Pupil [Zoro x Gabbie]

"Fight me!"

        Thirteen-year-old Gabbie di Angelo skipped around all over the Going Merry, looking for a certain mint-haired swordsman. “C’mon, where are you Zozo?” She hopped into the kitchen, where a blond guy with a spiraly eyebrow was making a cake. “SANJIII!”
        “Yeah? What?”
        She pouted. “Well you’re acting mean.”
        “Yeah, well, I’m in a bad mood today.”
        Gabbie rolled her eyes. “Do you know where Zoro is? I need to talk to him..”
        “Try the steerage area, he has some practice dummies set up,” said Sanji.
        “Thanks!” And then she left, following the chef’s directions to where her friend was busily hacking away at some small straw poles. “Fight me Zozo,” she cried,, in a battle stance.
        He stopped, rested on one of his swords, and looked the young pirate up and down. “...yeah, no.”
        “Why nooooot?”
        Zoro rolled his eyes. “Whining won’t get you anywhere, that’s for sure.”
        Gabbie pouted. “But why won’t you fight meee?”
        “Because I fight with swords, nonetheless with the Sentoryuu style. I don't think Luffy would be too happy knowing I cut off somebody's head.”
        “You can’t hold back?” She tilted her head.
        “No, I can't, holding back shows weakness. I need to be the best swordsman there is, I can't let others surpass me.”
        “It’s not weakness, silly. That’s strength too.”
        “Still, I can’t train having to deal with a student.”
        Gabbie scrunched her nose. “But...I don’t wanna die in battle, Zozo…”
        He sighed. “You won’t die! You’ve got me, Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Sanji, Franky, Brook, even Robin!”
        “Yeah, but I might end up on my own someday…”
        “...I hate when you’re right.” The swordsman sighed again. “Fine, I’ll take you in as a pupil, just stay outta the way.”
        Gabbie did a jump in the style one would see in an anime, then smiled like Luffy. “Thank you…”
        “Yeah, yeah.”
        She giggled and booped his nose, then ran off somewhere else, probably to bug Sanji about having some of that cake. Zoro cupped a hand over his nose and frowned. “...what the heck was that supposed to be?”

        Months later, the two could be found sparring during virtually all of their free time, and the times when the master won and apologized half-heartedly to the student, she just laughed and kissed him on the cheek.