One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ Catch Me If You Can ❯ What It Means To Be Me ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own `One piece' or any of its characters.

A/n: Sorry I took so long for this chapter…I got sick, then hurt, then vacation, then sick again then I got a part time job…..then a full time job….….blah….but enough excuses. Here's the next chapter…

 

BTW: A.)This story doesn't really have a specific time frame to where this could happen in the real story line. Just kinda have an open mind to it. I personally am still in the Arabasta arc. B.)This story IS an alternate universe in a lot of ways. You'll understand. C.) I still do not have a Beta reader who can fix up my stories within a few days of me sending them to that person so I know the grammar isn't amazing…hope that isn't to bothersome! Thank you for being courteous to it so far!!

 

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Catch Me If You Can 4

 

Zoro stood clad only in his boxers and smirked. He ignored the blatant looks that even Tashigi gave him as they finally got a good look at the massive scar searing his chest. “You'll regret this more then you realize if you don't get your filthy hands off my swords.”

 

 

The pirates looked at each other curiously then turned back to him laughing. “I think your all talk without these pieces of metal.”

 

 

Tashigi raised an eyebrow and let out a sigh at his choice to defend his swords before her.

 

 

One of the pirates pulled his own bayonet from his side and unsheathed one of Zoro's swords. He held blade to blade threatening to scar the fine metal.

 

 

Zoro's eyes narrowed immediately and with lightning speed grabbed the pirate's beard pulling him forward and high kicked up into the pirate's throat. The man gagged and fell to the ground coughing as Zoro grabbed his katana back. Looking down at his blade in hand he lazily tilted his eyes to look at the other pirates without physically moving his head.

 

 

All the pirates already had there gun drawn and aimed at him. “Bad move dirt bags.”

 

 

Tashigi groaned and closed her eyes no longer able to take the embarrassment of being looked at in her state. Within a matter of seconds of her eyes closing, she heard a few gun shots and grunts; the hands holding her arms released and Tashigi quickly covered her bared chest. She opened one eye just to catch Zoro pulling up his pants and bending down to retrieve his shirt and waist band. Tashigi looked around curiously as to where the bodies of the pirates had gone.

 

 

“They must have run away…” Tashigi started to walk carefully towards the boat where her clothes were when a movement behind her caught her eye. She jerked her head towards the movement, leaning forward as if to ward of an expected blow. Staring wide eyed at the mass of pirates piled up unconscious behind her she quickly understood the situation.

 

 

Tashigi faced back toward Zoro. “Wha…”

 

 

Zoro threw her clothes to her, which she caught without realizing she now bared her chest again and quickly covered herself once more with the sun dried flimsy sleep wear. “Lets get moving. I need to get to my crew as soon as possible.”

 

 

With red cheeks Tashigi quickly threw on her damp cold clothes and remained silent. Soon she found herself wandering alongside Zoro through the full forest covering their course. Having no words to say she prayed silently that maybe Zoro hadn't seen her during the fight. She knew her hopes were futile. Long tense minutes passed between them as they trampled weeds and pushed branched aside from their path.

 

“It's not like I've not seen a women before.” Zoro spoke apathetically.

 

 

Tashigi looked up at his face, which was staring unflinchingly ahead, with wide eyes. “Wha…” Tashigi couldn't find the words. Zoro seemed to do that to her somehow.

 

 

“Your silence is innerving. You don't normally stay so quiet for so long. By now you would be questioning why in the hell I, a pirate, just helped you, a marine.”

 

 

“Well…” Tashigi unintentionally covered her chest again and ignored his comment, now wondering if there would be any way of buying another outfit for her to wear.

 

 

Zoro looked at Tashigi's face from the corner of his eyes to try and read her blanketed expression. What he saw was the bare slowly healing cut on her cheek from her near miss with the gun. He narrowed his eyes for a moment before stopping dead in his tracks.

 

 

“It's a road!” Tashigi joyously called, jumping over a small log blocking her travel and cutting through the grass like a lawn mower trying to reach the wide dirt path. She felt a small pressure at her ankle tripping her and before she knew it she was flat on her face, being dragged back into the woods. For a moment Tashigi thought it might be one of the dirty bearded pirates dragging her, but one swift kick back into the groin of whoever was pulling her leg and the painful groan told her exactly who it was.

