Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Zoro knows that traveling with an omega is bad luck, especially on the seas. Zoro also decides to screw that because if Luffy has enough good karma going around to set him free, outrun the marines, and set sail on his tiny ass boat, he can afford to be the first mate and the greatest swordsman at the same time. 

He’s been tied on that cross for a few days now, and he can no longer feel the harsh scrape of the splintering wood on his back. The haze from the heat keeps him too warm and too out of it to notice how numb his entire body has gotten. It isn’t until the little girl from before jumps the wall to give him some food does he come back into his head. He’s a little too irritated to deal with her at the moment, the itching at the back of his head telling him to act like a douche comes rearing its annoying head, and he has to focus on how suspicious the food looks clutched in her hands to focus on what she’s saying. “You need to get outta here,” He hears himself slur out. 

Then the onion head comes waltzing back because of course, he shows up; he reeks of something foul, fake, and cleansing. The anger Zoro feels when he sees his lunch get stomped to the ground, has him flexing his arms enough to creak the wood and rope. Helpepto or whatever the fuck his name, took a step back.

“Wh-what are you trying to do huh? Escape? Trying to posture up?” He kicks more dirt into the food and tries to spit at Zoro’s feet. His saliva sticks to his mouth, refusing to go, after a few embarrassing fumbles with his mouth, the onion head proceeds to wipe off whatever spittle was left. 

“Toss the girl over the fence, or I’ll have her killed!” He yells, cheeks red. Zoro is up in an instant, eyes crazed at the thought of that onion head, heaving authority. Helmeppo only smirks, “Down boy, or I’ll tell my father to have her executed.” 

Zoro seethes, and through gritted teeth, he forces himself to relax his shoulders. He tries not to break free when he sees Rika go flying over the high wall with a scream. He just needs a few more days and he’s getting out of this stink of a town. His nose itches with the lingering smell of whatever antiseptic those marines are known for. “Damn you,” He says, voice as grave as the dead. 

Helmeppo doesn’t seem the least bit fazed, he laughs merrily, “I’m surprised you’re still alive! You sure are stubborn I’ll give you that, then again, what alphas aren’t.” 

“I will live the full month.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” The beta smirks. He shouldn’t be able to tell, especially from the mandatory scent blockers the navy enforce over their lower ranks. But it’s in the way that onion head stands and holds himself that Zoro can see. His moves seem unnatural like he’s dancing instead of being the alpha he’s displaying himself to be. 

“In ten days, you better watch your words!” Zoro yells at his retreating form. 

Helmeppo answers back, but it isn’t loud enough for the swordsman to hear, “Assuming he lives that long.” Followed by raucous laughter. 

Unbeknownst to the retreating group, a slender omega peaks over to watch him, Rika’s body held under one arm, while Coby’s shaking hands clutched the other. 

“P-Please Luffy don’t do this!” Coby begs, “This guy is dangerous, don’t you get it; pirate hunter, and you’re a pirate!” 

Luffy nods, and sets Rika down, she looks worried, looking back and forth between Luffy and Zoro. He tries to console the kid, almost to tears now, “Na na Coby, doesn’t he sound cool?” The kid vigorously shakes his head, “Absolutely not! And he’s an Alpha! What good will that do you? He won’t ever sail with you, you know that! You know how they are!” His eyes clutch shut at the thought, of Luffy being vulnerable like that. Just like he was under Alvita. When he opens them again, the guy is already jumping over the concrete barrier. “Eh? Luffy no!” 

Coby blanks for a moment then race to climb to the top, “Oi Luffy! Get away from him! He might bite or something!” 

Luffy giggles, “Calm down Coby, ya’ big crybaby!” He treks across the sand and stone until he’s in front of the barely conscious guy. His chest is heaving up and down, but he’s pitching forwards like it hurts to just breathe. From the distance he’s at, he can tell even if the Alpha got loose, he’d collapse maybe a few steps downhill. It would sure be a funny sight to see. 

It isn’t until a strong wind blows through the courtyard that he looks up. Luffy’s warm scent of fresh baked goods and the salt of the sea washing over him. He watches as the alpha’s nose twitches. 

“I hear you’re a bad guy... “ Luffy trails off, observing whatever small jitters the alpha makes. 

“You’re still here? Get lost!” He yells. Another strong wind blows through, this time coming from the opposite side. Not that he needed the help, Luffy could smell him from behind the wall. Vanilla and cinnamon, and something dark and bitter, surprisingly sweet for an alpha. 

Luffy hummed something noncommittal before cocking his hip to the side, “Are you really as strong as people say you are? I mean, you’re stuck here for anyone to gawk at…” 

Zoro looks two seconds away from slicing his head clean off, Luffy snorts, if he could reach him. He stopped at the thought, and wondered, before wandering closer with a small hum.

“Mind your damn business!” 

He stares for a few more moments, wondering if the alpha was worth the trouble of bantering with. He is hungry after all and Coby still needs to register himself. Another few moments and he’s absolute, no he wants this alpha to be on his crew. If it weren’t him, then who, he suffices. Besides he did come with the intent of hiring a swordsman. 

“Well if it were me, I’d probably starve to death in three days!” He giggles, watching Zoro roll his eyes. “Guess that just means I have a greater willpower than you.” He grins, confident, and dangerous like he isn’t half-dead already. 

“I will get through this, I swear on it.” 

And Luffy believes him, it’s something in his scent, he knows when people lie. They turn sour and tart, it makes his stomach turn. He takes a long whiff of Zoro’s honey dark, sweet smell and nods his head. 

“You’re a strange guy aren’t you?” He sighs out, he turns away and takes half a step. 

“Wait!” The alpha yells behind him, Luffy grins wide, “Yes?” He teases, turning back around. 

“Gimme that,” He looks pointedly at the rice ball- well it’s more of a muddy paste now.

He pauses and blinks a few times to make sure he heard him right. When the alpha doesn’t correct himself Luffy expresses his concern. “Are your eyes okay?” After all, he can’t have a swordsman with his vision impaired. Maybe he needs glasses, the thought makes him giggle softly.

“Just give it to me!” 

“It’s covered in dirt,” Luffy tries to reason with him. “I like food as much as the next guy, but look I can see an ant on it.”

Zoro has two big veins on his forehead now, and if he were a dog he’s sure he would be foaming. Well whatever, Luffy thinks, most alphas looked that like that anyway. He picks up the rice, and a cascade of dust falls off as he tosses it. 

He catches it in his mouth, like a dog, and coughs a few times; another plume of dirt comes out. “T-tell that girl, thank you, it was delicious.” He smirks,  then brings his face back to his chest, hiding whatever grimace he has. 

Luffy stands for a few more moments, the field is nothing but quiet and the wind. He focuses on the alpha, it’s obvious he doesn’t want to talk anymore. Though he can’t help but find him interesting, Sweat falls on the side of his face from his black hair, “Well alright then. I’m off Mr. Swordsman. I hope we never run into each other on the battlefield. Then I’d have to beat you up, and I wouldn’t want that now.” He turns around once more, not bothering to see if the alpha is watching him. He jumps the wall again and tries to control the urge to punch Coby again when he starts crying.

—

Zoro only gets a few hours of silent reprieve from anyone bothering before that omega comes back. He’s frantic and his words spill over each other when he tries to explain Zoro’s predicament. 

Surprise riddles through him before his anger takes the cake. Of course, that weasel would … weasel his way out of their deal. He swears when he’s out of his bind he’ll cut him up so fine they wouldn’t be able to identify him. Now if only the omega wasn’t taking so long. 

“Hurry it up!” He growls Luffy side-eyes him with too much attitude a single eyebrow raise should hold. Zoro promptly shuts his mouth and looks at the other cowering kid. “You, get my other hand.” He orders and with hesitant hands he obliges. 

Luffy gives up his tugging just a few moments later and before Zoro can give him a very stern talking (not yelling) to, he’s catapulted himself to the roof of the marine base next to them. Zoro blinks at the empty spot Luffy used to be at, and shakes his head, blaming his dehydration. No of course not, the omega probably just ran too fast for him to notice. 

Colby makes a noise of triumph and Zoro looks back at him. He’s sitting on the sand, a long piece of rope untangled sat on his open palm. 

