Diclaimer: I do not own these characters, Oda does. But you all knew that already didn't you?

Now, without further ado,

One of Our Own

5:50 Zoro had ten minutes left till his shift ended. He had been up for the past six hours keeping watch. Given that wasn't all he did. For most of the night he had been working out, but every hundred push-ups he would stop and take five minutes to fulfill his watchman duty and stare at the empty ocean. But now the sun was beginning to rise and in ten minutes he could call it a night and head down to get some sleep. By then Brooke would be up, he could watch the ship. He was going to be up on deck anyway 'to greet the morning sun'. Fifteen minutes after that, the cook would be up to start making breakfast. And by 6:30 Brooke would wake everyone else up with one of his Morning Songs. Still he had ten more minutes of water watching left.

Zoro sighed and lean against one of the glass windows that surrounded the crow's nest when something caught his eye. He peered down at the bow.

"Usopp?"

The sniper was sitting on the figurehead of the Sunny Go, looking out to sea.

"What the hell is he doing?"

Zoro couldn't think of any reason why the marksman would be up this early, and or why he would be sitting there of all places. He couldn't remember ever seeing the sniper sitting on the figure head- that was Luffy's spot.

… But if Usopp was up then he could quit early and actually get more than a half hour of sleep before Brooke broke out into song. Zoro climbed down the mast and headed for the bow to inform Usopp of his new duty.

"Oi, Usopp!"

The sniper turned around to see his green-haired nakama walking up to him.

"Zoro what are you doing up this early?" Usopp asked him getting down from Luffy's spot.

"I was on watch last night" the swordsman told him. Zoro leaned against the wall behind the figurehead. He looked the sniper in the eye and asked him "Why are you up?"

"I'm -I'm up because" the liar looked around nervously, "...I… wanted to see the sunrise!"

"Sure" Zoro looked him over "And you're still in your pajamas because…?"

Usopp looked down like he forgot that all he was wearing was a pair of bed shorts and the t-shirt with crudely drawn… things on it that Luffy and Chopper had made him. The only reason Zoro recalled this bit of information was because of how happy Chopper got whenever he put it on. And the fact that Luffy wouldn't stop bragging about how 'awesome' it was whenever Usopp wore it -which was only to bed.

"A man can't watch the sunrise in his pajamas?" the liar reasoned "Jeeze Zoro, you need to lighten up!"

Zoro smirked. While it was easy to tell he was lying Zoro had to admit, his lies were getting more convincing. A cold breeze pasted over the ship. Usopp looked up at the sky.

"I hope it doesn't rain today."

"It might rain. It could snow. Hell it could rain snow. This is the Grand Line after all." Zoro stated.

Usopp smiled "Did you know that cows can predict the weather?"

Zoro looked at him "What?"

"I heard that you can tell if the weather's going to be bad if a herd of cows are all grouped together" Usopp said sincerely.

"...What?" Zoro asked again.

"Yeah and you can tell if it's going to rain if all the cows lay down."

Zoro stared at him like he was crazy. Then he looked over at the women's quarters.

"Huh… Does that make Nami part cow?" Zoro said grinning.

Thud

Zoro turned around to see Usopp lying on the deck clutching his chest.

"Usopp?"

The sniper began shaking uncontrollably.

"Usopp!" Zoro cried running to his side. "Oi Usopp! Look at me! What's wron-"

Usopp's hands were covered with blood.

What the Hell? …Had he been shot?

"What happened?"

Usopp let out something between a choke and a cough. He started gasping. The sniper was panicking so badly he could hardly breathe.

"Usopp look at me!"

Fortunately, Usopp managed to focus long enough to pry open his eyes and look at him.

"Usopp you need to calm down okay?" Zoro said looking into Usopp's terrified eyes.

"How?" Usopp wheezed painfully.

"Take a breath and hold it for one second. Then take another and hold it for two seconds. Then just keep holding your breath for two seconds okay?"

Usopp nodded and began holding his breath.

