It's been a total of six months since Zoro had arrived here at Gloomy Island no thanks to Bartholomew Kuma and his devil fruit. Six months is half a year, 182 days; Yet it all felt like a month at best. Time passed way too quickly for your taste, then again the older you get the faster time felt to be passing by. No wonder why people say that time is a gift, cherish it, cause before you know it... You'll be alone once two years pass.

Yes Gloomy Island was deserving of its nickname, but today was dark as mother nature unleashed hell upon this island with series of lightning storms with no mercy behind her swings. Either that or somebody broke her spirits that now all she can do is cry... Hard. So you remained inside while Mihawk and Zoro trained outside in the flooding mess surely to turn into a landslide. Ever since Mihawk learned of the attack with the baboons, the scar you earned from the fight that stretched across your chest much like the scar you gave Zoro in the beginning of his journey, you were since then left out of Zoro's training sessions. Mihawk said it was to prevent you from harming yourself any further, in which you could agree with to an extent. He also said that until Zoro can defeat Mihawk in a fight where Mihawk only uses a knife at most five inches in length, you shall remain on standby until Zoro is ready to face him with a sword. Clearly it's taking Zoro more than half a year to do so...

And so you sat at the fogging window that gave off chilled winds, you watched the boys face the storm head on all the while getting extremely bored in the process with your head rested within your hand. Your fingers tapped lightly upon the desk with due thuds, you peeled your eyes from the two males to the sheet of yellow sat before you barren of all things. You reached out for a jar of ink, unscrewing the cap and dipped the end of a brown quill into the jar and began writing upon the parchment.

Perona's eyes watched your feather dance within the air while you wrote. "I'm guessing you're bored as well," Perona questioned as she floated above your head, swooping down and sat upon one end of the desk.

"Yup," you grumble.

"Who ya writin' to?" Perona asked in return with what you caught to be false curiosity.

"Shanks... Cause why not?" You shrugged slightly.

"How the heck have you been able to live here for the last ten years?"

"I don't know Perona... I don't know," You growled with irritation as you pushed the note off to the side and dropped your head upon the desk. "Mihawk has been too busy training Zoro to get me new books and records to keep me occupied..."

"Is that why you're writing to Shanks?" Perona was a woman to ask lots of questions you've definitely noticed.

"Kind of," you mumbled through the wooden desk. An imaginary lightbulb flickered on within your head, and so you jumped to your feet with a long stretch. "I'm going outside, you coming?"

"Ewe no!" She spits. "Two gross men, baboons, and a storm."

"Suit yourself."

Mihawk kicked Zoro in the chest, knocking the brute upon the ground. "Pathetic."

"Shut it!" Zoro took a sword from his mouth, spitting out some mud in the process. Earth was a bitter taste within his mouth. "The rain is making everything difficult! It's either I slip or sink in the mud like water."

"Excuses excuses," Mihawk pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'd love to get out of here but absolutely no progress has been made today..."

"You think I haven't noticed that?" Zoro rolled his eyes, pushing up on the ground just to sink further into the mud.

"Well," Mihawk tuts. "We're not taking shelter until you've defeated me."

"What!?" Zoro snapped.

"It shouldn't take anyone, let alone a skilled swordsman such as yourself, six months to defeat me while I only wield a puny blade such as this," Mihawk had noticed just how dull the knife he held had become due to the overheld training sessions. "Get to your feet," the warlord demanded.

Zoro became overwhelmed with anger, getting to his feet while the dirt beneath his boots squished and retched, pooling at his feet like the mud it had became. His knees wobbled and shaked, tired from exhaustion and the unsteadiness he felt standing upon the slick surface. "I will defeat you," Zoro claimed, putting his third sword into his mouth tightly clenched between his teeth. His green hair hung before his eyes soaked and heavy. Zoro's eyes were hungry for blood.

