Chapter Seventeen

It should have been a relief for many people but certainly not for Roronoa Zoro. No, it was absolute torture for him. Being confined to the sickbay and being condemned to be bedridden for at least a day. Mjolnir had checked up on the progress of his healing the next day and insisted he took another day off of mobility again. The others mindlessly agreed, they were set sail for a small town on a small far away island to restock on some supplies and they had about three days or more to reach their destination. It was fine by them.

But not fine for Zoro.

He itched to just get out of bed and do something. Swig a sword, haul a catch of fishes, throw a punch, push barrel, literally anything. But quite frankly, he couldn't. Alcohol was also strictly prohibited until his chest wound had closed to some certain extent. He spent his hours of profound tedium, staring up at the wooden ceilings or just watching the waves go by and collide with the ships below with a gentle push. It was refreshing, resting for once though, but Zoro was restless.

He liked to exercise, he needed his exercise. Right from when he was four he had never given up a day of training and he liked to keep his record. His crew mates occasionally visited him but were always taken away by a certain task or problem. Sanji had to make the food, Usopp had to mind and observe the condition of the ship to make sure they didn't sink before they reached to the next shore, Nami has to keep searching and navigating for the grand line and Luffy..... Zoro had no ideas what Luffy was doing. He usually helped around to keep an eye and scout, help Nami and attended to their garden.

And Mjolnir....

By the time Zoro awoke on the next day, which ended his confinement to the bed, he sprung up from the bed and grabbed his swords without any further ado. His fingers tingled with excitement, he hadn't touched them since his accident and he wanted nothing more but to swing it aimlessly at a wooden dummy until the poor wood gave out.

His pain was barely noticeable, not except someone purposely poke something onto the spot of injury.

He grabbed the door handle and swung it open just to be confronted face to face with Mjolnir. They had on one of Nami's incredibly tight black leather pants and shirt. Their face was contorted in a frown, and eyes staring up at him in disbelief.

"Where are you off to, Zoro?" They taunted crossing their arms loosely around their chest.

"My confinement is over." He rose a brow staring dubiously at the beautiful creature.

Mjolnir chuckled flipping their hair sassily."Funny you should call it that. It's called saving your life."

It was Zoro's turn to laugh." Well, certainly not to a restless swords master. Now if you don't mind-"

" Not so fast greenette." Mjolnir interrupted him, placing a palm on his chest and pushing him backwards before he could attempt to push his way through past them." No one is declaring your freedom until I've given that injury a last minute check in."

" I'm fin-"

" Enough with those protests and listen to a physician Roronoa Zoro, being stubborn won't get you anywhere. "Mjolnir grunted pulling off the bandage over the injury. It had almost closed off, leaving nothing but a very precipitable scar running along over the former one earned by Mihawk's blade, Yoru. Mjolnir held themselves back from reaching out to caress the scar out of curiosity. They say a scar holds a mystery, a story. An interesting story. But those story where never worth reminiscing. A scar was a momentum, most a ghastly one.

He was fine, Mjolnir thought letting out a silent breath of relief. Their end of the bargain, had been held, and that was another life they had managed to save from the fate of the Kuyutha's poison. Mjolnir knew just how terrifying it must have been for they too have endured the near death experience of surviving an extraction process.

"Well, this is a relief Zoro." Mjolnir remarked patting his smooth chest before proceeding to peel off the bandages." You're good to go."

"As expected." Zoro said pridefully, a ghost of a smile on his lips." I won't be needing the bandages anymore?"

Mjolnir shook their head, completely taking them off. And with that Zoro didn't waste a second jumping up from the bed and striding towards the door. His sword in a tight grip in his hands." I'm going to be spending my day in the training room, I've been waiting to swing something since forever."

Mjolnir hissed, getting up from the bed too as they thought about what had happened to Zoro's most prized room on The Thousand Sunny." Yeah about that, as to Nami's explanation, one of Abura's cannonball tore a hole through the room. The deck is badly damaged too, but stable enough. "

Zoro was dumbfounded, he hadn't expected any casualty at all. But he didn't know much since he had fainted during the attack.

