When Zoro saw the Sunny he knew something was wrong. Even though he was so far away he could see the rapid movements on deck of the ship. It looked like a fight. As he got close enough to make out who were fighting he saw that it were the cook and his captain.

Normally, he wouldn't care if those two fought since it had happened more than once. Most of the time it would be Sanji beating up the rubberman for trying to eat their whole food supply. But this fight looked serious.

He began to run towards the ship. He could see that the cook was bleeding heavily, but that wasn't the weirdest part. Luffy was using a dagger. He never used a weapon, especially against a friend!

He was almost there. He saw Sanji going down and Luffy stabbing him. He unsheathed his swords and ran faster. Luffy raised his dagger for the final blow.

'Like hell I'm going to let that happen.'

Zoro jumped in front of the wounded cook just in time. His swords moved over his captain's chest, leaving a deep cut. The rubberman was sent flying backwards. The swordsman placed his remaining sword in his mouth.

"Someone care to explain what the hell is going on?" He asked the two. He could hear the cook groan behind him. "T-took you long enough m-marimo.." Sanji said, his voice tainted with pain. The cook was close to passing out.

"Luffy, what the hell do you think you're doing? Why did you try to kill him?" Zoro asked his captain. Luffy was standing with his hand gripping the cut on his chest. The teen looked up and into the swordsman's eyes. All traces of the happy, friendly and loving teen were gone. All the other man could see was the darkness in those deep-brown eyes.

"I was wondering when you would join the party. Though, now I have some kind of deja vu. You're not the first who stopped me from killing another 'friend'." Luffy said. The last word was spat out by the teen. The swordsman looked at his captain in disbelief. Had he really just said that? What the hell was wrong with him?

Zoro voiced his questions. The rubberman just smiled. "There is nothing wrong with me. It's you that's wrong. Where were you when I needed you the most? I thought the first mate was supposed to help the captain." He said. "I'll have to punish you for that."

The teen then rushed towards the swordsman. Zoro blocked the incoming knife with his blades. It took a lot of effort not to fall backwards and fall on the cook. The force behind his captain's attack was big.

"Luffy, snap out of it! You're hurting people!" He yelled. The rubberman laughed. "Hurting people? It's a bit late to say that. Six out of eight are gone already!" He kept attacking his first mate. Zoro almost tripped over his own feet when he heard those words. Six out of eight? Did he really kill everyone? Were he and the cook the only ones left?

The image of the cook flooded in his mind. He turned to look at the wounded man, who laid passed out on deck. He needed to finish this as soon as possible. Sanji needed medical help and fast. He was losing way too much blood.

He ducked just in time when Luffy's leg went in to kick his head. "Luffy, stop this now! This isn't you!" Zoro yelled. Luffy ignored him and kept attacking the man.

The fight continued for several minutes. Luffy seemed to enjoy the fight. His first mate did not. He had enough of it. This wasn't Luffy he was fighting. "You're not the man I almost for died to protect. You are a true demon." He said. This got the rubberman's attention. The teen frowned at those words and stopped his attacks temporarily. "Almost for died to protect? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Thriller Bark. That's what I'm talking about. I sacrificed my life for yours to protect you from a warlord and took your pain. The state I was in after that was the result of my loyalty to my captain. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I would never leave you on purpose." Zoro told his captain. He could memories flooding back to the teen.

Luffy held his head. He felt a headache come up. "Lair! You didn't sacrifice yourself, your dream, for me. W-why would you do that!" He yelled at the other man. "I did, Luffy. Everyone there was ready to trade their lives for yours. The whole crew was prepared to die for you." The swordsman said.

Tears made their way down Luffy's face. Not only remembered he all the events that happened at Thriller Bark, he remembered everything. All the good times he had with his crew, his friends. All their adventures. Everything.

The dagger fell from the teen's hand and the captain sunk to his knees. What had he done?

Zoro sheathed two of his swords, keeping the third in his hand just in case. He made his way over to the rubberman on the ground. What was he going to do with the teen? He knew Luffy wasn't going to forgive himself for what he had done. Ever.

Tears were now freely streaming down Luffy's face. His eyes were focused on his hands, Sanji's blood coating them. He hated himself. He hated himself so much. His friends were gone. Dead. And it was all his fault. He had lost everything.

The swordsman knelt down in front of the sobbing teen. The rubberman slowly looked up, locking his tear filled eyes with his first mate.

"Please.. Forgive me.." The teen said. Zoro knew very well what the teen meant. He leaned forward and embraced his captain. Luffy hugged him back.

Then, Wado Ichimonji pierced the captain's heart. "I forgive you, captain." The swordsman said. Luffy trembled in his arms, his life flooding out of him. With the last of his strength, the teen pressed his most treasured belonging in his first mate's hands, looked up and smiled.

"Thank you..." He then went limp in his friend's arms.

Zoro looked at the Thousand Sunny as she went up in flames. On board were the bodies of eight crew members.

Sanji had died from blood loss before the swordsman could help him. The fist mate had looked around the ship to find the other bodies. After he had located all of them he carried Sanji and Chopper, who's body was still in the refrigerator, to the boys' cabin.

He wanted to do the same with the lifeless body of his captain, but decided that there was a better place for him. He sailed the ship far enough from Sabaody and lit the Sunny on fire. A burial at sea is what he thought was fitting for this pirate crew.

Now, he was looking at the ship as it burned. Luffy laid on his favourite spot, the figure head.

What was Zoro going to do next? Explore the New World and fulfill his dream. He couldn't let this painful chapter in his life stop him from fulfilling the promise he made.

Not only that, but he also needed to return a strawhat to a certain red-haired emperor.

AN: Finally, I finished it! Why did it take me so long to complete this story? Well, who cares. I did it!

I hope you enjoyed reading this fanfiction. Thank you for all your favourites, favs and reviews, I really appreciate them.