Disclaimer: When reading this fanfiction, please make sure to thank Eiichirou Oda for the creation of these characters and their back stories for there is no possible way a jobless high school student such as myself could have ever come up with such well developed characters.

Summary: All of the Straw Hats had something to go back to. Except for him. Who or what could he possibly return to once his ultimate goal had been accomplished? ZoLu friendship.

Warning: Light shounen-ai undertones up ahead.

I know it's not Tender Seclusion, but at least I cranked out something One Piece-related, right? Rest assured, TS is on its way. Progress has just been a little… slow for the past few weeks (coughmonthscough). I'm definitely trying to have something complete by January 19th. I'll be going up to Washington for that whole week and I thought it'd be great to leave my readers with a nice treat since I basically flaked on both Christmas and New Years. Don't hate me too much; I miss you guys! Oh yeah, a super nice Oniisan bought me an Urahara Kisuke plushie! I ish supa happy X3!

一人ぼっちの剣士

~The Lonely Swordsman~

"To make a map of the Grand Line!"

"To find All Blue!"

"To become a brave man of the sea!"

"To become the world's greatest swordsman!"

"To become the King of Pirates!!"

Right before fleeing Loguetown and entering into the Grand Line, the five Straw Hats shouted their dreams out to the vast and glorious sea. They each lifted one foot on top of a barrel, a promise to one another to do all they could to help with the dreams of one another.

It was still the five of them sailing through the seas. Impatient as always, Captain Monkey D. Luffy moaned and groaned, shamelessly begging Nami to hurry up and find someplace for them to land and have an adventure on. The navigator groaned, smacking the raven-haired man over the head for annoying her. It was then that Sanji, their chef, sauntered out of the kitchen with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice for the lovely mapmaker.

She glared at him. "You better not have made this using Bellemere's mikan!" The orange-haired woman told him warningly. Nami extremely hated when people went messing around in the trees grown by her beloved 'mother'. Blood relation or not, Bellemere was her mother just as much as Nojiko was her sister. Absolutely no one was allowed to touch that sensitive piece of her childhood.

"Y-you got it all wrong, Nami-san!" Sanji sputtered in a defensive tone. "This came from some fruits I picked up from Zeff when I agreed to sail with you. I would never even think of going through your precious treasure!"

The navigator gave the blonde cook a questioning look before allowing her features to soften into one of playfulness. Sanji, loyal puppy that he is, wouldn't take anything from her without her permission and she knew that. She also knew that he wouldn't lie about anything having to do with the man who had been like a father to him.

"Sanji, food!" Luffy whined, interrupting the small moment between the two. If there wasn't an island to be found, then he might as well gorge himself to pass the time.

"But you just ate an hour ago!" argued the man with the curly eyebrow. Was there truly no end to this man's appetite? If Nami weren't on board, Sanji would swear he had chosen the wrong ship.

"Food!" Luffy repeated. Grumbling curses to himself, Sanji shoved his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants and marched right back into the kitchen from whence he came in order to prepare something akin to a small feast for his captain's mammoth desire for food. A couple of moments after Sanji had sauntered into the kitchen, Usopp had been tossed right out. A pen and piece of paper soon followed.

"Have some respect for other people, Sanji! I was trying to write a letter to Kaya!" A yes, Miss Kaya. Usopp had developed quite a liking to the sickly girl who resided inside a great estate in his Syrup Village. He would go and tell lies to her everyday just to cheer her up. Those lies, however, were different from his usual ones. Instead of trying to impress someone or fool them into thinking he was strong, Usopp told those with the intention to make someone smile. How noble of the long-nose.

Sanji scoffed at him. "Whatever! Just go to your damn workshop and do something like that! I can't cook with you in my kitchen!"

"I'd be more than happy to go there if someone hadn't set off my Gunpowder Star and Exploding Star at the same time!!" Usopp turned accusingly towards his captain.

"Heh, sorry Usopp!" the man grinned with that childishly wide smile plastered on his face. Nami rolled her eyes at the scene, a light grin threatening her lips.

Lying lazily on the other side of the ship's upper deck, Zoro couldn't help but send a scowl toward the direction of his fellow crewmates and nakama. Just rub the existence of loved one's in his face, why don't they? Hmph, they could be so insensitive, the jerks.

At least, that's what the bushido thought. 'Thought' being the operative word because feelings such as this would never leave his mouth. Yep, it was Zoro's unspoken rule that he kept personal things involving his own emotions… unspoken. Otherwise people might start to think he was a warm and kindhearted guy. Imagine the trouble that would cause.