Zoro lunged forward, swiping his swords at Mihawk of whom casually stepped to the side the dodge his attack. This action repeated until Mihawk went from defense to offense and instead turning at Zoro, throwing attacks left and right with swipes of the air just inches before Zoro's body with the dulled blade. It was an improvement from before, Zoro couldn't dodge those attacks just a few weeks ago, he had began reading his moves before they even happened. Zoro ducked one swipe, hooking one sword behind Mihawk's knee and tripped the man causing an explosion of mud. Zoro took advantage of the opening for an attack to end it all.

There was a faint ring. It drew Zoro out of beast mode as he turned his head in the direction of the ring to find that it wasn't a ring, but a laugh. The laugh was pure with excitement for he found you standing in the rain from afar, just feet away from the entrance of the mansion whose doors remained open with your arms outstretched. You were looking up at the sky with a genuine smile and eyes closed as the rain drenched your hair to a flat shiny mop of (h/c). Zoro thought you looked even more whole than the day you danced alone just after he moved in.

A sharp pain penetrated Zoro's left eye, Zoro jumped backwards dropping his swords and forcing his hands to his eye. He pulled back to find nothing but red.

"It isn't smart to get distracted before your enemy," Mihawk tuts as he still sat within the mud, sheathing his knife back into his necklace. "Understand I had to protect myself Roronoa... I'll give this victory to you," Zoro had completely forgotten about his eye, taking Mihawk's words to heart. It wasn't a sword fight, but Zoro had finally taken a step forward with excellence.

"Thanks," Zoro spoke in disbelief.

"Now treat your wounds before they get infected," Mihawk spits with disgust. "If you need a real doctor however... You know where to find me," Mihawk meant he'll retrieve a doctor from somewhere more populated, but Zoro couldn't care less. As Mihawk made way for the mansion to change out of his mud drenched clothes, Zoro resheathed his swords and followed.

You opened your eyes, seeing the battlefield empty. Mihawk was nowhere to be seen meanwhile Zoro was coming home. You saw a great deal of blood drench what was his white shirt cut up to oblivion to be washed away from the rain. That meant it was a good training session. "Done for the day?" You asked as Zoro stepped by you.

"I finally beat him," Zoro casually spoke as he continued inside.

"Well that's great!" You giggled, following up behind Zoro and hugged him from behind. "Next you'll be fighting me instead of that ratty old knife," Zoro nods to your claim. "Zoro," you pout. "I expected you to be more excited than this," you push back from Zoro to face him head on. Your eyes widened like an owl's through shock. "Zoro your eye!"

"What about it?" Zoro ask so casually it made you think he didn't have a clue that his left eye was bleeding all over the place.

"It's bleeding for one," you stepped forward cupping Zoro's cheeks and pulling him down to your level. "And two, the cut is so deep there's no way you can save it."

"Then what's the concern?" Zoro pulled your hands from his face. "I lost an eye, so what? I have another."

Your breathing grew intense. "Wow..." You rolled your eyes and clasped a hand around one of his wrists. "At least let me bandage it up so it doesn't get infected," you didn't give a choice, Zoro was dragged to the dining room as you pulled out a medical kit and went to work. Zoro sat there and let you do as you pleased, and not once did he hiss or flinch whenever you put disinfectant on his open cuts. He took is like a soldier you had to admit as you stood up from your seat and proceeded to wrap gauze around his head to create a makeshift eye patch for the time being until it heals. Not once had Zoro's left your own.

"There you go," you snipped one end of the gauze, taping it down with medical tape. "I'm finished," Zoro raised his left hand and felt his bandaging.

"It wasn't necessary," Zoro lets out a deep breath. "But thank you anyways."

"You're welcome Zoro," your heart fluttered seeing how much Zoro actually appreciated your actions. Even though they were little, the fact that he thanked you meant a lot as it was. "Take care of yourself alright?"

"Um... Sure"

"Good," you stepped forward, cupping Zoro's cheeks and placed a kiss atop his bandaged eye. "Be careful Zoro, now go take a shower... You're covered in mud."

"You got it," Zoro casually replied while you took your leave. The second you left his sight, he felt his eye again right where you had kissed his as if he couldn't believe it.