After zoro lost to mihawk, he swore not to lose another fight again. this wasn’t a promise, but an oath. he kept this promise true to his heart, as he hasn’t lost another fight since. his desire not to lose only strengthened after he met you.

He was in love. the crew thought him being head over heels for you was obvious, and they were surprised when you didn’t even realize it. you didn’t mind his ways of affection.. or lack of.

You noticed the small things. flowers and jewelry got in your room often. everytime you guys landed on an island, he was basically glued to you. he wanted to protect you. to keep you safe. because that’s how he showed his love.

he wasn’t sure how to love, but he was willing to try.

Once the crew landed in Punk Hazard, Zoro had been preparing to fight Kaido, the dragon king, for months. And when the time finally came, things took a turn.

He used you as leverage. In a way, he was afraid of zoro. He was afraid that if he lost, his social and power status would plummet. so if Zoro didn’t want you to die, he had to turn his back on the battle.

NO…NO!

Since that night, the night Zoro abandoned you, Kaido took you in. Not a peasant that worked in his weapon factories. his personal one. a peasant — meant for nothing more but him and his colleagues' entertainment. a toy as he pawned you off from ship to ship.

One night, on one of his ships, you managed to escape, freeing yourself and running with others who were desperate for freedom. the ship was overrun. coincidentally on the same island the crew had stopped at for a supply run.

Zoro walked aimlessly among the streets, taken aback by the amount of people running to freedom's doorstep. he wanted to tell them off, until he saw you amongst the crowd. he wanted to pull your wrist, scream for you, but all he could do was watch.

"I..am.. so sorry.."

He muttered meekly, his hands clutching into fists at his sides. He had to chase after you. Pull you into his arms and tell you over and over how sorry he was.