How To Treat A Lady

Dearly Departed

Sanji walked out of the galley again to let the french toast he's making soak in the mixture. He saw Zoro sitting on Luffy's spot but the captain is sleeping at the moment so there's nothing to really worry about.

He walks back in. She has been there presumably since she woke up from whatever nightmare she had. Sanji had let her be, gone to sleep and woke with her still there but she wasn't crying. All those emotions that made her cry seem to have gone and left her with the aftermath. It was still early in the morning so he could only hope that she'll feel better as the day goes.

***

Zoro didn't come in for breakfast. At first Chopper thought it was because she had gone into a coma attack again but after breakfast everyone saw Zoro on the Sunny's head. Luffy started to complain about her being in his favorite spot but stopped himself when he saw her face. Her eye was buffy and a little red from crying, her cheek was also stained with tear streaks, her expression was gone like she wasn't there. Almost dead. So Luffy left her alone but Sanji wasn't going to have it. She needed to eat. 

He made her french toast, a new batch since Luffy had eaten everything that morning. She was stuck with the little that was left. "Here," his voice soft and low, "you need to eat something." He tell her. He shoves the plate in front of her. She looks down at it for a few seconds before grabbing putting it in her lap. She took a couple slow bites but Sanji saw her eyes water with tears and she took a deep but shaky inhale. So she stuffed the whole plate into her mouth. She looked cute like that, her cheeks full and puffed, her eyebrows furrowed up in worry and sadness. She almost looked like she was pouting.

She shoved the plate back to Sanji without turning to look at him. He sitting on the floor setting it next to him. He silently watched her chew her food. Her cheeks slowly loosing it's puffiness. When she finally gulped the last of the food and let out a satisfied sigh he gave her some juice. She took it and drank it slowly.

"You want to talk about it?" Sanji asks. She shook her head. Sanji gave her a nod not that she saw it. He waited till she handed the cup back to leave her alone.

***

Zoro hated feeling like this. She didn't want to feel like this. It's why she fought so hard to keep her friends alive. It would be like Kuina all over again except worse. This is how it would feel to lose one of her nakama. She didn't want to think about that but everytime she closed her eyes, rest, took a nap she'd get more of them, Nina and Alex.

She'd got so much more information and it made the feeling worse. How they had gone back to Nina's hometown where she introduced Alex to her family. They weren't happy about it but that was okay. She gave the company over to her younger brother and left with Alex to travel and enjoy being with each other. Nina was heart broken that her family wasn't happy for them, didn't accept them but after those years of traveling in the harsh world she's gotten tougher. She estranged herself from the family and left, leaving them behind. If they weren't going to there for her when she's happy then she's not going to waste her time with them.

Or how Alex had told Nina her past. How Alex village was billaged by bandits but by the time the bounty hunters came to save them almost everyone was dead, only those that hid survived and they were all kids. She wanted to be a bounty hunter too, to be like those who saved her but she couldn't find anyone to teach her. Then she fell in love and was almost going to get married but her lover cheated on her, he found someone else. Another woman with some money. Alex wasn't like her, she didn't wear the fanciest dress or the smelliest perfume. She was a tomboy. After crying about it she left to travel around the world, see things she's never seen before. She took her dead father's katana to keep her safe. It worked, no one bothered someone with a weapon.  What little she did know about using a sword she learned from watching others.

They were so happy with each other. They were even married.

___

Zoro watched as Alex went into a rage. Nine long gone. She killed everyone. After Nina had passes she made sure to get the old man who did it. She happily decapitated his head. And killed everyone, not knowing who to trust. The woman, the old man's daughter, bowed down in from of Alex apologizing. That had stopped her. The woman saw everything that happened with her father. She was here before him. When Nina and Alex said they would get their town back she followed them to watch, to make sure it wasn't just her hope making her feel like that. She had to see for herself. She was upset and shocked when she saw her father killing one of their saviors.

Alex calmed down after that explanation but she was still on her toes. She wouldn't trust them that easily. 

As it finally cooled down people started to emerge to the carnage that their town was in. There had been a bandit left, not fighting because he was a coward. Alex interrogated him not that it was hard. He had seen what she was capable of and confessed everything after a look from Alex.

The old man was scared at first, new to being the mayor but after fighting and finally making his way to the leader he was easily persuaded with money. But after a while he got greedy so he killed the leader and was being the mayor while being the leader of the bandits at the same time. It upset the townsfolk and the woman knowing that he was doing that. They had gotten people taken from them at night, they thought it was the bandits when it was actually the mayor taking them down. One of the stronger bandits came up with the plan of hiring a bounty hunter to take the old man's head so he could become the leader. That obviously didn't come true.

The bandit didn't live long after. Alex was upset for a different reason. Nina had been killed because she was just trying to help them and then she was lied to and killed. She was still mad but she wanted to bury Nina before she continued. The woman and a couple townsfolk helped her. They found a beautiful area with flowers and trees. It was full of life, NIna would have liked it so they buried her there. They all worked together to make a coffin and bury her. Alex took her sword sliding it next to her own.

She left after. A new goal in mind.