5 Chapter 5

Chie was pregnant.

As spring arrived with the changing of the year, Chie began to sleep more and became picky with her food. These symptoms could be considered mild, but Toji couldn't stand even the slightest anomaly concerning Zoro or Chie. He immediately took her to the hospital, where they received the diagnosis of pregnancy.

Zoro was there too. Now two years old, he was still too young to be left alone at home.

When Zoro heard that Chie was pregnant, his mind went blank. It was understandable. His parents were always affectionate with each other, spending all their time together since neither of them worked. Still, the news felt... strange.

Before Zoro could even process this odd feeling, Chie began to cry.

Having never seen Chie cry, Zoro was startled and immediately went to her side, looking into her eyes. When he called her "Mother," Chie looked up. Seeing her face, Zoro felt relieved.

Her gray eyes weren't filled with sorrow but sparkled with joy and emotion.

Toji, taken aback at first, then hugged Chie tightly. He quickly let go, as if worried that hugging her too strongly might harm her.

'As long as Chie is smiling.'

That was enough. Even if they were tears of joy, Chie's smile was much more pleasant to see.

After receiving some advice from the doctor and obtaining an ultrasound photo, they left the hospital. Toji treated Chie with extreme care, as if she were made of sugar.

Back home, Zoro stared intently at the ultrasound photo, showing a white blotch within a black circle. This baby would be Toji and Chie's second child.

And Zoro's sibling.

'A sibling...'

Naturally, Zoro's previous life had not included any blood-related siblings. He barely knew his parents' names, which he had learned from the villagers, let alone had any siblings.

There were those who had offered to consider him a brother, though they were not related by blood. However, they were actually older than Zoro and adults.

Even when considering younger members of his crew, it wasn't much help. Luffy was younger but was unmistakably the captain, and Usopp felt more like a friend than a sibling. Nami was... well, terrifying at times, even in Zoro's view.

Chopper was probably the most naive member of the crew, but despite his innocence and lack of knowledge, he was competent in his duties. Very different from a newborn sibling.

Zoro remembered his own time as a newborn. He was incredibly fragile and weak, able to do nothing.

Even Zoro's sibling, not being a reincarnated individual, would have a mind of an infant, unlike Zoro, whose mind remained that of an adult. It would likely take years before the sibling could form coherent thoughts. Perhaps it wouldn't be until after at least five years post-birth?

...Zoro couldn't fathom how to interact with them.

Was it just about providing protection unconditionally? Watching over them until they grew up? Or, like Chie and Toji did for Zoro, actively raising them by feeding, putting them to sleep, and playing with them?

"Zoro."

Called by Chie, he stopped his musings and looked up. Chie was sitting on a plush sofa in the middle of the living room, though he hadn't noticed when she sat down.

"What are you thinking about?"

Approaching Chie, she opened her arms as if to hug him, but Zoro shook his head.

"About the sibling."

"Are you worried about mommy and the baby getting hurt? You're so mature, Zoro."

He looked at her still-flat belly. It was hard to believe his sibling was inside.

"Mother."

"Yes?"

"What should I do?"

Chie's movements halted abruptly. Her eyes widened, then took on a slightly sad hue.

In her eyes, Zoro had always been an unusually mature child. He developed faster than other children and, except for his newborn days, he rarely whined or pestered.

Despite being mostly silent, he seemed to understand more about the world than other children his age who constantly asked questions, understanding most conversations. Sometimes, it seemed like he knew more than even Toji and Chie. Though he appeared stubborn and willful, he always prioritized his parents, leading them to worry he might be suppressing his desires.

Instead of showing jealousy over the news of having a sibling, he asked what he could do for them. Chie pondered what to say to a child asking such a question.

Her hand eventually rested on Zoro's coarse green hair. With a gentle touch, she tenderly stroked his head, treating him with utmost care.

"Zoro. My baby."

"Huh."

"You don't need to do anything for Mom and Dad."

"..."

"Because just by coming to our side, you've already made Mom and Dad very, very happy."

When Chie was pregnant with Zoro, she was joyful yet fearful because Zoro showed no movement while in her womb.

His heart was beating, and there were no dangerous signs according to hospital tests, but that was it. There was no fetal movement until just before birth. She tried eating sweet foods and lying down to concentrate on feeling any movement, but she never felt anything.

Chie was anxious until the moment Zoro was born, worried that something might have gone wrong with him inside her womb.