 

 

“Zoro!! I'm so sor..” She started to apologize to him as he sat back on his haunches cupping him self and struggling to stand up again. She stopped when she realized why she was saying it and who she was saying it to. “You tripped me!!”

 

 

“Oy….Forgive me for being cautious and probably saving your life.” Zoro growled sarcastically. He straightened himself finally and thanked God she wasn't wearing any shoes. “We are in the grand line. You're being stupid. Who knows what travels down that road? If it had been more pirates and they started to take you away I would have been tempted to let them.” Zoro shook his head angry with himself for ever letting his guard down around Tashigi. He could have easily avoided that horrible blow and kept forgetting that there had to be a reason that Tashigi was a Marine Lieutenant.

 

 

“I need new clothing and a good pair of shoes.” Tashigi said ignoring him again. “And you're going to help me find some! You kidnapped me and didn't even bring my sword. That means you've taken me in your care! So start caring!”

 

 

“Are you sure you want a bad man like me caring for you. You could get hurt.” Zoro said with a sly note in his voice.

 

 

Tashigi dully noted how he spoke and ignored the slight feeling that welled up in the pit of her stomach. She fisted her hands at her side. She had been doing a lot of ignoring lately. “So then what do you plan on doing?”

 

 

“Wait here.” Zoro pointed at the ground I'm going to check the road. He started to glide in the wolf like way that he moved and stopped turning his head over his shoulder to look at her.

 

 

Tashigi would have considered him magnificent if he hadn't been a pirate. She would have considered him a lot of things. She forced herself to hold in a slight sigh.

 

 

“Forget that I `saved' you. Not only from a boring life with Smoker, but for saving your life from the pirates. I was just protecting my swords.”

 

 

Oh yes. Tashigi could consider him a lot of things right now. Tashigi felt her anger boiling up like a tea pot getting ready to steam.

 

 

Zoro leered at the thoughts he had trailing his comment. “And from saving your life during the storm and keeping you from freezing to death…” Zoro Snuck up to the dirt road silently and scanned up the road one direction only to see it continue on into the woods then observed the other direction and his eyes widened slightly.

 

 

“It's a city.” Tashigi said happily walking past him uncaringly onto the dirt road and toward the city.

 

 

Zoro's mouth dropped in disbelief. He shut his eyes counting backwards from ten and only got to nine before realizing the last thing he needed to do was close his eyes.

 

 

“At least I think it's a city.” Tashigi said tilting her head, squinting her eyes.

 

 

Zoro was counting again. “What kind of swordsmen is half blind?”

 

 

“I'm not a swordsman I'm a swordswoman.” She took a defensive tone.

 

 

“A feminist swordsmen.”

 

 

Tashigi was glowing red. “And what kind of a swordsman is a pirate?”

 

 

“A good one apparently.”

 

 

“Your so full of yourself pirate!”

 

 

“Heh…” Zoro asserted himself in front of Tashigi and made a few assessments on his own about the city. “Let's head towards the city through the woods. Were open targets on this road.”

 

 

“What if their nice people?”

 

 

“As a marine on the grand line would you seriously take that chance?”

 

 

“I don't have shoes.”

 

 

“You were doing fine walking on through the woods a few minutes ago.”

 

 

“I just wasn't complaining. Why do you think I was so happy to find a nice dirt path to walk on?”

 

 

“Oh I don't know maybe to run to civilization to help get a hold of Smoker and throw me in the slammer to be hanged.”

 

 

“Is that why you tripped me?”

 

 

Zoro shook his head in agitation. “Fine let's go…” Zoro walked ahead of her disregarding her rants of what kind of injuries she could have sustained from tripping.

 

 

Soon enough Zoro found a sign pointing towards the city. “Kaizoku Tengoku?”

 

 

He looked around for Tashigi noticing she wasn't right beside him and found her behind him looking shaken and staring at the sign. “Kaizoku Tengoku….”

 

 

“You know it huh?” He grinned. Then noticing her reaction to the name finished. “Looks interesting.”

