Chapter Text
Roronoa Zoro was not a man beholden to the gods. He walked through life skeptical of their existence, sometimes scoffing at the idea that there was a superior being beyond human reach, watching over him and the rest of humanity, scrutinizing. And this worked out just fine for him. These gods hadn't done anything for him, so why should he spare them any thought?
But sometimes Zoro wondered—and it was not often that he did—but sometimes Zoro stepped back and wondered if there was some cosmic asshole somewhere out there, watching him and cheering over his massive fuckups. And maybe that asshole even had a small hand in twisting the path of fate against him, as retribution for his insolence.
This was one of those times.
Sanji, on his ass in the dirt, staring up at him with owl eyes; a shallow cut on that pale, pretty face of his, weeping blood. Zoro, above him, blood pounding in his temples; tip of Shusui just barely kissing Sanji's throat—not enough to cut, but just enough for the threat of danger to hang heavy in the air. Background information, all of it. Zoro could hardly concentrate on what was in front of him with the red in his vision and the rushing sound in his ears.
Zoro panted. As his vision cleared, he became acutely aware that he currently had Sanji at his mercy. With a trembling hand, Zoro lowered Shusui, giving Sanji the time to scramble backwards to a safer distance. Wado still clenched in his teeth, Zoro cursed and shoved his katanas into their sheaths. Sanji, still on the ground, continued to stare up at Zoro, not in fear—fear was beneath him and he had to know that Zoro wouldn't have actually run him through—but in shock. Shock that Zoro would ever take it this far. Zoro was right there with him.
Zoro returned Sanji's stare, even as he felt his stomach turn. He held up his hand to offer it to Sanji, but let it fall limply to the side, knowing that the gesture rang hollow. How did you offer to help the crewman you nearly tried to kill to his feet?
Zoro and Sanji stared at each other, both of them silent. And if Sanji's thoughts resembled Zoro's at all, he was asking himself how did it end up like this.
Zoro, of course, already knew the answer, had known for quite some time now. This went back years, back to when the fledgling Straw Hat pirates encountered a Fishman named Arlong.
That was Zoro's first warning.