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Please let me be drunk. Was the only thing Zoro could think as Future Franky kept talking. None of this can be true. Because the stuff Future Franky was saying sounded just unreal. Impossible.
Because Zoro threshold for accepting crazy shit is unreasonably high. It had to be with Luffy as his captain. He can deal with people time traveling, turning into dragons, giants, and literal sea monsters. He can accept three-headed dogs, zombies and mermaids even. There’s a lot he has had to accept as just being his new normal. He accepted a lot and just rolled with it. Because there’s no use in denying things, no matter how weird it was, when it was staring at him in the face. Fuck, he’s stared literal Death in the face and never questioned it.
But the stuff Future Franky has been saying is just not true. There is no way it can be true. Zoro can accept that he somehow traveled to the future by falling into an apparently magic part of the ocean. It’s crazy but crazy has followed him ever since he followed Luffy. He can accept that out of all the ships that could have saved him, it was the Baratie. He can even accept that Future Sanji was the one who pulled him out of the ocean, no matter how humiliating that fact is.
But the rest of the stuff he’s been learning is just too impossible to accept. Too unreal for him to believe. He cannot accept that out of all the crew it’s just Franky and Sanji left. The others are gone. The Thousand Sunny is gone. That the world basically turned into a wasteland.
That with all that being true, Future Franky and Future Sanji are simply fine accepting it. Fine, not trying to fight back. That either of them would just sit back and watch as the world burned around them. That the two seem to be just content with floating aimlessly at sea without a goal.
“Yeah, so we’ve just been staying in this area,” Future Franky says as he circles a small blue area on the map, he has been showing Zoro. “Everything else is kinda not even livable.” And Future Franky says this so nonchalantly, as if he’s talking about the weather. “You’re welcome to stay with us, foods mainly fish obviously but Sanji been trying to grow more fruit and stuff.” And Future Franky just looks at him waiting for a response. As if expecting Zoro to actually be ok with just accepting this shit situation, they are in.
And Zoro is just still in shock. Still just processing all the impossible things, Future Franky just told him. Zoro can’t even think about how to just respond to anything he’s just learned.
“We can always just throw you back in the ocean if you’d prefer,” Future Sanji says as he places a plate of fish in front of Zoro. And Zoro should have a response ready for that comment. Should be ready to snark back something. Because that’s how his relationship with Sanji has always been. Sanji says something stupid, and Zoro calls him out on it. Sanji does something humiliating, and Zoro points it out. Sanji just exists, and Zoro mocks him. That’s how their relationship has always been. And while Zoro will never admit it, he likes it. He always likes one-upping Sanji; he always likes having to have the upper hand. He likes how their relationship has been.
So, he should have a comeback for the comment. He should try to at least throw a punch and then be forced to dodge a kick. There’s a lot of things that should be happening. But none of them are. Because all Zoro can do is stare at the map in front of him, at all the lands Future Franky crossed off. All East Blue was crossed off. And Zoro fingers trace over the area he once called home. It’s gone.
“Hey moss head,” Sanji says as he snaps his fingers in front of Zoro face. “That ocean comment wasn’t a joke. I can throw you back in if this is too much for you to handle.” And it’s not said with their usual banter.
“Sanji,” Future Franky speaks up. “It’s a lot we’re telling him, he needs time to just take it in.” And Zoro wants to say he’s not taking any of this in. That he won’t accept any of this as real. The crew can’t be gone. The Sunny can’t be gone. Half the world can’t just be gone.
“How -what-,” Zoro struggles to ask, to think of what questions to ask. “Where is everybody?” Is the only question that comes out. The only question that matters. And Future Franky gives him a painful expression back.
“Idiot,” Sanji starts, his voice cracking, "did you not listen to a word he just said, we’re all that left of the crew.” Sanji finishes. His eyes watery and voice sounding heavy. And Zoro should be swearing back at him, but he can’t. Zoro can’t process what is happening. Can’t understand the word “gone,” can’t understand why he’s not seeing Luffy at the table or the rest of the crew.
“Where is –“and Zoro tries again to ask, tries to understand.
“Fucker, if you ask the same question again, I swear I’m gonna throw you overboard.” Future Sanji says. And this time his voice cracks even more, sounds even more heavy.
“Give him time to take it in,” is Future Franky response. He says it without any breaking in his voice. Without any unshed tears in his eyes. Once again, Future Franky is talking as if he’s discussing the weather.