Zoro’s vein pops again, “Why the hell are you going for my ankles first moron!” 

—

And of course, Zoro’s last moments have him tied to a log with a bawling teenager ruining his only shirt. He lets out an annoyed sigh and wonders where the hell that omega ran off to. How dare he leave him with his kid or whatever. He wasn’t a babysitter. And of course, his last thoughts are something bitter and judgmental. 

When he hears the men load up their rifles he shuts his eyes and hopes the kid goes out fast before anything else can traumatize him. 

Instead of gunshots. Zoro hears something rubbery squeak and pull. And instead of pain, he feels a rush of air in front of him. 

Coby cries out and drops to his knees in relief, “Luffy!” 

In what should be something stomach-churning, his skin seems to distend in the way of the bullets, before Luffy’s body uncurls, and they are catapulted back to the shell-shocked marines. Luffy took out half the guard before he’s racing to where Coby and Zoro are waiting for him. He’s still staring at the omega, wondering what the hell he just saw because he’s not so sure he can blame it on his dietary restrictions anymore. 

But he doesn’t ask him about it again until the three of them are out of harm’s way. Like an idiot, the omega tries to untie his wrist with his dainty fingers. 

“Are you even aware you’re holding swords?” Zoro asks, scowling when the other just looks confused. 

“Oh right!” He shows him what he had gotten, “I don’t know which one is yours, so I just got all of them!” 

“They’re all mine! Now hurry up and cut me outta this!” 

Luffy smiles wider, a sparkle in his eyes, “You use all three? Oh wow! I chose a good swordsman.” He unsheathed one of his normal katanas, and with large swings that make his legs shake, one of his arms is freed. 

Another yell from the navy gets him rearing to get into a fight. Getting himself free and blocking himself and Luffy from any fatal blows the navy throws at them. By the time he’s cutting Axe hand whatever the fuck, his vision is blurry and Luffy’s round, tan face is the only thing he sees. It wobbly like he's staring at him through water, it almost sounds like it too. With the way the omega’s voice is distorted and low. 

“Wh… at?” Zoro asks gravel in his throat. He tries to cough. He finds his head hurts too much to even blink. 

“Uh oh,” Luffy sighs out. He gets closer and Zoro can finally see the scar that runs under his eye, “You don’t look so peachy, Mr. Swordsman.” 

Zoro tries to open his mouth to answer but all he can is shake his head. And even that proves to be too much because vertigo kicks in and he doesn’t know whether he’s falling, floating, or drowning. He just knows it smells comforting and warm. 

Zoro wakes up in what seems to be a medical hut, all the windows are open and he’s the only patient in the room. It’s still light out, the sun still high in the sky, he couldn’t have been sleeping for that long. 

When he looks down, his chest and both his arms are bandaged, and there's a melting ice pack on the top of his head. 

By the time Luffy comes bounding into the room, he’s trying to fit his feet into the comically small floor slippers that are on the side of the bed. 

“Zoro! You’re awake now!” He giggled and tries to launch himself at the man, to do what he didn't know. A crisp and polished hand grabs the back of his red shirt and holds him in the air. 

The doctor is tall and she scents like an alpha even looks like it too. Stern and meticulous. 

“I told you to stop bothering my patient, ‘oma. Now, what are you doing?” She shakes him a bit, like a misbehaved puppy. 

Luffy bristles a bit at being called that name, he whines, “I want to go with Zoro now! He’s better, right old lady?” 

She tsks and sets him down, keeping him stuck to the floor with a hand on his shoulder. She turns her cat eyes to him and sneers, “If you don’t get back in that bed I’m telling Rika to toss your food for the fishes.” 

Zoro sits back down, but only because his legs were about to give out, not because his stomach was practically eating his liver. 

She guides Luffy to sit onto the chair next to this bed, the boy opens his mouth wide and would have probably started yapping a mile a minute if the doctor didn’t get his chart out. 

“My name is Dr. Martook, the general physician here, and I’ve been in charge of you for 27 hours now.” She sits in one of her rolly chairs and scoots till she’s closer to him. 

“Let’s see here,” She sets her glasses from atop her head to on the bridge of her nose, “You have two broken ribs, a sprained wrist, bruising in multiple areas, and you’re running a mild fever. The doctor looks at him, very unimpressed, “Good job.” 

“I’ve been sleeping for 27 hours?” Because that’s all his fuzzy brain can process. 

“Not surprising,” She shrugs, and flips to another page on her chart, “The pain medication I gave you was pretty strong. I only have the potent ones for bad heats or ruts.” 

Ah, that’s why his brain felt like a cotton ball.

Luffy giggles from where he’s playing with the blanket, “You drool in your sleep.” 

“We gave you a banana bag earlier for the missing vitamins and fluids you’ve been depriving yourself of. And we’ve wrapped both your ribs and wrist.” She gestures to the thick gauze on his body. “The bruising I couldn’t do much with, but I did put some cream on the rope burns. Your fever started last night, and it is probably due to the medication. Once you’re out of here and have some food in you, I’ll switch you with something more suitable.” 

All her talk sounds important but halfway through, she slowly morphs into a rotisserie chicken and it’s then that he notices the concave feeling in his abdomen. He drools at the sight of chicken. 

Luffy giggles once more, leaning his hatless head onto his shoulder, “Did you fall asleep again Zoro?” 

The doctor sighs tiredly but doesn’t take her eyes off the paper she’s signing off, “Your new medication will take a minute, our supply is on the other side of the island. But for now, you can at least walk a building down, that oma over there has been eating the restaurant dry.” 

Luffy pouts at the name again and does a little jump out of his chair, “C’mon, I’m hungry again, let’s go eat!” 

It’s too hot and his entire body has an ache deep to his bones, but even Luffy has been morphed into a steamy meat bun and he knows he has no choice now. With some help, Luffy helps him up and watches as he ties his swords to his belt. His shoes are by the door and he gets into them as quick as he can. With minimal fumbles, he makes it out the door and into the warm sunlight. Luffy’s laugh follows him to the restaurant. 

Coby is waiting for them, sitting on a stool at the bar and drinking juice. 

Zoro doesn’t care but he still greets the kid with a nod of his head. His throat hurts too much to talk. He needs water, or maybe booze. 

When he sits at a table near the bar counter, a lovely beta woman sets a plate of warm food down in front of him. She smiles at him and if he wasn’t so drugged out she would probably look familiar. 

“I’m glad to see that you’re okay! I thought you’d be out for a little longer, we did hit you in the head a lot.” Coby says through a grin. 

The alpha raises an eyebrow and continues to munch. 

“Well, ya know? When you passed out, we couldn’t get you down to the doctor without your head dragging in the sand a bit.” He scratches at the back of his pink head. 

Zoro’s eyebrow goes low and he turns his head to stare at Luffy who is too busy stuffing his cheeks with meat to pay attention. 

When he has food in his stomach he feels much better, enough to laugh boisterously at the way Luffy stretches his cheeks and declares proudly that he would be the pirate king. 

“Wasn’t the pirate king an alpha though?” Zoro says, more than questions. 

Luffy shrugs a slender shoulder, “Well I don’t see a rule book around. Even if there was, it’s just paper, I could just have Ace burn it.” 

Now that he has a clear look at the omega he understands why they keep getting weird looks. His shirt is thin, and cut at the shoulders. It's unbuttoned to the center of his chest, His shorts aren’t any better, the strings are tied at his waist, and the bottoms are rolled to his upper thighs. To some he’s scandalous, showing off that much skin and blatantly not wearing a scent patch. He’s loud and young and a perfect candidate to start courting. 

But Luffy can hold his own, maybe even hold a lot more than his own. He has the look in his eye that Zoro has seen in the few people he’s met during his travels; he holds himself high and holds his friends higher.

“Besides I can stretch, I’m sure I’ll be fine,” To prove his point he pulls his mouth down and sticks his tongue out. Coby laughs and Zoro just rolls his eyes. He finds his company to not be as irritating as other people. 

Zoro wants to order another plate to add to his mountainous collection already, but the doors to the building are kicked open and a platoon of marine soldiers come marching in. The captain comes in last and stops at the front. 

It’s jarring, but the marines salute them and thank them for their help. Then they’re given 5 minutes to get off the island before they’ll be forced out via gunfire. And of course, the omega just had to put up one last fight, and it had to be with the kid. 

