This story is a late submission for the OPSCIFIANDFANTASY event on tumblr, hosted by the brilliant lunarshores. Thank you for not only hosting such a wonderful event, but being so cool about my delinquency.

Resurgence

Rating: NC-17 (M)

Chapter One

Somewhere in the Zandroas Galaxy...

"We are now entering the atmosphere of planet A7A8715. While largely understudied, planet A7A8715 is a mostly-"

"Common name, please, Moira. Not all of us are familiar with our official ICoPR names."

"Is that an attempt at humor, Roronoa?" The AI that controlled Zoro's ship, or Moira, as he liked to call her, was clearly unamused. Her monotonous voice lacked any sort of humor by default, but to Zoro, she seemed even more indifferent whenever he tried to tease her a bit.

"According to the Intergalactic Council of Planetary Relations, a ship's captain must be familiar with the government rulebook, which includes the proper planetary naming system," she concluded, somehow sounding a little too arrogant for Zoro's liking.

"I'm familiar enough," Zoro replied defensively as he pulled a data chip that was no more than the size of a matchbox out of a nearby drawer. "See I have it right here."

"You know I cannot. Furthermore, having an object and being knowledgeable of that object's contents are inequivalent matters," Moira countered.

"Hey. Since when did you develop an attitude?" Must be from that new upgrade I gave you last week, Zoro thought to himself as he shoved the chip (with a bit more force than necessary) into the drive of Moira's control panel, which was a feature that existed solely for manual usage. Zoro could not deny that he'd thought about taking for himself control at times, but despite her tongue, she had yet to lead him astray. Almost immediately, a series of holographic documents appeared before him. Zoro lightly touched the blue lettering and scrolled downwards with ease until he came across a page entitled 'Table of Contents'. Before he could even begin to explain his point, Moira stopped him.

"You'd be better off scouring an index."

An audible sigh escaped Zoro's lips. As annoying as Moira could be at times, he still preferred the slightly condescending tone over the long periods of silence that began right after the ship took off, and lasted until it was about to land. Aside from the unnecessary amounts of 'instructional' information, and the intermittent status update on the ship's condition, Moira never uttered a word. It was probably for the best, though. Zoro wasn't a huge conversationalist himself, and idle chit-chat unnerved him unlike anything else. Between an AI system that existed only to deliver pertinent information, and a man who wasn't quite sure how to strike up a meaningful conversation with anyone, silence was obviously the preferable choice.

"Common name, please?" Zoro repeated.

If Moira had any actual human-like attributes, he knew she would have given him an agitated sigh as well.

"Hydros, the marine planet. Speculated to be the home of countless mythical sea creatures." Her voice was back to the unfeeling, dreary tone she usually possessed.

"Speculated?" Zoro couldn't help but wonder what that was all about. It wasn't often that Moira was unable to provide him with definitive and absolute answers.

"The data is inconclusive."

Moira didn't elaborate further, nor did she need to. The unspoken words were much louder than the ones that were said. There was a reason no one knew anything about this planet, but it wasn't because the lack of trying. When Moira didn't explain, Zoro's mind easily filled in the blanks.

Those who go there don't come back.

Moira continued to list off (subjectively) useful information about the planet's climate, and the natural resources that could be found deep within the ocean's murky depths. There was probably more, but Zoro wasn't paying much attention. While her voice was cold and lacked any form of emotion, he still found it oddly comforting to listen to every once in a while, even when his mind wasn't processing her words.

While Moira continued to drone on, Zoro started to focus on his sole reason for venturing out to such unchartered, and potentially dangerous territory (not that the latter concerned him in the least). His eyes wandered over to the sight of an old 'wanted' poster that had been pinned to the wall for as long as Zoro could remember. He figured the bulletin had to have been up there for at least three years; it wasn't long after his journey initially began when the ICoPR first put a bounty on the man who was currently staring back at with dark, lifeless eyes. Zoro wasn't normally the type to judge a person on appearances alone, but the cruel look on his face certainly made him look like he truly was guilty of the heinous crimes he was accused of. But then again, the wanted man's innocence, or lack thereof, wasn't for Zoro to decide. This man was essentially a meal ticket for Zoro; once he turned the alleged crook in and received the bounty from ICoPR, the man's fate did not concern him.