“Even if-,” and Zoro can’t say gone when it comes to the crew, his crew. “How did-why is everywhere else a-,” and Zoro just can’t figure out how to finish his question. Can’t figure out what word to use to describe the things he’s just been told.
“Sabo took Luffy death really hard." Future Franky starts, “So did Garp and Dragon. Shanks was-“this is where Future Franky voice cracks a little. He lets out a long sigh. “They were all hurting and upset. And they ended up doing a lot of damage. “Future Franky doesn’t look up when he finishes talking. Avoiding Zoro gaze as if hoping the questions will stop.
“How – who – how did he die?” and Zoro was surprised by his own question. His own voice sounding small and broken.
Future Franky and Future Sanji share a glance. And in the glance seems to be a silent conversation taking place.
“How did he die,” Zoro says again, louder this time. And there’s no need to clarify who the “he” is. “What happened to him. Where was I when-.” Tears start coming out that Zoro hastily wipes out. Where was I when my captain was killed. The thought haunts you. That the future you, any version of you can fail so badly. That there’s a future where you weren’t able to protect Luffy. There’s a future without Luffy.
They both share another glance, Future Franky and Future Sanji. Another wordless conversation just between the two of them. And Zoro hates it. Zoro wants to yell at them to stop and just tell him the truth already. But he can’t. The truth scares him, frightens him. Zoro doesn’t want to hear about a future where he failed so badly. He doesn’t want to know a future where there’s no Luffy.
“You were already gone. When he passed, you were already gone. And I-Luffy was never able to really recover from losing you.” Future Franky looks down as he says the last part. “With you gone- I just think he didn’t have the same fight in him. He couldn’t - wasn’t as strong without you by his side.”
And it’s shocking to hear. It’s crazy to hear. Luffy the strong one. Luffy surpasses you in strength there’s no denying it. Luffy the one you follow not the other way around. Luffy should still win against any fight. Even if you were dead Luffy should still be alive.
“How did-who killed him?” And another glance is shared, another silent conversation leaving you in the dark. “Who killed him? What bastard-,” and you can’t finish the sentence. Who was strong enough to kill his captain?
Future Franky is the one who speaks first. “Luffy really relied on you. Without you he wasn’t the same. He wasn’t- he wasn’t as strong-,” and you start to see Future Franky finally cracking. Pausing more and trying to hold himself together. And you should be patient. This is still your crew member, a crew member who experienced a terrible loss. You should be patient. You should wait.
“Who killed him?” And you don’t even realize your standing till your fists are pounding the table. “Who fucking did it? Who?”
“Future Franky still staring at the ceiling as he answers. “Luffy was really torn up when you-when -with you -. He wasn’t the same-“
“I don’t care that I’m dead in the future! I don’t care that future me is gone. I care what bastard killed my captain!” Future Franky avoids your gaze. Still staring at the ceiling, as if hoping another magic portal will open up and transport him somehow else.
“Luffy wasn’t the same after he lost you-“
“Who killed him!” And your screaming the last part. “Who kills him. Who killed-“ Who was able to kill your captain.
“You’re not dead, you just left him. He killed himself. Eat your food. “ Sanji interrupts your rant. Not taking his eyes off his plate. He says the statements as if hes stating a cold fact. As if there not sayins something insane.
And you’re so confused, so stunned by the things you just heard. You can’t even deny them. Can’t even argue with them. The words together don’t make sense. It might as well be in another language.
Future Sanji eats his food as if he didn’t just say the most insane thing. As if he didn’t just spout nonsense. And Zoro should kick his ass for saying lies like that. Zoro should break his face for speaking about his captain like that. But Zoro can’t, he’s too stunned. His brain has frozen. It stopped working. He can’t breathe. He can’t move. Everything in him just stops.
“You wanted to know,” Future Sanji says with a shrug. “He killed himself. You left him and then he killed himself.” Future Sanji starts stabbing at his food. “He killed himself then Sabo came onboard the Sunny looking for you.” Sanji continues stabbing and cutting each piece. “Didn’t find you- he ended up attacking all of us in a rage. Killed Usopp.” Stab . “So then of course Shanks goes trying to kill Sabo. “ Stab. Stab. Each sentence is met with silence from Zoro. Only the sounds of the fork and knife scraping the plate interrupt Sanji rant. “Garp goes after Shanks. The fucking government just starts placing Buster Calls all over the place.” And Future Sanji still continues cutting and stabbing. The piece of fish in shreds now. The plate getting cracks in it. “Fishman Island attacked the mainlands because they found out about how Jinbei died,” and Future Sanji is laughing or crying at this point. It’s hard to tell. “Sabo really got him good. Jinbei -even after what happened to Usopp- still tried to talk to Sabo. Have a heart to heart with him. Make him see reason. That did not go over well.”