" What about the entirety of the ship in total? "Zoro polled, as he followed Mjolnir through the hall of the swaying ship. But their balance was too notch honed from years of both rocky and smooth sailing.

"Barely holding up, but enough to take us to the next shore or so Usopp says." They indicated." Sanji tasked me with bringing you in for breakfast, knowing well enough your morning destination would be you beloved training room."

Zoro grimaced. "I've lost my appetite." He was still quite peeved about the temporary loss of his favorite room. Mjolnir was amused by his sudden grumpy behavior. Zoro's ears twitched at the sound of their light laughter. It was like music, soft and gentle. Stealing a glance at the assassin walking beside him, Mjolnir moved those alluring blue orbs spontaneously with his to his direction and caught his sight; lips curved in a daring grin.

"Sanji had anticipated you'd say that, but he insisted anyway that you'd attend breakfast and get something in you. I don't disagree with his assertion, you do need food because –... why are you staring at me like that."

Zoro blinked in surprise. He hadn't even realized his staring. There was an aura about Mjolnir that happen to just enthrall him. Right from their majestic presence to their slender figure. There was a mystery surrounding the assassin, a mystery that even Mjolnir was yet to figure out yet.

Clearing his throat he looked away, not wanting to appear eccentric, his face almost warming in embarrassment." I'll have breakfast, then."

Mjolnir blinked silently at him, studying his side profile. Soft looking green hair with thick brows of matching color, attractive high cheekbones and soft skin. Not to mention his incredibly bulked physique they had had the chance to feast on during check ups. Roronoa Zoro was absolutely handsome, there was no saying otherwise. Deciding to allow his diversion of their question slide, Mjolnir grinned widely. " Perfect. That would definitely make Sanji rejoice."

"What's for breakfast." Zoro asked as they entered the kitchen.

" Ramen. "Luffy affirmed from where he sat at his usual spot at the dining table, a steaming bowl of ramen noodles and boiled eggs right in from of him.

" Yo, the green tiger is finally out of his bird cage."

" Yet. Mjolnir mumbled. They smiled warmly as their wild white tiger Naga walked towards them. Mjolnir canted and placed their hand on its head, stroking gently and carefully. Naga responded with joy and thankfulness rubbing her flanks against Mjolnir's legs. Zoro found the cat majestic as her master." Hello Naga, I hadn't seen you since this morning."

"Oh she was with Sanji," Nami giggled watching their interaction with a soft glaze. "They both seem almost inseparable when your not around, plus he gives her extra meat from the pantry."

"Food monger this one." Mjolnir laughed out loud. Naga looked up at Zoro, blinking lazily at him before sniffing the air around him. She huffed in defiance and turned away uninterested. Mjolnir snickered. "Don't worry, she'll warm up to you in no time."

"So Zoro, what your health update!" Nami asked, impatient to hear all about his health. Mjolnir had told her countless times that Zoro was fine but she had to know and see for herself. She had learned to live with Mjolnir during the assassin's short stay, but not completely trust her. After all, when the boys were busy trying to keep the ship from sinking and she was left alone, despite their dispute and differences Mjolnir actually comforted her.

Without a word, Zoro took hold of the hem of his shirt and pulled it up to reveal his healed chest. Everyone burst in mild jubilation.

"Alright, bandage free " Sanji cheered from where he stood in the kitchen wiping away the mess of his cooking.

"Damn I'm jealous you heal so fast." Usopp remarked.

"That's a sword master for you." Sanji teased placing hot bowls of ramen in front of Zoro and Mjolnir as they took their seats at the table." Bon appetit"

"Smells good." Zoro cocked a brow at Sanji and and picked up the chopsticks placed on top of the bowl." And different."

"Got a whole cabinet full of new spices." Sanji winked sitting down at his spot. Zoro chuckled to himself, that explains a lot.

" Mjolnir filled me in on the state of Sunny, Usopp. "Zoro spoke up after a while of silent eating. He looked up at the dark skinned comrade who currently had a chopstick full of noodles in his mouth.

