What're you so excited about? Down, pup.

[idk where zoro just picked up this pillow from but it's now being thrown at baren's face.]

[he's gonna catch it, laughing. his pillow now.]

Your memories are either about your crew or are just glorious fantasies that sound like they were cooked up at 4 AM by someone high as a jet plane over a box of animal crackers. C'mon, what's the new story?

Just the dumb asshole kicking a giant crocodile with a banana on its head. Nothing big.

[he doesn't mention that this is, in fact, big. nor does he mention the fact that sanji was saving him from drowning in a bizarre jail cell.]

[yeah that does match up with what sanji said

but also there's the no lying rule

Baren watches Zoro for a moment - but files this under "if it's no big to him he's either downplaying it or trying not to talk about it".

technically not a lie.]

You saw him do it?

Yeah.

[this is getting DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO WHAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO SAY. his embarrassment is already showing up in its classic form of frustration.]

[ . . . uh huh.

Baren just pauses at that.]

... You know, the less you give me to work with, the less I can use to poke at his memories.

HE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT!

[erk. shit. it's obvious now, isn't it?]

Picking and choosing what you think he needs to know? Now that's just mean, Z.

[yeah it's obvious]

He remembered what he did. What else matters?!

[sighs he's getting huffy now]

Why he was there?

[just a guess]

[fuck




he glances away. mumbles:]

Save some people.

[ . . . ok better]

Did you lose to giant crocodiles.

Like hell I did! I would have kicked that thing's ass myself if I wasn't locked up!

[-SHIT]

[and now he's on the couch

clutching his stomach as he cracks up]

Locked up by giant crocodiles! What kind of pirates...!!

IT WASN'T BY THEM!!! HOW THE HELL COULD A CROCODILE LOCK SOMEONE UP?!?!?!

Then how'd you get locked up, Z? Tell me I'm wrong!

How the hell should I know?! Not like I got a full movie about it!

Maybe if you scream about it enough you'll remember!

[WHAT LOGIC]

HOW THE HELL DOES THAT WORK?!

I dunno, jog the same memory enough times and get more context? Have you ever tried?

No. Have you?

Sure. It's about a fifty-fifty shot.

Wait. What memory were you trying so hard to get back? Thought you were one of the ones who wanted to leave that stuff behind.

[first of all, he was lying]

It's less wanting to leave it behind but more that it doesn't matter what I remember - I'm still me.

[in every lifetime, he's still just baren]

[after everyhing, it's nice to know they've still got the same views. or similar ones, at least.]

Whatever. I'm not repeating anything to remember that. It's not important.