Zoro looks at Future Franky. Waiting for him to speak up. To tell Future Sanji to stop saying lies. To stop making things up. But he doesn’t. Future Franky still staring at the ceiling. As if it’ll give him a way out of this world.
“So then of course, Dragon joined in on the fighting. His sons dead, his dads dead, his right hands man has gone crazy. Of course he joins in on the crazy too.” Future Sanji is near hysterics now. The plate long broken as he continues cutting and stabbing into the table now.
“-yeah so basically just this area,” Future Sanji gestures wildly around. “This shit area of ocean is the only part not being attacked on. Not being bombed on. So we’ve just been staying in this area for the past year. It’s hard to come by food since the fish are dying out in this area. We’ve been able to manage by eating just one fish each a day. Still fish is hard to come by. So to my earlier point- Eat your fucking food.”
Zoro should speak. Should say something back. Deny the lies. Because it’s obvious lies. He would never leave Luffy. Sabo would never attack anyone on the crew. Fishman Island would never rage war on the mainlands. Luffy would never-. Luffy would never do what Sanji said.
Future Sanji seems to sense his disbelief. “Do you wanna know how he did it. Do you wanna know how our captain died.” The voice speaking is cold and devoid of emotion. You can’t believe it’s coming out of the cooks mouth. It sounds like it’s coming from death itself.
“He walked up to the highest cliff off the island we docked on.” Future Sani starts again. Eyes glaring at Zoro. “He wrapped himself up in sea stone chains, he sliced his own stomach open.” Zoro feels his throat burning. His ears are on fire. He should not be hearing these lies about his captain.
“And then he jumped. He threw himself into the ocean. He sank. He drowned himself on purpose. You left him and he killed himself. You left him and he couldn’t handle it. You left him and he killed himself. And then everything else went to shit.”
I would never leave. Zoro needs to shout it out but the words are trapped in his throat. There’s no way I’d ever abandon him. Zoro is vice-captain. Zoro is Luffy right hand man. Zoro is loyal. There is no Zoro without Luffy. He would never leave him.
“Why would I leave him?” And Zoro surprises himself with the question he just asked. Because he can’t think of any scenario where he’d ever leave Luffy. Where he’d willing be without his captain.
“Why- why would you leave him.” Future Sanji says with a shaky laugh. “Well, cuz you just stopped loving him obviously.” Future Sanji wipes the tears from his eyes as he continues. “That’s what you told him when he asked you why your leaving. That’s what you told the crew when we asked why you left him. That’s what you told me when I begged on my knees for you to come back. When I told you Luffy was practically dying without you. When I told you how he refused to eat, he refused to sleep, he refused to do anything without you. I begged on my knees to you just go back to him. I told you he’s dying without you by his side. And all you could say back was ‘I just don’t love him anymore .’ “
Future Sanji is standing next to you now shaking your shoulders. And you should push him off. You should bark back at him to stop saying stupid impossible shit. But you can’t. Because your throat on fire and your heart beating too fast. And everything too loud and too slow at the same time.
“I begged, we all begged. Just go back to him, fuck just pretend to still love him. Usopp tracked you down and asked you just to call him at least. Give him some hope. Give him something to hold onto. And all you said was the same thing ‘I just don’t love him anymore.’ That’s all you ever said when we all begged. When each one of us came to you. ‘I just don’t love him anymore.’ “
Future Sanji hands start digging into your shoulder. Starts shaking you. “ I just don’t love him anymore. I just don’t love him anymore. That’s all you could fucking say each time we asked.” And Future Franky finally gets up to get between you and Future Sanji. To shield you from Future Sanji anger.
And you should be offended because you don’t need anyone coming to your defense. Especially from Sanji. You can handle Sanji with no problem. You can fight Sanji with ease. And you should be yelling at him back. Should be hitting him back. But you can’t. You can’t because your throat is burning and your arms are shaking. You can’t because everything too loud and too messy for you to focus.
“ I just don’t love him anymore.” And Future Sanji is crying at this point. Still holding onto your sleeve as Future Franky tries in vain to pull him away. “Can I ask you a question Zoro. Can I ask you something. How do you stop loving someone huh. How do you spend eleven years with someone and then just decide to stop loving them.”