He chewed faster and swallowed." It's a miracle how she's still keeping up. "He testified wiping his lips with the back of his hand." Some room are recked too. Library, training room, storeroom -"

" We lost half our booze in there. "Sanji grunted, crossing his arms in irritation.

" And all our meat" Luffy added, Zoro surprised at how emotional he looked at the moment.

"A thousand worth of berry spent in them wasted and now a thousand more berries would be spent so quickly again." Nami cried.

Rolling his eyes Usopp continued. Mjolnir watched silently in amusement, they liked to be dramatic." Plus the deck and bathrooms too."

"I always wonder why Mjolnir made me clean with a wet cloth." Zoro hummed in thought.

"No that's different." Mjolnir filled in too. "You had wounds, bathing would slow down the healing process."

"We also cleaned." Nami whimpered slumped on her seat like her soul left her body. "It's been days since we had a decent wash! Do you know how much torture it is for a woman. "

" In conclusion we need to get to land, pronto. "Luffy announced after having slurped down the last bit of creamy soup from his bowl and banging it in the table with a satisfied exhale." We are out of meat! "

Usopp scoffed." Thousand Sunny is going slower now due to the destruction, give it the next three days or more. "

" Or maybe a couple of hours. "Mjolnir stated carelessly, daintily eating their noodles neatly.

" We can only hope, or dream. "

Mjolnir stated impassively at him. He didn't believe their words. They'd sailed the seas longer than they have, knowing well of these parts. Even a few uncharted subterranean islands with population pirates where yet to discover. The assassin wasn't as good as a navigator as Nami was, but it was enough to remember their position.

"No, trust me." Mjolnir continued. "We'll reach land in a couple of hours, that is if we follow the right sea path."

Nami grimaced staring at them in wonder. How could Mjolnir possibly predict an island encounter when the maps depicted nothing for miles away. She spent hours looking through the scope and maps only to come up with empty answers, but Mjolnir had something like this within and chose now to tell them?

" How do you know that? "Zoro found himself asking, leaning towards Mjolnir's direction I'm curiosity. Everyone anticipated their answer.

Slurping the last noodle from the bowl, Mjolnir faced them with a lazy expression. " I've sailed this sea for fifty-two years and the stars trajectory only changes every million years. Back on my ship, when maps tell us nothing we mark and navigate using the direction and patterns of the stars. I spent hours staring into the sky last night, I know where we are I remember this place. "

Nami gawked in awe. Star navigation? There was a lot of knowledge she could grasp from Mjolnir's teachings.

" Wow "

" Amazing "

" That's crazy! "

" The stars? "

Everyone spoke simultaneously in shock at the knowledge the white ghost possessed." If what you say is true then we are extremely lucky, I was already wondering when big ol Sunny would up and sink. "

" That would be bad for me. "Luffy laughed, itching his hair.

Sanji hummed, staring at his beloved captain." It would. "

Mjolnir leaned back on the chair, smirking at their ineptness of knowledge." There a lot to discuss, about the Kuyutha and all but there's also a lot to do today. This ship could go down any second, fuck Usopp calculatings.... No offense Usopp. "

Usopp shrugged unbothered." You're the boss."

" We would have to concentrate on keeping the girl afloat then discuss later when we reach land."

"I concur." Usopp wasted no time in disagreeing. Pushing his chair backwards and getting up on his feet he tapped Zoro. "Come on big guy, I'm sure your strong enough to handle a hammer and nail. You're with me on leak covering duty."

Grunting in exasperation, Zoro grumbled. " Why not anyone else."

"Sanji's got kitchen duties, Luffy is on salvage duty, Nami and Mjolnir will be steering this ship to shore." Usopp announced as everyone began dispersing to their various chores." Now come on, we can't keep our baby waiting."

Nodding and getting up Zoro stole a glance at Mjolnir as they dashed after Nami. There was still a lot he wanted to know and to ask them, but not right now. But then they land, he was certain that his restless mind of questions would be sated.