disturb him but he must have been meditating for about two hours.
"You don't need to say anything if you don't want to." I exhaled a deep breath I didn't know I was holding. "You know me so well," I say quietly while turning around. It was more directed at myself. But he heard it. "Of course I do." After that, he opens his eyes and looks at me.

I take a seat next to him, slumping a little. I lost my spirit when I saw Mihawk coming up. There's not enough of me there anymore to sit upright. I haven't felt so lost in many, many years.
He wraps his arm around me, pushing me into him. I melt into his touch. A tear rolling down my cheek. He pulls my chin up with his free hand and dries the tear away with his thumb. "Don't you cry. It's a good thing. It makes me happy to have finally found him." I give him a weak smile. "Well, I'd say he's rather found you, but sure." He laughs a little, which infects me.

As quick as that laugh was, he turned it back to serious. "You know I can take him, right?" "I do. It's just that I didn't expect it too soon so maybe you would have had an even greater chance." "So, you're saying I won't be able to take him." He looks so hurt. I should've just shut my mouth and not. Shit. "No, that's not what I said nor meant. It's just that I don't know what to expect from him. You see, we've never actually seen him fight. And he's a warlord of the sea. He is basically still a pirate with the benefit of being allies to the government. Who knows which dirty tricks he'll use." I let out an unbelieving chuckle. "Oh yeah. Try and talk your way out. He's a swordsman. We have an honor. You know that better than anyone else!" He raised his voice at the last part. Now I am the unbelieving one. I cannot believe he just raised his voice at me. Not that it's forbidden or anything but he has never done it to me. I loosen his grip on me and get up. I take the glass of water. "You're beyond repair." That's what I would have loved to say. "Well, it's too late now anyway. I wish you the best of luck Zoro. May the best swordsman win." I bow. Not in a mocking way though. I know a challenge like that is not to be taken lightly. As he sees it, I am I swordswoman so I should behave like one. So I do.