Future Franky is dragging him away as Future Sanji continues to shout. “Can you answer me that huh. How do you love someone for eleven fucking years then wake up one day and just decide to stop. We were a crew for eleven years when you left. He was King of the Pirates when you left. You were the Strongest Swordsman when you left. You both got your dreams, you both were happy. Eleven years together and you just left. How do you do that huh.”
And Future Sanji is kicking his legs and scratching at Future Franky arm as he’s being dragged away. “Eleven fucking years and you just leave. How do you do that. How do you just stop loving someone after eleven fucking years. Tell me how to stop caring. Tell me how to be heartless like you. Tell me-tell me. Tell me!.”
And the last image you have of Future Sanji is him crying and screaming. Him kicking his legs up, face covered in tears and snot. In any other scenario you’d be mocking him for making such a scene. For not being man enough to control his emotions.
But you can’t. You can’t because your throat on fire and your hands are shaking. You can’t because the blood pounding in your ears and everything too loud. You can’t because your heart is breaking and your soul feels like it’s dying.
Future Franky finds you in the same spot. “You really should eat, foods been hard to come by.” He says as he pushes the uneaten food closer to you. “Sanji should be out for a couple hours at least so you don’t need to worry about him.”
Again, you should be offended by the statement. By the fact, Future Franky thinks you have any fear of any version of Sanji. But you can’t muster up the energy to tell him off. You can’t muster up the energy to do anything but sit in silence.
“I found you afterwards,” Future Franky says softly. “After Luffy – after everything I found you. You were on an island by yourself.
I was looking for Sanji. When it was just the two of us, at first, he had a hard time accepting everything. He’d run off and get drunk and just look for I don’t even know what he was searching for. I'd go after him each time. To bring him back here. To his- our home now.
One time he was gone for almost a month and I couldn’t find him. I heard from some fisherman how there’s an island that no one goes on due to the wild animals on it. I thought he’d be there. Trying to find a way to get himself killed without doing it himself. I went to the island and found you there. And even after everything I was still just happy to see you.
And I told you everything that happened because I didn’t even know if you knew what happened. I told you everything. And I don’t know what I wanted you to say. I don’t know what you could have said to make everything suddenly ok. But it was the same thing. As before, you just kept saying you just didn’t love him anymore and that’s why you left.”
Future Franky is holding onto your shoulder as he cries. “And I just kept asking for the truth. For you to explain to me what happened, did someone threaten him? Did someone force you to leave him? Did you think he was gonna die if you stayed with him? What was it? What happened between the two of you to make you leave; to make you abandon him, abandon the crew? And you just said you woke up one day and just realized you didn’t love him anymore. And that you just decided to leave.”
The grip on your shoulder tightness. Not from anger like last time. But from sadness. “I asked and asked. I came up with every scenario I could think of, did a witch curse you, were you under a spell, were you being controlled by some type of devil fruit? I asked and pleaded with you. To just explain to me what happened. And you still just said the same thing.
I spent about a week with you before leaving. Before finally accepting that you really did just stop loving him. I don’t know why and I don’t know how but you did. You just stopped loving him, stopped caring for him. You just stopped and left. And he couldn’t handle it. I don’t think he- “ Future Franky covers his face. As if ashamed to speak the last part. “Sometimes I really don’t think he meant to kill his self ya know. I think he thought if he did something drastic, you’d come back at the last second and save him. I think about him slicing his own stomach open with the sea stone knife and wonder how much pain he must have been. If he thought you’d sense him dying somehow and you’d come back. I think about how he must have felt drowning and wonders if he was still hoping to see you one last time.”
And Future Franky head is on your shoulder. You can feel his whole body shakes as the tears flows out of him.”I know this isn’t your fault. You haven’t done anything yet. I don’t even know if you can go back to your own time even. Or if you being here changes the future somehow. But if you do go back- if you’re able to go back, please just-.” Future Franky pauses. As if searching for the words.
And Zoro wants to stop him and tell him he doesn’t need to worry. He would never leave Luffy. He’d never abandon Luffy like that. That the Zoro that did that must have been cursed or possessed. That the Zoro who left is not any future version of him. Because he would never leave his captain.
“Please just-if when you’re back in your time. And you wake up on day not loving him anymore and decide to leave him. Please just kill me before you leave him-because I can’t handle living through this again.”
