This is volume 1 of the "Yakouchuu" series. When I checked up this word in the Japanese-English dictionary, I got "phosphorescent animalcule", which made absolutely no sense to me. Upon doing some research on the internet and the rest of the "Yakouchuu" books, it turns out the title means "noctiluca", a small single-celled algae that glows in the sea. So now that we've had our science lesson of the day, let's continue on to the story. XD

The story begins on a stormy night, where the Marines are struggling to survive through the horrible storm. A huge wave hits the ship and Tashigi is thrown overboard. But because of the terrible weather, Smoker and the others are unable to find her among the sea and are forced to give up. The scene then jumps to the next night on Going Merry, where Zoro is watching guard on the crow's nest. He is soon joined by Sanji, who couldn't sleep and decides to bug Zoro. XD After talking about the previous night's storm (and thanks to Nami, they avoided the storm), Sanji shows Zoro the noctiluca and we get a brief explanation of what a "noctiluca" is and how it works. (Damn, reading biology in Japanese is hard!!!) However, in the midst of Sanji's explanation, Zoro suddenly interrupts him and points out there is something in the water. Upon closer inspection, they realize that's an unconscious body hugging tight onto a piece of floating wood. Zoro quickly dives in to save the person, in which he immediately recognizes as the girl he met in Loguetown, Tashigi. (And is it me or does it look like Zoro is hugging Tashigi a bit too tight to him? :3)

This is a rather different doujinshi, seeing as it takes place in an AU setting where Tashigi is a young teacher and Zoro is one of her students. (I bet Zoro failed his grade 16543215 times while Tashigi skipped ahead. That's why Tashigi is now a teacher and Zoro is still a student. XD) While I've never been particularly fond of teacher/student relationships, AU ones don't bother me as much. Especially when I know the characters' real relationship are not really like that. ^^;

The doujinshi begins with a cute silly prologue of Tashigi once again catching Zoro asleep during her class. She is somewhat annoyed by her student's lack of respect for her and she angrily wakes him up. This results in Zoro slinging a surprised Tashigi over his shoulder and bringing her out of the room to "get rid of her". (OMG! So cute!!! <33333) From this prologue, we can see that Zoro doesn't really see or treat Tashigi as his teacher. (Poor Tashigi. XD)

The story then begins with Tashigi finding Zoro and Sanji on the rooftop during lunchtime. She makes a grab for Sanji's cigarette, crushing it in her hand and hiding it behind her just as Smoker, another teacher at the school, walks in to try to catch his smoking students. Luckily, Tashigi covers for them and Smoker lets them go. After classes that day, Tashigi is attempting to go home on her Vespa scooter. (This is the reason for the name of this doujinshi.) But because she burnt her hand when crushing Sanji's cigarette during lunchtime, she is unable to drive home on her Vespa. Zoro, who is walking by, notices this and insists on taking her home. (Obviously, because he doesn't want his woman teacher to crash on her way home.) Once they arrive at Tashigi's home, Zoro even bandages her wound for her. <3

This is one of Wave's latest ZoroTashi doujinshi and it is a solo work by Shoko Conami. Translation: Lots of sap and gorgeous art. A MUST BUY IF YOU ARE A ZOROTASHI FAN!!! XD

The story begins with Zoro seeing a smiling Kuina in his recent dreams. It seems like the island that the Going Merry gang stopped at holds a close resemblance to Zoro's hometown, remind Zoro of his past, even in dreams. Elsewhere, the Marines had also stopped at the same island. At the inn, Tashigi hears from the innkeeper that the town is holding a matsuri (a Japanese festival). Being someone who has never been to a matsuri OR wear a yukata, the innkeeper offers to let Tashigi borrow an used yukata (that once belonged to her now-married daughter) to attend the matsuri that night. Scene jump to that night, where Zoro is on guard duty on the Going Merry while almost everyone else has left for town. Everyone else except Chopper, that is. (I'm guessing talking reindeer don't normally walk around towns? XD) Apparently, Nami gave Chopper a water balloon that she won from the hook-a-water-balloon booth at the matsuri and Chopper is having a lot of fun with it. However, he is interested in the prettiest water balloon, the one with the red and orange polka dots. And he begs and nags and begs and nags Zoro to go win one for him while he takes on Zoro's guard duty.

And this is how Zoro finds himself in the middle of the matsuri, looking for the hook-a-water-balloon booth. As he is walking by the people, a girl in a yukata accidentally bumps into him and he is hit with a flashback of his past. In the flashback, young Zoro is once again seen running to Kuina, hoping to challenge her once again. Unfortunately, he walks in on a naked Kuina, who is being taken her measurements by her grandmother. And well, let's just say, other than the bump Zoro received on his forehead, he also needed to a lot of grovelling to get back on Kuina's good side. XD After Kuina finally forgives Zoro, he curiously asks her about what she was doing earlier. Kuina explains that her grandmother was taking her measurements for the yukata she is to wear in the upcoming matsuri. But she quickly tries to change the topic, claiming this is "too embarrassing". However, Zoro doesn't understand what's the big fuss about this. He wears yukatas all the time. And if Kuina really finds wearing a yukata "too embarrassing", she can say no to it. What Zoro doesn't understand is, Kuina finds this embarrassing because she is required to wear a cute and pretty one as a girl. And it is especially embarrassing for her, someone who sees herself as a swordsman, to be wearing such a cute yukata. Still not really understand what Kuina is saying but still wants to cheer her up, Zoro suggests that he'll challenge her to a match of hook-the-water-balloons at the upcoming matsuri. And he runs off to practice his balloon hooking skills. Unfortunately, "the accident" happened before the matsuri and Kuina died.

Back to the present, Zoro is still thinking about Kuina as he arrives at the booth for the red and orange polka dot water balloon. Did Kuina really not want to wear the yukata? Now that he thinks back to it, she had a small smile forming at the corner of her mouth. So she really wasn't that upset about the yukata. As a matter of fact, he would think she looked a little happy to be able to have a chance to wear one. He is pulled out of his thoughts when he successfully hooks two water balloons out from the water. But one of the balloons he hooked out turns out to be the one that the girl beside him had been aiming for. He turns to look at the girl just as the girl turns to look at him. And guess who is there? A Tashigi in her yukata!!! After his initial surprise, Zoro quickly makes a run for it. And of course, when he runs, Tashigi chases. XD But the klutz in her strikes again as she trips and fall, and the strap of her geta (a wooden clog) breaks. (This is equivalent to the heel from a high heel breaking.) So Tashigi is basically rendered useless and unable to walk with her broken geta unless she goes barefeet. Not wanting to leave her so helpless in public, Zoro pulls Tashigi aside and fixes her geta for her. While doing this, he offhandedly wonders why she is at the matsuri, in which she misinterprets this as him implying she doesn't look good wearing a yukata. And Zoro's response? "I didn't say... you don't look good..." With a cute little blush on his face too!!! (So yeah, Zoro obviously thinks Tashigi looks good. :3) Their conversation continues on, with Tashigi confessing that she is very happy to be able to wear such a cute yukata with such pretty morning glories pattern. When Zoro hears this, he has a flash of Kuina in a yukata in his mind, and realizes Tashigi's confession must've been something Kuina wanted to say back then. And Zoro feels happy, yet at the same time a bit melancholic, to finally realize this so many years later.