"...over 99% of Hydros' surface is covered in dihydrogen monoxide, which is saturated an abnormally high concentration of sodium chloride…"

Extra salty water. Got it. Zoro rolled his eyes as he tuned back into Moira's 'educational' speech. A frown spread across his face as he recalled the ridiculous amount of time it had taken him to figure out what she was actually saying with that chemical jargon she seemed insistent on using. He always swore that with each upgrade, he'd purposely downgrade Moira's vernacular to a level that was much more accessible to him, but he never did. Moira was an amazingly reliable AI system, he wasn't about to try anything that would screw that up.

By now, the ship was flying just a few meters above Hydros' vast, unending ocean. To Zoro's chagrin, locating the less than 1% of dry land proved to be a difficult and mind-numbingly tedious task. Zoro would have likened the experience to finding a needle in a haystack, but he suspected that finding a tiny needle in a haystack that was as high as a mountain would have been easier than spotting an island that looked like it could support non-aquatic life in this vast sea of blue, which was undoubtedly filled with the planet's primary inhabitants. Luckily, the ocean beneath him was calm, allowing him to get the perfect view of the world beneath him.

"Can you sense anything, Moira?" Zoro asked, more out of boredom than anything else.

"My scanners indicate that we are quickly approaching a relatively sizable landmass of seventy-six square kilometers. It appears to be volcanic in nature."

"Any activity?"

"The last eruption was approximately twenty-five Hydros years ago," Moira answered.

"What's that equal to in Gaitros years?" Zoro figured he ought to know if the volcano he was about to land on was due to burst anytime soon.

"Approximately 13.9 years." As per usual, her response was immediate. One aspect Zoro really enjoyed about Moira was that she always seemed to know everything off the top of her circuits; it was pretty damn convenient.

"So we've got nothing to worry about then?"

"Statistically speaking," she corrected.

"Good enough." Zoro shrugged. "What about life support capabilities?"

"None, although, shallow caves at the volcano's base are usable for temporary shelter during a storm," she elaborated.

"Or for a hiding spot."

"It would be advisable to explore," Moira agreed.

"Sounds like a plan." The satisfied smirk that graced his lips was more than enough proof of his growing excitement. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had last stepped on land and took a job. If his dwindling savings was anything to go by, it had been far too long. He never got any sort of enjoyment from a job that was basically the legal form of human hunting, but the thought of breathing fresh air again was more than enough incentive for him to feel an apprehensive sense of happiness.

By the time Moira had landed the ship at the island shore (as far away from the volcano as safely possible), Zoro had already packed the meager essentials he would need for his search, which consisted of a light, a rope, and most importantly, his three katana (which incidentally were his most prized possessions). In addition, he carried one last item with him; Zoro never told Moira about this, but he always kept a lucky item of sorts with him in his back pocket. It was nonsensical in every way, and he knew that, but it had come from the girl he considered to be his sister. To him, that fact alone meant everything.

"Are you sure you won't take anything else?" It was a question Moira asked each and every time Zoro stepped off the ship; she couldn't see everything Zoro took with him (or didn't take with him), but somehow she knew Zoro never took anything that was considered more 'high-tech'.

It was her way of showing concern, he supposed.

"Call for backup if I'm not back by nightfall," Zoro teased just as he took his first step onto Hydros land, which looked strikingly similar to the sandy beaches he used to see on Gaitros.

"I'll give you seventy-two hours," Moira replied. "If you can't find your way back within three days, I might be concerned."

"Tch, save yourself the trouble." Zoro rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Honestly where did she pick up such an attitude from? he wondered bitterly.

Moira didn't respond to that, nor did Zoro say anything else. He simply kept walking, intent on finding and apprehending the man he came to Hydros for, and doing it as quickly as possible, if only to prove Moira wrong.

Wandering around in unfamiliar territories was quickly becoming less and less of an unusual occurrence for Zoro. It didn't really bother him; he always knew his goals would take him to faraway places where he wouldn't be able to identify any of the buildings or landmarks he passed by (not that recognition would have done him any good), nor would he have a comrade he could rely during his long and arduous voyage. Zoro had accepted his situation long ago, and not once had he ever thought of turning back.

He went wherever his dreams led him; the countless opportunities he was given to further his goals were never ignored, but he'd be lying if he said that his objectives were always the main priority. After all, nothing was free in this world, nor in any other world that existed in any galaxy he knew of. Means to support himself had to come from somewhere, which of course, that was why he found himself exploring a potentially lethal, hopefully not entirely deserted cave in the base of a questionably active volcano.