 

 

“We gotta get out of here!!” Tashigi backed up slowly. She shook her head in disbelief. “This is a pirate base…one of the biggest in the world!”

 

 

Zoro looked at her in disbelief. “Biggest in the world huh?” He looked back towards the city that still appeared in the distance. They still had a little bit of a walk before they would be in the middle of it all. This was his last chance to turn around and try sailing on that boat again before he dragged Tashigi with him to the city. He decided what to do at that thought. He wasn't taking his chance on that small boat again and what did he care if something happened to Tashigi. She was a marine. She could take care of herself.

 

 

Zoro shook his head free of the thought of those disgusting pirates touching Tashigi's nearly naked body…..extremely nice nearly naked….. “Gah!” Zoro growled. “Look I'm going to the city. I don't care what you do. I'm finding Luffy and getting on with my life.” Zoro started stomping away before Tashigi could reply.

 

 

Tashigi stood wordlessly watching his form march down the hill. She was numb to any thoughts of what to do. Maybe there was someone down there who wasn't a pirate or a phone she could use. She had to keep her marine duties in mind. She was a strong woman who held a good amount of power and the one man she swore to put behind bars was walking away.

 

 

Tashigi panicked for a moment when the laughter of a group of men grew louder behind her. She looked back only a moment to see the men headed her way at a distance on the dirt path. Tashigi took off like a lightning bolt. “Zoro!”

 

 

 

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Zoro entered a downtown bar with a jaded expression. He was perturbed to know that Tashigi was wondering around impishly behind him. Zoro crept up to the bar disregarding the drunken sounds of overly joyful bandits celebrating their raids and sat at a stool. He asked the bartender for a drink and waited tolerantly.

 

 

Tashigi stood behind him watching the pirates with horrid fascination. “Why would you want to be like them?” She whispered just loud enough for Zoro to hear.

 

 

Zoro pretended not to have heard the question as the large mug of rum was set before him. He took one enormous swig of the drink and sighed, feeling more relaxed.

 

 

Tashigi looked to the corner of the room and noticed a woman leaning up near a wall with her arms crossed smirking at a group of men playing cards. “A woman is here? Could she be a prisoner?” Tashigi decided to sit on the stool next to Zoro, watch for a while and wait for a good moment to help.

 

 

“Oy, bartender.” Zoro called.

 

 

The bartender, still wiping a glass down, walked over and leaned against the bar with his gossiping ear tilted toward Zoro to hear him speak.

 

 

“How much do you think I could get for this?” Zoro pulled a small, smooth, round, gold orb out from his waist band and rolled it between two fingers.

 

 

The bartender's eyes lightened immediately. “They `ave a good runnin price on em, ats for sure.”

 

 

Zoro deciphered the bartender's heavy accent and poor English and looked closely at the ball. It was a little larger then a marble.

 

 

“I'll give ya 15,000 fo it.”

 

 

Zoro smirked. Seemed it was extremely lucky to have a run it with those bearded pirates on the edge of the island. He was about to pass the ball over when Tashigi's hand suddenly caught his. He stilled immediately at her warm touch.

 

 

As soon as Tashigi remembered she didn't have her gloves on and could feel the heat from his hands radiating off of them into hers she pulled away. “There's my reminder of why I always wear my gloves.” Tashigi looked from Zoro to the bartender then to Zoro again. She snatched the ball from Zoro's grasp before he knew what hit him.

 

 

She weighed it in her palm and brought it close to her face wishing she had her glasses. “15,000 would not cover half of what its worth.” She paused and looked at Zoro. “Where did you find this?”

 

 

Zoro gave a weary glance. He decided not to tell her he stole it from the pirates or her stupid sense of righteousness might just pass it over to the bartender for free. “I…It was…passed on to me from a friend a little while ago to use in case of emergencies.”

 

 

She gave a half smile. “Well this is defiantly an emergency.” She held it just out of reach of the bartenders hand as he waited impatiently for it to be given to him. “50,000 for it.” Tashigi spoke proudly happy to show off her pricing skill.

 

 

The bartender scowled.