Coby grins when he punches Luffy, and the omega grins back viciously. He socks Coby a few good times before the captain puts a stop to it. 

Zoro sighs out tiredly and runs toward were a perfectly new little boat is waiting for them in the water. Luffy laughs all the way there, holding his hat to his head and waving to the people behind them. 

Dr. Martook is standing by the side, looking a little shocked at their departure. Luffy waves at her too, “Bye, bye old alpha lady!” 

She shakes her head, looking exasperated from where Zoro is. She shakes something in her hand, before throwing it in the air towards them. Luffy stretches his arm up to grab it and bring it down. 

Still, Luffy somehow gets the boat first, because Zoro took a left instead of heading straight. He’s only corrected when the omega stretches another arm to grab him before he can get too far. 

He’s dumped onto the back of the boat, while Luffy unfurls the sail. It isn’t until their boat is a good few meters away from the shore that his mind finally catches up to him and he wonders when he ever agreed to come aboard. He doesn’t dwell on it long, and with a shrug of his shoulders, he lays down for a nap. All the food he’s had makes him sleepy. 

“We can’t go to the grand line, we barely have enough food to last us a week,” Zoro grumbles, he’s laying down on the stern, where the shadow of the mast covers his face from the sun, with his hands behind his head. He was trying to take a nap, but Luffy kept bugging him. Whining out his name and fidgeting with the green bandana on his shoulder. 

“Neh, by the way, do you know the way to the Grand Line?” Luffy pouts, laying on his stomach, looking bored. 

Zoro cracks an eye open, “You don’t know where to go” He snorts and tries to relax more, but Luffy’s hand on his upper arm is distracting. “And you say you want to go now? We’re better off sailing to another island first, restocking, and maybe finding someone who can point the way.” 

Luffy’s hat bounces up and then back down when his head perks. The smile on his face is radiant, “Like a navigator? Oh, I can’t wait!” Zoro can see his legs swing behind him as he talks. With that, Luffy flops on his back and stretches out like a starfish, not caring that he’s hitting Zoro in the stomach. 

He lays close to him, close enough that he can smell the omega’s aroma; warm and inviting. Like he doesn’t care that he’s prominently giving off pheromones, he’s just being open about himself. It’s dangerous for omegas to have that mindset, especially if they were going to go to the Grand Line. Zoro has seen it happen, omega’s being disciplined by alphas or betas about their bodies, He wonders if anyone has ever tried that with Luffy, told him to cover his shoulders, wear a bite collar, be less noisy. He also wonders if anyone would survive if they told Luffy that. 

Luffy doesn’t seem to mind anything he does, he doesn’t care when Zoro sees him without a shirt on, or if he exposes his neck when he stretches. He didn’t care when other alphas had tried to start something back at the restaurant, or when he had pushed the both of them into the ocean a few days ago and had to sit in their underwear for the better part of a few hours while their clothes dried on the bow. 

Zoro had turned red in the face and kept his back away from where Luffy was hanging out, not at all aware of the lack of clothing either of them had. 

“Can you just stay on your side,” He had almost desperately told the omega when Luffy had tried to get closer. 

“Huh? Why?” He asked, tilting his head. 

Zoro makes a disgruntled noise and moves to cover his eyes with his hand, “Just… just stay on your side!” 

Luffy shrugs and shuffles over to the other side of their boat, “You’re a weird alpha.” The other had rolled his eyes at that, “Oh yeah, I’m the weird one. Don’t you know common etiquette?” 

“Etiquette? But it’s just the two of us out here,” He raises his arms to emphasize his point. “Is this about me accidentally falling in the water still?”

Zoro refuses to remove his hand and just nods his head, “Yes. This is about you falling into the water because you thought you saw something shiny. Even though you can’t swim.” And of course, he’s lying because he’s only known Luffy for a few weeks now but he’d rather castrate himself than watch his captain drown. 

But he’s traveled from island to island in the East Blue and he’s never met an omega so open about themselves. Not just about their skin but Luffy is blunt and sharp and isn’t afraid to poke Zoro in the eye if he thinks he’s being a pervert. He doesn’t know how Luffy was raised, and he doesn’t want to ask, but the way he acts and presents himself is something the alpha kids would do back at the dojo. 

Zoro had seen omegas be vulgar and promiscuous in ways that would make alphas go stupid, in passing pictures and recent newspapers; he had thought it was silly and if anything, annoyingly distractive. Seeing Luff lounging so casually, the tiny boxers he had on, leaving almost nothing to the imagination, Zoro had almost jumped ship then. 

Zoro doesn’t have much experience with omegas in general but he also doesn’t know if they’re supposed to be as cuddly as Luffy is. He sticks to Zoro like glue at night, even when it’s his turn to keep watch, And when Zoro wakes up a few hours later, it’s to all of Luffy’s limbs wrapped around the arm he’s clinging on. Or during the day when there’s nothing but blue surrounding them and the wind has slowed, Luffy likes to lay his head on Zoro’s shoulder or hold Zoro’s head in his lap whenever he has a nap. The alpha doesn’t know if all the touching is comfortable or if he’s just not used to it. 

There’s a lot of things about Luffy that Zoro has learned, and most of it confuses him. He just knows that Luffy usually doesn’t have a plan for anything. 

Nami is a pleasant surprise, after the whole clown fiasco, she had decided to join them for the time being. Zoro finds that he is once again injured enough that most of the fight is a blur. Even on the boat as Luffy and Nami retell him of a detachable clown that tried to capture Luffy because he was omega and maybe parade him around to Shanks (whoever the hell that was), get revenge on Nami, ransack the village a bit, and cause general havoc as all pirates do, it seemed unbelievable. Well if he died soon, he could at least say he had met two devil fruit users. 

Now they’re traveling the sea with not one, but two omegas. Both alluring and beautiful, the perfect age for respectable courting, and not so respectable solicitations. Nami and Luffy are the same in the fact that neither of them acts like ‘proper omegas’ . He even says so to them when the thought passes his head, watching the other two fight over who got to hold the map. Suffice to say Zoro fell asleep that night with two throbbing bumps on his head. Nami had her fist still raised, one of her eyebrows twitching, “You just don’t know enough omegas to know how they act, probably for a reason.” She sneers. Luffy has his lips in a flat line and his eyebrows low on his head, “You say that a lot Zoro.” 

“Say what?” He asks, rubbing the top of his head. 

“That you've never seen an omega like me.” Luffy looked at him suspiciously. 

“Wha- I don’t talk to you like that!” Zoro can see Nami’s hackles rise a bit more from the corner of his eye. He tries to defuse the situation he somehow got himself into again. 

Luffy stares at him confused and shrugs his shoulders the tiniest bit, “Yes you do. You don’t just drool in your sleep, you talk sometimes too.” 

“Wow,” Nami says sarcastically, from her boat, reading the map to the nearest island, “My my my alpha, dreaming of omega are you? How scandalous.” She smirks at him and turns away. 

Zoro feels the heat high on his cheeks and gets riled up, “I- I didn’t know I did that for your information!” 

Luffy snickers, his large grin stretching his scar, “It’s okay Zoro, I’m flattered.” 

Zoro can only sigh in frustration and turn his back to them, “Damn omegas.” 

The closer they get to reaching the Grand Line the more the pit in Zoro’s stomach grows. It was searing and tight and it made his sleep quality shit. At first, he blames the fact that he’s practically outnumbered on their tiny little ship. Every time they choose where they want to stop for food or other essentials Luffy and Nami always seem to opt him out of those conversations. Or when they’re docking for a quick dine and dash at a small island, he has to be the one to go overprotective alpha mode on whoever seems to be watching. 

Though he knows they can handle themselves, he still gets nervous around unfamiliar areas where anything may happen to them. He’s seen Luffy punch the lights out of alphas without blinking and he’s always impressed when Nami slips some alpha’s wallet from his pocket while luring them in. Both omegas know how to give some bite to their bark. 

Nami called him a fumbling meat bag of adrenaline. And still, the feeling lingers. Even when he and Luffy are huddled together to escape the biting cold of the sea. Sometimes Nami joins them because she doesn’t have a change of clothes and the summer outfit she has on does nothing to protect her. 