A typical job, really.

The florescent light of his flashlight shined brightly against the black, metamorphic rock that formed the various stalactites hanging from the ceiling and the even more threatening stalagmites that protruded up from the cave floor. Walking across the pointed sets of stone that must have been sharper than his katana blade proved to be an arduous task; he was beginning to doubt Moira's speculation that anyone could use this deadly tripping hazard as a safe haven, even temporarily.

Just when he was about to turn back and attempt to find an entirely different cave, his eyes fell upon an eerily glowing pond that he could only assume consisted of even more salt water. He stumbled across the jagged cave floor until he could see his own reflection within the transparent depths of the water. The water's shade of blue was unlike anything Zoro had ever seen before. Its color was akin to the beautiful, bright cerulean of the Gaitros sky, and its crystal clarity was as lucid as the glass windows of his ship.

The sight was utterly spectacular, and it left Zoro completely mesmerized. As he observed the radiance of the small lagoon, he became unaware that he was slowly losing all sense of his surroundings, leaving him vulnerable and ignorant of everything outside of his current focus.

He couldn't recall how it happened; aside from reluctantly admitting to the startling lack of attention he had given the situation, he had no clue how he found himself in such a terrifying situation. The next thing he knew, he found himself diving head first into the enchanting body of water, and within seconds, his entire being was engulfed by the water's alluring depths.

Zoro didn't have a chance to act; the water itself seemed like a sentient being, a vicious, destructive one at that. He couldn't understand what was going on, but he tried to fight for all he was worth. His limbs flailed and floundered through the water in a miserable attempt to swim back to the oxygen-rich surface, but something wasn't right. The viscosity of Hydros' water was much greater than Zoro was used to; it felt like he was trying to swim through a substance thicker than pure molasses. His limbs would barely move through the thick liquid, and despite every effort he made to the contrary, his body continued to sink further and further into the bottomless pond.

As he clawed at the water, attacking its gel-like properties with every bit of strength he could muster, his innate need for air grew. As he struggled for his very life, his lungs began to sting. His lips had remained shut during the entire endeavor, and he was in desperate need of exhaling. He knew he couldn't, for there wasn't any breathable oxygen around him, but his body continued to fight against him. Eventually, to his dismay, he couldn't prevail against his own urgent demands, and at last, his jaw unclenched itself on its own accord.

Just as Zoro knew it would, the water mercilessly invaded his being and began to choke him with an unrelenting wrath. The thick substance easily slid down his throat and filled his pharynx before invading his lungs, causing them to burn with a raging agony that he had never suffered through before.

It was one of those truly rare moments where he genuinely feared for his life. Death itself wasn't the issue; his own mortality was inevitable, he had always known that. Zoro simply wasn't ready for it yet. He still had so much to do, so many more goals to accomplish. It couldn't end like this, not when he had just barely begun his journey…

By now, Zoro's vision was beginning to blur. Spots of black blurred his vision as he continued to struggle and resist his very own demise. His mind refused to accept anything less than total salvation, but his body begged to differ. The unyielding burn that spread throughout his chest was relentless in its outcry for relief, and his arms and legs soon became paralyzed with exhaustion. He was sinking now, he could feel himself drifting downwards, unable to anything except let himself descend deeper into an unknown abyss.

Just when his frantic mind had lost all hope and resigned to this desolate fate, Zoro felt a pair of strong hands wrap around his upper arms and begin to drag his limp body up towards the surface. He was on the brink of losing consciousness, but nevertheless, he forced himself to keep his awareness.

He looked up towards his savior, only to be blindsided with the most incredible, wholly magnificent sight he had ever seen.

Damn, Moira wasn't kidding around about mythical creatures.

At first, he appeared to Zoro as a man who somehow possessed the crucial ability to swim through the viscous water that had congealed around his form from the moment he had fallen in. His midnight blue hair remained slicked back against his head as he pulled Zoro through the water with an unwavering speed that Zoro could hardly believe was possible, and his yellow eyes held a look of pure determination, as if he were set on rescuing Zoro for some wholly unfathomable reason.

