Chapter Text
The night had passed like any other—Luffy’s visits always followed the same pattern. They’d spend the day together, Zoro would endure Luffy’s reckless enthusiasm, and then the night would be filled with the familiar ritual of biting and bruising, marks that Luffy left on Zoro like a claim. Zoro never questioned it. He didn’t know how to stop it, even if he wanted to.
But tonight was different.
Luffy had left after dinner, wandering off to his room without a word. Zoro didn’t follow him. He had expected Luffy to show up in the middle of the night, as usual, climbing into his space and leaving his familiar marks. But morning came, and Luffy was gone.
Zoro glanced at himself in the mirror, blinking in disbelief. His skin was clear—no bruises, no bites, no signs of Luffy’s claim. For the first time in years, he wasn’t marked.
It felt… strange. Empty.
He didn’t have time to dwell on it before Perona showed up. She floated into the room, eyeing Zoro carefully, her usual mischievous smile replaced by something more curious.
“He’s gone,” Perona said, more of a statement than a question.
Zoro grunted in response, pulling on his shirt. “Yeah, left early.”
She tilted her head, staring at him a little too long for his comfort. “No marks this time. That’s new.”
Zoro stiffened but didn’t respond.
Perona crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. “Something’s changed, hasn’t it?”
Zoro sighed, not in the mood for her prodding. “It’s nothing.”
“Oh, it’s definitely something,” she pressed, floating closer, her voice turning sharper. “What happened last night? You two have a routine, and this morning, you’re acting like it didn’t happen. What’s going on?”
Zoro clenched his jaw, his frustration bubbling up. “Nothing happened, okay? Luffy didn’t—” He paused, swallowing the words. “He didn’t stay last night.”
Perona raised an eyebrow, her voice softer now. “And you’re okay with that?”
Zoro glanced away, unable to meet her gaze. “I don’t know what I am.”
She let out a low hum, watching him closely. “You’ve gotten used to it, haven’t you? The marks, the way he claims you without even realizing it. But now that it didn’t happen, you’re wondering what it means.”
Zoro stayed silent, his fists tightening at his sides. He hated how well Perona could read him sometimes.
Perona floated closer, her tone gentle but firm. “Zoro, you know what this is really about. Luffy’s finally starting to understand. Maybe that’s why he didn’t do it this time.”
Zoro’s throat tightened, the truth hitting him harder than he expected. He had been dreading this—dreading the moment Luffy would realize what he was doing, what it all meant. And now that it had happened, now that Luffy had held back, Zoro didn’t know how to feel.
Perona sighed, her gaze softening. “You need to talk to him. Really talk to him. Otherwise, this is going to eat you alive.”
Zoro scoffed, shaking his head. “Talking isn’t going to fix anything.”
“No, but ignoring it won’t either,” she shot back, her voice surprisingly kind. “You can’t just keep pretending like this doesn’t matter to you.”
Zoro clenched his fists, the weight of her words settling heavily on his shoulders. “I’m not pretending.”
Perona floated in front of him, her eyes locking onto his. “Yes, you are. And if you don’t do something about it, you’re going to lose him in a way you won’t recover from.”
Zoro stayed silent, his mind swirling with the weight of everything he had tried to bury. He had spent years letting Luffy mark him, claim him without a second thought. But now that it had stopped—now that Luffy was starting to understand—Zoro didn’t know how to deal with the void it left behind.
“Figure it out, Zoro,” Perona said softly. “Before it’s too late.”
She floated away, leaving Zoro alone with his thoughts. He stood there for a long time, staring out the window at the empty horizon where Luffy had disappeared.
The absence of Luffy’s marks felt more painful than he could have ever imagined.