ONE PIECE: Phantom's Wake

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019:
PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS

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The afternoon sun bathed the Thousand Sunny in warm golden light, the ship swaying gently over the endless stretch of blue. The salty breeze played with the sails, carrying the sounds of the crew’s usual antics—Luffy laughing loudly from the mast, Usopp and Chopper bickering over another wild invention, and the faint clatter of Sanji moving around in the kitchen. It was the kind of peace that didn’t come often.

Ash stood at the upper deck, her arms draped lazily over the railing, her gaze fixed on the horizon. She had been standing there for a while now, silent, unmoving. If anyone noticed, they didn’t say anything.

“You always stand like that?”

The voice came from her right. Deep, steady, and unmistakable.

She blinked and turned slightly.

Zoro stood next to her, arms crossed, a lazy expression on his face but his eyes, as always, were sharp.

Ash smirked slightly. “Like what?”

“Like you’re waiting for something that ain’t coming.”

She scoffed, looking back at the ocean. “That supposed to be deep?”

Zoro smirked. “Nah. Just an observation.”

A silence settled between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t exactly light, either. The kind of silence where both people knew there was something to be said but weren’t sure how to start.

“Project Revenant.”

Ash’s fingers tensed slightly against the wood. It was brief—so brief most wouldn’t have noticed—but Zoro did.

She turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze. “What about it?”

Zoro tilted his head. “Quite a cool name for a villain organization."

Ash exhaled slowly through her nose. “Didn’t take you for the curious type.”

Zoro shrugged. “I’m not. Figured I’d ask.”

Ash smirked, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “And?”

Zoro studied her, the breeze tugging at his green haramaki. “What’s there to know?”

Ash let out a dry chuckle. “Truth’s a broad thing, swordsman.”

“Tch.” Zoro scoffed. “Then narrow it down.”

Ash drummed her fingers against the railing, thinking. Then, she turned her head slightly, eyes searching his face. “What part of the truth are you looking for? The name? The people behind it? The things they made me do?” Her voice was even, but there was an edge to it. “Or are you asking about me?”

Zoro met her gaze head-on. “Yeah.”

For the first time, something flickered in her eyes—something guarded, unreadable.

She turned fully toward him, arms still crossed. “And why do you need to know that?”

Zoro didn’t answer right away. Instead, he leaned back slightly, staring at the sky as if the answer was written there.

“Because you’re here.”

Ash frowned slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Zoro exhaled, scratching the back of his neck. “You’re here. On this ship. In this crew. And you keep acting like you’re still somewhere else.” His gaze locked onto hers again—steady, unwavering. “So yeah. I wanna know.”