Even with his consciousness fading, Zoro made it a point to take in every single detail about this man. He didn't know how long he could keep this up for, nor did he know where he would be when (and if) he came to, but somehow, if he could remember the man who saved him from this painful demise, then he'd make it through.

Zoro would have liked to say that the most peculiar feature about this man were the intricate tattoos that cover his torso and forearms. They weaved together in an elaborate fashion, making some sort of elegant design that Zoro's darkening vision couldn't quite make out. As stunning as his body art was, they paled in comparison to the lower half of his body, which made Zoro think that he might be hallucinating. If it all was just some vivid trick his oxygen-deprived mind was playing on him, his imagination had certainly gone all out in terms of creativity.

From the waist down, this man, whoever he was, simply wasn't human. Zoro could hardly believe his eyes as his gaze settled upon the glimmering black scales that covered a tail that must have been longer than the upper half of his body. Flecks of gold reflected brightly off the water, leaving Zoro all but mesmerized. The end of his tail bifurcated into two powerful fins that easily propelled him (and Zoro, by proxy) through the gelatin water.

Just before Zoro lost complete consciousness, reluctantly allowing his mind to slip into the cold, unfeeling darkness, one last, wholly curious, almost random thought, drifted through his mind.

Will I ever see him again?

Everything had been shrouded in darkness. And eerie silence claimed his surroundings, completing the very semblance of nothingness, which Zoro supposed was meant to be his one and only clue in helping him realize that this was the afterlife. It honestly wouldn't have surprised him, given his opinion (or lack thereof) on religion, but one, alarmingly obvious fact kept him from accepting that this, whatever it was, was the end.

He could feel everything.

Soaking wet clothes clung to his clammy skin, making him feel he was freezing on a slab of pure ice, and well on his way towards a very real, hypothermic death. But even that was a lie; he ground beneath him was frigid and hard, certainly giving the unpleasant sensation that accompanies the touch of ice, but he didn't have to see in order to know where he really was. That fact alone meant he was still very much alive.

As if some sort of benevolent being had saw fit to let his theory be proven correct, a small, almost inaudible click echoed throughout the cavern walls and not a second later, a blinding light flooded the surrounding area, perfectly illuminating the scene before him. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the intense brightness that threatened to overwhelm his vision, and even longer for his limbs listen to his desire to move.

With an almost exaggerated amount of effort, Zoro managed to pull himself up into a sitting position. With one glance at the bed of jagged rock that surrounded him, Zoro realized that whoever had saved him, had also been generous enough to place him in the one spot in the entire cave that wasn't covered with deadly-looking stalagmites.

His gaze shifted to the left, towards the source of the light. For the briefest of seconds, he saw the outline of someone else sitting at the edge of the pond he had nearly drowned in. Again, he appeared to be human, his eyes traveled downwards, he caught only a glimpse of that same, radiant, nearly luminescent tail before the light (which he realized later, was his flashlight that the creature had been holding) fell to the floor, causing a loud, obnoxious 'clang' to resound throughout the cavern.

"Oi! Wait up!"

Zoro's body seemed to move on its own accord; with a nimble quickness that was the complete opposite of what his being seemed to be capable of only a moment ago, Zoro rose to a standing position before running to the pond. He didn't know what he could to repay this creature, or merman, as his mind provided, but at the very least, he could thank him.

A conversation seemed to be the absolute last thing the merman wanted, however. Zoro had barely taken one step towards him before jumping back into the pond, leaving not so much as a splash or a ripple in his wake. By the time Zoro got to the lagoon, the merman was long gone, not even the slightest of traces could be seen within the seemingly serene water's crystal clear depths.

As if his mind feared being pulled back into the water's fatal clutches, Zoro subconsciously took a few steps back, wondering what he should do. Ultimately, he knew there wasn't anything he could do; he didn't know the first thing about merpeople, but he was certain that this one in particular, wouldn't be coming back to the surface anytime soon, not while he was still around, at least.

Waiting would be pointless, but Zoro was still adamant about thanking the merman who had saved his life, and luckily, he finally came to a solution. A small smile played upon his lips as he reached into his back pocket, taking out his 'lucky' charm. Obviously its luck had run out for him, but maybe it would be useful to someone else.