She and Luffy are almost always in a pile by the time he wakes up before dawn. He can only sleep a few hours at a time, his training from when he was a child too constant to change now. And the thought of someone sneaking up on them while the other two were sleeping sets his guts off; he has to bite his lip to keep from snarling. During those times, he has to untangle himself from the way Luffy has wrapped himself around Zoro, carefully unwinding rubbery skin. He sets them on top of Nami and watches as the two get closer to evade the chill. Always, he sits up and puts his back to the side of the boat, and starts cleaning his swords. 

They both wake up much later to calm waters, once dawn breaks. Nami is always up in an instant, she trudges back to her boat, hiding her red face in her red hair. Luffy is more sluggish, stretching his limbs till he’s starfishing a few yards away from their boats.

“Morning, sleeping beauties.” He says every morning, not bothering to look up from his scrubbing. Nami always answers back with an angry hiss while combing her hair and Luffy ends up being too dazed to notice he had said anything. 

Once he’s up Zoro knocks out for his first nap of the day to both of them arguing over which way to sail. 

Halfway through their voyage, heading towards another island Zoro has just accepted that his captain enjoys physical touch. Nami acts every bit of the car burglar she is, and only accepts his nesting when she feels like it. Zoro knows she’s a bit standoffish and gets grumpy if Luffy clings too much to her. 

Zoro has learned to adapt to whatever mood Luffy happens to be in, if he’s napping and Luffy starts getting antsy, he’ll lift one arm and the omega practically catapults himself into his chest. He also knows that when Luffy is practically aching to have some action, he’ll challenge him to who can catch the most fish. 

Luffy, though seen as an airhead, has read the signals his other crewmates give off. When Zoro gets grumpy, or tired, or in any sort of mood besides happy, he prefers to nap or clean his katanas in silence. Other than that he loves drinking every bar they go to out of business. Nami enjoys keeping a schedule and whenever she gets thrown off she tends to get a bit irritated, Luffy knows that he has to keep his distance and control his volume until she feels better. 

Luffy likes to fix his problems with cuddles, and though it may annoy the other two, they still appreciate his trying. 

Usopp is a very pleasant, if a bit annoying, of a surprise to the crew, Luffy thinks. He could feel the worry Zoro was having about the unbalanced way their crew was and he feels relieved he has another alpha buddy to do whatever alphas do together. He doesn’t know, but he does know that whenever he got too clingy Ace and Sabo would wander off for a while to get away from his preening. And though Usopp may not seem very brave, he didn’t look back on his decision to set sail. Of course, it does get annoying whenever he calls himself the captain. Luffy had hissed something fierce the first few times, but now he only sighs in exasperation and puts his hands on his hips. 

Though he is an alpha he doesn’t act like a traditional one. Luffy finds that he likes that about Usopp. He isn’t like Zoro who was always itching to get his katanas out or Ace who was too confident and nonchalant about his powers to be afraid of anything. He was whiny and quivered behind Luffy whenever another passing ship got a little too close to their Going Merry. But the omega couldn’t find himself to hate him one bit. He loves watching Usopp work on his bombs or fix the ship. 

Zoro doesn’t know how to feel about Usopp. He is just as clingy as Luffy or Nami at night but his scent is so spicy and it itches his nose and makes him growl a bit in his sleep. He also doesn’t understand why Luffy seemed to click with him as soon as they had met. Though Luffy always seems to do that with everyone he meets. 

Now that their ship is bigger they all have room to move around and do their own things. Nami gets to the front of the deck where she’s close enough to steer and navigate. She also tans on the bow on one of the beach chairs they had. Zoro has already scented the stern for working out and the crow’s nest for his naps. Usopp always seemed to perch on the quarter deck and the front bow with Nami, tinkering with anything he had in his pockets. Though he only goes near the deck when Zoro is done with his workout, too nervous to get near another alpha who’s swinging a dumbbell the size of one of their masts. 

Luffy flops whenever or wherever he feels like. Sometimes he sits with Usopp and laughs at all the stories he knows. Other times he sits and stretches while Zoro lifts weights. Or he hangs himself too far off the railing for anyone’s comfort while he fishes. On rarer times when the clouds are gone, the sun is high, and the heat is wavering, he kicks out with Nami while she tans. Both of them scantily clothed and completely unaware of the turmoil they cause their shipmates. It’s not that Usopp or Zoro can’t control themselves, they would rather get neutered than have anything happen to them. And neither omega are shy about showing skin, they lounge on the deck, with their long limbs and skin glistening. 

Nami and Luffy usually have their shirts off and have rolled whatever bottoms they have, up. Zoro and Usopp normally escape to the back of the ship where they do their things, avoid eye contact, and pretend not to be allured by the smell of omegas at the front. 

Nami, always the perceptive she-devil, laughs at their situation. With her legs folded and her sunglasses up, she waves mockingly at them and elbows Luffy in the elbow. The other omega was laid face down on his beach chair, his shirt off. His brown skin was beautiful in the sun, along with his subtle curves and slender muscles. 

When he lifted his head his hair was messy and Zoro could see the adorable nap lines imprinted on his face. “Yes, Nami?” He asked, rubbing the sleep from one eye. She whispers something in his ear and laughs more at his confused face. Luffy sits up more and stretches his limbs up. He copies Nami’s position and lets his neck drape over the back of the chair.

From his spot on top of the stern, Zoro can also see his exposed chest, wet and shining. Neither of them seems to mind their lack of clothes but Zoro’s brain comes to a complete stop. He can hear his cells trying to fire back up but alarm bells are ringing in his ears and static as his thoughts. Nami laughs even harder at him, pointing at his face and holding her stomach. 

Usopp doesn’t comment about how much more frazzled Zoro seems during those times and how he avoids eye contact whenever Luffy goes back to his regularly scheduled program if a bit lethargic. 

Sometime later during dinner, he confronts them about it. While Nami’s still laughing at his misfortune in a rare moment of anger he grits out, “I'm just not used to seeing omegas acting like hussies is all.” In an instant, he regrets it coming out of his mouth. Nami stops laughing and Luffy ends his conversation with Usopp. Both omegas with frozen expressions, turn to him slowly, a fire in their eyes. Nami lifts a singular fist and it's enough to make Zoro shiver; she continues laughing, though it's more menacing and sounds like his funeral bells. 

Again he sleeps with two bright red lumps on his head, and Luffy pouts at him till he apologizes. Nami stomps away, her fist still smoking, and tells the other man to leave Zoro there for the birds to feed on. Usopp had fled the scene as soon as fists started flying.

“Are you an idiot or something?” He asks Zoro, “That wasn’t a very nice thing to say.” 

The alpha grimaces, shoulders high and up to his red ears, “Yeah I know, I didn’t mean it…” Luffy nods his head, “I know you didn’t mean it.” And his shame just seems to grow more because the conversation is starting to sound like Luffy, of all people, is scolding him. “But I enjoy spending time with Nami and whatever she wants to do. I shouldn’t be shamed for doing that.” Zoro nods his head and rubs at the back of his neck. He apologizes profusely and forces himself not to get giddy when the omega forgives him sweetly by his cheek on the top of his head. He also forces himself not to move when his captain calls for mandatory hugs. 

Of course, Nami doesn’t forgive himself as easily, But Luffy’s hugs always seem to break the ice. 

While they're getting ready for bed, Usopp pats him on the shoulder and offers to teach him how to speak to omegas.  

To Zoro’s relief, they all have an actual bed to themselves as opposed to hardwood floors. Nami asked prettily for the captain’s quarters and Luffy had no reason not to give it to her. It didn’t matter anyway since they had all agreed to separate the quarters by caste instead of gender. Luffy and Nami shared the room, with Nami taking the bed, and Luffy opting to steal one of Zoro’s scented blankets and a hammock.

Their room was a melting pot of different smells, both omegas tend to hoard items that they feel belong in their nest. It had caused some trouble between them, since Luffy didn’t know what nesting etiquette was, instead preferring to steal whatever he wanted, whenever he felt like it and whining when he got called out for it. Nami was neat in her nesting, each item having its specific spots and every piece would circulate back to its owner whenever it had lost its scent. 

