Iron clashed and steel clattered

None of it really mattered,

Because he made a promise.

Blade met blade and blood was spilt

Only then was his heart built -

Up to his goal so mighty.

His blood flowed as did the other

As if they'd never known a mother

And yet that meant near nothing.

If a man came with a blade,

There were no courtesies ever made

To those who sought to best him.

For one cannot be the best

If you are afraid or can't digest -

The means by which you live.

Because if you live and do not die,

There is no reason to sit and cry

Because you are still breathing.

And with every breath within your chest

You must go further - become the best.

Because that's the promise.

The promise of blood, and swords, and sweat

That has not been broken yet

And surely never will be.

Because he swore an oath to her,

He will not go until he's done.

Not until his battle's won.

AN: To quote a sage of our time, 'anutha one'. I busted this one out though at first I'd sat down to write one about Nami but this is what turned out so yeah. Zoro's my favorite Strawhat anyway so it sort of suits me to write him in the middle of the night as I'm trying to sleep but hey c'est la vie. Hope you guys enjoy this one, just like the last one didn't make any edits or really read it over that much, but I may come back later and make some changes. I'm editing my chapters for my on-goings and am planning out two other major long-runners and a few one-shots I've had in mind for a while but I think I may sleep before I do that. Anyway thanks for the view and please remember to read, review, and get your game on!