If You Thought It Was Real Pt. II

Pt. I

Pt. III

The town felt smaller, somehow. When they first docked it was bustling, vendors on every street, people talking and laughing. Silence felt like a thing of the past.

It was almost like a ghost town, with how it felt now.

It was darker outside, the sun still slowly setting over the horizon. Shades of orange cast shadows as he walked, flip-flops hitting the ground, the noise echoing around him. He had told the others to stay on the ship, even though Zoro was determined to follow him out there.

They had spent the first day discussing what had happened regarding you and drawn this conclusion: you’d set your sights on them, and Sanji, with intentions. It wasn’t a rare fact that Sanji was a flirt who wore his heart on his sleeve, and it appeared you had taken advantage of this and gained his trust, worming your way onto the ship to steal Nami’s barely finished map.

Sanji had attempted to pretend he didn’t care, although Luffy knew he was holding onto your note in his chest pocket, and even though his eyes were more watery than normal.

The discussion of what had happened quickly delved into what would happen. Sanji said he didn’t care, but the wobbly lips that held his cigarette told another story. Nami wanted her map back, as well as the berri she later realized you had stolen as well.

Luffy wasn’t one who got tied in romantic drama; he didn’t care who was with whom, but he did care when the who in question hurt his nakama.

And despite his watery smiles and forced cheeriness, you had hurt Sanji.

Fists clenched at his side, Luffy paused in his walking, focusing on nothing in front of him. Perhaps some of the issue came from the fact that Luffy had also trusted you. That he’d begun to truly consider you one of his friends. Though his priority, in this situation, was his nakama. He’d deal with his issues at a later date.

The first issue at hand was finding you.

You’d mentioned before that you lived in one of the local inns, that it was part of your payment for the work you did in this port. But checking with some of the nearer innkeepers, the only conclusion he’d gotten was you didn’t live there, and the questioning of your whereabouts was enough to make a flash of fear shine in their eyes.

The picture he’d painted was beginning to change the more he wandered.

“Excuse me?”

He glanced up, his glare turning from the ground to the young woman who was beckoning for his attention.

She was partly hidden in the shadows, peeking at him from an alleyway she had ducked into.

“You’re Monkey D. Luffy, aren’t you?” He blinked at the question, his glare faltering as he nodded, and she looked somewhat relieved. “Are you looking for your friend?”

He pondered for a moment before saying your name in a questioning tone. She nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Do you know where she is?”

“Yes, I,” She bit her bottom lip, eyes darting away before coming back to him, “Are you going to help her?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Does she need my help?”

She nodded, quick and sharp, “She… They should be at the tavern two blocks that way,” She pointed further up the way he had been walking, “Siren’s Heart. She’ll be there.”

Nodding, he didn’t say much else, walking further down the cobblestone path.

“Please, help her.” He didn’t respond to the woman’s whispered plea, wondering if he kept walking, if he could pretend he hadn’t heard it.

The walk grew louder as he neared the bar; music was pouring out into the streets, and drunk men were bumbling about, laughing loudly. One man bumped into Luffy, and under any other circumstances, he’d have laughed it off, but he didn’t even blink as the drunk man fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

“Watch it, asshole!”

He sent him one brief glare, barely tapping into his conqueror’s haki, before continuing his walk, paying no mind to the man trembling at his friend's feet.

The bar was loud. It wasn’t unusual, but after spending so many days aboard the Sunny, it felt jarring.

The dress you had on was uncomfortable. It wasn’t new, it’s a stupid piece you’ve had for months. Too tight where you didn’t want it to be, every breath felt shallow, lest you break your ribs against the fabric, and your legs were far too uncovered. Maybe in another life you would have worn something like this out for fun with friends, nothing on your mind but a good night.

A stupid voice whispered in another world that those friends could have been Nami and Robin.

Another shot silenced that voice rather quickly.

A hand gripped your thigh, the feeling causing you to jump, mind hazy as you turned, blinking slowly.

“C’mon, girly.” The smell of peanuts, vodka, and bad breath invaded your senses, and you couldn’t stop yourself from cringing. “You’re far too quiet tonight.”

Thanks jackass, my throat hurts. You just smiled at him, small and simple, “Sorry— lost in thought!” You tacked on a giggle at the end, watching as his seedy eyes lit up.

The bruises littering your body weren’t covered by fabric or makeup. Why hide them when they served to remind you and everyone around you what happened when you didn’t abide by the rules perfectly? You learned that there was an unspoken rule regarding the timeline of getting the map.