"That's it…Just keep breathing"

To Zoro's relief the sniper was able to get his breathing under control. But when Zoro looked back down blood was practically pouring out from beneath the snipers hands. Shit! He had hadn't realized he was bleeding that badly! Forgetting to warn him, Zoro put his hands over Usopp's and pressed them down harder.

"GAAHHH!" Usopp gasped in pain, "Stop!"

"We need to apply pressure to stop the bleeding!" Zoro said over Usopp's gasps and strangled cries of agony. "Just hang in there! You're going to be alright!"

"God Zoro" Usopp choked as tears of pain and fear began to stream down his face "It hurts!"

"Good, as long as you can feel pain, you're alive! …It's working. See? The bleeding's already beginning to slow down!" Zoro assured him "You're going to be okay."

Usopp shook he head and cried "I don't think-… I'm trying but-…"

Zoro looked him in the eye "You not going to die." He told him in a voice that left no room for argument.

Despite his words Zoro could already feel his knees beginning to get soaked from the pool of blood that had begun to form around them. He had to stop the bleeding now! Usopp had already lost more than enough blood that it would take to kill an average human. It was incredible that he was still alive let alone conscious. Then again Luffy's crew was anything but average.

Nevertheless Zoro needed to get help.

He needed to get Usopp straight to Chopper, but moving him in this condition would make the bleeding worse, and considering the amount of blood he had already lost- he would probably die before he could…. He was going to have to get Chopper and bring him here.

"Hold on Usopp I'll be right back." Zoro assured him, standing up. He was about to run off as fast as he could to get the doctor, when he felt a tug on his leg.

"Please…please don't go." Usopp choked with tears trailing down his face, begging him with frightened eyes.

"I don't want to be alone."

Zoro froze as a shiver ran down his spine. A sinking feeling began to fester deep within him. He knew what the sniper was really trying to tell him. How could he not when the sound of absolute defeat echoed in his voice. He had to get Chopper…but he couldn't leave Usopp alone...not like this.

Not knowing what else to do Zoro took a deep breath and yelled "CHOPPER! CHOPPER GET UP HERE NOW!" as loud as he possibly could.

Thinking that at least somebody must have heard him, he knelt beside his frightened comrade and held his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere" Zoro promised.

Blinking back more tears, the sniper nodded and let out a shaky breath.

"But you got to keep talking alright?"

"…"

"Alright?"

Usopp swallowed, "Okay….what do you want me to say?"

Zoro thought quickly, "Tell me a story."

Usopp huffed "But you hate my stories" he said looking away from the swordsman.

"No I don't"

"Liar"

"Usopp look at me!"

Reluctantly the sniper turned his head to him. Zoro looked him in the eye.

"I don't hate your stories" he told him "I think they're ridiculous, but I don't hate them."

The lair gave him a small smile.

"Ah what a beautiful morning!" Brooke announced as he stepped out onto the lawn deck.

Zoro stood up, making the skeleton notice him, "Oh Zoro-san, I heard you screaming earlier. Is everything al-" That's when he noticed Zoro's shirt was covered with blood. "What hap-"

"Brooke I need you to get Chopper NOW!" Zoro ordered him urgently.

"But what-"

"NOW!"

"Hai!" the skeleton ran inside the men's quarters. Zoro looked to the deck below knowing that any second now he would see Chopper running out onto the lawn. And just as he expected the men's door flew open, but only Brooke came out.

"He's not in the bedroom!" Brooke said panicking.

GODDAMN IT!

"THEN FIND HIM!"

Brooke panicked having no idea where to even begin to look, but found himself running towards the infirmary, franticly shouting Chopper's name at the top of his lungs…-even though physically he didn't have lungs. Skull joke.

Trying to ignore the feeling of dread that was accumulating within him, Zoro turned his attention back to his fallen comrade, who looked back at him pale, in pain, and confused.

