Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of its characters.

Well, this is it. The last chapter of Much Ado About Nothing. Thank you very much to all those who reviewed. You've made one author very, very happy. So this one is for you guys. Hope you enjoy this last segment and please review!

Chapter 3 - To Forgive And Forget

Finally! It took a miracle (along with lots of people helping and plenty of direction signs) to find his way back to the ship. Zoro felt mildly impressed with himself. Ha! He'd shown that stupid cook that he could find his way perfectly around without getting lost. And he would be sure to rub in it in Sanji's face, he grinned as he climbed aboard Merry's ladder.

Just on the other side of the ship, not knowing that he wasn't the only one clambering about, grinning hugely, was Luffy leaping on board. He cradled the little package to his chest carefully. With this set of new plates, he was guaranteed to get back into the kitchen with Sanji and Nami's good graces.

That was when they both realized they had company.

For a minute, they looked at each other, with annoyance, vexation and silent displeasure. Green flicked towards brown and both clashed in the most terrifying way. If one strained their eyes hard enough, they would be able to see the sizzling and crackling of the air between them.

Zoro scowled, his forehead creased. Luffy frowned, his eyes narrowed.

A dangerous sign that neither of them were pleased.

A wiser man might quickly duck his head and ran off in the opposite direction, if he valued his life. However, Zoro was wise enough to know that since he was the older, more mature one out of the two of them, he would have to be the one to initiate the conversation. Since Luffy was going to be too stubborn about it, he might as well say it first. Or else this wordless war of theirs will continue forever. Not to mention neither of them will be allowed in the kitchen ever again.

" Hey, Luffy - " he began.

Without glancing at Zoro, Luffy walked right by him, nose in the air. Indignantly, Zoro followed, fighting the temptation to slug his captain one across the face. " What's your problem?" he growled, each step he took conveying his amplifying irritation. " I didn't even finish my sentence yet!"

" Then finish it," Luffy curtly said, still walking away from him, his back facing Zoro.

Spluttering, Zoro clenched his jaw from dropping at the immaturity of his captain. He was acting like a spoiled brat! Seeing no other method of getting Luffy's attention, he grabbed the boy's wrist, yanking him back. " Wait!" he yelled through clenched teeth.

Determined not to turn around, Luffy strained against Zoro's hold, his arm stretching helplessly, as he continued walking, staring straight ahead. " As if!"

" Just listen to me, will you?!"

Luffy took a step forward, twisting to get out of Zoro's grip. And Zoro retaliated by holding on more harder.

Then, one of Luffy's sandals slipped on the smooth surface of Merry. The force of his rubber arm became too much and Luffy's entire body was suddenly flung backwards, crashing right into Zoro before any of them could stop it.

The next thing Luffy knew, he was sprawled across Zoro's long legs, tangled in them, with Zoro's body slumped over him. They had been hurled right into Merry's side, smashing into her so hard that cracks in her wooden boards already begun to spread and bloat in deep fissures. Wincing, he sat up, trying to push Zoro's head away from leaning heavily against his shoulder.

" Zoro? You okay?" he asked. When Zoro didn't answer, Luffy raised his head, looking over the green mass that was hair, shaking Zoro's head with a hand. " Zoro?" he asked again, a little louder. It wasn't like Zoro not to answer him.

Then, to his horror, his palm came away, sticky with blood.

And Zoro still wasn't moving.

" ZORO!"

Frantically, Luffy grabbed the front of Zoro's shirt and shook him hard, so hard that his head lolled back and forth. He tried to ignore the crimson trail seeping down and the way his heart was beating too fast and how his hands felt too slippery on Zoro's shirt, one hand covered in blood and both damp with sweat, and how time seemed to drag by too slowly, too painfully long, too tense for his own comfort and he could hear himself calling Zoro's name again and again, telling him to wake up, wake up, wake up, zoro, please, are you all right?, wake up, zoro, wake -

A hand came up and gruffly pushed him away, slapping his shaking hands away. " 'M all right." Zoro groaned, rubbing his forehead, blinking the blood out of his eyes. He had to grab Luffy by the shoulders to ensure that he wouldn't shake him anymore and make his headache any worse than it already is. " I'm all right," he repeated, slower, carefully for him to hear.

