Instincts [Roronoa Zoro x Reader]

Chapter 14

"We could split up," Nami suggested. "Check nearby the shops for where the materials for these things came from, and maybe at the port. Look for...." She hesitated, thinking. "Maybe look for someone with scars on her face. She mentioned that before."

"I know where most of the materials came from," Usopp said, taking a look at the disassembled flashbang. He pointed at a group of the items. "They look like the ones I saw when looking around earlier."

"Me too," Franky added. "I know where the rest is."

Sanji and Brook followed Usopp, and Robin and Nami followed Franky. Zoro looked at Chopper and Luffy.

"Let's go take another look at the footprints," Luffy said. He put his hand on his hat as he stretched his arm to swing himself to the ground.

"If they're still there," Zoro murmured. He took a moment and glanced at the mask on the table, then took it, tying it next to his scabbards. He jumped down, following the captain and reindeer. "Do you know who took her?"

"Maybe." Luffy shrugged. "She told me about them before but I wasn't paying attention. But I'm sure it's the same people."

"Gut feeling?" Zoro asked.

"Hm. Stomach feeling."

Zoro sighed, eye dropping down to take a look at the footprints, which thankfully were still there and weren't washed away. There were three pairs. One heavier than the others, possibly carrying you, another similar to his footprints, and another had only his left foot and his other a peg leg.

"Think you could track them by scent?" Zoro asked Chopper.

"I would if I could." He changed to his quadrupedal form. "But the air is too salty here near the sea, and it's all sweat and stuff." His nose wrinkled in disgust.

"I'll take a look inside the ships," Luffy said, running to them.

"Hey, wait, you can't just barge in!" Chopper exclaimed, running after him. "They could all be pirate ships!"

Zoro huffed, ready to take off after them. However, his eye caught someone walking past him, with a very small limp. Despite his appearance, Zoro sensed strong Haki in him. And he had a peg leg.

"Oi." Zoro put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Have you seen a woman with a scarred face?"

"Ah?" The man slapped his hand off. He had a strange accent. "This place is filled with pirates. 'Course there'd be people with scars. There'd be women too.... What, ya got some kinda fetish, Cyclops?"

Zoro ignored his comment and nickname. "Where are you heading?"

"None of ya business!"

He noticed a crossbow and familiar bolts on his back, then smirked. He slowly moved his hands to his swords, then to your mask. "Recognize this?"

The man's eyes widened for a moment and he paused, then shook his head. "Nope!"

He was a terrible liar.

Zoro drew his swords quickly, and in a split second had the man on the ground, all three blades on his neck. "You better start talking."

"Fine, fine!" He glanced around before focusing his eyes on his single one. "You see... uh... she's over there." He pointed in the direction behind him.

"Yeah?" Zoro didn't take his eye off him. "Take me there." He slowly got off him, his swords still aimed to attack him.

The man raised his hands in surrender, his eyes glancing back at him as he walked slowly.

"So, uh, Cyclops," the man started.

"It's not Cyclops, it's Roronoa Zoro."

"Ah." He laughed nervously. "I knew I saw your face somewhere. Why are you after her?"

"She's a Straw Hat." He gave a dark grin at the man. "And you don't mess with our nakama."

The man gulped, not saying anything further. A moment later he stopped. "Over there."

When Zoro looked over, the man suddenly grabbed his crossbow from his holster and shot at him. It was already loaded?

He blocked the bolt with his two swords, and surprisingly, it was difficult, even with Haki coating the blades. It almost knocked him off balance, but the force wasn't enough.

The pegged-legged man had run to a small ship a few docks over, and he quickly chased after him.

"Pop! Sizzle!" the man yelled.

What, was he calling some sort of code?

Zoro caught up to him easily, swords ready to slash. However, his eye widened when another person showed up, blocking his path and attacking with a sword of his own.

His aura was strong as well, and some sort of liquid dripped from his fingertips, and seeing the drops burn and sizzle on the ground, he knew better than to make contact with him.

You must be inside that ship. Ignoring the two pirates, he charged past them, only throwing a few slashes of his swords at both of them.

He suddenly felt a burning sensation on both his arms. Looking down, he saw that while his swords were protected from the acid with his Haki, he couldn't protect all of his hands and wrists, and the acid had flowed down. He gritted the sword in his mouth harder, then dodged an arrow from the pegged man thanks to his Observation Haki.

He turned to face them again. He'll take care of them first, and then find you.