You were led to the man's table, wobbly on the heels they stuffed you in, liquor making your body warm and your balance nonexistent. It was easy to dissociate once you were seated, downing drinks handed your way, leaning against the older man’s side, his arm wrapped around your waist, fingers dangerously close to brushing against your behind.

The drunker he got, the more he babbled about all the valuable items he and his men had recently found, and you realized through your haze why he was invited out this evening. You didn’t need anyone to come see you to tell you what you were aiming for tonight, this was the usual song and dance. You were so wrapped up in your mind, still timing your smiles and laughter just right, you failed to notice the hush that had fallen in the bar.

Through the ever-growing silence you heard your name, harsh and cold. You shifted, realizing at some point you’d move to lay your head on the table, the cool wood nice against your flushed face. You turned, the blurry outline of a person growing closer. You heard a familiar sound, a muffled slapping sound, which you began to recognize as flip-flops hitting the floor.

That realization had you shooting up, the hazy features coming clear as he stood right by your table: Luffy.

“L-Luffy?”

He didn’t respond, but the look on his face was enough to make your mouth slam shut. He looked mad, it was almost unnatural to see such an expression on his face. In the short time you had been aboard the Sunny, the captain had been all smiles and laughter: it made you occasionally wonder if they gave him the title of ‘Captain’ to be nice.

But seeing the storm that the man before you, you had a sinking realization that all the rumors you had heard before this mission were true.

You’d forgotten cruel men could wear smiles as bright as the sun.

“You hurt Sanji.” Was all he responded, voice low.

“I,” Your throat felt dry, and you couldn’t help but swallow nervously, hoping it would provide some sort of relief.

His eyes studied your face amid your silence, gaze dropping slowly down your throat, narrowing ever so slightly as he took in the fresh bruises on your skin.

“Huh, so that’s what she meant.” He muttered to himself, crouching down some that he was face to face with you, the brim of his hat brushing against your forehead.

With him so close, you felt like you were suffocating, terrified to keep holding eye contact, but so much more terrified to break it.

“Hey, boy,” A hand clasped Luffy’s shoulder.

You recognized the voice. Hel was the one who did recon in the bar when needed; this was his territory. But Luffy didn’t so much as move, his gaze locked on your face.

“What business you got with our girl here?”

That question had one of his eyebrows ticking, a subtle shift in his expression. “Your girl?”

“Yeah.” Hel chuckled, dark and annoyed, his grip on Luffy’s shoulder tightening, “So I’ll ask again; what business do you—”

It happened so quickly that you missed it, despite your eyes being open and locked on Luffy. One moment, Hel was behind him, the next he was feet away, crashed through the wooden bar, blood already pouring down his forehead, eyes barely open as he slumped over.Now standing, Luffy turned his back towards you, staring at your unconscious boss, “She’s not your girl. She’s Sanji’s, which means she’s mine.”

Taglist: @hannahbarberra162

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I love your stories!! Maybe a Zoro x princess!reader would be interesting? She ran away and became a pirate of the crew, but she is still very formal and polite while Zoro is... Zoro 😂😂

⛥ﾟ・。 knight

synopsis: as a princess, you constantly have a bounty on your head, which means you are almost always under attack whenever the crew docks on an island. so, after zoro saves you from being kidnapped again, you both have a heart to heart... which ends in a little confession.

cw: fluffy fluff, comfort, reader talks very proper, reader's a little dense, zoro's a little emotionally constipated

"Get the princess!" the leader of the thugs shouted, swords drawn as the huge gang chased after you.

Hastily, Zoro attempted to cut a nearby corner, teetering to the side a little bit before he stabilized and continued to sprint down the street.

"What the hell were you thinking, huh?!" he panted, brows furrowed at he glanced at you, who was thrown over his shoulder. "I leave you alone for two seconds! And somehow you find a way to grab the attention of every damn criminal in town!"

"I was thirsty!" you exclaimed, defensively. "I thought I was going into a bar!"

"It was obviously a bounty hunter's nest!" he fired back.

"How was I supposed to know that?!"

"It was called the Killshot! And had a sign hanging outside with a picture of a gun!"

"I thought it was just a colorful theme!"

Zoro groaned, eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head as he cursed whatever god that allowed this to happen yet again.

One of these days, he was gonna pretend he didn't see anything.

You were a princess, plain and simple, heir to the throne of some far off kingdom in the New World.

Ever since you were a little girl, you'd longed for adventure, not wanting your world to be confined to the walls of your castle, or the borders of your kingdom.

So, you promised yourself that the moment you turned eighteen, you'd run away.