 

 

Zoro's eyes widened and everyone in the bar quieted down when they heard the large sum. “Tashigi don't speak so loud. The pirates will….” Zoro didn't have time to talk before one grabbed Tashigi's wrist holding the gold ball and pulled her from the stool.

 

 

“50,000 this little thing is worth 50,000” The pirate holding her asked.

 

 

Zoro's hand flew to his sword and he waited carefully for a moment to strike if needed. “Lie Tashigi, lie!” He thought vigorously in his head.

 

 

“Of course. Now let me go.”

 

 

Zoro dropped his hand from his sword, dropped his shoulders and thought “Just like Luffy…You dug your own grave. I can't travel with her.” He took another mouth full of beer and set it on the counter.

 

 

Tashigi was growing edgy with the steadily growing pressure the pirate was gripping her wrist with. “Let me go!!” She yelled unhappily. “You can't have it its Zoro's.”

 

 

“Don't include me in this! You'll have them after me as well!” Zoro sweat dropped.

 

 

Tashigi, who was once worried about her wrist, was now worried about her clenched fist holding the ball as one pirate pulled out a dagger and held her hand down against the table.

 

 

“She has an iron grip. Just cut her hand open.”

 

 

Zoro tried to ignore the scene but found him self watching from the corner of his eyes. Waiting…

 

 

“Let go of me….” Tashigi was deathly quiet and serious suddenly. “You'll regret it if you don't let go.” When they only laughed she yelled in pure anger. “You're starting to piss me off you disgusting pirates!!” At once Tashigi wrenched her hand free with brute strength just as the knife was coming down for her hand. One sound punch later and the pirate, who had been holding her, was set across a table knocking beer bottles, playing cards and ash trays across the floor.

 

 

“This isn't yours.” Tashigi growled.

 

 

Zoro had fully turned in his seat now watching her fascinated.

 

 

“Stealing is against the law.” Tashigi yelled as she knocked 2 more men to the floor with one well placed punch. As more pirates came charging at her she kicked a chair leg off from the chair of the pirate holding the knife and grabbed the leg as it came off. The man in the chair fell backwards with a thud.

 

 

The bartender got down on all fours and crawled out of the bar scared to get involved.

 

 

Tashigi used it like a wooden training sword and shoved it into the diaphragms of a few pirates and knocked it into the neck of others knocking the breath from them. She kicked a table over to block a few heading towards her and kicked back behind her into one pirate's leg cleanly snapping it. When all the pirates halted in there places. Tashigi finally got a hold of her self and looked around at her devastation. “On no….”

 

 

“Looks like you don't need me after all Tashigi.” Zoro spoke with a sly grin. “Oh and you can keep the ball. I don't need it.” Zoro stood to leave the room. In his mind he finished. “I have 3 more in my pocket.”

 

 

“No, you can't leave!” Tashigi almost started to sound desperate, but silenced off that emotion.

 

 

The pirates all started to surround her again, more coming after her then what she had originally calculated. Even ones once knocked down got back up and headed toward her once more.

 

 

“You have to kill to keep these guys down. Their pirates, not some weak marines.”

 

 

Tashigi's eyes filled with rage and some unshed tears. “Take that back!”

 

 

Zoro almost regretted what he'd said….almost. “I'm headed off Tashigi. Good luck.”

 

 

Tashigi felt a few pirates grab her arms and one hold a knife to her throat. She felt the cold puncture of the blade bite coldly into her skin. “Zoro…”

 

 

Zoro refused to look back knowing what would happen if he did. He would look in her eyes and see helplessness and end up saving her once again. He couldn't keep doing this. He didn't have time to waste his swords on mere low class fighters, but once again he couldn't find it in himself to just leave her.

 

 

“You come with me without complaint to help me find my nakama and let us go free once I do and ill make sure you get back to smoker.” Zoro bargained telling himself it was so he could use her navigation skills.

 

 

“I can't let you go free.” She tried not to whimper.

 

 

“Then ill be seein you….maybe…” Zoro replied opening the door and walking out. Tashigi watched as the sun light flooded the room when the door opened and a tear of desolation rolled down her cheek as it closed sealing in the darkness once again. That's what she gets for trusting a pirate.

