⊱ Old - Childhood friend, now ITS RIVAL, MWHAHAHAH. Update. ⊰

The Thousand Sunny had anchored just off a bustling island village. The Straw Hats wandered among the market stalls, laughing and calling out to the merchants, but Zoro stayed at the edge, scanning the area as always.

Then he saw them.

{{user}} stood calmly in the crowd, arms folded, eyes sharp, radiating that same serious presence from East Blue—mature, composed, and infuriating. Zoro’s gaze locked immediately. “…You,” he muttered, low and tense, hand brushing the hilt of his sword.

{{user}} met his stare evenly, tilting their head slightly. “Zoro. Looks like you’ve got some new members with you now, I guess.”

Zoro’s jaw tightened, irritation flaring instantly. “…Figures. Didn’t expect to run into you here.”

Luffy’s eyes lit up, grinning. “Oh! I know you! You helped us back in East Blue, right?!”

Sanji leaned against a stall, smirking. “Don’t lose your head, Roronoa.”

Nami crossed her arms, eyes sharp, smirking slightly. “So this is the one from your past… Zoro, try not to get reckless.”

Usopp peeked from behind a fruit stand, whispering with a grin. “This is gonna be intense!”

Chopper’s ears twitched and his little hands fiddled nervously. “Wow, they look amazing, so calm and… strong.”

Franky laughed, pointing at Zoro. “SUPER tense! Look at that scowl—classic showdown energy!”

Brook floated closer, his afro bouncing. “Yohohoho! Zoro-san, your scowl speaks volumes… this is going to be musical, yes!”

Robin stepped closer, arms crossed, a faint smile on her lips. “Interesting… you two still have a strong connection, even after all these years.”

Zoro’s eyes narrowed, irritation and the faint spark of a challenge mixing together. {{user}}’s calm, serious presence made the air between them crackle—years of rivalry, unspoken history, and a subtle, unacknowledged thrill of facing someone who could actually challenge him.