And that's exactly what you did.

Though, in hindsight, it was probably not the best decision, as you had absolutely no idea how the outside world worked.

Still, somehow by fate or by fortune, your clueless self had managed to make it all the way to Loguetown, where the crew saved you from a few assassins.

Thus, you became the Strawhat's resident princess and diplomat.

And Zoro's resident pain in the ass.

Whenever the crew docked on a new island, you always insisted on exploring it yourself, excited to see the new sights and sounds.

And, like clockwork, you always found some way to call unwanted attention to yourself, the swordsman always finding himself in close proximity.

He had half the mind to think you did it on purpose.

Brows furrowed, his feet picked up speed, muttering intelligible things to himself.

'Princess be damned... no woman's worth this much trouble...'

Out the corner of his eye, Zoro peeped an alley not too far away, quickly running to duck inside it.

Dropping you to your feet, his strong hands grabbed your shoulders, yanking you into the shadows and covering your mouth as you let out a tiny yelp, eyes widening.

'Brute!'

You'd never been handled with such lack of care...

Back home, you were referred to as the Crowned Jewel of the Kingdom, known far and wide for your beauty and kindness.

Many often sang your praises, sending you buckets upon buckets of fan mail and writing songs about the prosperity your family had brought to the kingdom.

And the few that actually got to touch you did so with the utmost care, often reverently.

Meanwhile... this man talked to you as if you were an incompetent child, and tossed you around as if you were some sort of rag-doll.

Safe to say, it was quite the culture shock.

As the large group of men passed, Zoro tightened his grip on you, watching closely they examined the shops and stalls outside—some of them having split up to search quicker.

"Coulda sworn they were right here..." one of them grumbled under his breath, brows furrowed.

The dark-haired man paused, giving the space one more once over before turning to the others, sheathing his sword with an annoyed sigh.

"Looks like we lost 'em. Let's circle back to where we found 'em and see if that redhead knows anything."

Your eyes widened, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"Nami!" you whimpered, forcing Zoro's calloused hand to press harder into your face to muffle the noise.

"Quiet," his deep, rough voice ordered, tone leaving no room for argument.

Suspicious, the man glanced in your direction, narrowing his eyes at the darkness as he looked directly at you—though he didn't know it.

Your heart stopped, your entire body freezing up as both you and Zoro stayed as still as statues, pressing firmer against the wall of the alley to avoid being revealed as he left.

And once he was completely one, you both let out a sigh of relief, your shoulders dropping as the tension finally oozed out your back.

"Are you stupid or something?" Zoro spat, curtly, brows furrowed. "You could've gotten us both caught!"

"I already expressed my apologies! It was not on purpose!" you countered, throwing your hands up in the air. "I simply wanted something to drink, but then those thugs just grabbed me! And did so without asking!"

Zoro let out another sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he hung his head.

You couldn't be serious...

"They're bounty hunters, (y/n)... they're not gonna ask permission to kidnap you."

"I'm afraid I just learned that firsthand," you huffed, a small pout gracing your lips and you leaned against the wall, crossing your arms over your chest. "And after I was so generous... I even offered to negotiate the terms over lunch."

With a raised brow, Zoro leaned against the wall with you, confused.

"Terms?"

"A closed contract between me and all affiliates of the Killshot gang that would have guaranteed my continued residency with the Strawhat crew in exchange for a sum total of five-hundred million berries, paid monthly or in advance, depending on their preference."

The swordsman nearly choked on the air he was taking in, floored by the number you said so casually.

"Five-hundred million?!"

You nodded, plainly, confused by his surprise.

"Money is no object for my family. Especially pertaining to my safety," you shrugged. "I extend that offer to my friends, as well. Back at the auction house on Sabaody, I would have happily bought Camie to save her... but Sir Raleigh had already beat me to the punch."

Slowly, a small smile crept onto the swordsman's face, the rigidness in his stance slowly morphing into one more relaxed.

'Well, I'll be damned...'

It was moments like these that he enjoyed, as he was actually offered a glimpse at your true self.

The woman that an entire kingdom absolutely adored.

Princess (y/n).

Sure, you were hard-headed at times, and completely clueless when it came to social interactions outside of high society.

But you had heart, and generosity that quite literally knew no bounds.

Just... maybe some self defense lessons were needed.

"I gotta teach you some hand to hand if you're gonna keep goin' on these little expeditions," he sighed, clearing his throat as he glanced down at the ground.

"Combat?" you scrunched your nose. "What is the point of that when I have you?"