 

 

“So what should we do with her? Kill her? Or use her a little bit?” One pirate asked.

 

 

“We could sell her.”

 

 

Tashigi looked at the person who just spoke. It was the women from earlier.

 

 

“She could go for high price on the sex slave market.” The girl spoke again.

 

 

Tashigi felt leveled by the words coming from her. She was a pirate too…a women with complete a total apathy for what was happening to her.

 

 

“I say we take our turns too.” One pirate grinned happily.

 

 

Tashigi felt her body swell with anger. She had seen many men thrown in jail and had thrown much of them in there herself, but it had never occurred to her that a woman pirate could be just as bad even worse then a male. So hard she had to work as a female to get where she was and it just disgraced her beyond belief to see a woman in this position. Only then was there a reminder to try harder to not give up. She had to keep on living, keep on rising to the top.

 

 

She may have to ask a bandit for help, but she would punish herself later. She would agree to Zoro's compromise and just find him after the deal was over and prove her abilities as a marine.

 

 

“ZORO!!!” Tashigi yelled loudly stunning the pirates around her. “IM NOT READY TO DIE YET!” Tashigi waited and preyed that he would still be close enough to hear her. He didn't disappoint her.

 

 

The window shattered inward spraying half the crowd with broken glass and Zoro appeared landing firmly on the ground with all three his swords drawn and ready to fight.

 

 

Tashigi remained immobile letting Zoro take care of the mess. “A pirate….seeking help from a pirate… What have I come too…?” She murmured discontented with herself.

 

 

By the time Zoro was finished he hadn't even broken a sweat. He looked over to Tashigi to bark at her to get out of the building and found her leaning slightly against the wall holding her stomach. “You're hurt.” Zoro sounded more sympathetic then he had meant to.

 

 

“I'm fine.” Tashigi smiled. “Just a small hunger cramp.”

 

 

Zoro sighed. “Lets get you clothes and a meal and we figure out what to do next after that.”

 

 

 

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Tashigi fiddled uncomfortably in her seat as the meals were placed in front of her. She pushed up the sleeves of her long sleeve light purple shirt and unzipped her cream colored vest. Her jeans were slightly snug, but the boots fit perfect. Her one biggest complaint was that there were no bras on the island.

 

 

“I'm sure female pirates just don't care for that sort of thing.” Zoro had spoken at the shop.

 

 

Tashigi hated the feeling of her nipples being rubbed raw on the fabric. “How in the world would they not need or care for `that sort of thing'” Tashigi growled.

 

 

Zoro looked up from stuffing his face. “Did you say something?” He spoke through a mouth full of food.

 

 

Tashigi shook her head at his manners. “Nothing.” She thought about the look that one female pirate had giving her as she spoke about making Tashigi a sex slave, that hard uncaring look. “What exactly do they care for?”

 

 

Zoro stopped eating and looked up at her. “Who?”

 

 

“When I was a little girl I was told over and over that I could never wield a sword. I fought and struggled so hard to get where I am. To see a women…become something so low…it makes me feel my dignity run down the drain. Like all my work was for nothing. No one seems to look at a man's failures like they do a woman's….ah…I….that women..” Tashigi lost track of what she was getting at. She was way too emotional. This wasn't like her.

 

 

Zoro caught on. “Not every person, women or man, gets the chance that you did to become what you are.”

 

 

Tashigi eyed him warily from her small stack of pancakes.

 

 

“When you try so hard to do something and you fail, some people will do anything to find a loophole to get what they want. Their people just like you Tashigi. They just never got that chance.”

 

 

“Why can't they keep fighting? You think I didn't fall….”

 

 

Zoro interrupted her with a hard voice. “What's to say they aren't still fighting? What's to say they didn't try as hard as you did…as hard as you do.” Zoro's full attention was on her. “Some would say they fight harder then you do.”

 

 

“Who are you to judge how hard I fight!”

 

 

“A pirate” Zoro said pointedly. “And a swordsmen. You judge me Tashigi. Why can't I judge you? It's a fair trade don't you think.” Zoro finished with a smirk.