It was a simple charm, made of a blue, metal alloy from the planet Lystos, the home planet of his dearest friend. The metal had been molded into a symbol that Zoro didn't recognize, but years ago, when it had first been given to him, his friend had insisted that it was the Lystos character for 'friendship'. He remembered how sappy he thought she was being at the time in his youthful state of mind, but now he realized just how much her companionship had meant to him, especially with the solitary lifestyle he currently had. Zoro looked over the charm one last time; it had served him well over the years, and had given him the motivation to keep fighting for himself and his goals, even in the bleakest of moments.

"It's not much, but hopefully, this will be as useful to you, as it was for me." He doubted his savior would hear him, but for some reason, saying nothing felt inappropriate.

Zoro set the charm on the ledge, before turning away. He had nothing else to say, and furthermore, the longer he stayed, the longer the merman would stay away too. With his mind made up, Zoro made his way back to the cave's entrance, still having every intention of find the wanted man he had originally come to Hydros for.

The compensation for his troubles wouldn't be nearly enough, but it would be far better than nothing.

Ten Years Later. Altraoas Galaxy: Planet S8S2534: Calatros

The cheap whiskey that ran down his throat was surprisingly smooth; he found the tingling sensation that accompanied the liquor's harsh taste to be oddly enjoyable. He had made the change up from his usual drink on a whim, and he could confidently say that it wasn't at all disappointing, definitely not a bad drink, especially for only one-hundred and twenty-seven nebulocs.

The empty glass Zoro had set on the counter had barely been idle for two seconds before it was filled to the brim with the exact same drink. His gaze shifted upwards until he met the eyes of the bartender who had just poured him another drink without needing to be asked first.

"Thanks." Zoro bowed his head slightly, giving the man a brief nod in appreciation.

"How's it taste?" he asked. The cheerful smile he wore never left his face as Zoro downed the glass's contents in one gulp.

"'S good. Really good, actually." Not surprisingly, the generous bartender gave him het another refill. Zoro however, felt like striking up some conversation. It was an unusual behavior for him, but after drifting in the cold blackness of space for the last ten months with Moira as his one and only companion, he couldn't help but feel a bit chatty.

"Where's it come from?"

The bartender's smile faltered ever so slightly; his gaze remained fixed on Zoro, as if he were closely evaluating him for some unknown purpose. The silence that now surrounded the bar soon became too awkward for Zoro, and the fact that it still looked like the bartender aimed to burn holes through his skull from his intense staring didn't help.

"Depends," he said, finally breaking the silence. His gaze shifted from one side of the room to the other, clearly intent on ensuring the privacy of the situation. "Can ya keep a secret?"

Zoro was a bit taken back by the question, although, judging by the bartender's odd behavior, he couldn't say it wasn't all that surprising. He'd always considered himself to be a reliable person; he was undoubtedly the type of friend that anyone could easily confide in without any worry of a breach in confidentiality. Even if he did inexplicably come down with an unheard of case of the 'blabber-mouths', the only one he'd be able to talk to about it was Moira, who he was certain couldn't care less about the secret, possibly illegal activities of a barkeep.

"Yeah?" His bewildered state of made his answer sound more like a question, but the bartender seemed to be more than pleased with his response.

Just like that, bartender's menacing demeanor was gone, and was replaced with the lively attitude that he had been sporting only moments ago. His voice came out as a little more than a whisper, but it was still loud enough for Zoro to hear.

"I made it myself." He smiled indicated that he obviously took a lot of pride in his homemade drink.

"Well I'll be damned," Zoro replied returning the bartender's smile with an impressed smirk of his own. "What's your secret?"

A rich, hearty laugh filled the nearly empty bar; Zoro wasn't sure what he said was all that funny, but he rather enjoyed the resonant sound. It really had been a long time since he'd been around such inviting company.

"It's a family recipe that's been handed down for generations. I reckon I'd be skinned alive if I shared it with anyone who wasn't my kin."

Zoro could tell from the bartender's tone that he was obviously joking, but even so, he wasn't about to press the matter any further. He got in enough trouble on his own; he didn't need anyone else's problems to compound his misadventures.

"Well in any case, it's some of the best alcohol I've had in a long time," Zoro said. He took a sip of the drink the bartender had given him before, this time deciding to nurse his beverage. "I'm surprised this place is as dead as it is."

"Eh." The bartender simply shrugged, running a hand through his electric blue hair. "It's a slow night, and being in the middle of nowhere really doesn't help anything."