And though rarely, Zoro would find a lump in the corner of their room. He’s usually the first to wake up and while Usopp is sleeping he likes to clean his sword as the sun shines through their window. Sometimes he finds Luffy curled up in the corner where he keeps his katanas with one of the fluffy blankets they had, snoring away. He always debates on whether waking Luffy up is worth a grumpy, tired omega or not. Other times he finds he doesn’t normally care and ends up pulling his cheek until they’re stretched far enough that the omega wakes up with a whine and it makes him laugh. 

Yosaku and Johnny are as annoying as ever whenever omegas are involved, but Zoro can’t find it in himself to hate them, especially with Yosaku still injured. Though it doesn’t stop either of them from flirting with his captain and navigator. Johnny shakes each of their hands and presses a kiss to the very tip of their first knuckle. Nami gives him an indifferent look, already used to alphas trying to butter her up. Luffy just giggles and the tips of his cheeks turn red in embarrassment. Yosaku, after healing up, does the same. 

They compliment their appearances and seem to want any conversation going with both the omegas. In the same breath, both of those punks seemed to poke at Zoro’s ego. “Do you have a map?” Johnny asks, randomly and out of the blue. Neither omega knows how to answer, so instead, he continues, “ ‘Cause I keep getting lost in those beautiful eyes of yours.” That gets a rise out of everyone. Usopp laughs at what was possibly the cheesiest pickup line he’s ever heard. Nami is flattered and Luffy pays them no mind, so Zoro tries to tell himself he isn’t bothered either. “Now I understand why you and Zoro got along,” Nami snickers, “Look how easy it is for you to lose your way.” Luffy laughs along with her and elbows the annoyed alpha in the side. Though he can’t help but laugh along with the omega when he does look like he’s having fun. 

Chapter Text

They’ve been mindlessly sailing the ocean for a few days now, their boat with its sail tucked in tight so no nearby ships or islands raised their arms. They really are just wasting their supplies away until both Nami and Luffy agree on which way to sail. But Nami is stubborn that they barely have enough supplies to reach the next island much less LogueTown. Luffy, just as hard-headed, wants to find a doctor more than he wants to get supplies, he argues that there would be good ones at the closest island to the Grand Line. 

The two omegas have been going at it since they had picked up Johnny and Yosaku, the latter feeling leagues better than when he had first arrived. Nonetheless, Usopp hesitantly watches over as Nami and Luffy argue loudly at the bow on where to go. Zoro doesn’t bother with either of them, wherever they do end up going he hopes it's somewhere he can get some good alcohol. He does end up sitting with Usopp, though just to make sure the fight doesn’t get too rough-handed. 

The two of them are head-butting each other and gripping the front of each of their tops in a clenched fist. From where Zoro is resting, on one of the side railings of their Merry, he can see steam rise from her ears. Luffy is no better, his face has gone beat red from yelling and he had taken his hat off earlier to rest on one of their tanning chairs. Zoro knows the kid is pretty serious. 

“Everyone on this ship has limited medical knowledge, the closest we have to actually care is your basic insight!” Luffy yells pushing forward so Nami has to bend back. And Zoro never even knew he could speak like that, really omegas are surprising.

She gains another vein on her forehead, “If we try to get to LogueTown at the state that we’re in, this ship is practically our coffin!” She pushes her head back with just as much force that Luffy is forced to crane his neck. 

“I’m the captain, I get to decide!” 

“With what brain! And you hired me as the navigator, so let me decide what’s best for the crew right now!” 

Luffy looks even more miffed and his grip on Nami’s shirt tightens, “We need a doctor! Our suppressants have started getting lower!” 

“We need supplies!” She screams back, and winds Luffy’s shirt more around his fist, she uses her other hand to pinch one of his rubbery cheeks. “We’re going to sail to the closest island we can find to get food and that’s final!”

Luffy’s eyebrow twitches before one of his hands stretches out and he’s gripping their steering stick. Suddenly he’s catapulted until his body lands behind the wood and he’s sticking his tongue out at Nami, “How are you gonna sail with me at the head!” The normally jovial omega looks irate and bratty. 

Nami looks shocked for a few moments before her expression looks furious. She stomps her way to where Luffy is occupying, each step sounding more menacing. Zoro feels like he should interfere before things really start getting serious but the last time he had gotten in the middle of one of their fights, both omegas had knocked him out and told him to mind his business. So he plays it by ear now. 

Their fight gets moved to the helm where both omegas are posturing up towards each other. They both grab the stick every moment they can rip it out of the others’ hands, which rocks the ship back and forth. 

The conversation, if it could be called that, has fallen to schoolyard insults. Luffy and Nami grumble at each other, both omegas of the ship now grumpy and moody. Even the seagulls had paused in their screeching. 

“Are they always like that?” Yosaku whispers from beside him where he and Johnny are leaning against the railing, watching as the two omegas dogged each other. 

“You’d be surprised,” Zoro says, crossing his arms. 

“It’s a bit concerning though, don’t you think,” Usopp says sitting right across from Zoro, with a solo game of cards in front of him. “I’ve never seen two omegas so aggressive before.” 

“You’ve never seen omegas period,” Zoro tells him back with a raised brow. The other alpha guffaws and begins to explain the many tales he has under his belt about the beautiful and enriching omegas he’s seen. Zoro rolls his eyes but listens still.

“Is it really so bad that they’re so hostile?” Johnny asks, cutting off Usopp from his tangent. 

The sniper wonders for a bit and shrugs, “Hmm, well I thought they were sweet little things at first too. I guess it isn’t so surprising, but I feel like they’re more territorial now than ever, huh Zoro?” He looks at the other alpha with a curious expression, “You’ve known them longer than me.” 

 He thinks on it, with his eyes shut and arms crossed. It does seem like both of them had done a 180 spin on each other. He had thought they bonded over his shared grief from both of them. Nami had always been a bit prickly and standoffish, he had thought it would melt with time. And Luffy had always pushed boundaries. But he remembers their small journeys and growing friendship on the Merry. 

Zoro opens his eyes with a furrowed brow, “Hm, I guess it is a bit weird.” 

Usopp nods, “Right, like a week ago they were pretty cool with each other.” 

“That is true…” Zoro says, getting a little more concerned now. 

“You think they had a fight?” Johnny asks. 

“I mean,” Usopp gestures to the two,” They have multiple ones every day now.” 

Johnny and Yosaku sit down now, forming a circle with Usopp and Zoro. All four of the alphas looked curiously at the fighting going on. 

“Maybe one of them stole something from a nest?” Yosaku questions. Zoro shakes his head, “Nami steals monetary treasure, not ones that just have emotional value. And Luffy… that’s not really his thing.”

“Hmm.” All alphas say, trying to brainstorm. 

“Wait,” Usopp says, eyes suddenly alight, “They started fighting just a week ago right? Isn’t that when you two came on board?” 

Johnny and Yosaku nod their heads. “But we haven’t done anything to anger them,” Yosaku promised, “I mean, we would never, not to your friends Zoro.” Zoro hums a noncommittal sound. 

“Maybe not but,” Usopp looks nervously at the two omegas, “I don’t think having only four other alphas as crewmates on a ship could bode well for them.” 

A moment of silence passes over them as they let the information sink in. And then Zoro’s eyes widen frantically. Usopp looks just as nervous as he feels and Yosaku and Johnny are freaking out in the corner of his eye. 

Because of course, they hadn’t thought of the implications of having double the number of alphas on a ship would do to their two omegas on board. Nor had they thought to slowly get them used to have such overpowering scents everywhere. Their behavior starts making more sense as Zoro puts the pieces together. 

Sailors had said having omegas on board was bad luck, that the ship would be cursed to sink. But that wasn’t the only reason why omegas weren’t necessarily encouraged to travel. They wouldn’t be able to handle the overwhelming amount of alphas around them. With most if not all pirate ships and navy vessels housing alphas, it’s no wonder omegas had trouble carving a way in for themselves, betas themselves had a hard time dealing with it. Omegas were made to handle alphas and betas, there was a  reason their scents were so alluring. And when there was such a concentration of virile scents they did what their bodies had been built around; heat. 

Zoro sniffed the air, focusing properly, and there it was, an excessively sweet and electric in the air. 

“Oh…” All four of them had stressed. 

It wasn’t a real heat, more of a fevered stupor that changed the chemical balances in their bodies. And just like a cold, it snuck up on the two of them without any of them knowing. 