I would never leave him. You want to shout it out. To convince Franky that you would never leave your captain to suffer. That you would never be able to deny your captain anything. Not your loyalty, not your love, there’s nothing you won’t give your captain.
You want to tell Franky so many things. But you can’t. Because your throat on fire and your eyes are burning. And your arms are numb. And the world too loud and the colors too dull. And everything is wrong in this world. Everything is wrong without Luffy by your side.
Morning comes by slowly, so painfully slowly. You hear Future Sanji and Future Franky discussing how to send you back. “If we throw him back in at the spot, we found him he’ll probably just get back to his own time.” Future Sanji seems hell bent on just throwing you in the ocean . At this point your willing to jump in yourself since it seems that’s the only option there is. “We should wait and look into other ways-“ Future Franky starts to say but is cut off.
“If he comes and finds him here what do you think will happen?”
And Zoro too tired to figure out who’s the “he” that they’re referring to. He’s too tired to hear Future Franky and Future Sanji argue about how to send him back. He’s tired and aching and sore. And he just feels so tired without Luffy by his side. So lost without Luffy next to him. Zoro is tired and lost and empty.
So, he does something reckless and stupid. Does something that only makes sense to someone who’s gotten less than an hour of sleep. He jumps. Jumps into the ocean. Straight into the waves crashing to the sides of the ship. Straight into danger. He jumps and as soon as he hits water he swims. He doesn’t even know what direction he’s swimming in he’s just knows he’ll stop once he finds his way back to Luffy.
And your arms aches and so do your legs. Every muscle is aching and your lungs are burning. Your vision is shot and spots are appearing in front of you. And you must be seeing things because you swear you see Luffy sinking towards the bottom of the ocean. Arms out trying in vain to grab onto something. And you remember what Future Franky said. And you remember Luffy always reaching out for you. Always counting on you. And so you swim down too him. Swim down and grab him and he’s solid and heavy and real. He’s alive in your hands. And you swim back up and see the Thousand Sunny and hear the crew, hear Nami and Chopper. It’s raining and the sun is gone just replaced by a sea of gray clouds. And everything is different and yet back to normal at the same time.
Because Luffy is with you and the world makes sense again. Luffy is with you and that makes sense. You rescued Luffy and that makes sense. You and Luffy are together, and that makes sense. Everything ok because Luffy with you.
When you wake your in the infirmary. Your throat on fire and your arms are heavy. Every muscle hurts. It hurts to breathe. Everything hurts. And you’re happy still. Happy because Luffy is sleeping on the chair next to your bed. Luffy is safe next to you. Luffy is with you. The world makes sense again. Everything is good because Luffy here.
The next time you wake is two days later. Chopper checking your vitals. Luffy still with you too. And as soon as he sees your awake he’s giving you a bone-crushing hug. And even though Choppr yelling at him to let go to avoid injuring you more he doesn’t. He just hold on tighter. And Chopper hugging you too and crying. In between sobs Chopper tells Luffy to let go and that you're still healing. Chopper hugging just as tight as Luffy.
Chopper keeps talking in between sobs. About how you were lost at sea for two weeks. You dove in a storm to save Luffy. You saved Luffy and brought him up to an island but got swept away again. No one could find you for two weeks. Luffy was without you for two weeks. Luffy kept diving into the ocean for two weeks like an idiot trying to find you. The last time he dove in no one could find him. And they were afraid they lost him too.
“And I saw you first, I saw you first Zoro. “ Chopper cries as he’s pushing Luffy away trying to get more of you to hug. “You had Luffy in your arms and you saved him like you always do. And I was never worried at all. I didn’t cry once. Everyone else was crying the whole two weeks but I knew you were ok because you’re Zoro and you’re always ok.”
At this point the room is packed with rest of the crew. “Everyone else was crying when you were gone but not me. Even Sanji cried. I didn’t cry, I was brave and strong. You would have been so proud of me. I didn’t cry once.” Chopper buried his face in your neck. Luffy face is buried in your chest. Both of them given up trying to push the other off.
“Luffy you need to stop hugging him so tight. Zoro needs to rest.” Chopper cries not letting go. Zoro just hold them both tighter.
Your throat on fire. Your ears are pounding. Your bones feel like there breaking. Every part of your body hurts. And everything is good. Everything is perfect. Because you’re back with Luffy. The crew together, everything is perfect. Everyone safe. Luffy is safe in your arms. Everything is perfect.