One Piece: Born to Betray

The sun was dipping low when Taiga and Zoro trudged side by side through the overgrown outskirts of town. The path was little more than a cracked stone lane, lined with weeds and the faint smell of salt drifting in from the nearby shore.

Taiga shifted the wooden sword slung across her shoulder, side-eyeing the man beside her.Zoro walked with his hands tucked into his waistband, swords at his hip, expression unreadable.

For a long while, they said nothing. Only their footsteps and the distant hiss of the wind filled the silence.

Eventually, Taiga broke first."So… you really are gonna be the world's strongest swordsman, huh?"

Zoro shot her a sideways glance. "Yeah. That's the plan."

Taiga let out a sharp breath, half scoff, half laugh."Hah. You sound just like him."

Zoro's lip twitched. "Makoto?"

Taiga made a face like she'd bitten into a lemon."Ugh. Don't say his name like he's a real person. He's more like… a drunk thunderstorm that learned how to walk and never shuts up."

Zoro actually chuckled—just once."Yeah. He's annoying. Strong, though."

Taiga squinted at him. "And you don't care? That he's stronger than you right now?"

Zoro didn't miss a step. His gaze stayed fixed ahead."He's not my goal. Mihawk is."He tapped the hilt of Wado Ichimonji at his hip."Makoto's just… another mountain I'll climb on the way."

Taiga studied him for a moment, then looked away with a tiny, reluctant smile."You're weird, moss-head."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. 

"Your hair." She jabbed her wooden sword at his head. "It looks like someone glued seaweed to a rock."

Zoro snorted. "Got room to talk, short-stack?"

Taiga bristled, her grip tightening on her wooden sword. "Short-stack?! At least I don't walk around looking like a Racist!"

Zoro smirked. "Better a shrub than a loudmouthed gremlin who swings sticks around like it's actually a threat."

They fell into silence again. The shadows of abandoned houses crept around them, the breeze rattling loose shutters overhead.

Finally, Zoro stopped at a fork in the path—two overgrown roads snaking off into the trees. He squinted left, then right.

Taiga folded her arms. "Which way?"

Zoro peered up at the darkening sky."Left."And he immediately stepped toward the right path.

Taiga blinked. "…Wait. You said left."

Zoro paused, glanced back at her, then at the path."…Left from your side, right?"

Taiga's eyebrow twitched. "No—left from your side. You pointed left. You're going right."

Zoro frowned, like the world had personally betrayed him."Same difference. We'll get there."

Taiga stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like a stunned goldfish."…Do you… know where 'there' is?"

"East."

"We're facing west!"

Zoro scratched his head, puzzled. "Huh. Thought the sun set in the east."

Taiga's jaw dropped. A vein pulsed at her temple."…I'm going to murder you."

With no further warning, she suddenly launched into a series of furious backflips across the lane, her wooden sword whirling wildly around her.

"Unbelievable! How did you survive this long?! Did pirates just find you by following the trail of destroyed property?!"

Zoro watched her meltdown with mild interest. "Calm down, short-stack. We'll—"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Taiga landed in a low crouch, breathing hard. "We're following my directions now!"

Zoro shrugged, utterly unfazed. "Fine by me."

As they set off down the left path, a distant crash echoed from town—followed by the unmistakable sound of Luffy yelling about meat.

…

The Buggy Pirates formed a jeering circle around Luffy's cage, howling with laughter as their captain loomed over the trapped rubber man.

"Look at him!" One pirate cackled, slapping his knee. "The guy is trapped like a monkey in a box!"

One of his crew poked Luffy's stretched cheek with a stick. "Oi, Captain! Think we can sell him as a bouncy toy?"

Luffy, completely unbothered, just grinned. "Shishishi! You guys are funny!"

Buggy twirled a dagger, his grin wicked. "Oh, we're just getting started, straw hat. By the time I'm—"

THUD!

A pirate suddenly flew past Buggy's face and crashed into a wall, unconscious.

Silence.

The crew blinked.

Luffy blinked.

Buggy blinked.

Then—

"W-WHAT THE—?!"

"Huh? Whoops."

All heads snapped toward the voice.

There, standing in the middle of the street, was Makoto—tripping over his own feet as he "stumbled" backward.

"Man, these guys are everywhere," he muttered, flailing his arms wildly—"accidentally" elbowing another pirate in the jaw so hard the man spun like a top before collapsing.

The Buggy Pirates stared.

Luffy tilted his head. "Oh, hey Makoto!"