"Zoro, I can't- I can't remember any- …I can't think strai-" Suddenly he was forced into a violent coughing fit that immediately had him gasping and struggling for every painful breath. Zoro quickly, but with the greatest of care, slipped his arm behind his back and held his friend up so he could breathe. It was only when Zoro felt a steady stream of blood flowing down his arm that he realized to his horror that whatever he was shot with had gone straight through him! Fuck! He had been bleeding to death this whole time! In desperation, Zoro ripped his black bandana from his arm, and shoved it against the gushing wound to stop the bleeding. Usopp gasped, which only caused him to cough harder, until he became too breathless and too weak to scream. All he could do was trembling in agonizing pain.

After the coughing had subsided, the sniper leaned back into his arms, completely exhausted and weaker than ever. Zoro looked over to the deck. Where the Hell was Chopper?

Looking back down at Usopp he saw- to his horror- that the sniper was beginning to close his eyes. He couldn't keep the panic out of his voice.

"Oi, Oi! " he said lightly shaking his comrade. Usopp weakly opened his eyes, to Zoro's relief.

"You got to stay awake, okay? Keep talking to me. Chopper will be here any second now."

The sniper couldn't hear him. He wasn't even looking at him, now. Instead he stared up at the magnificent morning sky with dulling eyes. Taking deep breaths the sniper softly told him

"…Actually… I think I'm okay…"

The corners of his mouth twitched into a weak smile.

"…Really….It doesn't even hurt anymore…"

The sniper fell silent. He didn't move. He didn't breath.

And all Zoro could do was stare.

What the hell just happened? Zoro thought numbly. They were talking about the weather and then …something happened, and now…

Zoro was brought out of his stunned trance by the sound of footsteps running up behind him.

"He wasn't in the infirmary, dining room, or kitchen- so I called for him over the intercom." Brooke reported "He should be here momentari…ly …" Brooke froze behind the swordsman, as he took in the scene that was set before him. What he saw literally chilled him to the bone, so much that he started shaking.

Is that? … Is he? …How did? … The skeleton couldn't believe his eyes…even though physically...he didn't have any….skull…joke….

Regaining his composer, Zoro closed his eyes and gently laid Usopp back onto the deck. He looked into his nakama's now lifeless eyes one last time, before passing his hand over his face- closing them forever.

Somewhere in the distance he heard a door slam open. And urgent cries of 'I'M HERE! I'M HERE!' filled the air, accompanied by a familiar crew of concerned voices.

Zoro closed his eyes and stood up.

"I need to talk to Luffy" he stated, his voice frightfully calm.

He looked at Brooke and with a solemn voice told him

"The others don't need to see this"

Although he was still trembling with shock, the musician nodded, fully understanding what he was being asked to do. That being said, Zoro, forcing himself to move forward, turned and walked down to the grassy deck. Halfway down the steps the others, who were still in their nightwear and robes, spotted him.

"Ahhh! Zoro, you're bleeding!" the little reindeer ran over to him, bandages in hand.

"I'm fine Chopper" Zoro said in a voice so heavy and dark that it stopped the doctor in his tracks, and caused everyone to look at him in a state of momentary speechlessness.

Until Sanji demanded to know "Well then what the hell was so important that you had to wake us all up?"

He walked over to them, "I need to talk to Luffy" he said in the same heavy voice.

Zoro looked his captain in the eye then gestured for him to follow. Luffy nodded understanding the seriousness of the situation. Without a word, Luffy followed his first mate over to the grass-covered hatch.

"Wait! If it's not your blood then at least tell us whose it is!" Nami ordered.

Zoro opened the hatch and gestured for Luffy to go down the ladder first, he did so.

"Zoro!"

Ignoring them, Zoro climbed down into the hatch and shut the door.

They climbed down to the lowest deck of the ship, where the Soldier Dock System was. From there Luffy silently followed Zoro down the path that only led to Usopp's Factory. Zoro opened the door to Usopp's workshop, and once again let Luffy to go in first. Zoro paused for a moment to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to do. After taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, and closed the door behind him.

Okay, that's the beginning. Let me know if you want me to continue on with the story. If I get the right reviews I will certainly add more chapters.