Chapter Text
It first started way back in the east blue, when the crew had first gotten the merry. It had been almost a full week of sailing and the Monday was starting like any other. They all woke up to join whoever was on watch the night before (Nami) for some breakfast.
Zoro seemed a little bit tensed but otherwise was the same old lazy swordsman, yawning and getting a shirt on, albite a little faster the usual. However, once Luffy started to make his way to the stairs, the reaction was almost immediate.
“LUFFY DON’T-“ Luffy stopped dead in his tracks, hand on the rail and his foot midair, just inches away from the step. He quickly looked back to his first mate with a questioning look, and though flushed with embarrassment, Zoro was quick to speak, grateful for his captain’s attention.
“Don’t… don’t use the stairs today, okay?” Luffy promptly stepped back and smiled just as brightly as before.
“Okay Zoro!” Before promptly grabbing everyone within vicinity and rocketing up to the galley. The groans of ‘whyyy’ ‘LUFFY!’ Were loud, but zoro’s relief was louder. His shoulders much more relaxed than when he had woken up, and when breakfast was over the crew quickly noted the issue as no trouble at all and moved on with their lives.
—————
The second time it happened was when they were off to alabasta with their new doctor in tow. Sanji was quick on the uptake of ‘no stair Monday’ after a quick request from Nami~san, and chopper realized all on his own after seeing how nervous Zoro got when he ussop and Luffy were too close to the stairs, princess vivi however-
“Avoid the stairs? Isn’t that impractical?” It really shouldn’t have been that big a deal, just avoid using the stairs on Monday or Zoro would get ‘all weird’ as Luffy delicately put it. To be honest it was a miracle she hadn’t messed up yet, though that soon changed when one Monday, she simply couldn’t be bothered. Of course vivi didn’t understand the significance of the rule until she, herself was falling down them.
With a yelp she started to lean back midway down the steps after a wave rocked the boat a bit rougher then usual. While it was only 4 steps she still bruised her arm, nothing broken or anything of the sort. Just a small fall really, a quick look from chopper and it would be gone by the end of the day.
But the look on zoro’s face was what really made the deck freeze. His eyes were blown wide, hand outstretched as of to reach her from his place all the way across the deck. Standing on his staggering legs after the quick sit up off the rail. He was quick to pull the hand back, breaths short and airy like he couldn’t take in enough air for himself to breathe. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he held the railing he was sleeping against not even moments ago.
Luffy was quick to act, jumping down from the 2nd deck and bringing zoro’s hands into his. The two pirates staring into each others eyes as the deck started to once again move. Chopper jumping down to vivi’ aid, checking the bruise. Nami setting her book down to join chopper in looking her over. Sanji promptly turning around into the galley, likely cooking up something for the swordsman.
“S-she-“
“vivi is fine. It’s okay zoro.”
“B-but the stairs-“
“Vivi is okay, we can go see her right now, she’s right there see?” Luffy tilted his head to gesture behind him where he knew both chopper and Nami were both taking care of and telling vivi off. Zoro’s eyes slowly and shakily looking back over to where vivi sat, confused expression strewn across her face.
Zoro was quick to look back to Luffy, the silent reassurance his eyes held finally making his shoulders drop and his breaths become much deeper.
“Right. Sorry.” Luffy mearly laughed, giving Zoro a quick hug and bouncing over to where vivi’s once confused face now looked pained. Clearly upset for having set off the landmine that was zoro.
—————
The next time it happened came much later in the future, right after they left punk hazard. With law on the boat for a few days, threatening doflamingo’s position and his anxious pacing around the deck was distracting the usually observant man. So much so that when it was time for dinner and everyone jumped up to the 2nd deck with little effort, he didn’t realize.
Lucky him Luffy was quick to pull him away from the stairs by the back of his coat. Rubber arm stretched from the galley door. The resounding crash at his arrival woke up him finally.
“Any particular reason you felt the need to pull me up here?” Zoro paused in his positioning of swords. Luffy quick to answer with quite the seriousness in his eyes.
“No stair Monday.” No other explanation was given, Luffy acting like no explanation was in order. Though when law tried to ask anyone else they were quick to change the subject. He assumed it a crew custom and filed it away as a weakness for when thsi crew of morons became his enemies. Though he wasn’t sure straw hat knew what betrayal even was.
The dinner went on with a much more relaxed Zoro and a happy crew… + a begrudgingly content trafalgar law.