“You tell them,” Usopp said, biting his nail. 

Zoro scoffed and gestured to his head, “I’d rather not have to sleep with another cold pack, why don’t you tell them?” 

The other man looked at him like he had gained another head, “Are you crazy? I feel like i’ll get my balls ripped off if I even breathe towards them!” 

“And you want that for me!” Zoro told him back, eyes wide. 

Johnny laughed nervously and put his hands up to placate them, “Let’s just draw straws? Whoever has the shortest bites the bullet, huh?” 

Yosaku nodded along, “Yeah, that sounds great!” 

Usopp sighed out and slumped, “Fine…” He dug into his fanny pack for a few moments. Zoro leaned back enough, past the other alpha to see the other half of their crew. Luffy and Nami were both still yapping their heads off, gesturing widely and stomping their feet. With another exhale, he scrubbed a hand through his air and focused back on Usopp. 

“Aha!” He said, pulling out four scraps of paper; he tucked them all into his fist, making sure they all seemed the same size. “Choose your fate, gentlemen.” 

No one answered him, not even the waves could reply. “Oh come on you guys.” Usopp whined, “Don’t make me choose for you.” 

Zoro looked unsure at the hand, but shook his head in dread, “Someone’s gonna have to tell ‘em anyway.” Yosaku and Johnny nodded along, and both stretched their hands out and at the same time, gripped two pieces of paper but didn’t take them out. 

Zoro followed them, clutching a bit of paper. Usopp looked determined, “To whoever is listening up there, I hope it’s not me who risks life and limb.” 

They all scowled at him but pulled at the same time. Yosaku was the first to look at his piece, and shout in delight. The long stretch of paper flopped in his fist as he jumped around. 

Johnny was next and cried along with him, another long scrap dooming the other two alphas. 

Zoro and Usopp looked at each other in uncertainty. “Zoro,” Usopp murmured, looking scared, “I never thought I would say this, but please hold my hand.” 

The other alpha only glared harder and lifted his slightly shaking hand, “Shut up and show me that paper.” 

Usopp shook his head, “Y-You first!” 

“Fine!” He stressed, “I’m not scared!” 

“Never said you were…” Usopp whispered. 

“Shut up,” He said back. He took the other end of his paper and shut his eyes tight. He only opened them when he heard Usopp gasp. 

The short scrap of paper seemed to mock him in his hand; barely the size of his thumb, yet weighing a ton when he stared at it. 

Usopp dropped to his knees beside him with his hands up, “Captain Usopp lives once more!” 

“No,” Zoro whispered, clutching his hands into a fist, “I can’t believe my luck has run out here…” 

Johnny slapped a hand onto his shoulder, “We’ll make sure to spread your legacy, brother.” 

Zoro looked to the sky and sighed out. “Thank you.” 

Getting closer to the battlefield-turned-helm, Zoro could practically see the bloodshed he would cause if he wasn’t careful. He cursed at every creaky board that sang with each one of his heavy steps; he didn’t want to show them where he was. But alas, it was too late, when he made it to the last step he paused and stayed a few meters away from the awaiting menaces. They had turned their heads towards the stairs, staring Zoro off with the intensity to melt rock.  

He coughed into his fist and pulled at the collar of his shirt. He never knew how hot the ocean could get. 

In the distance he could hear the soft cheers of the rest of the crew, encouraging him not to wuss out. 

“What.” Nami grit out, her sandals tapping the deck impatiently. 

“I h a ve-” Zoro coughed to clear his throat, cheeks burning at the crack in his voice. He shut his eyes and tried to go for something nonchalant, “I have something to tell you two.” 

Neither of them entertained his nervousness, Luffy looked like he would rather watch paint dry, and Nami seemed to want to squash him under her slipper. 

“It’s just that… well the two of you have been-” He shut himself up quickly when Nami’s eyebrow rose. “I mean, what I meant was we were just concerned because… well sometimes our hormones can get the best of all of us sometimes... “ 

“Real rich coming from you, alpha , “She mocked. Zoro ignored her. 

“It’s just that, we’ve been at sea for close to two months now, and we’ve only really gotten alphas into this crew. And I know you two are pretty smart, which means you understand the consequences of having such an unbalanced ship…” He trailed off, hoping the two of them would catch on, or at the very least have Nami understand him. 

“Go on,” She said, the vein on her forehead practically throbbing with irritation, “Is it normal for you to say so much and nothing at all?”

Luffy sighed and crossed his arms like he was bored, “Zoro, no offense but could you get to the point. I still gotta teach Nami a lesson.” 

“What did you just say, you airheaded bimbo!” Nami screeched. She raised a fist in the air, threatening to pummel him to the ground with it, “I’ll make sure you never have the audacity to say such moronic things again!” 

“Put ‘em up!” Luffy called back, raising both of his fists in front of him and widening his stance. 

“No! No, no, no,” Zoro insisted, raising both arms to placate the both of them. It looked like he was easing two hackled apex predators from mauling each other. “Just listen! Neither of you was like this last week! It’s obvious you’re both going into pseudo heat!” 

He had stopped the two of them from jumping each other but had turned their ire onto him. Both of them looked at him as if asking why he was still standing there, Zoro also wondered why. Nami shook her head and glared at him, “That’s not possible, I’m still on my suppressants.”

Luffy nodded with her, “That’s true, and I still have my Nexplanon implant in.” 

Zoro looked confused, “Nex- what-huh?” 

“Nexplanon,” She said in exasperation, “It’s a birth control, sometimes it’s used to regulate heats.” 

Luffy nodded and lifted up his right arm, to show Zoro his shoulder, “Right here!” 

“I’m actually surprised you have one, those are pretty uncommon,” Nami noted. “I can’t stand those little monsters.” 

He shrugged back, “I don’t mind. Besides I need them to plan my heats easier.” 

“Whatever the hell you two are on,” Zoro groaned, “We still should have been more careful. I mean all the signs point to a faux heat. It would be in both of your best interests if you just followed us.”

“Oh?” Nami sneered, “So big bad alpha just expects us to listen to him, huh?” Luffy looked at him as if he just stole a slice of meat off of his plate. 

“You know I don’t mean it like that!” Zoro huffed, scratching the back of his head in frustration. “Stop putting words in my mouth. It’s dangerous for both of you to be out here, reeking of heat.” 

Luffy huffed and crossed his arms, “No way. It's way too early for my heat and I always plan accordingly.” 

“I never even knew you understood what accordingly meant,” Nami whispered, obviously trying to egg Luffy on. 

“Will you two just,” Zoro desperately stressed out, he outstretched his arms towards the captain’s quarters, “Hideaway into your nest for a few days!” 

“Or what.” She challenged, tapping her foot impatiently, “I gotta sail us to the closest island around.” 

“I never agreed-” Zoro clasped a large hand over Luffy’s mouth, shutting the man up. “Johnny and Yosaku have enough sailing experience to bring us there alive. All you two need to worry about is how to deal with your heat.” 

Nami didn’t seem to budge for a few moments; looking him up and down with a sneer. A vein had popped up on Zoro’s forehead by the time she decided. 

“Fine. But if we aren’t on a new island with a full stock of supplies, I’m ripping all your balls off and making you wear it as earrings.” 

“What the fuck is wrong with you.” Luffy tried to say, Zoro tightened his hand to keep him quiet. 

Luffy and Nami didn’t feel comfortable spending their faux heat together. Luffy was a clingy person and that didn’t change during estrus. 

Zoro never knew omegas could be so annoyingly picky. Luffy and Nami didn’t like spending their faux heats together. 

Nami was even more antisocial with him, almost snapping one of his fingers off when he asked what kind of blanket she wanted. Luffy was such a clingy person in general, not truly understanding the need for personal space. Zoro had left the two of them in the captain’s quarter, only staying long enough to watch them choose the corners of the room they wanted and start on their nests. After Luffy had chosen his spot on the floor, he scrunched up a few blankets, a handful of clothes, and what he was sure was his extra bandana. He whined and pouted at the alpha, reaching out with two arms he asked, “Aren’t you gonna come inside?” 

Zoro and Nami were both dumbfounded. “You want an alpha… in your nest?” Nami asked, after a few beats of silence. “Why?” 