The gears in his head came to a screeching halt, his head snapping over to you so fast, you'd think he'd have whiplash.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You are a swordsman, are you not?" you raised a brow.

"Yes..."

"And you follow me around, yes?"

"I don't follow you around!"

The man flushed, face burning at your plainness.

"You are always there when I am in trouble."

"Yeah... well... that's 'cause I have shit luck..."

"But you care about me, right?"

Zoro froze, throat clamming up.

He had never been presented with questions like these before, and they were forcing him to think.

To read into why exactly he was always there whenever you called for help.

You were always within arms reach of him, the two of you seeming to just naturally float around each other, even as you did your daily routines.

And although you were far from his responsibility, Zoro couldn't understand why he felt the need to worry so much.

He knew million times over that the crew was capable of protecting you, and that if anything were to happen, Luffy or Sanji could more than adequately swoop in to your rescue.

But for some reason, reminding himself of that fact didn't subdue the concern that spiked in his chest when you left his line of sight, or the faint pang of panic in his breath.

'Dammit...'

Too many questions.

"I... yes," he answered, awkwardly.

Instantly, a warm smile broke out on your face, melting the swordsman's heart into a puddle on the floor.

"Then, that makes you my sworn sword!" you beamed, cheekily.

"Your sworn... what?"

"My sworn sword. My knight. My champion," you elaborated. "You stand by my side throughout my travels and keep me under your protection."

"I do WHAT?!"

"Is your hearing all right? You seem to be having a hard time processing what I am saying..."

"No, no... it's... it's not that..."

An uncomfortable silence suddenly settled over you both, the swordsman practically praying that the gang would come back so he could run you both back to the ship and escape the atmosphere.

You, on the other hand, had been feeling quite the opposite, wanting things to be settled right here and now.

Zoro had been your "crush"—lovingly dubbed by Nami—for over two years, and was the only person in the world that was consistently there for you, always rushing to your rescue without fail.

Despite his prickly exterior, and his sharp words, you could tell he was a kind, loyal, and compassionate man.

He just needed a little push.

Just then, the sound of running footsteps began to draw nearer to the mouth of the alley, your eyes shooting wide at the sound.

"Someone is coming!" you whispered, quickly turning to him .

Eyes doe wide, and breath quickened, you settled on something you'd read in a book once, hoping it would conceal your faces.

What possessed you to do it, you had no idea.

Pulling the man in by his robe, you smashed your lips into his, his eye shooting as wide as a saucer.

Everything had gone from zero to a hundred so fast.

Left was up.

Down was right.

But, in that moment, everything felt oddly right.

So, for the first time in his life, he caved, allowing his eye to flutter shut and his body to ease into the kiss.

Sliding your hands up, one of them cupped his face, while the other threw your arm around his neck, keeping him in place as he snaked his arms tightly around your waist, pulling you closer.

The kiss was electric, and, while very uncoordinated and eager, felt like liquid fire was coursing through your veins, pushing you forward.

Smoothly, the two of you shifted, Zoro pushing you up against the wall and tilting his head in order to get a better angle, deepening the kiss even further.

His hands gripped you even tighter, suddenly fearful he would float away if you didn't keep him grounded.

With your touch burning his skin and your scent flooding his nostrils, he felt like he was higher than the clouds, like this was heaven on earth.

Your lips were so damn soft...

Hell, you were so damn soft...

You washed over him like a wave of calm, the rhythm of the kiss lulling his worry-filled mind until the only thing he could think about was why the hell he didn't do this sooner.

"Aw, jeez! This is what you guys were doing all this time?!" Luffy exclaimed from the mouth of the alley, completely ruining the moment.

'Thats why...'

The two of you quickly threw yourselves off each other, faces burning with embarrassment as you looked in opposite directions.

"At least do that inside. You're gonna catch somethin' out here..." he shrugged, turning to walk away.

Your eyes shot wide, and you snapped your head over to the boy.

"Wait, Luffy, what did you think we were—?" "Don't wanna talk about it!"

"You idiot, we weren't—!" "M'not listening!"

You turned to the swordsman, brow raised in confusion.

"What is he talking about?"

Zoro's eye widened, and it finally donned on him that you hadn't been taught about... the birds and the bees.

'Christ...'

"I'll tell you another time," he sighed, talking your hand and leading you toward the exit of the alley. "Let's go back to the ship."

"Yes, of course!" you playfully bellowed. "Lead the way, knight!"

"I'm not your knight!"

"Whatever you say... knight..."

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4rticbolt

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surfer ace 🌊☀️

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