Pipo's mom, Ama, peered through the cave, glancing at the dark clouds which came with a startling crack as lightning struck.
Trees obeyed the motion of the wind but still reluctant to fully bend to its will.
Amateur flower petals decorated the forest.
Some were white and some red from the bloody massacre.
A sharp sound broke through nature's song.
The sound brought with it vengeance, anger, and a silent cry.
A white butterfly set on the edge of the bloody spear which pierced Raiza.
Sparks flared as the clashes got louder and faster.
Warriors tried to snipe Zoro but to no avail.
He seemed to be fighting in a dance.
His sword holding the weight of a king, and the other, that of a puppet.
As the man striked he saw that Zoro left no openings as if the sword were both a weapon and a shield.
Each strike pushed him back .
His subordinate tried to snipe Zoro.
He grabbed the arrows storming them back,
killing the intruders without blinking.
He slashed the man's face.
Their swords clashed once.
Twice.And on the third
they pushed each other into the dirt.
The man tore off his armor.
Sparks lit.
Flames clothed his fists as he resorted to flame magic coating.
He opened his mouth.
Zoro speed blitzed
an uppercut before the man even spoke.
Trees shattered as the body flew.
Zoro chased him like a rolling ball of death.
The man stopped himself — barely.
Swung a punch, .Zoro dodged.
But the punch still tore air —with a punch to the guts he
lifted him off the ground with sheer force.
Zoro caught his falling arm —
and slammed him.
Once. For the forest
Twice.For his people
Twelve times. For his son
Then hurled him into the air like garbage.
Zoro's face stayed calm.But in his eyes —
a flame.
Lit by hell itself.
The body rose. As Zoro walked away.
Lightning cracked again —before the rain finally broke through.
A single raindrop kissed the man's forehead.
As it splashed—
Zoro teleported.
Foot colliding with his gut.
The man struggled to breathe as he dropped.
And Zoro dropped with him —
a punch like a falling god.
The ground shook.
Blood splashed Zoro's face.
He didn't flinch.
Stop!" A voice cracked through the chaos.
Zoro froze. The force of his halted punch scattered the once-still flowers into the wind.
The man laughed — a jagged, psychotic cackle.
He held a dagger to Zoro's wife, his other hand gripping their unconscious son.
"Stop… h-huh… One more punch on Commander Jack and I'll—"
Zoro plucked a petal from the air.
"I'll kill yo—!"
The petal sliced through the air — and then, through the man's throat.
A gurgled scream tore from him, indecipherable.
Zoro's wife collapsed, but he caught her before she could hit the ground.
Jack's laugh returned — hoarse, but mocking.
"You know, Zoro… this is why heroes never win."
Zoro turned toward him. Jack's face was mangled, long hair wild like a mad witch's, and a crooked smile of pure insanity twisted his lips.
He pressed a dagger to Pipo, the boy now barely conscious.
"Pi..pi..Pipo!"
"I live this island In your hands"
"I'm sorry father"
Zoro's memories flooded as he gazed at his bloody son.
"An eye for an eye, Zooorooo!", he pressed the sword to his neck.
Thunder cracked.
Zoro's scream was swallowed by the sky.
Pipo, light-headed, stared through the haze of rain. His ears were ringing, an uncomfortable sound like fingers scratching steel .
Then through the blary vision he saw his papa. He seemed to be saying something. His tongue...
"R.u.n"
He woke up to reality
He bit of Jack's thumb . He howled as blood oozed. Pipo spat of the thumb and skipped towards his papa.
"Papa…" he whispered, hopping weakly toward him on one leg. He wanted to apologize for failing to keep a promise, he knew that promises should never be broken, but he failed.
Zoro reached out as if he didn't care about that , but was glad to see his son alive.
Then — thud.
Black-armored warriors descended. Spears struck.
Zoro's hand was pinned to the ground, along with his legs.
He screamed, powerless.
Jack cackled. The rain stopped.
"This fight was never yours to win, Zoro." He laughed while holding his thumb less hand.
More warriors flooded the island.
Ships covered the sky. The sun tried to pierce through the clouds — but failed.
Jack grabbed Zoro's wife by the hair. He licked her neck. Zoro's claws dag through the dirt.
"What a rose you've kept, Your Majesty… Care to share?"
"You coward! I'll kill you—let her go! Let them all go!"
Jack sneered.
"Those rods? Unbreakable. You're lucky they want you alive. Take him away."
But as they approached—The rods cracked.
Zoro's rage exploded.
As if the heavens heard, lightning struck down from the sky, vaporizing half the warriors. Not even ash remained.
Zoro cried, barely a whisper, "Lord… why have You forsaken me?"
His pierced hand trembled as he reached out.
His vision dimmed.
His hand dropped.
His wife shook crying out as she was dragged by her hair. She lamented for her husband, entranced, as they dragged her into the ship.
The doors sealed shut.
She caught one last glimpse of her husband.
"Aka",she whispered.
"Near, far , wherever you are, i will always love you. I'll wait even if it takes a thousand years"
"Aka marina"
I find you and I will show you paradise.
Zoro remembered the vow they made on their wedding.
From a distant throne, a being issued a command:
Order Code: RTP-4689
Objective: Eradicate the Garden of Valhalla.
Jack's laugh echoed as the beam fired.
The island was erased.
Zoro was forced to watch.
Seale and silent,unable to scream.
Eyes wide, the spark in them dimmed — swallowed by shadow.
"I'm sorry ", he managed to whisper.
The forest, once evergreen, was now lifeless.
But amid the void… a figure walked barefoot.
Golden garments wrapped her like sunlight, and with each step, light returned to the ground beneath her.
Memories flickered — then faded like dust.
She reached the ruined crown, now buried in blackened soil.
The wind carried the scent of blood, the whispers of lost souls.
Souls now tainted by hatred.
"Was it fate that kept us apart in this timeline?"
She wept. A single tear fell.
And from the soil, a flower bloomed.
"Oh… how I wish I could see the eyes of a man…"