“Why not?” Luffy answered, still reaching his arms out, trying to entice the alpha closer. “He smells good.” 

“Absolutely not!” Nami huffed, she fluffed a pillow on the bed, “I will not have some pea-brained alpha in this room while the both of us are like this. Zoro out!” 

Like a dog he followed her orders, stomping out of the room and shutting the door. He stayed put at first, wondering if the door even had a lock on it. He was still beat red, heat coming off of his face like it was summer.

Luffy had asked him to spend his heat with him, maybe not in the way an alpha expected but it was still an important invitation. He had felt a stab of resentment towards Nami, for keeping him away. The omega had asked him specifically to stay, no he did not ask for Johnny or Usopp, or Yosaku. He had reached for Zoro. he trusted him enough to keep him company in one of his most vulnerable moments. With a determined sort of vigor, he did what he could to protect Luffy, to protect the both of them . He sat next to the shut door, getting ready for a quick nap until dinner was ready. 

“What the hell was that about,” Nami asked, adjusting a blanket and finally sprawling around her nest, her hair creating a red halo around her head. 

“What was what about?” Luffy responded. His nest wasn’t as organized as hers, much messier and disorganized in a way that he loved. 

He could hear her sigh from the other side of the room, “I mean with that knothead, askin’ him to join you. Are you really gonna put out to him after only a few weeks? I mean no shame, but I guarantee you could do better.” 

Luffy hummed something noncommittal, “Put out? I just wanted someone to cuddle with. Heats are always more bearable with someone to enjoy it with.” 

Nami made a face, “Maybe for you, but I hate having alphas near me.”

“I guess every omega’s different,” Luffy said. “Do you really think we’re going into a faux heat? Or do you think the four of them just needed some time away from us?” 

“I would never let an alpha deceive me, Luffy. It’s plausible that we are, we’ve been surrounded by a lot of alphas lately.” She shrugged, “We’ll see like two hours, but I bet we’re going to be camped in here for the next few days.” 

  Luffy’s eyes are already half shut and his chest rises and falls slowly. “When we get to the next island, I want a big omelet…” 

Nami looked at him from the corner of her eye, “Alright, I think it’s time for you to sleep, captain.” 

“That sounds like such a wonderful idea,” The words were barely out of his mouth before the other was snoring away. 

“He’s alive,” Usopp mumbled, in awe at the alpha he saw through his binoculars. “He’s actually alive and kicking and he managed to stick ‘em in the room.” 

“That’s our brother Zoro for you!” Johnny hollered, Yosaku pumping a fist in the air along with him. “No matter big or small he’ll deal with it!” 

“But he’s just sitting there?” 

Yosaku waved his concern away, “Don’t you worry. He’s probably just keeping watch.” 

“From who,” Usopp asked, “From us?” 

“Who knows, but we should get started on dinner before the sun gets too low,” Yosaku said, already rolling his sleeves up. “We gotta catch something big tonight for the omegas. It’s on our honor as alphas that we make sure they’re eating good!” 

Usopp sighed, dropping his shoulders, “I feel like we just defused a bomb, don’t we deserve a break…” 

Zoro doesn’t know how long he sat there, cleaning his swords and taking short cat naps. But he wakes up to distant yelling from the front of the ship, where the other three alphas have set up a cooking station. They sit in a circle, taking turns to flip the seafood they had caught, in the grill. The sun is a barely-there speck of light, just kissing the edge of night. 

He stretches his arms up in the air, reveling in the cracks his joints make. He sits there for a few more moments, rubbing at the corner of his eye and convincing himself to get up and eat some food. But first, he has to check on the two omegas in the room. 

He puts one ear to the door, shutting his eyes in concentration and trying to focus on any noise inside. There’s nothing he could hear, besides Luffy’s soft snores, and the light that’s on in the room doesn’t reveal any moving shadows, so they must be asleep. 

“Zoro!” He hears behind him. Johnny and Yosaku are waving him down, “Dinner time dude!” Usopp waves three fishes staked through a stick. 

He ruffles his hair with one hand and adjusts his swords with the other, “Yeah, yeah! I’m coming.” 

There’s a wide variety of different seafood laid out before him, the three alphas puffing their chests out in pride. There’s grilled octopus, five different types of fish, two different clams, a nauseating amount of shrimps and other shellfish, and even dried kelp. He’s almost terrified of the amount that stares back at him. 

“Why?” Is the only thing he’s able to say. 

“For Luffy and Nami!” Johnny says, like a puppy. “They get to eat their fill!” 

“Yeah which means, no touching yet!” Usopp slaps Yosaku’s reaching hand from the skewered fish. 

“I’m pretty sure you just caused the extinction of a few fish…” 

“Take it as our gesture of gratitude!” Johnny tells him, slapping a hand on his back, “For Nami saving Yosaku’s life!” 

Usopp nodded his head, “Which means no one can eats till Nami and Luffy get here.” He looks Zoro in the eye. 

“What.”

“So go get them.” He says as if it was the most obvious thing. 

He rolled his eyes, but trudged his way back, “You guys called me here just to send me off again…” 

“Hush up and get the omegas before they starve!” 

By the time he made it back to the three of them with two tired omegas in tow, the fire had gone down in intensity, just right for relaxing and keeping the cold night away. 

Luffy and Nami had changed into their pajamas, the former in a worn-in raggedy large shirt and loose shorts, and the latter in a matching set of striped top and bottom. Luffy rubs at his eye, while Nami yawns big enough that it looks like she’s unhinging her jaw. 

They smell divine, more Luffy than Nami because Zoro can’t stand the scent of jasmine coming off of her. But Luffy smells like sweet almonds and fresh vanilla beans. Zoro’s practically salivating at the mouth just standing behind him. It wraps around him, warm and inviting and he has to pinch his thumb to stop himself from leaning over and getting in the crook of Luffy’s neck. 

“There you two are,” Usopp says with a smile, “Hungry?” He holds up two empty plates, and the omegas each take one. 

They don’t get their food right away, just sitting down silently and trying to fully wake up from their long nap. Nami passed her plate to Johnny who sat next to her. He grabs it and points to the buffet, “Do you want me to choose?” She sighs out and leans her tired head on Luffy’s shoulder, “Don’t get any shellfish.” She mumbles. 

Zoro plops down next to Luffy, thanking Usopp for the plate he offered. The omega passed him his own plate, disregarding any manners or words. “You want me to get you something too?” The man just nodded, shutting his eyes and resting his head alongside Nami’s red hair.

He piles both of their plates with an assortment of food, high enough that he can barely see over it and it wobbles precariously when he moves. 

Luffy is much less drowsy now that he can really smell the food. He looks adorable, drowning in his large shirt and stretching his arms out so Zoro could pass him his plate. 

“Thank you, Zoro!” He says happily, the polar opposite to the way he was acting a few hours earlier. “I can always rely on you.” 

“No problem,” He sat down, close enough that their knees were touching. His skin burns where they meet, and the tips of his ears turn as red as the lobster. 

Their faux heat only lasts for two more days; two days of whining and drowsy omegas, bossing all four of them on where to steer the wheel. Luffy is a bratty one when he’s in heat, even more, hard-headed than before, but with an unfiltered bite to match his bark. He’s stubborn about choosing the island he wants them to land on, knocking heads with Nami because if they weren’t getting to Logue Town, they sure as hell were going to wherever else he chose. 

Their bickering had evolved from touchy attitudes to half-hearted insults, much better than their fist fights from the first few days of their heat. 

They don’t reach any island by the time both omegas are cleaned up and ready to go. But they do run into a floating restaurant in the ocean. 

Meeting Sanji starts with trouble because with Luffy of course it does. He reeks of post-heat, and traipsing around a boat filled with even more alphas doesn’t help him. They all follow him with their eyes, raking over his body, starting from his long legs up to the tips of his curly hair. 

It fills Zoro with a sort of distaste, he wonders if he had ever stared at someone like that like they were a piece of meat being held over a tank of sharks. He wonders if he had ever stared at Luffy like that. 

Sanji is the worst of them all; he gets on his knees as soon as he can see Luffy from across the room. The head chef, with the tallest hat Zoro’s ever seen, forces Luffy to be one of their bussers, with a frilly apron that resembles the bottom half of a maid outfit and a frilly headband to match. He can also admit, Luffy looks amazing with it on, but he can already see how annoyed the other is with the way people keep telling him what to do. 