Suddenly, Luffy laughed, causing Zoro to jump back in surprise. He laughed so hard that his head needed to rest against Zoro's shoulder to support himself, his body racked with giggles. " I'm glad!" he managed to choke out before being overwhelmed by another bout of laughter. Not knowing what else he could do, Zoro simply allowed Luffy to lean against him, waiting for the laughter to subside.

Finally, Luffy's body relaxed. Zoro could feel him sighing against his shoulder, face hidden by the folds of his shirt, while one hand clasped his shirt agitatedly. " I was afraid that you were dead," he murmured. " There was blood and you weren't moving and I thought you were dead."

Zoro blinked, not knowing what to say. It wasn't something he was expecting from his captain, who always seemed so cheerful and happy-go-lucky. They were pirates. Death was something they faced everyday. It came as a bit of a shock that it would affect Luffy to this extent. After all, this was a man who laughed and teased death anywhere and everywhere he went.

But he supposed that even the strongest had their fears and Luffy's was losing his nakama. More than anything else in the world. Even more than One Piece.

With a scoff that held no mockery, he casually ruffled Luffy's hair, almost like to reassure him. " Like I would die that easily," he scowled. " I just hit my head on whatever was in that." He pointed at the package that dangled from Luffy's arm, forgotten.

Frowning, Luffy peeled open the package and peered inside. The green plates were untouched and as perfect as he had found them.

" Plates?"

" Yep. To replace the broken ones."

He stared at Luffy, stunned that Luffy would rather spend money on a few plates rather than buy his favourite foods. " I didn't break any, did I?" Zoro quickly asked, sitting up straight, worried that he had wrecked all of Luffy's hard work.

Barely glancing at them, Luffy shook his head. " No, they're fine." He was more concerned with the fresh cut at Zoro's forehead. " What about your cut? Does it hurt?"

Zoro ran his fingers over the cut, wincing only slightly at the touch. " It just looks worse than it is," he shrugged.

" Good."

Only then did Luffy finally loosen his hold on Zoro's shirt. That was when Luffy realized that Zoro's shirt was wet and smelled strongly of salt. " Did you fall into a river or something?" he inquired, tilting his head curiously at the swordsman.

To his surprise, Zoro flushed and quickly turned away, embarrassed. " I jumped in a river to save a kid I thought was you," he muttered, refusing to look at Luffy.

Eyes widening, Luffy gazed at him like he had never seen him before. Then, he burst out laughing.

" You're such an idiot, Zoro!" he giggled.

Irritated, he snapped angrily. This was what he got for his troubles? " What did you say - ?"

Without warning, Luffy tackled him in a tight hug, wrapping his arms around his waist. Which Zoro didn't quite expected.

" Thanks, Zoro. For saving me."

" But I didn't - " he started, confused.

" Still, you saved me."

Luffy released him from his hug to look at Zoro straight in the eye, smiling at him, revealing his honest sincerity and gratitude to his first mate for what he did and what he would do for him.

The corners of Zoro's mouth curled the tiniest bit. " No problem. Captain," he added.

They both looked at each other with an understanding that flowed between them, something that most people wouldn't and couldn't recognize. They fight, argue, disagree, relent, make up and remain the same afterwards. It was how they interacted and communicated, as weird as it may be. And strangely, it worked too.

Very, very, very well.

Finally, Luffy spoke first.

" Sorry that I didn't give you the dish."

" Sorry that I broke it."

A little smile dawned on Luffy's face. " We both screwed up, huh?"

" Yeah." Zoro leaned back against Merry's side, feeling exhausted and at the same time, at ease. " Guess we did."

" Do we still have to apologize to Sanji and Nami?"

" Unfortunately."

" But." A mischievous light gleamed from Luffy's eyes. " Neither of them are here right now."

Zoro fought hard not to sigh. He already half-suspected what was on Luffy's mind at the moment. " No, they're not," he said wearily.

" Then, if we hurry, we can raid the fridge before the others come back!" Luffy exclaimed with his familiar grin back on his face. He bounded up in a fluid movement, tugging at Zoro's arm. " Hurry! Before they see us!"

Shaking his head and with a shadow of smile, Zoro immediately followed.

The End