Therefore, Chie could never forget the moment of Zoro's birth. Despite the pain of labor, she couldn't take her eyes off his wrinkled, red body, his short green hair wet from the amniotic fluid, the warmth when he was placed in her arms, and when their gray eyes met for the first time. She even remembered the tears in Toji's eyes when Zoro was first handed to him.

It's a moment she'll likely never forget as long as this life lasts.

Zoro was their child, the fruit of their love, embodying hope, wish, and future all at once.

Seeing the deep, stirring look in Zoro's eyes, Chie smiled. He was such a good child.

"And for your sibling..."

Protecting, nurturing, and teaching were the parents' duties, not something to be handed over to a son not yet three years old. She didn't want to tell him not to fight or to get along well; she didn't have to. Chie knew Zoro would treat his sibling kindly without being asked.

"Tell them you love them."

Since he was a child who felt embarrassed expressing affection verbally. Though he expressed plenty through his actions, sometimes it's necessary to express it in words. If he could do just that, Chie wouldn't ask for anything more from Zoro.

Zoro was puzzled. Was that really all it took?

"...Is that enough?"

"Yes. That's enough."

Can you promise Mom that? Chie smiled gently. Zoro asked with a hesitant face.

"Just by saying that?"

"You won't just say it. Mom believes in you."

There was nothing more Zoro could say to that. Even if Zoro himself was a bit confused by it, how Chie could be so trusting was beyond him.

"Okay."

Chie slowly pulled Zoro's head into a hug. As his face pressed against her stomach, Zoro held his breath, worried that any movement from him might startle Chie and the baby.

"I love you, Zoro. Even when your sibling is born, Mom and Dad will love you just the same. The time the three of us have together might decrease, but it doesn't mean we love you any less or not at all."

"Of course."

He had never thought otherwise. It was natural to pay more attention to a much younger sibling. And the love Chie and Toji had for Zoro wasn't something that would be shaken by the presence of a sibling. Even Zoro knew that much.

Chie then released Zoro.

"Since I named you, Zoro, we should let Dad name your sibling."

"Mom named me?"

It was the first time he had heard this. Chie nodded gently in confirmation.

"Yes. Originally, I wanted Dad to name you, but when you were born, I just felt like I wanted to name you."

And Dad couldn't decide on a name until the very last moment. Chie chuckled softly. Watching her laugh, Zoro asked,

"Why 'Zoro'?"

Zoro. Born on November 11th. Both in his previous life and this one, his name and birthday remained the same. It would be a lie to say he never found it odd.

That's why he was curious. Why did Chie choose the name Zoro for him?

Chie scratched her cheek, pondering.

"It just felt right. It seemed like you had to be named Zoro."

The name that spontaneously came to Chie's mind and stayed there the moment she locked eyes with her baby. When she voiced it out loud, those gray eyes shining with the same hue as hers seemed to confirm it was the name meant for him from the start.

Zoro.

"Do you like it?"

"...Yes."

It was always my name, after all. Zoro swallowed those words, keeping them to himself.

...

Upon being told by Chie to choose a name, Toji pondered for a long time. It wasn't until after Chie's belly had grown alarmingly large and Zoro's third birthday had passed that he finally spoke in front of Zoro and Chie.

"Megumi."

It sounded familiar. Zoro furrowed his brow.

What did it mean? After struggling to recall, Zoro simply asked Toji.

"What does it mean?"

"Blessing."

"Ah."

Right. That's what it meant. Zoro remembered what the name signified from his memories.

Blessing, grace, love, kindness, wisdom, intelligence.

"That's nice."

Zoro sincerely thought so.

However, Chie tilted her head in confusion.

"But it's a boy?"

They had already visited the hospital to find out the baby's sex. Zoro's sibling was going to be a boy.

Zoro asked curiously.

"Why does that matter?"

"It's usually given to girls. The name Megumi, that is."

"I see."

Still, Zoro liked the name Megumi.

After a moment of silence, Toji said,

"...Still."

"Okay, got it."

Megumi. Megumi. Chie, holding her called belly, said happily.

Zoro looked around. Despite the late autumn transitioning into winter, the air inside the house was warm and cozy. The house was filled with items for the new baby – formula, a crib, mobiles, and toys, all shining and waiting for the baby's arrival.

It seemed all that remained was sheer happiness.