Sanji waits hand and foot for Luffy, if the omega grabs too many plates to bring back to the kitchen he’s quick to lend a hand. If one of the other chiefs yells at him for doing the dishes poorly, Sanji is there to knock some heads together. 

By the time Luffy has made it back to them, he’s tired and ready to start complaining. Thanks to Nami, Sanji had laid out another feast for all of them, but Luffy isn’t allowed to touch until he pays his debt back. He can see that it kills him. 

“That’s why you gotta be more careful Luffy,” Usopp says around a big bite of steak. “If it makes you feel better, I would give you the other half of this plate if I could.” He shrugs and keeps chewing, “Too bad I guess.” 

“Usopp,” Luffy whined, “I never knew you could be so cruel.” He drops into an empty chair at their table. “I hate working!” 

“Then stop causing property damage,” Nami tells him, completely unbothered by her free meal.

“It was an accident! Now I gotta stay here for like a month,” He cries, sending puppy eyes to Zoro. “Won’t you give me your food, alpha?” 

Though the name causes lightning to go down his spine, he only glares at the guy in front of him. “Not gonna happen,” Luffy whines again, this time drawing attention to their table from the other customers. 

For some reason, Sanji comes running like a charming prince. A smooth smile graces his features and an unlit cigarette rests behind his ear. “What seems to be bothering you, our wonderful maiden?” 

Yeah, Zoro doesn’t like this guy. 

The rest of their stay turns disastrous. Nami runs away, someone named Donkey Kreg shows up decked out in gold everything , and Zoro falls to the most powerful swordsman in the world. 

He just hopes Luffy can ignore his tears, when he chokes out his promise to him, with blood dripping down his chest. Even from their tiny boat, Zoro can smell how distressed Luffy is. He hears his cries from across the water and it tears away at his already gnarled chest. He’s too angry and upset with himself to feel bad for making Luffy worry. 

He doesn’t get to see the fight with Donkey Kreg, but later on, when they're safe, or as safe as they can be on their way to the grand line, Luffy tells him that the guy must’ve been compensating for something . The joke lifts his mood just a bit, but it’s obvious from the way the omega looks at him. He can see that he isn’t upset anymore, there was nothing to be upset about to him, he just wasn’t strong enough. But there’s a resolve he didn’t have before, one that makes sure his laugh doesn’t reach the corner of his eye anymore. 

They get Nami back, and Luffy once again proves that he’d rather die fighting than bow down to some knuckle-headed alpha trying to turn him into another concubine. Nami’s tears are bitter and rip at Zoro’s spirit, he’s glad that she can live freely now. They wave goodbye to her family, and anyone who tries to reach for fruit on one of her trees gets cut down by Nami’s fist. 

Sanji had officially joined their crew, as a chef of all things, nothing like the doctor Luffy had insisted on getting, or the stockpile of supplies Nami had wanted. Zoro doesn’t mind him, he’s still a flirt, even worse now that he can see both of the omegas lounges about, scantily clad. 

Zoro and Usopp both have to slap some sense into him when he first finds the two of them on the deck, sunbathing once more. He can only slightly sympathize with Sanji’s awestruck face, from what he understood, the alpha had been kept on a boat filled with alphas, the only trace of jaw-dropping omegas being few and far between customers. 

“Do they do that often?” He asks, still wiping the blood from under his nose. 

“Yeah,” Zoro grunts out, cleaning his sword, “If you look too long I’ll stab your eyes out.” 

“Just try it, moss head.” 

In between them, Usopp sighs and shakes his head, “Are both of you nine years old or something.”

They all say their goodbyes to Johnny and Yosaku, bidding each other good luck on their respective journeys. Luffy hugs the both of them tight, giggling when the two of them lift him in the air and spin. 

It takes them a full month to reach Logue Town. A month of Luffy hyping up whatever Sanji does, holding him tight whenever he comes bearing snacks, giving him a friendly peck on the cheek when he invents a new drink he likes. It sets Zoro absolutely off. He gets angry watching them interact in any way, and it makes him question everything. He wants to pony up and go fist to fist against the blonde when he gets near Luffy. But he doesn’t want a dogfight whenever Nami gets chatted up. 

But after the fight with Mihawk, he has other things to worry about besides what some other alpha does with his captain. 

Sanji is a pervert, by Usopps’ words. Whenever the omegas leave their door open, he’s swooning in the hallway at the scent of their nest. And when Luffy invites him to join in their pile, he elbows Zoro and Usopp until he’s in the middle of an omega sandwich. 

Other times he waves a giant banana leaf whenever either of them are relaxing in the sun. Sometimes he gets annoyed with Luffy, yelling at him when he catches the omega trying to sneak midnight snacks . He forces Luffy to catch them new meals but still sits next to the other, holding a thin umbrella to block the sun out. Omegas are delicate, you moronic moss head, you have to keep them from any sort of damage. Damn this sun for being so harsh! Luffy doesn’t seem to mind him, he enjoys company and loves when people entertain his idiocy. 

Logue Town is a hotpot of different people. They all split up to get whatever they need, and Zoro wishes he could go along with Luffy to wherever he’s wandering but he feels naked with just one sword at his hip. He swears once’s he finds the stupid shop he’ll run to catch up with the omega. 

But of course, his past catches up to him and the woman in front of him causes his entire body to freeze. Though the cool-ass sword he got was totally worth it, Nami’s 200% interest rate be damned. 

The Marines swamp the island the same way mosquitos swarm a rotting body. And it fills him with tensions, especially the way they seem to repeat orders about catching a certain loud, obnoxious omega . 

By the time Luffy sees anyone from his crew, it’s high noon. He’s staring down a restaurant, the smell coming from the doors, but he doesn’t go forward. He doesn’t have a dime on him, and there’s no food on the ship. He debates going to find Nami, but the little angel on his shoulder tells him it's a bad idea. 

“Not going inside?” 

Luffy opened his eyes, and in the dark alleyway he’s in, a tall man stands next to him. From the way he’s wearing his raggedy hood, he can only faintly see the etches of tattoos that settle on his face. He has to crane his neck up just to see it. 

“Excuse me?” 

The guy seems to tense his shoulders at his voice; broad enough to cast a shadow twice his size over him. 

“You’ve been standing here for a good twenty minutes,” He tells him, voice terse and nervous, “Won’t you go in?” 

“Hm,” Luffy shuts his eyes and thinks for a moment, “I would but I don’t have any money, and I’d rather not get those pesky marines involved.” 

The man looks toward the restaurant and hums, “So you enjoy Mediterranean food?” 

“Anything with meat, really,” He pauses and looks at the guy with apprehension, “Not that it’s any of your business.” 

Creepy dude freezes, like he’s been caught in a lie, “I-I mean, right! Ye-yes it’s none of my business!” He shuffles his feet, suddenly skittish. 

“If you wanna fight, let’s fight. Don’t try to create some small talk!” Luffy frowns at him, crossing his arms. 

The other raises his large hands, waving them around to alleviate the scene, “No! I didn't come here for a fight!” 

Luffy’s expression softens, “Oh! Well good, I don’t want anyone bothering me when I still haven’t reached that stupid platform.” 

“Right…” He trails off, he tilts his head, “How old are you?” 

Luffy looks at him from the corner of his eye, “Uhm, way too young for you to be honest.” 

The hood swivels to look at him in shock, “I would never ! Never, never, never!” 

“ Alright dude,” Luffy says back, he raises his arms this time, “Jeez, easy on my poor ego.” 

“I mean- You’re beautiful! I- I’m proud of the way you’ve grown! You have no idea how hard it was for me to leave.” 

Luffy’s mouth thins and his eyes narrow, “Okay…” He trails off and laughs nervously, “I’m sensing some major red flags so I’m just gonna go.” He points with his thumb over his shoulder, “If you follow me, I’ll kick your ass.” 

The guy doesn’t respond, only staring off at the way Luffy practically sprints away from him. 

Zoro finds him looking over his shoulder in some random street, a few blocks away from the raggedy hooded dude. 

“What's with you?”

The omega shakes his head, “Let’s just eat some lunch. I’m starving.”