A loud yawn escaped the green-haired man's lips, catching the attention of one enthusiastic Devil Fruit user. The captain turned his raven head at the exact moment a small breeze flew by, resulting in the item he was known most for to be stolen from its perch atop his head. Luffy cried out in surprise and, as luck would have it, his treasured straw hat landed right into Zoro's disgruntled/apathetic face with a light smack.

"My treasure!" the head Mugiwara hollered, immediately bounding after his most prized possession. Zoro grumbled and unhurriedly peeled the priceless keepsake from his face, a groan escaping him as he did so. He suddenly remembered the story Luffy had told him about the origin of this particular hat and why it was so coddled by its owner. It was gift from the pirate Red-Haired Shanks.

Unintentionally, his fist clenched around the headpiece.

"Thanks!" Luffy said in a chipper tone, reaching to grab his hat. Zoro didn't notice him and kept clinging on to it as if it were his and not his captain's. "The wind stopped, so you really don't have to hold on to it anymore," the raven-haired man cried, getting a little agitated. Even if it was Zoro, that hat was really special. Luffy would give up his own life to protect that hat. It was almost like a living, breathing thing to him. In a way, the hat was also his nakama.

Zoro was… just a tiny bit jealous of that.

"Che, just take it already; you're in my way," the first mate finally grumbled, shoving the headpiece back into its owner's hands. Luffy received his treasure, but thought up an even better idea right when he was about to put it on his head.

"Nah, how about you watch it for a while?"

Zoro's eyes widened. In no less than a second, Shanks' hat was now resting upon his ruffled sea-green locks. It was… odd, having the hat on his head and all. The closest thing he had ever worn to it was his bandana and that was only when he was fighting seriously. Having something this meaningful shared with him was a new sensation. But… it was one that was quite welcomed as well.

In Cocoyashi Village, Nami had Nojiko, Genzo, and all the loving townsfolk to return to. At the floating restaurant, Baratie, Sanji would always be welcomed by Boss Zeff, Patty, and Carne. Ninjin, Tamaneji, and Piiman would probably shed tears of joy if they were ever to be reunited with their great Captain Usopp. Kaya would also love to hear his far-fetched tales. Even Luffy, whenever he returned to his home of Fuusha Village, would be welcomed by Makino and the fellow villagers.

Maybe Zoro didn't have anyone to return to when his dream of becoming the greatest swordsman had been realized. Maybe he would go back to being a wandering bounty hunter like he had been before. Maybe he would die in battle the day after tomorrow. Nothing in this world was ever certain. But, he had reached one realization, though.

Perhaps he wasn't such a lonely swordsman after all.

"And since you're borrowing my treasure, I'm gonna borrow yours too!" smiled Luffy, bending down to take hold of a white-sheathed katana.

Zoro's eyes popped wide with apprehension. Was that his… Wadou Ichimonji? "YOU BASTARD!!"

If he had thought about it a little more, Roronoa Zoro would've realized how difficult it would've been to achieve a sense of pure loneliness with a captain, no, a nakama, like Monkey D. Luffy. Zoro wasn't really that smart, was he?

Owari~

Ending Omake (SU~PA~)

Icebender: Yosh! I move my Rook forward and capture your Knight! What will you do now? Huh? What?!

Robin: Oh, but isn't that an invalid move, Author-san? If you move your Rook to that place, your King would be in check.

Icebender: Damn! You're right!

Robin: And even still, you can't move back and going sideways or diagonally would put you in check in as well. I believe it's my win, Author-san. Checkmate.

Icebender: Iyaah~! Robin-san wins again…

Chopper: That makes one more win for Robin and one more loss for Icebender.

Icebender: Rematch!

Robin: Are you sure? You're quite determined to beat me, aren't you?

Icebender: I must become better in order to defeat that bastard!! Once I win, we can all sip sake and make an anime about it!

Chopper: Would anyone even watch it, I wonder…

Icebender: Just set up the pieces, stuffed raccoon! I will not lose (again)!

Robin: (thinking) Author-san is quite determined. He's been using the same line for the past 250 games. I worry about him sometimes.

Icebender: YO~~SH!! I'M GONNA DO MY BEST AND KICK ASS IN THE CHESS TOURNAMENT TO THE EXTREME!!!

Chopper: He's a regular Sasagawa Ryouhei… Should someone tell him the tournament ended four days ago?