"'Suppose not," Zoro agreed, taking another sip of his whiskey.

"So what brings you out this way?" His glanced shifted downwards towards the three katana that were firmly strapped to Zoro's right hip. "I doubt you're some kind of eccentric whiskey connoisseur that travels the galaxy in search of the best and finest alcohol."

"Ha, no." Zoro shook his head in the negative. "It's just where my journey's brought me, I guess." Zoro took another swig from his glass, effectively emptying its contents. Perhaps it was just him, but the liquor seemed to be getting smoother, and dare he say, more savory with each drink.

"Journey, eh?" He tried to refill Zoro's glass for what must have been the third or fourth time now, but Zoro raised his hand slightly, wordlessly declining another round. He knew he could've easily taken several more drinks without feeling any effects, but something in his gut told him he'd had enough for now.

"Got some sort of goal you're after?" he asked, taking the opportunity to further the conversation as he started to polish the counter with an old bar rag that Zoro saw him pull out from under the bar.

"I guess you could say that," Zoro chuckled. "To tell you the truth, it's kinda been put on the back burner. I've been making my living with bounty hunting lately."

Lately. Zoro mentally cringed at the thought. He had meant to use hunting as a temporary gig just to get some extra money. After all, keeping his ship in pristine condition and Moira's navigational system up to date wasn't cheap.

What's it been now, ten years or so? Zoro mused to himself.

"I'd imagine that's not a real stable job."

"Better than you'd think, actually," Zoro replied casually. "The pay is shit, but I'm pretty damn good at what I do."

"Been saving up then?" the bartender asked.

"I wish," Zoro chuckled softly, but the sound was hollow and devoid of merriment. "Everything's expensive as hell."

"You're preaching to the choir, kid." He gave Zoro a sad smile as he finished his clean-up routine. "It's rough out there."

Before Zoro could respond, the bartender padded over to the back wall that Zoro hadn't paid any attention to before, and pulled down one of the numerous holographic 'wanted' posters that covered peeling plaster.

"Say, I dunno if this'll help or not, but this should earn you enough nebulocs so you'll be able to move forward with your travels, instead of bouncing around from place to place in pursuit of the closest bounty."

"Doubt it." His response sounded much more disrespectful than he intended, but he couldn't imagine a bounty for any single individual to be more than twenty thousand nebulocs. That kind of money certainly wasn't anything to sneeze at, but in this society, it took a lot more to make a decent living.

"ICoPR's too cheap for that," Zoro reiterated. "For them to pay out any halfway decent sum, the crook they're after must be worse than the bloodthirsty monsters that come from nightmares."

"According to the description given by the ICoPR, you're actually not that far off the mark. He's wanted for the abduction and murder of at least five-hundred individuals from the planet Hydros." The bartender ran his fingers across the hologram, allowing Zoro to see the severely limited amount of data ICoPR provided.

"Five-hundred?" If Zoro had still been drinking, he was sure he would have accidentally spit out his beverage in pure surprise. "How the hell does anyone get away with that?"

The bartender shrugged. "Beats me. In addition, he's wanted for multiple unrelated homicide and grand larceny cases. At 440,000,000 nebulocs, this guy's got the highest bounty that's ever been set by the Intergalactic Council of Planetary Relations…"

The bartender continued to discuss the various theories and speculations ICoPR had about the perp's whereabouts, and where he was suspected to turn up next, but Zoro wasn't listening. Even he man's worth was a fact that was instantly forgotten. Zoro completely lost the ability to focus on anything else from the moment he laid eyes on the alleged criminal's photograph.

He hadn't seen that face in almost ten years, back in that dark moment where he had been on the verge of death. The memories surrounding that incident had long since faded, but the occurrence itself, along with the being who had saved his life, were forever etched in his mind.

Yellow, almost golden, eyes stared back at him through the picture. His gaze was cryptic; Zoro could tell from one look alone that the man had his share of secrets, and perhaps even a few skeletons buried deep within his closet, but one thing was for certain. He didn't have the look of a mass murderer.

His dark blue hair that was nearly black in appearance and his dark skin only served to confirm what he already knew.

"Something wrong?" the bartender asked, giving him a look of pure concern.

"I think…" Zoro paused, taking a huge gulp of air which did absolutely nothing in terms of calming his nerves.

"I think I know him."

Continued in chapter 2!