 

 

“You're mocking me.”

 

 

“No, I'm telling you something from a man's point of view who has failed many times in the past…” Zoro looked down as memories flooded his mind of how much he fell at Kuina's hands. “And watched others do just the same.” Zoro then had visions of Kuina's casket being carried across the raining grasslands to her grave and frowned.

 

 

“I'm a pirate Tashigi, but I started out just like you. Does it have to piss you off so much that even though I'm the man you're sworn to fight against that I have the same honorable goal as you do and fight just as hard.” Zoro's voice was angry, but still held a reasonable tone. “Were only human….with fragile lives. We fight with our all too at least survive, but it's not always enough.”

 

 

Zoro had just realized how quickly he had let his topic run from a woman pirate, probably just trying to make a living and survive, to woman defying her grave to reach her goal. Zoro subconsciously fingered the hilt of Kuina's Katana. He wasn't just surviving for himself now. He was surviving for Kuina as well.

 

 

He mentally smacked himself for letting himself get so deep. He focused his attention back on the food and remained quiet.

 

 

Tashigi was silent for a long moment. “Don't preach to me like I know nothing.” Her voice was intimidating quiet. She shifted again in her seat and looked around the room.

 

 

Zoro raised his eyebrow at her somewhat odd behavior. “No one will be able to hurt you here.”

 

 

“I didn't say they would.” Tashigi eyed the far corner. “Excuse me for a moment.”

 

 

Zoro watched her leave the booth and understood when he saw the bathroom sign. He turned back to eating and when she didn't return after 10 minutes walked back to find her. “Tashigi?” Zoro called into the small, mildly grimy room.

 

 

“Zoro.” Tashigi called back. “We have a problem.”

 

 

“We?” Zoro's cheeks tinted slightly not understanding what could be wrong.

 

 

“YES WE!” Tashigi yelled suddenly.

 

 

Zoro was taken back. Even more so when he heard her slight whimpers.

 

 

“I started my period….” Tashigi whispered, but enough that Zoro heard.

 

 

“A period?”

 

 

“My… MONTHLY Cycle!” Tashigi strained to calm her words. Of all the times…

 

 

“Oh…….” Zoro still didn't completely understand. Wasn't sure he wanted to.

 

 

“I need….something…to help…”

 

 

“You need….what?”

 

 

“A pad….”

 

 

“A pad?” Zoro was getting more confused by the minute. “Why do you need a pad…?”

 

 

“Zoro….you have not a clue what a period is do you.”

 

 

“uh…” Zoro thought hard. He had heard of monthly cycles but not what happened during them except for being overly emotional and lazy. At least that's how Nami got. She never seemed to do anything and always lay around not wanting to be bothered. He hoped Tashigi wouldn't hit like Nami would. Not that Nami didn't do that all the time anyways, it just seemed so much worse around that time. “I kinda…”

 

 

“I need something to stop the….bleeding…”

 

 

“Bleeding??!!? Like you need a bandage? So you did get hurt…let me..” Zoro pushed against the door finding it locked.

 

 

“Zoro!!” Tashigi whined smacking her forehead with her palm and thanking God had she locked the door. “I just need to calm down….”

 

 

“Just…..use something like maybe the toilet paper to stop the bleeding and well deal with it when you come out.

 

 

Tashigi looked at the roll not happy about how unsanitary everything was here. She hadn't thought of using toilet paper. Now she just felt completely stupid. “How bout you don't help me and I'll meet you back at the table.”

 

 

She heard Zoro give a huff of breath and mummer something about how irritating women were as she paced from the room. As soon as the door shut she dropped her head into her hands and moaned. “Looks like our adventures just getting started….”

 

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A/n: I wonder if Zoro even wears underwear……..but I didn't really want him naked holding Tashigi on the boat…….at least not yet muahahahaha. *Evil grin* I hope you guys like. I'm extremely thankful for the amazing reviews I've received so far. There WAY better then expected and keep me smiling for hours on end…..literally. Thank you sssooooooo much!!!

 

In the next chapter: Tashigi and Zoro need a place to sleep….and a boat for them to sail to more adventures.

 

~Iceis~